Governor Healey yesterday delivered her first State of the Commonwealth highlighting her Administration’s accomplishments during its first year and identifying the Administration’s priorities for its 2nd year agenda.
In her speech to the Legislature, Governor Healey outlined her administration’s priorities for 2024. These priorities include new investments for housing, childcare, free universal preschool access for every 4-year-old in the state, as well as launching an early literacy strategy, reauthorizing the Life Sciences Initiative, and a new climate tech initiative, as well as increasing roads, bridges and MBTA infrastructure funding to record levels.
Mass Senior Care supports the Governor’s housing, transportation and childcare initiatives, since these are critical to addressing the historic nursing facility workforce shortage by mitigating barriers to successful employment. In particular, entry level workers in all departments will benefit from expansion of childcare services, more reliable public transportation, and more affordable housing options. Mass Senior Care will continue to work collaboratively with the Healey Administration to promote solutions to the workforce crisis and ensure an adequate and supported workforce.
The Governor’s proposed new initiatives, which come in a period of slower revenue and escalating emergency shelter costs, will be spelled out in more detail in in her upcoming FY2025 budget recommendation to be filed next week with the Legislature.