Among the hundreds of budget vetoes issued by Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker last week — $100,000 to determine the future of the Hampden County Hall of Justice.
The money would have funded a study on whether to fix up or relocate the court house.
Bar Association President Jeff Morneau calls the building “dilapidated.”
“All of the courtrooms need to be updated to comply with the current standards,” Morneau says. “The building really is unsafe and many areas of it are unhealthy.”
Morneau says he hopes the legislature overrides Baker’s veto of the funding. Lawmakers have until the end of the month to act. Baker cut a total of $256 million from the state’s operating budget.
Asked for comment, the Baker administration says the state is working on a plan to prioritize maintenance for all courthouses through a separate pool of money — Massachusetts’ capital budget.