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Gateway City leaders have ambitious plans for the new legislative session
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The Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus, chaired by Rep. Antonio Cabral (New Bedford) and Sen. John Cronin
(Fitchburg/Leominster), led a busy bill filing season to help identify policy priorities in advance of the January 17th bill filing deadline, MassINC’s Gateway Cities Innovation Institute surveyed local municipal officials and hosted several discussions with local economic development leaders last fall. MassINC Policy Center research and recommendations also informed the proposed legislation. Below we summarize key Gateway Cities bills that we will be following for the 2025 – 2026 legislative session. You can find more information about the Gateway Cities Legislative Caucus and its priorities this session on its new web page, which the Gateway Cities Innovation Institute will be hosting as a public information service. Read below for the bills impacting Gateway Cities this legislative
session.
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Priority Bills for Gateway Cities
2025-2026 Massachusetts Legislative Session |
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Please note that the House and Senate docket numbers will be replaced with new bill numbers once the legislation is assigned to committee.
You can support this legislative agenda by asking state legislators to co-sponsor these bills. Please feel free to share with others in your network who may be interested.
For questions or feedback, please contact Andre Leroux at aleroux@massinc.org, Svetlana Yefimenko at svetlana.yefimenko@mahouse.gov, or Dana Mascari at dana.mascari@masenate.gov.
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Join MassINC and Urban Edge for a Discussion on School Centered Neighborhood Development |
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Join the MassINC Policy Center and Urban Edge on Wednesday, February 12th, to discuss how Boston and other Massachusetts cities can plan for vibrant urban neighborhoods with schools at the center. This meeting
will bring leaders from education, housing, and community development together to talk about how they bridge gaps and collaborate to make for more successful students and stronger, more resilient neighborhoods.
This event includes a deep dive into the School Centered Neighborhood Development Playbook prepared by the MassINC Policy Center and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay and hear from Carol Naughton, the CEO of Purpose Built Communities and one of the leading practitioners in the country in developing mixed-income neighborhoods where children can thrive.
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EDUCATION |
School administrators across the Gateway Cities reassure students that ICE raids are generally not allowed in schools.
Over 70 percent of Pittsfield students are in poverty.
Westfield weighs whether to submit plans for a new high school to the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
The Board of Education is getting closer to vocational school admissions reforms.
The Rennie Center releases its annual Condition of Education report.
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The Gateway Cities Innovation Institute strengthens connections across communities and helps Gateway City leaders advance a shared policy
agenda.
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