A long-stalled economic development bill, spearheaded, in part, by area Sen. Barry R. Finegold, could be heading to the governor’s desk next week as Senate and House leaders on Beacon Hill settled their differences Thursday.
Last summer, a draft bill was estimated to carry a value of $2.86 billion and cover MassWorks public infrastructure projects, job skills training, $200 million for the Clean Energy Investment Fund, $150 million for capital grants for public libraries, $50 million for the Cultural Facilities Fund and other projects. A conference committee worked out differences between the two branches that kept the bill from being approved before the legislature’s formal Aug. 1 session close.
“On behalf of our fellow conferees, we are proud to announce that we have reached an agreement in principle that resolves the differences between the House and Senate versions of the economic development bill. We are working together to formalize the agreement, and we are confident that the conference committee report will be filed soon, so our chambers can bring it to the floor next week and send the bill to the governor’s desk,” said Finegold, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, and Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, House Committee on Ways and Means.
They added, “We are gratified by the cooperative conversations that have resulted in an affordable, inclusive, strategic blueprint for strengthening our statewide economy, outpacing our competition and ensuring opportunity for our fellow residents.”
Details of the revised spending plan and its total were not immediately announced.