So What's a 9C Cut?

So what is a 9C cut anyway? It turns out that "9C" refers to G.L. c. 29, §9C. That section, which functions in coordination with §§9B through 9G, basically provides that whenever the Governor (through his or her A&F Secretary) determines that revenues will be insufficient for the remainder of the fiscal year, the Governor either has to make cuts or raise revenue. The pertinent part of the section is set forth below:

Chapter 29: Section 9C. Deficiency of revenue

Section 9C. Whenever, in the opinion of the commissioner of administration, available revenues as determined by him from time to time during any fiscal year under section 5B will be insufficient to meet all of the expenditures authorized to be made from any fund, whether by appropriation or distribution, he shall within 5 days notify in writing the governor and the house and senate committees on ways and means of the amount of such probable deficiency of revenue and the governor shall, within 15 days after such notification, reduce allotments under section 9B, and submit in writing a report stating the reason for and effect of such reductions, or submit to the general court specific proposals to raise additional revenues by a total amount equal to such deficiency.


The Governor can only cut agencies and departments of the executive branch. He cannot cut the appropriations of the Judicial and Legislative Branches, nor of the Constitutional Officers. He also cannot unilaterally cut Local Aid. He cannot the spending form Quasi-Public Authorities, which generally don't get their fundings through appropriations anyway. He can ask all of these other parts of State Government to make voluntary reductions, which a number of them have done.

Click here for a nice additional explanation of the 9C cut process on OneMassachusetts.org.