Former President Barack Obama recently wrote a Twitter thread praising the political situation in Minnesota, where the 2022 election left Democrats in control of the House, Senate and governorship. They responded with an incredibly aggressive legislative push: among other things, they restored voting rights to formerly incarcerated people, made school lunches free for all students, and made public college tuition free for families who earn less than eighty thousand dollars.
Whether this is cause for celebration depends on your politics. But whatever your point of view, one thing is clear: Here in Massachusetts, where the 2022 election also left Democrats in complete control, there is no sense of urgency comparable to Beacon Hill. In fact, according to the Boston Globe, the Massachusetts Legislature is off to its slowest start in at least four decades, with just twelve bills passed so far this year. Why is the Legislature moving so slowly? And what is not addressed as a result? Adam Reilly talks with the Boston Globe’s Matt Stout and GBH News State House reporter Katie Lannan.
What do you think about the slowness of the Legislature? Email us your thoughts at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org or share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch the discussion below right now or catch the full show at 7pm on GBH 2. Subscribe to GBH News YouTube Channel to be alert for future episodes.
