It's one of the strangest stories to come out of Beacon Hill in recent memory. During the pandemic, Massachusetts somehow paid out $2.5 billion in unemployment benefits from federal rather than state funds — and now, we may have to pay some or all of that money back.
The error has elicited wildly varied responses. The state's all-Democratic congressional delegation is blaming former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, and urging the feds to come up with a solution that, “minimize[s] the impact on hardworking people and small businesses.” Meanwhile, the state's business community is arguing that it shouldn't be forced to pay extra to cover any repayment. But so far, Gov. Maura Healey, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka aren't pointing fingers at the Baker administration. They don't seem particularly worried about what the future may hold, either.
How does a mistake this massive happen? Why wasn't it caught earlier? And what does the wide range of reactions tell us about Massachusetts' political landscape? Adam Reilly is joined by GBH News State House reporter Katie Lannan and Samuel Gebru, the managing director of Black Lion Strategies and a professor at Tufts University, to discuss.
Are you fazed by the state's error? Or does the fact that it occurred during chaos of the pandemic make you inclined to cut Beacon Hill some slack? Email us at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.orgor share them via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch the discussion below right now, or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get alerted to future episodes.
