Canada comes to town

Politico

7 hours ago

NORTHERN ATTITUDE — Governors from New England and New York will head to the State House today to meet with top officials from six of Canada's provinces to talk about how they can maintain their relationships as federal leaders fight over tariffs.
Gov. Maura Healey invited governors from New England plus New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and premiers from Ontario, Québec, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island to the Bay State last month. The meeting is part of an effort to 'keep open lines of communication and cooperation and identify avenues to overcome the hardship of these uninvited tariffs and help our economies endure,' she wrote in the invitation.
Everyone on the invite list is participating, but Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte won't be there themselves. Lamont, is sending Connecticut's energy commissioner, Katie Dykes, in his place, and New Hampshire Department of Business and Economic Affairs Commissioner Taylor Caswell will be there on behalf of Ayotte, according to Healey's office.
If you've been struggling to follow exactly where things stand with tariffs, you're not alone. The on-again-off-again nature of them has been derided by Wall Street and memed by Democrats.
The uncertainty on its own is 'very harmful,' Peter Howe, a member of the New England-Canada Business Council's board of directors, told Playbook.
'Your ability as a state or province to take action when there's a giant wave of tariffs — threatened, or in the works — that really is going to circumscribe how much you can actually do to affect trade,' he said.
Adding more question marks: Eleven states — including Connecticut, Maine and New York — sued the White House in April, claiming the tariffs essentially amount to hefty illegal taxes on Americans that were never approved by Congress. A ruling from the U.S. Court of International Trade striking down Trump's tariffs was followed by a similar federal court ruling. But the Trump administration notched a win last week after a federal appeals court said that the tariffs could remain in place while the court determines their legality.
In the meantime, what can states and provincial leaders do to prepare?
'New England states can make a pitch that they remain very open and very eager to welcome Canadians,' Howe said. 'That's an incredibly important message to get out because we're seeing the numbers drop across every mode — fewer Canadians, driving, flying, coming by other means into the United States.'
GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips, scoops, meeting with any Canadian officials? Hit me up: [e-mail].
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey meets with other New England governors and Canadian premiers at noon at the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announces grant funding for affordable housing projects at 9:30 a.m. in Brockton. Sen. Ed Markey speaks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum at 9:45 a.m. in Boston. Rep. Seth Moulton hosts a town hall at 6 p.m. in Tewksbury. Rep. Katherine Clark holds a forum on closing the gender wage gap and supporting the economic success of women at 6:30 p.m. in Boston. Rep. Ayanna Pressley hosts a town hall at 7 p.m. in Chelsea. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the city's Youth Championship Sports Celebration at 5:15 p.m. downtown and hosts a celebration for 2025 Boston Marathon athletes who live in Boston at 6 p.m. downtown.
DATELINE BEACON HILL
'HORRIFIED' — The man suspected of killing Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and shooting Minnesota state Sen. John Hoffman over the weekend was caught Sunday after authorities spent almost two days searching for him.
The man, Vance Boelter, was charged with two counts of murder and two of attempted murder, according to The Associated Pres s, after he allegedly impersonated a police officer and shot the lawmakers and their spouses in their homes.
Massachusetts lawmakers expressed shock and outrage over the shootings on Saturday:
— Gov. Maura Healey said she was 'horrified' by the news. 'Lawmakers and their loved ones getting shot for their beliefs is yet another sickening act of political violence in a country where it's become all too common,' she said in a statement. 'This is not normal. It is not who we are as Americans, and we must all condemn political violence in the strongest possible terms.'
— Senate President Karen Spilka called the shootings 'political violence, pure and simple.'
'America's founders envisioned a country where we address our differences through debate, not violence,' she said. 'We must continue to use our voices to keep advocating for the country we dream to be, even as acts of political violence seem more common.'
— 'I know that I speak for the entire Massachusetts House of Representatives when I say that I am appalled and heartbroken by the political violence that took the lives of Minnesota Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark,' House Speaker Ron Mariano said.
'Political violence of any kind has no place in America, nor does the kind of inflammatory rhetoric that can often incite that violence,' he said.
— Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr described the shootings as 'a direct affront to the principles of democracy and civil society.'
'When violence enters our public life — whether in the streets, online or behind closed doors — it undermines the very fabric of our shared civic trust,' he said in a statement condemning the shootings.
RELATED — After one of the darkest days in state history, Minnesotans wonder: Is this who we are now? by Reid Forgrave, Sarah Ritter and Bob Timmons, The Minnesota Star Tribune.
ALSO RELATED — 'Her mirthful eyes, her sharp humor': Colleagues remember Melissa Hortman, assassinated at age 55 by Matthew Blake, MinnPost.
MORE — Fact check: Did suspect in Minnesota shootings have close ties to Gov. Tim Walz? by Walker Orenstein, The Minnesota Star Tribune: 'It's true that Walz reappointed Boelter in 2019 to a workforce development advisory board, one that Hoffman also served on at the time. But the governor did not know Boelter, a source in his office said, and emphasized these are not appointments to a position in the governor's office or Cabinet. Boelter was first appointed to the board in 2016 by then-Gov. Mark Dayton. Boelter's friend and roommate David Carlson told reporters on Saturday that Boelter voted for President Donald Trump and was a 'strong supporter' of the president but was 'hardly ever talking about politics lately.''
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE — Republican House Minority Leader Brad Jones got a nod from MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale after he faced some criticism from his own party during the state budget debate.
'We fully support Leader Jones,' Carnevale said during an interview on WBZ's 'Keller @ Large' that aired Sunday. 'He was elected by his caucus and we think that he's representing the caucus well in serving [the] Republican constituency.'
— Senate President Karen Spilka wants a school cellphone ban in place before new academic year by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'Senate President Karen Spilka said she wants her chamber to approve a statewide ban on cellphones in public schools in the coming months in an attempt to put a proposal before Gov. Maura Healey before the start of the school year this fall.'
— Head of ICE says Gov. Healey and Mayor Wu have 'touted lawlessness' by Matthew Medsgar, Boston Herald: 'Federal immigration officials blasted Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for touting 'lawlessness' in the aftermath of a wave of immigration enforcement in the state. The statement from ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons made direct criticism of Healey and Wu following the release of a Milford teen arrested on his way to volleyball practice by immigration officers looking for his dad.'
— Spilka compares ICE arrests to Adolf Hitler's rise to power by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald.
— Healey meets with recently detained Milford teen, gives him beaded rosary blessed by Pope Francis by Marcela Rodrigues, The Boston Globe.
FROM THE HUB
— Boston City Council OKs commission to study office vacancies by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: 'The Boston City Council passed a resolution calling for the Wu administration to establish a Blue Ribbon Commission to address downtown office vacancies that have one watchdog warning of a nearly $2 billion budget shortfall in five years. The Council this week passed the non-binding resolution by a 12-0 vote, with one councilor, Sharon Durkan, voting present. The approval marks the second time the Council has indicated its support for such a commission.'
AROUND THE STATE
— Dozens rally in 'No Kings' protest on Taunton Green by Daniel Schemer, The Taunton Daily Gazette.
— Brockton turns out for 'No Kings' rally by Amelia Stern, The Brockton Enterprise.
— 'No Kings,' say over 2,000 at Worcester Common in massive anti-Trump rally by Meg Trogolo, Telegram & Gazette.
— South Coast residents protest Trump's policies at 'No Kings' rallies by Crystal Yormick and Eleonora Bianchi, The New Bedford Light.
— Thousands turn out for 'No Kings' protests in WMass, say U.S. is no place for an authoritarian by Lily Reavis, Daily Hampshire Gazette.
— Protesters flood Greater Lowell to denounce Trump's leadership by Aaron Curtis and Peter Currier, The Lowell Sun.
FROM THE 413
— Mayor adds $217K to Northampton school budget, 2 high school teaching positions would be restored by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Less than week before the City Council is expected to vote on the city's fiscal 2026 budget, Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra has secured an additional $217,000 for the school district, with funds planned to be used to restore two high school teacher positions as well as an elementary school gardening program.'
— Mount Holyoke College pauses plans to build hub for its $180M geothermal heating system by Emilee Klein, Greenfield Recorder: 'Mount Holyoke College will indefinitely pause construction of its geothermal pump hub — the heart of its $180 million effort to build a carbon-neutral heating and cooling system — due to uncertainties with potential tariffs and economic downturn.'
— Too many school day absences? Lenox has a plan to help students recover lost class time by Clarence Fanto, The Berkshire Eagle: 'A plan by Lenox Memorial Middle and High School Principal Jeremiah Ames aims to reduce double-digit percentage absentee rates to pre-pandemic, single-digit levels.'
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— Taunton reverses itself, releases video from mayor's booking after arrest by Emma Rindlisbacher, Taunton Daily Gazette: 'Taunton has released a 15-minute video of Mayor Shaunna O'Connell's booking in the Taunton Police station following her arrest in July 2024 on domestic violence charges. In the video, O'Connell appears to have a calm demeanor and be cooperating with police throughout. … The city released the 15 minute booking room video late Friday afternoon, June 13. When asked for comment on release of the video, Holly Robichaud, a spokesperson for O'Connell, told the Gazette that 'this is nothing more than the media exploiting a year old family matter to grab headlines' and that 'Mayor O'Connell has done an exceptional job for Taunton.'
— Police investigating after brick marked 'Free Palestine' thrown through window of Jewish grocery store by Sam Mintz, Brookline.News: 'Brookline police are investigating after a brick marked 'Free Palestine' was thrown through the window of The Butcherie, a Jewish grocery store, early on Sunday morning. Police say that at least two people wearing masks came from the direction of Coolidge Street, threw the brick through the store's window, and fled back down Coolidge Street. The act is being investigated as a hate crime, according to the press release.'
— Parking changes, entry restrictions planned for Worcester City Hall by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: 'Come June 23, City Hall visitors will be able to enter only through the building's Main Street entrance as the city continues to ramp up safety measures. Visitors will also be required to pass through what the city has called a 'concealed weapons detector' and then check in at a visitor kiosk, according to a statement by city spokesperson Thomas Matthews.'
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
TRANSITIONS — Mark Steffen is joining the MassGOP as political director with a focus on communications, candidate recruitment and data support. He was the campaign manager for John Deaton's 2024 bid for U.S. Senate and Anthony Amore's 2022 run for State Auditor.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to POLITICO's Madison Fernandez, Tom Fleming, the Boston Herald's Mac Cerullo, MassINC's Richard Parr, Nicholas McCool and Bill Shaner.
CORRECTION: Friday's Massachusetts Playbook misspelled state Sen. Julian Cyr's last name.