2022. [applause] [applause] something weve all been waiting for, it is my honor to introduce her excellency, governor of the commonwealth to deliver the state of the commonwealth address. [applause] good evening, massachusetts. Speaker, leader, members of the senate and the house the treasurer of goldberg, chief justice and members of the judiciary and governors counsel, governor dukakis, governor. [applause] its also good to see governor swift. [applause] officials [applause] they are a rowdy bunch. Leaders from business and labor, clergy and guests, thank you for being here tonight. Thank you as well to my partner, the commonwealths first partner. [applause] thank you for all of your love and support. And thank you for my family for all youve given to me. [applause] lieutenant governor. [applause] we have had a great year. Its been so special to work with you. Your care and compassion for our residents is unbounded plus you have a pretty great game. To the cabinet and executive staff, we can take one for this one. We do things a little differently. Forgive us. We are rookies. It to the cabinet and executive staff, you are the best teammates we could ever have to the state employees in this chamber out there tonight, i want you to know that i know that nothing gets done, nothing that we talk about tonight gets done without all of you and i think you. To the servicemembers and goldstar families, know that your sacrifice is never forgotten. [applause] and at this moment, its been a year of a lot of love and heartache for massachusetts military families. I just want to invite all military families and veterans who are with us tonight in the chamber to stand. We thank you. [applause] to the people of massachusetts, those here tonight and those watching at home, thank you for welcoming me into your communities throughout this year, welcoming us in to celebrate, share your struggles and hopes through it all what ive seen more deeply than i ever understood was the true strength of this great state is our people. We have j and lisa savage. A fourth generation potato farmer from deerfield on a hot and humid day we waited together covering fields, the water was kneedeep. We then went on to see hundreds of acres that were absolutely destroyed by flooding. They were staring down the total complete loss of their crops before the harvest but they kept working hard as they always do and our state rallied around them. We asked the legislature for help and you delivered. We set up a fund with of the united way and donors large and small contributed what they could and today every single one of those farms and farmers are still on their feet. Thank you for all you do to put food on our table. [applause] also with us tonight a mom from roxbury she found herself hitting career ceilings. She enrolled in a Certificate Program and wanted to pursue her passion for interior design. But as a working mom, she was struggling to buy groceries, to pay bills, to pay tuition. She was going to drop out. We know there are thousands of people in our state like her. Thats why this year we worked closely with of the legislature and we did something special. We created mass reconnect. Its a program that offers Free Community college to anyone 25 years or older. It came just in time with a very barrier of cost now removed, shes going for her degree at community college. [applause] she calls it lifechanging and says she can now talk to her little guy about the importance of education because she is living it. Thats generational impact. Your future is bright. And you may not understand it today, but you will and you will be so proud of your mom. [applause] you know whats also great about that program that we do together . Enrollment in Higher Education is up for the first time in ten years in this state. Thats a really good thing for our students and employers who are going to benefit from a Skilled Workforce and our economy, so i thank you. A year ago you put your trust in us and weve worked hard every day to try to live up to that responsibility. Weve been guided by the simple truth that behind every decision we make is a student, a family, a business owner, a senior. Thats who we work for. Yes our economy is strong and massachusetts has more jobs than ever before and unemployment is at an alltime low. But we also know prices are high and too many families are having a hard time making ends meet. Many of us understand what thats like. I think of my own mom raising five of us kids alone. One night i remember years ago we were sitting around the Kitchen Table and i could see she was hiding tears. She picked up her head and softly asked my little brother if she could use his savings from yardwork and babysitting to pay taxes. He was 11. You do what you have to do. People do what you have to do. I understand that. And as i see it, make life easier, not harder. [applause] so, you know this and i want the people at home to know this. Thats why we were determined to deliver relief. The legislature shared that goal. We worked together and kept at it and passed billiondollar tax cut this year that will save money for everyone in this state. [applause] thats right we cut taxes for the first time in 20 years and massachusetts. You will see the savings when you file your returns in april. We now have the most generous child and dependent tax credit of any state in the country and we also got rid of a two child tax. For someone like my mom, the extra 2,200 would have meant something. For every family with a child or adult with disabilities, youre going to get dollars back to help you pay for groceries. Renters will also get more money back for things like lead paint and substance systems. Families will be able to pass on more of their hardearned money because we also cut the estate tax. Businesses will save money when they start here, stay here, grow here and our seniors will benefit as well. With us tonight is elaine. 87yearsold. God bless you, a retired nurse still active in her community. [applause] let me tell you about elaine, chivas lived in her home in bedford for 61 years and calls it a blessing every day. She also has nine grandkids and she told me they dont all agree on politics, but her home is a neutral home where they all love together. She loves their visits. At the same time, its not easy for eland to buy groceries or pay the heating bill. Its stories like yours that inspired us to double the Senior Housing credit to 2,400 because no one should have to worry if they can afford to stay in the house that they love. [applause] i want to thank the legislature for your partnership in making massachusetts only affordable and tax cuts were just the start. We also made school meals both breakfast and lunch free for all students. [applause] thats saving Parents Money and feeding more kids. Im grateful to the■9 speaker fr his leadership and his passion. [applause] let me tell you, he loves the attention. Before he was speaker, he had another job, he was a teacher. We went back to the Elementary School in quincy where he taught, and mr. Mariano as the kids call him, taught us that free meals means so much to kids and families out there all across the state, a better focus on learning and lived in from families. Thank you all for getting that done. [applause] together we provided record to support by fully funding the student opportunity act and this year we are going to do it again. We extended access to affordable healthcare and paid off loans for thousands of frontline healthcare workers. We increased financially and made the state colleges and universities more of a role to our smart, hardworking massachusetts students. But this is what our work is supposed to be about, bringing health and hope to those that we serve. I still think of the grieving families we met at the home that lost loved ones to covid. After one of the worst chapters in our history, we were determined to do right by our heroes. The legislature provided a plan and funding. The foundation delivered and we delivered our veteran services, u. S. Army reserve to get the job done. [applause] in august we broke ground on a new stateoftheart facility that will provide us care, our veterans to serve and in december we opened an equally beautiful Veterans Home in chelsea. Weve started a new chapter and we will never let our veterans down again. Now lets past the hero act and make sure all of our veterans get all the services that theyve earned. [applause] weve also faced some unexpected challenges. Not proud of the way massachusetts stepped up with compassion and solutions. To the influx of testing states all across this country. This is the heart issue and one without easy answers. Its also not something that we created. We will continue to demand Congress Take action to get us running and we are also not waiting. We put back the clinic and thanks to that, 3,000 of our new arrivals have work permits. Every day we are connecting them with businesses who have risks like salem hospital that recently hired several migrants and now for the first time in years is fully in the housekeeping custodial departments. We are going to do that all around the state while we continue to advocate for massachusetts. [applause] at the moment in so many ways this past year we started by standing up for reproductive rights, stockpiling and protecting from attacks. And we worked every day where everyone can be safe and thrive. That means standing up to vulnerable communities with a hate crime unit and the state police. Celebrating the first ever youve been pride event right here at the statehouse. Taking action to close. Delivering state owned services in more languages with better Digital Access for people with disabilities. Successfully implementing the work and family mobility act so there are residents regardless of immigration status that can drive safely and legally. Returning climate change. Dedicated to building healthy affordable housing. Because justice cant wait, weve pardoned 13 people in our first year in office, the First Administration to do so in more than 40 years. [applause] we set high goals for the first year in office. I stood here a year ago and made a bunch of promises to you and to the massachusetts public. Because we came together and acted with urgency, we delivered results. We met every single one of those goals. Today massachusetts is more affordable, competitive and equitable than a year before and in the state of the commonwealth, like the spirit of our people is stronger than ever. [applause] at that is what we are going to build on. But that is the strength we are going to build on this year. Its proof that we can do hard things. Nothing is impossible if we Work Together. I truly believe that massachusetts is the best place in the world to live, to work, to go to school, to raise a family. But i dont underestimate the challenges. Costs are too high. Our schools are the best but not for every student. Congested roads and slow trains steal our time and our joy. Its frustrating and while many of the industries lead the world, the competition is only getting tougher. Its also true that as a state, we had a several years with a lot of pandemic level funding from the federal government that now goes away. So we need to be smart with how we spend our money, your money. Thats what we are going to do. But the good news is the economy and physical health are strong. The rating is excellent and we have record amounts in the rainy day fund. The budget we file next week and i promise will be balanced, responsible and forwardlooking. It will build on our progress and we will take these steps to strengthen our schools and support all our young people in reaching their potential to get the roads and rails moving, to help our businesses and workers thrive and meet the climate challenge i Clean Energy Careers across the state. This is the work ahead of us and theres no time to wait. It starts with housing. The biggest challenge we face. You know the numbers. Rent and prices are high and heres what it looks like at the Kitchen Table. A younger couple going on a real estate app, typing in the price range for a home and seeing all of the homes disappear. Nothing available that they can afford. Recent graduates having dinner, talking about other states where their paycheck might go further. Its our seniors unable to think about downsizing because theres nothing to afford or other seniors staring in disbelief at a letter from a landlord who is going to raise the rent. Now this unlucky people. Its the heart of the workforce and the soul of the community, the future of the states we have to act to make it easier for everybody to afford a place to live in massachusetts. [applause] thats why last year we appointed the states first secretary of housing and livable communities. We tripled the tax credits for new housing and increased low Income Housing credits. We funded a thousand new rental vouchers and identified surplus public land that could be turned into housing. These steps will make a difference but we are dealing with a housing shortage that is decades in the making to get costs down we have to go big and we have to go big now. That means passing the 4 billiondollar Affordable Homes act, which is the most ambitious housing plan in massachusetts history. Because if you are born here or come to school here, i want you to be able to stay here, to grow a business, family, and for businesses i want yo to be able to stay and expand here and be able to lets get going, lets pass this bill because when we do that, we will create middleclass housing and make homeownership a reality for families that have been priced out for too long. We will build Affordable Homes at every income level and compare the housing. We will create a supportive homes for veterans, people with disabilities, and we will support good construction careers with strong labor standards. We know what we have to do. He works at a factory and she is an early educator. They wanted to buy their first home but for the price is what they are, it didnt make sense and they started looking at other parts of the country then they got connected with state programs that helped and now they homeowners. We know what we need to do. [applause] the Affordable Homes act will create thousands of opportunities just like theirs. It would inject hundreds of millions into building programs and first time home buyer programs. Reduce barriers to Housing Production and give communities the tools they need for housing where they needed and it■n will break down housing costs for everyone. I will be testifying tomorrow but for the joint committee on housing on the Affordable Homes act because passing it is our top priority so lets Work Together and get it done. No town, no city can go it alon when it comes to housing. We have to Work Together. Thats also why we are committed to helping towns made to the med because for massachusetts to 16, every community embrace. Its for the next generation to invest in their hometown to help seniors age in place and keep more talent and customers fueling the mobile businesses, to lower cost and unleash peoples full potential. Housing is the biggest item for any families budget unless of course you have kids in childcare. Costs have been too high for too long. Providers and care workers have been barely hanging on. Its a just families, pushed the women out of the workforce and holds the economy back. We have to lower Childcare Costs. [applause] last year we delivered nearly half a billi money to stabilize the sector and that was good. It made it easier for families to get financial help. This year will keep the funding in place but we need to go further. Yesterday we met some dedicated early educators and cute kids, did we not . They were having fun and learning important skills in their classroom. Its an opportunity we want for every child so heres what we need to do. Its our gateway to prek program to save money and transform our state. First we will direct health to thousands of families by expanding eligibility for state Financial Assistance and Childcare Costs are cap based on what you can afford. Next a new goal lets have universal prek for every 4yearold in massachusetts. Lets do it. [applause] to get there i want by 2026 a guaranteed access to highquality affordable preschool for every 4yearold in all 26 of the gateway cities. That means a seed 7cand classrom for over 23,000 children but we wont stop there. We are going to keep working with businesses and providers and the champions of childcare in the legislature to get this done, to expand access, to lower costs and meet this childcare challenge. [applause] by every metric, massachusetts has the best schools in the country but i want to talk about an urgent issue that we need to address. A majority of our thirdgraders were not meeting expectations in english language arts. That number reflects social inequities and of the fact that many districts are using out of date disproven methods to teach reading and our children are paying the price. Some struggling for years to catch up if they even can so we are changing that. Tonight im announcing literacy launch. We will make Reading Materials available. Schools using the right materials now are seeing major gains. We can bring that to every single classroom. We will also mandate educator Training Programs teach evidencebased instruction and will support our teachers in adopting that every step of the way. Massachusetts, home to the first public college, first library, and i want a first in literacy. [applause] every child in the state needs to be able to read and read well and we are going to Work Together to give them the tools to do just that. Meanwhile, our High School Students are telling us what they learn in school should help them get to where they want to go so you can earn College Credits at the same time we will invest more in the pathways that provide handson workbased learning while youre in school thats going