These key public services won’t be hit by the state’s hiring freeze, Mass. Gov. Healey says

The day after she imposed a sweeping hiring freeze across the executive branch, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said her office is working to ensure the public doesn’t see any drop-off in services.

“Well, my commitment is to make sure [they don’t], and I’ve said public safety positions are off the table as our direct care positions there off the table,” Healey said Thursday after she attended the grand opening of Lego’s new offices in Boston’s Back Bay.

“I can tell you’ve got an incredibly hard-working team across government,” she continued. “I’m asking them to do more, and you know, I’m confident they’ll rise to that challenge.”

The Democratic administration announced the hiring freeze on Wednesday for the offices and agencies under its control, pointing to “widespread economic uncertainty” at the national level, and a “tightening budget outlook” at home.

It is set to take effect on May 27 and last until lawmakers approve a new budget for the fiscal year that starts July 1.

Agencies ranging from the Department of Transportation and Correction to Health and Human Services will be barred from hiring new employees. And there won’t be a waiver process, Healey’s office said in a statement.

The state budget is premised on $16 billion in federal support, and Healey and her Democratic allies on Beacon Hill have repeatedly said the state can’t backfill the money on its own.

Asked about the potential for job cuts because of the freeze, Healey appeared to rule it out, but did acknowledge that “we’ve just got to take it as it comes here, right?”

“And my job every day is to try to evaluate what’s happening, try to be proactive and also prepare,” she continued. “And you know, as I’ve said, these, these cuts by the Trump administration, unfortunately, have real consequences.”

This week, Healey sent a letter to the top Republicans and Democrats on the House and Senate Agriculture committees, urging them to back off planned cuts to the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, sometimes referred to as “food stamps.”

Planned GOP cuts could cost the state up to $710 million a year, impacting 1 million state residents, the administration said in a statement.

On Thursday, Healey reiterated the impact of cutting the program that serves the neediest Bay State residents.

“We’re talking seniors, we’re talking single moms, we’re talking children, and he’s cutting that so you know, our job is to continue to monitor the situation, to try to be proactive and to plan, and that’s why I thought I was responsible to institute the hiring freeze,” she said.