Little more than a week after Gov. Baker spoke to lawmakers and citizens at his State of the Commonwealth address, Speaker of the Massachusetts House Robert DeLeo took to the same rostrum to lay out what he will let pass the chamber this year.
DeLeo said the House will pass a bill that will help contain health care costs, support community hospitals and make provider and pharmaceutical pricing more transparent for consumers. DeLeo scored applause when he told his members they have a moral obligation to make sure that people have access to high-quality, affordable health care.
"But we must always remain vigilant, especially as the healthcare landscape continues to change dramatically. That is why we will be taking up health care reform in the coming months," DeLeo said.
In his brief remarks, DeLeo did not mention proposals by the governor to cut MassHealth costs, or the Senate's comprehensive plan to alter the state's healthcare market.
In the ten years DeLeo has held the speakership, the chair at the head of the House rostrum has increasingly worn into the shape of his backside, but the Speaker's agenda remains remarkably uneroded: no tax increases, few votes on major policies aside from the issues that demand action, and no tax increases.
DeLeo doesn't have to worry about reelection, either to his safe Winthrop district or as Speaker of the House, a position he's held for almost a decade, so his speech to members wasn't nearly as elaborate as the governor's. But DeLeo's 12 minute midday remarks carried almost as much weight as Baker's prime-time speech, all because DeLeo is now more than ever the gatekeeper for what gets done in the Legislature.
DeLeo, who's on the conservative side of the Democratic party in Massachusetts, even sounded a bit like the Republican Baker: once again vowing not to increase the burden on most taxpayers. (Though he did assent to mid-recession tax hikes under Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick.)
"As in prior years, we will be passing a balanced budget that takes care of our most vulnerable residents while maintaining fiscal discipline. We will do so with the budget that comes out of Ways and Means with no new broad-based taxes," DeLeo said.
Liberals want to raise state revenues to pay for schools, transportation and a bottomless list of other services and projects. The House though, and DeLeo is the House, controls tax policy in Massachusetts.
What House members didn't hear from DeLeo were any indication what the speaker wants to see done on key issues Beacon Hill has struggled with in recent years. DeLeo did not mention big-ticket items like transportation, energy and climate change, marijuana or any of the controversial ballot questions headed toward voters this November, such a an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour or paid family leave.
Also left out of his remarks is the highest priority of the House, Senate and governor's office: updates to the criminal justice system to reduce jail time and address racial disparities in criminal law.
What did make the cut was DeLeo's desire to improve civics education in the Commonwealth by supporting work already being done by the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.
"Now more than ever, we need to ensure that children understand the importance of civic engagement. That they understand the role of state and federal government and understand the reward and duties of being an American in a well-functioning democracy," DeLeo said.
