News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: MARIANO ERA begins — LAST-MINUTE CLIMATE deal

Monday, January 4, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: MARIANO ERA begins — LAST-MINUTE CLIMATE deal — WOBURN CHURCH linked to VIRUS CLUSTER

Jan 04, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday and Happy New Year! It's great to be back in your inbox.

WHAT YOU MISSED OVER THE BREAK — Welcome to the first Massachusetts Playbook of 2021. While the newsletter was on hiatus, lawmakers on Beacon Hill and in Washington certainly were not. The House installed a new speaker, the governor took action on several high-profile bills and the state's congressional delegation added a new member. Here's a rundown of what happened last week.

MARIANO ERA BEGINS: Ron Mariano, of Quincy, was elected by the House to replace former Speaker Robert DeLeo in the final days of the legislative session. The longtime lawmaker and DeLeo ally is pledging to put together a diverse leadership team. DeLeo, the longest-serving speaker of the House, stepped down to pursue a job at Northeastern University. Mariano is now tasked with leading the House through the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

THE BILLS BAKER SIGNED: Gov. Charlie Baker was busy over the holiday break. He signed a much-anticipated police reform bill on New Year's Eve, amid a national push for new policing measures in the wake of the George Floyd protests. The law will create a certification process for police officers, among other provisions. Baker also signed a health care bill that puts rules on how insurers handle telehealth visits, and a new law that bans the sale of some flame retardant chemicals.

THE BILL BAKER DID NOT SIGN: Baker vetoed language that had been included in the fiscal 2021 budget that would expand abortion access in Massachusetts. The Christmas Eve veto was slammed by activists, and seen as a sign by some that the Republican governor may seek a third term. The legislature, which has a Democratic supermajority, voted to override the governor's veto. The new policy lowers the age for an abortion without the consent of a parent or judge from 18 to 16.

AUCHINCLOSS IN, KENNEDY OUT: Rep. Jake Auchincloss was sworn into Congress yesterday, officially replacing four-term Rep. Joe Kennedy III in the House. Auchincloss, 32, who won the seat after a crowded Democratic primary, is the youngest member of the state congressional delegation. Kennedy is out of office after losing his primary challenge against Sen. Ed Markey in September.

STATE GOP GIVES LYONS ANOTHER TERM: Jim Lyons won another term at the helm of the Massachusetts Republican party on Sunday. Lyons beat state Rep. Shawn Dooley in a tight race for party chair at a drive-in election in Littleton. Lyons, a vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, had faced criticism for dwindling fundraising and membership during his tenure. He acknowledged Trump being at the top of the ticket posed a challenge for Bay State Republicans in 2020, but said he is optimistic that the gubernatorial election in 2022 could be a boost for the party.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

TODAY — Rep. Jake Auchincloss is a guest on WBUR's "Morning Edition." The House and Senate plan formal sessions. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh signs a city ordinance to create an Office of Police Accountability and Transparency. State Rep. Patrick Kearney, a lieutenant junior grade in the U.S. Navy Reserve, is deployed at Naval Station Norfolk through Jan. 15.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 3,110 new COVID cases, 105 more deaths Sunday as nation surpasses 350,000 dead throughout pandemic," by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts public health officials on Sunday reported 3,110 new cases of COVID-19 and 105 related deaths just as the U.S. death toll surpassed 350,000. Sunday's data, based on 44,831 new molecular tests, brings the number of estimated active cases to 79,261 across the state, according to the Department of Public Health."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Longtime Quincy Rep. Ron Mariano becomes Massachusetts House speaker," by Joe Difazio, The Patriot Ledger: "It's official. Quincy state Rep. Ron Mariano is speaker of the Massachusetts House. Mariano, 74, was elected to lead the House with 123 votes on Wednesday, Dec. 30, one day after Speaker Robert DeLeo, of Winthrop, stepped down from the role."

– "Reform Advocates Cautiously Praise New Police Oversight Bill, Say More Changes Needed To Dismantle Systematic Racism," by Tori Bedford, GBH News: "As Gov. Charlie Baker wraps up the year by signing the police reform bill, the new law is receiving mixed reviews by legislators and civil rights advocates who say more needs to be done to protect vulnerable communities."

– "Lawmakers release compromise climate change bill," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "House and Senate negotiators released a compromise climate change bill on Sunday afternoon that lays out a fairly detailed roadmap for reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and sets an interim target for 2030 that is more aggressive than what the Baker administration called for last week."

– "Demand For Unemployment Insurance Continue As Benefits Run Out For Many In Mass." by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "Many Massachusetts workers won't see any wage increase today because they're not employed. About 27,000 people applied for first-time unemployment benefits last week. That many applied the week before that."

– "Mass. legislative leaders to get three pay raises starting Friday," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "State legislative leaders are entitled to three separate pay raises starting Friday, and the salaries of some of the state's top elected officials could swell by more than $9,000, thanks, in part, to a controversial law that will help ensure they get a third pay increase in as many legislative sessions."

– "Mass. Irons Out First Responder Vaccination Plan," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: "Police, firefighters and EMTs are signing up for COVID-19 vaccination appointments scheduled to begin on Jan. 11. The Baker administration ironed out some of the final details during a call Thursday with union leaders, chiefs and private ambulance companies. First responders are the third high priority vaccine group in Massachusetts after front-line health care workers and the staff and residents of long-term care facilities."

– "Mass. renews public health campaign to end the stigma of addiction," by Sofia Saric, Boston Globe: "As the state experiences a slight rise in overdose deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has rolled out a new phase of its media campaign to combat the stigma of substance addiction."

FROM THE HUB

– "When Boston police officers fail to tell the truth, the department rarely calls a lie a lie," by Milton J. Valencia, Andrew Ryan and Evan Allen, Boston Globe: "If citizens lied on the witness stand, they could be prosecuted for perjury. And if they lied in their work reports, they could be fired. But police officers don't always face that fate. The practice of police officers fudging the facts is common enough that it even has a name — 'testilying' — and it has plagued the Boston Police Department for decades."

– "These Massachusetts public figures had COVID. Here's how it shaped their pandemic responses," by Lisa Kashinsky and Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Edward Augustus Jr. had chalked his Monday morning fatigue up to a restless night's sleep. But by Tuesday, the Worcester city manager had a runny nose and a sinus headache. By Wednesday, Dec. 9, he'd tested positive for COVID-19."

– "'You couldn't pay me to take it': As COVID vaccine rolls out for Massachusetts first responders, some police, fire departments split on taking it," by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: "With Massachusetts first responders standing next in line to receive the coronavirus vaccine, the Auburn Police Department, like many law enforcement agencies across the state, surveyed its officers earlier this month to see how many plan to get vaccinated for the viral respiratory infection. The results were compelling. Fewer than half the members of the department, 29 officers, said they plan to get vaccinated, while 31 answered they do not, with the town's chief of police among those opting out of getting immunized."

– "Boston's ready to join dozens of other municipalities in renewable-energy push," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "After more than three years of deliberations, Boston is finally ready to join dozens of other cities and towns in the region by pooling its residents together in a bid for greener energy. Households in Boston that don't choose a different option by Jan. 11 will end up with a plan that would secure 28 percent of their electricity from renewable sources, compared to the state's mandated minimum of 18 percent for 2021 ."

CABINET WATCH

– "What Marty Walsh said when asked about being reportedly considered for Biden's labor secretary," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "Mayor Marty Walsh said Wednesday he has not spoken to anyone in President-Elect Joe Biden's administration recently, despite a report he is Biden's preferred choice for labor secretary."

DAY IN COURT

– "Secretary of State William F. Galvin threatens to sue if Massachusetts is shortchanged in Census count," by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: "Secretary of State William F. Galvin is raising concerns that alleged misconduct and a series of mistakes by this year's census takers could lead to a dramatic undercounting of Massachusetts residents and a loss of one of the state's nine seats in Congress."

– "Mass. SJC Rules Federal Documents On Loan To State Agencies Are Subject To State Public Records Laws," by Carrie Jung, WBUR: "The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court has ruled that federal documents loaned to state agencies cannot be shielded from Massachusetts public records laws. The ruling was part of a larger decision handed down by the state's highest court Thursday in response to a 2017 lawsuit filed by Rahima Rahim, the mother of Usaamah Rahim, who was killed by law enforcement while being investigated for alleged ties to a terrorist organization."

– "4,524 eviction cases filed so far," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "In the two months since the state's eviction moratorium ended, 4,524 landlords have filed cases against 5,912 tenants for non-payment of rent. Most housing advocates and landlords are expecting a wave of eviction filings, but it's still too early to gauge how bad it's going to get."

– "Almost a decade after Annie Dookhan and the state drug lab scandal, the fallout is growing," by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: "Three former state prosecutors are facing possible disbarment. Thousands of men and women convicted of drug crimes continue to see their convictions overturned. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is on the hook for an estimated $10 million to wrongfully convicted defendants. And now Suffolk County prosecutors are reviewing the possibility of even more wrongdoing at the closed William A. Hinton state drug lab in Jamaica Plain."

– "Sons sue beer baron Jerry Sheehan, claim he tapped company funds for personal use," by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts has seen its fair share of high-profile family feuds: The Demoulases of Market Basket supermarkets, the Berkowitz clan of Legal Sea Foods restaurants, Shari Redstone and her late father, media mogul Sumner. Here's a new one: the Sheehans of Sheehan Family Cos."

WARREN REPORT

– "Elizabeth Warren's next chapter," by Burgess Everett, POLITICO: "Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez wants Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer replaced, lamenting that there's no one ready to step in. Elizabeth Warren has a different approach. The Massachusetts Democrat is a member of Schumer's leadership team and is working closely with the Senate minority leader on a policy priority that could fuel the first intra-party fight with President-elect Joe Biden."

MARKEYCHUSETTS

– "On Senate floor, Markey makes impassioned demand for $2,000 COVID relief checks," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Chiding his Republican colleagues for caring more about funding military defense than 'the defenseless,' US Senator Ed Markey took to the floor of his chamber Tuesday to demand the Senate be permitted to vote on President Trump's call for sending $2,000 checks to most Americans as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to ravage the economy, leaving millions jobless."

THE PRESSLEY PARTY

– "Heading into her second term, Ayanna Pressley is poised to wield more power in Washington," by Jazmine Ulloa, Boston Globe: "On a Zoom call from her Boston home, Pressley said she was looking forward to working with Biden and Harris, not only to undo the harm unleashed on marginalized communities under Trump, but to ensure the federal government pursues an equitable response to the coronavirus pandemic — a cause made all the more urgent amid a national reckoning on race and racism."

– "'The threats went through the roof,'" by Errin Haines, The 19th: "On August 15, the national reckoning on race that erupted this summer in the midst of a global pandemic landed at Rep. Ayanna Pressley's door. The freshman House member had spoken out on the colliding issues of systemic racism and the COVID-19 pandemic before. But during that Saturday morning interview on MSNBC, the Massachusetts Democrat knew within a matter of minutes that the reaction to her words would be different. "

DATELINE D.C.

– "What it's like swearing-in for Congress during COVID-19," by Kadia Goba, Axios: "Jake Auchincloss said being sworn in to the U.S. House today reminded him of reporting to Quantico for Marine duty a decade ago, but instead of contemplating a foreign enemy, he had to navigate one he couldn't see: the coronavirus."

TRUMPACHUSETTS

– "Lyons reelected as state GOP leader," by Gal Tziperman Lotan and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Jim Lyons, a strong Trump supporter who has clashed repeatedly with Governor Charlie Baker, was narrowly reelected Sunday as the state Republican Party's chairman, earning a two-year term that will coincide with the 2022 gubernatorial election."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "SURGE...IN PAY," — Globe: "A family divided: Suit lays bare bitter internecine battle over beer baron," "President demands Ga. pad his votes."

FROM THE 413

– "Outlook 'grim' for Springfield restaurants as coronavirus pandemic drags on," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "The coronavirus pandemic has not triggered a mass closing of Springfield restaurants, but insiders said the outlook is 'grim.' Ninety-seven businesses in Springfield, including restaurants, bars and clubs, have renewed their liquor licenses for 2021, out of 109 listed. The high number of renewals likely was aided by the city waiving its annual license fee, and by owners' hopes for a better new year, officials said."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Dozens of COVID-19 cases linked to Christmas Eve gatherings at Woburn church," by Caroline Enos, Boston Globe: "A COVID-19 outbreak linked to Christmas Eve services at a church in Woburn has infected dozens of worshippers and public health officials fear the virus will become more widespread in other local communities, Mayor Scott Galvin said."

– "500 pounds a day to survive: A lobsterman races the calendar in a COVID-disrupted season," by Kristen Chin, Boston Globe: "This year was exceptional, thrown into chaos by the pandemic. Restaurants had closed and lobster prices plummeted. Some predicted doom for the industry. Holler could have opted to sit out the season, collecting unemployment and COVID relief checks. In fact he had stayed home in the spring. But, he was restless."

– "Essex County had 2nd-highest death toll from COVID-19 in 2020," by Julie Manganis, The Salem News: "One out of every 468 Essex County residents died as a result of COVID-19 in 2020, one of the highest percentages of deaths in the state, the latest numbers show. And one of the single highest numbers of deaths from the virus occurred in Peabody."

– "Attleboro officials continue work to get testing site as cases surge again statewide," by George W. Rhodes, Sun Chronicle: "Efforts continue to bring a coronavirus testing site to Attleboro. State Rep. Jim Hawkins, D-Attleboro, said late last week a number of officials, including himself, state Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham, state Sen. Paul Feeney, D-Foxboro, State Rep. Steve Howitt, R-Seekonk, Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux, the Attleboro city council and Lisa Nelson of former U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy III's office continue to work to bring a testing site here."

– "Lowell Covid-19 field hospital delays opening to 2021," by Amy Sokolow, The Lowell Sun: "Although a COVID-19 field hospital located at UMass Lowell and run by Lowell General Hospital had planned to open its doors this week to patients, a shortage of available nurses and medical workers has stalled the opening until Monday."

– "Lawrence students to start using classrooms," by Allison Corneau, Eagle-Tribune: "So far this school year, no Lawrence public school students have stepped foot into a classroom. Fears of COVID-19 have kept them learning remotely from home. Classroom doors will, however, open soon to a limited group of students. It's the first move toward what officials hope eventually becomes a return to school by children across the city."

– "As pandemic wears on, schools remain committed to hybrid learning," by Scott O'Connell, Telegram & Gazette: "There's been no respite from the pandemic during the holiday school break, as thousands of new cases continue to be counted every day in the state. But local school officials are sticking with their post-vacation plans, which will see most of them return to hybrid in-person learning or transition to it over the next few weeks."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Doris Kearns Goodwin, who is 78.

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