News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WALSH confirmed as LABOR SECRETARY — JANEY makes HISTORY — BAKER to testify — Court to reconsider BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER death sentence

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WALSH confirmed as LABOR SECRETARY — JANEY makes HISTORY — BAKER to testify — Court to reconsider BOSTON MARATHON BOMBER death sentence

Mar 23, 2021

Presented by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It is great to be back in your inbox. A big thank you to POLITICO's Shannon Young and Sam Mintz for their excellent work on Playbook while I was off for a couple of days.

JANEY MAKES HISTORY — It's an historic morning in Boston. Acting Mayor Kim Janey took office last night, after former Mayor Marty Walsh was confirmed by the Senate to serve as Labor Secretary.

Janey is the first woman and Black Bostonian to lead the city. The transfer of power officially happened when Walsh, Biden's final cabinet pick to be confirmed by the Senate, resigned his post at 9 p.m. Janey assumed her role one minute later, at 9:01 p.m.

On her first full day as acting mayor, Janey will visit a school in Charlestown, and attend several meetings, according to a City Hall spokesperson. In the evening, Janey will host a free, virtual "swearing-in pre-celebration." Janey's political team did not say who would be in attendance at tonight's event. Janey will hold a formal swearing-in ceremony on Wednesday at noon, and continues to raise money for her transition.

"Historic first Black mayor, first woman mayor of Boston. Not acting, doing," Janey's newly-updated Twitter bio reads, a nod to her title as acting mayor. The distinction does carry some power restrictions compared to an elected mayor under Boston's charter. It will set up some interesting power dynamics in the months to come, especially if Janey seeks a full term.

If Janey runs for mayor this fall, and many assume she will, she'll join an already crowded field. But she's got some time — candidates can't pull papers to run for City Hall's top job until next month. And while Janey would have a leg up as the incumbent, actions she takes as acting mayor would be judged through the lens of a candidate from the moment she enters the race.

Walsh's official City Hall exit also marks a new phase in the race to replace him. The former mayor said he won't weigh in, calling it "not right" to play a role during his final press conference as mayor yesterday. That would probably also violate the federal Hatch Act, as another Biden appointee learned recently. Walsh did acknowledge that alumni of his political organization are "everywhere" in the city and tied to a number of the mayoral campaigns. One theme that's already emerging is whether the next mayor should continue Walsh's legacy, or take the city in a different direction.

For more mayoral reading, here's a pair of op-eds from Walsh and Janey. Walsh's hometown paper, the Dorchester Reporter, is marking his rise to the Department of Labor with a 44-page spread. Plus, the Boston Globe's take on Walsh's legacy, and Janey's place in history.

BEACON HILL VS. BAKER ROUND TWO — Gov. Charlie Baker is back in the (virtual) hot seat today. He's expected to testify before the legislature's Covid-19 committee this afternoon.

There were some fireworks at the first hearing hosted by the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management a few weeks ago. Legislators pressed Baker to apologize for problems with the state's vaccine rollout. In the weeks that followed, polling showed Baker's sky-high public approval rating had dropped, something the governor told GBH News he believes is partly due to pandemic fatigue.

Today's hearing begins at 11 a.m., and Baker's testimony is slated for 3 p.m. Also set to testify are a number of local public health experts, lawmakers and Baker administration officials including Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency Director Samantha Phillips, and Kerin Milesky, director of the Department of Public Health's Office of Preparedness and Emergency Management.

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

TODAY — Teamsters holds a "thank you" event with Rep. Richard Neal on the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act, which was included in the American Rescue Plan. Rep. Jim McGovern holds a virtual press conference on the American Rescue Plan.

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 LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports 1,103 new COVID cases, 27 deaths on Monday as state surpasses 580,000 cases since beginning of pandemic," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "State health officials confirmed another 1,103 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, which is based on 36,869 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 16,558."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Baker Sees COVID Fatigue Shaping Public Approval," by Mike Deehan, GBH News: "Gov. Charlie Baker's slipping job approval rating can be attributed to Massachusetts residents' pandemic fatigue, the governor told GBH News in an exclusive interview Monday. 'I think everybody's anxious for the pandemic to be over. I am. I don't know why everybody else wouldn't be either,' Baker replied when asked about his reaction to a UMass Amherst poll that found the high support he's enjoyed since he was elected six years ago beginning to slip."

– "AG Healey: It Is Time To Stop 'Making Excuses' For Hate-Fueled Violence And Prosecute Hate Crimes," by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: "Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, appearing on Boston Public Radio on Monday, renewed her call for strengthening hate crime legislation in the wake of a deadly shooting in Georgia that left six Asian women dead. She also discussed the state's vaccine rollout, and news that the Supreme Court will hear an appeal to reinstate the death penalty of Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev."

– "Lawmakers seek more money for climate change," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Lawmakers want to ramp up environmental spending as the state nears passage of a landmark climate change bill that sets aggressive new limits on greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Charlie Baker's $46 billion preliminary budget, filed in January, calls for about $293 million for the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs -- a roughly 6.2% decrease from the previous fiscal year."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Rate Of Second Vaccine Doses In Boston's Homeless Community Higher Than Expected," by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: "Doctors and nurses administering COVID-19 vaccines to people experiencing homelessness in Boston say they're pleased with the level of vaccine acceptance so far — particularly the rate of second doses administered — but they caution there's more work to do to get the numbers higher."

FROM THE HUB

– "Boston seeking delay on full-time in-person learning," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "Boston school officials announced on Monday they will seek state approval to delay a return of full-time in-person learning in its elementary schools on April 5, but remain committed to bringing students back to classrooms five days a week later in the month."

– "Massachusetts Public Colleges Are Withholding Transcripts And Degrees From Thousands Over Unpaid Bills," by Kirk Carapezza and Jon Marcus, GBH News: "Nationwide, 6.6 million students can't obtain their transcripts from public and private colleges and universities for having unpaid bills as low as $25 or less, the higher education consulting firm Ithaka S+R estimates. The policy prevents students from being able to take their credits with them if they transfer, and from getting jobs that could help them pay their balances."

– "Nine Zero terminates majority of staff, the latest Boston hotel to cut workers," by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: "The Kimpton Nine Zero Hotel, a high-end property in downtown Boston, has terminated the majority of its staff, the fourth hotel in the city to terminate furloughed workers as the industry struggles to recover from devastating financial losses brought on by the pandemic."

– "Massachusetts should have a centralized 'hub' to help women entrepreneurs, report says," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Women who start their own businesses don't just need financial capital. They also need social capital, and something dubbed 'inspiration capital.' To provide that support, Massachusetts should have a statewide organization or initiative that could help bring together women entrepreneurs so they can share tips and success stories. That's one of the big conclusions in a report issued Monday by the accounting and consulting giant Deloitte on women and entrepreneurship."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Backlash after Nick Collins' St. Patrick's Day breakfast joke about Michelle Wu," by Christina Prignano, Boston Globe: "State Senator Nick Collins is under fire after tweeting a joke aimed at City Councilor and mayoral candidate Michelle Wu during the runup to the St. Patrick's Day breakfast that suggested she wasn't 'from Boston.' Some on Twitter criticized it in light of recent violence and an increase in racist incidents targeting the Asian American community."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "What it costs to be the Patriots' 'official' airport," by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: "T.F. Green Airport in Rhode Island competes against its much bigger rival to the north in Boston using all sorts of promotions, with some interesting terms and conditions. For example, Green is the ' Official Airport of the New England Patriots,' a distinction that gives it some cachet."

A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

DAY IN COURT

– "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins to drop charges, convictions in tens of thousands of cases tied to troubled state lab," by Dugan Arnett and Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Globe: "Citing widespread misconduct and a 'catastrophic failure of management,' Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins on Monday announced a plan to drop charges in tens of thousands of criminal cases that had evidence processed at a scandal-plagued state drug lab, widening the scope of what was already the largest drug lab scandal in the country's history."

– "Court could reimpose Boston Marathon bomber's death sentence," by Mark Sherman, The Associated Press: "The Supreme Court said Monday it will consider reinstating the death sentence for Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, presenting President Joe Biden with an early test of his opposition to capital punishment."

WARREN REPORT

– "Elizabeth Warren and AOC want to spend $500 billion to create 1 million green infrastructure jobs," by Ayelet Sheffey, Insider: "President Joe Biden campaigned on an infrastructure bill focused on job creation and climate change. And now, progressive lawmakers are looking to put his plans into action."

– "A Year After Ending Her Presidential Bid, Warren Wields Soft Power in Washington," by Alan Rappeport, The New York Times: "A year after ending her own presidential bid, and with her aspirations of becoming Treasury secretary unfulfilled, Ms. Warren now wields influence in her own way. She has shepherded a pipeline of progressive former staff members into powerful jobs across the government, and she releases a steady stream of legislative proposals that have kept her progressive ideas at the forefront of the policy conversation."

MARKEYCHUSETTS

– "Ed Markey's ahistorical attack on the filibuster," by Salvador Rizzo, The Washington Post: "Democrats who want the filibuster gone often talk about its well-known history as a tool of enslavers and segregationists. Markey, a liberal senator who co-sponsored the Green New Deal, takes it much further by saying the filibuster was 'created' so slave owners could run the government."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

– "Somerset struggles amid slow rollout of offshore wind," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "When a St. Louis company bought the massive coal-fired Brayton Point power plant in Somerset in 2018, the firm was viewed far and wide as a white knight riding to the town's rescue. Commercial Development Co., which bills itself as North America's leading brownfield developer, promised to raze the shuttered power plant and convert the 306 acres along the Taunton River into an outpost for America's emerging offshore wind industry."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "FLUSHED," — Globe: "For Boston, transition steeped in history."

FROM THE 413

– "Pittsfield health official says city lacks 'expertise' to probe cell tower complaints," by Amanda Burke, The Berkshire Eagle: "The city's director of public health said her department is ill-equipped to fulfill the City Council's request to investigate reports from neighbors who believe that cellular radiation emitted from the tower off South Street is causing health problems."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "FBI data shows rate of reported crimes in New Bedford down nearly 40% over last decade," by Anastasia E. Lennon, The Standard-Times: "The crime rate, taken as the total of reported violent and property crimes, has dropped 38% in New Bedford since 2011, according to FBI data provided by the New Bedford Police Department."

– "St. Vincent replacement nurses accused of improper patient care by staff, union; hospital CEO calls claims false," by Isabel Sami, Telegram & Gazette: "As more than 600 nurses continue to picket outside St. Vincent Hospital for the third week of an open-ended strike against Tenet Healthcare, staff inside the hospital are making claims regarding improper patient care by replacement nurses."

– "Lowell mayor, city councilors deny bailing out arrested protesters," by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: "Following 13 weeks of protests over the disappearance and death of Moses Harris that culminated in the arrest of two protesters Saturday, both of the city's police unions are outraged over the belief that a group of city councilors allegedly bailed the protesters out."

– "Cape Cod summer: Business owners see potential for rebound," by Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times: "Business owners on the Cape are generally optimistic about summer, whether it's because of, or in spite of, President Biden's call to reopen the country in time for July 4."

– "Duxbury school officials investigate 'highly offensive language' during football game," by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Patriot Ledger: "The town's school officials are investigating the use of 'highly offensive language' that had 'religious connotations' during the high school's football game March 12. In a letter, Superintendent John Antonucci said the offensive terms were spoken on the field as a part of the play-call system. He said the language had religious connotations."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to state Sen. Paul Feeney.

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):

As a leading health insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) has a long-standing commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Join Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) for a conversation with Andrew Dreyfus, President & CEO of BCBSMA, as he shares the triumphs and the challenges on the journey to achieving diversity at every level of the organization – board of directors, leadership and employee base. Hear about the company's approach to the business case and initiatives to ensure an inclusive environment, while leading through unprecedented change – COVID-19, Remote Working and other factors impacting the workforce.

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