Can you guess who's Mass. governor 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.
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Chicago Tribune
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- Chicago Tribune
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Miami Herald
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