Senator Eldridge Announces District Earmarks Passed in General Government Bond Bill
Legislation funds public facility constructions, food security resources, technology upgrades, and government structure studies
BOSTON – Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) secured five district earmarks as the Massachusetts State Senate passed a $5.07 billion general government bond bill. The bill aims to fund public facility constructions, information technology, workforce development, the environment, affordable housing, and more. The bill also includes a moratorium on the construction of new prisons in Massachusetts.
The bill will provide critical funding for construction costs and information technology upgrades to a wide variety of public facilities. Funding in this legislation includes:
$500,000 for food security infrastructure and information technology upgrades for Open Table, Inc. in Maynard
$1,000,000 for emergency management technology upgrades to the police and fire departments in Marlborough
$100,000 for information technology upgrades to the Hudson Town Hall
$500,000 for the design and construction of The Center on Shattuck Street in Littleton
$400,000 for a study concerning a permanent government structure for the ongoing operation and administration of the Devens Regional Enterprise Zone
“The passage of the General Government Bond Bill will bring benefits for the future of our districts, and the Commonwealth as a whole. Funding will allow us to upgrade existing infrastructure and provide new facilities and resources, especially in important areas like emergency response, food access, and cybersecurity,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “I want to thank Senate President Karen Spilka for her leadership, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues, and Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Bonding Nick Collins for their steadfast support in passing this $5.07 billion bond bill to meet the needs of our shared communities and address some of the pressing issues.”
The bill also includes a five-year moratorium on the construction of new prison facilities in Massachusetts. During this time, the state would not plan or construct new prisons, and active prisons would not be expanded and could only be renovated in such a way that does not increase the state’s overall prison capacity. Records of incarcerated populations have shown that Massachusetts prisons are currently at historically low levels and well below maximum capacity.
More funding details about the General Government Bond Bill, including other state-wide funding and grants, are available by clicking here.
