State lawmakers from the western part of Massachusetts disagrees with Governor Charlie Baker's veto of funding requested for regional bus systems — like the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority.
The Massachusetts House and Senate proposed $94 million for regional transit authorities. Governor Baker wants $3.5 million less.
In explaining his reasoning, Baker said the agencies have received hundreds of millions of dollars in federal and state aid, and as a result, they all ended the last fiscal year with significant cash reserves.
State Senator Eric Lesser of Longmeadow, who sits on Joint Committee on Transportation, sees the situation differently.
State Rep. Natalie Blais of Sunderland took to social media and said the money, as the Legislature budgeted, would have made the transit agencies stronger.
"Insulting to areas of the state like the #1stFranklin that STILL lack public transportation on evenings & wknds," Blais tweeted about Baker's cut.
"How can the whole Commonwealth recover when the Gov repeatedly dismisses public transportation needs outside of the MBTA area?" tweeted state Rep. Mindy Domb of Amherst. "Why doesn’t Governor Baker like public transit?"
A spokesperson for the PVTA said that the $36 million the authority received through the federal CARES Act helped it cover expenses which allowed it to continue providing service during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among the expenses were the purchase and installation of driver barriers for vehicles, personal protective equipment, electrostatic sprayers for the sanitizing of vehicles, and filters for buses to improve air quality.
Lesser is pushing for an override of the governor's veto, which would require a two-thirds vote in both the state House and Senate.
In a statement, the PVTA said it has asked lawmakers to support the override.
