WAKEFIELD — Wakefield state legislators Senator Jason Lewis and Representatives Kate Lipper-Garabedian and Donald Wong announced the final passage of a $3.998 billion spending plan that will make significant investments in the Massachusetts economy to further stimulate the Commonwealth’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill, known as An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs, uses federal monies received from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as well as the Commonwealth’s Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) budget surplus to provide funding investments in housing, schools, environment and climate mitigation as well as workforce development throughout the Commonwealth.
In addition to providing hundreds of millions of dollars for statewide policy and budget priorities such as health care and public health, economic and workforce development, housing, education and the environment, the ARPA legislation includes several funding measures advocated by the Wakefield delegation for Wakefield community priorities, including:
$75,000 for Wakefield tree planting efforts in response to microburst storm;$125,000 for the restoration of Lakeside Chapel; and$70,000 for accessibility improvements to the second floor of the Albion Cultural Exchange Building on Albion Street.“Thanks to President Biden and Congressional Democrats, Massachusetts is seizing this historic opportunity to invest in a strong and equitable pandemic recovery for our communities and Commonwealth,” said Senator Jason Lewis, Assistant Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Education. “I’m particularly pleased that the Wakefield delegation was able to successfully secure funding for important Wakefield priorities, including accessibility improvements at the Albion Cultural Exchange, helping realize the Town’s vision for an arts and culture hub.”
“The legislature’s COVID-19 recovery bill is attuned to both broad and discrete challenges and opportunities in the Commonwealth,” Representative Kate Lipper-Garabedian, who delivered her inaugural speech on the House floor in support of the bill and its appropriation of $10 million to expand eligibility for special education services to students who turn 22 during the pandemic, said. “It invests once-in-a-lifetime funds into programs and resources that serve our constituents, particularly those most impacted by COVID-19. I further am pleased that the bill includes several investments for Wakefield, including one that I championed in the House – support for the Town’s efforts to replant trees across Wakefield following significant damage caused by the microburst storm last year.”
“The ARPA could not have come at a better time. Just in time for the holidays. This money will help the Commonwealth and our district,” said Representative Donald Wong. “Many thanks to the House and Senate for working so hard to get this passed.”
Other highlights of the final bill include:
More than $1.5 billion in investments to help our workers and businesses recover from the impacts of the pandemic, including $500 million for premium pay bonuses to low income workers forced to risk their health and safety as they worked essential jobs throughout the pandemic, and another $500 million to supplement the unemployment insurance trust fund, to help small businesses devastated by the pandemic; Critical investments of more than $500 million to keep people in their homes and to help families find their next home; Investments totaling more than $1 billion in our public health systems to help us recover from the pandemic and better prepare for future health policy challenges, including behavioral health supports and needed investments for our community hospitals; Hundreds of millions of dollars invested in our future to help us respond to and prepare for the climate crisis, including investments in wind and geothermal power as well as investments in our water infrastructure; Nearly $300 million in additional resources for our public schools, including $100 million to improve air quality in our classrooms; and The bill establishes an equity and accountability review panel to track spending of federal dollars and to ensure funds are spent transparently and efficiently, and also that we are delivering funds to those communities that have been historically under-represented and were also most hard hit by the pandemic.An Act relative to immediate COVID-19 recovery needs now moves to Governor Baker for his review.
