Competitiveness Council starts up as ballot questions simmer in the background

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Union chiefs and business leaders on Wednesday took a brief break from the ballot question battlefield to gather at a State House table with Gov. Maura Healey and members of her cabinet.

The occasion was the first meeting of Healey’s Competitiveness Council, a roster of more than 20 people from not just business and labor, but also the research and state government sectors. Even more members are expected to be named in the weeks ahead.

Her executive order forming the council back in October called their insight “essential to identifying the challenges and seizing the opportunities now confronting the economy of Massachusetts.”

The council, cochaired by Harpoon Brewery’s Dan Kenary and Bain Capital alum Mark Nunnelly, comes as Massachusetts is buffeted by economic headwinds. Job growth is flat, and Trump administration policies have taken a hammer to immigration and free trade, as well as placed a target on research and higher education, a sector already facing a demographic cliff in the coming years.

“Don’t leave anything off the table” were Healey’s parting words for the group, as she got up to leave after a round of introductions.

If the council follows the path already trod by Healey’s transportation funding task force, there will indeed be things left behind, as congestion pricing was. Whether anything surfaces before the 2026 election, when Healey is on the ballot again, is a big question.

Asked in a scrum with reporters afterwards whether she expects the council’s talks to turn into legislation, such as an economic development package, or regulations, Healey said, “It could be all the above. I'm not big on the form it takes. I think I want real-time recommendations. Some stuff might be implemented through legislation, some stuff might be implemented through executive or regulatory action, and some might just be new ideas and new initiatives, right?”

She added: “I want this to be nimble. I want it to be innovative. I want it to be really focused on action. Action and delivery of ideas and real recommendations to implement and to help us build what we need to build going forward.”

But first they have to agree on a definition for competitiveness. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation’s Doug Howgate suggested nailing that down, while outlining that his ambition is to produce something tangible, whether it’s an economic development bill next year or something else. (Worth noting: Howgate, also a member of the transportation task force, was an architect of Healey’s $8 billion transportation plan undergirded by revenue from the millionaires tax.)

Working class people should be included in any definition of competitiveness, added the Mass. AFL-CIO’s Chrissy Lynch. They are human beings seeking to support their families, and “we don’t want to just be considered ‘talent,’” she said.

Both sides will be on opposing battlements on likely 2026 ballot question issues like the return of rent control (supported by some unions and opposed by business interests) and an income tax cut (vice versa). As the introductions kept going round the table, JD Chesloff, the president and CEO of the Massachusetts Business Roundtable, expressed hope that the council would embrace the concept of “unlikely allies” coming together.

“I love the fact that we’re sitting next to each other,” he said to Lynch.

But where everyone sat was clear. Where they’ll be standing a year from now could come down to the overall economy and a competition outside that room, for voter support of their respective ballot initiatives and the race for governor.

There’s been lots of talk about competitiveness over the last few years. Feel free to send along your definition of competitiveness: [email protected].

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9:00 | The Center for Health Information and Analysis holds public hearing on reporting requirements for hospitals, physician organizations and parent organizations stemming from a 2025 oversight law. | More Info and Zoom

9:30 | Visitation is held through 12:30 p.m. for Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante, who died Nov. 27 after a battle with pancreatic cancer. | St. Ann's, Holy Family Parish, 74 Pleasant St., Gloucester 

10:00 | Gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve holds a press conference. | Liberty and Union Park, 78 Main St., Taunton

10:00 | Groundbreaking ceremony for new BCYF North End Community Center. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends. | 475 Commercial St., Boston

12:30 | Labor union members, immigrant advocates, immigrants and others rally in protest of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. | City Hall Plaza, Boston

6:00 | The City of Boston celebrates the lighting of the official 2025 Christmas tree from Nova Scotia Canada. Mayor Michelle Wu will host the celebration along with Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston. | Boston Common

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HEATING ASSISTANCE: Massachusetts will receive $146 million from the federal Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Gov. Maura Healey had asked the Trump administration to speed up the release of the funding and said yesterday state officials would move quickly to distribute the money. – MassLive

VACCINE WARS: Gov. Maura Healey and top health officials said vaccines will remain available to families in Massachusetts as she said the federal government, under RFK Jr., is issuing "egregious untruths and misstatements” about vaccines. – WBUR

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SEPARATION FEARS: Fears of federal detention are forcing immigrants to prepare guardianship paperwork in case they are separated from their children. – GBH News

CAMPAIGN VIOLATION: Political consultant Chris Keohan was accused of breaking state law in the creation of campaign mailers for both Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy and the firefighters union supporting her in 2023. Keohan is paying $5,000 as part of an agreement with state regulators, who said they did not find evidence that he intentionally broke the law. – Boston Globe

REVERSE WIND: The Trump administration is attempting to take back a final permit issued by the Biden administration for a pair of offshore wind projects. – WBUR

INCLUSIONARY ZONING SUIT: The Pioneer New England Legal Foundation has filed a lawsuit against the city of Cambridge on behalf of a developer, claiming its inclusionary zoning ordinance “requires property owners to surrender fundamental property rights.” – Boston Business Journal

SECURITY BREACH: A masked man gained entry into Boston City Hall office suites and allegedly stole wallets, prompting two councilors to call for tighter security protocols as Mayor Michelle Wu’s office said security patrols have already increased, and a review is underway. – Boston Herald

BLADE QUESTIONS: Some remaining blades from the Vineyard Wind project may still need to be removed and replaced after the one crashed into the ocean in July 2024. A U.S. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement investigation into the cause of the crash is still underway. – New Bedford Light

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