Massachusetts Senate approves $42.7B state budget plan

BOSTON (AP) - The Massachusetts Senate has wrapped up debate on a proposed $42.7 billion annual state budget.

The 40-member chamber worked its way through the last of the amendments to the spending plan late Thursday.

The budget must be reconciled with a version passed earlier by the House before it can be sent to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, who will have ten days to issue vetoes.

The task of coming up with a final version of the budget will fall on a six-member committee made up of three House members and three Senate members.

The budget will then be sent back to both chambers for a final vote. The budget cannot be amended at that point.

The budget must be in place by the July 1 start of the new fiscal year.