Gov. Maura Healey announces BRIGHT Act to unlock about $2.5 billion for public higher education

Governor Maura Healey announced the BRIGHT Act on a visit to Bridgewater State University, unveiling a proposal to use fair‑share surtax revenues and a $125 million annual appropriation to support special‑obligation bonds that would unlock about $2.5 billion in new borrowing over the next 10 years for public higher‑education capital needs.

The proposal, which Healey said will be filed with the House as part of the administration’s House 1 budget, aims to address long‑deferred maintenance, upgrade labs and classrooms, and decarbonize campus energy systems across the state’s 29 public higher‑education campuses. “We refuse to kick the can down the road,” Healey said, adding the bill will create “tens of thousands of great jobs” in construction and related trades.

Why it matters: state campus buildings have accumulated large backlogs of repairs and upgrades that campus leaders say affect affordability and learning. Fred S. Clark, president of Bridgewater State University, told the announcement that BSU alone has more than $200 million in deferred maintenance and…