logo
Can you guess who's Mass. governor this week?

Can you guess who's Mass. governor this week?

Yahoo09-07-2025
Someone's sitting in for Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey this week.
With one budget signature under her belt and a supplemental budget now before the Legislature, the Arlington Democrat headed out of town on vacation with her family, according to State House News Service.
And that means Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is minding the store as acting governor—with all the power that comes with it — until Healey returns, the wire service reported.
And that's just a part of the constitutional order of things.
Driscoll, a former Salem mayor, steps in when Healey isn't available.
When neither Driscoll nor Healey is on the ground in the Bay State, duties devolve to Secretary of State William L. Galvin, who's next in line in the Bay State's foundational document.
That last happened in February, when Healey was in Washington, D.C., for a conclave with her fellow governors, and Driscoll was similarly out of town.
So what can Driscoll do while Healey's on vacation? Quite a bit. Driscoll will also be responsible for emergency response and serving as the state's liaison on federal matters. Because it's not like nothing is going on there.
Under the state's constitution, the acting governor can file and sign bills,
Though she's on holiday, Healey has nonetheless felt very present on this first full Monday in July.
Earlier in the day, Healey was quoted at length in a scathing press release taking the Trump White House to task for freezing $108 million in previously approved money for public education.
An hour or so later, one of Healey's Republican rivals for governor in 2026, former Baker administration aide Mike Kennealy, took her to task for remarks she made over the weekend on WBZ-TV's 'Keller @Large' program.
Healey's last public event was on Friday, July 4, when she attended the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular on the Charles River Esplanade, according to State House News Service.
That same day, Healey ran her signature across a $60.9 billion annual budget for the new fiscal year that started July 1.
Healey trimmed $130 million from the spending plan as a hedge against funding reductions from the Republican-authored domestic policy mega-bill.
She also filed a supplemental budget that, among other things, would give her more leeway to unilaterally cut state spending.
Two familiar faces step forward for Chicopee council, School Committee seats
Planned Parenthood in Mass. sues Trump admin over 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Medicaid provision
Health groups, including one from Mass., sue to stop RFK's vaccine changes
Candidate, kin marked dead on Mass. Dem database, seemingly by his rival, state Rep. Puppolo
'Sea change': Dems' views on Israel swing by 56% in 8 years
Read the original article on MassLive.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

New Indiana immigration detention center dubbed "Speedway Slammer" draws backlash
New Indiana immigration detention center dubbed "Speedway Slammer" draws backlash

CBS News

timea few seconds ago

  • CBS News

New Indiana immigration detention center dubbed "Speedway Slammer" draws backlash

The Trump administration will build a new immigration detention center in Miami County, Indiana, already nicknamed the "Speedway Slammer" — but not everyone is happy about the moniker. Trump administration officials boasted about the new state partnership, saying the facility will be the next so-called "Alligator Alcatraz." It will be built about 75 miles from Indianapolis and the actual Indiana Speedway. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem trumpeted the deal late Tuesday, saying Indiana would add 1,000 detention beds for immigrants facing deportation under a revived federal program. On social media, DHS also posted an altered image of a race car emblazoned with "ICE," short for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The IndyCar-style vehicle is shown rolling past a barbed-wire prison wall. "If you are in America illegally, you could find yourself in Indiana's Speedway Slammer," Noem said, likening it to the controversial facility built in the Florida Everglades. She added the new partnership will "help remove the worst of the worst out of our country." Border czar Tom Homan said the goal of the facility is to allow ICE to make more arrests and have more beds to detain people in. "With us hiring at a massive rate, there are more boots on the ground meaning more arresting more criminals, which means we need more beds," Homan said. The project doesn't involve construction; instead, federal funds will be used for space at the Miami Correctional Facility in Bunker Hill. The Indiana Department of Corrections said, which has a total capacity of 3,100 bed, 1,200 of which are not currently filled. The outlandish name quickly drew backlash, notably from the town of Speedway, an Indianapolis suburb which is home to the iconic racetrack that hosts the Indianapolis 500. "This designation was developed and released independently by the federal agency, without the Town's involvement or prior notice regarding the use of the name 'Speedway,'" officials with the Indiana town of roughly 14,000 said in a statement. "Our primary focus remains the well-being of our residents, businesses, and visitors." IndyCar officials were also caught off guard. "We were unaware of plans to incorporate our imagery as part of announcement," IndyCar said, asking that its intellectual property "not be utilized moving forward in relation to this matter." The altered image used by DHS featured an IndyCar with the No. 5, the same number as the only Mexican driver in the series. DHS officials were undeterred by the pushback, saying Wednesday they would continue promoting the plan with the name. "An AI generated image of a car with 'ICE' on the side does not violate anyone's intellectual property rights," DHS said in a statement. "Any suggestion to the contrary is absurd." Leaders in the Trump administration have already singled out Indiana as key to their immigration agenda. Republican Gov. Mike Braun, a first-term governor and former U.S. senator, has been a strong Trump supporter. In January, Braun signed an executive order directing law enforcement agencies to "fully cooperate" on immigration enforcement. The nation's newest immigration court opened in Indianapolis earlier this year as a way to address the backlog and divert cases from the busy courthouse in Chicago. Federal and state leaders are also working on plans to use a central Indiana military base, Camp Atterbury, to temporarily house detainees. "Indiana is taking a comprehensive and collaborative approach to combating illegal immigration and will continue to lead the way among states," Braun said in a statement Tuesday.

Will Both Parties Support Trump's Domestic Investment?
Will Both Parties Support Trump's Domestic Investment?

Bloomberg

timea few seconds ago

  • Bloomberg

Will Both Parties Support Trump's Domestic Investment?

Jim Messina, The Messina Group Founder & CEO and Democratic strategist, & Sarah Chamberlain, Republican Main Street Partnership President & CEO, discuss President Trump having Apple CEO Tim Cook in the Oval Office to speak on Apple's domestic investment and whether or not Democrats and Republicans will see eye to eye on this program. They also talk about the President's claim that there will be a 100% tariff on chips & semiconductors, but explain this claim is more of a negotiation tactic. Both Jim and Sarah speak with Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store