TWELVE YEARS AFTER he assumed power amid a punishing economic recession, Speaker Robert DeLeo took his leave during the unprecedented upheaval of a pandemic, delivering farewell remarks on Tuesday afternoon to a largely empty House chamber with most members watching remotely via video livestream.  “While this isn’t a farewell speech that I’ve contemplated, I’m […]
House Speaker Robert DeLeo
Posted inPolitics
For DeLeo, slow, steady — and firm — were the watchwords Â
THERE WAS NOT a lot of flash to Robert DeLeo’s tenure as Massachusetts House speaker. Rising from amiable constituent-focused Winthrop lawmaker to one of the most powerful positions in state government, DeLeo had an understated everyman bearing and brought a deliberative, consensus-oriented approach to many issues.  But what he lacked in outward swagger, the 70-year-old Democratic leader made up for with a […]
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Beacon Hill’s secretive committee voting process
IT TOOK A couple days of calling, but the House Ways and Means Committee eventually disclosed how committee members voted last week on a major transportation bill containing hefty tax and fee increases. The information, however, had some holes in it. According to committee spokesman Blake Webber, the vote was 22 in favor, one against, […]
Posted inThe Download
What are Wynn, MGM up to?
Nobody seems to know what to make of last week’s announcement that MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts are engaged in conversations about the sale of Wynn’s Everett casino and hotel. With just a few weeks before the $2.6 billion casino is scheduled to open and after years of endless litigation and controversy, Wynn and MGM […]
Posted inThe Download
Baker increasingly isolated on transportation taxes
Gov. Charlie Baker finds himself increasingly isolated on Beacon Hill with his opposition to new revenues for transportation. House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka are both open to raising additional revenues for transportation and the two chairs of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, in an interview on the CommonWealth Codcast, said new money […]
Posted inPolitics
House plays follow the leader
ON JANUARY 30, in the midst of a debate over the rules to govern the legislative process on Beacon Hill, a vote took place that revealed a lot about the way the House runs. The vote was on a technical issue dealing with the way bills are handled as the legislative session comes to an […]
Posted inThe Download
House plays follow the leader
On January 30, in the midst of a debate over the rules to govern the legislative process on Beacon Hill, a vote took place that revealed a lot about the way the House runs. The vote was on a technical issue dealing with the way bills are handled as the legislative session comes to an […]
Posted inThe Download
Mass. lawmakers, businesses step up for furloughed federal workers
While Washington and the Trump administration continue their disastrous handling of the federal government’s partial shutdown, legislators, municipalities, and businesses across the Commonwealth are searching for short-term solutions to the financial plight of the impacted workers. As we enter day 35, many of the 47,000 federal employees living in Massachusetts are feeling the strain. Gov. […]