A top House Democrat opened debate on the branch’s $57.9 billion budget Wednesday by offering a warning about the state’s financial picture after months of below-benchmark tax collections have put more scrutiny on Beacon Hill’s major spending decisions.

The fiscal year 2025 spending plan that representatives will likely spend the rest of the week debating is slightly smaller than Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal from January, a result of dismal revenues and other challenges like the historically high cost of state-run family shelters.

House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewtiz said this budget cycle has been “one of our more challenging” in recent years as revenues did not grow at the rate officials originally predicted.

“It has left us all scrambling a bit to keep our budget stable through FY24. And while the March revenue numbers were a welcomed break in the nine-month storm we have been in, we still must proceed with caution, not knowing if the April numbers are going to bring more showers,” the North End Democrat said.

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But even with the many poor fiscal indicators, Michlewitz said it is not all bad news in Massachusetts.

He pointed to the first bond rating increase — which affects Massachusetts’ ability to borrow money — in more than a decade last year and the nearly $9 billion in the state’s rainy day fund, two factors that put “us in solid shape to weather any further storms going forward.”

“We’ve had plenty of challenges in the past few years here but this House has met each of them head-on with compassion, thoughtfulness, and a steady hand,” Michlewtiz said.

Rep. Todd Smola, a Warren Republican who serves as the ranking minority member on the chamber’s budget-writing committee, said lawmakers need to keep the past nine months of tough revenue returns in mind during their debate.

Every month this fiscal year except March has seen lower-than-expected revenues, according to the Department of Revenue. The state collected just over $4 billion from residents last month, or 3.3% above projections set by the Healey administration.

“This is a warning sign for us to be fiscally responsible and prudent when financial decisions are made,” Smola said.

He also pointed to the $932 million tab Massachusetts is expected to pay this fiscal year and $915 million in the next for the emergency shelter system, which has found itself under enormous strain amid an influx of migrants.

“I think we all know that throwing money at this issue is not going to fix the problem and hopefully over the course of this debate, and as we look at other legislative vehicles in the future, we’re going to be able to tackle that and find a path moving forward to be effective,” he said.

Lawmakers are set to wade through nearly 1,500 amendments to the House’s fiscal year 2025 budget, and the branch started to get underway around noon, tackling revenue-related proposals first.

Among the amendments are a series from Republicans that attempt to reform the state-run shelter system, though they are likely to face stiff resistance from Democrats who have already shot down many of the ideas in past debates.

Most policy and spending decisions will occur behind closed doors and out of public view, as is typical for budget debates on Beacon Hill. The House’s Democratic leadership often holds meetings on amendments by subject category in a room just off the side of the House Chamber.

A huddle on amendments related to education, veterans services, local aid, and social services was scheduled for noon Wednesday.

The House typically deals with the massive number of amendments to the budget by producing mega-amendments, one document that can deal with hundreds of proposals at once which lawmakers can give a single yes or no vote on.

“There are many of you that filed certainly some interesting amendments to say at least. Nevertheless, we will work through all 1,495 of them this week and I look forward to talking with each of you about how we can make this budget stronger,” Michlewitz said.

This is a developing story…