Will Brownsberger — State Senator, Democrat, 2d Suffolk and Middlesex District

Some have found the conversation about municipal health care reform confusing. Here is a summary perspective.

Builders can do good and make more money through green building. It’s not so hard to get started.

The Governor has signed the budget, making no spending changes and relatively few changes in “outside sections.” He did send back the municipal health care reform provisions with four narrow changes.

Highlights of the final budget include good local aid results, strong municipal health reform, limited spending with no new taxes, moderate reforms of the public counsel system and relatively good funding for a number of high priority human services.

The final budget comes in at the high side of expectations as to local aid.

The state budget approved today includes a new approach to health care negotiation for municipal employees. It streamlines today’s very cumbersome process while setting reasonable boundaries on the choices that municipal managers can make and assuring some sharing of savings with employees.

A meeting was held on Monday, May 27, 2011 in the State House to review the status of key issues in the Mystic/Alewife area with the management of the Department of Conservation and Recreation.

One of the most important subjects in the conversation about municipal health care has been the risk of high out-of-pocket costs. The GIC has just released a study which sheds light on this issue.

On Tuesday, June 21, at 10AM in Room A-2 in the State House, the Education Committee will hear testimony on two pieces of legislation related to the membership of the board of education. Both bills — House 1088 (sponsored by Rep. Walz) and House 1917 (sponsored by Rep. Garballey) — are designed to assure that [...]

Rep. Marty Walz and I have sponsored legislation (House 1090) to create virtual charter schools. This legislation is coming up for a hearing before the legislature’s education committee next Tuesday, June 21. Your thoughts on the legislation would be much appreciated.

Gretchen Morgenson’s new book about FNMA and the mortgage meltdown — Reckless Endangerment — is worth a careful read.

A panel of judges for the Pioneer Institute’s Better Government Competition has awarded me their 2011 First Prize for my pension reform proposal.

The MBTA invites you to attend community meetings to introduce the Key Bus Route Improvement Program. The project’s goal is to improve overall quality of service for customers on the Key Bus Routes by providing a more reliable, faster service with enhanced bus stop amenities.

As the developer approaches completion of the permitting process, the state is unable to help acquire the property. Next steps in an acquisition will need to be initiated by the surrounding communities.

There are several items of local concern in the Senate Ways and Means Draft Budget released yesterday.

At $13.5 million, the appraisal comes in slightly above the assessed value of the property for tax purposes as of January 1, 2010. It confirms that the developer has chosen the most profitable strategy and roughly confirms the town’s valuation of the property based on that strategy.

Last night the House of Representatives voted 113 to 42 to remove health care plan design from collective bargaining for municipal employees. I view the reform as a very modest and responsible labor law adjustment that reflects important practical realities.

I’ll be reporting on budget issues to the Belmont town meeting on May 9.

The MAPC bikepath study has been released. The next step belongs to the Selectmen to determine what kind of process they would like to undertake before making decisions on the bikepath possibilities.

Many state agencies have taken very deep cuts, but local aid, health and human services programs have largely been protected.