Calling job creation the first step in what he hopes is a generational effort to reimagine society, House Speaker Ronald Mariano on Thursday said he'll pursue a skill credentialing system so employers can find the talent they need to run their businesses and outlined plans for a $10 million job training program and long-term borrowing effort to fuel an offshore wind energy boom assisted by a Biden administration friendly to clean energy.
Mariano also pledged to address broadband affordability by fostering competition in that sector to address a digital divide illuminated by the pandemic, which has amplified the need for fast, reliable internet service.
The Quincy Democrat's announcements, included in a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, come as Massachusetts slowly rebounds from the COVID-19 pandemic and confronts the stark reality that tens of thousands of jobs lost over the past year may not come back soon, or ever. That prospect points to the need to "act boldly" on job creation, Mariano said, telling employers the House is open to embracing innovative approaches to some old issues.
The focus areas laid out in the speech are important because Mariano, like his predecessor Robert DeLeo, has set the legislative priorities in the early weeks of his speakership with policy pronouncements followed by relatively quick and favorable votes by the full House.
Mariano also efforted early in his speech to describe Senate President Karen Spilka as his "close partner," a potential indication of a level of harmony across the branches that at times seemed absent between DeLeo and Spilka. Since January, the two have dictated the agenda with a series of joint statements.
A former teacher, Mariano envisions a credentialing system as a "standardized way to verify that a person has achieved competency in a particular skill."
"Gone are the days where workers will shop resumes to potential employers listing just their job history and work experiences," he said. "Employers want to know what skills a candidate has, and jobseekers want to feel empowered by what they can bring to the table. This will take the guesswork out of the hiring process and will give workers the type of education that fits their needs."
The system, he said, could benefit people who choose not to go to a two- or four-year college, as well as more highly educated workers seeking to acquire new skills to keep pace with the changing times.
"For decades we have talked about the importance of reemployment of displaced workers, job readiness programs and the need to better align those programs with our workforce needs," Mariano said, according to his prepared remarks. "I believe that a comprehensive skill credentialing system will help us solve this persistent problem."
Offshore Wind And Broadband
Mariano also declared that he'll work this session "to authorize a large-scale bonding effort to establish the South Coast of Massachusetts as a regional hub of the offshore wind energy industry." With the state and industry players angling to establish an array of deepwater turbines south of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, Mariano likened his planned bonding effort to the state's heavy investments to nurture the life sciences sector here.
"We must pursue the same strategy to make Massachusetts the leader of our clean energy future," he said.
The state's life sciences strategy launched in 2008 with the passage of a 10-year, $1 billion investment program, followed by the enactment of a law in 2018 that called for $623 million in additional investments and tax credits over five years.
The speaker did not put a price on his offshore wind capital investment plans. The state has invested in the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal to make it a staging area for the specialized needs of the industry, and Mariano said additional investments are needed because "our competitors are catching up."
"If we want to maintain our edge in this fast-growing industry, we must continue to invest in our port infrastructure," he said.
The House's fiscal 2022 budget, which will be released next month, will commit $10 million to the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to train workers for jobs in the offshore wind industry. Rep. Jeff Roy, who co-chaired the Higher Education Committee last session and is leading the Energy Committee this session, has been asked by Mariano to explore ways "to improve our wind energy workforce pipeline going forward," the speaker said.
Mariano also said the pandemic has highlighted uneven broadband access in dense urban centers, not just rural access problems that have been a focus of attention.
"I am committed to increasing broadband affordability across the board," he said. "And we can do that by encouraging competition, and subsidizing access for low-income residents."
The Revenue Front
In his speech, Mariano didn't mention any House efforts to revisit new taxes to support transportation investments or to advance a surtax on household incomes above $1 million per year, but called attention to the influx of federal funds arriving in Massachusetts as part of the new stimulus bill and limited his talk of pursing new revenue opportunities to legalizing sports betting, which he said could net $50 million for state government.
He said he supports sports betting legislation that "creates in-person and mobile gaming licenses that will bolster existing casinos and racing facilities."
"Our legislation will also correct the unacceptable result of the current legal landscape, which forbids a home-grown business like DraftKings from offering its product within its own borders," he said. "DraftKings was created here, they've stayed here, and they've grown here. It's time Massachusetts allows them a future here."
The Senate was an unwilling partner on sports betting last session and a betting bill appears likely to face some obstacles and opposition there this year.
A year ago this time, state tax collections were tanking in lockstep with forced economic shutdowns. But the state has so far dodged the revenue implosion feared by lawmakers and predicted by experts, while also continuing to reap billions of dollars in one-time federal aid.
The just-signed American Rescue Plan will deliver $4.5 billion more to the state, and $3.4 billion to cities and towns.
"These funds represent a multi-year opportunity to manage our virus response, to promote a just economic recovery, and to begin to envision what our new normal will look like," Mariano said. He cautioned against over-reliance on federal aid, calling it "the greatest danger to our long-term fiscal health."
"The Legislature is committed to understanding the resources available and the needs of our communities prior to exerting its constitutional authority to appropriate these funds," he said. "We must continue to be flexible enough to respond to critical emergencies, while also being prudent enough to invest these funds to address longstanding needs. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we will get it right."
Mariano also highlighted his elevation of 18 House lawmakers to newly bestowed chairmanships, and confirmed the House is back on its traditional timetable for taking up the state budget, forecasting a "late April" budget debate. Over the years, the House has tackled its budget the week after school vacation week, which this year is the week of April 26-30. Senate budget debate is usually the week before Memorial Day. Democrats have had trouble passing a budget by July 1.
