Governor Healy signs $1.38 billion “fair share” supplemental budget to fund transportation and education

Governor Healy on Friday signed a $1.38 billion supplemental budget bill funded by the 2022 "fair share" (millionaires tax) revenue, allocating major new dollars to transportation and education across Massachusetts.

The law directs more than $500 million for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) and other transit priorities, $100 million for local roads and bridges, $50 million to connect and upgrade regional transit authorities, $26 million for high-dosage tutoring for kindergarten through third grade, and additional sums for special-education aid, technical schools and childcare.

The governor opened the ceremony by saying, “So I'm here today to sign a law that is gonna make transformative investments in Massachusetts. Transformative investments, $1,300,000,000 in 2 of the most critical needs we have, transportation and education.” She described the package as the “first big installment in our 10 year plan,” and said the funds will provide “real fiscal stability for the T for the first time in decades.”

Senate President Karen Spilka, who spoke after the governor, framed the bill as the product of a bicameral compromise over how to allocate the ballot-question revenues. “What is in this bill is so critical,” Spilka said, and she thanked members of both chambers and staff for resolving the differences between the House and Senate versions and sending a final bill to the governor.

Business and civic leaders at the event emphasized the centrality of transportation funding. Jim Rooney, president of the Boston Chamber of Commerce, said transportation is “a deeply personal issue” and argued that stable funding lets transit managers plan longer-term rather than worry about a fiscal cliff.

Allocation specifics reported during the ceremony were given in multiple figures: the governor referred to “over $500,000,000” for the MBTA; House and Senate leaders in remarks cited a $535,000,000 figure for MBTA improvements. The governor and legislative leaders also cited the following items during remarks: $100,000,000 for local roads and bridges; $50,000,000 to upgrade and connect regional transit authorities; $26,000,000 for one-on-one tutoring for K–3 students; $250,000,000 noted for local districts to cover special-education costs and transportation; $100,000,000 to expand access to technical schools; and $45,000,000 to expand access to affordable childcare.

Speakers repeatedly framed the spending as a response to long-term underinvestment. The governor said the MBTA had been showing the effects of decades of underinvestment when her administration took office and credited MBTA leadership with recent reliability gains; she said riders are “saving a total of 2,400,000 minutes every single work day.” Legislative leaders, including House Ways and Means Chair Michalowicz and Speaker Mariano, praised the mix of education and transportation investments as fulfilling the intent of the 2022 ballot question.

The signing completes the legislature’s action on a supplemental budget drawn from fair-share revenue. Officials said the funds will be distributed to state agencies and local recipients for the specified purposes; detailed implementation plans and time lines were not provided during the remarks.

At the event, speakers also highlighted regional equity: Senate President Spilka said the package includes money for paved and unpaved roads, ferries, culverts and microtransit so “every area of the state gets some of these critical funds.” Business and education leaders said investments in early childhood, career technical education and community college access are intended to support workforce development.

The governor described this bill as the “start of a new era” of investments and said it gives state agencies a more stable fiscal footing for transportation work. Officials did not provide a complete roll-out schedule at the signing; administrative departments will publish allocation and implementation details as they distribute the funds.