 | By Kelly Garrity | TAKING ON TRUMP — More than two months into President Donald Trump’s second term and staring down a bevy of potential federal funding cuts, state Senate Democrats are slowly starting to map out their resistance. But their new initiative, “Response 2025,” isn’t doing much to placate the progressives who have been calling for aggressive action from the state to counter the seismic changes being rammed through in Washington. Flanked by members of her leadership team, with a mural of Revolutionary War-era lawyer James Otis behind her, Senate President Karen Spilka announced the plan she said would help protect residents and defend “our values.” The Framingham Democrat tasked Sen. Cindy Friedman, who chairs the Committee on Steering and Policy, with meeting with fellow Senate chairs and coordinating a policy response to some of the federal cuts. “There's not one bill or action that we can pass that will fully cover us,” Friedman told reporters. “And we will work to fill the gaps as best as possible as we discover new weaknesses or as new threats emerge.” The big announcement fell flat among progressives, who have been urging the Legislature to quickly pass a joint rules package and turn their attention toward the deluge of actions out of D.C. In a letter sent last week, more than a dozen activist groups urged lawmakers quickly “respond to the extraordinary moment we are facing.” "Why is it only now that Senate Democrats feel the need to announce that they are thinking about how to respond to the disasters in Washington?,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts. “Somehow, the Senate's announced response is more comical and more underwhelming than creating a new committee. They held a press conference to let the public know that an existing committee is going to do the work that it should have already been doing." The anticlimactic reveal shined a spotlight on the Legislature’s typically sluggish start to the session. Lawmakers did approve changes to the state’s emergency shelter system earlier this year and recently passed a bill extending a pandemic-era remote meeting provision. But little major legislation has made it across the finish line. “Until a few days ago, when the Legislature temporarily extended hybrid meeting access for public meetings again, the only bill that the Legislature had passed this session was to kick unhoused families out of shelter,” Cohn said. It’s not uncharacteristic for lawmakers to hold off on passing significant bills until the last minute. But for Democratic leaders in both chambers who indicated an interest in shedding their slow-going reputation, it’s been a typically stagnant start. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . “Liberation Day” is upon us, and while it’s not entirely clear what that means, we do know Trump plans to announce a number of reciprocal tariffs he hopes will help bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Gov. Maura Healey is hoping to draw a contrast at home, visiting a senior center in Lynn to tout the tax relief package she signed two years ago. What they’re saying: “With the impact of Trump’s tariffs raising costs on everyone, it’s more important than ever that we continue to deliver for people to bring their costs down, and that’s what Governor Healey is focused on,” Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand said in a statement. Healey is also pushing ads on Facebook that will run through April 15 as Bay Staters finish filing their taxes, reminding renters , parents and seniors about provisions in the package they can take advantage of. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey promotes her tax relief package at the Lynn Senior Center at 10:15 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is on Java with Jimmy at 9 a.m. Rep. Ayanna Pressley rallies outside the Supreme Court alongside representatives of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and other members of Congress ahead of oral arguments in the Medina v. Planned Parenthood South Atlantic case at 10:30 a.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .
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| | Policy moves fast—stay ahead with POLITICO’s Policy Intelligence Assistant. Effortlessly search POLITICO's archive of 1M+ news articles, analysis documents, and legislative text. Track legislation, showcase your impact, and generate custom reports in seconds. Designed for POLITICO Pro subscribers, this tool helps you make faster, smarter decisions. Start exploring now . | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| ****THE ANNOUNCED CANDIDATES ARE WEALTHY, NEVER HELD ELECTED OFFICE! MY FIRM BELIEF IS NEVER VOTE FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS NOT HELD ELECTED OFFICE! THESE WEALTHY CLOWNS CAN ACCOMPLISH GREAT THINGS WITHOUT RUNNING FOR OFFICE!***** FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Gov. Maura Healey’s campaign raised $404,000 in March, according to a campaign spokesperson — one of her biggest hauls since she took office two years ago. We’re still well over a year out from the 2026 statewide elections, but the big fundraising month is show of force with Republicans already gearing up to challenge the first term Democrat (and it doesn’t hurt to start scaring off potential primary challengers, either). As of last month, Healey had more than $2.5 million in her campaign coffers. — “Healey said her marijuana pardon could help hundreds of thousands. Far fewer have actually had their records corrected,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “When Governor Maura Healey unveiled a blanket pardon of marijuana possession convictions last March, her office said it would begin automatically updating people’s records to reflect the "most sweeping" move of its kind in the country. Better yet, state officials said, people would “probably not” have to do anything to claim a pardon, which could cover hundreds of thousands of people. A year later, only a fraction of that number has proof they’ve been pardoned, as Healey’s promise of automatic relief, albeit well-intentioned, has collided with bureaucratic reality. As of mid-March, state officials say they’ve corrected the records of fewer than 1,900 people to reflect that their conviction has been pardoned.” ****DID THE BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG OFFER AS MUCH DETAIL ABOUT SENATOR RYAN FATTMAN WHEN HE INVOLVED HIS ENTIRE FAMILY, REPUBLICAN COMMITTEES & THEN CLAIMED IT WAS 'POLITICAL' or 'BIASED' ? TYPICAL REPUBLICAN RESPONSE - DON'T ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR EGREGIOUS CONDUCT - BLAME OTHERS!****
GOP couple agree to Mass.’s largest settlement after campaign finance investigation
Mass. GOP couple agree to state's largest settlement after campaign finance investigationexcerpt: He also said he and his wife were “targets of political persecution from an outgoing political appointee” and that successful Republicans are held to a different standard than Democrats in the heavily Democratic state.
NOTE LINKS: COURT BLOCKED ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS
— “Massachusetts Rep. John Lawn, a Watertown Democrat, penalized by campaign finance regulators,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Rep. John Lawn, a Watertown Democrat who co-chairs the Legislature’s Health Care Financing Committee, was penalized by campaign finance regulators last month for ‘inadequate’ record keeping, filing finance reports late, and multiple instances of receiving excess contributions. The lawmaker purged $14,000 in donations, appointed a new campaign treasurer, and personally paid $500 to the state for the cost of reviewing his records to resolve the violations of state law, according to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance.”
*****WHEN JANE MAYER WROTE "DARK MONEY" IN 2016, SHE EXPLAINED HOW KOCH ET AL UNITED THE WEALTHY TO EMPLOY NON-PROFITS TO DISGUISE THEIR INVOLVEMENT/INVESTORS. YOU'LL FIND LOTS OF INOCUOUS SOUNDING PROPAGANDA OUTLETS ARE SIMILARLY CONCEALED. ADS ARE PLACED WITH LINKS TO THOSE NON-PROFITS - YOU DON'T KNOW WHO'S PRESENTING SOMETIMES MISLEADING ADS. "DARK MONEY" IS AVAILABLE USED OR AT YOUR PUBLIC LIBRARY. BE VERY SUSPICIOUS OF "NON-PROFITS."....IT'S TIME TO OUTLAW THEM!***** — “‘Ripe for corruption’: Lobbyists in Mass. skirt campaign finance laws by donating to nonprofits run by lawmakers,” by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: “There are a few ways to get a legislator’s attention on Beacon Hill. A lobbyist or business leader can donate to a lawmaker’s campaign account, which must then be reported on the state’s campaign finance website. Groups can pay for lawmakers to travel to a foreign country or sit at a private table at a gala, which must also be reported. But if a lawmaker happens to lead a nonprofit — as is the case for a handful of lawmakers on Beacon Hill — lobbyists and business interests have a third, more secretive way. Donations to nonprofits don’t require disclosure and are, therefore, essentially impossible to track.”
| | FROM THE HUB |
| ****ONLY THE BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG WOULD AIR THE NEWTON NEBBISH'S INSIPID COMMENT. DID HE CONDEMN TRUMP/NAZI MUSK/DOGSH*T CUTS & SLASHES? THE ILLEGAL ICE DEPORTATIONS? DID HE NOTICE THE NATION WIDE PROTESTS? SATURDAY APRIL 5 IS THE NATIONAL DAY OF PROTESTS....CHILDREN NEED TO BE EDUCATED, BUT CUTS IMPACT THAT. ANTI-SCIENCE CUTS DESTROY RESEARCH NEEDED TO PROTECT AMERICANS! VA CUTS DENY VETERANS CARE! THE NEWTON NEBBISH SHOULD MAKE HIMSELF USEFUL & CONDEMN THE CUTS....NOT MAYOR WU!**** JOSH KRAFT IS A DIVIDER! — “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says federal funding uncertainty will lead to ‘lean’ city budget,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said she’s assembling “as lean” a city budget as possible for next fiscal year, including by eliminating hundreds of vacant municipal jobs, to prepare for uncertainty around threatened federal funding reductions. Wu and the Boston City Council exchanged letters Tuesday that include a shared focus on how the city should look to rein in spending for the upcoming fiscal year in light of the mayor’s plan to roll out her budget proposal next Monday.”
| | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| ***NEWTON NEBBISH ENDORSEMENTS!****
ENDORSEMENT CORNER — The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Iron Workers Local 7 has endorsed Josh Kraft in his bid for mayor of Boston, his campaign announced Tuesday. It’s the second union endorsement for the former president of the New England Patriots Foundation after the International Longshoreman’s Association threw its support behind him last month.
| | WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET |
| ****FIGHTING FUNDING CUTS, ILLEGAL DEPORTATIONS & CONSTITUTIONAL BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP & MUCH ELSE! **** — “Why the Mass. AG has sued Trump 9 times,” by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light: “She pledged to fight President Donald Trump if he broke the law. Then, she moved to the part of Massachusetts where Trump enjoys the most support. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell has sued the Trump administration nine times since moving to the South Coast a few months ago.”
excerpts: Her office has led or joined lawsuits targeting Trump’s plan to slash federal programs. She has also denounced Trump’s immigration crackdown and his attacks on diversity initiatives. And she’s joined a lawsuit defending birthright citizenship — a key issue for the South Coast, with its high share of immigrants. “We have fought back every step of the way against all these unlawful actions with the hopes of restoring that funding to help folks with a whole range of issues — but most importantly, their household bills,” she said. Campbell says Trump’s agenda has failed to address the biggest challenge her constituents face — an issue the president ran on: “The number one issue that we’re hearing about is everything is too expensive,” she said. Wages haven’t kept up with the price of housing, utilities, and child care. Trump pledged to lower costs, but Campbell said his cuts to federal funding for medical research, education, and public health will only widen the gap. Fighting funding cutsSince his inauguration in January, Trump has ordered drastic cuts to the federal workforce and federal funding. He tapped billionaire Elon Musk to lead the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, a controversial initiative tasked with identifying and rooting out inefficiency. The attorney general said she supports cutting red tape. “You can do that lawfully, without firing thousands of people, taking away their jobs, taking away the livelihood of their families, doing it with very little notice or no notice at all, and without stealing taxpayers’ sensitive information,” she said. Campbell has joined coalitions of other attorneys general in a series of lawsuits, arguing that Trump’s plan is harmful and the president doesn’t have the legal authority to make these sweeping changes unilaterally. Days after Trump was inaugurated, they sued over the administration’s pause on nearly all federal grants. Since then, Campbell and other attorneys general have challenged funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the termination of federal grants for teacher training, the mass firing of probationary federal employees, and the dismantling of the U.S. Department of Education. Campbell joined another lawsuit this week in a bid to stop the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services from terminating $11 billion in public health grants. Massachusetts stands to lose about $118 million in funding for services including children’s vaccines and mental health care, according to a press release. In announcing the lawsuits, Campbell’s office said the administration was cutting critical services that Massachusetts depends on. In most of the cases, judges have issued temporary restraining orders or injunctions, which block the administration’s policies while the cases move through the courts. Musk’s DOGE initiative is one of Campbell’s top concerns, and the focus of two of her lawsuits. “Everyone should be absolutely concerned about a billionaire who has been unelected, where it’s still unclear what role he plays and what he has access to.” In one case, 19 attorneys general are fighting Trump’s decision to grant DOGE access to Americans’ private financial data. Earlier this year, DOGE gained access to the U.S. Treasury’s central payment system, which holds sensitive financial information for millions of Americans, including bank account and Social Security numbers. It’s not clear why Musk needs this information to make the government more efficient, Campbell said. “All I know is when people have access to your data and your information — based on the work we’re doing in our own office, and we have a whole division dedicated to this — they can use it for unscrupulous means to harm you.” A judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking DOGE in February. Another case targets Trump’s authority to create DOGE and give Musk the power to run it. In February, Campbell and 13 other attorneys general argued that Trump violated the Constitution by creating a new department without approval from Congress, and that Trump can’t appoint Musk without Senate confirmation. ‘People who are innocent’Campbell has spoken out against the administration’s immigration policies. She said she sees it as her job to defend people who are here lawfully. The scope of Trump’s plan to deport millions of immigrants is bound to result in mistakes, she said. “Threatening mass deportations, which will of course round up people who are innocent and here lawfully and who are indeed citizens, is cruel to say the least,” she said. The Light’s interview took place just before U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested 370 people in Massachusetts as part of a statewide sweep. The agency said the people arrested were “illegal aliens,” including 205 people with “significant criminal convictions or charges.” At least eight men were arrested in New Bedford as part of the operation, The Light previously reported. In one raid, agents used a battering ram to break down the door of a home on Viall Street while teenagers were present. Campbell criticized the sweep in a statement provided last week. “This office welcomes federal partnership that supports our work to hold drug and gun traffickers accountable,” she stated. “But indiscriminate arrests of people with no criminal charges or convictions don’t make us safer — they just incite fear and wrongly push our law-abiding, hardworking immigrants into the shadows.” In January, the attorney general joined a lawsuit to block Trump’s executive order that would end birthright citizenship. A provision in the 14th Amendment automatically grants citizenship to anyone who is born in the U.S. “and subject to the jurisdiction thereof.” Trump has argued that the provision doesn’t extend citizenship to the children of undocumented immigrants, but many legal scholars have rejected the president’s interpretation. Campbell sides with the scholars. She said Trump’s attempt to redefine citizenship is “one way to get at deporting people unlawfully.” She said she sees the order as part of a broader attempt to dismantle the Constitution. “If they can, with the markings of a pen in an executive order, eradicate the 14th Amendment of the Constitution, folks better be aware that they can do the same with every other right that they take for granted,” she said. A judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking Trump’s order. The president has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to limit judges’ authority to block his actions nationwide. Putting money back in people’s pocketsTrump isn’t doing enough to address one of the largest expenses Massachusetts residents are facing, Campbell said. “I don’t see what he’s doing to help with housing policy,” she said. “We would love some support from the federal administration on housing.” Instead, Campbell said, Trump’s economic policies will make housing more unaffordable. She thinks the uncertainty created by the president’s tariff threats will keep interest rates high, which would make it more expensive for homebuyers to get a mortgage and for homebuilders to create new housing.
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| ***MBTA PATRIOTS' DAY!***** — “MBTA to offer increased service for upcoming Massachusetts 250 celebrations,” by Rita Chandler, The Boston Globe: “The Fitchburg commuter rail and MBTA bus routes 77 and 62/76 will increase service over Patriots’ Day weekend to support Massachusetts 250 events in Arlington, Concord, Lexington, and Lincoln, MBTA officials announced Tuesday. Several events commemorating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution will take place across Massachusetts on April 19-20, including parades, reenactments, and museum programs.” TEST TRACK — Traveling from New Bedford to Boston, commuters now face a choice: drive or ride the South Coast Rail line? South Coast reporters Frank Mulligan and Dan Medeiros put the question to the test. Here’s what they found.
| | BALLOT BATTLES |
| ****GUN ZEALOTS DEPEND ON MISINFORMATION & IGNORING FACTS & STATISTICS! LOOK UP STATES WITH THE HIGHEST GUN CRIME RATES OR PUBLIC OPINION POLLS! STRICT GUN REGULATIONS HAVE PRODUCED LOW CRIME RATES!***** The 10 States With the Highest Gun Death Ratesexcerpts: At the same time, 60% of U.S. adults viewed gun violence as "a very big problem," and data illuminates why: There were more than 48,000 gun deaths across the U.S. in 2022, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s down slightly from the year before but still amounts to more than 130 people dying from a gun injury each day, frequently in connection with suicide or homicide. https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/states-with-the-highest-gun-death-rates
****MR. WALLACE WANTS TO WARP & SLANT THE DISCUSSION AT A TIME WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING "WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC?" — “Can strict firearms laws in Mass. survive 2026 ballot challenge?,” by Aditi Thube, The Patriot Ledger: “Gun rights advocates are pushing to overturn a 2024 update of the state’s already tough firearms law, collecting more than 90,000 signatures to place a repeal referendum on the 2026 ballot. Their efforts face opposition from mental health professionals and legal experts who argue the tougher laws are necessary for public safety.”
FALSE COMMENT! excerpts: “They've had no effect at reducing crime at all,” said Jim Wallace, executive director of the Westborough-based Gun Owners Action League, of the stricter gun laws. “We proved that a number of years ago using the state's own data system. But the Legislature didn't care.” Experts point out that one of the major reasons for Massachusetts’ low gun violence rates is the strict laws. According to Everytown Research & Policy, which describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to gun violence prevention, Massachusetts ranked second in the nation for gun law strength and third-lowest in gun violence rates as of 2025. Cody Jacobs, a lecturer at Boston University School of Law specializing in firearm policy, believes strict laws are the reason behind a safe state. “Massachusetts has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country, largely attributable to our comprehensive background checks, strict licensing requirements and the assault weapons ban,” he said. “These policies are necessary for maintaining lower gun violence levels compared to states with more lenient laws like Texas or Florida.” “Law enforcement and courts must be extremely careful implementing these policies,” Wallace cautioned. “There's a risk of infringing upon citizens' rights without clear evidence of threat.” | | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| ***MUST READ INTERVIEW! THANK YOU REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY!*** — “The ‘country is on fire’ under Trump, Mass. Rep. Pressley says,” by John L. Micek, MassLive: “Unlawful. That was just one of the words that U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley picked when MassLive asked her to sum up, in a single word, President Donald Trump’s second term and the moment in which the nation now finds itself. Two of the others were ‘unconscionable’ and ‘unconstitutional.’ And, the fourth, in what might cause some pangs among her fellow Democrats, was ‘preventable.’”
excerpt: “Everything that we are experiencing, the policies that are void of common sense and compassion, the executive actions that are lawless; the wrong targeted behavior of [Immigrations and Customs Enforcement]; the dismantling of our federal government as we know it; the indiscriminate, massive firings of federal workers; this extremist march towards not only an authoritarian state, but a mission of forced birth — all of this and much more was outlined in Project 2025, which we knew was not just a blueprint, but truly a playbook," she said. “So it was preventable,” she concluded. The Boston Democrat, who has argued that the nation is sliding into authoritarianism, and has described Trump as a “dictator,” in the wake of the arrest of a Tufts University graduate student by masked immigration agents, offered those comments and more in a wide-ranging interview with MassLive. | | FROM THE 413 |
| ***PITTSFIELD HIGH SCHOOL!**** — “How much of the PHS investigation will the public see? Some councilors want at least an 'executive summary' to be released,” by Greg Sukiennik, The Berkshire Eagle: “When the School Committee agreed on Dec. 30 to move ahead with an independent investigation of allegations against several educators at Pittsfield High School, residents and officials said they wanted the results to be made public. The committee agreed. But that was before investigators had asked a single question, or their interview subjects had answered. What those investigators have since gathered has convinced School Committee Chairman William Cameron, on the advice of the schools' legal counsel, not to make the full report public.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| *****TRUMP/NAZI MUSK/DOGSH*T CUTS!***** — “Worcester schools are out $1.4M in federal funds; how officials are responding,” by Adam Bass, MassLive: “Worcester Public School (WPS) officials are currently reviewing information regarding the Trump administration’s cuts to K-12 education grant funding for Massachusetts. Gov. Maura Healey’s administration announced Tuesday that the Trump administration terminated $106 million in K-12 education grant funding for Massachusetts on Friday, including $1,454,350 for Worcester.” — “Trump Dept. of Ed takes back millions from New Bedford — and schools nationwide,” by Colin Hogan, The New Bedford Light: “Secretary of Education Linda McMahon sent a letter to all 50 State Chiefs of Education on Friday that said the Department of Education was immediately ending all outstanding federal spending from the COVID-relief package approved by Congress. In New Bedford, roughly $12 million will be lost that was already approved to build a new student health center, install heating and air conditioning at Gomes Elementary, and finish off several other construction projects throughout the district. Previously, the district had most of this year to finish building these projects.”
excerpts: “You suddenly check the date, and you say — wait a second, it is March 28th,” said Andrew O’Leary, New Bedford’s superintendent. The letter launched district officials into action, and by Saturday they had come up with a funding plan to save several projects: including the finishing touches on a new central kitchen, accessibility upgrades at Hathaway Elementary, and modular classrooms at Brooks Elementary. The school-based health center and air conditioning at Gomes Elementary, however, are in limbo. “It says something about how reckless this was that it was sent after 5 o’clock on a Friday,” O’Leary said. “A transition in personnel and leadership does not divest the [Department of Education] of its obligations. That’s organizational management 101.” “We are going to hold them to account,” said O’Leary. He said the state department of education is already in touch with Attorney General Andrea Campbell. Neither of these offices responded to a request for comment in time for publication.
NOTICE: BLAME IT ON PRESIDENT BIDEN EVEN THOUGH FUNDS WERE CONGRESSIONALLY APPROVED:
....Madi Biedermann, a deputy assistant secretary for communications at the federal Department of Education: The Biden Administration established an irresponsible precedent by extending the deadline for spending the COVID money far beyond the intended purpose of the funds.... The ESSER funds were congressionally approved in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The original purpose of these ESSER grants, according to an explanatory document from the Department of Education, included a broad swath of approved uses, including supporting schools “in building capacity to promote healthy and safe learning environments.” Ventilation projects and school-building improvements were common uses of these funds.
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH |
| TRANSITIONS — Erin Heeter is now VP at Melwood Global. She was director of strategic comms at the Biden NSC and is a DHS and Joe Manchin alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Frank Moran, Billy Jaffe and Pete D’Agostino, partner at Tenax Strategies. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com . | |
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