House and Senate Democrats moved Monday to redirect more than half a billion dollars headed for the state’s long-term savings account and instead use it to close a budget gap and fund some additional spending. Lawmakers surfaced and quickly approved their final plan ( H 5132 ) for closing the state’s financial books on fiscal 2024, sending it to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk minutes before Beacon Hill budget-writers formally kicked off the process of planning for fiscal 2026. The newly approved “closeout” budget has a $701.2 million bottom line, with a projected net cost to the state of $133.6 million after federal reimbursements, according to a House Ways and Means Committee official. The proposed appropriations address accounts underfunded in the annual budget and fill a fiscal 2024 budget gap that materialized in part due to non-income surtax revenue collections that didn’t hit projections, leaving a shortfall of about $233 million. Legislative Democrats moved Monday to bridge the shortfall and fund some spending by using more than half a billion dollars that would have otherwise flowed into a state savings account. Each year, capital gains tax revenues above a certain level are split up with 90% deposited into the state’s “rainy day” stabilization fund, 5% used to fund pensions, and 5% used for other post-retirement benefits. The new spending bill would dramatically change that formula on a one-time basis. It would steer 85% of excess capital gains — about $502 million — to the general fund, and direct only 5% or $29.5 million to the stabilization fund, according to the House Ways and Means official. Pensions and other post-retirement benefits would each receive the same 5% as the traditional formula. That’s a shift from the approach the House and Senate first sought to take. The original House bill directed 47% of excess capital gains revenue to the General Fund and 43% to the stabilization fund. The original Senate bill sought to use 15% of excess capital gains revenue for the General Fund, and would have steered higher shares toward pensions and other post-retirement benefits. Healey proposed navigating the gap by using surtax collections that surpassed projections to backfill education- and transportation-related spending in fiscal 2024, freeing up originally appropriated dollars to plug the hole. But Healey also agreed to use capital gains tax collections as a similar type of backstop in the current cycle. The fiscal 2025 budget she signed in July allows the state to divert up to $375 million in excess capital gains tax revenue from the rainy-day pipeline and instead use it to balance the books for the cycle that runs from July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. After previously drawing scrutiny from ratings agencies for dipping into the rainy day fund, Beacon Hill in recent years has worked to build up a sizable nest egg and resisted calls to spend its more than $8 billion balance. A House Ways and Means committee official said the funding shuffle will also allow about $162 million to be swept into the Student Opportunity Act reserve fund, which helps pay for increases in K-12 state aid outlined in a 2019 law, bringing its balance to about $460 million. Spending in the bill would flow to a range of areas, including $7.3 million for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition program, $8.7 million for the state’s universal school meals program, and $2.5 million to cover start-up costs for online Lottery games. The vast majority of the spending, about $565 million, would go to MassHealth. Senate Democrats previously estimated that line item would carry a $0 net cost to the state after federal reimbursements. Healey will get 10 days to review the bill. Lawmakers were once again weeks late on completing the closeout budget, at least according to deadlines written into statute. The state comptroller by law is supposed to file a key financial report by Oct. 31, but cannot do so until the governor signs into law a closeout budget. Lawmakers have made a habit in recent years of blowing past that date and delaying the comptroller’s work as a result. Michlewitz and Rodrigues have completed a closeout budget before Oct. 31 only once in their six cycles as Ways and Means Committee chairs. Alison Kuznitz and Sam Drysdale contributed reporting.sg777 bet sign up 。

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BOCA RATON, Fla. (AP) — Zach Kittley ran one of the nation’s best offenses at Texas Tech. Florida Atlantic has given him a bigger challenge. Kittley — the Texas Tech offensive coordinator for the last three seasons — is the new head coach at FAU, with the deal getting announced on Monday night. Kittley met the Owls’ players at a team meeting not long after his agreement with FAU was finalized. “He is a man of high integrity and character, with an incredible reputation in the profession for player development,” FAU athletic director Brian White said. “Zach is one of the most innovative offensive minds in the game, and I am confident in his ability to build a championship program with an exciting brand of football that can be a source of pride for our fans, our alumni, and the FAU community.” The 33-year-old Kittley will be formally introduced at a news conference Friday, the school said. “I know we can win here, and we have tremendous leadership from the top down to create a championship program,” Kittley said. “I am excited to get to know the student-athletes, build a staff, and get out in the community, and engage our tremendous supporters.” Kittley is replacing Tom Herman, with two games left in his second year at the school. Kittley had stints as offensive coordinator at Houston Baptist and Western Kentucky before returning to Texas Tech — his alma mater — in 2022 in the same role. The Red Raiders have averaged 435 yards per game over the last three seasons under Kittley, 22nd best among all FBS teams. This season saw the Red Raiders rank among the nation’s best offenses: They were eighth in yards per play, eighth in points per game, 10th in yards per game and did all that at a pace nearly unmatched nationally. Texas Tech averaged 78.25 plays per game this season, just behind Syracuse’s 78.33 for the national lead. As a student assistant, then graduate assistant and assistant quarterbacks coach at Texas Tech, Kittley helped coach Patrick Mahomes — the Kansas City Chiefs star, NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion — during his collegiate career. FAU President Stacy Volnick called Kittley “an ideal fit.” “What was clearly evident to me was Zach’s passion and excitement for the potential at Florida Atlantic,” Volnick said. “He is an incredibly impressive person. I am excited about his authenticity, his energy, and his family-oriented approach.” The Owls went 3-9 this season, their fourth consecutive losing record. Lane Kiffin went 27-13 with two bowl wins in his three seasons at FAU; the Owls are 22-35 in five seasons since Kiffin left for Ole Miss after the 2019 campaign. Kittley becomes the ninth coach in program history, after program founder Howard Schnellenberger, Carl Pelini, Brian Wright, Charlie Partridge, Kiffin, Willie Taggart, Herman and Chad Lunsford — the interim coach for the final two games this season. ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and