BOSTON — Massachusetts Senate leaders have rolled out a $39.5 billion state budget plan that increases spending on local schools and public higher education.
Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said Tuesday that this emphasis on education in the Senate proposal, from preschool to college, is tied to maintaining a strong state economy.
“Education is one of three major issues raised by every trade and business organization around the commonwealth in regards to keeping the economy moving,” Rosenberg said.
The proposed spending plan for the fiscal year starting July 1 relies on no new taxes or fees and has a bottom line lower than budget plans approved by the House and proposed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker.
The plan would spend more than $4.63 billion on state aid to local school districts — about $46 million more than Baker’s proposal and $10 million over the House proposal.
This $116 million increase over the current year’s spending means every school district in the state will see more Chapter 70 aid, a minimum of $55 more per pupil, Rosenberg said.
Another $10 million in new money will raise rates of salaries of early education workers and another $2 million will be used to take children off waiting lists for early education programs, Rosenberg said.
The plan, which represents a 2.9 percent increase in spending over the current fiscal year, includes a $521.3 million main appropriation for the five-campus University of Massachusetts system.
This marks a $20.5 million increase for the UMass system, and is about $13 million higher than proposed by the House and Baker, Rosenberg said.
Similarly, there is an additional $24 million in the Senate budget for community colleges and state universities.
“The bottom line is the Senate is the high-water mark for public education,” Rosenberg said.
UMass President Marty Meehan said in a statement that the budget would help UMass, praising Rosenberg “for his leadership and for his commitment to UMass, to affordability and to excellence.”
Democratic Senate Ways and Means Chairwoman Karen Spilka said the budget includes more rental vouchers for homeless families, money to combat elder abuse, an increase in spending to fight opioid addiction and a bump in the annual clothing allowance for homeless children.
The budget proposal would take the Office of the Child Advocate out from under the control of the governor’s office and make it a stand-alone agency. The office investigates cases of neglect or abuse of children involved with the state.
“There is the belief by many across the state that this should be a separate, independent office,” Spilka said.
The budget also addresses the state’s ongoing opioid abuse crisis.
It would spend $1.4 million on a new task force made up of state police, local law enforcement and the attorney general’s office to combat heroin trafficking. The plan would also create a new recovery high school and increase by $5 million efforts to investigate cases of elder abuse or neglect, many of which are rooted in the opioid addiction crisis.
Republican Sen. Bruce Tarr said he agrees with many of the budget’s goals, but cautioned against putting too heavy a burden on families and employers.
“A strong and resilient commonwealth depends on their ability to pay the bills, create and retain the jobs that people need, and generate the revenue that state government depends on,” Tarr said in a statement.
Spilka said despite the additional spending, the Senate budget is a fiscally responsible document.
She said the plan does not rely on any money from the state’s rainy day fund and instead requires the state to deposit $211 million to help build up the savings account.
Spilka said the plan reflects Senate priorities while the House plan reflects House priorities. Before the budget process began, the House, Senate and Gov. Baker agreed on a single state revenue estimate for the 2017 fiscal year.
“We are all working from the same pot of money,” Spilka said. “Unfortunately, none of us have money trees. We have a pot.”
The House unanimously approved its version of the budget last month, calling for an overall 3 percent increase in state spending and no new taxes.
Proposed amendments to the Senate budget proposal are due by Thursday, with full debate on the spending plan scheduled for next week.
Staff writer Scott Merzbach contributed to this story.