Healey Signs Budget, Then Disappears on Family Trip

If you are looking for Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey this week, don't look at the State House. Healey, a regular getabout since taking office in 2023, is on the road to some undisclosed location.

Healey's last official act was to sign the $60.9 billion state budget for Fiscal Fear 2026 into law on Friday and attend the annual Fourth of July fireworks on Boston's Esplanade, overlooking the Charles River, before disappearing into the night, leaving Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll in charge of the state for a week.

Healey Signs Budget, Then Departs

State House News Service reported Healey "acted on the state budget more quickly than any Massachusetts governor in at least 25 years." She must have had plane tickets.

For the record, Healey did find time to trim some $130 million from the budget before tossing a few things into a suitcase and tossing the State House keys to Driscoll on the way out the door.

What We Know About Her Trip

Healey's office would only say the governor is away with her family for the week. Presumably, that means Healey's partner, Joanna Lydgate, often referred to in the press as the "First Partner" or "First Lady," and Lydgate's children.

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Why Healey’s Travel Habits Are Controversial

During her first year in office, Healey was criticized by her opponents and the media for her frequent travels, prompting her staff to announce they would no longer provide advance notice of her travel due to safety concerns. The policy changed to allow for information about Healey's travels to be made public upon request after the fact.

Who’s In Charge While Healey’s Away?

Should Lt. Gov. Driscoll decide to leave the state, Secretary of State William Galvin would become acting governor. That has already happened as both Healey and Driscoll left the state at the same time early on in the administration.