This week on Beacon Hill: Trump rally shooting, Steward Health, happy hours and more
Jennifer Rondella. Okay. Kelly Ann. Thanks. Time is running out for our lawmakers on Beacon Hill this week. We’re joined live by Greg Sandler from the State House News Service to break down some of the key issues that are being debated right now. Good morning, Craig. Good morning, Rondella Jen. Greg, it’s good to see you. You’re welcome. Before we move on to other topics this morning, I just want to touch on last night’s assassination attempt on the former president. How are our local lawmakers responding this morning? Well, I think that, by and large, you know, our politicians are in a tough spot in some ways. They’re very liberal, very Democratic, very anti-Trump. So they have to suddenly pivot to compassion without appearing hypocritical. Well, I think that the statements that I’ve seen and heard, by and large, are, well, by and large, doing that. But whether you can make it out of compassion without being hypocritical, I think it’s really up to the political eye of the beholder. So, there you have it.There’s a lot of issues locally, from maternal and child health to the revival of happy hour swirling around Beacon Hill. Why do you think the biggest news is likely to come from outside the state legislature? Well, I think the big news this week is going to come from Houston and Milwaukee. I say Houston because Stewart Healthcare, which owns eight hospitals in Massachusetts, has filed for bankruptcy. There’s also a buyer for eight hospitals in Massachusetts, 800,000 patients, 16,000 employees. Uh, the bids for those hospitals close tomorrow and are scheduled to open in bankruptcy court in Houston on Thursday. So Governor Haley and her executive team are, uh, on high alert starting tomorrow and throughout this week. And one of the big questions is, are these buyers credible buyers and do they want financial assistance from the state? The line so far has been, we’re not going to bail out the hospitals, but if they look like viable buyers, it’s entirely possible that Governor Haley will have to come up with some money to help these hospitals stay open. Okay. Craig, the nation’s attention has been focused on the Republican National Convention lately. I’m sure the Governor will also be looking at Milwaukee. Right? Right. I wrote Milwaukee, but of course, the convention is obviously taking a different direction with this attempted shooting. But in general, politically, the Governor is very well suited to be one of the main spokespeople against Donald Trump. She made national news last week for her comments about President Biden. Now she wants to turn around. And they’re all trying to get the campaign back on track as a referendum on the president. Kelly’s not in the top tier of Democrats yet, but she’s probably in the upper middle tier and on the rise. And of course, there’s no one better suited to be anti-Trump than her, having sued the Trump administration dozens of times as a former attorney general. So it’s going to be an interesting week for her in that respect. Returning to next week’s agenda, what do you think lawmakers will get done when they’re not thinking about Stewart or the Republicans? The deadline for formal action is looming. It’s July 31st. Yes, there are hundreds of them. There may be thousands of activists, lobbyists and political supporters of all kinds really nervous about what will or won’t pass. The Legislature will be buzzing for the next few weeks. I think a budget will be passed. In the last state in the country without a budget, a housing construction bill will very likely pass. In the wake of the attempted shooting, a gun control improvement bill will probably be more likely than ever to get out of a legislative committee. I think the hospital finance reform bill will be more than 50-50. I also think a bill to provide billions of dollars for the life sciences and climate tech industries to the real leaders of Massachusetts will pass. Okay, Craig. The current policy-shaping event is the topic of the assassination attempt. Yes, ma’am. There’s a lot to remember.
This week on Beacon Hill: Trump rally shooting, Steward Health, happy hours and more
Last updated: July 14, 2024 11:06 AM EST
State House News Service reporter Craig Sandler discusses the Massachusetts Democrat’s reaction to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the biggest stories on lawmakers’ minds on Beacon Hill this week.
State House News Service reporter Craig Sandler discusses Massachusetts Democrats’ reaction to the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump and the biggest stories on lawmakers’ minds on Beacon Hill this week.
