Keller: The Mass. GOP bleepshow

On May 4, Massachusetts REALTORS® unite as one powerful voice at the annual Margaret C. Carlson REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill. This year, REALTORS® are fighting to increase housing access by advancing zoning reform, housing production, fair housing education, funding for crumbling concrete foundations, and pre-service board & commission training—and opposing real estate transfer taxes and rent control.

“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”

 – Irish philosopher George Berkeley

The same question could be asked of Saturday’s train wreck state Republican convention, the worst exercise in political messaging since 1990 state Democratic convention delegates turned the event into a bleepshow by refusing to cross a right-wing Springfield police union picket line.

And they wonder why the parties are less popular with most voters than dog-doo on your brand new Allbirds.

This year is reminiscent of 1990 in other ways. Back then, as now, uncontested Democratic control of the political system had not bolstered a sagging economy or eased the affordability crisis. In 1990 primary voters in both parties rejected establishment candidates in favor of relative outsiders, and then voted in all sorts of obscure Republicans in November. It’s not inconceivable they might do so again.

Opportunity is knocking, but it seems the Mass. GOP is too stoned on its own stash of Trumpism to answer the door.

Make that the “T” word, the politically-toxic name that party bigwigs hoped would not be front and center for fear of poisoning any prospects for November success. One problem: you can airbrush a mustache off a photo, but if the subject does in fact have hair on their upper lip, it’ll show when voters take a close enough look.

And unsightly “T” hair was all over this convention’s rhetoric. 

Take the victory speech of Mike Minogue, the central-casting businessman who won the convention’s endorsement. No “T” word in his remarks, although you can bet the Democrats will remind the electorate ad nauseam of his status as a MAGA mega donor.

There’s plenty of room for criticism of Healey.

Senators Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, and Paul R. Feeney, Assistant Vice Chair and Chair of the Joint Committee on Financial Services, join REALTORS® from across Massachusetts at the annual Margaret C. Carlson REALTOR® Day on Beacon Hill to advocate for policies that increase access to homeownership and protect private property rights.

10:00 | Pharmacists hold an advocacy day organized by the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association. Advocates plan to talk to policymakers about patient access to medication, affordability, pharmacy sustainability and the expanding role of pharmacists in frontline care. | Great Hall, State House, Boston

10:00 | Boston Mayor Michelle Wu unveils city's 2030 Climate Action Plan, which calls for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 and reaching carbon neutrality by 2050. The event is hosted with Tree Eastie and will feature a ceremonial planting of 10 trees. | LoPresti Park, 33 Sumner St., East Boston

11:00 | The House begins deliberations on the Ways and Means Committee's $63.3 budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 (H 5500). | House Chamber, State House, Boston | Livestream

11:00 | Labor Secretary Lauren Jones and Undersecretary Josh Cutler visit Ironworkers Local 7 to kickoff Massachusetts Apprenticeship Week. | Ironworkers Local 7, 195 Old Colony Ave., Boston

1:00 | The People's PROTECT Act Coalition, a group of 58 organizations, rallies to urge lawmakers to pass a strengthened version of the PROTECT Act for immigrant communities. The House passed a version of this bill earlier this month, and the Senate has signaled it plans to take up the legislation soon as well. The group says the version of the bill that passed the House "falls short of what is needed." | State House steps, Boston | More Info

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House budget deliberations are set to get underway Monday and they’re expected to stretch out over several days. Lawmakers have filed 1,737 amendments for the House version of the fiscal 2027 budget proposal, and 76% of them are predictably earmarks. The rest are policy proposals, funding increases or new line items, according to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The business-backed group crunched the numbers, finding the total number of amendments is higher than fiscal 2026, and 242 more than fiscal 2025. “Between FY 2024 – FY 2026, an average of $102 million in additional spending was added” during the deliberations. Less than half of the amendments were adopted last year, and close watchers know most of the amendment action happens behind closed doors, off the House floor.

A dozen local elected officials in Quincy, Milton, Brockton and other municipalities in Rep. Stephen Lynch’s congressional district say they’re backing his challenger. Jamaica Plain lawyer Patrick Roath picked up support in Quincy as the city has seen new faces in the last election cycle. Deborah Riley, Maggie McKee and Virginia Ryan, three City Council members, endorsed Roath, as did Kate Campbell and Tom Leung, who are on the School Committee. Others include Elizabeth Dillon, Milton’s town moderator, and Ben Zoll, chair of the Milton select board. "From Milton to Norwood to Quincy to Brockton, these local leaders work every day on the issues I'm running on: making childcare affordable, building more housing, and standing up for public schools," Roath said in a statement. — Gintautas Dumcius

Mass General Brigham’s commitment to improving community health beyond hospital walls continues as we address food insecurity. Through our partnership with the Greater Boston Food Bank, we’re expanding access to nutritious food across the communities we serve.

GOP CONVENTION: Mike Minogue and Anne Brensley were the main winners coming out of the GOP convention in Worcester. Minogue, the medical device executive who has opened wide his wallet in a run for governor, received 70% from delegates, while former MBTA chief Brian Shortsleeve picked up 15.5%, just enough to qualify for the September primary ballot. Mike Kennealy, Gov. Charlie Baker’s former economic development chief, fell just short, and suspended his campaign. On the lieutenant governor side, Brensley cleared the 50% threshold for the convention’s endorsement, despite a report on her problems with the IRS. – WBUR

CAMPAIGN COMPLAINT: The D.C.-based watchdog Campaign Legal Center has filed a complaint against a group apparently backing Rep. Seth Moulton’s run against Sen. Ed Markey. The “dark money” organization violated federal campaign laws through an attack ad, the CLC alleged. – Eagle-Tribune

EARTH DAY OPPO: Michael Lachenmeyer, who is challenging western Massachusetts state Rep. Angelo Puppolo, pointed to just over $15,000 in campaign contributions from people who have owned or worked companies with environmental violations. – MassLive

COMPETITION IN NANTUCKET: Nantucket elections are becoming slightly more competitive, though it’s mostly for seats on the Planning Board and School Committee. That’s led to 55% of elections being uncontested, down from 63% between 2013 and 2022. – Nantucket Current

MUZZLE AWARD: Gov. Maura Healey earns her third New England Muzzle Award, this time for a proposal changing public records laws on access to birth, death and marriage records. – Media Nation

MASS SAVE DEBATE: Sen. Michael Barrett says he disagrees with a $1 billion cut to the Mass Save program proposed by the House. He “can’t find any serious waste” in the program. – CommonWealth Beacon

ABOUT THOSE ADS: Secretary of State Bill Galvin defended his office’s commercials that feature him promoting the celebration of America’s 250th anniversary. The ads, which include AI-generated images, are an appropriate use of public funds and they are not political commercials, he said. – CBS Boston

ICE COOPERATION: Municipal, county and state level institutions within the Bay State’s criminal justice system regularly collaborate with federal immigration authorities, raising alarms from a social services nonprofit, Citizens for Juvenile Justice. – GBH News

‘DANGER ZONE’: If a Prop. 2 ½ override planned for May 12 fails, Great Barrington’s reserves are expected to take a hit, dropping to $400,000 and below state guidelines. – Berkshire Eagle

VISA HELP: Victims of labor and sexual trafficking are receiving increasing help from Massachusetts law enforcement officials, who are approving requests for legal protections under visa programs. In 2024, out of 588 requests to police and state prosecutors, 391 were approved. – Salem News

A local news battle brewing in Cambridge

Two Martha’s Vineyard homes sell for $15 million within days of each other

Maine’s Gov. Janet Mills vetoes bill banning data center construction

Essex County’s sheriff payroll hits $60 million

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