Healey Year in Review
As 2023 comes to an end, so does Governor Maura Healey’s first year in office. In a year when the state legislature had a historically unproductive first half of the legislative cycle, Healey faced an uphill battle in making her first year in office impactful. However, the first term governor was able to make progress on some key issues for the Commonwealth through different measures. In this week’s blog, we break down some of those achievements from Healey’s first year as Governor of Massachusetts and where she stands with voters.
Maura Healey was sworn in as the 73rd governor of Massachusetts on January 5th, 2023, becoming the first woman to hold the role in the Commonwealth’s history. During her inaugural address, Healey made several promises for what she would accomplish as governor spanning from climate change to the MBTA. We compared the address with actions Healey has taken this year to see if she has kept the promises made earlier this year.
Housing
“We’ll use property that belongs to the people … to help the people. I’ve already directed my Secretary of Administration and Finance to identify unused state-owned land and facilities that we can turn into rental housing or homes within one year.”
Governor Healey issued Executive Order No. 623 on October 18th to identify uses for underutilized and surplused land in Massachusetts. The order guides the Executive Office of Housing and Sustainability and the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to repurpose suitable properties for housing developments at the direction of Lieutenant Governor Kimberly Driscoll. To accomplish this, the two agencies will have the authority to establish guidelines for determining whether a property is suitable for housing, institute protocols to review government-controlled land for housing developments, and recommend policies and practices to convert properties into housing. The order also allows the agencies to convene parties to coordinate in the efforts.
“We’ll get first-time homebuyers the help they need, and reduce costs for renters by expanding tax deductions.”
Healey signed HB 4104, a $1 billion tax credit package, on October 4th. The package includes several proposals that will have a $561 million impact on FY2024, one of them being direct relief for renters across Massachusetts. The law amends the renter deduction, which allows individuals to deduct 50% of the cost of the rent from their primary residence. The maximum deduction will increase from $3,000 to $4,000 and is expected to impact 800,000 renters in Massachusetts.
Child Tax Credit
“I’ve already proposed a child tax credit for every child, for every family. The legislature also put forward several worthy tax cut proposals during the last legislative session”
Also included in the October 4th tax credit package is an expanded child tax credit. The law eliminates the two-dependent cap per household and increases credit from $180 to $310 per dependent child, disabled adult, or senior for 2023. Beginning in January 2024, the credit will be increased from $310 to $440. An estimated 565,000 families are expected to benefit from the provisions, making it the largest universal child and dependent tax credit in the country.
Education
“In my first budget, I will create and fund a new program called MassReconnect. This will offer free community college to students over 25 who don’t have a college degree. We’ll also enhance early college opportunities and increase funding to our state university system so everyone can afford a higher degree.”
Healey kept her word on creating MassReconnect when she signed the FY2024 budget in part on August 9th. Item 1596-2418 funds MassReconnect to provide financial assistance to students who are:
Enrolled in and pursuing a program of higher education at a public community college
25 years of age and older
Have not previously earned a college degree
Enrolled in at least 6 credit hours
Transit:
“Let’s acknowledge that we can’t have a functioning economy without a functioning T. So I will appoint a GM with deep experience and a laser focus on making our transit safe and reliable. In the next 60 days, we’ll appoint a Safety Chief to inspect our system, top to bottom and track by track.”
Governor Healey appointed Patrick Lavin to the position of MassDOT Chief Safety Officer on April 24th. The position was created by Governor Healey to ensure a “safe and healthy environment” in all forms of transportation for all employees, passengers, and the public. The position serves as the primary representative for transportation safety and reports directly to the Secretary of Transportation and MBTA General Manager. Lavin, with 40 years of experience in transportation safety and operations, began working on May 8th. Governor Healey also appointed Phillip Eng, an engineer and former Interim President of New York City Transit, as General Manager of the MBTA in March.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
“We must center equity in all we do. I will be directing each agency in my administration to conduct a full equity audit. Let Massachusetts be the place that shines a light on every systemic barrier, and then does the hard work to break them down. Because that’s who we are.”
On May 5th, Governor Healey signed Executive Order 612, which promotes equity and inclusion in the Commonwealth by instituting an equity assessment and inter-agency coordinating committee. Each executive department is responsible for conducting equity assessments to find gaps in services and programs or “inequitable obstacles” that the department can mitigate. These assessments are expected to be practiced on an ongoing basis.
Climate
“Tomorrow, I am submitting an executive order to create the country’s first Cabinet-level climate chief — reporting directly to me. She will work across government and with every city and town to meet our climate goals and achieve our economic potential.”
Healey kept her commitment and submitted Executive Order No. 604 on January 6th, the day after her inauguration. The executive order established the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience within the Office of the Governor and created the position of Climate Chief. The Office is responsible for overseeing, creating, and directing a “whole-of-government” approach to adhere best practices with respect to climate. The Climate Chief serves in the Governor’s cabinet and is the primary policy advisor who leads the development and implementation of climate policy. Melissa Hoffer was appointed as the first Climate Chief of Massachusetts after serving in the Biden administration as the Acting General Counsel and Principal Deputy General Counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency.
“Now we must devote ourselves to cherishing and protecting our shared future — and meeting the climate crisis”
Healey strengthened her commitment to combat climate change when she issued Executive Order No.619, an order eliminating the purchase of single-use plastic bottles by all executive offices and agencies. The Governor stressed the importance of moving past political division and towards action when it comes to climate change in the September announcement of the executive order. More than 20 towns in Massachusetts have restricted the sale of single-use plastic, and Governor Healey has advanced the Commonwealth’s position as a leader against the climate crisis with her executive actions.
Reproductive Rights
“This is a state where we will never relinquish the right to reproductive freedom.” Governor Healey has long championed the right to reproductive health care, which is seen on her campaign website that has a page dedicated to reproductive health services and resources. She further expanded reproductive rights in the Commonwealth in April by issuing Executive Order No. 609. The order was signed after a federal court case in Texas blocked the FDA approval of mifepristone, and protects reproductive health care access in Massachusetts. The Order safeguards access to abortion medication like mifepristone and allows providers to continue to stock and dispense the pill. Access to abortion is highly popular in the Commonwealth, with 74% of adults saying that it should be legal in all or most cases.
Polling
Over the past year, Governor Healey has sustained a favorable approval rating since taking office. An October poll conducted by the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that Healey had a 58% approval rating among respondents. The Governor earned the highest approval out of all of the political figures in the survey, including President Joe Biden (49%), Senators Elizabeth Warren (55%) and Ed Markey (50%), and Attorney General Andrea Campell (36%). In April, Healey received a 57% approval rating from an earlier poll conducted by UMass Amherst.
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