Wrap-up budget doles out various portions, but mostly to healthcare

Massachusetts faces a turning point in transit. Long‑underfunded systems are getting a boost from a new Transportation Bond Bill — but key challenges remain. The State House News Service and MASSterList host TransitNEXT, a policy forum at the MCLE in Boston (Downtown Crossing) on Dec. 9. Speakers include interim MassDOT Secretary and MBTA General Manager Phil Eng, former Federal Highway Deputy Administrator and MassDOT Secretary Stephanie Pollack, along with key legislators and transportation advocates. Register.

Thanksgiving celebrations brought Beacon Hill to a mid-week halt, but there were plenty of reasons to be thankful — at least temporarily.

The gratitude levels depended on the details in a 104-page $2.3 billion budget that Gov. Maura Healey signed Tuesday to wrap up fiscal year 2025 and bring accounts into balance.

MassHealth is likely the most grateful. It secured the lion's share of the package, bringing in $1.67 billion to cover staggering budget deficiencies. The relief won't last long, as program administrators and enrollees try to navigate major federal funding cuts and policy changes linked to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

In a television interview that aired Sunday, Senate President Karen Spilka said it plainly, "Our budget is really in trouble with health care." Spilka identified primary care reform, seen as a step toward system remedies, as a priority on Jan. 1 and brought it up again on Monday. But it looks like the whole year will pass without any major reforms intended to open up access to the most basic form of health care.

The closeout budget's thankful list also includes students enrolled in public colleges and universities thanks to an infusion in financial aid; family members who can unlock state institutional records that are more than 75 years old; Department of Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein, who gained more authority to issue vaccine guidance that diverges from federal recommendations; World Cup host organizers who were at risk of receiving zero event-hosting aid if the Senate had its way; and federal government workers who are shielded from evictions and foreclosures through Jan. 26, 2026, a relief valve that opened after the shutdown ended.

"This is more than a policy win — it is a promise to thousands of federal workers and service members that we see them, we value them, and we will protect their dignity during any future shutdown," said Sen. Lydia Edwards, who sponsored the federal workers' provision.

AARP thanks the Massachusetts House for passing H.4706, An Act to Improve Massachusetts Home Care, creating the state’s first Family Caregiver Commission. During National Family Caregivers Month, we urge the Senate to pass this vital bill and give the state’s 1.4 million caregivers the support they deserve. Learn more: aarp.org/ma

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➼ Not as grateful: County sheriffs. While sheriffs did receive money to cover free inmate calls and Section 35 treatment programs, the majority of their $162 million funding request is on hold until next year as Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro combs through their books to understand why spending has spiraled so much.

With Christmas wreaths now strewn on the State House gates, an almost Scrooge-like atmosphere emanated from inside the building Monday, as House Speaker Ron Mariano lamented the "sheer number" of potential ballot questions that tens of thousands of voters and special interest groups want to see decided in 2026.

Mariano questioned why rent control campaign backers cannot see they lack support, but a new poll released a day later seemed to counter his point and offer new ammunition to the Homes for All Massachusetts coalition. Nearly 63% of residents said they support an annual cap on rent increases in most units to no more than 5% statewide, while nearly 31% said they oppose it, according to the Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll.

The majority of poll respondents said they also support other potential initiative petitions to subject Healey and the Legislature to the public records law, reform a stipend system that raises the pay of many legislators, cut the income tax rate from 5% to 4%, and allow people to register and vote on Election Day. And perhaps not the best statistic to bring up at the Thanksgiving dinner table for politicians: Nearly one-third of respondents said they have considered leaving Massachusetts in the past 12 months due to the cost of living here.

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Tuesday brought a unusual holiday week surge of activity. On one of the busiest travel days of the year, two legislative committees held nearly simultaneous public hearings focused on immigration issues.

Advocates urged the Judiciary Committee to codify the Immigrant Legal Defense Fund, ensuring that immigrants who are not guaranteed an attorney can access one if they're unable to afford representation. A one-time $5 million fund was created in the fiscal 2026 budget, and the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition inked a contract with the state last week for the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative.

Before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, supporters called for the termination of 287(g) agreements that permit local law enforcement to handle the responsibilities of federal immigration officers. Spilka has said that much of what the bill has called for is already standard practice in Massachusetts. But while the perennial proposal has failed to win support from top Democrats, sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge said some lawmakers have now "shifted" their opinion.

"I don't think people realize how destructive the mass deportation impact would be in Massachusetts in terms of intensity and frequency," Eldridge told the News Service.

➼ Back to that supplemental budget thankful list: Immigrant communities who are fearful of escalating arrests and deportations saw a glimmer of relief. A provision criminalizes the false impersonation of federal officials, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll had their last public events of the week on Tuesday.

The governor spent Tuesday afternoon walking from Sunderland to Deerfield, joining part of the two-day, 43-mile trek from Springfield to Greenfield. Healey posted a photo of her walking alongside Congressman Jim McGovern during the March for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Volunteers far surpassed their fundraising goal of $650,000.

"Whether you’re contributing food, funds or time, there’s a way for us all to give back — especially during the holiday season," Healey's X post said.

➼ IN MEMORIAM: Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, 53, died early Thursday morning after a yearslong battle with pancreatic cancer. She was vice chair of the House Ways and Means Committee.

In a Facebook post, her office wrote: "Driven by her faith and her focus on community, Ann-Margaret lived to embody the social gospel of Matthew: 'for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.'"

Condolences poured in, including from Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz.

"Losing Ann-Margaret Ferrante is really tough," he wrote in a Facebook post. "She was like a sister — a fiercely loyal colleague whom I had the honor of serving with for almost 17 years. On Ways & Means, she was a partner you could always count on, and even more importantly, a friend you could always trust."

THE SUNDAY SHOWS

KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. The station is running an encore edition of the show hosted by political analyst Jon Keller. The guest is Chrissy Lynch, president of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. They discuss organized labor's push for new state taxes and its relationship with the Trump administration.

@ ISSUE SIT DOWN: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Rep. Lori Trahan, co-chair of the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. The guest is Everett Mayor-elect Robert Van Campen.

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