WORCESTER—Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll visited Worcester State University on Thursday to promote the Healey administration’s BRIGHT Act, a proposed $2.5 billion higher education bond bill that officials say will modernize public campuses and create nearly 20,000 construction jobs across Massachusetts.
Governor Maura Healey appeared at UMass Dartmouth the same day, while Driscoll joined Worcester State President Barry Maloney, UMass Chan Chancellor Michael Collins, and other state university leaders for a roundtable on how the funding could reshape campuses in Central Massachusetts and beyond.
“The BRIGHT Act will modernize our public higher education campuses to make sure that our students have the best labs, classrooms and other facilities that they need to succeed, while also creating 20,000 good paying construction jobs,” Healey said in the announcement.
At Worcester State, Driscoll talked about how the plan would support capital projects, including deferred maintenance, new labs and mental health spaces, and campus modernization efforts. Worcester Building Trades Council President Jorge Rivera said the measure would help expand apprenticeship opportunities while strengthening the local workforce.
Worcester State’s Maloney called the BRIGHT Act a “game changer” for students, pointing to the university’s proposed new Student Center as an example of a project that could benefit. “Modern, thoughtfully designed facilities … are transformational for the student experience, enabling greater learning and collaboration, mental health support, leadership development, and career readiness,” Maloney said.
The BRIGHT Act, which stands for An Act to Build Resilient Infrastructure to Generate Higher Education Transformation, would be funded through revenues from the Fair Share surtax.
