State settles federal COVID cash spending foul for $2.1B
Massachusetts must pay the federal government $2.1 billion over the next decade after the Baker administration mistakenly used federal pandemic funds to cover unemployment benefits, officials announced Monday.
Gov. Maura Healey, who succeeded Baker in 2023, and her deputies unveiled details of a deal they reached with the outgoing Biden administration Friday in which the Bay State will repay most but not all of the amount it owed due to the error committed years ago.
“For the past year and a half, we have engaged in extensive negotiations with the U.S. Department of Labor to minimize the impact on Massachusetts residents, businesses and our economy, Healey said. “Today, we have reduced our potential liability by over $1 billion and negotiated a decade long payment window to mitigate the impact.”
Healey also doubled down on plans to pursue unemployment insurance reforms while the state works to erase its debt.
The settlement reduces the potential burden on Massachusetts by more than $1 billion, according to Healey’s team, while also saddling the state with a major new cost at a time when budget-writers are grappling with a series of other headaches and the unemployment insurance system already faces looming insolvency.
More Stories
Why Tech Talent Is Moving Into Traditional Business – and What It Can Bring, According to La Royale Group CEO Madelynn Loo
Experienced operators who built careers in technology are moving into financial services, consumer businesses, logistics, investment groups and other established...
Getting to know you: Ross McCarthy, founder, Fruga
Ross McCarthy is the founder of Fruga, a Manchester insurtech that turns everyday spending data into retention tools and customer...
The Role of Digital Communication Tools in Modern Corporate Training
They are opening up learning possibilities that are beyond classrooms, printed manuals, and occasional workshops. These digital platforms that we...
The AI Questions Your Clients Are About to Start Asking You
Somewhere between the insurance certificates and the cyber security questions, larger clients have started asking what AI tools their suppliers...
What business leaders can learn from poker
Leaders are constantly making decisions under pressure, managing risk, reading competitors, and adapting strategies, just like in a game of...
New water connections: what the self-lay market actually offers developers
The choice is real, but it is narrower and more procedural than most first-time developers expect, and the parts of...
