BOSTON (WHDH) - Gov. Maura Healey is ordering greater health care resources be directed to the frontlines of primary care, plans to complete a review of all business and licensing regulations by April, and will establish a new council to recommend a new statewide high school graduation standard, according to the remarks she prepared to deliver Thursday night.

The governor's second State of the Commonwealth address reflects on the work of her first two years in office, including the tax cut package from 2023, eliminating slow zones on the MBTA's subway system, and hauling in more than $9 billion in federal funding. In addition to a focus on affordability and addressing cost burdens on residents and businesses, Healey's prepared remarks also discuss her administration's plans to implement last session's headlining laws, including major housing, energy and economic development packages.

"This year, we'll work together to implement the historic legislation we passed last year. And we'll stay focused on the things that matter to you. We'll take new steps forward: to fix transportation, make homes more affordable, invest in education, and grow our economy," the governor plans to say, according to her prepared remarks. "State revenues are growing. But the cost of providing services has gone up; and federal pandemic relief is long gone. So, we will continue to control spending and live within our means just as every family and business is doing. So, I promise: the budget I submit next week will prioritize efficiency, action and impact. We need every dollar to make a difference. I want to make things move and go in our state."

The governor's remarks touch upon her interest in a renewed focus on primary care investments. Her remarks say the governor is directing her administration "to shift healthcare resources to the front lines. And by that, I mean primary care."

"We'll drive career training pipelines to grow the workforce. I want a whole army of primary care providers out there, so when you call for an appointment, you'll get one. You'll get the affordable care you need, where and when you need it," the governor's remarks say.

Hours before her speech, the Health Policy Commission released a report outlining the shortage of providers entering the primary care field, low reimbursement rates compared to specialty care, unsustainable workloads and burnout, and patients turning emergency rooms because they couldn't access a primary care clinician.

Healey also puts more detail around her plan for a successor to the MCAS standardized tests as a high school graduation requirement. Voters in November eliminated the MCAS as a graduation requirement, an outcome that Healey was opposed to.

"I respect that decision. But it creates for all of us a responsibility, to make sure every student graduates ready to succeed. We need a high, statewide standard. Students, families, and employers need to know what a diploma represents. And without that baseline, it's always the most vulnerable students who don't get what they need," the governor's speech says.

Healey will say she is directing a "Statewide Graduation Requirement Council" including teachers, colleges, employers and students to develop recommendations for a permanent and high standard.

"We'll evolve to a new Massachusetts model for high school excellence that best serves our children. And we'll match high standards with great opportunities - like the Early College and job training programs that give students a leg up on their next step," the governor says.

And with the high cost of doing business in Massachusetts in mind, Healey said she is instructing her economic teams to "review all business and licensing regulations in the first three months of this year, with the goal of cutting red tape."

"I want it cheaper and faster for you to do business in Massachusetts. When we back our businesses, they grow and thrive," the prepared remarks say.

Fifty-eight percent of voters approved of the job Healey is doing as governor as of an October poll conducted by the Suffolk University Political Research Center, with 16.6% saying they strongly approve. There were 29.4% of voters who said they disapproved of Healey's work, 18% saying they disapprove strongly. Most people surveyed said they thought the Massachusetts economy was in decent shape: 10% said it's excellent, 39.8% said it's good, 29% rated it as fair, 19.8% said it is in poor condition.

(Copyright (c) 2024 State House News Service.

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