Results

Results—Change Built to Last

Governor Patrick’s leadership produced eight years of results for the people of Massachusetts. By the end of Governor Patrick’s term, Massachusetts ranked first in the nation in student achievement, in healthcare coverage, in veteran’s services, and entrepreneurial activity. Under his leadership, Massachusetts became a national model for gun control reform, climate change action, and in responding to the opioid crisis.

The Opportunity Agenda

Economic Growth for Everyone

Spurring and Supporting an Innovation Economy

Investing in Education                          

  • Support for Public Schools. Despite governing through the recession, Governor Patrick made unprecedented investments in Massachusetts public education. Public schools were funded at record levels every year he was in office.
  • Closing the Achievement Gap. Closing the achievement gap between minority students and their peers was a top priority for Governor Patrick. Governor Patrick signed the Achievement Gap Act, a groundbreaking education reform bill to transform public schools in Massachusetts and provide educators and districts with new tools to target the achievement gap and lift up all students.
    • Thanks to these efforts, the gap in four-year graduation rates between white and black students closed by nearly a third from 2006 to 2015.
  • Higher Education Within Reach. Under Governor Patrick’s leadership, Massachusetts made significant investments in higher education, quadrupling state spending for higher education over the course of his administration.

The Reform Agenda

Universal Affordable Healthcare

Criminal Justice Reform

  • As Governor, Patrick oversaw significant reforms to Massachusetts’ criminal justice system, and took steps to make sentencing laws fairer and more just.
    • The Governor signed a 2012 crime bill which reduced mandatory minimum sentences for non-violent drug offenses, which opened up opportunities for parole, work release, and earned good time for many individuals who were already in prison.
  • In 2013, Governor Patrick signed the “Raise the Age” law, raising the maximum age for juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18.
  • Governor Patrick reformed the Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) process, so that offenders who have paid their debt to society have a path to opportunity.
    • This reform reduced the “look-back period” for criminal offenses and included a “ban the box” provision that prevents employers in most instances from questioning applicants about their criminal record as a part of the initial interview process.

Gun Safety Reforms

  • In 2014, Governor Deval Patrick signed a nation-leading gun control law, making Massachusetts a model for effective gun safety reform. The 2014 law:
    • Closed the “gun show loophole” in Massachusetts;
    • Added Massachusetts to the National Instant Check System; and
    • Made Massachusetts the first state in the nation to grant local police chiefs the ability to withhold a firearm identification card from a resident who poses a threat to public safety.

Responsible Fiscal Management

  • Balanced Budgets. Governor Patrick controlled state spending – holding yearly increases to an average of 3.5%, as opposed to the previous Administration’s average of 4.9% – while making historic investments in education, infrastructure and innovation. Through strong fiscal management, the Commonwealth secured the highest bond ratings in its history.
  • Pension Reform. The Patrick Administration reformed the state’s pension system to close loopholes, eliminate the most egregious abuses in the public retirement system and overhaul the benefits plan to ensure its long-term sustainability and credibility.
  • Transportation Reform. In 2009, Governor Patrick signed a landmark transportation reform bill to radically simplify bureaucracy and deliver cost savings.

The Democracy Agenda

Inclusive and Representative State Government

  • The Patrick Administration was the most diverse in the history of the Commonwealth.
    • By the end of his administration, 17% of managers and 16.2% of senior managers within the executive branch were minorities – a 194.5% increase from the previous administration.
  • Governor Patrick also made sure that women were in leadership positions throughout the executive branch.
    • Under the Patrick Administration, 50.5% of managers and 47.8% of senior managers were women—a 26.1% increase from the previous administration.
  • The number of minority and women-owned businesses serving as a vendor to the state increased by over 40% overall during Governor Patrick’s term—16% for businesses owned by people of color and 51% for businesses owned by women.

Leadership on Equality

Excellence in Veterans’ Services

  • Under Governor Patrick’s leadership, Massachusetts led the nation in Veterans’ Services. In the final year of Governor Patrick’s Administration, Massachusetts expended more than twice as many resources per veteran as the next leading state ($173/veteran in Massachusetts compared to $86/veteran in the second leading state).
    • Governor Patrick also led an aggressive employment campaign to increase hiring of Massachusetts veterans. The Patrick Administration more than doubled the value of Hiring Incentive Training Grants to employers for newly hired military veterans. ·

Ethics In Leadership

Reforming our Democracy

  • Early Voting. Governor Patrick signed an election reform law, which allowed early voting in Massachusetts, established online voter registration, and required audits to ensure that voting machines are working correctly.
  • Abolish the Electoral College. Under Governor Patrick, Massachusetts entered an interstate compact that would guarantee the presidency to the candidate who receives the most popular votes nationwide once it was adopted by states representing a majority of the electoral college.

The Leadership Agenda