A big week for budgets

Politico

2 days ago

PROGRAMMING NOTE: We'll be off Friday, but will be back in your inbox on Monday.
UNDER THE WIRE — By the time this hits your inbox, we'll be very close to an answer to the question local lawmakers have been asking for months: What will Washington do?
After advancing their sweeping tax and spending bill by the slimmest of margins overnight, Republicans in D.C. looked poised to pass the so-called 'big, beautiful bill,' President Donald Trump had been urging them to finish before July 4.
Democrats who lead the state have roundly criticized the bill they say will result in thousands in Massachusetts losing health care and food assistance benefits. Republicans in Congress have argued that the new work requirements included in the legislation will cut down on fraud and abuse in the program.
Its passage will give some clarity to state lawmakers who have so far been in wait-and-see mode. Budget writers have been wary of what the megabill might mean for the future of federal funding that Massachusetts relies on since negotiations began earlier this year. But without anything official in Congress, they decided to move ahead with a vote on their (surprisingly on-time) compromise budget earlier this week.
'With deep uncertainty on the horizon, both from an economic standpoint and from any actions Washington might take in the near future, we felt it was in the commonwealth's best interest to finish this budget in a quicker manner than has been the case in the past few years,' House Ways and Means Chair Rep. Aaron Michlewitz said from the House floor ahead Monday.
They did leave themselves some wiggle room in their FY26 budget — $800 million worth, to be precise. But state lawmakers have repeatedly acknowledged that the state won't be able to backfill any significant losses in federal funding.
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. They might not like the bill, but it's giving them fresh campaign fodder. Democrats in Massachusetts were already spotlighting the bill in campaign emails when it moved through the Senate earlier this week.
Within the hours of Vice President JD Vance casting the deciding vote to push the package through the upper chamber, Sen. Ed Markey and Gov. Maura Healey were sending fundraising appeals blasting the massive domestic policy bill.
'If House Republicans pass this package, it will almost certainly go down in history as one of the most harmful, hateful pieces of legislation ever passed,' Markey said in an email to supporters.
Healey's campaign called the bill 'egregious' and warned in a fundraising appeal that health care and energy costs would rise if it's enacted. 'Republicans own this,' Healey wrote on X.
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu cuts the ribbon at multiple new small businesses at 10:15 a.m. in Jamaica Plain.
THIS WEEKEND — Healey is on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. State Sen. Barry Finegold is on WCVB's 'On the Record' at 11:30 a.m.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: [e-mail].
DATELINE BEACON HILL
— 'Ain't nobody helping me.' More calls for reforms to Massachusetts wrongful conviction compensation law by Andrew Quemere, Horizon Mass News.
YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS
EVERY VOTE COUNTS — Democrat Lisa Field maintained a 15-vote lead over Republican Larry Quintal in the special election to replace late state Rep. Carol Doherty after the recount wrapped up Wednesday. More from The Taunton Daily Gazette.
FROM THE HUB
— Investigation finds Segun Idowu did not violate city policies amid misconduct allegations by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: 'An investigation into misconduct allegations against Segun Idowu, Boston's chief of economic opportunity and inclusion, found that the senior City Hall official did not violate any city policies. The results of the investigation, conducted by the city's internal human resources department with the help of external law firm Stoneman, Chandler & Miller LLP, were sent to the city's chief of human resources and Mayor Michelle Wu's chief of staff in a terse one-page memo Wednesday evening.'
— Boston City Hall official on unpaid leave, remains employed months after felony assault arrest by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'A Wu administration official has been placed on unpaid leave but is still employed by the City of Boston months after being arrested on felony assault charges. Daunasia Yancey, 33, of Jamaica Plain, was arrested and charged with assault and battery and assault and battery with a dangerous weapon on April 11, after allegedly attacking the ex-wife of her then-girlfriend in a Roxbury home during a dispute the former spouses were having over the return of a birth certificate. Yancey is the deputy director of Mayor Michelle Wu's office of LGBTQ+ Advancement and founded the Boston Black Lives Matter chapter in 2014, according to her professional website.'
— White Stadium supporters talk up advantages of city's rehab plan by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe.
— Boston police sergeant charged with child rape suspended by oversight commission by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR.
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — AFSCME Council 93 Boston Presidents' Committee is endorsing Alexandra Valdez, who currently serves as the director of the mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs, in the crowded race for the four at-large seats on the Boston City Council.
DAY IN COURT
— High court justice to weigh cases of criminal defendants with no lawyers by Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe: 'A Supreme Judicial Court justice appears set to implement an emergency protocol that could lead to the release of criminal defendants from jail and the dismissal of their prosecutions, as an increasing number of cases languish amid a work stoppage by court-appointed attorneys. Supreme Judicial Court Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt did not immediately rule on a request during a hearing Wednesday to invoke what is known as the Lavallee protocol, in reference to a similar issue before the courts in 2004 in which indigent defendants did not have access to a lawyer — a constitutional right — because of a work stoppage.'
FROM THE DELEGATION
— U.S. Rep. Moulton files measure aimed at requiring 'humane' conditions for immigrants detained by ICE by Beth Healy, WBUR: 'U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton said he filed an amendment Tuesday to the sweeping federal tax and spending bill to address the conditions in which the government is holding immigrant detainees. The Massachusetts Democrat from the North Shore said his measure would prohibit overnight stays at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field offices like the one in Burlington, where detainees have detailed having to sleep on cement floors in cramped quarters with no showers and little food.'
— Massachsetts senators blast Trump settlement with Paramount: 'Bribery in plain sight' by Will Katcher, MassLive: 'Both Massachusetts' senators sharply rebuked Paramount on Wednesday for agreeing to settle a lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over his complaints that the CBS news program '60 Minutes' selectively edited an interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris last year.'
— Jim McGovern rips Trump over bill, says he's holding Congress 'hostage with primary threats and social media tantrums' by Alyssa Vega, The Boston Globe: 'Massachusetts Representative Jim McGovern said Wednesday that Congress is barreling toward a reckless vote on President Trump's tax and spending bill, which the Worcester Democrat argued takes from the nation's most vulnerable to provide tax breaks for the rich. … In a fiery speech on the House floor, McGovern, the top Democrat on the House Rules Committee, slammed the bill during debate, saying Congress is stuck in 'a game of legislative chicken.''
THE LOCAL ANGLE
VEEP WATCH — Vice President JD Vance is headed to Nantucket in July for high-dollar fundraiser for the Republican National Committee, per the Cape Cod Times.
— Republic delaying some trash collections until Monday over strike by Caroline Enos, The Salem News: 'Republic Services won't pick up trash in Danvers until at least Monday, as the company's union waste collection employees remain on strike. 'Residents are asked not to place trash or recycling at the curb for the remainder of this week,' the town of Danvers said in a statement on its Facebook page Tuesday evening. 'While you may see Republic Services trucks traveling through Danvers during this time, they will not be performing any curbside collection.''
— Despite federal pauses, Salem officials 'hopeful' offshore wind terminal project stays on track by Michael McHugh, The Salem News: 'The city of Salem and Crowley Wind Services are confident the city's terminal project will continue despite Trump administration policies to slow the industry. With pre-construction having already started after the groundbreaking last August, Crowley is now in the process of reviewing bids for its request for proposal (RFP) for construction of the Salem Wind Port. Work is expected to begin shortly after the bid is awarded, with operations about 24 months after the start of construction.'
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Mark Cusack, Barbara Lee, Kunal Botla, Maia Raynor, Maya Serkin and Ted Steinberg.
HAPPY LONG BIRTHWEEKEND — Friday birthday-ers Chris Ingerson, Rachel Wells, Lanhee Chen, Will Ritter, Targeted Victory's Ryan Williams, MassFiscal's Laurie Belsito, and the United States of America; to Pat Beaudry, Christian Greve and Boston.com alum Chris Caesar, who celebrate Saturday; and to former state Sen. Richard Ross, state Sen. Jake Oliveira, Dave Eisenstadter and Cloe Axelson, who celebrate Saturday.