The governor's signature is one more step on a long and difficult road to building a new courthouse on Federal Street and to repairing several old court buildings. However, in signing the bill Tuesday, Romney noted that the state has a yearly bonding limit and that this and many other construction projects "may not receive significant funding until many years from now."

Even so, local officials cheered the news that the courthouse funding authorization, which looked doomed just days ago, has been approved.

"I'm absolutely delighted the governor signed it," said Rep. J. Michael Ruane, D-Salem, vice chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee who lobbied to include the court funds in a Senate housing bill.

"We have to get the money, but I feel confident that it will not be as long as some people think only because of the strong support I have received from (Division of Capital Asset Management) Commissioner David Perini and the governor's people." DCAM manages state construction projects.

Ruane also thanked local officials and groups who supported the bill. In particular, he cited the three-hour presentation The Salem Partnership and others put on this spring for a touring legislative court construction committee.

The co-chairwoman of the committee "thought Salem people were more prepared than anybody across the Commonwealth," Ruane said.

Mayor Stanley Usovicz praised Ruane and Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody, for pushing the project.
"I think they did a good job selling it to the governor," he said.

While noting that Salem was included in the last courthouse bond bill and did not get new courthouses, Usovicz said he feels more hopeful this time because of work that has paved the way, such as a recent state assessment of courthouse needs in Salem.

The bill also authorizes funding for projects in Quincy, Taunton and Lowell.