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Governor of Massachusetts Maura Healey joins live!
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00:00Joining us to talk opening day and other things, it is the governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, Maura Healey.
00:06Hello, Governor.
00:08Hey, good morning. Happy opening day.
00:10What do we think today? Are you here to guarantee a win?
00:17Yeah, I think they're going to have a good day.
00:19I mean, it's great. They've got the 86 socks back.
00:22I mean, I don't know if that helps or hurts karma, but it's good to see those guys.
00:29And, I mean, they're about due, right?
00:31So, no better place to start than opening day, Fenway Park.
00:36Sonny's going to have a great day.
00:38Who was our governor in 1986? Was it Michael Dukakis?
00:42Oh, God, I don't know. I was 15. Let me think.
00:46Maybe? Is that bad? I should know.
00:48Yeah, I think it was.
00:49It might have been Dukakis. I was 11.
00:52I had no clue.
00:53Michael Dukakis, too. Okay.
00:54Yeah. But remember, there was Bird, Chief, McHale.
01:00I mean, those were the good times.
01:01They were. They absolutely were the good times.
01:04To tell you, the athletes in 86 and Ray Flynn.
01:07Oh, well, yeah. Ray Flynn, I believe, was the mayor of Boston.
01:12Yes, was the mayor of Boston.
01:13The mayor of Boston.
01:14Former Celtics.
01:16Have you been offered the opportunity to throw the first pitch out?
01:20But Wiggy and I have both, we did not do so well with that opportunity.
01:26No. Better than Travis Kelsey.
01:30I mean, I feel like that should be afforded to our governor if you haven't done it yet.
01:36I mean, you know, I did it.
01:38I did it a long, long time ago with a few folks, somebody with a group of people.
01:43I love to do it.
01:46Governor, we were talking yesterday about how in Rhode Island, lawmakers are considering
01:51a 24-hour allowance for bars to serve alcohol during the World Cup.
01:59Could you see any of the laws around alcohol in our state changing, at least temporarily,
02:07with such a big event here?
02:11I could. I could.
02:12I mean, like, World Cup, first of all, it's going to be on 24-7, right?
02:17And it's happening.
02:19It's going to be something that people from all over the world are going to be watching.
02:23There's just going to be so much coverage, right?
02:25Games are going to be going on, not exactly 24-7, but you know what I mean.
02:29They're going to be going on throughout the day.
02:33So I'm really excited about the opportunity to show off Massachusetts,
02:38and we're going to have a ton of people coming into the area, and it's going to be great.
02:43And, you know, I'm certainly – anything that helps provide a better fan experience
02:48and, you know, an economic boost to Massachusetts, I'm in on.
02:51I am constantly accused of serving you only softballs on this radio program.
02:58So I'm going to ask this because it was a lead of mine.
03:01The $10 million that is going to do these parties in places like Lexington, what is that all about?
03:14Well, remember, World Cup is coming to Massachusetts.
03:19I mean, that's how we view it, right?
03:20We've got, obviously, the games down in Gillette.
03:23We've got a lot of people coming in from all over who are going to be housed all over Massachusetts.
03:29And we've got base camp for France, right, out in Wellesley at Bentley.
03:36And so I think the idea is to spread, like, the fan enjoyment and also to create a little economic
03:42boom for communities
03:44who need revenue right now, our cities and towns.
03:47Why not have some support for local watch parties, basically, right?
03:52So I think you'll see a lot of that go to Boston because it's going to have the biggest, you
03:57know, fan fest operation.
03:59But to, you know, ensure that more people – because, let's face it, I mean, not many people are going
04:05to be able to afford a ticket to Gillette.
04:06Why not have some money go to set up watch parties in different places?
04:12That was the idea behind it because, again, you know, the idea is this should be, at the end of
04:17the day, an economic win for the state.
04:20We should be getting more money from this given all the folks coming in and all the activity that we'll
04:25see.
04:25But, I mean, can't the people of – are the people of Lexington struggling?
04:29Can they not pay for their own block party for the World Cup?
04:33Well, I hadn't heard about Lexington, but I know, like, Framingham is going to be doing something.
04:37And, you know, that's a mad fan base out there.
04:39So I don't know.
04:41I mean, I think it's going to be different – different communities are going to try different things.
04:44And you don't qualify to get the funds, as I understand it, unless you come forward with, like, a legit
04:49plan on doing something.
04:51And hopefully that – you know, the idea is that will benefit folks in your region who, you know, they're
04:56not going to be able to go to the game.
04:57Their kids aren't going to be able to see what is, like, a super cool event, the World Cup.
05:02And it's here in Massachusetts, right?
05:04Could we get a million to throw on for the listeners?
05:09A million for the listeners?
05:11Okay.
05:12Let's talk.
05:12I'm sure whoever is giving the money out will take your application and, you know, with due consideration.
05:19He just wants it as a deduction for his taxes.
05:25Oh, speaking of taxes, speaking of taxes, where are you on those that would like the state to suspend the
05:32gas tax?
05:34Because it's so expensive right now.
05:37Yeah, I mean, look, I found state money that was in a trust to give back to ratepayers to give
05:46them money off their gas and electric bills in February and March.
05:49Because I'm fighting the utilities on rate hikes.
05:51I'm trying to bring more gas, more energy into Massachusetts, including, you know, all forms, solar, nuclear, everything, wind.
06:00So I'm really – you know, Greg, people are hurting, right?
06:03Like people are hurting, they can't afford rent, they can't afford groceries, they can't afford gas, you name it.
06:08I mean, inflation, everything's up.
06:10So I get the concept totally.
06:12I think the better way to do it, though, is probably, you know, get more supply into the region and
06:18do it as quickly as possible.
06:20And, you know, obviously the recent events with the war have had a sticker shock at the pump right now.
06:27And, you know, hopefully there'll be a resolution there soon and the cost of oil will come down, right?
06:32I think it's what – I don't know, it's up well over $100 right now.
06:36So hopefully that's what needs to happen here and we need to get more supply in.
06:41But, you know, people are hurting and I get it.
06:44And that's why every day I'm looking on wheeze.
06:47We can jot down energy costs, housing costs, health care costs, the like.
06:51I have one other one for you and it's all hard balls for me today.
06:56Where are you on the audit of the state legislature that was voted for by the people of the Commonwealth
07:04of Massachusetts?
07:06I'm with the people.
07:08I'm with the 72% that voted.
07:10I said before it went to ballot that I was supporting the audit.
07:13I voted for the audit.
07:15I continue to support the audit.
07:17And, you know, I wish it would just happen as soon as possible.
07:22Get on with it.
07:23Governor, we had –
07:24So can you – sorry, Curtis.
07:25Can you – have you told that to the speaker and everybody else over there?
07:30Like, do this?
07:31This is what the people voted for?
07:33We look like we're trying to hide something?
07:37Yep.
07:37Yep, I have.
07:38My opinion has been really clear on this.
07:41You know, unfortunately, I don't have control over this.
07:43It's in litigation right now with the legislature and the auditor.
07:49But, yeah, my view on this has been clear.
07:51And, by the way, I get audited.
07:53My agencies get audited.
07:55I've had dozens of audits in the last three years.
07:58And, you know, it's just something we do in the normal course.
08:01So I believe in that kind of transparency.
08:03It happens in every business.
08:05It happens with my charitable foundation.
08:07It is dictated by the state that it happens there.
08:11There's no reason why those that are elected to participate as a branch of government of the state ought to
08:21be accountable on where they're spending our money.
08:24It's absolutely embarrassing.
08:27So I'm glad to hear you say it.
08:29I appreciate that.
08:30Yeah, no, I've been really clear from the beginning, Greg.
08:33I support the audit, you know?
08:35Yeah.
08:35Governor Healy, you were on with us at one of our roadshows at the Sam Adams Taproom by Faneuil Hall
08:41a couple years ago.
08:42And you made clear that your biggest goal or one of your biggest goals as governor was to reduce the
08:49cost of our real estate,
08:51of the ability for people here to stay in Boston when they graduate college.
08:55Because you had noted that there had been a net negative migration, and that's just exploded.
09:00You know, there's some studies, Boston and Massachusetts is the number one in losing residents.
09:05200,000 people have left the state in the last several years.
09:09How can you stop this from continuing?
09:12No, so, you know, great, great topic, Curtis, and something I've been really focused on.
09:19The good news is we just had a jobs report came out.
09:21We just drew, grew 15,000 jobs in the last few months here in Massachusetts.
09:26We've got to keep our young people here, right?
09:28I mean, especially those that come to school here in the Boston area.
09:31And so, you know, anything we can do to lower the cost of housing, which is why, you know,
09:37I've been working to build 100,000 homes the last few years just so that we can have more supply,
09:42so that we can have lower housing costs.
09:45I got rid of broker's fees for renters, you know, just trying to do everything to lower the cost of
09:49housing.
09:50That's one thing.
09:51We're going to fix the T.
09:53You know, when I started as governor, we had trains on fire.
09:55We have a much better MBTA system, so people, I'm serious.
09:59That's a true story.
10:01Much better MBTA system.
10:04And we've got to bring the vibrancy.
10:05We've got to bring the fun, right?
10:07But the biggest thing is cost.
10:08That's what's driving young people away, you know?
10:11It's a great place to live, great sports town, but you've got to be able to afford it.
10:15So that's what we've got to be driving every single day.
10:17How do we lower costs?
10:19We've got businesses opening, you know?
10:21I mean, J.P. Morgan just came.
10:23Whoop just expanded.
10:24Procter Gamble Gillette is building a new headquarters in South Boston.
10:28GE is investing huge in land.
10:32So it's not that businesses aren't coming here.
10:34It's more the affordability and fixing affordability so that people can afford rent, so people can afford to buy a
10:42house.
10:42I also started a program, 25K, middle-income folks, 25K on a down payment, and we'll get you into a
10:50lower financing rate, which, you know, helps, given what interest rates are doing.
10:54So I'm trying, and it's the number one priority.
10:57Lowering housing costs, lowering energy bills are my two top priorities as governor.
11:03I got one more quick for me, governor, because I know yesterday, April 2nd, there was a law that was
11:11passed, and I saw this on It's Lit Boston and Dom the Firearms, talking about, explain this to me.
11:17As somebody who is a law-abiding citizen who carries an LTC, explain to me what this new law means
11:23to me going forward when it comes to my gun license, renewing it, or if people are getting new ones
11:31like I'm a four-year-old.
11:34Yeah, Wiggy, I always love your questions.
11:37I got to say, I don't know what you're referring to, what was passed yesterday.
11:43April 2nd, there was a new—
11:44You know how many guests have said that to Wiggy after a question?
11:47There was a new gun law put in place that it's going to make it stricter for people to get
11:53their LTC license and to renew it, so I wasn't exactly sure.
11:58Oh, implementation date?
11:59Yes.
11:59Yeah, I mean, that was something the legislature did.
12:01Look, I've a long time said, you know, there's a way to ensure gun safety and also respect the Second
12:07Amendment.
12:07I've done both as governor.
12:10I actually just, you know, I just announced a few weeks ago getting rid of the Sunday hunting ban.
12:15It's not the same, Wiggy, but it's related, right?
12:17Like, I understand that people have, you know, not only do they want to exercise the Second Amendment right, there
12:24are also, you know, things that people want to do, like go hunt.
12:27And I think it's just a balance of making it easy for people to do that while taking whatever steps
12:34for public safety.
12:35So I don't know the specifics of yesterday's implementation, but that's where I stand on guns.
12:42And honestly, you should get credit for that.
12:44It's the fact that you can hunt Monday through Saturday, but you can't hunt on a Sunday is archaic.
12:51Yeah, well, exactly.
12:52As soon as I heard we were one of two states to ban Sunday hunting, it was like a Puritan
12:58era law.
12:59I was like, no way, you know, we got to allow Sunday hunting.
13:02You know, people are working jobs.
13:04They're going to their kids' games on Saturday.
13:06Like, who has the time?
13:07So people need it.
13:09They feed their families by hunting.
13:11Hunters donate, like just in the South Shore, 100,000 families fed meals from hunters who donated venison.
13:19And, you know, it's a great – people enjoy it.
13:21They enjoy taking their kids up.
13:22They enjoy – it's a generation thing, right?
13:24It's just part of the – it's actually a really longstanding tradition in our super old state of Massachusetts.
13:30But sometimes we have super old laws on the books that don't make sense.
13:34Oh, the other thing is this, public health.
13:36I don't know if you know anybody who's had, like, alpha-gal, like some of these tick-borne diseases.
13:41No.
13:42Out of control.
13:43And with the deer population.
13:45So, you know, part of this is wildlife management, too.
13:47Yeah.
13:48I love it.
13:49All right.
13:49So you're predicting a win for the Sox today.
13:52Will you be there?
13:53Yeah, aren't you?
13:54Yes.
13:54Will you –
13:54Yeah, I'll be there.
13:55You'll be there.
13:56Okay.
13:56Yeah.
13:56Awesome.
13:57Yeah.
13:57I mean, I probably won't stay for much of the game.
14:00I've got to get back to the office.
14:01But, you know, you want to be there to celebrate opening day and wish everybody well.
14:08And, you know, it's always a good day in Boston, right, opening day?
14:14I know the weather is crappy now, but I think it's supposed to clear.
14:17Will you be sampling the lobster poutine that they are now offering at Fenway Park?
14:22Oh, man.
14:23Right?
14:24Oof.
14:25Love lobster.
14:26I don't know if I want it in poutine.
14:28Yeah.
14:30You're asking me that question at 8.15 in the morning if you want to throw up.
14:34But I don't know.
14:35Maybe by 2 I'll rally.
14:37I don't know.
14:38All right.
14:38Are you going to try it?
14:40No.
14:40No.
14:40Hey, how about UConn, though?
14:42I also got to give a shout-out to UConn women playing tonight.
14:45Yes.
14:45And the UConn men, it's pretty cool.
14:48It's somebody who loves March Madness.
14:50Our governor is a huge Celtics fan and played a little ball like myself.
14:57And so you must be very, very impressed with what Jalen Brown did with his team without Jason Tatum.
15:05Yeah, you know, I talked to him back in September, and he said, look, you know, I've just got to
15:10put the guys on my back, and we're going to run.
15:12We're going to run.
15:12Run the whole time.
15:13Run, run, run.
15:14And I was like, I don't know if they're going to love that.
15:16But what an amazing job he did.
15:18He's such a leader.
15:19He's such a force.
15:21He delivered.
15:22JT's come back.
15:23It's been, I think, a pretty seamless integration.
15:26And let's go get Banner 19.
15:28I love it.
15:29All right, Governor.
15:30Look forward to seeing you later at Friendly Fenway, and thank you for taking the time.
15:35All right, good to see you guys.
15:36Bye-bye.
15:37Okay, all right, there she is.
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