The Massachusetts Senate voted unanimously to pass its FY2017 state budget just before midnight on Thursday, May 26. The spending plan, which totals $39.558 billion, spends $60 million more than Governor Baker’s proposal and $50 million more than the House plan approved last month.

Over the course of three days of debate, Senators considered 1,167 amendments — a 24% increase over the number proposed last year — to the budget approved by the Ways and Means Committee, and its Chairwoman, Senator Karen Spilka. The approved amendments added $61.3 million to the Ways and Means plan. Governor Baker expressed concern over the high number of policy riders added to the Senate budget that were not directly related to state spending.