Free community college, $8B MBTA spending plan highlight Gov. Healey's State of the Commonwealth
BOSTON - In her second address of its kind, Gov. Maura Healey touted the accomplishments of her administration and laid out a vision for the year ahead.
In Thursday's State of the Commonwealth address, Gov. Healey highlighted her senior and child tax credits, free meals at public schools, and no cost community college as wins for her administration. The state, Healey said, ranks first in the nation for education, innovation and healthcare.
"I can say with pride and confidence that the state of our Commonwealth is strong," Healey said. "When we deliver results and people are free to chase their dreams there is no limit to how strong we can be."
Shelter and migrant crisis
In her hour-long speech, less than two minutes went to the emergency shelter and migrant crisis the state is currently facing. It's turned into a billion-dollar expense for taxpayers with no end in sight. Earlier this week, Gov. Healey signaled she would tighten the requirements to enter the program. It led to protests on the steps of the State House just hours before her address.
"I want to be absolutely clear: We are dramatically reducing costs; and we have, and will, prioritize Massachusetts families," Healey said. "In 2025 we'll get families out of hotels for good. Massachusetts taxpayers should not, and cannot, continue to foot the cost. The federal government needs to fix this at the source, by passing a border security bill."
Healey also announced plans for a new statewide Graduation Requirement Council. It's in direct response to voters' decision to get rid of the MCAS graduation requirement last November. "I respect that decision," Healey said. "But it creates for all of us a responsibility, to make sure every student graduates ready to succeed. We need a high, statewide standard. Students, families, and employers need to know what a diploma represents. And without that baseline, it's always the most vulnerable students who don't get what they need."
$8 billion MBTA investment
As for transportation, Healey gave a shoutout to MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. The agency is now slow zone free for the first time in 20 years. Healey pledged an $8 billion investment in the agency over the next decade. "Bottomline, you'll wait less, and you'll move faster. And we'll be a state where everybody gets where they need to go safely, affordably, sustainably and on time," Healey said.
WBZ-TV political analyst Jon Keller said Healey has plenty of plans to improve the quality of life in this state, but her ability to pay for it will largely depend on the economy she is working with.
"Are we heading into more of a 'taxachusetts' kind of situation where residents and business are fleeing because the cost of living here and doing business here are too high, or can she turn that around and rebrand us as a place where you do want to stay, you can build a home, or can start a business," Keller said.
Healey said she will propose a budget next week that will lay out details on how she hopes to pay for her initiatives highlighted during her address. It was just a few days ago when Healey suggested no new taxes would be needed.
