Machiavelli would be proud: Keller on Dems' Platner predicament

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The ends justify the means, Niccolo Machiavelli (more or less) argued in 1513.

And more than 500 years later, that dubious principle still thrives in our political culture. During an interview last week, Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan was espousing it as we discussed the party’s sketchy nominee for US Senate in Maine, Graham Platner.

Should character matter to voters? “Sure,” said Kerrigan. “You're asking the people of your district or your state or the country to entrust you with some incredibly important decisions.” And he deplored the judgment of die-hard Trump supporters who are willing to overlook his adultery, dishonesty and selfishness. “No one's character is perfect, but…when you've got leaders like Donald Trump who put themselves first and foremost, above everybody else…that to me is a critical character flaw.”

OK. But while Trump’s character deficits are undeniably gargantuan, what is the difference between his chronic abandonments of his marriage vows and Platner’s pitiful sexts with women behind the back of his relatively new bride?

To his credit, Kerrigan, who’s about as thoughtful and measured as partisans come these days, didn’t try to play pretend about Platner. “Does he have a lot of explaining to do on a lot of issues? Absolutely, to his spouse, to his family, to the voters of Maine,” he said.

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HAPPENING TODAY

FUTURE OF PAYMENTS: Special Legislative Commission to Study the Future of Payments and Sales Transactions by Credit Card and the Impacts for Small Businesses meets. (11 a.m., State House Room A-1 | More Info and Livestream)

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS MITIGATION: Hazardous Materials Mitigation Advisory Board holds a virtual public meeting. Agenda includes office updates on July 4 planning, Sail Boston and World Cup planning. (11 a.m. | Agenda and Access)

WOMEN IN SCIENCE: International Women's Forum of Massachusetts holds a "Pioneering Massachusetts Women in Science" event. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll gives remarks. (5 p.m., State Room, 60 State St., Boston)

BUS NETWORK REDESIGN: MBTA holds a meeting to hear public feedback on proposed Bus Network Redesign route changes. The agency is updating bus routes and schedules between 2024 and 2029, making changes such as doubling frequent bus routes (buses that arrive every 15 minutes or less). (6 p.m., Virtual | Register)

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ICYMI

Fifth-graders spot n-word printed in school dictionary, sparking parent backlash in Milton (Globe)

Boston City Council approves FY27 budget in 12-1 vote (Dorchester Reporter)

Firefighter hurt in fire at South Boston triple-decker that spread to home next door (NBC Boston)

‘We’re having a party!’: Inside a school bus with Scottish soccer fans headed to the World Cup (GBH News)

New Watertown Middle School moves a step closer to reality (Watertown News)

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THE WEEK AHEAD FROM THE STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

Child welfare and data privacy bills have cleared each branch and could land this week before six-person conference committees for resolution. The most sweeping bills of each session and those with the greatest impact travel through conference panels, which continue to work on legislation governing early literacy reforms, public higher education infrastructure improvements, cellphone use by students and social media regulations, immigrant protections, and the more than $63 billion state budget. There's momentum behind the effort to pass new laws governing all of the aforementioned areas but lawmakers face no strict deadline to advance the bills in conference other than the end of this two-year session on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027.

The annual budget is supposed to be done by July 1 but lawmakers typically miss that goal and June is typically a month when governors and lawmakers team up on an interim spending law to prevent a government shutdown in the absence of a finalized budget.

The area where pressure is building is on the initiative petition front. Ten campaigns by next Wednesday need to submit a final round of signatures (12,429) needed to lock in ballot access, although a few of the proposals are still at risk of being derailed due to court challenges still pending before the Supreme Judicial Court. On Friday, the measure aiming to repeal the recreational cannabis law survived its challenge. Lawmakers have only what's left of this month to come up with alternative laws that might cause ballot question sponsors to drop their bids.

Ballot access will also be the central question this week for attorney general candidate Michael Walsh and lieutenant governor candidate Anne Manning Martin. Democrats have challenged their nomination signatures and are confident that both Republicans won't make the ballot due to alleged signature fraud. Due to deadlines associated with getting a final ballot in order, the State Ballot Law Commission is expected to reach a decision soon after it holds public hearings to vet the signature allegations.

The Senate plans a formal session Thursday to pass legislation requiring a gradual but major shift in healthcare spending toward primary care, raising the important question of where those funds will be taken from to ensure more people have access to basic health care. That's a question that insurance market payers might propose as they face another spike in premiums, which will be aired at a hearing Tuesday.

World Cup soccer matches in Foxborough over the next week will test government preparations for the tournament and new state laws enabling people in some communities to drink at a bar until as late as 3 a.m. or in alcohol consumption districts.

National Grid brings energy to power possibilities across Massachusetts, supporting homes, businesses, and communities every day. Through continued investment in reliable electric and natural gas systems, the company helps keep energy flowing when it matters most. National Grid is strengthening the energy system to support communities, economic growth, and future development across the region.

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