Politics

Governor Patrick's Friday news 'dump?'

BOSTON (MyFoxBoston.com) -- Friday afternoons may be the start of your weekend, but in politics, it's the day often used to make controversial announcements, when few people are paying attention.

Last Friday, Governor Deval Patrick sent out a release announcing the state will start covering sex reassignment surgery for transgender patients. On the same day, the administration said the state would pay out a whopping $35 million to cut ties with CGI, the company that created the state's problematic health insurance web site.

Was the governor trying to quietly slip this by taxpayers? FOX 25 Political Reporter Sharman Sacchetti asked the governor.

"Well first of all, I work every day. And I think you do, too. But CGI was settled on Friday, and we told you as soon as it was resolved. It's an important transition and it enables us to build on the part that works, and to get on making the rest of it that will work. So I think it's a good outcome," Patrick said.

Sacchetti also asked about the sex reassignment surgery announcement, which was also big news.

When asked why he would bury those kinds of stories on a Friday, Patrick said, "Well, we didn't bury anything. We released the news when it was news. And that's also good news and I think the right thing to do."

Sacchetti mentioned that he didn't do that with the DCF report, because he said people read into that sort of thing.

When asked why he released two stories last Friday, Patrick replied, "Well, actually that is not what I said. What I said was it was important for the people who had the information who had prepared the report for DCF to be present and they were able to be present on Tuesday, not on Friday."

That's not entirely true.

On May 22, Patrick told State House News of the DCF report, "We didn't want to do it on a Friday because, you all read things into what's released on Friday and we didn't want you to read anything into it, so it'll probably be sometime early next week."

So should people read anything into this?

When asked, Patrick said, "No, no. I'm proud of the decision that we made I think it's the right decision. I think it's good for people, demonstrates the kind of open community we are and it's a sensible decision too that responds to a real medical condition with a real medical response."

Patrick told FOX 25 that he does not believe the state's position on that issue will hurt the administration's argument against a taxpayer funded sex change for convicted murderer Michelle Kosilek, once known as Robert. He said that matter has been resolved.