(BOSTON—7/12/1014) On July 11, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed a $2.89 billion comprehensive economic development bill, including bond authorizations for up to $10 million for projects directly benefiting communities within the First Middlesex Senate District. The economic bond bill will allow Massachusetts to continue to be a national leader in life sciences, climate tech, AI, and small businesses. Overall, the combination of investments, tax credits, and policy changes will position Massachusetts industries as global leaders at a moment when breakthroughs in science and technology are more important than ever.
An Act Relative to strengthening Massachusetts’ economic leadership represents a culmination of the Massachusetts’ Senate objectives throughout the 193rd session.
Senator Ed Kennedy filed several amendments for bond authorizations benefiting the communities of the First Middlesex District. The largest of these bond authorizations was $5 Million dollars for the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell’s Believe & Become project, which will repair and renovate the club’s property on Middlesex Street in the city of Lowell. The project is an ambitious, two-phased endeavor to expand and renovate the existing building into a state-of-the-art facility that will provide programs and services for up to 600 kids and teens each day. The renovations authorized by this amendment would allow for the expansion and creation of programs to provide workforce development training, aid in closing the academic achievement gap, and the creation of permanent new jobs in Lowell. The $5 million figure comes in at $3 million higher than the amount authorized in the House bill which was passed in June.
“I am very happy that my fellow senators saw the value in this ongoing effort at the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Lowell by graciously supporting this amendment. I hope my colleagues in the House will contact their conference committee members and ask them to support the Senate amount in the final conference committee version of the bill,” said Senator Edward Kennedy.
The senator was also pleased to report that his amendment authorizing $2.5 million for Lowell Community Health Center (LCHC)’s expansion and renovations was approved. This funding would allow for the development of a family medicine residency program at the health center which currently serves thousands of local residents on an annual basis. LCHC would be the second health center in the commonwealth with a residency program.
Other local projects receiving bond authorizations included the replacement of the water main in Dunstable ($1.3 million), the masonry work and other renovations at the Lawrence Library in Pepperell ($600,000), and the Tyngsborough Department of Public Works building ($600,000). Senator Kennedy also successfully filed two policy-centric amendments, one that will modernize chiropractor preceptors and intern programs and another section that officially creates a state-wide definition of agritourism.
The Massachusetts House of Representatives filed their own version of the economic development bond bill last month and the two versions will now be reconciled through the conference committee process. Bond authorizations like the ones found in this economic development bond bill are typically good for a period of five years. If approved in the final conference committee report, the governor would have to include these projects as part of her capital budget in future years to allocate the funds. Bond bills serve as a crucial first step in the capital budget process.