By Bob Katzen
House 146-5, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that funds the modernization of Bay State public colleges and universities by using the revenue from the 2022 voter-approved law, known as the Millionaire’s Tax, that imposes an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current flat 5 percent one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually.
Provisions include $1.25 billion for the UMass system; $1.25 billion for nine state university campuses and 15 community college campuses; $275 million for upgrades to MassArt; $100 million for the transition of campus facilities and property into housing and mixed-use developments; $80 million for costs associated with decarbonization and energy efficiency; $120 million for lab modernization, projects at community colleges to support collaboration with vocational technical schools and projects related to student health and well-being; $50 million for a grant program for general improvements and climate-related upgrade; $20 million for enhancing remote or hybrid learning; and $100 million for a grant program for improvements to upgrade and expand career technical education and training programs.
“The [bill] will ensure that students across the state learn and train in modern, high-quality campus facilities, while strengthening Massachusetts’ competitiveness in research and innovation,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “Building on the commonwealth’s increases in student financial aid, and on our commitment to making higher education more accessible and affordable, especially for low-income students, Massachusetts is undertaking a generational reinvestment in educating our residents and strengthening our higher education system.”
“The [bill] will help usher in a new era for public higher education in Massachusetts,” said Rep. Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge), House Chair of the Committee on Higher Education. “The House has created free community college, exponentially increased financial aid and now [this bill] invests nearly $3.65 billion in public higher education campuses statewide. This new investment will: address essential campus infrastructure needs, develop modern learning spaces and decrease reliance on fossil fuels.”
“The [bill] will modernize every public higher education campus in Massachusetts,” said Rep. Mike Finn (D-West Springfield), House Chair of the Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. “This investment will spur economic development creating good-paying jobs, and deliver cleaner, state-of-the-art facilities that will prepare our students to lead in a competitive, sustainable future.”
None of the five representatives who voted against the bill responded to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they voted against it. Those five representatives are Reps. Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick), John Gaskey (R-Carver), Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica), Alyson Sullivan-Almeida (R-Abington) and Kenneth Sweezey (R-Hanson).
“While it’s very important to have high quality public colleges, not everyone goes to college,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “These funds could have been used for expenditures that impact more people, like repairing and maintaining our roads and bridges or as local aide to offset costs in local municipal public education.”
(A Yes” vote is for the $3.65 billion bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
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Rep. Christine Barber Didn’t Vote Rep. Mike Connolly Yes Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven Yes