Some are more willing to discuss the Big (fill in the blank) Bill than others

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See if you can pick up on a theme in comments Bay State elected officials made this week as the dust settled on a pared-back state budget and a new national law that reshapes federal policy in President Donald Trump's likeness:

Got that? There have been discussions amid a ton of uncertainty, and the state needs to be prepared to respond to looming danger ... but no one was quite ready to say this week what exactly that response will include.

Because they're the ones in control and the ones most concerned that the federal shifts will be ruinous for Massachusetts, it's going to be on Beacon Hill Democrats to come up with a strategy that does as much to protect the state as they say Trump's law will do to hurt the state.

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Republicans, meanwhile, are going to be pressed by Democrats to constantly defend Trump's policies and their impacts here. At least inside the State House, almost none were willing to publicly do so this week.

Jones didn't shy away from talking about the president's priority. He gave the law a tepid review and put himself "in the category of TBD." Tarr had no interest in chatting with the News Service about the law, and calls and emails MASSterList made to several GOP lawmakers this week went unanswered. 

Republican National Committeewoman Janet Fogarty -- who unlike Jones, Tarr and the other Republicans contacted for their thoughts does not have to face voters in 2026 to keep her job -- told MASSterList that she "can't think of anything that is a negative" in the law.

On the other side, Democrat Sen. Cindy Friedman this week said D.C.'s new law "in fact is terrible for our economy, for our working-class residents, and for government operations of Massachusetts."

There's the crux of your 2026 campaigns, folks. 

Democrats are going to want to highlight anything they see as a downgrade resulting from federal changes and ask voters to keep them in office to maintain stability through the choppy waters. But perhaps with their own electoral futures in mind, Congressional Republicans appear to have structured the law so many of its expected benefits are felt immediately while perceived downsides may not be fully apparent until after next year's midterms.

It may be hard to imagine, but there are some times when Massachusetts Democrats actually don't want to talk about Trump and D.C.

"First of all ... thank you for the question, because it speaks to the other work we're doing that is not just Trump focused," Attorney General Andrea Campbell said on the radio this week when a caller asked when he can expect a restitution check announced a year ago. 

"We still have our jobs and other responsibilities," she said.

The Legislature embraced some of those other responsibilities this week, focusing mostly on state-level policy ideas that really don't involve Trump at all.

The Senate made plans for next week, preparing bills designed to simplify child custody jurisdiction laws and add protections around debt collection for votes Thursday. And the Senate's chair of the Education Committee said he expects a floor vote by the end of this month on legislation senators on his panel advanced to largely prohibit cellphones in public schools from the first bell of the day to the last, with some carve-outs possible.

The Transportation Committee got another piece of legislation one step closer to passage this week with the advancement of a $1.2 billion Chapter 90 bill that really isn't a Chapter 90 bill at all. Of all the borrowing authorized in the redraft, just $300 million would be for the program that funds local road and bridge repairs. Then there's $885 million in other borrowing for things like culvert renovations, congestion relief efforts and other transportation infrastructure maintenance. 

Gov. Maura Healey just recently hired a new economic development secretary (Eric Paley is to start in September) and now she's got a new head of the Executive Office of Health and Human Services. 

Undersecretary Kiame Mahaniah takes over for Secretary Kate Walsh on Monday, putting the former Lynn Community Health Center CEO in the catbird seat as the state formulates a response ahead of the loss of federal support for MassHealth and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

Healey, who spent this week out of state with family, outlined her expectations. She said Mahaniah "will be committed to making high-quality health care more affordable and accessible for all of our residents, bringing an urgently needed focus on primary care and behavioral health care" to the job. 

It's a one in, one out policy for Democratic mayors and the Healey administration, at least this week.

Brian Arrigo, the former mayor of Revere, is leaving his job as commissioner of the Department of Conservation and Recreation this month to take a vice chancellorship at UMass Lowell, and Healey turned to the Democratic mayor of Easthampton, Nicole LaChapelle, as his replacement.

There's also a transition underway at the Environmental Police, where former State Police Superintendent Chris Mason is giving up the colonel's office he's occupied on an acting basis since September to make way for John Monaghan, who brings nearly two decades of policing experience in New Hampshire to the job.

MENINO CONVENTION CENTER: Formal dedication ceremony is held for the renaming of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center as the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center. The event also features musical performances and a block party in the afternoon on the Lawn on D. Attendees include the Menino family, Mayor Michelle Wu, Congressman Stephen Lynch, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz, Rep. Rob Consalvo and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce CEO Jim Rooney. (11 a.m., 415 Summer St., Boston)

McGOVERN ON KELLER: Congressman Jim McGovern talks with Jon Keller about local fallout from the Trump tax and spending bill and Democratic Party messaging for the midterm elections. (8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV)

AUCHINCLOSS ON THE RECORD: Congressman Jake Auchincloss is the guest on the weekly "On The Record" show, with co-hosts Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti. Analysts Adrian Walker and Virginia Buckingham participate in a roundtable discussion. (11 a.m., WCVB-TV)

SWIM IN THE CHARLES: Charles River Conservancy and Department of Conservation and Recreation host the eighth annual "City Splash" event, a state-sanctioned swim in the Charles River. Registration is free and required for swimmers in 25-minute slots. Several elected officials plan to attend and swim, according to organizers, including Sen. Brownsberger, Rep. Dan Ryan and Cambridge City Councilor Patricia Nolan. (12 p.m., Fiedler Field, Charles River Esplanade, Boston)

PASTORAL INSTALLATION: Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll gives remarks at the Peoples Baptist Church's Pastoral Installation Service for Rev. Art Gordon. (3 p.m., 830 Tremont St., Boston)

"JAWS" GAME SHOW: Massachusetts State Lottery officials host a live game show on Martha's Vineyard themed around the film "Jaws," coinciding with the 50th anniversary of its theatrical release. One person will win $1 million, and 29 others will be guaranteed prizes between $500 and $10,000. The 30 contestants were selected through five separate Second Chance Drawings during an initial run of the Lottery's "Jaws"-themed instant ticket game. Media asked to email [email protected] for credentials. (4 p.m., Martha's Vineyard Film Center, 79 Beach Road, Martha's Vineyard)

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Something was wrong. The due date for their twins was still months away. Twenty-six weeks was far too soon. With emotions and fear running high, Molly and Maddy Needham were born weighing less than two pounds, and it wasn’t until day seven that their parents were able to hold their daughters for the first time — READ MORE

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