News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The virtual ST. PATRICK’S DAY BREAKFAST — LAWMAKERS push for more VAX DISTRIBUTION

Friday, March 19, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The virtual ST. PATRICK’S DAY BREAKFAST — LAWMAKERS push for more VAX DISTRIBUTION — LEGISLATURE passes CLIMATE BILL

Mar 19, 2021

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Hi again! It's great to be back as today's guest author while Stephanie enjoys some time off. Today's edition comes straight outta the 413, as I take a brief break from covering New York health care (and the scandals surrounding Gov. Andrew Cuomo) to offer a run-down of everything happening in the Commonwealth. Our wonderful POLITICO colleague Sam Mintz (smintz@politico.com) will author Monday's Playbook and Stephanie will be back in your inbox on Tuesday.

THE ST. PATRICK'S DAY BREAKFAST IS BACK (AND VIRTUAL) — Sláinte! The annual St. Patrick's Day Breakfast, a time-honored Boston tradition known for its political ribbing, returns this weekend in a new pandemic-friendly format after being canceled due to Covid-19 last year. State and local leaders will gather Sunday morning through a mix of Zoom, videos and socially distanced remarks — complete with music — for the 2021 "bring-your-own-breakfast" virtual event.

Despite the change in format, the guest list will still feature a who's-who of Massachusetts politics. Gov. Charlie Baker, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, U.S. Reps. Stephen Lynch and Ayanna Pressley, Attorney General Maura Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka are among those slated to attend. It's also expected to pay homage to essential workers and bring together Boston Mayor Marty Walsh — whose confirmation vote as the new Labor Secretary is set for Monday — and most of the announced candidates running to succeed him.

Breakfast host Sen. Nick Collins said while the new format forced him to get creative, it will open the event that's traditionally capped at 1,000 people, to anyone within range of NESN, WROL Irish 950 AM and 100.3 FM. Another challenge? Striking the right tone during a global health pandemic. "I think the music is what's going to keep us going, and light humor is important," Collins told POLITICO. "I'm sure everyone's going to try to impress. That's the interesting part about this: You've got to get up to the plate, take a swing and the hope is you at least hit a double."

Other gatherings, meanwhile, can take place under new restrictions beginning Monday when all communities in the state move into Step 1 of Phase IV of reopening. Baker's office said the move will allow some large capacity sports and entertainment venues, including ballparks, to operate at 12 percent capacity after submitting plans to the Department of Public Health — just in time for Opening Day at Fenway next month. (New York is also welcoming back some baseball fans: so hope springs eternal for those looking to catch a Red Sox-Yankees series in person.) And, speaking of the Red Sox, David Ortiz is the latest public figure to promote the Covid-19 vaccine.

But even with Big Papi urging residents to "Trust the facts, get the vax," dozens of state lawmakers are calling on Health and Human Services Secretary MaryLou Sudders to do more to ensure vaccine access at the local level. Rep. Mindy Domb and Sen. Jo Comerford led more than 50 legislators in a letter asking the state "to increase distribution of vaccine supply to our municipal partners" by prioritizing Regional Collaboratives. "They are eager, ready, accessible, steeped in a commitment to equity, and among the very best prepared to get this job done and to do so quickly and well," they wrote.

Beacon Hill lawmakers also passed major climate legislation, known as the "Next Generation Climate Roadmap," Thursday that would overhaul the state's climate laws, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, advance the "clean energy" industry and prioritize environmental justice. The bill, which was refiled after being vetoed last session, includes new "technical amendments." The Senate, meanwhile, moved a Covid-19 emergency paid sick leave bill.

Massachusetts taxpayers are expected to get more time to file their returns (and this year it's not due to Patriots' Day). Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano said Thursday that their chambers would "act immediately to align our state deadlines" with those set by the federal government, which moved its deadline from April 15 to May 17.

'STOP THE MBTA CUTS' — U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Congresswoman Katherine Clark and state Sen. Joseph Boncore today will join a coalition of transit workers and riders at a virtual rally urging the Baker-Polito administration and MBTA overseers to reverse cuts to the agency. Organizers argue that the cuts are "unnecessary" given a recent infusion of federal funding for the MBTA. Warren said in a statement that she will fight "to ensure that the federal assistance Congress has provided will be used to completely restore all service cuts as soon as possible."

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

TODAY — Senate President Karen Spilka holds a virtual forum with the Rennie Center. U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley speaks with former San Juan, Puerto Rico Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz at a Mount Holyoke College virtual town hall.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Nearly 1 million Massachusetts residents are fully vaccinated, as new COVID cases level out statewide," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "State health officials confirmed another 1,857 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, which is based on 106,850 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health. Officials also announced another 27 COVID-related fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic to 16,426."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Vote By Mail: Why Mass. Dems Want To Make The Pandemic Measure Permanent," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: "Gov. Charlie Baker this week signed a bill to extend rules expanding mail-in voting until the end of June. Now many Beacon Hill Democrats want to make them permanent, despite resistance from some Republicans. Proponents point out that tens of millions of voters across the country took advantage of measures enacted during the pandemic to vote by mail, helping to drive record turnout in last November's election."

— "Baker administration 'very pleased' with climate change bill," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "With both branches of the Legislature approving climate change legislation by veto-proof majorities, the Baker administration on Thursday declared victory and signaled that the governor will sign the bill into law. 'The governor and I are very pleased the Legislature adopted the vast majority of our amendments,' said Katie Theoharides, the governor's secretary of energy and environmental affairs. She said she couldn't definitively say the governor will sign the bill until it actually reaches his desk and he can see it in its final form, but she signaled that was likely. 'We are very pleased by the inclusion of key amendments as well as technical changes,' she said."

— "State Senate passes COVID relief bill to help companies, workers," by Jon Chesto, The Boston Globe: "The state Senate passed its version of a multipronged COVID-19 relief bill on Thursday, with plans to get legislation on Governor Charlie Baker's desk within the next week. If signed into law, the legislation would freeze unemployment insurance rates to prevent a 60 percent increase from hitting employers, and ensure that thousands of affected small businesses would not need to pay taxes on loans from the federal Paycheck Protection Program that were forgiven last year. The bill also includes key worker protections: guaranteed emergency paid leave of up to five days for COVID-19 reasons, including for a quarantine or to care for a family member, and tax relief for low-income workers who received unemployment benefits. On Thursday, the Senate added an important provision: an extension of the primary state tax-filing deadline from April 15 to May 17, to keep Massachusetts in accord with the new federal deadline."

— "Massachusetts rescinds coronavirus travel order, stadiums open Monday, says Charlie Baker," by Erin Tiernan, the Boston Herald: "Massachusetts on Monday will rescind a travel order requiring visitors from states at high risk for coronavirus to quarantine for 10 days — the same day it moves into the final phase of reopening the economy, Gov. Charlie Baker announced. The new travel advisory will "urge," not require, anyone traveling into Massachusetts — including returning residents — to quarantine for 10 days if they have been out of the state for 24 hours or more.

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "AG Maura Healey says Charlie Baker's 'course corrected' on aspects of vaccine rollout, but equity issues remain," by Lisa Kashinsky, The Boston Herald: "State Attorney General Maura Healey says the Baker administration has 'course corrected' on some aspects of its rocky coronavirus vaccine rollout after "huge misses" earlier on, but that equity issues remain. 'It's getting better every day,' Healey said after touring a local vaccine site in Randolph. But, she added, 'the governor and the administration need to stay focused on ensuring that vaccinations are going to the communities that have been most devastated and remain most at risk.' Healey embarked on a six-stop tour of South Shore businesses, community centers and vaccination sites on Thursday — the latest in a series of local excursions that have left the state's top law enforcement officer batting away growing speculation she's mulling a run for governor."

— "Berkshires vaccine team calls for more doses, as state focus on mass sites cuts allocations," by Francesca Paris, The Berkshire Eagle: "On a Thursday when Berkshire Community College would normally have been bustling with vaccinators, the gym sat empty. With only a handful of first doses to give out, Berkshire vaccine coordinators held just one clinic in Pittsfield this week. The site, which could administer more than 10,000 vaccines each week, has seen its inoculations slow to a trickle, as the commonwealth channels doses into mass vaccination sites concentrated in eastern Massachusetts. Regional vaccine collaboratives in the Berkshires and around the state say the commonwealth is underutilizing them, despite their capacity to run high-output clinics, and leaving behind residents who live far from mass vaccination sites."

FROM THE HUB

— "Walsh one step away from labor secretary after Senate votes to end debate on his nomination; confirmation expected Monday," by Jim Puzzanghera, the Boston Globe: "Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh is one step away from becoming labor secretary after the Senate on Thursday voted to end debate on his nomination, setting up a vote to confirm him on Monday. The 68-30 vote came as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer moved to finish the confirmation of President Biden's Cabinet secretary nominees, a process that has proceeded slower than in previous administrations because Democrats did not gain their slim control of the chamber until late in January and Republicans have used procedural moves to stall votes."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— "In the mayor's race, some Boston business folks already have their candidate," by Shirley Leung, the Boston Globe: "The field for the Boston mayoral race is far from set, but some business leaders have already opened their wallets and picked their candidates. Andrea Campbell, Jon Santiago, and Michelle Wu can count a number of bold-face types among their biggest supporters. John Barros and Annissa Essaibi George, meanwhile, will need to play catch-up. No one has yet emerged as the "business candidate," but business leaders tend to watch which way the political winds are blowing — i.e., who might actually win — before picking a horse in the race. Or instead of holding back, they give to everyone to hedge their bets."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— "US Rep. Richard Neal backs $400 million bond bill for Holyoke Soldiers' Home," by Stephanie Barry, The Republican: "In an attempt to quell budding dissent over a $400 million proposal to build a new Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, the region's most powerful federal lawmaker jumped into the fray. U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal — a Springfield Democrat and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee — on Wednesday called state Senate President Karen Spilka and new House Speaker Ronald Mariano as the debate over the bond bill heated up. "I lobbied enthusiastically for the bond bill," Neal said on Thursday. "It went swimmingly well."

— "Lynch: Commuter Rail Operator Will Hold Off On Furloughs," by WBUR Newsroom: "Dozens of commuter rail conductors will stay on the job after being told they'd be furloughed, according to U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch. The South Boston Democrat told WBUR's Radio Boston that Keolis, the company that runs the commuter rail for the MBTA, has had a change of heart. 'They have reconsidered their decision to furlough the 40 workers, so those 40 conductors, I am happy to say, will not be laid off,' Lynch said. A spokesperson for Keolis confirmed the decision."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "Stadiums reopen, restrictions ease — you can even start dancing on Monday!," — Globe: "Warning: It's not over," "Voc-tech schools' admission criticized."

FROM THE 413

— "Holyoke police review panel struggles with lack of resources," by Greta Jochem, the Daily Hampshire Gazette: "After protests against police violence and racism across the country last summer, Mayor Alex Morse announced in June that the city would be creating a Civilian Review Committee to suggest changes to the Police Department. Yet nine months later, the committee — which took the form of an advisory board to the mayor — is in limbo with no formal suggestions for reform.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Voke schools face scrutiny," by Christian M. Wade, CHNI News: "A coalition of community groups is pushing the state to change vocational school admissions rules they claim cherry-pick students using a "discriminatory" process. During a live-streamed briefing on Thursday, advocates blasted the selective admission standards used by vocational schools they say are drawing higher-performing students while weeding out minorities and low-income kids. They're calling on education leaders to require the state's 37 vocational schools to use lotteries, like other public schools, to fill classroom spots. Currently, applicants are scored on their academic, attendance and disciplinary records."

— "20 Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for coronavirus, first increase in weeks," by Lisa Kashinsky, The Boston Herald: "The number of Massachusetts cities and towns at high risk for COVID-19 transmission rose to 20 this week from 14 last week, ending a week-over-week decline that began in mid-January. The increase in 'red' zone communities comes amid concerns from local health officials that case numbers have plateaued at a higher level than last summer's lows. 'We essentially have had a situation where the numbers have plateaued not just locally in Worcester but across the country at a level that most of the epidemiologists and infectious disease specialists are still worried about the potential of a flare-up again,' Worcester Medical Director Dr. Michael Hirsh said in a press conference Thursday, adding that it 'may just be that we're in that phase where the vaccinations haven't quite cranked up.'"

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Wilnelia Rivera of Rivera Consulting; Jesse Mermell, Jill Abramson, Abigail Webber, and Seth Rogovoy.

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