State Rep. Cory Atkins and State Sen. Mike Barrett moved successfully this week to override a gubernatorial veto of funds for Concord. The line item reimburses towns for providing local services to state-run prisons within their borders.
“We pushed the issue for months because Concord officials told us how important prison mitigation funding is,” Atkins said. “The town provides police, fire and other services to two state-operated prisons and we should be compensated fairly.”
“This money wasn’t in the original House or Senate budget,” explained Barrett. “We made sure corrective amendments were inserted in both branches. When the governor then vetoed the new line item, we gathered the votes to override him.”
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The restored appropriation provides the Department of Corrections with $2 million, to be split among ten towns across Massachusetts.
