Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, a Republican in a heavily Democratic state, stressed bipartisanship during his second State of the Commonwealth address last night.
Baker said cooperation and compromise among the members of the House and Senate, and between the legislature and his administration had made Massachusetts stronger, resulting in record-low unemployment rates, higher student test scores, and progress in tackling a number of daunting problems including opioid addiction and family homelessness.
" We live in a time that when what you oppose seems more interesting than what you support and when compromise is seen as a sign of weakness, when it is in fact a sign of strength," said Baker.
He drew his loudest and longest applause when he called on the legislature to join with him “to represent Massachusetts to Washington” and not the other way around.
The governor delivered his address in the traditional venue, the House chamber at the State House, which was filled with members of the legislature, the other elected constitutional officers, cabinet heads, and invited guests.
He used the speech to introduce a few new initiatives, but mostly to underscore successes achieved through the nuts and bolts of policymaking and governing.
"With a shared sense of purpose we've made real progress in past two years, and so I stand here tonight and say ' The state of our Commonwealth is strong'," Baker declared.
Baker said he would ask the legislature in the upcoming state budget to increase unrestricted state aid to cities and towns and local schools by about $130 million. He plans to ask for $37 million to implement reforms at the state prison hospital in Bridgewater, and for additional funds to help law enforcement go after illegal drug traffickers and for treatment for drug addicts.
He cited incremental progress in combating the opioid addiction crisis.
" After years and years of increases, the number of opioids prescribed in Massachusetts is down 15 percent," Baker announced.
Baker also underscored progress in upgrading the MBTA, reforming the state’s child welfare agency and sharply reducing the number of homeless families that are sheltered in motels and hotels at state expense.
" The population of homeless families in hotels and motels has been reduced from 1,500 two years ago to fewer than 100 today," said Baker.
The governor vowed to continue work on a decade-old effort to bring broadband internet access to rural parts of western Massachusetts.
"This past May we completely overhauled the Last Mile program for our rural communities. We started with 53 towns lacking high speed internet access. And while there’s still more work to be done, in just six months we’ve moved a dozen towns forward. That’s more progress on local broadband access than in the last five years," Baker said.
Baker repeated his long-standing opposition to any broad-based tax increase to balance the next state budget. He proposed a tax credit for employers who hire military veterans.
After coming out on the losing side of last year’s ballot referendum to expand charter schools in Massachusetts, Baker last night touted the creation of empowerment zones to help struggling schools. This is a model where public schools are overseen by an independent board of directors and principals and teachers are given leeway to experiment.
All nine middle schools in Springfield operate under the empowerment zone model.
Baker said he would establish a council on older adults to establish policies and programs to help seniors live vibrant purposeful lives.
His address was well received by the legislature. But he made no mention of a couple of big issues looming over Beacon Hill: regulating recreational marijuana production and sales and criminal justice reform.
