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Date: 4/5/2022
WESTERN MASS. – The Massachusetts House of Representatives dropped a $20 million amendment that would forestall federal program cuts to the Massachusetts Office of Victim Assistance (MOVA) that state Sen. Jo Comerford argued in favor of, and had been approved unanimously by the state Senate on March 24.
“MOVA experienced a federal shortfall and were looking at a pretty critical deficit of $60 million over three years, so the Senate wanted to step up and at least do the first year of victim assistance money,” Comerford said. “These are organizations in our region like the Children’s Advocacy Center, Safe Passage, some of the best frontline providers we have at supporting survivors of sexual assault and abuse. They needed those funds to continue their work. Unfortunately, in conference, the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) money was dropped. The House did not agree but did give some assurances that they would do it in the forthcoming budget so it’s a matter of when, not if, I believe, but it is disappointing.”
Apress release following the Senate’s meeting when they approved Comerford’s amendment said that the funding would have been distributed to 161 programs statewide, including 35 victim advocacy organizations in Comerford’s Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester District. Approximately $5.2 million would have been dispersed to those counties had the House been as eager to approve it as the Senate.
MOVA is the only funding source available in the state for services of all victims of crime. COVID-19 has only added stressors for victims, which were and still are at risk of severe service cuts should the House not approve the allocation.
“I’m tremendously heartened to see the Senate approve a strong supplemental budget with critical investments in much-needed programs that will help my constituents continue to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Comerford said after the unanimous Senate approval. “I am proud to secure victim assistance funding, which will help ensure that victim’s rights services in the Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester districts are able to continue their critical work on behalf of children and survivors in our communities. I’m grateful to the Senate President and Chairman [Michael] Rodrigues for their leadership throughout the budget process and I look forward to the appropriation of this essential funding.”
The VOCA funding was just a small part of the $1.6 billion supplemental budget passed by the senate. The press release said the base bill included over $550 million for COVID-19 testing, treatment, vaccination access, and more. It allocated $100 million for rental assistance, $20 million for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), $10 million for Emergency Aid to the Elderly, Disabled and Children (EAEDC), $10 million for staffing and other resources for suicide prevention and intervention services, and much more.
The bill also allocated $100 million in grant funding to repair damaged local roads, funding that is vital for many small towns in Western Massachusetts still struggling to afford storm damage repairs from the winter.
“We have to stay vigilant with COVID[-19],” Comerford said. “There’s just no question that we are still in a pandemic so increasing access to vaccinations and maintaining the ability of the state to offer some testing sites in addition to those available elsewhere in the more private sector is critical.”
Comerford has a track record of securing funding for victim assistance programs since she was first elected as a senator in 2019, but the passage of these bridge funds to keep VOCA programs afloat and operational at their necessary level is now out of her hands.