News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DELEGATION wants FLEXIBILITY for COVID RELIEF FUNDS – CAMPBELL hosts FUNDRAISER tonight

Thursday, March 25, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: DELEGATION wants FLEXIBILITY for COVID RELIEF FUNDS – CAMPBELL hosts FUNDRAISER tonight – COVID numbers TREND UPWARD

Mar 25, 2021

Presented by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: LAWMAKERS WANT FLEXIBILITY IN RELIEF SPENDING — Concerned that small cities hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic could get left behind by the American Rescue Plan, the all-Democratic Massachusetts congressional delegation is urging Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen to provide "maximum flexibility" when it comes to funding guidelines.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley are among the Massachusetts officials who signed onto the letter, first reported in Playbook, along with Sen. Ed Markey and Reps. Katherine Clark, Richard Neal, Jim McGovern, Stephen Lynch, Bill Keating, Seth Moulton, Lori Trahan and Jake Auchincloss. Lawmakers in other states have also joined onto the letter to Yellen.

The American Rescue Plan uses a statutory formula to determine how much direct assistance to give cities and towns, which is based on population. That's caused a scramble in small Massachusetts cities. Chelsea, for example, was hit so hard by Covid-19 that it made national news last year. But the city's population of 40,000 falls short of a threshold that would allow it to unlock more funding. Newton, on the other hand, will get five times as much funding as Chelsea under the plan, because it has a population of 88,000.

"We must take additional steps to ensure our most vulnerable communities are not once again left behind," the letter says. Pressley is also urging the governor to direct more funds to hard-hit cities.

WITH MAYOR'S RACE SHIFTING, CAMPBELL RAISES FUNDS — Candidate for mayor of Boston Andrea Campbell will hold a virtual fundraiser tonight, just a day after Acting Mayor Kim Janey was sworn into office.

While Janey hasn't announced whether she'll run for a full term, the race for mayor is entering a new phase now that an incumbent mayor could be in the mix. Campbell has the largest war chest ($841,000) of the five major mayoral candidates, and a new super PAC is already wading into the race to support her, the Boston Business Journal reports. But there are still months to go until the September preliminary election. Perhaps an indicator of the new acting mayor's plans: Janey's political Facebook page began running ads yesterday that celebrate her new role.

Tonight's "Women for Andrea" event has a long guest list, including former Massachusetts First Lady Diane Patrick, who will introduce Campbell at the fundraiser. Some event hosts: former Attorney General Martha Coakley, former Secretary of Public Safety Andrea Cabral, Governor's Councilor Eileen Duff, state Rep. Liz Malia and former state Rep. Marie St. Fleur. The group is also bipartisan — former MassGOP chair Jennifer Nassour is a host. Tickets range from $25 to $1,000.

MARIANO TO FOCUS ON ECONOMIC RECOVERY IN CHAMBER SPEECH — House Speaker Ron Mariano will speak to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce for the first time in his new role this morning.

Mariano plans to reflect on the past year, and the role the legislature has played in the pandemic, according to his office. He'll also spend some time talking about the state's post-Covid economic recovery.

Another step in the recovery will come next week, when the new House Committee on Federal Stimulus and Census Oversight holds a hearing on the American Rescue Plan. Similar to the congressional delegation, state lawmakers are hammering out how the pandemic relief package should be used in the state.

The speech could also serve as an opportunity for Mariano to push the governor on his Covid-19 response. Early in his speakership, Mariano has been a pretty vocal critic of GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, especially over the vaccine rollout. Mariano, a Democrat, went from saying he had "no idea" how vaccinations were going when he took office in December to pushing for teacher vaccinations and green-lighting a new Covid-19 committee that's held oversight hearings on the governor twice so far.

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 and Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey attend a flag-raising and wreath-laying ceremony for National Medal of Honor Day. Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark speaks at a virtual rally for the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act. Rep. Jim McGovern visits a Covid-19 vaccination center at UMass Amherst and helps deliver Meals on Wheels in Ware.

House Speaker Ron Mariano addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell holds a fundraiser for her mayoral campaign. The House and Senate both plan formal sessions.

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

– "COVID hospitalizations tick up for third straight day as active infections rises to 27,374 on Wednesday," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "The number of patients being hospitalized with COVID-19 rose for the third straight day after weeks of decline, according to the latest COVID-19 data from the Department of Public Health. State health officials confirmed another 1,865 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, which is based on 106,349 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Charlie Baker backs Massachusetts's strict gun laws as a national model," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "As Democrats in Washington, D.C., again push for stricter federal gun laws in the wake of two mass shootings that killed 18 people in the span of less than a week, Gov. Charlie Baker said Wednesday afternoon that the country would be well served to replicate the tight rules in Massachusetts."

– "$400 million bond bill for new Holyoke Soldiers' Home clears first legislative committee," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: "A $400 million bond bill to finance a new Holyoke Soldiers' Home cleared its first legislative hurdle after receiving unanimous, favorable votes this week to advance the bill. The big-ticket proposal created waves in the veterans community after debate before the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight last week. But, when it came time to vote, members were in lock step."

– "State relaxes visitation, activity rules at nursing homes," The Associated Press: "Nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other congregate care facilities in Massachusetts are now allowed to welcome more visitors and resume group activities for residents given high vaccination rates, the state Executive Office of Health and Human Services said in a statement Wednesday."

– "In stop at picket line, AG Healey pledges backing of St. Vincent nurses," by Isabel Sami, Telegram & Gazette: "Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey joined the striking nurses outside St. Vincent Hospital Wednesday afternoon, becoming one of many public officials showing support for the nurses during the labor dispute. Healey stood on the strike line outside the hospital at 3 p.m. on the 16th day of the open-ended strike, voicing her admiration and support for the nurses on the picket line."

– "McKinsey tapped for Baker's future-of-work study," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "The Baker administration has chosen McKinsey & Co. to conduct a study into how the pandemic will reshape the way that people work in Massachusetts, an initiative that could lead to changes in housing, economic development, transportation and other policies."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Baker not interested in vaccine mandates – for now," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Gov. Charlie Baker isn't interested in requiring public-facing employees to get vaccinated, at least right now. And he's got a problem with public officials who use their position to cut the vaccine line. In an interview Wednesday on the Boston Public Radio show, Baker said he wouldn't favor a mandate requiring members of the State Police, correctional officers, nursing home workers and other public-facing employees to be vaccinated in order to perform their duties."

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

– "Massachusetts Republicans request access to 'undeliverable' mail-ballot applications," by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "Republican lawmakers are taking their quest for information on the cost and efficacy of last year's vote-by-mail expansion to the state archives, where they believe a trove of undeliverable ballot applications are being housed."

FROM THE HUB

– "Kim Janey sworn in as acting mayor of Boston; 'Today is a new day,'" by Danny McDonald and Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey, in her first public address as the city's executive, needed just five words to encapsulate the history being made. 'Today is a new day,' she said Wednesday. Janey made the remarks after she was formally sworn in to the post she assumed Monday night after Martin J. Walsh left to become the nation's labor secretary. The City Hall ceremony celebrated an historic pair of firsts: Janey is Boston's first Black mayor and the city's first female mayor."

– "The Boston Police Commissioner Scandal And Other Things On Kim Janey's Mind," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Following her ceremonial swearing-in — a demonstration of the city's growing Black political muscle — acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey revealed that she is meeting with concerned 'stakeholders' about the issue of Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White's ongoing suspension and investigation."

– "With fans returning, ticketing and seating at Boston sports arenas is like 'a jigsaw puzzle,'" by Michael Silverman, Boston Globe: "As sellouts go, the crowd of 2,191 expected at the Bruins game Thursday night will represent a new low. But the reopening of TD Garden — even at 12 percent capacity — followed soon by Fenway Park and Gillette Stadium, represents an immeasurable lift to a Boston pro sports scene that has gone more than a year without a single fan in attendance at one of the major venues."

– "Campaign urges public to 'carry a lifeline' of Narcan," by John Laidler, Boston Globe: "As first responders increasingly make use of Narcan as a life-saving tool, a group of nonprofits and municipalities north of Boston is sounding the message that everyone should consider carrying the opiate overdose medication."

– "The Next Trick: Pulling Coronavirus Out of Thin Air," by Emily Anthes, The New York Times: "A decade ago, when the firefighter John Burke earned his master's degree in health care emergency management, he wrote his thesis on pandemic planning. So when the coronavirus hit last spring, Mr. Burke, now the fire chief in Sandwich, Mass., was ready."

– "Things We Never Thought We'd Miss about Taking the T," by Lillian Cohen, Boston Magazine: "Ever since March 2020, our commutes have been… different. Those of us lucky enough to be able to work from home have had little contact with the trains and buses we love to hate. And absence, as they say, makes the heart grow fonder. Now, with an end to remote work in sight and plans for a return to the 'new normal' just around the eardrum-irritating corner, Boston is about to be reunited with the MBTA."

DAY IN COURT

– "Facebook may have to disclose some app records in privacy probe, Massachusetts court rules," by Nate Raymond, Reuters: "Massachusetts' top court on Wednesday reversed an order requiring Facebook Inc to turn over to state Attorney General Maura Healey records identifying apps the company suspected had misused customer data, but the justices said she ultimately could obtain some materials."

A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

WARREN REPORT

– "Elizabeth Warren grills Janet Yellen: Why isn't BlackRock 'too big to fail?'" by David Goldman, CNN Business: "Senator Elizabeth Warren wants to know why the Biden administration isn't more concerned that BlackRock manages $9 trillion in assets -- more than the annual GDP of any country not named the United States or China. At a hearing held by the Senate Banking Committee, Warren noted that the Federal Reserve began designating very large banks as 'too-big-to-fail,' giving them stronger oversight granted by Congress in the Dodd-Frank act."

– "In Wake Of Dual Shootings, Warren Calls For Immediate Vote On Assault Weapons Ban," by Aidan Connelly, GBH News: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., told Boston Public Radio on Wednesday that Senate leaders should bring an assault weapons ban to the Senate floor. 'Let's just put an assault weapons ban on the floor now and vote,' she said."

FROM THE DELEGATION

– "Third stimulus check: Rep. Richard Neal, lawmakers press IRS, Social Security Administration on delayed checks for 'some of the most vulnerable Americans,'" by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: "There are no excuses for delays in COVID-19 stimulus checks for Social Security and Veterans Affairs beneficiaries and other vulnerable Americans, Rep. Richard Neal and other Democratic lawmakers wrote to the Internal Revenue Service and Social Security Administration on Tuesday."

DATELINE D.C.

– "'People shouldn't be afraid of the word white privilege': New labor secretary talks inequality, racism and union power in first interview," by Eli Rosenberg, The Washington Post: "New labor secretary Marty Walsh has his work cut out for him. Some 18 million people are unemployed. The Labor Department has been criticized for doing few workplace safety inspections during the pandemic. And income inequality and race-based disparities — in wages, unemployment levels and other measurements — continue to worsen."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "FANS, FINALLY," "COACH FIRED, GAME OFF," "CLOSE QUARTERS," — Globe: "A test for Biden: Children at the border," "Broad will aim to use AI to fight diseases."

FROM THE 413

– "Letter castigates Smith over handling of 2018 incident where no bias was found," by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "A group of more than three dozen Black academic, religious leaders and others from around the country, many of them conservative, sent an open letter to Smith College President Kathleen McCartney this week urging the college to rethink how it handled allegations of racial profiling on campus in 2018 that made national headlines."

– "MCLA locks down apartment complex after COVID-19 outbreak," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "An outbreak of COVID-19 cases linked to campus socializing led the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts to restrict 242 students to their residences, starting Wednesday night, and to suspend all athletics."

– "State commission to provide additional oversight, monitoring of Hampden County Regional Board of Retirement," by Emily Thurlow, Springfield Republican: "The state commission that oversees public pension systems will hold weekly conference calls with the Hampden County Regional Board of Retirement and approve travel requests and expenses by board members under a set of oversight guidelines developed in the wake of a recent audit."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Harwich restaurants file litigation against town for COVID-19 enforcement," by Doug Fraser, Cape Cod Times: "Two restaurants accused of violating COVID-19 executive orders from Gov. Charlie Baker filed litigation in federal court last week alleging town officials were biased against them and had targeted their businesses while ignoring violations at other restaurants."

– "Wilmington Survivors React To Long-Awaited State Study Linking Cancer Cluster To Contaminated Water," by Lynn Jolicoeur and Jack Lepiarz, WBUR: "A two-decade-long study out Wednesday from the state Department of Public Health links a 1990s childhood cancer cluster in the town of Wilmington to contaminated drinking water. The study found a connection between prenatal exposure to a cancer-causing chemical that leached into the town's aquifer and cases of leukemia and lymphoma in children whose mothers drank the water while pregnant."

– "Lowell Mayor apologizes, says wife paid police protesters' bail," by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: "A divided City Council voted 5-4 Tuesday to seek an investigation and report into the events surrounding Mayor John Leahy's mayoral portrait unveiling ceremony and the involvement of protesters from a protest for Moses Harris outside the Police Department."

– "Duxbury fires head football coach over anti-Semitic play calls," by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, The Patriot Ledger: "A little over a week after Duxbury football players were heard using anti-Semitic terms for their play calls, head coach Dave Maimaron is out at the football program. He was put on paid administrative leave as a special education teacher and the school is hiring a law firm to conduct an investigation."

– "Massachusetts Restaurants With Outdoor Winter Dining Switch Gears," by Mary Blake, GBH News: "Outdoor dining in public spaces resumed in most of Boston this week. But in communities like Cambridge and Needham, it never went away. Needham Select Board member Mary Ann Cooley said that with the exception of January, she and her husband have been eating outside at town restaurants all year."

MEDIA MATTERS

– "Journalists at the medical news site Stat will join The Boston Globe's union." by Katie Robertson, The New York Times: "Journalists at Stat, the medical and science news website lauded for its pandemic coverage, will join the Boston Newspaper Guild, union representatives said in a statement Wednesday. Stat, headquartered in Boston, focuses on science, health and biotech journalism and has close to 40 editorial staff members."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Felice Belman at The New York Times, Vail Kohnert-Yount and Alissa C. Rooney.

NEW EPISODE: MAYOR MAY NOT – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray speak with Lynn Mayor Tom McGee about why he's not seeking another term in office, and discuss the mayoral transition in Boston and what the future might hold for remote work. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

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