News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: RACING THE CLOCK on Beacon Hill — CAMPBELL and WU raise $90k — BAKER hammers GOP over ELECTION CHALLENGE

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: RACING THE CLOCK on Beacon Hill — CAMPBELL and WU raise $90k — BAKER hammers GOP over ELECTION CHALLENGE

Jan 05, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. All eyes will be on the Senate runoffs in Georgia tonight. And here in Massachusetts, the legislature is racing against the clock before the two-year session ends at midnight

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: AS WALSH SPECULATION SWIRLS, CHALLENGERS RAISE CASH — The buzz over whether Boston Mayor Marty Walsh will join President-elect Joe Biden's administration has spilled into 2021.

The mayor is on Biden's shortlist to serve as Labor secretary, and he hasn't officially launched a campaign for a third term. That's put the 2021 mayoral contest at a will-he-or-won't-he standstill. For his part, Walsh says he enjoys his current job and is focused on the coronavirus pandemic. And while City Hall insiders acknowledge Walsh is in the running, some remain skeptical he'll get the Labor post.

The two candidates already in the mayoral race — Boston City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Michelle Wu — continued to fill their campaign coffers in December. Their fundraising totals are first reported this morning in Playbook.

Campbell will report raising $90,000 through the end of 2020, according to an aide. Campbell's monthly report with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance will show $75,000 raised in December, due to Dec. 31 being a bank holiday, according to her campaign. An end-of-year report due later will show a $90,000 haul.

Wu also raised around $90,000 in December, according to her campaign. The total came from around 1,000 donors. Wu had $495,300 in cash on hand at the end of November, and Campbell ended that month with $464,600 cash on hand. Walsh did not share how much he raised in December. At the last reporting period, Walsh had more than $5.9 million in the bank.

Now, back to the Biden factor. If Walsh goes to Washington, the dynamics in the mayoral race would see a major shift. A rare open seat could draw a dozen candidates. And Boston City Council President Kim Janey would take over for Walsh as acting mayor for the remainder of his term, becoming the first Black woman mayor of Boston.

And if Janey opted to run for a full term , being an incumbent mayor would be an asset. Just take the late Mayor Tom Menino as an example. Menino rose to power as acting mayor after Mayor Ray Flynn was appointed U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See. From there, Menino ran for a full term, won, and served for more than a decade.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MORE CAMPAIGN CASH — Alex Gray, a first-time candidate for Boston City Council, has raised $39,200 since he launched his campaign in October. The haul came from 334 donations, according to Gray's campaign. Gray, who would be Boston's first blind councilor if elected, is seeking an at-large seat.

And Jeff Turco, a Winthrop Democrat running to fill former Speaker Bob DeLeo's seat in the House, says he raised $63,000 in the 10 days after launching his campaign. Turco gave his operation a $25,000 loan, bringing his fundraising total to $88,000. The special election for DeLeo's seat has drawn five candidates. A primary election for the race is set for March 2, and the general election will be March 30.

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

TODAY — The legislature's two-year session ends at midnight. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh holds a Covid-19 press briefing.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 4,358 new COVID cases, 60 deaths on Monday," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "State health officials confirmed another 4,358 cases of COVID-19 on Monday, bringing the number of active statewide cases to 81,449. Officials also announced another 60 COVID-related fatalities, for a total now of 12,401 confirmed deaths since the start of the pandemic."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Mass. lawmakers rush to pass bills before time runs out," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "After 734 days of formal lawmaking, the Massachusetts Legislature is locked in a sprint to finish a crush of legislation — touching everything from major transportation projects to economic aid for businesses — before a bizarre legislative session closes at midnight Tuesday. The last-minute scramble engulfing Beacon Hill is one lawmakers know well, though it's usually reserved for the heat of late July when formal legislative sessions normally end."

– "Charlie Baker rips Republican effort to challenge the presidential election results," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Gov. Charlie Baker said Monday that he hopes the efforts by fellow Republican elected officials to challenge the results of the presidential election 'fail' this week, questioning the reasoning and logic behind the purported attempt to keep President Donald Trump in power."

– "Massachusetts lawmakers send climate bill that would reduce state's carbon footprint to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "An environmental roadmap to reduce carbon emissions across Massachusetts is coming into clearer focus after more than a year of talks among Massachusetts lawmakers and Gov. Charlie Baker. The Massachusetts Senate and House on Monday passed a bill to make the state reduce its carbon emissions by at least 85% below 1990 levels by 2050, sending it to the governor's desk Monday night ."

– "Lawmakers prepare for strong year," by Dustin Luca, The Salem News: "In light of the devastation the pandemic caused in 2020, the region's legislators are gearing up for a productive 2021. But where the work begins depends on who's answering the question."

– "Massachusetts state dinosaur: Lawmaker plans to file legislation, wants public's help on deciding which dinosaur to choose," by Heather Morrison, MassLive.com: "One lawmaker is planning on filing legislation to officially declare Massachusetts' state dinosaur, but he needs the public's help. State Rep. Jack Lewis tweeted that he plans on filing the legislation on Jan. 15. He also included a link that allows the public to help vote on which dinosaur."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "First responders in Mass. to get COVID-19 vaccine starting on Jan. 11," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "First responders in Massachusetts will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 11, Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters Monday. Baker, speaking during his regular State House press conference, said that starting Jan. 11, first responders including firefighters, police officers and EMTs will start receiving the shot."

– "COVID vaccine: Massachusetts residents older than 75, or who have two or more underlying health conditions, moved up in priority," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts residents older than 75, and residents of all ages with two or more comorbid health conditions, have been moved up in the state's COVID vaccine priority timeline and will be among the first groups to get the shots during Phase 2, state health officials said on Monday."

– "Sudders 'comfortable' with vaccine reporting lag," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "The Baker administration says it has shipped 287,000 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to providers in Massachusetts but only 116,071 doses have been administered to patients so far. Gov. Charlie Baker and Marylou Sudders, the secretary of health and human services, said the numbers are so far apart because there is a lag of as much as four days in reporting a vaccination and vaccines are shipped to providers on a rolling basis and not all at the same time."

– "Charlie Baker says mass vaccination sites will likely be available to general public," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "First responders likely won't be the only ones with access to mass COVID-19 vaccination sites in Massachusetts. According to Gov. Charlie Baker, the state plans to make the regional state-run sites — capable of administering 2,000 vaccine doses a day — available to other groups as they become eligible to get the COVID-19 vaccine over the course of the next few months."

FROM THE HUB

– "It's Official: Walsh Signs Ordinance Creating Office Of Police Accountability And Transparency," by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "Boston Mayor Marty Walsh signed an ordinance Monday creating a new Office of Police Accountability and Transparency, implementing a key recommendation of the police reform task force he convened last year after a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota killed George Floyd."

– "Four prisoners die of COVID-19 during holiday week," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "Four prisoners at Massachusetts penal institutions succumbed to COVID-19 during the past week, bringing the total number of deaths under the jurisdiction of the Department of Correction to 15 for the duration of the pandemic."

– "Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim complete merger, creating big new health insurer," by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "Two of Massachusetts's largest health insurers have merged into one. Tufts Health Plan and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care said Monday that their union became official Jan. 1, after receiving approvals from state and federal regulators. Together, Tufts and Harvard Pilgrim will serve 2.4 million people."

– "Some Mass. school districts return from winter break remotely due to coronavirus concerns after the holidays," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Because of concerns of increased coronavirus transmission after holiday gatherings, many Massachusetts school districts are returning from winter break in a remote-only model to prevent in-school and further community transmission."

– "What Drove The Drop In Kids' Asthma ER Visits At A Boston Hospital During Lockdown?" by Kristen Kendrick, GBH News: "Just one week after Massachusetts closed schools and daycares in March, Boston Children's Hospital saw a drastic change in asthma-related visits to the emergency room: They were down 80% from the prior two months. For two more months, during the state's stay-at-home order, they stayed that way."

– "Brigham and Women's doctor predicts lockdowns will follow arrival of post-holiday COVID-19 surge," by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: "A Brigham and Women's doctor is predicting lockdowns are on the horizon to deal with the post-holiday surge in COVID-19 cases. Dr. Abraar Karan said Sunday that he expects lockdowns to stop the spread of the virus will be instituted."

– "Food distribution in some hard-hit Massachusetts communities grinds to halt as federal funds dry up," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "The shelves are all but bare at pantries in some communities after federal funding dried up last week, with many anxiously awaiting a fresh round of cash."

MEANWHILE IN GEORGIA

– "Donors From Deep Blue Mass. Are Trying To Help Georgia Democrats Flip The Senate," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Voters in Georgia go back to the polls Tuesday for runoff elections to settle both of that state's U.S. Senate races. Those contests may be far from Massachusetts, but they have generated a lot of interest here and across the country because wins by the two Democrats would flip control of the Senate."

DAY IN COURT

– "SJC: Uber failed to make clear to consumers what legal rights they were giving up in opening on-line account," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "An online contract used by Uber that "literally may require an individual user to sign his or her life away" was so legally flawed it cannot be used to force customers of the ride share giant into arbitration, the state's high court ruled Monday."

THE CLARK CAUCUS

– "Democrats start to eye a post-Pelosi era," by Heather Caygle and Sarah Ferris, POLITICO: "Democrats are already closely watching the small cadre of their colleagues whose names have been floated for the top jobs, including Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries, former Black Caucus Chairwoman Karen Bass, House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff for speaker. Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark, Vice Chair Pete Aguilar and Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal are all also mentioned for high ranking positions."

KENNEDY COMPOUND

– "Kennedy says 'thank you' to Attleboro area voters; stays mum on future plans," by Tom Reilly, Sun Chronicle: "He's represented the area in Congress for eight years, but this week it was time to say one last thank you. Joe Kennedy III penned a farewell note to the people of the Fourth Congressional District over the weekend. He originally posted it on social media."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

– "Massachusetts lawmakers deal blow to Springfield biomass project," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Power from wood-to-energy plants — like the long-proposed Palmer Renewable Energy in East Springfield — won't qualify as 'green power' for municipal power utilities for at least five years under new rules announced over the weekend by state lawmakers."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

– "Recreational marijuana brought in $14.9 million in tax revenue for Mass. cities and towns as industry enters 3rd year," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "The city of Westfield received $45,000 this fiscal year that it didn't get last year. Quite the story in a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has hurt city finances and everything — especially the revenue picture — seems to turn out worse than expectations."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "FRONT-LINE HEROES," "GEORGIA HEAT," — Globe: "State to accelerate rollout of vaccine," "In Georgia, Senate in balance."

FROM THE 413

– "New Springfield City Council President Marcus Williams calls for focus on 'people before politics'" by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "Newly elected City Council President Marcus Williams said Monday he will focus on the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic in 2021, and put 'people before politics.' His comments came during the annual organizational meeting of the council, where he was unanimously selected as president by the 13-member council."

– "Remorseful man returns Westfield statue's stolen sword after 40 years," The Associated Press: "A veteran returned a sword he stole from a statue of a Revolutionary War general 40 years ago, telling the head of the Massachusetts town's historical commission that he regretted taking it."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "With area hospitals reaching limits, New Bedford set to open COVID surge facility," by Kiernan Dunlop, Standard-Times: "Lights are being switched on and staff is being readied at one of the city's two regional surge facilities as Southcoast Health Systems reaches over 90% capacity and St. Luke's hospital sees the highest number of COVID positive in-patients it's seen during the pandemic."

– "Worcester County jail on modified lockdown: Uptick in COVID-19 cases prompts facilities to limit inmate movements," by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: "The Worcester County Jail & House of Correction is on a modified lockdown after an uptick in COVID-19 cases among inmates, officials confirmed Monday. Jail Superintendent David H. Tuttle said about 57 of the roughly 570 inmates at the jail have tested positive for the virus, and have been quarantined."

– "Seekonk town meeting delayed a third time due to virus," by Stephen Peterson, Sun Chronicle: "The third time wasn't a charm for the fall town meeting. It had been scheduled for Monday but was postponed for a third time because of rising cases of the coronavirus."

TRANSITIONS – Abigail Kim joins the Association for Behavioral Healthcare. Kim previously served as state Sen. John Keenan's legislative director.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Holly Morse.

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