House Minority Leader Bradley H. Jones, Jr. (R-North Reading) has appointed State Representative Kenneth P. Sweezey (R-Duxbury) to serve on a six-member conference committee that will work to reconcile the differences between competing versions of a supplemental budget that allocates surplus Fair Share surtax revenues for a variety of education and transportation initiatives across the state.
The House passed its version of the supplemental budget on March 18 by a vote of 150-3, while the Senate approved its version on April 9 by a vote of 35-4. Both bills authorize $1.8 billion in total spending, mostly from surtax revenues, but differ on how this funding will be distributed. They also take different approaches on how Massachusetts should respond to recent federal tax law changes.
The House bill calls for $885 million to go towards public transportation and $417 million to be used for public education, while also addressing deficiencies in several state budget accounts for Fiscal Year 2026. The Senate bill sets aside $753 million for transportation and $591 million for education, including $25 million to encourage school consolidations in rural communities as a cost-saving measure.
“Ken has been a staunch advocate for making sure taxpayer dollars are being spent efficiently and effectively and not being wasted,” said Representative Jones. “I am confident he will do a great job on the conference committee to ensure that the surplus surtax revenues will be put to good use to support the Commonwealth’s transportation infrastructure and education system.”
“I want to thank Leader Jones for entrusting me with this important responsibility,” said Representative Sweezey. “For the Fair Share surtax to have a positive impact, we must at least ensure that our schools are reaping the benefits, and the funds are distributed to all communities and do not leave anyone behind. I look forward to the negotiations and working with my colleagues for a balanced consensus.”
Joining Representative Sweezey on the conference committee are House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Representative Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable), Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), and Senators Joanne Comerford (D-Northampton) and Patrick O'Connor (R-Weymouth).
Representative Sweezey currently serves as the Ranking Minority Member on both the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. He is also a member of the House Committee on Human Resources and Employee Engagement, the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, and the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security.
Elected to the House of Representatives in November of 2024, Representative Sweezey represents the 6th Plymouth District, which is comprised of the town Duxbury; Precinct 2 of the town of Halifax; Precincts 2 and 3 of the town of Hanson; Precincts 2A and 4 of the town of Marshfield; and Precincts 1, 2, 3A, 4, and 5 of the town of Pembroke.
