DeLeo’s office would not say what further cuts his office would make in state spending to compensate for the lack of new taxes, saying details would be included when the House releases its full budget proposal in April.
The governor’s budget chief, Jay Gonzalez, responded to DeLeo’s remarks in a statement that challenged DeLeo and called Patrick’s tax and fee proposals “a small amount of targeted tax increases on tobacco, soda, and candy and in a few other areas that help us avoid cuts to education funding, safety net programs, and local aid.’’
“None of our proposals hurt our economic competitiveness,’’ Gonzalez added. “The budget is about choices, and we’ll wait to see what choices the House of Representatives makes in lieu of these proposals.’’
DeLeo spoke broadly yesterday about jobs, education, and health care in his annual address, but offered few specifics.
He made his speech as many on Beacon Hill are preoccupied by concern over who among current and former lawmakers may be under criminal investigation. The Globe reported this week that DeLeo’s predecessor, Salvatore F. DiMasi, is being transported from federal prison in Kentucky to testify before a federal grand jury in Worcester. Federal officials have been investigating widespread patronage in the state Probation Department.
“It’s a scandal that’s going to continue to be a cloud over’’ the Legislature’s work, said Representative Bradley H. Jones, Jr., the Republican leader from North Reading.
“I’m confident there are a lot of nervous people in the building,’’ he added. “I’m happy that I’m not one of them.’’
Jones praised DeLeo’s speech, but several of the speaker’s fellow Democrats have become so press shy in the current environment that they declined even to discuss the address.
