$50 billion to spend

Also: Inside a landfill fight in Saugus; what's next for Boston's school bus struggles [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 1, 2023 🌤️ Partly sunny, with a high near 42. Good Morning Boston, Gov. Maura Healey's busy week continues today. After [unveiling her long-awaited tax proposal Monday]( and [facing her first snowstorm Tuesday]( the governor is expected to file her first budget proposal today. So, if you had $50 billion, how would you spend it? Here are the four things we know about Healey's plans so far: - A big boost for climate-friendly building: Healey has [pledged to triple the budget]( for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, a quasi-state energy that helps developers build greener. That work includes financing everything from proof-of-concept "[passive house]( pilots to offshore wind developments. - Healey's budget chief, Matthew Gorzkowicz, told WBUR's Steve Brown that the governor believes the center should be a “key player” in climate-related industries as the state strives for [net-zero emissions by 2050](. - Back to school: Healey has said her budget proposal would fund and launch [MassReconnect]( offering free community college to people older than 25 without college degrees. (The idea is modeled after programs in [Michigan]( and [Tennessee]( - The proposal may tee up some negotiations, as Senate President Karen Spilka [has said]( the chamber will push for free community college for all residents, regardless of age. - Staffing up: The budget is expected to include money to hire 1,000 additional workers at the beleaguered MBTA, which has been forced to cut service levels due to staffing shortages. - T officials have been offering $10,000 sign-on bonuses to attract more dispatchers, but [progress has been slow](. And they are still short by over 300 bus drivers. - More money for town and schools: Last week, Healey's office [teased a nearly 10% boost]( to the largest state stream of funding for K-12 public schools. Officials say it will fully fund [a 2019 school finance law]( aimed at closing the gap in urban districts with high concentrations of low-income students and English learners. - The budget should also increase [state funding for city and town governments]( including a 12% bump for public libraries. Meanwhile, outside the State House: - Good news for your gas bill: the state's Department of Public Utilities has ordered another round of rate reductions from National Grid and Eversource. (Thanks to a state law, DPU can make gas companies immediately increase or decrease their rates if prices on the open market rise or fall dramatically, and boy [have they fallen this winter]( - The reduction — which takes effect today — should save customers about 10% on their monthly bill. (For the average National Grid customer, that's a difference of $23.) It also comes after [a 4-5% decrease ordered by DPU early last month](. - The new rates are set to hold until May 1, when the next usual readjustment is scheduled. WBUR's Miriam Wasser has more on how the market works [here](. - You have two more weeks of smooth sailing to Cape Cod. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is delaying work on the Sagamore Bridge — which was supposed to start today — until March 13. When the work begins, traffic over the bridge will be reduced from two lanes to one in each direction, 24-hours a day through May. Travelers should expect delays during normal rush hours. - Corps spokesman Bryan Purtell says they still plan to finish the bridge work before the particularly busy Memorial Day weekend — even with the new delay. - Comings: The city of Attleboro has a new mayor. The Sun Chronicle [reports]( City Councilor Cathleen DeSimone pulled off a surprise special election victory last night over Acting Mayor Jay DiLisio and two other contenders. - However, a rematch is looming. DiLisio is reportedly planning to run again in the regular November election. - Goings: Revere is also now slated to get a new leader at City Hall. Mayor Brian Arrigo announced yesterday that he will not seek reelection this fall, after two terms in office. - What's next: Arrigo says he plans to spend more time with his family and pursue public service "outside of elected office." P.S.— The beginning of March means the return of our seasonal joy newsletter, [The Pick Me Up](. If you're not already subscribed, [sign up here]( to get a refreshing nugget of wholesome goodness in your inbox, three times a week. It’ll be short and sweet, and make you smile. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Inside the fight to expand a burnt trash landfill in a Saugus marsh]( WIN Waste's incinerator, one of the oldest in the U.S., and its landfill are located at Rumney Marsh, an area of critical environmental concern [Read more.]( [Inside the fight to expand a burnt trash landfill in a Saugus marsh]( WIN Waste's incinerator, one of the oldest in the U.S., and its landfill are located at Rumney Marsh, an area of critical environmental concern [Read more.]( [State officials say Boston has failed to transport students with disabilities. What must the city do next?]( The latest letter, sent last Friday, demands that BPS commit to more hurried improvements for transportation for special education students. [Read more.]( [State officials say Boston has failed to transport students with disabilities. What must the city do next?]( The latest letter, sent last Friday, demands that BPS commit to more hurried improvements for transportation for special education students. [Read more.]( [FAA investigating a 'close call' between planes at Logan]( The Federal Aviation Administration says a JetBlue pilot had to take evasive action while landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport when another aircraft crossed an intersecting runway. [Read more.]( [FAA investigating a 'close call' between planes at Logan]( The Federal Aviation Administration says a JetBlue pilot had to take evasive action while landing at Boston’s Logan International Airport when another aircraft crossed an intersecting runway. [Read more.]( [New Worcester charter school gets green light — despite objections from local officials]( The vote will allow the school to open its doors in August, despite the fierce — and ongoing — resistance of Worcester school leaders and elected officials over its cost and alleged conflicts of interest. [Read more.]( [New Worcester charter school gets green light — despite objections from local officials]( The vote will allow the school to open its doors in August, despite the fierce — and ongoing — resistance of Worcester school leaders and elected officials over its cost and alleged conflicts of interest. [Read more.]( [A fifth of patients in study refused cholesterol-lowering drugs, despite benefits]( Women are 50% more likely than men to never accept their doctor’s recommendation to take statins. WBUR spoke with Alexander Turchin, a co-author of the study and the director of quality in the Division of Endocrinology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, about the results and the consequences for patients' health. [Read more.]( [A fifth of patients in study refused cholesterol-lowering drugs, despite benefits]( Women are 50% more likely than men to never accept their doctor’s recommendation to take statins. WBUR spoke with Alexander Turchin, a co-author of the study and the director of quality in the Division of Endocrinology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, about the results and the consequences for patients' health. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - For 25 years, Sunday nights have been poetry night at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge. WBUR's Cristela Guerra [reports that the community came together to celebrate the man who started it all](. - Newly elected MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale told Radio Boston yesterday that the party's finances are in worse shape than she originally thought. Here's [how she's planning to rebuild from the ground up](. - Maine tribal members didn't get a say when Baxter State Park's governing body was created over 90 years ago. Now, lawmakers are considering letting a tribal member have a voice on what was Wabanaki land — and [it's opened up a contentious debate](. - Jonathan D. Fitzgerald writes in this Cognoscenti commentary that manual transmission vehicles are likely not long for this world. But he says [there's still something profound about driving stick shift](.  What We're Reading 📚 - ‘Nothing like a good graphic’: How the snow map became a fixture of winter weather forecasting ([Boston.com]( - The French Are in a Panic Over 'le Wokisme' ([The Atlantic]( - From cradle to compost: the disruptors who want to make death greener ([The Guardian](  Life Advice [If you're getting financial advice from TikTok influencers don't stop there]( Learning to save and invest is more accessible than ever thanks to social media. But there are potential pitfalls, say personal finance experts — including influencers themselves. [Read more.]( [If you're getting financial advice from TikTok influencers don't stop there]( Learning to save and invest is more accessible than ever thanks to social media. But there are potential pitfalls, say personal finance experts — including influencers themselves. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common goes [inside a landfill fight in Saugus that is boiling over](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: I'm honestly surprised [it took two full days](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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