How President Trump's Policies Could Impact Massachusetts: A List

• With additional reporting by Tom Davis (Patch Staff)

Liberal Massachusetts finds itself at a potentially uncomfortable crossroads in the wake of the 2016 election, faced for the first time in over a decade with a Congress, Senate and Oval Office on the other side of the aisle.

Given Donald Trump's various predictions on the campaign trail, Patch took a look at how his policy promises could impact the Bay State, assuming the Legislature gives him the support to enact them.

In large part, existing policies appear to protect the state from the kind of upheaval possible elsewhere in the country. However, the expansion of programs such as Baker administration-championed renewable energy may be hampered it federal incentives and tax credits offered under the Obama administration are rolled back.

We've provided a list of the different ways the new president could have an impact on the Massachusetts economy, health care and more, drawing on multiple sources:

Health care

Ending the Obamacare program requires 60 votes in the U.S. Senate — something some observers said is unlikely, since lawmakers will face opposition from those who gained access to care, as well as hospitals, drug companies and insurance companies that also benefited from the 2014 law.

Of course, Congress can also pass budget matters with a simple majority — as it did when it approved the Affordable Care Act in 2010. So it could repeal it the same way, some lawmakers say.

Massachusetts has a bit of a buffer against many changes, thanks to "Romneycare," which expanded Medicaid coverage and includes an ACA-type public marketplace through which residents can get commercial health coverage. Additionally, as The Boston Globe reported, Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters this week that universal health care coverage “is a policy statement... that’s held in very high regard here in the Commonwealth, and we’ll do what we need to do to make sure that we continue to be a national leader on this.”

State's Attorney General Attorney Healey, has pledged to "forcefully oppose any effort by (Trump) or Congress or anyone else to roll back the progress we’ve made under President Obama." That includes healthcare and other issues, she said.

Abortion

Trump spent much of his campaign ducking and weaving around certain comments on abortion, but ultimately come down as "pro-life with exceptions," including case of rape, incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk.

A fear among abortion rights proponents now is that a conservative-dominated Supreme Court under Trump could repeal Roe v. Wade. However, if that happens Massachusetts appears to be insulated from the fallout by existing legal precedent. According to the American Civil Liberties Union, 1981 case Moe v. Secretary of Administration and Finance would protect a woman's ability to seek an abortion in the Bay State under the state constitution.

Environment and Energy

Trump has already picked someone who is considered a "climate change denier" to head his EPA transition efforts. The Republican often supported weakening the maze of environmental regulations and called for bolstering efforts to allow expanded exploration for oil, natural gas and coal. He wants to scale back the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency and kill its plans to combat global warming by ratcheting down emissions from the nation’s power plants.

One of the Baker administration's big pushes has been around sustainable energy, including offshore wind power. Federal incentives for such programs may well become harder to come by, based on the trajectory Trump has outlined so far.

Influence

Between Gov. Charlie Baker, who refused to vote for Trump, and senior Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who openly feuded with him, Massachusetts may have considerably less access or clout when it comes to the White House over the next four years. Warren on Thursday outlined areas in which she hopes to work with the president-elect (plus the places she'll "fight him every step of the way"). Meanwhile, Baker has said he looks forward to working with the Trump administration (although that may prove difficult).

Patch file photo