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Somerville Council backs $200M annual state package to stabilize public higher education
Summary
The City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the Massachusetts Legislature to dedicate at least $200 million annually from fair‑share funds to backfill federal research cuts and expand support for community colleges, state universities and UMass, following testimony from union representatives and graduate students.
Councilor Mbah presented a resolution Oct. 23 expressing Somerville’s support for Governor Healey’s DRIVE Act, a $400 million proposed investment in public higher education that staff and speakers said would include $200 million from fair‑share surtax revenue to offset federal research funding reductions.
Three speakers testified in favor of the resolution. Dan Rourke, identified himself as a Somerville resident, a graduate worker at UMass Lowell and a representative of the UAW, said federal grant cancellations and frozen research funding were causing layoffs and hiring freezes at universities and jeopardizing research and graduate education. Joy Salon, program manager for graduate programs at UMass Boston, reported that graduate students have lost assistantships and tuition waivers tied to canceled grants. Marissa Fried, a public school teacher and graduate student, said public higher education plays a role in affordability and workforce development and urged the council to support the DRIVE Act.
Councilors signed on to the resolution; the council approved the item without recorded dissent. Councilor Mbah asked that a copy be sent to the state delegation and governor’s office.
What’s next: Staff will transmit the adopted resolution to the governor’s office and to the Somerville state delegation, per council request.
