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What to know about the policy changes packed into Beacon Hill's closeout 2025 budget
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
It's Thanksgiving eve. Be kind to each other on the roads today. As state Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver said earlier this week, the highways will be "filled with people who don't typically take these roads" and may not be familiar with our exits, merge points or particular style of driving. So pack a little patience.
Now, let's get to the news:
Supp-er time: Massachusetts has officially closed the books on the 2025 fiscal year — even though it ended five months ago. Gov. Maura Healey signed a $2.3 billion supplemental spending bill yesterday, also known as a closeout budget or "supp." Most of the money ($1.67 billion) goes toward covering unexpected MassHealth costs. And there are millions for things like payments to former Steward hospitals, snow removal, free school meals and planning for the 2026 World Cup games in Foxborough. Lawmakers also stuffed some policy changes into the spending deal before heading off for the holiday break. Here's a quick overview:
- Vaccine recommendations: The bill officially gives the state's Department of Public Health the ability to "decouple" local immunization recommendations and requirements from federal standards. For example, shortly after Healey signed the bill, DPH reaffirmed its recommendation that newborn babies get the hepatitis B vaccine, ahead of a meeting next week by the CDC's vaccine advisory committee that could change federal guidelines. It comes after Massachusetts health officials rebuked the CDC for promoting debunked links between childhood vaccines and autism.
- Sheriff oversight: Lawmakers also called for an investigation by the state's inspector general into county sheriffs' budget overruns in the recent fiscal year. Sheriffs have said the higher than expected spending is due to things like pay increases for unionized employees and free phone calls for inmates, but lawmakers say they didn't get any heads up about the $121 million overrun. A final report from the inspector general is due at the end of May.
- ICE impersonation: The bill makes it a crime to impersonate a federal official, amid reports nationally of scammers posing as ICE agents. It also increases the penalty for impersonating any public official from a $400 fine or up to a year in prison to $1,000 and two and a half years in prison.
- Medicaid restrictions: Ahead of new federal Medicaid work requirements taking effect in 2027, the bill gives $10 million to the local advocacy group Health Care For All to conduct a public awareness campaign on the changes. (WBUR's Morning Edition recently spoke with a local public policy expert about how Massachusetts should prepare for the new Medicaid requirements.)
- Shutdown shelter: The bill makes it illegal to evict or foreclose on a federal worker who is affected by a government shutdown for not paying their rent or mortgage until 30 days after the shutdown ends. It also allows the governor to extend that moratorium for 75 days after a shutdown has ended (which Healey immediately did, meaning the protection is in effect until Jan. 26).
- Simulcast wagering: The bill extends the state's authorization of betting on simulcast horse racing, as well as live harness horse racing at the Plainridge Park Casino, through the end of 2027. Both were set to expire at the end of this year.
Making moves: The Red Sox traded for three-time All Star pitcher Sonny Gray yesterday, in the hopes the 36-year-old right-hander can shore up the rotation behind ace Garrett Crochet. In exchange, the Sox are sending the St. Louis Cardinals two young pitching prospects.
- The Red Sox front office had been focused on fortifying their pitching staff heading into the offseason, and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow said yesterday that Gray will help do that. But there could be more moves ahead; Breslow said the team also wants to "add a bat."
On the rails: Today isn't only a crowded travel day on the roads. It's also expected to be among Amtrak's busiest days of the year. According to Amtrak, more than 56,000 in Boston took the train over the Thanksgiving travel period last year, and those numbers are expected to be higher this year. Amtrak spokesperson Jason Abrams told WBUR's Fausto Menard the afternoon will be the busiest period.
- The silver lining? It beats sitting in traffic or waiting at the airport, at least in Abrams' (biased) opinion. "There's no middle seat," he said. "You can get up and walk around ... There's free Wi-Fi, there's outlets at every seat. There's the cafe car."
P.S.— This newsletter will be off for the holiday tomorrow, but we'll be back in your inbox Friday with a special edition email for WBUR Today and Weekender readers.
