Advancing Housing Choice across the Commonwealth
Read the Baker-Polito Administration’s “Corner Office Connect” update for May 2019.
Statewide effort to advance Housing Choice legislation
Governor Baker, Lt. Governor Polito and other administration leaders are spending time in communities across the commonwealth advocating for the administration’s Housing Choice legislation. The bill is designed to give cities and towns more flexibility to promote new housing development, in order to meet the needs of an expanding economy and growing labor force. To meet these challenges, the legislation would enable the creation of 135,000 new units of housing by 2025.
From the Berkshires to Cape Cod, the Baker-Polito team is joining local officials, legislators and advocates in a broad-cross-section of communities. Check out some of the photos below, and click below each photo to read local coverage from each event:
Crucial progress on major transit projects
The Baker-Polito Administration is making important early progress on several important transportation priorities. On the Green Line Extension, early infrastructure work is underway after the administration worked with local and federal partners to rein in costs and save the project. Meanwhile, Phase I of the South Coast Rail project has cleared several key early milestones.
Green Line Extension:
South Coast Rail:
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE COVERAGE
Gloucester regional cabinet visit
Regional cabinet visits offer the Governor, Lt. Governor & administration leaders a chance to connect with communities on important local priorities. Late last month, the administration held a cabinet meeting at Gloucester City Hall, where they were joined by Mayor Sefatia Romeo-Theken, Sen. Bruce Tarr, Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante and other local leaders. The cabinet heard from local public health officials who are leading the city’s response to the opioid crisis. They also heard from the Gloucester Marine Genomics Institute about innovative efforts to introduce students to career pathways in the biotech and marine science spaces.
GLOUCESTER DAILY TIMES COVERAGE
#MAEarthWeek: Reflecting on our work to address climate change, protect our environment
Last month, during Earth Week, the Baker-Polito Administration highlighted the Commonwealth’s ongoing initiatives to protect our environment, and tackle climate change, advance clean energy solutions and prepare for a resilient future. At events across the Commonwealth, the Governor and Lt. Governor marked major progress on important initiatives like the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program, DCR’s “Greening the Gateway Cities” tree-planting program and more.
Read more about the administration’s environmental record here: bit.ly/MAEarthWeek
And check out coverage from Earth Week events below:
Greening The Gateway Cities 20,000th Tree Planting:
PRESS RELEASE | PATRIOT-LEDGER COVERAGE
Jamaica Pond Trout Stocking:
PHOTO RELEASE | MORE PHOTOS | WHDH COVERAGE
Municipal Vulnerability Planning Milestone:
PRESS RELEASE | SENTINEL & ENTERPRISE COVERAGE
“We look forward to working with our colleagues in the Legislature to continue the Commonwealth’s leadership on climate change through our proposal to provide $1.3 billion over ten years to local resiliency projects that will protect vital infrastructure.” - Governor Baker
Advancing STEM education and career pathways
Lt. Governor Polito continues to promote the administration’s STEM Initiative by connecting with students, educators and employers and stressing the need for collaboration to encourage participation in more STEM career pathways. Last month, she was at Worcester Polytechnic Institute for Mass STEM Hub’s Student Showcase and honored high school students who have committed to STEM disciplines in college.
And this month, the Baker-Polito Administration announced that the second annual Mass STEM week will be held October 21–25.
CITIZEN CHRONICLE COVERAGE | STEM WEEK PRESS RELEASE
Sustaining Massachusetts’ digital health leadership
In 2016, Governor Baker launched the Digital Health Initiative to sustain Massachusetts’ national leadership as a center for healthcare innovation. Last month, Governor Baker joined members of the Digital Health Council to announce a new grant program to fund R&D centers that support health startups’ work to drive further innovation and support the digital health ecosystem.
The commonwealth’s educational and healthcare institutions give Massachusetts an edge, and the administration is investing in these centers to encourage continued collaboration and further innovation.
PRESS RELEASE | WORCESTER NEWS TONIGHT COVERAGE
News in Brief
- FORTUNE Magazine lists Governor Baker #20 on “World’s Greatest Leaders” list (NECN)
- Lt. Governor in Franklin to advocate for the Baker-Polito Administration’s sexually-explicit images legislation (MetroWest Daily News)
- Governor Baker addresses Wentworth commencement, urges graduates to find the value in failure (The Boston Globe)
- Administration names new Energy & Environmental Affairs secretary, Katie Theoharides (MassLive)
