Steward Surprise, Continuation of Shelter Stress Top Press Corps Ballots

Maybe the word of the year should be "upheaval."

This time last year, we were reflecting on how much the tone had changed in 2023 as new pressure points erupted on Beacon Hill. That dynamic only deepened in 2024, as power players swerved from dealing with one crisis to another.

A stretch of rocky state tax collections manifested into a $463 million budget gap. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu spent months sounding the alarm about the property tax outlook in the capital city, only for senators to kill her response plan, citing shifting math and economic competitiveness concerns. The Cannabis Control Commission still doesn't have a permanent top leader in place, and the termination of its former chair is tied up in court.

And the emergency shelter crisis that topped last year's chart? Still here, bumped down to number two only by something as enormous and shocking as the collapse of Steward Health Care.

Several entries on the State House Press Association's 2024 ranking featured in some form on last year's iteration, a sign of how many problems persist and how much remains unresolved. Even some of the ostensible milestones of the year bear asterisks, like the sweeping new gun law that faces multiple court challenges and a repeal campaign.

Here's the State House Press Association's democratically selected top 10 stories of 2024:

1. Steward Health Care Bankruptcy
Steward Health Care's disintegration about 14 years after it took over the faith-based Caritas system drew the state into a protracted and occasionally cutthroat bankruptcy proceeding, forced thousands of patients to make new arrangements for care and resulted in significant shuffling among the health care sector's tier of operators just below the two juggernauts of Mass General Brigham and Beth Israel Lahey Health, which have dominated the Boston-area landscape under various names for years.

The realignment tilted the state's health care world towards greater regionalization, with Lawrence General Hospital taking over the Holy Family Hospitals in Haverhill and Methuen, Boston Medical Center taking on St. Elizabeth's in Brighton and Good Samaritan Brockton, and Rhode Island-based Brown University Health expanding into the Bay State to take over St. Anne's in Fall River and Morton Hospital in Taunton.

As Steward's bankruptcy dragged on through the summer, Massachusetts state government put up $72 million to keep the system's hospitals here open through August and September, and the state also committed to providing at least $417 million to help keep the Steward-sold hospitals open as their new owners take over.

Despite the cost and the fact that Steward shuttered hospitals in Dorchester and Ayer, Gov. Maura Healey has repeatedly defended her administration's handling of the situation and frames it as a success story. "In other states, Steward hospitals just closed. They went away. And in Massachusetts, we were able to save six of the eight hospitals," she told the News Service in December. - Colin A. Young

2. Emergency Shelter Crisis

Facing an astronomical price tag and waitlist for the emergency family shelter system fueled by the migrant crisis, Gov. Healey and lawmakers continued to reshape eligibility parameters in 2024. Meanwhile, homelessness prevention advocates repeatedly decried changes that they said were eroding the state's right-to-shelter law and warned more families could end up sleeping on the streets.

A major change came in April, when the Legislature approved a nine-month limit on family shelter stays, with the possibility of two 90-day extensions. In July, the state began enforcing a ban on families sleeping overnight at Logan Airport, which had become one of the most visible signs of the migrant crisis here. Healey's team in late July said it would prioritize shelter for certain Massachusetts families, a controversial move that appeared to curtail access for newly arriving families; the administration also rolled out a policy to limit overflow shelter stays to five days and then disqualify affected families from seeking longer-term placement for six months.

The shelter system has since undergone a significant revamp, partly building on recommendations from a commission tasked with making the EA system more sustainable. The system now has two tracks: one path is tailored for families who can stay in overflow sites for 30 days and are then expected to find stable housing, while the other is for families with more complex needs who will be allowed to stay for months longer. Healey wants to further slash traditional shelter stays to six months, though that will require legislative approval. - Alison Kuznitz

3. DiZoglio Gets Voters' Backing In Legislative Audit Push

Auditor Diana DiZoglio has made auditing the Legislature her raison d'être. And as a political brand, it's winning acclaim from the voters — 71 percent of them this fall, 2.3 million citizens who said they believe DiZoglio's office should have the power to probe her former colleagues in the legislative branch.

As the Methuen Democrat ramped up her years-long crusade, she carted literal piles of dusty 19th century audit books into a committee hearing as evidence in support of her quest, went ahead and launched an initial audit knowing top House and Senate Democrats would not comply, and then traveled the entire state on foot. DiZoglio's "Walking For Sunshine" tour was a 141-mile march from the Berkshires to Boston. She was joined on various legs by conservative and progressive activists, highlighting the scope of the coalition calling for more transparency under the Golden Dome.
After all that, and the approbation of the voters, it's still unclear if DiZoglio will ever actually get the chance to make a full performance audit of the Legislature. The audit issue could be headed for a legal battle in the courts, but it didn't make it that far in 2024. DiZoglio and other top Beacon Hill Democrats spent the final month of the year squabbling over the new law's effective date, with most other pols telling the auditor they don't think she can force the question until January. - Sam Doran

4. End-of-Session Dysfunction, Possible Rules Changes

Long disagreements between the House and Senate Democrats who control supermajorities are nothing new. But in 2024, it reached one of the lowest points in recent memory.

Tensions between House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka might have peaked when, after Mariano suggested the Senate was "not really serious about passing" a bill soon after releasing it, Spilka made a point of writing down his exact words and then working them into her own public response on a different topic a day later. The duo kept what was supposed to be the July 31 final formal session of the term going well after sunrise on Aug. 1 for the second consecutive cycle, then adjourned without compromising on major bills favored by both branches.

Lawmakers did get on the same page in the ensuing months, producing accords on seven bills that had been left in mid-summer limbo. To accomplish that, top Democrats circumvented their rule that requires only informal sessions with no controversial business after July 31 in even-numbered years, and pushed legislation to Gov. Healey's desk close to or after the election. That workaround might provide a template for next session: top Democrats appear to be thinking about a permanent change that would more easily allow them to take up big bills during election season, or at least those that already cleared both chambers in one form or another. - Chris Lisinski

5. Boston Property Tax Bill Collapses

A home rule petition of particular political importance to its filer exposed bitter tensions between the House and Senate, city and state, and business interests and community residents in a rancorous clash during the waning months of the legislative session. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s petition, which sought to temporarily shift a larger share of the city's property tax levy from residential to commercial properties, became a focal point in the second half of 2024. The proposal was at the center of a spat between House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka in July, when Spilka refused to bring it to the floor before formal sessions ended. Spilka publicly criticized the House for introducing the bill without sufficient discussion, turning Mariano's earlier comments about a Senate proposal back onto him.

Wu's team and industry groups brokered a compromise and it easily passed the House again. But when brought before the Senate a second time it failed to gain enough support and two key Boston Democrats publicly opposed it. The debate was colored by new property valuation data, which made some lawmakers more comfortable with the rising residential tax bills. Without action, Wu’s team now projects residential property taxes in Boston will increase by 10.5 percent in 2025, as the mayor launches her campaign for a second term. - Sam Drysdale

6. Gun Law Approved, Repeal Effort Begins

It turns out that overcoming their own intraparty strife was only the first hurdle for Massachusetts Democrats looking to transform the state's gun laws. Much of last year's focus fell on the way legislative leaders jabbed at one another about the process for bringing forward legislation -- as we recounted in the top stories of 2023 -- and the page turned in 2024 when the Senate approved its own package of reforms.

After a few months of private talks, the Democrat majorities in the House and Senate enacted a sweeping compromise measure that provided new tools for cracking down on ghost guns, banned firearms in more public places like schools and polling places, expanded the 2018 "red flag" law that allows courts to temporarily take firearms away from those deemed threats, and more.

But the story did not end with Healey's signature on the bill. Opponents including the National Rifle Association signaled plans to challenge the law in court, and several cases have already begun moving, contending that various reforms are unconstitutional. While those proceedings unfold, gun owners are fighting the measure on another front: they collected the tens of thousands of signatures necessary to put a repeal question on the 2026 ballot, teeing up a two-year campaign that will culminate in voters deciding whether to leave the law in place or spike it from the books. - Chris Lisinski

7. MassGOP Scores Electoral Successes, Local Trump Gains

The MassGOP and its new chair Amy Carnevale had a good year. The fall elections were a sort of referendum on her shepherding of the party after unseating controversial party leader Jim Lyons in 2023. Carnevale has focused on getting the GOP back on solid financial footing, brought its headquarters back to Boston, and emphasized a big-tent approach supporting moderates and conservatives alike. She managed to stop the recent bleeding of legislative seats and Republicans flipped three districts red with wins from Ken Sweezey of Pembroke, Justin Thurber of Somerset, and Kelly Dooner of Taunton. The GOP did lose one seat, retiring Bridgewater Rep. Angelo D'Emilia's district, but eked out a net-positive election.

Meantime, Republicans Donald Trump and JD Vance got just 36 percent of the vote here, but compare that to Trump's 32 percent share in 2016, and 32 percent again in 2020. Despite felony convictions, the Jan. 6 revolt in Washington, and hometown pols in Massachusetts constantly hammering the former (and now incoming) president, more Bay Staters considered him the right choice this year than ever before.

And in communities like Lawrence -- a city of immigrants -- his popularity shot up. Fall River, another Gateway City, voted for a Republican presidential candidate for the first time in a century. Fall River's former mayor, Will Flanagan, announced he was switching to the Republican Party. And 45/47 picked up close to two dozen Massachusetts towns that had voted for Biden in 2020, including municipalities in Worcester County and on the South Shore and South Coast. - Sam Doran

8. Healey Makes First 9C Cuts Since 2016

Budget belt-tightening was the first controversial order of business for Gov. Maura Healey to kick off 2024. On Jan. 9, Healey announced $375 million in unilateral spending reductions, also known as 9C cuts, from the fiscal 2024 budget after six months of below-benchmark revenue collections and soaring costs from the migrant crisis. Despite Healey saying a month earlier that she was not considering budget cuts, she took the first 9C action since Charlie Baker did in 2016. Healey made cuts to 66 line items, including a gross $294 million reduction in MassHealth fee-for-service payments. The Lift Our Kids Coalition criticized Healey's move that trimmed more than $17 million in public benefits.

Progressive groups blamed the cuts on the tax relief package that Healey signed into law months earlier, which critics assert disproportionately benefited wealthy Bay Staters. To close a budget shortfall totaling $1 billion, Healey's team also tapped into investment earnings that aren't typically used in budgeting, measures that Administration and Finance Secretary Matt Gorzkowicz said were creating a "glide path" to fiscal 2026. - Alison Kuznitz

9. MCAS Ballot Question, Teachers Union Politics

Massachusetts voters in November approved Question 2 with 59% support, agreeing with teachers' unions that the state should no longer require students to pass the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System (MCAS) exam to graduate. The measure, heavily pushed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, repeals the test passage requirement and shifts the responsibility for assessing student competency in math, science, and English to local districts.

Supporters argued the MCAS is a "one-size-fits-all" test that doesn’t accurately measure student achievement and shouldn’t prevent the 1% of students each year who fail the exam from graduating, despite meeting other requirements. They also claimed replacing the MCAS with district-certified assessments would end "teaching to the test." Opponents, primarily business groups and some top elected officials, warned that Question 2 would remove the state’s only statewide graduation standard, devaluing the Massachusetts high school diploma. They also feared it could increase inequality if some districts lowered their standards to help students graduate, while others maintained higher requirements.

The campaign drew substantial funding and media attention, dividing top Democrats. Gov. Healey, Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Senate President Karen Spilka, and House Speaker Ron Mariano all opposed the measure, while Education Committee Chair Sen. Jason Lewis and some members of the federal delegation supported it. The year is ending with legislators, districts and the state’s education department circling in muddy waters as they look for a new graduation requirement system. Reform to the education accountability system is likely to remain a key issue in 2025. - Sam Drysdale

10. Treasurer Goldberg vs. CCC

A judge said in December 2023 that suspended Cannabis Control Commission Chairwoman Shannon O'Brien could come back to the courts with a lawsuit challenging Treasurer Deborah Goldberg's handling of her termination if or when she was actually fired. This December, that challenge is awaiting court action as the now-former CCC chair continues her fight to return to the job from which she was suspended in September 2023 and fired a year later. O'Brien tried to have the Supreme Judicial Court listen to her complaint, but Justice Gabrielle Wolohojian kicked the case down to Superior Court jurisdiction. Wolohojian was in the headlines herself early in the year when Gov. Healey nominated her to the high court bench.

The nomination of a 16-year Appeals Court jurist with a sterling reputation normally would not land in the top 10 stories of the year, but Healey and Wolohojian were in a long-term relationship and lived together in Charlestown until a few years ago. "There's no one more qualified or more prepared," the governor said as she faced heat for the nomination. "You know, I don't want the fact that she had a personal relationship with me to deprive the commonwealth of a person who's most qualified for the position." While the choice of a former partner for a lofty perch on the SJC raised eyebrows around Beacon Hill, Wolohojian was confirmed to the bench on a 6-1 vote and seems to have fit right in at the SJC.
- Colin A. Young

Runners-Up: Housing Crisis and Bond Bill; MBTA, Phil Eng's Turnaround; Vineyard Wind's Shattered Turbine Blade; Pols and Law Enforcement

The housing crisis remained a major issue, with affordability challenges cresting and the state continuing to rank among the highest in median home values. Lawmakers and Gov. Healey touted a $5.16 billion housing bond bill passed in the summer, which introduced 49 new housing policies. However, critics felt the bill fell short, as many measures intended to help the poorest residents were left out. Meanwhile, the MBTA made progress on its long-awaited turnaround, led by General Manager Phil Eng. Subway slow zones were cleared, repairs were made to the T’s core system, and speeds on the Blue and Orange Lines improved.

However, looming financial challenges threaten to undo this progress unless state leaders can find solutions. Vineyard Wind faced a setback when a wind turbine blade shattered and broke off, littering Nantucket with debris and leading the company to remove several blades for quality checks. A few pols ran into trouble with law enforcement this year: Rep. Christopher Flanagan was caught violating campaign finance laws and lying about it. Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson also found herself in hot water, accused of running a kickback scheme with a staffer to pocket thousands of dollars. - Sam Drysdale