Framingham delegation fields hospital, budget and housing questions at city council meeting

State Rep. Danielle Gregoire, Rep. Kate Donahue, Rep. Jack Lewis, and Senate President Karen Spilka met with the Framingham City Council and residents on April 15 to discuss the governor’s proposed fiscal 2026 budget, concerns about MetroWest Medical Center, and a slate of state bills affecting municipal operations.

The representatives said the House ways-and-means budget would be released April 16 and that the House would have two days to file amendments. Rep. Lewis said the governor’s FY26 proposal totals about $62 billion and noted uncertainty over federal funding that the state relies on, including Medicaid and education aid. "We are in a time of great uncertainty," Lewis said, asking municipalities to be prepared for difficult choices.

The delegation responded repeatedly to questions and comments from residents who raised MetroWest Medical Center. Resident Andrew Machkasov urged public consideration of public ownership or a community-run alternative after Tenet Healthcare’s stewardship, saying private, for-profit ownership has prioritized shareholders over patient care. Several state legislators said the Commonwealth historically does not operate hospitals but that they are pursuing every available regulatory and legislative avenue. Rep. Priscila Souza and others said a hospital bill had passed the Legislature this session intended to close regulatory gaps; Gregoire said additional filings seek to tighten remaining loopholes.

Senate President Karen Spilka said state revenue collections were ahead of last year to date, but she warned that proposed or potential federal cuts to programs such as Medicaid and education could impose severe local impacts. She said the Senate has launched a "Senate Response 2025" initiative aimed at defending state programs, and that the chamber will prioritize education and special-education funding in its budget work.

Public commenters also raised other state-level items. Melina List asked representatives about legislation (filed as H.245, she said) banning the use of aversive treatments such as electric shock at the Judge Rotenberg Center; Gregoire said she has repeatedly pushed to ban the device and would continue to pursue all available routes. Several delegation members described bills or pilot programs they sponsored: Rep. Donahue described measures on administrative discharge from substance-use treatment and expanded Narcan distribution; Rep. Souza described a proposed change to the CDL (commercial driver’s license) test to ease the requirement for local school bus drivers; Rep. Gregoire and others described work on a permanent update to the Open Meeting Law to allow hybrid meetings beyond the pandemic-era temporary provisions.

Why it matters: Framingham residents are watching potential service reductions at MetroWest, and the state delegation’s remarks outlined the limits of state authority while promising continued oversight, regulatory and budgetary responses. The conversation also highlighted ongoing state efforts on housing, transportation workforce, and municipal governance that could affect Framingham budgets and services.

The delegation urged residents and municipal leaders to continue sharing priorities during the budget process. Representatives said earmarks and local requests had been shared with House leadership and the mayor’s office ahead of the House budget vote, and that the appropriation process would proceed through the House and Senate before reconciliation in June.

Local reaction: Multiple councilors asked how Framingham can protect local hospitals and services if federal funding shrinks. Several councilors urged the delegation to pursue both short-term relief for hospitals and longer-term workforce and education investments.

Looking ahead: The House ways-and-means budget was scheduled to drop April 16; the House and Senate will reconcile later in the spring. The Department of Public Health decision on the MetroWest maternity classification remained pending following a DPH hearing noted by the mayor and the delegation.