Distraction on the Hill

There is no shortage of challenges on Beacon Hill’s whiteboard — fixing the dreadful pot law and building a state budget both high on the list. But the issues that seem to be grabbing attention at the moment are: 1) which members are drawing the big-money (even bigger now) committee assignments, and 2) Donald Trump.

Yes, House Democrats held a caucus Tuesday for members to strategize over how to deal with the 45th president — legislatively. Given President Trump’s all-over-the-map approach to governing thus far (see below) it hardly seems like the most productive use of their time.

But some Democratic lawmakers here are bound and determined to prove their Never Trump mettle. And so we have, among other ideas, legislation that would make all of Massachusetts a “sanctuary state” — offering a reprieve to illegal immigrants who might otherwise be targeted for deportation. There are also bills seeking to forbid the transport of Massachusetts inmates to work on Trump’s wall.

Now, the latter push comes in response to an idea floated in a speech by a Massachusetts sheriff, who said he’d like to dispatch inmates from his jail to work on the border wall. It is the farthest of far-fetched ideas. That won’t stop lawmakers from slaving over a bill that likely will never need be put to use.

As far as the “sanctuary state” bill goes, it would certainly spare cities like Salem from having to jump on the bandwagon on their own (Salem is the latest to consider declaring “sanctuary city” status, even amid threats from Trump to withhold federal funds). But it would also substitute the judgment of lawmakers for the judgment of municipal officials, who really don’t need another set of marching orders from the State House.

We understand the impulse for elected Democrats to run headlong toward the White House with their hair on fire. But we have a congressional delegation that can handle that just fine on its own.