The Landscape

Speaker Ron Mariano’s House is flexing some bold name muscle by bringing Deputy Director of the National Economic Council Bharat Ramamurti as the featured guest at Tuesday’s state House Committee on Federal Stimulus hearing. Ramamurti will join the inaugural meeting of the Committee to inform members about the benefits of Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan. State and local governments are set to receive $7.9 billion in direct aid from the latest round of stimulus funding. This is on top of the $3.4 billion going to municipalities and $1.8 billion in assistance for K-12 education. The committee is being chaired by state Representative Dan Hunt (D-Dorchester). 

The Joint Committee on Rules conference committee members, led by state Senate Assistant Majority Leader Joan Lovely (D-Salem) and state House Majority Leader Claire Cronin (D-Easton) will meet this afternoon to finalize an agreement on the rules that will govern the Legislature this session. A once benign exercise, the rules governing committee procedures and voting records have become a topic of intense interest and discussion in recent years.

The House of Representatives continues to prepare for their upcoming Fiscal Year 2022 budget debate with Tuesday’s hearing focusing on health and human services. The Executive Office of Health and Human Services (HHS) is the largest department in state government with 12 agencies under its charge, the oversight of the Chelsea and Holyoke Soldiers’ Homes and the administration of the state’s MassHealth program. Traditionally, the HHS budget has accounted for more than 40 percent of the state’s overall budget.

As we start the second week of the Acting Mayor Janey era, the Boston City Council Committee on Government Operations holds a meeting this morning to try to improve vaccine distribution equity across communities of color in the City and a proposed ordinance to provide paid sick time for city employees to receive the vaccine. Expected to testify are Dr. Cassandra Pierre of Boston Medical Center, former state Senator Dianne Wilkerson of Black Boston COVID-19 Coalition and Eva Millona of Massachusetts Immigrant Refugee Advocacy Coalition.  

The News

SILVER LINING: 

RED SOX OPENING DAY: The Red Sox take on the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park Thursday at 2:10 p.m. Manager Alex Cora will be in attendance as will some fans — albeit socially distanced.