THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
STATE HOUSE, BOSTON 02133

Commonwealth of Massachusetts
By Her Excellency
Evelyn F. Murphy
Acting Governor
Executive Order No. 289

Open Books and Balanced Budget

WHEREAS, it is both the policy and Constitutional mandate
that the Commonwealth balance its budget; and

WHEREAS, the Commonwealth has experienced erratic revenue
growth which has resulted in three years of expenditures
in excess of revenues; and

WHEREAS, the resolution of the deficit in those three years
involved, in one instance, depletion of the Rainy Day
Account, and for two years, new taxes; and

WHEREAS, the first two months of fiscal 1991 indicate that
revenues are below the budget estimate; and

WHEREAS, it is incumbent upon the current administration
to manage the budget to ensure that it is actually in balance
when a new administration takes over in January, 1991:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Evelyn F. Murphy, Acting Governor of the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, by virtue of the authority
vested in me as Supreme Executive Magistrate, do hereby
issue this order as a necessary step to ensure open
disclosure of the status of the budget at regular intervals
and to restore the confidence of the citizens of the
Commonwealth in government's ability to manage tax dollars.

				Article I

1.1  Every month within five (5) working days of the final
revenue receipts or final payment of bills, whichever is
later, the Secretary of Administration and Finance ("the
Secretary") shall submit a monthly balanced books report (the
"Monthly Budget Report") to the Governor and the Clerks of
the House and Senate, which report shall be a public record
and which shall document whether the state's books are in
balance for that month and for the fiscal year to date.  If
the budget is in deficit, the Monthly Budget Report shall
further include a summary of specific measures to be taken
commencing within one month to address the imbalance as
projected for the fiscal year.

1.4.  The Secretary shall forthwith prepare a plan to
restructure his department which shall take into account the
recommendations of the Management Task Force and which shall be
designed to achieve a 10% reduction in payroll.

1.5.  The Secretary shall forthwith freeze all remaining
out-of-state travel funds and all overtime except to the extent
required to protect the public safety until such time as the
budget of the Commonwealth is balanced.

				ARTICLE II
		Elimination of Non-essential state spending

2.1.  The Secretary shall immediately take actions, legislative
or administrative, to sell or lease the Massachusetts
Convention Center and all other surplus state property as
listed in the Massachusetts Real Estate Assets System Report.

2.2.  The Secretary of Administration and Finance shall consult
with other cabinet secretaries to identify non-essential
programs and services; implement a program to eliminate,
privatize or temporarily suspend such programs and services and
submit the appropriate legislation and design the appropriate
administrative actions to accomplish these purposes.

Evelyn F. Murphy
Acting Governor
Sept. 7, 1990

Michael Joseph Connolly
Secretary of the Commonwealth

GOD SAVE THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS