November 22, 2021

Dear MSCA Librarians and Faculty,

The MSCA and other public higher education unions are working with MTA to encourage the Legislature to increase funding for public higher education.

As you know, the federal government passed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) earlier this year that allocated a combined $8.7 billion to Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Legislature has passed two different bills (H4234 and S2580) to allocate a portion of these funds to public higher education and the bills are now in conference committee to reconcile funding difference.

The House version allocates $113.7 million more to public higher education than the Senate version.  Specifically, the House’s plan includes $75 million more in funding for public higher education capital infrastructure projects. Our institutions could certainly use the additional funding to help address ventilation, mold and ADA compliance issues on our campuses.

We need your help to achieve increased funding for public higher education in the consensus ARPA bill. Hearing directly from their constituents makes a big difference with our legislators.

Please send this Action Network alert to your State Representative and State Senator today requesting that they urge the conference committee members to include the greater appropriation amounts that were included in the two bills.

Thank you for your advocacy efforts in support of public higher education.

In solidarity,
CJ O’Donnell, MSCA President
Aruna Krishnamurthy, MSCA Organizing and Unity Leader