State agency’s project barks up the wrong tree, Galvin says

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As Massachusetts secretary of state, Bill Galvin handles elections, lobbying filings, public records, the state archives and securities regulations.

He also speaks for the trees.

Galvin last week sent a letter to Gov. Maura Healey raising concerns about a plan to chop down a tree under her corner office. Until he flagged it, the mature linden tree was set to be cut down by contractors working on a HVAC project on Saturday, Aug. 9.

Galvin, who chairs the Massachusetts Historical Commission, said someone – without specifying who – tipped his office to the plan. Citing landscape plans for the project, Galvin said the tree was specifically identified for preservation and protection during construction. 

“Instead of preemptively cutting the tree down, the project plans and specifications should be followed,” he said.

He also added that the State House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is a national and state landmark. “The exterior landscaping is an important and integral feature of its setting,” he wrote. (History buffs will be interested to know that Calvin Coolidge, while he was governor, planted at least one of the linden trees seen on the State House lawn.)

Galvin sent a copy of the Aug. 6 letter to the offices of Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Ron Mariano, and officials at the state’s Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance (DCAMM), which is overseeing the HVAC project.

DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke later reached out to Galvin, saying the Saturday work had been cancelled and the project was returning to its original scope, which includes the preservation of the tree, according to a Galvin spokesperson.

The HVAC project involves replacing the State House’s primary and back-up chillers, as well as the State House archives’ chiller, which failed this summer, requiring a temporary unit while a new one is made and installed as part of the overall project.

The project is scheduled for completion by Jan. 30, 2027.

A DCAMM spokesperson told MASSterList the agency continues to “evaluate options regarding the future of this tree.”

I do not speak for the trees, only for this particular morning newsletter. On that front, I owe an apology to Sen. Lydia Edwards, whom I misidentified in yesterday’s newsletter as a millennial. She is a Gen X-er. If you’re on the line between the generations, which would you prefer? Let me know: [email protected].

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12:00 | Sen. Ed Markey hosts a press conference with union leaders from the American Federation of Government Employees and the National Association of Government Employees to discuss the Trump administration’s decision to terminate federal union collective bargaining agreements. | West Roxbury VA Medical Center, 255 Spring Street, West Roxbury

1:00 | Congressman Richard Neal commemorates the 90th anniversary of Social Security, along with Frank Valeri and Shawn Duhamel of Mass Retirees Association and Joshua Powers of Mount Holyoke College. | Social Security Administration, 70 Bond Street, Springfield

6:00 | U.S. Postal Service commemorates the historic significance of the Old North Church with a special stamp dedication event. The stamp will be unveiled as part of a speaking program led by Old North Illuminated and USPS officials. Event closed to the public. | Old North Church & Historic Site, 193 Salem St., Boston

This week Social Security turns 90. Nearly one in five Massachusetts residents - 1,324,309 people - receives Social Security payments. These payments inject $28.4 billion into the state’s economy every year. AARP will never stop fighting to protect the Social Security payments you earned. Learn More aarp.org/ma #WeEarnedIt

KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller's guest is U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who discusses reforms to the housing approval process under the ROAD to Housing Act, a new program approved in a unanimous bipartisan vote by a Senate committee, how the cost of living helped elect Donald Trump and whether it will help the Democrats in the midterms, and the Democrats' image as an anti-business party.

NBC10 BOSTON: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Sen. Sal DiDomenico, who represents Everett, Chelsea, and parts of Boston and Cambridge. He and DiDomenico talk about the Kraft Group’s proposed soccer stadium in Everett. DiDomenico recently joined a press conference held by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who criticized the Krafts over proposed mitigation.

ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. The guest is Patrick Tutwiler, Gov. Maura Healey’s education chief.

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Air conditioners and fans are working hard as the hot and humid weather settles in across New England. In Massachusetts, customers use approximately 30% more electricity on average during the summer months to keep their homes and businesses cool, but heat waves and long stretches of sweltering weather can drive that number up even higher. No matter what electric rates are, when your usage increases, so does your bill — READ MORE

HOOKING UP: In an attempt to shift away from fossil fuels, utilities regulators are weighing climate plans submitted by National Grid and others, and issued an order last week calling for new gas customers to cover the upfront cost of a system connection. The Healey administration’s move drew a rebuke from the two GOP candidates for governor. – CommonWealth Beacon and MassLive

DRIVING HISTORY: The public would regain access to driving records years after state lawmakers signed off on sealing motor vehicle histories, under a new bill filed by Gov. Maura Healey. – Boston Herald

POSSIBLE 2026 PRIMARY DATE: Gov. Maura Healey filed a closeout budget bill for fiscal year 2025, loading it up with policy matters, such as a proposal to set Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 as the statewide primary election day, and decoupling state vaccine authority from federal recommendations. With the Legislature on its summer break, the bill is expected to get taken up this fall. – State House News Service

CANNABIS AGENCY AUDIT: Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s office reported uncovering mismanagement and lack of internal controls at the embattled Cannabis Control Commission. – Boston Business Journal

CONSENT LAW: The U.S. Supreme Court says Mississippi can require age verification and parental consent for social media usage. The issue came up during the recent National Conference of State Legislatures summit in Boston, with Sen. Barry Finegold discussing a push for age requirements. – CNN

‘ABUNDANCE’ FIGHT: There is a fight  brewing over the so-called “Abundance” movement, as Democrats grapple with fallout from 2024 and look ahead to the 2028 election cycle. The movement is in the spotlight after the publication of a book by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson, who mention Gov. Maura Healey in its pages. – Axios

FEWER BOSTON LEASES: Realtors say they’re seeing a big drop in demand for rentals from international students as they wait for visa approval. – WBUR

BROOKLINE OVERRIDE: Brookline town officials and some residents are putting together a possible tax override for the town election next May, citing health care costs that could contribute to a multi-million dollar deficit. – Brookline.News

OUTBOUND IN BOURNE: Unhappiness abounds in Bourne, near the Cape Cod bridges, as the state plans to take 13 homes and three commercial properties as part of the bridge replacement project. – Wall Street Journal

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