Reform is near for the embattled CCC; legislators consider bargaining about ballot initiatives

20 years ago, MA mandated residents to buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty. Unaffordable healthcare inflation followed along with new mandates, rising premiums, fewer choices & increased provider payments without real transparency or efficiency standards. Taxpayer costs soared; working family income growth suffered. Small businesses & their workforces have consistently faced annual double digit premium increases. Healthcare cost reforms are long overdue.

Roll one up and let your mind run wild with anticipation: the Cannabis Control Commission is on the brink of an upset. 

Lawmakers on Thursday sent a conference committee agreement to Gov. Maura Healey that dissolves and downsize the conflict-ridden CCC from five members to three. There are four current members so someone, at least, would have to go. Healey would have sole appointing authority under the bill. It centralizes power with the governor but negotiators say it will create better transparency, accountability and industry oversight.

The bill also would bump the amount of marijuana a person can legally possess from one to two ounces, allow cannabis retailers to hold up to six store licenses, and implement a portal where people could anonymously submit complaints about possible regulatory violations pertaining to ownership limitations or testing labs.

Commissioners acknowledged their uncertain path; if signed, the bill will take effect right away, courtesy of an emergency preamble tacked onto the agreement. Healey's 10-day clock to sign the bill now ticks.

Conflict has also been the watchword at this year's ballot question hearings, which provided explicit insight into the divide between lawmakers and the people pushing for reform via initiative petition. The disagreements are over both the merits of the proposals and the process itself. 

One of the loudest voices against the initiative petition process, House Speaker Ron Mariano, indicated this week that he's open to compromising on one of the more controversial and consequential proposals, which would cut the state's income tax rate from 5% to 4% over three years.

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"It’s my hope that the folks who are pushing this ballot question are willing to sit down with us and consider alternatives to their current approach," Mariano told a crowded room at the Fairmont Copley Plaza in Boston on Thursday. It was the first time he uttered any sort of compromise invitation to supporters of the measure, who argue the tax cut would aid the state's competitiveness and help workers keep more of their earnings. 

"We are committed to working in good faith, with the expectation that any alternative delivers tangible progress on the cost and affordability pressures impacting employers, taxpayers, talent retention, and long-term growth," Chris Keohan, spokesman for the Taxpayers for an Affordable Massachusetts ballot committee, told the News Service in response to Mariano's very public remarks. 

Mariano vaguely elaborated to reporters that "long-term solutions" could be part of a potential compromise. Informed of those comments, Keohan responded, "Right now, our proposal is the ballot question."

"If there's an alternative, we would love to hear what it is," he added. 

It's a historic year, with a record 12 ballot questions moving toward the ballot. It would become more historic if lawmakers take a deal-making approach to thin the choices. Could the state see a circa-2018 grand-bargain-esque compromise to address questions they have issues with but which are polling well among voters?

The House on Wednesday took up a topic that reps say Massachusetts must confront: social media, cellphones, and their impact on kids. 

The House bill stepped far beyond the reach of a Senate-approved bill that would ban student cellphone use during the school day, tacking on language that prohibits social media use for children under 14 and requires that social media platforms obtain parental consent for users aged 14 and 15.

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The social media provisions were pitched by Rep. Ken Gordon as a response "to a growing body of evidence" of social media's negative effects on kids. Reps added language aimed at addressing addictive feeds and protecting kids who identify as LGBTQ+.

But despite addressing some worries via amendments, the bill passed amidst concerns about data privacy and big tech, with progressive reps warning that social media age verification tactics would involve people handing over government-issued IDs or facial recognition to platforms. 

The social media bill was part of a flurry of action in the chambers. Lawmakers pulled $300 million for the Group Insurance Commission from a larger spending bill and sent it to the governor; the Senate passed an even more hefty supplemental budget; and senators signaled  plans to vote on a $3.64 billion environmental bond bill next week, which includes another attempt at banning single-use plastic bags. 

Between two consolidated amendments quietly wedged into the House social media and cellphone bill, and hundreds of amendments bundled into the Senate spending bill, the process served as another reminder that lawmaking still rides on closed-door talks and deals and members of the Legislature are mostly fine with that. 

Behind the scenes, San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie announced that MassHealth Director Mike Levine is bidding Massachusetts farewell in June to lead his Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing.

It's yet another significant departure from Healey's team, and it comes as MassHealth faces the turbulence associated with federal policy shifts and a critical federal waiver that's due to expire at the end of 2027. 

A 2025 federal law is expected to reduce Medicaid funding and tighten eligibility rules for some enrollees, and the state could lose billions in federal support once those changes are fully implemented.

Join the MA Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence for the 10th Annual Peace MVP Awards on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30 PM at Temple Israel, Boston. Honoring Senator Cindy Creem and Rep. Michael Day for their leadership in public safety. Enjoy wine tasting, mocktails, small plates, a silent auction, and inspiring speakers. Buy a ticket or learn more!

KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller's guest is Scott Brown, the former U.S. ambassador and senator. They discuss Iran, President Trump and his campaign for one of New Hampshire’s Senate seats.

@ ISSUE SIT DOWN: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard interviews Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley.

ON THE RECORD:11 a.m., WCVB. The guest is Congressman Stephen Lynch.

Join legislators and thought leaders for a timely forum on the AI revolution in Massachusetts. Explore the challenges and opportunities of AI policy on Thursday, May 7, at the MCLE (Boston). RSVP!

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