News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GALVIN keeps his OPTIONS OPEN — MAYOR’S RACE TENSION — BOSTON COPS who make BIG SALARIES

Friday, April 30, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GALVIN keeps his OPTIONS OPEN — MAYOR’S RACE TENSION — BOSTON COPS who make BIG SALARIES — Saying goodbye

Apr 30, 2021

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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!

NEW: GALVIN'S LEANING TOWARD ANOTHER TERM — Will he or won't he? Secretary of State Bill Galvin hasn't decided whether he'll seek another term. He's leaning toward a run, he said yesterday, but he could change his mind.

"I would continue doing it, most likely," Galvin told me over the phone. "You make a decision as the election approaches. But if you ask me today, it would be an affirmative. But that's not today. Today is today, not tomorrow. So that's kind of where we're at."

Galvin would rather focus on his day job, which right now includes overseeing the once-in-a-decade redrawing of congressional districts, and pushing the legislature to make voting by mail permanent. Galvin didn't want to speculate about the electoral futures of his colleagues, he added, because doesn't like to be speculated about himself.

But when you have a coveted role in state government and have held it since 1995, some speculation comes with the territory. Galvin is a Massachusetts institution, clever and combative enough to be known around Beacon Hill as the "Prince of Darkness." He's served with five governors, six if you count Acting Gov. Jane Swift. And prior to all that, Galvin spent over a decade as an Allston-Brighton state representative.

The race for secretary of state has garnered some attention, especially as voting issues have exploded on the national stage. But it pales in comparison to the 2022 race for governor — where the two most-watched pols aren't even running yet. The political group EMILY's List is already targeting Gov. Charlie Baker, and Attorney General Maura Healey just dropped $21,000 on polling, according to the Boston Herald.

The secretary faced questions about his political plans earlier this week — he told the State House News Service he enjoys his job, but did not indicate what he'd do next year, saying instead that he wanted to plan out a better answer. His new comments this morning make his 2022 intentions a tiny bit clearer.

By saying now that he's leaning toward running for another term, Galvin may scare off any potential primary challengers while he decides his plan. He knocked out former Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim in the 2018 Democratic primary. And he's got a significant war chest. Galvin has $1.7 million on hand, according to state campaign finance records.

THANK YOU AND FAREWELL! — When I started writing Massachusetts Playbook, I was terrified I'd wake up one morning and there would be no news. I was wrong.

Thank you for sticking with Playbook through a couple of wild political years, which included a presidential election, a blockbuster Senate race, a public health crisis, the changing of the guard on Beacon Hill and at Boston City Hall, a Super Bowl and a World Series. Today is my last day as the author of Massachusetts Playbook, and I'll begin writing POLITICO's national campaigns newsletter Morning Score in May. And it keeps getting better — the wonderful Lisa Kashinsky will hold the keys to Playbook on Monday, so send all your scoops and birthdays her way.

It means the world that you kept a spot for Massachusetts Playbook in your inbox. Signing off is bittersweet. Thanks for reading, sending in your tips and suggestions, picking up the phone late at night or on the weekend, and sharing every phone number in your Rolodex.

There's nothing quite like Massachusetts politics. I don't know what I'll do with all this encyclopedic knowledge of who has been holding a grudge against who for the past 20 years, but I do know how lucky I was to start my career here. And finally, a special thank you to my editor Charlie Mahtesian, who tirelessly edits Playbook every morning and was endlessly patient every time I missed my alarm clock.

Please don't be a stranger! Reach me any time at smurray@politico.com.

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 speaks on a Covid-19 economic recovery call with Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan and others, and tours Galvin Middle School in Canton. Patriots owner Robert Kraft unveils a mobile addiction treatment and vaccination facility in Brockton. The state's outdoor mask rules relax.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Active COVID cases in Massachusetts now dropping daily with 50% of the state's population with at least one vaccine shot," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Active COVID cases declined on Thursday, down from 27,321 yesterday to 26,410, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health. State health officials confirmed another 1,260 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday."

– "Mass. reports 718 new coronavirus cases among public school students, 94 among school staff over two-week period," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Local school officials in Massachusetts reported to the state 718 new coronavirus cases among students and 94 among school staff members for the two-week period that ended Wednesday. Though the case numbers were documented over a two-week period, schools were on vacation for the week of April 19, so the data only include five school days."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Climate, transportation and education: Here's how each is addressed in the Massachusetts House $47.7 billion budget plan for fiscal 2022," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The Massachusetts House approved a $47.7 billion budget early Thursday, boosting funding to public education, tourism and the state's response to COVID-19. The final vote came down around 2:30 a.m. Thursday with unanimous approval for the fiscal 2022 spending plan. While the House budget proposes more spending than the governor's, the plan includes no broad-based taxes."

– "Former senator Scott Brown played a pivotal role in bringing back road races next month," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Gearing up for a road race, triathlon, or a charity ride? You might want to thank former politician Scott Brown. The senator-turned-ambassador-turned-law school president quietly arranged a meeting in March between race organizers and Governor Charlie Baker's point people for the state's economic reopening, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito and economic development secretary Mike Kennealy."

– "Under pressure, Mass. Senate creates panel to help ensure $400 million soldiers' home project includes minority-owned firms," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Facing pressure from Black-owned businesses, the Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a $600 million bill that effectively requires a new state soldiers' home be built using collective bargaining, but while under the watch of a new committee to help ensure it involves women and minority-owned firms — and bars bidders who've failed to hire enough in the past."

– "Trouble may be ahead for $600 million bond bill for new Holyoke Soldiers' Home, statewide services, after easy passage by Senate," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: "After an easy passage before the Senate on Thursday, a $600 million bond bill for a new Holyoke Soldiers' Home and other veterans' services may face pushback from House leaders."

– "State Rarely Enforced Mask And Travel Orders, WBUR Review Finds," by Steve Brown, WBUR: "Starting Friday, individuals in Massachusetts can no longer be fined $300 for failing to wear a mask or other face covering in public. And Massachusetts recently lifted a $500 fine on travelers who refused to quarantine after coming to the state. But a WBUR review found that the state's mask and travel orders were rarely enforced."

– "Universal childcare in Mass. comes with a $5b price tag," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "When early education advocates unveiled an ambitious proposal in February to overhaul the state's childcare system and provide publicly subsidized universal pre-K, they were missing one major piece of the plan: its cost. On Thursday, the liberal-leaning Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center provided a cost: $5.03 billion in new public spending to serve around 288,000 children from birth through age five."

– "State unveils new guidelines on dyslexia screening," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "School districts will be required to screen for dyslexia, a learning disability that affects as many as 1 in 6 children in Massachusetts, under new state guidelines. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued criteria for school districts to use in screening students, with a heavy emphasis on kindergarten through 3rd graders, as well as suggested curriculums for students who are diagnosed."

– "Companies accused of illegally leasing dogs waive more than $126K in settlement with Massachusetts AG Maura Healey," by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: "A pair of companies accused of illegally leasing dogs in Massachusetts have agreed to waive more than $126,000 in outstanding balances and hand over dozens of canines to residents in a settlement with state Attorney General Maura Healey, the prosecutor's office announced Thursday."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Charlie Baker says Massachusetts could lift COVID-19 restrictions sooner if more residents get vaccinated," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Gov. Charlie Baker reiterated Thursday that Massachusetts could lift virtually all COVID-19 restrictions earlier than the recently announced Aug. 1 date — but only if the vaccine uptake and decreasing infection rates continue their momentum."

– "Moderna is pledging to supply the world with billions of COVID-19 vaccine doses. Protesters say it's not enough." by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "With the rise of COVID-19 variants and the expected need for vaccine boosters in the years ahead, the Cambridge-based biotech firm announced plans Thursday to increase its global supply up to 3 billion doses in 2022, doubling production at its manufacturing plants in Switzerland and Spain and increasing it 50 percent at its facilities in the United States. But as the pandemic rages in other parts of the world, overwhelming hospitals in India and Brazil, activists say it's too little, too late."

FROM THE HUB

– "With spending on police in the spotlight, more than 30 Boston officers made more than $300,000 in 2020," by Danny McDonald and Ryan Huddle, Boston Globe: "Amid sustained calls for police reform, marches demanding an end to systemic racism, and an uptick in street violence, more than 30 Boston police officers made more than $300,000 last year thanks in part to overtime earnings that yet again exceeded what the city had budgeted for the year, according to city data."

– "New faces, new Boston," by Shafaq Patel, Houston Business Journal: "Never before have there been so many leaders of color among Boston's nonprofits. Now, advocates say, the challenge is to give them support to overcome obstacles and bring about the vision they were hired for."

– "Thousands of homes in Massachusetts still have lead water pipes, and many residents don't know," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "Despite the grave dangers of lead, which can cause lifelong health problems, especially for children, there are as many as 10 million lead service lines in the United States, with an estimated 220,000 in Massachusetts, according to state and federal environmental officials."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Boston mayoral hopefuls criticize Kim Janey's decision to delay Boston's reopening," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey's decision to delay Boston's reopening by three weeks behind the state's plans is drawing fire from some of her mayoral rivals."

– "Email aimed at easing Campbell out of mayor's race ," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "A prominent black real estate developer is seizing on a report that Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins is the leading candidate for US attorney for Massachusetts to try to nudge City Councilor Andrea Campbell out of the Boston mayor's race."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "'Overall boom of people booking': New Englanders plan trips, calling it 'revenge travel,'" by Hadley Barndollar, USA Today: "Trending on the internet lately is the newly coined buzzword 'revenge travel.' Revenge on whom, exactly? COVID-19 and the lost year of 2020, of course. Honeymoons and family trips postponed, adventurous excursions canceled. Funerals and births a plane ride away left unattended. People want revenge."

FEELING '22

– "Maura Healey shells out $21,000 on polling as she shrugs off rumors of governor," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Attorney General Maura Healey continued to play coy when it came to questions about her gubernatorial aspirations this week even as her campaign shelled out nearly $21,000 for polling."

DAY IN COURT

– "Jasiel Correia trial: Ex confirms lavish gifts, accountant details phony business expenses," by Jo C. Goode, Linda Murphy, Dan Medeiros and Lynne Sullivan, The Herald News: "For 3½ years, a young Washington state woman dated Jasiel Correia II in a fantasy relationship complete with stays at expensive hotels, expensive gifts and pricey restaurant meals and travel. And the federal government says it was funded through investment money meant to develop his then start-up app company SnoOwl."

– "Suffolk DA kicks off effort to drop tens of thousands of convictions tied to tainted state drug lab," by Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Globe: "Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins launched a historic effort Thursday to overturn charges in tens of thousands of criminal cases built on drug evidence she says were tainted by rampant mismanagement and misconduct at a now-shuttered state drug lab."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Exclusive: U.S. Labor Secretary throws his support behind classifying gig workers as employees," by Nandita Bose, Reuters: "A lot of gig workers in the United States should be classified as 'employees' who deserve work benefits, President Biden's labor secretary said on Thursday, suggesting a shift in policy that is likely to raise costs for companies that depend on contractors such as Uber and Lyft."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

– "'We feel like the ugly stepchildren of cannabis.' Mass. hemp farmers wait in regulatory purgatory," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "When Massachusetts voters approved Question 4 in 2016, they legalized not just marijuana, but also hemp, a variety of cannabis that contains almost none of the high-inducing THC for which its cousin is famous. The fast-growing crop, which can be used to make everything from clothing to lotions to CBD edibles, was heralded as a moneymaker that could help prop up the state's dwindling number of small family farms."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "MAC TO THE FUTURE," — Globe: "30 police in Boston made over 300,000," "A menace from the past still lurks below."

FROM THE 413

– "With outdoor basketball banned in Springfield due to COVID, City Councilor Malo Brown looks for an assist from Gov. Charlie Baker," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "Known worldwide as the birthplace of basketball, the city continues to debate a ban on the game at city parks due to COVID-19, with the issue now reaching Gov. Charlie Baker's office ."

– "PETA renews campaign against monkey research at UMass," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "An animal rights organization is continuing its campaign to end research on marmoset monkeys at the University of Massachusetts. This week, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced that it would be taking a series of steps, including running print advertisements that depict the laboratory animals at UMass and use phrases such as 'U Mass Murderers' and 'UMass: Ignorance isn't bliss.'"

– "Gov. Baker's easing of outdoor face-covering does not apply in Downtown Amherst; $300 fine eliminated," by Jim Russell, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker's easing the face-covering COVID-19 mandate when outdoors, effective on Friday, will not apply to downtown Amherst, and will remain in effect, though the town plans to review this soon."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Everett City Councilor to challenge mayor," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "Gerly Adrien, who made history by becoming the first Black woman elected to Everett City Council in 2019, plans to announce today that she's running for mayor."

– "State senator touts Cape Cod's virus response ahead of summer travel season," by Kristi Palma, Boston.com: "Cape Cod's vaccination rates and strict safety protocols make it one of the safest tourist regions in the nation, a Massachusetts state senator said Thursday."

– "Statues to hatchet-wielding colonist reconsidered," by Philip Marcelo, The Associated Press: "A pair of fierce monuments honor an English colonist who, legend has it, slaughtered her Native American captors after the gruesome killing of her baby. But historians and Native Americans say the monuments to Hannah Duston obscure a grim truth: most of the Indigenous people she killed and scalped likely weren't warriors who killed her baby, but instead were children."

– "Northborough-Southborough Votes To Retire "Tomahawk" Imagery From Algonquin Regional High School," by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: "The Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee voted on Wednesday night to drop the use of Native American imagery for Algonquin Regional High School's sports teams."

– "St. Vincent nurses rebuke staffing audit idea, say they don't need committee 'to tell us how unsafe conditions are,'" by Isabel Sami, Telegram & Gazette: "After another round of negotiations ended without resolution Monday, striking St. Vincent Hospital nurses and hospital management have not set a date for another meeting. Monday's negotiation ended after the nurses' bargaining committee denied a new proposal from hospital management calling for the creation of a committee to review the hospital's staffing levels every quarter and ensure staffing guidelines in the nurses' current contract are being met."

– "Winthrop man denies making racist hand gesture on 'Jeopardy!' after 500-plus former contestants sign open letter," by Kevin Slane, Boston.com: "Winthrop resident Kelly Donohue recently enjoyed a four-day run on the beloved game show 'Jeopardy!,' winning three games and $80,601 thanks to several high-risk Daily Double bets and good command of the board."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Matt Segneri, executive director of Harvard Innovation Labs; comms consultant Matt Wilder, Gimlet's Martin Kessler, former Assistant Secretary of Business Development and International Trade at EOHED Nam Pham, Nikko Mendoza, Executive Director of Harvard Innovation Labs Matt Segneri, James Barron of Barron Associates Worldwide and Joseph Bottum.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Saturday birthday-ers state Rep. Daniel Donahue, John Olds, Gimlet's Abbie Ruzicka, and Gary Uter. And to Sunday birthday-ers Matt Murphy of State House News and former state Sen. Dianne Wilkerson.

NEW EPISODE: THE GIF THAT KEEPS ON GIVING – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss redistricting in Massachusetts and across the country. Friend of the pod and Law360 reporter Sarah Betancourt breaks down gun regulations in Massachusetts. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.

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