DeLeo said he intends to force cities and towns into the state’s health insurance program, the Group Insurance Commission.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick, left, and House Speaker Robert DeLeo.By KYLE CHENEY | State House News Service
BOSTON - Warning that cities and towns will face “brutal” budgets in the coming months, House Speaker Robert DeLeo said Tuesday that labor-backed proposals to cut the cost of municipal health insurance “did not go far enough.”
In a speech to the greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, obtained by the News Service, DeLeo said he intends to force cities and towns into the state’s health insurance program, the Group Insurance Commission – a plan he suggested he favored in January – unless then can “meet or beat” savings under the state’s plan. He said his hometown of Winthrop saved $800,000 by joining the state plan.
Unions this month largely embraced plans by Gov. Deval Patrick to force cities and towns into the Group Insurance Commission, unless they develop their own plan of equal or lesser cost within an expedited bargaining period. Patrick has estimated that cities and towns would see savings between $100 million and $120 million under that proposal. Labor unions have proposed that their members receive a 50 percent cut of the savings to offset higher premiums, co-pays or deductibles they see.
“If cities and towns can’t meet or beat the GIC, they will be forced to join it,” DeLeo said, according to his prepared remarks, adding, “If we want to do what’s right for our children who attend public schools; if we want to provide public safety protection at adequate levels; if we want our streets plowed and our trash collected – it’s high time we give cities and towns the tools – through legislation – to make more than a dent in the cost of municipal health insurance.”
Although DeLeo has declined to convene meetings with Gov. Deval Patrick and legislative leaders on expanded gambling – and the leaders acknowledge they’ve had no serious talks on the subject since July – the speaker again reiterated that a proposal to bring new forms of gambling to Massachusetts is “the quickest way” to shore up funding for cities and towns and create blue collar jobs.
“With the urgency for revenue and jobs in mind, I will continue to work with Governor Patrick and Senate President Murray to find a consensus on gaming. I am hopeful we can get it done this session,” DeLeo said.
DeLeo said “the bulk” of his time in recent weeks has been devoted to plans to overhaul the state’s judiciary and criminal justice systems, wracked by scandal and controversy. The state Probation Department was plunged last year into a patronage scandal following the report of an independent investigator that found rampant hiring and promotion abuses within the agency, some with the encouragement of legislators. The state Parole Board came under fire in December after a paroled criminal with a long rap sheet shot and killed a Woburn police officer.
In his speech, DeLeo embraces a proposal by Gov. Deval Patrick to phase out the courts’ current form of administration – a chief judge is appointed to oversee the day-to-day operations – and replace it with a professional administrator with management experience.
“In separating the judicial and business functions of the court, the chief justices of each of the court departments will properly maintain responsibility for all other core judicial functions, such as monitoring caseload, assigning judges, judicial training and judicial discipline,” he said.
However, he said he intends to scrap the governor’s plan to merge the Probation Department, a court agency, into the Executive Branch, an idea that has attracted few fans in the Legislature and within the Judiciary.
“Under the bill I will file, the Probation Department will remain in the trial court. I have considered the Governor’s proposal to align probation with parole functions in the executive branch. After having spoken with [Chief] Justice Ireland and others, however, I believe that the functions of Probation are properly within the judiciary and so, should remain there,” he said.
DeLeo also embraced a requirement that job applicants for the Probation Department be tested to ensure they meet hiring criteria.
“The test will provide a pool of qualified individuals from which the administrators would select candidates to interview,” he said. “Unless applicants exceed a required score, they cannot advance in the interview process. Period.”
He acknowledged that he had previously supported placing the probation agency under the state civil service system, but he said that his approach “offers what I like most about civil service -- an objective test -- without its well recognized flaws.”
A proposal to overhaul the agency’s hiring practices will also require that all job recommendations be made in writing and prevent hiring officials from seeing them until job applicants reach the final round of consideration. It will also make recommendations public records.
“A job recommendation is a serious matter. We all know that a job recommendation from a public official carries weight and I will be the first to say that all recommendations for successful candidates should be transparent,” he said.
Addressing tax policy, DeLeo reiterated an oft-stated pledge: “I will support no new taxes or fees in the House budget.” He has also suggested in recent weeks that proposals by Gov. Deval Patrick to raise additional revenue for the budget – including a plan to expand 5-cent deposits on plastic bottles to water and other non-carbonated beverages – were off the table.
The Winthrop Democrat and former House budget chief estimated next year’s budget gap at $2 billion.
In his speech, DeLeo proposed requiring the Department of Revenue to publish reports on tax policies “on a regular basis.
“Under this plan, taxpayers could express their views on these changes earlier in the process and before they are set in stone,” he said. “When it comes to fostering a better business environment and making sure Massachusetts maximizes revenue, dropping surprise tax announcements is counterproductive.”
DeLeo also said he intends to shorten the length of the tax audit process.
“We need to maximize state and taxpayer resources – not squander them in overly long tax audits,” DeLeo said. “Unless the state can complete an audit within 18 months, we will consider waiving taxpayer penalties for substantial underpayment of taxes.”