Giving her third State of the Commonwealth address, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Thursday talked up her affordability agenda, including plans to reduce gas and electric bills for residents this February and March.
Expanding homebuyer assistance, affordable pre-K funding and access, and finding more ways to lower health care costs were also big takeaways.
But after a year of federal moves that froze food assistance funding and let federal health care plan subsidies expire, the Democrat spent much of the night explaining how the state’s responding to the Trump administration.
Looking at the bigger picture, WAMC’s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief James Paleologopoulos spoke with Western New England University professor of political science Tim Vercellotti about Healey’s biggest priorities and the current political moment – including efforts to emphasize affordability, a trend among her fellow Democrats – and gubernatorial opponents
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This piece originally aired on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026.