Massachusetts is among 42 states that had fewer births recorded in 2019 than the year before.
Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin — the state's census liaison — says it's important all state residents get counted in this year's census, especially those living in Springfield.
Galvin has noted Springfield is both a difficult place to get an accurate count and also a very important place. Matt Murphy with the State House News Service explains why.
Matt Murphy, State House News Service: Every time the census rolls around, Secretary Galvin is always concerned about getting accurate counts in cities. Urban centers like Springfield, like Boston, each present their own challenges. Boston, of course, has its college kids.
Springfield has large immigrant populations, which can sometimes present difficulties with getting accurate counts. And the counts are not just important for the state's overall population, in terms of losing a congressional seat or keeping its current delegation — in terms of qualifying for federal funding at the levels that we've been receiving money from the federal government — but also the city itself.
There's a 150,000 population threshold that qualifies Springfield for additional funding under some formulas that the government uses. And to dip below that would mean a loss in funding for a city that needs the support.
Carrie Healy, NEPR: This month is likely going to include a promised debate on transportation revenue in the Massachusetts House. We've heard before that House Speaker Bob DeLeo wants to raise money for transportation from transportation — like a gas tax, perhaps. A November MassINC poll shows voters support the general idea of raising new transportation revenue. But House Republicans call that misguided. Can you take apart that pushback?
It always comes down to: What does this package actually look like? We have seen polling suggesting that people would be willing to pay a little extra for better roads and bridges and better public transit and then less traffic. But some of that support starts to fall apart when you start looking at different mechanisms.
The House is looking to do "for transportation from transportation" revenues. That's their buzz word that will probably include a gas tax hike proposal. It could include other things like fees on Uber and Lyft.
Republicans are taking the tack that Governor Charlie Baker has in arguing that the state has enough money to invest in transportation as it is. It just needs to direct the resources it has appropriately.
The governor has filed a long-term borrowing bill with $18 billion proposed to invest in transportation. Republican legislators in the House point to that — as well as the fact that the state has had a surplus in recent years — as evidence that there is enough money to put into the state's transportation system without asking drivers and residents to pay more.
There's already a likely gas tax of sorts looming. That's because Baker supports what's called the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a multi-state measure aiming to create cleaner transit and climate change programs. Not only has New Hampshire withdrawn support, but Vermont's governor also has his concerns. What's the latest in Massachusetts?
Yeah, like you said, Governor Sununu has said that he will not support this because it's a gas tax. Vermont Governor Phil Scott has said he's opposed to a carbon tax, though he hasn't taken a specific position on TCI yet. This comes down to a bit of a rhetorical fight. No one argues the fact that this proposal, depending on how aggressive they go in approaching emission reductions from the transportation secretary, will add to the cost of fuel as much as 5 to 17 cents for a gallon of gas.
But proponents, including Governor Baker, say that this is a market-driven approach. It's not guaranteed that it would be as high as 17 cents. It could fluctuate. It could depend on how much suppliers decide to pass on to consumers. While opponents labeled this very clearly as a tax, it is not the same as the state gas tax. But they argue that it would be equivalent to a gas tax.
And so we are seeing House Republicans now mounting an effort to try and get at least the ability for the legislature to have to sign off before the governor would sign Massachusetts up for something like the Transportation [and] Climate Initiative.
This is probably going to come to a head sometime in the spring, when the 11 states and the District of Columbia, who are negotiating this, are expected to have the final details of this program ironed out. And Republicans in the House are leading the effort to try and make sure that the House and Senate would have to vote before Massachusetts joins this pact.
