On May 22, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved a $38.1 billion budget for FY2016. The Senate budget hews closely to the spending plans proposed by the Massachusetts House of Representatives in April and Governor Charlie Baker in March.

The Senate spending plan emulates these two proposals in slowing the rise of state spending in response to the state’s projected $1.8 billion budget deficit. In total, the Senate budget increases spending by approximately 3.1 percent over FY2015 levels without drawing from the state’s rainy day fund.