COVID Recovery Bill Notable for Its Broad Scope and Slow Motion

SECOND OF TWO PARTS 

On June 28, Governor Charlie Baker submitted to the legislature An Act Relative to Immediate COVID Recovery Needs, saying he wanted to use $2.915 billion of direct federal aid to address "urgent hardships and challenges" facing those hit hard by the pandemic, including "communities of color and low-wage workers."

Line Item 1599-2032 in this bill, now designated House Bill 3922, calls for $400 million in grants for municipal water and sewer infrastructure improvements.  It specifies that grants be used to remediate "combined sewer overflow into waterways, including projects to improve water quality in the Merrimack River."

Combined sewer overflows (CSOs) happen during heavy rainstorms in some communities with old underground pipes handling both rainwater run-off and sewage.  When run-off and sewage reach the pipes' capacity limits, water system operators direct the overflows to natural waterways; otherwise, sewage would  back up into homes, businesses and other structures, to devastating effect.

The problem is particularly acute along the Merrimack River, a drinking water source for communities like Lowell, Methuen, Andover, Tewksbury and Lawrence.  Hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage are diverted every year into the river because of CSOs.  

Baker's bill is a Godsend to those living along the Merrimack or in one of the communities that take their drinking water from it.  If it only cleaned up the Merrimack, it would be a monumental achievement...but there's so much more it would do. 

HB3922 proposes new spending in multiple areas, including the following:

• $300 million to support expanded homeownership opportunities, focusing on first-time homebuyers who reside in municipalities disproportionately impacted by COVID.
• $200 million to support housing production and related efforts that seek to help communities of color "build wealth by promoting homeownership among residents of disproportionately impacted municipalities."
• $200 million to produce rental housing and provide increased housing options to workers and residents of disproportionately impacted municipalities.
• $300 million to finance the statewide production of housing for veterans and senior citizens.
• $250 million to support investments and regional collaboration aimed at invigorating downtowns across the state.
• $100 million for downtown development that will specifically spur economic growth in neighborhoods disproportionately impacted by COVID.
• $100 million for cultural facilities and tourism state-wide.
• $240 million for job training programs addressing workforce skills gaps, thereby helping Massachusetts citizens secure the jobs that most need to be filled at this time.
• $50 million for "fiscally stressed" hospitals in disproportionately impacted municipalities.  (The Governor pointed out, "These hospitals have taken extraordinary measures to support their communities during the pandemic, despite interruptions to their revenue streams.")
• $175 million for addiction treatment and related behavioral health services.
• $100 million "to close the digital divide and increase broadband internet access."
• $100 million for marine port development.

The flood of federal dollars brought to Massachusetts by the pandemic is so large that, even if this $2.9 billion-dollar legislation were enacted and implemented as is, $2 billion in federal COVID relief would remain on the table for the legislature to spend as it sees fit.

Despite having the word "immediate" in its title, House 3922 seems to be inching along in the House.  Officially filed on June 30 and sent to House Ways & Means, a hearing on the bill was not held until September 15. No official steps have been taken on it since.

Great is the temptation to think the legislature may be slow-walking the bill because lawmakers are unhappy with the Baker-authored $2.9-billion/$2-billion split in control of the funds between the administration and legislature, respectively. In the filing letter accompanying the bill, Baker made it clear that he wanted to put "his" $2.9 billion to immediate use.  The Governor's patience is no doubt wearing thin.