Asked for his thoughts on some of the most talked about Beacon Hill events in a TV interview that aired Sunday, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll has a consistent message: let’s wait and see.
The lieutenant governor took part in a speech Sunday morning to offer Gov.’s tax plan. Maura Healey and the first state budget, and fielded questions from WBZ-TV’s Jon Keller about rent control, Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s audit of the Legislature and more.
Driscoll told Keller that he and Gov. Maura Healey want to work with cities and towns to address the state’s housing crisis, but mostly gave a wide berth to local ideas like the home rule petition by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu intends to pay rents despite the state’s rent control ban. which was approved by voters in the 1990s.
“Well, they still have a long way to go. They must go through the Legislature. I know in talking with the governor, like if something comes to our desk, we really want to look at it,” he said when asked if he was okay with the rent control initiatives in Boston and Somerville going forward. we support our communities. We need to be with them. The state doesn’t build houses, it happens on local land… So if it’s a tool and it works, I think it’s something we’ll look at for sure.
A longtime mayor of Salem, the lieutenant governor served as the Healey administration’s point on housing policy even until the governor’s plan to carve out a new Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities comes to fruition. He said the “primary focus of the administration today” is to increase housing production.
“There is no doubt that we have a full-blown housing crisis in Massachusetts. There is not enough housing to meet current needs at all levels — not market rate, not affordable, It’s certainly not really affordable for our most vulnerable population. And we’re really trying to work with communities and make sure they have the tools they need,” he said. “We’re focused on production.”
Driscoll stepped aside to stake a position on the state auditor’s recently announced audit of the Legislature, an announcement that legislative leaders last week either ignored or largely dismissed.
“That’s actually something that Diana DiZoglio talked about when she was on the campaign trail talking about wanting to make sure that everybody is accountable,” the lieutenant governor said when Keller asked if the audit of DiZoglio is a good idea. “You know, he is an independent authority. So he has the right to deal with issues that he thinks are important for him and for the commonwealth. And, you know, I think we have to wait and let’s see what it contains.”
Keller pressed Driscoll on whether or not he thought it was a good idea for the auditor to audit the House and Senate.
“I mean, I feel like we’re all at the beginning of an administration. He is a new auditor. It’s something he’s talked about on the campaign trail, so I don’t think anybody’s surprised by the fact that it’s going forward,” Driscoll said. “And I think we’ll see how it shakes out.”
And the lieutenant governor was also cautious in his response when Keller asked if he shared Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s concerns that the regulations in Mass. age 21.
“I think we’re at the beginning of this new industry and I really feel the influx of ads and opportunities to make sure people know you can bet on sports legally here in Massachusetts. We have a Gaming Commission, we have a new attorney general that I think the world about. So I hope that, as we build on this, we make sure that we think about how this law is implemented and be mindful of the effects that it can have on community members.
Driscoll declined to say whether he thought the Gaming Commission was doing a good job, but said the fact that “we know where there are immediate violations of certain betting rules right from the start a new effort” shows that regulators are paying attention and that there is accountability.
“And I hope that continues as you continue to make sure that you’re not only following the law, but we’re thinking about who might be harmed,” he said. “If there should be those who are heard calling — to speak, to use a sports term — that we have a Gaming Commission and an AG ready to step in and make sure that happens.”
