On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker embarks on his first full week in office.
Within 24 hours of taking office last week, the Bay State's newest governor placed a freeze on state hiring in an effort to patch up the state' budget hole.
Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick pegged the state budget shortfall at just over $300 million, while the Massachusetts Taxpayers' Foundation placed the figure between $750 million to $1 billion.
During an interview with WGBH News, Gov. Baker laid out his plans to tackle the state budget deficit.
"We really do need to figure out what the real number is or ... get closer to what we think the real number is and not make it worse. In the mealtime, that means not filling a whole bunch of positions that we can't afford at this point in time, and doing a pretty significant review of all of the contracts that are currently in place and any new ones that are going to be signed in the weeks ahead," Gov. Baker told WGBH News.
Gov. Baker adds that it's possible he will take further actions this week towards patching at the state budget hole, depending on what his administration discovers about the contested numbers. But the governor says Massachusetts citizens can certainly expect to hear a lot more from his administration about the budget hole in the coming weeks.
The Gov. also commented on the the state's opioid and heroin problems and how he plans to tackle the issue; Mitt Romney's potential run for the White House; Boston's 2024 Summer Olympics bid; and the homelessness issue affecting the state.
You can listen to the full interview above.
