This Weeks at Rotary

Representative Manny Cruz Delivers Legislative Update to Salem Rotary and Chamber

State Representative Manny Cruz recently addressed a joint gathering of the Salem Rotary Club and the Salem Chamber of Commerce, delivering a wide-ranging legislative update that touched on energy policy, higher education, artificial intelligence, the state budget, and the challenges facing American democracy.

Cruz opened with a personal note, sharing that he and his wife Vanessa are expecting their third child in May, a month already crowded with family birthdays. He also took a moment to reflect on his own connection to the Rotary Club, recalling the support he received from community members during his youth.

Energy and Transparency

Cruz highlighted the Massachusetts House's recent vote on an energy bill designed to lower energy costs while preserving key clean energy investments. He credited new transparency rules around committee votes with allowing legislators outside the relevant committee, including himself, to weigh in on an early draft he considered too heavily influenced by industry interests. While he supported most of the final bill, Cruz voted against a provision that cut $1 million from the Mass Save program, a community-based energy efficiency program that he said delivers substantial savings for every dollar invested and supports free electric upgrades for local residents.

Higher Education Investment

Cruz expressed strong support for the RIGHT Act, a $3.65 billion omnibus capital investment bill for the Commonwealth's public universities, including Salem State University. He noted that some campus facilities have gone without meaningful improvement since his own time as a student there, and was encouraged that the Senate has moved the bill forward, with a conference process expected to bring final funding to fruition.

Artificial Intelligence

Cruz discussed the growing disruption of AI across industries, with particular focus on education. He noted that current legislative proposals largely address only disclosure requirements, without broader regulatory frameworks. One area where consensus has emerged is the use of AI in political campaigns. The House recently passed new guardrails requiring disclosure and establishing penalties for the use of AI to generate misleading content about political opponents.

The State Budget

With Governor Healy having filed a $62.5 billion budget proposal in January, Cruz described the Ways and Means Committee's hearing process, which includes bringing budget hearings directly to communities across the Commonwealth. He acknowledged significant uncertainty in this budget cycle given federal funding reductions and urged members of the Salem community to share their priorities with him directly, noting that the House will take up its budget in April. His own priorities include updating the Chapter 70 school funding formula, investing in public transit, and preparing the workforce for an AI-driven economy.

The MyCap Bill

Among the legislative work Cruz identified as most meaningful was his sponsorship of the MyCap bill, developed in partnership with the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. The bill would create a statewide mandate for all school districts to implement MyCap, a career and college planning platform that helps students map personalized pathways through high school and beyond. While Salem has been ahead of the curve in adopting the program, Cruz noted that many gateway cities and rural districts have not, leaving students without structured career counseling. He described a recent hearing at which high school students testified compellingly about the program's impact on their lives.

National Challenges and a Call to Action

Cruz closed his prepared remarks with a candid assessment of the national political climate. He expressed deep concern about the concentration of executive power at the federal level, erosion of democratic norms, and the withdrawal of federal commitments that the Commonwealth depends on. He called on Rotarians, as civic and business leaders, to help articulate a positive vision for the country's future, noting that Salem's own history as a community that has played a role in shaping American democracy gives it a particular responsibility to rise to this moment. He said the clearest sign of hope he has seen has come not from elected officials but from ordinary citizens who have organized, contested special elections, and shown up in large numbers. He asked those in the room to bring that same energy to defining what kind of state and country they want to leave behind.

Cruz closed by confirming he is running for reelection and expressing his commitment to continuing to hear directly from the people of Salem about the issues that matter most in their daily lives.