Massachusetts’ secretary of state said he has some grave concerns about the accuracy of the next census thanks to mass retirements of officials and current immigration policies — something that could make or break congressional representation and federal funding.

Though the next national population count isn’t set to take place until 2030, Secretary William Galvin told the state Senate Census Committee that he’s “very concerned about the quality of those records” and the downstream consequences of getting that wrong.

The “general stresses” of the pandemic and those of the 2020 presidential election pushed many long-serving local clerks and elections workers into retirement. And with those workers, Galvin warned, goes the knowledge of how the annual counting job is meant to be done.

“Even as many of them have been replaced, some of that body of knowledge previous persons had is not there. We’ve seen this at the local level,” Galvin said.

The usual challenge of completing accurate census counts, the secretary said, is exacerbated by the current climate around immigrants and immigration. Many of the communities were already struggling to accomplish their counts or were “inefficient,” Galvin said.

Now, they are having trouble getting people to respond at all.

“Many of them are reporting to us a reluctance on the part of their non-native born citizens especially, and those that have children especially, to answer even these basic questionnaires,” Galvin said, adding that some of the difficulty reported to his office is “directly attributed to anxiety about providing additional information to the government.”

The consequences for getting the count wrong could be very real for the state, as the number of residents counted is used in federal funding formulas. It also comes into play when determining how much representation in Congress the state should have — and thus the state’s weight in the Electoral College.

The 435 House seats in Congress are apportioned to the states based on total population, including military personnel and U.S. government civilians temporarily deployed outside the state during a census, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Bureau indicates that the count should include even “unauthorized immigrants” residing in a given jurisdiction.

“All people (citizens and noncitizens) with a usual residence in the United States are included in the resident population for the census,” a fact sheet provided by the bureau reads, in part.

— Matt Medsger

Minnesota shooting has ripple effects on Beacon Hill…

The killing of a prominent Minnesota lawmaker and the wounding of another sent shockwaves through Beacon Hill this past week as elected officials on both sides of the aisle contemplated their own security in Massachusetts.

Potential reforms addressing local lawmakers’ security in Massachusetts surfaced Wednesday when Senate Democrats were meeting to take up an unrelated spending bill. Senate President Karen Spilka said she has been “looking at privacy and protections for lawmakers” even before the shooting occurred.

“I do want to say that what happened in Minnesota was heartbreaking. It would have been heartbreaking for any person to be shot like that, let alone several people,” the Ashland Democrat told reporters. “For the person to impersonate a police officer, it makes people feel less secure, feeling less secure in our law enforcement, who also work hard every single day to protect and serve.”

Vance Luther Boelter, a 57-year-old man, is accused of shooting former Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in their homes earlier this month. Boetler allegedly also shot and wounded Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife.

Spilka did not specifically say what aspects of lawmakers’ security she wanted to address, only that she wanted to “help make people safer.”

Her comments came as Sen. Becca Rausch, a Needham Democrat, tried to push forward an amendment to the unrelated spending bill that would have removed candidates’ home addresses from ballots and nomination papers.

But she withdrew the proposal, saying there is “more conversation to be had about which are the right things we should do at which particular time.”

“Unfortunately, we are in a time now where we have to have really serious conversations about the safety and security not only of elected officials, but also of licensed professionals across the country whose work subjects them to elevated security risks,” Rausch said. “It’s a sad commentary on our politics that

we have to have these conversations, but we are here.”

Spilka said it was the first time the amendment had been raised, but Democratic leadership would “take a look at it.”

“When we do pass a bill in the Senate or adopt an amendment, we always want to make sure it’s the best that it can be and has been vetted by folks involved,” she said.

— Chris Van Buskirk

Herald wire services contributed to this report.

Republican candidate for governor wants to ‘protect and revitalize’ fishing industry…

Mike Kennealy, a Lexington Republican running for governor, said he would exempt the sale of a fishing boat from a 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million, appoint a “fishermen liaison,” and hand the industry a “seat at the table in every discussion” concerning offshore wind projects.

The 57-year-old pitched the series of pledges related to fishing as a way to “safeguard” the livelihood of workers in the industry, who he said have “shaped our culture, built local economies, and sustained generations of hardworking families.”

“But today, that way of life is under threat,” Kennealy said in a statement this past week. “Offshore wind projects have disrupted vital fishing grounds that have been used for decades. Fishermen are being left out of the conversation while political elites and special interests dictate policy from Beacon Hill.”

Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Steve Kerrigan said the fishing industry is a “vital part of Massachusetts’ economic future.”

“Gov. Healey has been a champion for our coastal communities and the fishing industry since her time as attorney general. Gov. Healey has provided millions in funding to support commercial fishing and our ports, and as AG sued the federal government to protect fishing families. She will always be a strong advocate for the fishing community,” Kerrigan said in a statement.

Kennealy said that if he is elected governor next year, he would shield working fishermen from the “unfair impact of the Millionaires Tax,” the voter-approved 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million.

The tax has generated billions for transportation and education initiatives, and has become a focal point at the State House in recent weeks as lawmakers shepherded a spending bill packed with surtax revenue to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk.

Supporters of the surtax point to the cash it has brought in to pay for projects all across the state during uncertain economic times. But critics have argued the surtax has led to an exodus of high earners from Massachusetts.

Kennealy said the sale of a fishing boat should not be treated “like a luxury profit.”

“It isn’t,” he said. “These are business decisions made for survival, not windfall.”

Kennealy, a former housing and economic development secretary under former Gov. Charlie Baker who launched his bid for governor in April, also pledged to end “burdensome and ineffective regulations.”

“Our policies will be based on real-world results, driven by industry realities and in consultation with the men and women who make up this important economic engine,” he said.

Healey, a first-term Democrat who has said she plans to run for reelection, said last month that her administration plans to cut a series of regulations to make business easier in Massachusetts, including “outdated and duplicative” rules.

He said he would appoint a “trusted leader from within the industry” to work directly with his potential gubernatorial administration to “ensure fishermen have a seat at the table and a voice in the decisions that affect their future.”

“The fishing industry doesn’t need more interference—it needs respect, partnership, and a Governor who understands its vital role in Massachusetts. I will make sure this industry not only survives, but thrives,” Kennealy said.

Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official, is also running for governor as a Republican.

— Chris Van Buskirk