State House Spotlight: Funding the shelter system

State lawmakers worked on the shelter system and a legislative audit this week and 22 News State us reporter Olivia Ray has a look at what our local legislators were up to this week at the State House in Boston lawmakers worked on setting themselves up for success for the new 2-year session lawmakers continue to Grapple with the overburdened emergency shelter system the state senate approved $425 million in funding and a handful of new regulations including capping the system at 4,000 families and increasing background checks with the federal funding landscape looking increasingly erratic and DACA by the day the responsibility rests with us to ensure the state's right to shelter law remains sustainable and viable options for families in need the state auditor team met with a group of senators to hash out some details of their pending audit of the legislature after a contentious 90-minute meeting the Senate is still concerned about the constitutionality of the audit due to the separation of powers Clause how do you decide you know you could call it a slippery slope right because if I let you do one thing do you do the next we don't know okay developmental disabilities providers advocated at several events this week Northampton Senator Joe cumerford spoke about the unique challenges facing disabled Western Massachusetts residents in finding Continuing Care is there a place close to us in Western Massachusetts often that answer is no is there a place that's going to maximize their interests their opportunities their passions often the answer to that question is no the Pioneer Institute released a report showing that Massachusetts saw its largest population boom in six decades due to increasing migrants flocking to the state while this may look good for Massachusetts economy experts say this does not offset the mass Exodus of young professionals from the Bay State working for you from the state house in Boston I'm Olivia r 22 News