Press Release  In Third State of the Commonwealth Address, Governor Healey Commits to Tackling Affordability, Standing up to President Trump

Boston — Governor Maura Healey delivered her third State of the Commonwealth Address tonight during which she announced new actions to lower costs for people and businesses, while continuing to stand up against the damage that President Trump is doing every day. While highlighting the ways in which her administration has worked to make life more affordable for people, Governor Healey announced a number of new initiatives, including reducing electric bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for two months, implementing new social media restrictions to protect children and teens, banning medical debt from showing up on credit reports, making it easier to cancel subscriptions, enrolling 100,000 Early College students and registering 100,000 apprentices in 10 years, and increasing down-payment assistance and lowering mortgage rates for first-time homebuyers.

“In this moment, my job as governor is to provide what this federal government hasn’t: stability, security – and how about a little common sense?” said Governor Healey. “My focus is you and what matters in your life. It starts with lowering costs and making life more affordable. Making our schools even better for our kids. Driving a strong economy that creates good jobs in every part of the state. Making sure you have safe neighborhoods, transportation you can count on, and health care you can afford.”

A full copy of the Governor’s remarks as prepared for delivery is available here.

Standing up to President Trump

Reflecting on the spirit of the revolutionaries who defended freedom 250 years ago, Governor Healey emphasized how throughout a year of constant attacks from President Trump and the federal government, the people of Massachusetts stayed true to themselves and looked out for one another. In response to damaging actions from the President, Governor Healey has worked to protect vaccine access, invest in science and research, hold ICE accountable, and pass the strongest legal protections for reproductive care in the country.

When President Trump became the only President in history to freeze SNAP benefits during a federal government shut down, Governor Healey worked with the United Way to raise $7 million for the food pantries that so many turned to in their time of need. She also advanced millions of dollars in funding to food banks through the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program (MEFAP). Governor Healey pledged to increase funding for food banks in her FY27 budget proposal.

Across the state, people and businesses have stepped up to help their neighbors facing hunger. Governor Healey recognized Max and Chelsea Ritcey, who run a restaurant in Watertown and provided free dinners to hundreds of their neighbors.

Housing Affordability

Governor Healey knows that we need to be a state where teachers, nurses, and recent graduates can afford to live. Her approach to housing is to lower costs for as many people as we can right now, while also building enough homes to make prices reasonable for everyone in the long run. 

To build more homes, Governor Healey has already taken action to speed up the permitting process, turn state land into thousands of new homes, convert downtown office space into apartments, create a first-in-the-nation fund to finance mixed-income development in a time of high interest rates, and legalize Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs). This year, her administration will be offering low-cost financing and free designs for anyone who wants to add an ADU to their house. To help people afford their mortgages and rents right now, she banned mandatory renter-paid broker fees and gave seniors up to $2,800 a year to help with housing costs.

Tonight, Governor Healey announced that she is investing $25 million to expand homebuyer assistance through MassHousing to help 1,000 more middle-income households purchase a first home over the next year, nearly double the number of families who were served last year. Governor Healey is also committing additional resources to lower mortgage rates for residents purchasing their first home with a MassHousing mortgage by 0.55% — providing new homebuyers with immediate relief and saving the average homebuyer more than $42,000 over the lifetime of their mortgage.

More information about these initiatives can be found here.

Energy Affordability

As energy prices spiked last year, Governor Healey jumped into action – sending $220 million to consumers through rebates and filing legislation to bring more energy into the state and save consumers $13 billion. A new hydropower line just opened last week, supplying 20 percent of the state’s power and lowering bills by a combined $50 million a year.

Looking ahead, Governor Healey pledged to continue opposing big rate hikes from the utilities and taking charges off bills. She is also helping consumers get more of their money back, announcing an immediate reduction in electricity bills by 25 percent and gas bills by 10 percent for every Massachusetts residential utility customer in February and March 2026. Her administration will be covering the cost of $180 million of these rate reductions from existing funding sources.

More information about these initiatives can be found here.

Health Care Affordability

Massachusetts has the best health care and most coverage in the country, but premiums are up for everyone, employers are paying more, hospitals and health centers are struggling, and nurses and doctors are stretched thin. Governor Healey already invested the most state funding in the country to protect 270,000 people on ConnectorCare from premium increases because of President Trump’s refusal to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits. She also recently announced that, starting this year, in Massachusetts, patients will no longer need permission from their insurance company to get the vast majority of medicines or procedures that their doctor prescribes. And if they change jobs, their approvals will stay with them.  

Now, she’s going further. Governor Healey will soon file new regulations to ban medical debt from being reported to credit agencies. Nobody’s credit should be wrecked because they are dealing with an illness. The Governor’s newly formed Health Care Affordability Working Group will continue working throughout the year on additional ways to lower health care costs.

More information about these initiatives can be found here.

Consumers

While inflation is causing high costs, Governor Healey knows that unfair business practices can also force consumers to pay more than they should. That’s why in her FY27 budget, she will propose requiring companies to make it just as easy to cancel a monthly subscription as it is to sign up for one, in line with regulations issued by Attorney General Campbell. 

Governor Healey also said that her administration is looking at all the fees and charges that hit people at every turn, from government as well as business, to identify additional ways to cut costs and reduce burdens.

More information can be found here.

Governor Healey is also concerned about the negative impacts of social media on young people. As a parent of middle school students, she knows the importance of balancing independence with safety. Currently, Massachusetts does not have significant social media protections for minors. Governor Healey will soon file legislation proposing strict new social media requirements applicable to children under 18 years old, such as mandatory age verification systems, required parental consent and disabling addictive features like continuous scrolling and notifications between certain hours. Social media companies that violate these restrictions will face steep fines.

More information about the Governor’s social media plan can be found here.

Transportation

Governor Healey knows that Massachusetts residents and economy depend on transportation infrastructure. While President Trump is defunding critical transportation projects, Governor Healey launched an $8 billion plan to modernize roads, bridges, and rails and reduce congestion. Under the leadership of Phil Eng, the MBTA has continued to undergo a historic transformation – eliminating slow zones for the first time in 20 years, bringing Commuter Rail back to the South Coast for the first time in 65 years, increasing speeds, upgrading stations, and making permanent late-night service on the weekends. Regional Transit Authority service is also now free across the state. 

After working with the City of Boston to name the brand-new Bill Russell Bridge after the Celtics and civil rights legend, Governor Healey announced that she is working with the City of Worcester on renaming the I-290 Bridge over Southbridge Street as the Bob Cousy Pass, in honor of the legendary Celtics Point Guard and longtime hero of the Governor’s. 

More information on this can be found here.

Jobs & the Economy

Major companies – like Hasbro, Lego, Transmedics, Alnylam – continue to choose Massachusetts to grow their businesses because of the state’s top-rated health care, schools and universities, the best research ecosystem in the world, and unmatched talent. Looking forward, Governor Healey is focused on strengthening Massachusetts’ foundations – research and science, defense technology, quantum and AI partnerships, climatetech. By fueling up job-creating engines like construction sites, classrooms, small businesses, everyone in Massachusetts will benefit. Governor Healey also took action last year to cut 25 percent of state regulations to save businesses time and money.

In just over two years, the Healey-Driscoll Administration has registered 10,000 apprentices, delivering technical and on-the-job training in key industries. To continue to help more Massachusetts residents pursue these careers while also ensuring the state has a well-trained workforce to meet the needs of employers, Governor Healey announced a new goal of registering 100,000 new apprentices in fields such as construction, health care, tech, advanced manufacturing and education in 10 years.

More information about this goal can be found here.

Education

Governor Healey is committed to preparing the next generation to be a part of Massachusetts’ economic success story. Last year, for the first time in eight years, Massachusetts students ranked #1 on the Nation’s Report Card.

Two years ago, Governor Healey set a goal of having universal Pre-K access in all Gateway Cities by 2026. This year, she’ll achieve that goal, bringing affordable Pre-K funding to more cities and towns than ever before. Her high-dosage tutoring program will also serve 350 schools, accelerating literacy for thousands of young children. And her administration will continue to work on implementing the best statewide high school graduation standard in the country.

Governor Healey will also keep expanding Early College and Career Innovation Pathways so that more students can get started on their college degrees while still in high school – for free. Right now, 10,000 students across the state are enrolled in Early College programs. Tonight, Governor Healey set a new goal of having 100,000 students in Early College in 10 years. She will start by proposing $15 million for the Early College program in her FY27 budget, an increase of more than $600,000 from FY26, to continue making progress toward this new goal.

More information about these initiatives can be found here.

Public Safety

For Governor Healey, there is no greater priority than keeping people and communities safe. State and local police across the state do that by working together and building community trust. Governor Healey recognized Massachusetts State Trooper Rassan Charles, who on a cold December night, and with the assistance of the Chelsea Fire Department, climbed to the top of the Tobin Bridge to save an individual who was in crisis. He used his training, skill and empathy to let the individual know that he was not alone and pulled him to safety. Law enforcement officers across Massachusetts put themselves at risk to keep others safe every day, and Governor Healey pledged to continue giving them her full support.

Governor Healey also recognized Fall River Fire Chief Jeffrey Bacon, his firefighter, the police officers and EMTs who responded to the tragic Gabriel House fire last July. To honor the lives lost and prevent anything like this from happening again, Governor Healey is implementing new protections at all Assisted Living Residences across the state, in line with recommendations from the Assisted Living Residences Commission.

Veterans

Just like with the MBTA, Governor Healey knows that good management and smart investment make the difference in public services. That’s how she has approached veteran’s services in the state. She invested $20 million to end veteran homelessness in Massachusetts – and in less than a year, the program got over 1,000 vets into homes. She also transformed our veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea into the world-class facilities our heroes deserve. Governor Healey took office after the terrible COVID tragedy, when dozens of veterans lost their lives due to management failures at the top. She swore she would never let that happen again. Now – thanks to the Legislature’s plan, the dedication of the staff, and the administration’s commitment to veterans – Holyoke has a perfect rating from the V.A., placing it among the top-performing veterans’ facilities in America.  

Closing

Governor Healey closed by reflecting on Massachusetts’ revolutionary legacy, and how patriots like Sam Adams and Paul Revere remind us that despite the challenges that lay ahead this year, there are also opportunities for joy, togetherness and inspiration – like America’s 250th birthday, the biggest ever July 4 Fireworks Spectacular, Tall Ships and the World Cup.  

“Our nation faces new tests, and Massachusetts will lead again,” said Governor Healey. “As a place where everyone can be safe and have their rights protected. Where if you work hard, you can afford to live, and people from around the world look to us for learning, innovation, opportunity and freedom. That’s what we work for. That’s what America needs in this moment.”

More information about the 2026 State of the Commonwealth can be found at mass.gov/SOTC, and all press releases can be found here.   

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