News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GEARING UP for GIG ECONOMY showdown — BALLOT ACCESS push returns — SCHOOL BUS driver SHORTAGE

Tuesday, April 20, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GEARING UP for GIG ECONOMY showdown — BALLOT ACCESS push returns — SCHOOL BUS driver SHORTAGE —Agencies ‘SHROUDED in SECRECY’

Apr 20, 2021

Presented by Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM)

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: GIG ECONOMY BATTLE SHIFTS INTO GEAR — A coalition that counts Uber, Lyft and other major gig economy players among its members is pushing Beacon Hill to weigh in on how to classify app-based drivers. The group is boosting allies in the legislature, just commissioned a new poll and is laying the groundwork for a possible ballot question campaign.

At the heart of the battle is the question of whether drivers for apps like Uber and Lyft should be classified as employees or independent contractors. California voters gave the thumbs-up to a ballot proposal last year that shields companies from having to classify their workers as employees. The CEO of Uber has said that victory at the ballot box could serve as a model in other states.

The next showdown is cruising toward Massachusetts. Attorney General Maura Healey is already suing Uber and Lyft for classifying their drivers as independent contractors, alleging the companies denied the workers benefits they would have received as employees.

But Uber, Lyft and their allies say the independent contractor approach has public support. Seventy percent of voters support legislation that's similar, but not identical, to the proposal that passed in California, according to a new polling memo. The bill filed by state Reps. Mark Cusack, Carlos González and Joseph McGonagle would establish portable benefits accounts for app-based drivers, and workers would remain independent contractors. The poll was commissioned by the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work, and surveyed 1,003 Bay State voters from March 18 to March 24.

"Poll after poll shows that drivers overwhelmingly want to maintain the flexibility they have to work where and when they want," the coalition said in a statement. The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work includes Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart, along with Associated Industries of Massachusetts, the Massachusetts High Technology Council, and others.

One avenue for the coalition would be for lawmakers to pass the bill in the legislature. Thorny labor issues aside, the push also raises the question of when Beacon Hill will get back to some degree of normalcy, and make room for more bills unrelated to Covid-19 after a year in crisis mode.

But if lawmakers don't act, the poll may be a sign that the coalition is gearing up to put the issue on the ballot in 2022. If they do pursue a ballot campaign, the first steps begin in August of this year.

EXCLUSIVE: DO YOU GET DEJA VU? — Nearly all of the candidates running for mayor of Boston are calling on election officials to lower the number of signatures required to make the ballot this fall, according to a new letter first shared in Playbook this morning.

The pandemic-inspired request is similar to a successful push to cut down on signature requirements last spring.

"The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic renders in-person signature collection dangerous to public health," the letter reads. The document was signed by Acting Mayor Kim Janey, City Councilors Andrea Campbell and Annissa Essaibi George, state Rep. Jon Santiago and John Barros, along with several candidates running for city council. City Councilor Michelle Wu did not sign the letter, but did vote in support of a council resolution to lower the signature threshold.

This has happened before. Candidates fought for a lower signature threshold last spring, and the Supreme Judicial Court granted the request, slashing the number in half.

And while this issue is pretty far down in the weeds, the decision to cut down on signatures had a real impact last year. The race to replace former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, for example, had a larger field of candidates due to the lowered threshold. Rep. Jake Auchincloss won the crowded primary by a razor-thin margin.

In Boston, each mayoral hopeful must gather 3,000 signatures from voters to get on the ballot. Between six major candidates, that's 18,000 signatures. Candidates are calling on the secretary of state to make a change, or for the legislature to pass a temporary law or approve a home rule petition from the city. The letter was coordinated by Patrick Roath, an attorney and voting rights advocate who was involved in the push to lower the signature threshold last spring.

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

TODAY — Sen. Ed Markey and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez reintroduce the Green New Deal Resolution. Acting Mayor Kim Janey visits businesses in Egleston Square. The candidates running for mayor of Boston meet at a virtual forum.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Active COVID cases, hospitalizations inch up as Massachusetts opens up vaccinations to residents 16 and older," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Active COVID cases in Massachusetts increased slightly on Monday, from 34,553 on Sunday to 34,675, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health. State health officials confirmed another 1,236 new COVID-19 cases on Monday."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "A year after election, Boston officials recounted the vote. Now, the top vote-getter is suing to be seated," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "As far as political races go, the contest for Republican state committeewoman in Boston's Second Suffolk district was among the most obscure in Massachusetts. No one appeared on the March 2020 ballot. Three write-in candidates garnered a few dozen votes, according to the city's initial count."

– "State panel studies use of facial recognition technology," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Facial recognition systems can track criminals, thwart security threats and prevent fraud, but use of the controversial technology stirs debate over privacy, due process and racial bias. A sweeping police reform bill, signed into law in December, prohibits most state and local government agencies from using the technology."

– "A new Mass. women's prison may have disastrous consequences for poor and Black communities for decades, advocates say," by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: "A group of activists and lawmakers are challenging the construction of a women's prison in Norfolk, arguing it will have disastrous consequences for poor and Black communities for decades to come. Over the past year, Families for Justice as Healing has twice derailed the state's efforts to move forward with the plan, filing formal complaints over a lack of transparency. But the state appears to be pressing ahead anyway."

– "Pandemic puts hold on adoptions, family reunifications," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The children involved with the Department of Children and Families are already some of the most unsettled in the state. Now, the pandemic has further delayed many of these kids' chances to land in a permanent home, whether with their parent or with a new family."

– "Massachusetts quasi-state agencies clock sky-high pay," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: Quasi-state agencies — home to pay that tops $700,000 — are viewed as 'shrouded in secrecy' with many still not sharing their payrolls with the comptroller's office. The Herald has just posted 16 of the quasi wages from the likes of Massport and the Convention Center Authority to pension and housing boards. But at least a dozen more remain in the dark."

– "Tram Nguyen nominated for prestigious Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award from EMILY's List," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "State Rep. Tram Nguyen could be the second up-and-coming Massachusetts politician to win the prestigious Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award from EMILY's List and needs voter's help to push her across the finish line."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Combating COVID Vaccine Hesitancy May Be Next Battle For Mass." by Paige Sutherland, WBUR: "All Massachusetts residents age 16 and older can now sign up for a COVID-19 vaccine, but that doesn't mean everyone eligible will want the shot. In the coming weeks, state public health officials expect demand to slow down, and the hardest push, many believe, will be reaching out to those who are reluctant."

– "Many Parents Want Their Teens To Get The COVID Vaccine. Others Aren't So Sure," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "Starting this week, all teenagers 16 and older in Massachusetts became eligible to get the coronavirus vaccine, and the shots may soon be approved for even younger children. While some parents are eager to get their children vaccinated, others are skeptical ."

– "Twelfth Baptist Church in Roxbury, others 'central figures' in vaccination efforts as coronavirus fight carries on," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "As coronavirus vaccine appointments opened up to the remaining 1.7 million Massachusetts residents awaiting eligibility on Monday, a Roxbury church began doling out its first shots. Roxbury's Twelfth Baptist Church joined the ranks of dozens of churches, community centers and other cultural sites across the city that have taken on the role of vaccination clinic amid the coronavirus pandemic."

FROM THE HUB

– "Kim Janey names the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond as next energy and environment chief," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Standing among the 135 garden plots at Nightingale Community Garden in Dorchester, Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond would soon take over as Boston's new chief of Environment, Energy, and Open Space."

– "A school bus driver shortage is posing challenges in Massachusetts," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "The School Transportation Association of Massachusetts estimates there are approximately 1,200 vacant driver's seats to date across the state. The industry, built heavily around independent companies who contract their services to local schools, was hard hit by the initial shutdown of brick-and-mortar schools during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic."

– "Unseen: The Boy Victims Of The Sex Trade, Part II," by Phillip Martin and Jenifer B. McKim, GBH News: "Hundreds of thousands of young people are living without roofs over their heads or surfing from couch to couch in Massachusetts and across the United States, according to a 2017 study by the University of Chicago. Homelessness leaves youth particularly vulnerable to commercial sexual exploitation — more than a third of homeless youth in a 2016 national study conducted by the federal Administration for Children and Families said they had traded sex for something of value, including money, shelter and food."

A message from Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM):

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Boston City Council to mull moving Sept. 21 preliminary election up a week," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The Boston City Council on Tuesday is slated to discuss moving the preliminary municipal election up a week, from Sept. 21 to Sept. 14, which would give officials more time to distribute vote-by-mail ballots for the general contest in November."

– "Annissa Essaibi-George releases education and child care plan for Boston mayoral run," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Mayoral candidate Annissa Essaibi-George is rolling out a sprawling education and child care plan, as the former Boston Public Schools teacher says she's the candidate with the 'experience and knowledge and track record' to fix a wide range of issues."

– "A City Council candidate who can see what others can't," by Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe: "If elected, Gray would presumably become the first blind member of the Boston City Council. Although there is no national clearinghouse on such information, Gray said the only blind city councilor in the United States that he knows of is Yolanda Avila, who has been on the City Council of Colorado Springs since 2017."

– "Nearly everyone in the Boston mayor's race wants to eliminate some MBTA fares. The question is for whom." by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Nearly every candidate in the six-person field has expressed support for making some form of fare elimination on the MBTA a reality. However, they differ on the scope, and the degree to which fare-free transit is the best allocation of resources."

THE OPINION PAGES

– "Maverick Square, which honors state's first slave owner, should be renamed," by Annamarie Hoey, CommonWealth Magazine: "Maverick, whose namesake is now being positioned by real estate developers as Boston's next trendy neighborhood, is also well documented as the founder of the first recorded slave breeding program in the New World. Despite this sordid history and East Boston's heritage as having long been a destination for immigrants who themselves were the victims of discrimination and oppression, Maverick's name remains."

DAY IN COURT

– "Zoom access, 35 witnesses: What to expect from Jasiel Correia's federal corruption trial," by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News: "Hoping to watch former mayor Jasiel Correia's trial from home? You're in luck. Jury selection begins Tuesday, April 20, at the John Joseph Moakley United States Courthouse in Boston. Perhaps a silver lining in the disruption caused by the pandemic is that the public will have t he ability to watch the Correia trial remotely from their computers."

– "Court ruling that would restore citizen Police Commission in Springfield leaves questions, uncertainties," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "A court ruling that calls for the restoration of civilian oversight of the Police Department leaves some unanswered questions, including how it would impact current Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood."

BIDEN TIME

– "Liberals warn Biden against lengthy talks with GOP," by Burgess Everett and Marianne LeVine, POLITICO: "Joe Biden's entreaties to Republicans on his infrastructure bill are picking up steam. But progressives are warning the president not to get too attached to his GOP friends."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "BASEBALL IS BACK," "SKY HIGH PAY," — Globe: "Republican bills target transgender youths," "A fraught Chauvin case goes to the jury."

FROM THE 413

– "Red-hot Western Massachusetts housing market has the pros asking, 'Are these prices even realistic?'" by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "Pat Wheway, a broker associate for Coldwell Banker, listed a home — a 1,500-square-foot split level in Springfield — at 9 p.m. on a Thursday and got her first phone calls before 10:30. ' They wanted to be the first ones in that house in the morning," she said. 'It's very busy.'"

– "Holyoke's William Glidden launches mayoral campaign; already faces 3 competitors," by Dennis Hohenberger, Springfield Republican: "William Glidden launched his mayoral run Monday afternoon, becoming the fourth official candidate ahead of November's election. Glidden, 28, made his announcement at the home of Joseph O'Hare, a longtime family friend. He joins declared candidates City Councilors Rebecca Lisa and Michael J. Sullivan and School Committee member Devin Sheehan."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Nurses union projects Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester has spent nearly $40 million on replacement staffing, police details as strike enters 7th week," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "The nurses' strike at Saint Vincent Hospital entered its seventh week on Monday and the Massachusetts Nurses Association projects that Tenet Healthcare, parent company of the Worcester hospital, has spent $39.4 million to prolong the strike."

– "Probe: Tyngsboro animal control officer 'appeared to condone criminal conduct,'" by Prudence Brighton, The Lowell Sun: "Animal Control Officer David Robson Sr. 'appeared to condone criminal conduct and endorse violence' in a series of Facebook entries published over the course of months in 2020, according to a Police Department internal investigation into the inflammatory and often profane social-media posts."

MEDIA MATTERS

– "GBH's Emily Rooney Apologizes For 'Uninformed, Dismissive and Disrespectful' Comments About Filmmakers Of Color," by Cristela Guerra, WBUR: "A group of local documentary filmmakers sent a letter to GBH this week holding 'Beat the Press' longtime host Emily Rooney accountable for comments she made on her show suggesting that work by filmmakers of color does not stand up to that of documentarian Ken Burns."

TRANSITIONS – Law firm Withers launches in Boston with partners John Serio, Dr. Richard Emmons and Dr. Christopher Cowles, and patent specialist Kristina Scandore.

– Erin Kayata is now a staff writer covering real estate at Boston Magazine. She previously was a staff reporter for Hearst Connecticut newspapers.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to state Rep. Dan Hunt, Jessie Zimmerer and Colin Reed.

NEW EPISODE: NEW EPISODE: MAYORALS? FOR SPRING? GROUNDBREAKING – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss new polling in the race for mayor of Boston, and the debate over a logo with Native American imagery in Wakefield. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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