News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JANEY to be SWORN IN today — BAKER defends VAX ROLLOUT — SCHOOLS request REOPENING DELAY

Wednesday, March 24, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JANEY to be SWORN IN today — BAKER defends VAX ROLLOUT — SCHOOLS request REOPENING DELAY — HEALEY visits WORCESTER

Mar 24, 2021

Presented by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? — Kim Janey will be sworn in as Boston's acting mayor today. But the city's interim leader is already dropping the "acting" from her name.

City Hall is referring to Janey as "Mayor Janey" in press releases — no acting title included. Her first email as Boston's chief executive, which hit inboxes yesterday, was signed "Kim Janey, Mayor of Boston." Playbook noted yesterday that Janey's new Twitter bio includes the phrase "not acting, doing."

That's the policy inside the building, too. An internal City Hall email, obtained by POLITICO, directed employees not to use the title "Acting Mayor Janey" when communicating with the public, and that staff should instead use "Mayor Kim Janey" instead.

The distinction here is a small one, but it's not nothing. Janey is signaling that she won't be a placeholder in the run-up to the November election — she plans to be an active mayor. That will have implications if she decides to run for a full term this fall. Janey would have the advantage of incumbency, something the five major mayoral candidates, who are already running, won't have.

"I am the mayor of Boston, the first Black mayor and the first woman mayor for the city of Boston, which still seems unbelievable," Janey said at a pre-swearing in Zoom event last night, reflecting on her historic ascension to the city's top job.

A possible campaign was on the mind of Janey's political team last night. At that Zoom event, a Janey aide asked supporters to donate in the event she seeks a full term.

"We really want to grow our base," the aide said. "If she does decide to run, we want to be able to have her make that decision, not because of what is in the bank account."

According to Boston's charter, an acting mayor's power is more limited than an elected mayor. Still, the mandate is quite broad and, technicalities aside, Janey is in charge of Boston.

"There isn't anybody else that has the authority to lead the city like she does," City Hall spokesperson Nick Martin told me.

Janey's ceremonial swearing-in begins today at 11:45 a.m. The event will include other history-making officials — Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd, the first Black woman to hold that position, will administer the oath of office, and Janey's granddaughter will hold the bible. And Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color to serve on Boston's City Council, will preside over the ceremony.

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

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker is a guest on GBH's "Boston Public Radio." Attorney General Maura Healey visits a Worcester food pantry with Rep. Jim McGvoern, then visits small businesses in the city's Main South neighborhood and visits the African Community Education and the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts.

A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

Representative Aaron Michlewitz, Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee will discuss the FY22 Budget, the House's legislative priorities for the new session; and his take on the state's overall fiscal health and stability. The presentation will focus on efforts to restore and regrow the Massachusetts economy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Register here for AIM's Commonwealth Conversation event on key political issues with key policy makers.

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THE FIFTY

– "Without Trump to kick around, GOP's blue-state govs sink," by Stephanie Murray, POLITICO: "As recently as October, Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker was basking in his typically stratospheric poll ratings. More than 70 percent approved of his job performance. Roughly the same amount felt the same way about his handling of the Covid-19 crisis. Those were the days. Since then, Baker's numbers have nosedived, knocking him off his pedestal as arguably the nation's most popular governor."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "New COVID cases in Massachusetts rose for two weeks in a row as hospitalizations level out," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "The number of new COVID cases rose for the second week in a row last week as hospitalizations leveled out to early November levels. Data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health showed new cases rose by 1,367 cases last week over the previous week. Last week's number is likely to end even higher as test results are processed and reported to the state."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Mass. approves dozens of requests from districts to delay full-time school reopening," by James Vaznis, Bianca Vázquez Toness and Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: "State Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley approved requests from dozens of school districts seeking to delay reopening their schools full time, while also rejecting some, state officials announced on Tuesday. In all, Riley approved 58 requests, including those from Brockton, Chelsea, Springfield, and Somerville."

– "Massachusetts COVID-19 call center has cost state at least $4.2 million," by The Associated Press: "Massachusetts has already paid more than $4 million to three companies to set up a call center to manage the scramble for coronavirus vaccine appointments the day after hundreds of thousands of older residents became eligible, and the tab is expected to grow, according to a published report."

– "Terminated Marriott Copley Place workers push for bill to get back jobs lost ot pandemic," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "Diane Sealy worked for the Boston Marriott Copley Place for 35 years as a senior housekeeper before she was furloughed and eventually terminated last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Now if she gets rehired as the hotel regains more guests, she'll be treated as a new employee."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Lawmakers press Baker on scrapping local vaccination playbook," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "For 20 years, Massachusetts public health officials prepared for an emergency scenario that would require local boards of health to set up vaccination clinics across the state. But when COVID-19 hit the state and a vaccination network needed to be set up, the Baker administration threw out the playbook, improvised, and went in a different direction."

– "Stark racial disparities in coronavirus vaccination rates in hard-hit majority-minority cities," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Stark racial disparities remain in coronavirus vaccinations in majority-minority communities hardest hit by the pandemic, even as Gov. Charlie Baker touts efforts to get shots into the arms of people of color."

– "Virus Notes: Senator calls for vaccine passes," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Sen. Barry Finegold of Andover urged the Baker administration on Tuesday to develop some sort of identification that could be used to prove a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19 in order to gain admission to public venues such as Fenway Park."

– "Massachusetts planned to set aside 20 percent of vaccine doses for hard-hit communities. What happened?" by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Since announcing its COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan, Gov. Charlie Baker's administration has repeatedly stressed that equity — the notion of distributing resources based on need — would be one of the three main pillars of the rollout."

– "Massachusetts HHS Secretary Marylou Sudders blames 'insufficient' testing by online vendor for COVID booking site crash," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The private vendor Massachusetts contracted to run the state's COVID-19 vaccine appointment software did not anticipate the website to attract 1 million users the morning of Feb. 18, causing it to crash, Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders said."

FROM THE HUB

– "She Experienced Busing in Boston. Now She's the City's First Black Mayor." by Ellen Barry, The New York Times: "On a September morning in 1976, an 11-year-old Black girl climbed onto a yellow school bus, one of tens of thousands of children sent crisscrossing the city by court order and deposited in the insular neighborhoods of Boston in an effort to force them to integrate. … That girl, Kim Janey, became acting mayor of Boston on Monday, making her the first Black person to occupy the position, at a moment of uncommon opportunity for people of color in this city."

– "Rep. Ayanna Pressley Celebrates Kim Janey Becoming Boston's First Black Female Mayor," by Kimberley Richards, HuffPost: "Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) joined many others on social media this week who celebrated Kim Janey making history as Boston's first Black female mayor. Janey, who is set to be sworn into office as the 55th mayor of Boston on Wednesday, is also the first woman and person of color to serve in the role."

– "From Dorchester to D.C.: Marty Walsh's departure is a 'bittersweet' experience for him," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Just how Dorchester is Martin J. Walsh? Boston's 54th and freshly former mayor has called the city's most populous neighborhood home for all 53 of his years. But that will soon change, as Walsh leaves for Washington, D.C., to serve as the nation's labor secretary. How soon remains unclear. On Monday, hours before he resigned from his City Hall post, Walsh indicated he was still trying to figure out what his Beltway living accommodations would be."

– "Marty Walsh, the BRA and the BPDA: Ushering in a building boom for the ages," by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: "Shortly after Martin J. Walsh stepped into the mayor's office on the fifth floor of Boston's City Hall seven years ago, the agency located four floors above — then known as the Boston Redevelopment Authority — was in turmoil. The BRA had long been criticized as a secretive, omnipotent authority wielding complete control over Boston's built environment."

– "Boston reverses course, grants Fenway street vendors Opening Day OK," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Fenway Park's street vendors will be safe at home around the historic ballpark come Opening Day after city officials quickly reversed course on a temporary ban on the sausage slingers."

– "Somerville police officers to wear body cameras," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Somerville police officers will soon be wearing body cameras after the city and police union recently reached an agreement, the city announced Tuesday. After several years in a stalemate, the city and the Somerville Police Employees Association union — which represents patrol officers — struck a deal to deploy patrol officer body cameras."

– "The state board of higher education is pushing community colleges to offer more in-person classes this fall," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education is pushing the state's 15 community colleges to plan for significantly more in-person and on-campus classes this fall to curb plunging enrollments among Black and Latino students and reengage younger learners who may be turned off by virtual classes."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "Should we still call it 'commuter' rail?" by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The MBTA is launching a fairly radical change to its commuter rail operations on April 5, running fewer trains at the traditional morning and evening peaks and spreading service out at regular intervals over the course of the day – what some call regional rail."

A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

DAY IN COURT

– "Alleging state troopers are being cheated out of overtime pay, labor union sues," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The union representing Massachusetts state troopers is accusing the State Police of breaking state and federal labor law by intentionally miscalculating what qualifies as the officers' regular pay and, it argues, costing rank-and-file members millions a year in overtime pay."

– "Attleboro resident and former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe chairman indicted on tax evasion charges," by Stephen Peterson, Sun Chronicle: "A city resident who is a former chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe has been indicted on charges of filing false tax returns. A federal grand jury in Boston returned the indictment of Cedric Cromwell on Monday, the U.S. Attorney's Office in Massachusetts said."

– "Japan Charges Mass. Men With Helping Ghosn Flee, Jump Bail," by Yuri Kageyama, The Associated Press: "Japanese prosecutors charged two Americans, Michael Taylor and his son Peter, Monday in the escape of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn to Lebanon, while he was out on bail."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Walsh sworn in as labor secretary by Vice President Harris," by Liz Goodwin and Jim Puzzanghera, Boston Globe: "Former Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh was sworn in Tuesday as labor secretary by Vice President Kamala Harris, taking the oath of office at the White House complex with his longtime partner, Lorrie Higgins, at his side."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "FIRST DAY, HEART ACHES," — Globe: "Schools get OK for later restarts," "Time of joy and history."

FROM THE 413

– "Union vote nears at Mass MoCA; museum pledges not to oppose campaign," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "Just weeks after moving to unionize, about 100 workers at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art soon will cast ballots in what is shaping up as an exercise in workplace democracy embraced by employees as well as management."

– "Northampton police review panel calls for new community care department," by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "After 60 meetings, more than 50 hours of public comment, and three public hearings, the city's Policing Review Commission has finalized its report, 'Reimagining Safety.' … Recommendations include the reallocation of police department funding cut last year, changes to policies such as how internal affairs investigations are handled, and creating a new department to respond to some public safety calls."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Chart: How much money will each Mass. town receive from the American Rescue Plan?" Boston Globe.

– "Worcester police union says it will never endorse DA Joseph Early again after charges dropped against 2020 Black Lives Matter protesters," by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: "In a strongly worded letter written to the county's lead prosecutor, the Worcester Patrolmen's Union said it will never endorse District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. again after his office dropped charges against more than a dozen people arrested during Black Lives Matter protests in the city last summer."

– "Anti-Semitic terms used to call plays by Duxbury High School football players," by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Patriot Ledger: "Anti-Semitic terms, including 'Auschwitz,' were used by Duxbury football players as they called plays on the field at a March 12 game against North Plymouth. New England Anti-Defamation League Director Robert Trestan said in an interview that he talked to Superintendent John Antonucci about the incident and that 'Auschwitz' was one of the words used during the game to call plays."

TRANSITIONS – Kemi Giwa joins Rep. Seth Moulton's congressional office as press secretary. Giwa previously worked at BerlinRosen.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Tyler Giles, digital director at Hammerhead Strategies; WXII 12 reporter Ford Hatchett and Massachusetts Playbook's favorite Westford reader Paul Murray.

NEW EPISODE: ORANGE YOU GLAD WE DIDN'T SAY RED LINE? – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray speak with Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor who is considering a run for governor, and MassINC's Maeve Duggan breaks down a new education poll. The hosts also debate how to pronounce the #maleg hashtag. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

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