Massachusetts State Reorganization

GOVERNOR ROMNEY'S LINE ITEM AND OUTSIDE SECTION VETOES
The Nitty-Gritty Details

The following is a detailed list of the line item and outside section vetoes that Governor Romney made this past week.  The list includes the following information which may be useful when you contact your state legislators: the title of the line item, the line item number, Romney's action, Romney's comment on the item, the language that was struck from the budget, and finally, CRWA's position on the veto.

Click on a link or simply scroll down through the list:

Environmental Affairs Admin
Transmittal of responsibility and authority to division of urban parks and recreation
Creates executive office of environmental affairs mandate
Riverways protection & access

CREATES EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MANDATE

Title of item that was vetoed: Environmental Affairs Admin
Line item number: 2000-0100              
Romney's action: Strike Wording                                                               
Romney's comment:  "I am striking language because it inappropriately imposes legislative controls on Executive Branch management decisions."
Language that was struck: 2000-0100 "provided further, that said secretary shall file a plan with the house and senate committees on ways and means 20 days before entering into any interdepartmental service agreements with any of the departments or divisions under said secretariat or any department, division or office under the executive office of administration and finance; provided, that the parkways, boulevards, roadways, bridges and related appurtenances under the care and custody of the metropolitan district commission in fiscal year 2003 shall remain solely under the jurisdiction, custody and care of the division of urban parks and recreation under the executive office of environmental affairs; provided further, that said plan shall detail the purposes of, reasons for, and amounts of said agreements"  
CRWA's Position: CRWA opposes this veto because we believe the language is needed to ensure that the parkways will be kept with the park system, and that control of those parkways will remain with EOEA.

Title of section vetoed: Transmittal of responsibility and authority to division of urban parks and recreation
Section number: Section 248 
Romney's comment:  "I am vetoing this section because it unreasonably limits executive branch powers and prevents the agency from realizing anticipated savings."
Language that was struck:  SECTION 248. Said section 35 of said chapter 92, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by adding the following paragraph: - Notwithstanding section 20 of chapter 21A, the division and department shall preserve and protect the scenic and historic integrity of its roadways and boulevards. Neither the department nor the division shall enter into an interagency or other agreement concerning the roadways and boulevards with a state or public agency or entity to transfer any lands, roadways or boulevards, bridges, facilities, personnel, equipment or material under its care, custody and control without the express prior approval of the legislature.  
CRWA's position: CRWA opposes this veto because we believe it provides an additional level of protection for the parkways that is needed under the merger of the metropolitan and state parks systems.  This strong, clear language assures park advocates that the nature of the parkways will not be lost.

Title of section that was vetoed:  CREATES EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS MANDATE
Section number: Section 627 
Romney's comment:  "I am vetoing this section because it does not allow the executive branch to make decisions about staffing based on needs and resource limitations."
Language that was struck:  SECTION 627. The Secretary of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs shall coordinate the delivery of services of the departments and divisions under his control to ensure the protection of the air, water, natural resources and land of the commonwealth and to provide support for the provision of recreational activities for the citizens of the commonwealth. In conducting said duties, the secretary shall also work in coordination with departments and division under his control to provide continued support for the recreational facilities currently operated in the commonwealth. The secretary shall continue to maintain the public appreciation and enjoyment of the commonwealth's natural resources, including bicycle and walking paths, hiking trails, beaches, and other public open space. To effectuate the aforementioned policies, the secretary shall ensure the following: (1) all pools and spray pools under the jurisdiction of said executive office shall remain open for not less than 10 weeks during the summer months; (2) all rinks under the jurisdiction of said executive office shall be open from October through April; (3) all golf courses under the jurisdiction of said executive office shall be maintained and groomed and open to the public for reasonable rates April through November; (4) all playgrounds, tennis courts, local parks, athletic fields and stadia under the jurisdiction of said executive office shall be open for the public use year round and shall be clean and safe for the citizens of the commonwealth; (5) all beaches shall be staffed by lifeguards during the summer swimming season and the beaches shall be cleared of litter and other pollutants; (6) all 750 lane-miles of parkways shall be repaired and kept in good operating condition, including the removal of snow, paving of potholes, and other weather-related damage. The secretary shall coordinate the delivery of services of the departments and divisions under his or her control to ensure the protection of air, water, land, and other natural resources of the commonwealth and to provide support for the acquisition, management, utilization, and conservation of habitat for native flora and fauna. The secretary shall continue to assure the health and viability of the commonwealth's biodiversity for future generations. To effectuate the aforementioned policies, the secretary shall ensure the following: (1) Provide assistance to the departments and divisions under his or her control, including the administration of funds to cities and towns, for the acquisition of interests in land for conservation purposes; (2) Develop partnerships with private, non-profit and other entities that will augment the commonwealth's stewardship and acquisition of such lands; (3) Monitor and enforce all conservation restrictions held by the commonwealth; (4) Enforce all laws and regulations promulgated for the protection of watersheds, lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, coastal and inland wetlands; (5) Develop natural resource management plans for all state forests, reservation, and wildlife management areas; (6) Ensure that sustainable forestry management practices are employed on all state-owned lands, and that such practices are coordinated with private forestland management practices to achieve landscape-scale goals; (7) Promote the sustainable economic development of the private agricultural and forestry resources of the commonwealth; (8) Promote research and monitoring to establish ecological benchmarks for assessing the health and viability of the commonwealth's biodiversity.

Title of section that was vetoed: RIVERWAYS PROTECTION & ACCESS
Line item number: Line item 2300-0101
Romney's comment:  "I am vetoing this item because it is not consistent with my House 1 recommendation."
CRWA's position:  CRWA opposes this veto and we support the Riverways Program.  This small program's ($290,293) staff raises close to three times as much additional money in volunteer hours and non-state grants.  Its elimination through the Governor's veto comes at a critical juncture when the viability of the Commonwealth's water resources for water supply, recreation, ecosystem health, habitat, species diversity and economic development, are seriously threatened.  The Riverways Program works closely with local watershed groups (nonprofits receiving little or no state resources) to enhance freshwater resources across the Commonwealth, and it has filled a gap caused by the elimination of the Executive Office of Environmental Affairs' Watershed Initiative through budget cuts.  The Governor's veto will jeopardize the continual progress Massachusetts has made in protecting aquatic habitat and expanding public access and enjoyment of the state's waterbodies.  Riverways' programs include Adopt-A-Stream, River Restore, the Urban Rivers Programs, River Instream Flow Stewards, the Small Grants Program, and technical assistance.  Each program, sometimes containing a single staff member, works in partnership with citizens to restore and protect our rivers.  By leveraging a very small state investment into a tremendous benefit for communities and citizens statewide, the Riverways Program outperforms many other more expensive state programs.

CRWA's letter to legislators - use this for talking points.

Contact information for state senators in the Charles River Watershed

What you can do - A Call To Action!

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