By Tiffany Williams –
Governor Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll hit the road Thursday to sell their BRIGHT Act, a massive $2.5 billion higher ed bond bill they say will modernize Massachusetts campuses and create nearly 20,000 construction jobs.
Healey stopped at UMass Dartmouth, touring the construction site of the LARTS building alongside UMass President Marty Meehan, Chancellor Mark Fuller, and union leaders. She pitched the plan as a two-for-one: better labs and classrooms for students, plus a flood of good-paying jobs across the state.
“The BRIGHT Act will modernize our campuses to make sure students have the best labs, classrooms, and facilities they need to succeed, while creating 20,000 jobs and driving growth in every region,” Healey said.
Driscoll, a Worcester State alum, hosted a roundtable at her old campus with state university presidents, union leaders, and state officials. “No state turns education into economic growth like Massachusetts,” she said. “The BRIGHT Act is our chance to modernize higher ed, create jobs, and strengthen our economy for decades.”
The proposal leans on Fair Share surtax revenues to finance upgrades at UMass, state universities, and community colleges. Officials said the cash would go to deferred maintenance, new labs and classrooms, mental health spaces, housing-related projects, and even decarbonization work.
Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler called it an equity play, saying the money will give all students “access to modern classrooms and labs that match the excellence of our educators.” Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz stressed that it builds on the state’s transportation investments while meeting climate targets.
The construction trades are all in. Frank Callahan of the Mass. Building Trades Unions said the act is “a statewide jobs bill” for 75,000 union members. Jorge Rivera, president of the Worcester Building Trades, tied it to local workforce development: “Thanks to Governor Healey’s leadership, we can replicate successful models that build housing, modern campuses, and skilled local workers.”
Campus leaders didn’t hold back either. Meehan called it “a generational investment.” Fuller said the renovations will cut energy costs and fuel local job growth. Worcester State President Barry Maloney called it “transformational” for students, praising Driscoll’s visit as proof the state is listening.