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Governor's office urges committee to back DRIVE Act to protect Massachusetts research economy
Summary
A representative of the Office of the Governor told a legislative committee that the DRIVE Act would direct $400 million in state funds — paired with private matching — to preserve the state's research base, retain jobs and offset the economic harm of federal research funding cuts.
A representative of the Office of the Governor told chairs Feingold and Fiola at a legislative hearing that the DRIVE Act is "essential to our state's economic future" and urged the committee to support the legislation.
The witness said the plan would direct $400 million in state funds to research and innovation, leverage private-sector matching and dedicate $200 million specifically to public higher-education institutions and regional partnerships. "Without new taxes," the witness said, the bill would "direct 400,000,000 in state funds and leverage more from private sources to retain talent, create jobs, and drive the Massachusetts innovation economy forward."
Proponents say the DRIVE Act matters because Massachusetts' economy is tightly linked to research and development. The testimony cited state figures including about 1 in 10 U.S. R&D jobs located in Massachusetts, roughly 1,700 life-sciences companies in the state, and an estimated 160,000…
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