BOSTON – Thursday, April 30, 2026 – Last night, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed its fiscal year 2027 (FY27) budget. Representative Kathy LaNatra announced that she successfully secured $400,000 in local investments, for the 12th Plymouth district, including in the areas of public safety, community health care, local libraries, and local infrastructure. During her four terms in office as State Representative of the 12th Plymouth district, Representative LaNatra has successfully secured over $2.3 million in local funding through sponsored earmark amendments over her 8 House budget debates.
Funded at $63.41billion, the House’s FY27 budget responds to the needs of residents, provides record support for the Commonwealth’s cities and towns, and among many critical investments, includes significant funding for education, transportation, health care, housing, and workforce development. The FY27 budget leverages Fair Share funding, passed by a ballot referendum is 2022, to make record investments into public education and transportation.
“The budget passed by the House last night is a win for our residents, for students and for the Commonwealth as a whole. In the face of federal cuts to funding our Commonwealth relies on, this budget responds with responsible fiscal management, while making strong investments into areas the residents of the Commonwealth value, including strong public K-12 education, accessible higher education, reliable transportation, and nation-leading health care, “ said State Representative Kathy LaNatra (D – Kingston). “The annual budget is an important opportunity to secure funding for the towns we represent and deliver resources for local projects and needs identified by residents, town officials, and community organizations. I am pleased to have secured $400,000 for the towns of the 12th Plymouth District to support public infrastructure, public safety, and community health. I want to thank Speaker Mariano, Chairman Michlewitz, and the House Committee on Ways and Means for their leadership throughout the FY27 House budget process.”
Representative LaNatra secured $400,000 for the 12th Plymouth district through 6 sponsored earmark amendments to the FY27 budget. They include:
• $50,000 for the Town of Kingston Historical Reed Building Restoration
• $50,000 for the Town of Plympton Town Complex Infrastructure Improvements
• $50,000 for the Town of Plymouth Fire Department Interoperability Radio Upgrade
• $50,000 for the Town of Halifax Holmes Public Library Roof replacement
• $50,000 for the Town of Pembroke police station reuse planning
• $150,000 for Harbor Health Services to increase access at their Plymouth Community Health Center
The budget passed last night include $2.7 billion in investments for transportation and education initiatives supported through funding generated by the Fair Share ballot initiative that voters approved in November of 2022, which established a surtax of 4 percent on annual income above $1 million.
The House FY27 budget makes strong investments into education, including the highest per-pupil minimum aid on record at $160 per student. Other education highlights include record Student Opportunity Act chapter 70 funding, fully funding universal school meals, increased special education reimbursement, and improved school transportation. The budget also continues to invest in C3 grants and other funding for early education and child care, making Massachusetts the only state to continue this level of investment into child care after COVID-19.
The House budget includes $22.41 billion for MassHealth, and invests in primary care rates and behavioral health. The House budget also extends the Health Connector’s ConnectorCare Pilot program, which offers lower premiums, no deductibles and reduced co-pays, until the end of 2027. The program currently enrolls 49,000 residents. As of January 1, 2026, residents with incomes of only up to 400% of Federal Poverty Level (FPL) were eligible because of the expiration of the ACA tax credits. The Pilot Program included in this budget extends coverage to those with an income of up to 500% of the FPL.
The budget passed the House of Representatives 149-9 and now goes to the Senate for consideration.
Representative Kathleen LaNatra is serving in her fourth term as State Representative of the 12th Plymouth District. Her district includes the Towns of Kingston and Plympton, Precincts 1, and 2A of the town of Halifax, Precincts 1, and 5A of the town of Middleborough, Precinct 3, of the town of Pembroke, Precincts 1, 2, 3, 5, and 13, all of the town of Plymouth. Her office can be contacted at Kathleen.LaNatra@mahouse.gov or via phone at (617) 722-2370.