If attendance was a ballot, Boston mayoral hopeful Josh Kraft ought to be upbeat.
His first fundraiser this previous week at Davio’s Northern Italian Steakhouse within the Seaport was a packed affair, with simply greater than 100 movers and shakers in attendance. His dad, Robert Kraft, made an look and brief speech, however the others who stopped by had been searching for an possibility within the race. That’s the actual story.
It was an off-the-record affair, however the Herald by no means misses a possibility to hearken to what’s on individuals’s minds. So we hung round and … listened. Bike lanes, White Stadium, housing, and growth had been high points. We’ll attempt to do the identical on Mayor Michelle Wu’s aspect. – Joe Dwinell
Auditor Diana DiZoglio makes her emotions clear on upcoming Senate listening to…
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is taking intention at almost each Democrat in Massachusetts who she feels is standing in the best way of her workplace’s try and audit the state Legislature.
And her rhetoric in the direction of a gaggle of senators who’re making an attempt to work by the implications of a legislative audit has more and more turned combative, particularly after a gaggle of auditors met with the lawmakers in early February after which senators penciled in a public listening to for March to “seek input and guidance relative” to the brand new audit legislation.
In a social media put up this week, DiZoglio made it abundantly clear what she thought concerning the public listening to.
“Please contact (Attorney General Andrea Campbell) to tell her that senators aren’t judges and we will not tolerate a kangaroo court, purported as a hearing, making decisions about constitutionality of the law they themselves are breaking,” the Methuen Democrat wrote on social media.
That put up to X, the social media web site previously often called Twitter, adopted one other one wherein DiZoglio accused senators of “holding a trial (purported as a hearing) on the constitutionality of the audit law.”
“This goes beyond the usual political theatrics. We are NOT participating in their unconstitutional trial. They are breaking the law and now violating the constitution,” DiZoglio wrote.
Sen. Cindy Friedman, an Arlington Democrat who’s main a committee of senators tasked with reviewing DiZoglio’s audit request, stated she scheduled the March public listening to after DiZoglio’s workplace didn’t reply to a sequence of questions and offered inadequate solutions throughout the in-person assembly final month.
Friedman and three different senators engaged within the tense, at occasions heated, assembly with workers from the State Auditor’s Workplace that targeted on the scope of a legislative audit, whether or not DiZoglio may ethically direct the probe, and its constitutionality.
Beacon Hill Democrats lastly get the ball rolling
Democrats on Beacon Hill are lastly ready to start out contemplating the 1000’s of payments which have been pending on the State Home after legislative leaders made committee assignments this previous week.
Months after the 2025-2026 legislative session began, Home Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka appointed their management groups and committee chairs, or the important thing lawmakers who will probably be chargeable for reviewing laws pertaining to particular topic areas.
Spilka caught along with her management group from final session — Majority Chief Cindy Creem of Newton, President Professional Tempore William Brownsberger of Belmont, Assistant Majority Leaders Joan Pretty of Salem, Michael Barrett of Lexington, and Sal DiDomenico of Everett, Majority Whip Michael Rush of Roxbury, and Assistant Majority Whip Julian Cyr of Provincetown.
Mariano switched issues up, elevating Rep. Jeff Roy of Franklin, whose relationship with a lobbyist was scrutinized by the Globe, and Rep. Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield into management positions.
Aside from a promotion for Rep. Paul Donato of Medford to second assistant majority chief, Mariano’s high brass remained the identical with Rep. Michael Moran of Brighton nonetheless second-in-command as majority chief.
On the committee stage, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, a North Finish Democrat, and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, a Westport Democrat, are nonetheless in command of their chamber’s respective budget-writing committees, positions that give them a big sway over the state’s purse strings.
Roy’s elevation to a management place opened up a spot on the helm of his former committee, Telecommunications, Utilities, and Vitality. Rep. Mark Cusack, a Braintree Democrat, takes over that spot, the place he’ll work together with Barrett as his co-chair.
