Mass. pols tout bipartisanship at lawmakers event
The Bay State’s Republican governor and the two Democrats who lead the Legislature yesterday regaled a crowd of thousands of out-of-state lawmakers with tales of their healthy bipartisan working relationship — while skillfully avoiding any in-depth discussion of the sales tax holiday, Mass Health reform and other issues that currently divide them.
“The most fundamental notion here is to respect the institution. In the long run, you get a better product when you have more voices,” Gov. Charlie Baker told the crowd.
The power trio — Baker, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo and Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg — led a panel discussion at the National Conference of State Legislatures summit titled “From Politics to Statesmanship: Solving Problems in a Partisan World.” They credited putting aside egos, listening more than talking, and sitting down together once a week as the recipe behind what they described as their successes confronting gun violence, the legalization of recreational marijuana and the opioid crisis.
“If it’s a good idea, it’s a good idea, no matter what the person may be,” DeLeo said, urging his legislative counterparts to look beyond party. “It may sound simple, but in other places it’s not so simple, and the results are there.”
“Finding common ground” with good intention and goodwill “is the foundation of creating successful policy,” Rosenberg agreed.
Massachusetts lawmakers are currently on their August recess. They have left unfinished legislation backed by Baker to rein in skyrocketing public health insurance costs, and have been reluctant to move on the governor’s push for a two-day sales tax holiday this month. The House last week sent Baker’s bill to the revenue committee, where it is widely expected to die.
Neither issue was debated during yesterday’s panel.