Latest news with #BRIGHTAct
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Healey testifies on UMass funding bill
BOSTON (WWLP) – Governor Healey testified on behalf of her higher education bill on Tuesday, seeking to invest up to $2.5 billion in the UMass system, state universities, and community colleges. The governor's bill, dubbed the BRIGHT Act, is meant to address deferred maintenance projects, modernize and decarbonize buildings, and construct major projects. Governor Healey said the funding will also provide a boost to the economy. Life sciences sector growth slows in Mass. 'They're also economic engines, job creators, workforce pipelines for our state,' Healey said. 'They train nurses, engineers, technicians that drive our industries forward.' While the Bay State is a leader in education, top lawmakers say our facilities do not reflect that. Massachusetts' education secretary says many of the state's top higher education buildings have not been updated for the better part of half a century. 'Spaces that students, staff, and faculty spend time in can either facilitate or inhibit learning,' said Secretary Patrick Tutwiler. 'Our students deserve to learn in safe, green, high-quality environments.' The bill also includes some policies that would strengthen the college building authority's ability to borrow money and contribute additional resources to supplement state funding. As with many governor-led projects, Team Healey says they want to get this work underway as soon as possible, but they do not have a timeline for funding implementation. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Boston Globe
30-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Recent bad rap aside, the millionaires tax is making an impact
After reading Carine Hajjar's May 23 opinion piece, Get The Gavel A weekly SCOTUS explainer newsletter by columnist Kimberly Atkins Stohr. Enter Email Sign Up Just as learning never really ends, public policy can always grow and improve. While Hajjar identifies areas where such policy can be refined, it would be a disservice to overlook the amazing opportunities created by these dollars. Thank you, Massachusetts, for investing in residents like me. My classmates and I promise to make that investment worthwhile. Advertisement Mike McDougal Haverhill Fair Share funds have been a boon to public higher ed In response to Carine Hajjar's opinion piece regarding the Fair Share Amendment, it's important to also highlight the transformative impact this funding is having on public higher education in Massachusetts. The House's fiscal 2025 supplemental budget includes a $20 million investment in higher education, with $10 million allocated to the University of Massachusetts for its endowment matching program. This initiative provides a $1 state match for every $2 in private contributions to the school and has already created or supported 700 scholarship funds worth $135 million, which distribute $4.6 million in student aid annually. Advertisement The Senate's proposal of $125 million in capital support would provide much-needed state funding for deferred maintenance, and it aligns with Governor Maura Healey's visionary BRIGHT Act, which would modernize and improve sustainability on public campuses. A notable Senate earmark is the $10 million designated for a nursing simulation lab at UMass Amherst. This facility would double the enrollment capacity for the Amherst campus's nursing program, helping to address the statewide health care workforce shortage. The UMass system educates 73,000 students annually and is celebrating 19,000 new graduates entering the workforce, predominantly in Massachusetts. These strategic investments fulfill the promises made when voters approved the Fair Share Amendment and ensure a robust future for public higher education and the Commonwealth's economy. Christopher Dunn Associate vice chancellor for government relations UMass Amherst
