By Bob Katzen

“Today’s awards set in motion 27 innovative, mixed-use projects that will build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable units across every region of our state. These are the types of projects that our Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities will be driving in close collaboration with local, federal and private sector partners to address our housing crisis.”

—Gov. Maura Healey on awarding $246 million in direct subsidies and state and federal housing tax credits to build and preserve nearly 1,600 affordable homes throughout Massachusetts.

“The principle of “Polluters Pay” is simple: Those who created the damage should clean it up.”
—Rep. Steve Owens (D-Watertown) on his bill establishing a climate change superfund and promoting polluter responsibility designed to raise $75 billion from top greenhouse gas polluters over the next 25 years.

“Voters are concerned about the influence of special interest political spending—and particularly concerned about foreign influence on our elections. Current law prohibits foreign governments and foreign citizens (except lawful permanent residents) from spending money in state elections. Yet a loophole allows foreign money to enter our politics through political spending by corporations. The … bill will … help to close this loophole for our Massachusetts state elections.”
—Common Cause Massachusetts Executive Director Geoff Foster testifying in favor of a bill that would limit political spending by foreign-influenced corporations.

“The Fiscal Alliance Foundation is very pleased to play a prominent role in defeating this latest attempt to limit speech before an election. The proponent’s goal here is to protect elected officials in power by limiting the ability for the public to speak up. This was an attempt by an activist professor and several activist organizations to subvert our rights.”
—Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, in response to Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling upholding a decision by Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell striking down a proposed ballot question that sought to limit to $5,000 the amount of money that can be donated to a Super PAC.