'I don't have a problem' with late budget, Gov. Charlie Baker says

As Massachusetts enters the new fiscal year without a permanent budget in place, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, declined to criticize the Democratic-led Legislature for the delay.

“I don’t have a problem about the budget being a week or two late. I care a lot more about the quality of the work product and the completeness of the work product in giving people the ability to do the stuff they need to do,” Baker told reporters at the Statehouse.

A team of House-Senate negotiators has been meeting to try to hammer out a final version of the state budget. The new fiscal year began Monday, and the state is operating under a one-month budget, which will fund current programs until the end of July or until lawmakers pass a full-year budget.

On Monday, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, and Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, would not commit to getting a budget done before the July 4 holiday.

Read more: https://www.masslive.com/news/2019/07/i-dont-have-a-problem-with-late-budget-gov-charlie-baker-says.html