Gov. Maura Healey discusses some accomplishments during her current term while at the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke.
Reminder Publishing photo by Tyler Garnet
HOLYOKE — On Feb. 17, Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll visited the International Volleyball Hall of Fame in Holyoke as part of two campaign stops in Western Massachusetts.
The stop in Holyoke and the one later that day in North Adams provided Healey and Driscoll the opportunity to discuss state investments in new housing projects and local arts and culture, in addition to the duo’s affordability agenda and their reelection campaign.
“The bottom line is both Kim and I feel incredibly privileged to be in these positions,” Healey stated. “We also deeply, deeply love our state, and we want to work and stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone and anyone who believes in our state and who wants better for their community, for their family, and we’ll work so, so hard to get that done.”
Holyoke Mayor Joshua Garcia opened the event by endorsing the duo and highlighting some of the work they and the state have done to help Holyoke achieve certain goals. He specifically highlighted advancements in housing, regaining local control for its school district and construction advancements at the Victory Theatre as major milestones in the community.
Garcia recalled a similar event four years ago at the Victory Theatre in Holyoke, where he first endorsed Healey for governor.
“Today, I stand here once again alongside our governor to reaffirm my full support for Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll as they seek reelection, because their leadership has been clear, their vision has been strong and their commitment to not only Holyoke, but communities everywhere in the commonwealth.”
Other legislators at the event endorsed Healey and Driscoll, including state reps. Pat Duffy and Brian Ashe, Easthampton Mayor Salem Derby, Holyoke City Council President Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and Holyoke City Councilor Juan Anderson-Burgos.
Healey emphasized some important accomplishments from her first term, including tax cuts, the passage of a “historic” housing bill, and improvements in health care costs and economic development.
Healey said the housing bill has resulted in 100,000 housing starts, in other words, new housing units either built, permitted or constructed around the state. She further explained that experts said when they started, Massachusetts needed to build about 220,000 units around the state by 2035 to get to where they need to be. As Healey mentioned, they have accomplished 100,000 homes in just three years.
“We’re focused on affordability, we’re focused on building more homes as quickly as we can to drive down costs,” Healey said. “Build more housing, we drive down costs.”
First-time homebuyers can also receive $25,000 towards the purchase of a new home. Healey also recently announced an increase in the production of Accessory Dwelling Units in Massachusetts to expand housing options, support homeowners and increase affordable housing.
For economic development, Healey talked about a key economic driver in the state.
“One thing that we’re really excited about in this region is the opportunity for more investment in arts and culture. This is a great example. What Victory Theatre is going to yield; what that’s going to become is just going to be so awesome,” Healey said.
Healey also announced that her administration is focused on lowering the cost of energy bills. “Standing up to utility companies, we’ll oppose any rate hikes out there. I filed energy legislation, which will reduce energy costs by $13 billion.”
Healey discussed the completion of the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line that is now delivering affordable, stable hydropower from Canada to Massachusetts. According to mass.gov, the NECEC line will provide Massachusetts with nearly 20% of its overall electricity, deliver $3.38 billion in total net economic benefits to Massachusetts ratepayers over the life of the contracts and reduce ratepayer bills by around $50 million each year.
On the topic of health care, Healey said they are the first team to eliminate copays and deductibles for people on their health care. They also recently got rid of prior authorizations for “a whole bunch of staff.”
She explained, “If you got diabetes, you no longer have to wait for some insurance company to OK your receiving insulin. We’re trying to make it easier for people to get access to care, and we fundamentally believe in this. At a moment where the president and Congress have taken a trillion dollars out of health care, we stand here united in support of making sure that we’re doing everything we can to get health care to our residents who need it.”
When it comes to the federal administration, Healey said they will continue to look for ways to work with them, but stated, “Where the president and federal administration do things to harm people, we’re going to stand up and defend Massachusetts.”
She continued, “I’m excited about some of what we’ve been able to accomplish. We know that these are hard and challenging times. Both of us were college basketball players, so we do a little bit about taking lumps and getting back up and throwing the necessary elbow when necessary, or pick when necessary, but fundamentally, whether it’s volleyball or basketball, it’s about teamwork, and that’s the vibe we’ll continue to bring, not only to the campaign — as we seek to grow more support — but also to the that way we look to govern.”
Driscoll said she and Healey work hard to make sure the decisions they make at the State House reflect the needs of each community in Massachusetts as they continue to uplift and empower local governments.
“We can have the best policies, and I think we have a lot of them. We can make significant investments in things like housing and infrastructure, but none of that gets done unless we [have] a strong team locally,” Driscoll said. “That’s why it’s such a privilege to be serving in a time when we have the ability to work with amazing leaders, shape policies, shift resources, and do things that are going to help communities lower costs, drive high quality of life, and make Massachusetts the best place to live to raise a family [and] to come visit.”
