News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: White OUT — MASSGOP POWER STRUGGLE

Tuesday, June 8, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: White OUT — MASSGOP POWER STRUGGLE — Galvin RIPS redistricting plan

Jun 08, 2021

WHITE OUT — Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey has fired Police Commissioner Dennis White and announced plans to launch a "nationwide search" for the city's next top cop.

But the goal she laid out for naming a permanent commissioner "toward the end of the year" quickly drew criticism from her rivals in the mayoral race that stretches through Nov. 2.

"A national search for police commissioner without an elected mayor is a charade," City Councilor Michelle Wu tweeted. "This acting administration should not use City resources on a search before the general election."

City Councilor Andrea Campbell said in a statement that "the Acting Commissioner must continue to lead our police department until the next elected mayor can conduct a rigorous and transparent search for a permanent commissioner to ensure the department can serve the diverse needs of our community." City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, state Rep. Jon Santiago and former city economic development chief John Barros also reportedly think White's replacement should wait until after the election.

The criticism could become a thorn in Janey's side as the mayoral race and the search for Boston's next police commissioner proceed in tandem.

Searches to fill major public offices can become contentious. Activists slammed the 2019 Boston Public Schools superintendent search for its perceived lack of transparency . The Massachusetts Port Authority's CEO search the same year was dragged in the press for largely playing out behind closed doors. Boston hasn't seen an outside search for a police commissioner since Ed Davis came in from Lowell in 2006.

While all of the mayoral candidates agreed White should go, the now ex-commissioner has vowed to continue his legal battle against the city — creating another lingering headache for Janey and possibly prolonging the issue in the mayoral race.

GOP POWER STRUGGLE — Massachusetts GOP Chairman Jim Lyons saw a plan he was backing to remove Gov. Charlie Baker and other elected Republican leaders from the state party executive committee flame out without the votes to pass it, POLITICO reported yesterday.

And the chairman remains under fire for his handling of a GOP state committeewoman's anti-gay remarks toward a congressional candidate, with nearly all House Republicans calling on Lyons to have Deborah Martell resign or do so himself.

But while some believe support for Lyons may be waning, Republican sources tell me there's no real movement among state committee members ahead of their meeting Wednesday to amass the two-thirds vote necessary to remove Lyons as chairman.

"Doesn't make sense. We don't have the votes," one committee member texted me. Another said it's "clear" the chairman still has more than a third of the state committee in his corner.

Lyons was narrowly reelected chairman in January, meaning that unless he resigns or the state committee mounts a serious effort to oust him, the next chance for a new chairman won't come until January 2023 — after the next gubernatorial election.

GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Keep staying cool.

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

TODAY — Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan opens her office's inaugural data summit at 9 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan joins state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio at 11 a.m. at the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council's Methuen Head Start facility to highlight childcare investments in the American Rescue Plan. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins House and Senate colleagues to unveil the Women's Health Protection Act at 11:30 a.m. Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey visits with the staff of the BCYF Tobin at 1 p.m. State Auditor Bump virtually attends the National State Auditors Association annual conference; Bump and her office will formally receive the organization's Special Projects Award for their report on police training and accountability.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts reports less than 100 new coronavirus cases for first time since last June," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts health officials on Monday reported less than 100 new coronavirus cases for the first time since last June."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "Top election official rips redistricting plan," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "The state's top election official is ripping a proposal that would require the Legislature to redraw local political maps, suggesting the move is a power grab by lawmakers. A proposal heard by the Legislature's Election Laws Committee on Monday would eliminate the June 15 deadline for local governing boards to approve voting precincts, and allow the Legislature to set the precincts using census tracts, after it draws new maps for congressional and legislative districts."

– "Pandemic changes Fair Share debate," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "When a coalition of labor, clergy, and liberal organizing groups first proposed raising the tax rate on income over $1 million, the year was 2015. ... Fast forward six years, after an SJC ruling keeping the question off the 2018 ballot, and the so-called Fair Share amendment, or millionaires' tax, is back and up for a final legislative vote next week. If it passes as expected, it will go before voters on the ballot in November 2022. But the tax hike – which would impose a 4 percent surtax on income over $1 million – will be debated in a much different context this time around."

– "Environmental groups, governor 'not giving up' on TCI in Connecticut as pressure mounts on Massachusetts to drop deal," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Pressure is mounting in Massachusetts to drop a controversial plan to cut vehicle emissions in the Northeast as Connecticut's governor and environmental groups say they're 'not giving up' yet."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Massachusetts likely to reach herd immunity by mid-June, slightly later than predicted," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker's prediction that Massachusetts would achieve herd immunity by early June slipped away on Monday, as state data shows the number of coronavirus shots going into arms daily continues to drop off. But the state is still on track to reach the governor's goal of 4.1 million fully vaccinated individuals by the middle of the month."

– "Fire at Pfizer doesn't harm production," by Madeline Hughes, Eagle-Tribune: "A generator at the (Andover) Pfizer facility caught fire Monday morning, drawing a heavy response from firefighters. Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said there is not believed to be any impact to the facility's production operations as a result of the fire."

FROM THE HUB

– "Janey fires Dennis White as Boston police commissioner," by Danny McDonald and Sahar Fatima, Boston Globe: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey fired Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White on Monday, ending months of chaos atop the department sparked by the reemergence of decades-old domestic abuse allegations against him shortly after he took the job in February."

– More from WBUR's Ally Jarmanning and Deborah Becker: "White's attorney, Nick Carter, said in a statement White was 'deeply disappointed' by the decision. 'He is a Black man, falsely accused of crimes, not given a fair trial or hearing, and then convicted, or terminated which is the equivalent here,' Carter said. 'This reflects an ugly pattern in our country.'"

– "Boston appears to have illegally withheld inappropriate texts after career-ending School Committee meeting," by Bianca Vázquez Toness and Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "A second Boston School Committee member has resigned due to racially charged observations made about parents during a lengthy public hearing last year about the exam school admissions process."

– "With Janey's OK, Boston Moves Toward Giving The City Council More Budget Power," Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Acting Mayor Kim Janey Monday approved the Boston City Council's budget ballot question, which would ask voters in November to approve or reject granting the council a greater say in how the city spends its roughly $3 billion annual budget. With Janey's approval, the measure now goes to the state attorney general's office for final review. … Janey's approval came after a long weekend of phone calls and outreach from advocates who believe Boston's budget process should be more democratized."

– "Students describe racist comments by former leader, call for Boston Public Schools to be held accountable for 'abuse'," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "For months, many students weren't ready to share their experiences in a controversial form of group therapy that was part of their prestigious student council. But on Monday a group of eight students held a news conference detailing abuse they said they suffered in those sessions, which they called a required part of the Boston Student Advisory Council that they and their parents didn't always fully consent to participate in. They demanded Boston Public Schools be held accountable."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Mayoral candidates vow to increase student involvement in education decisions," by Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: "Each member of the six-way race expressed a desire for more student involvement in the city's education system, including giving voting power to the School Committee's student representative, while speaking at a virtual youth-led forum on Monday afternoon."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

– "Is the MBTA's Green Line Extension still on track?" by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Noting that the project had faced 'schedule pressure,' MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said during a meeting Monday afternoon that the agency's Fiscal Management and Control Board may be presented a vote on the project later this month. And while Poftak didn't provide any additional details about the nature of the vote, subsequent comments by MBTA officials suggested the completion date may no longer be set as it was when Gov. Charlie Baker said he was putting it 'up on his wall' last October."

– "MBTA looks at cars, tracks as cause of derailment that sidelined Springfield-built CRRC cars," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "The MBTA said Monday that it's working to get the Springfield-built Orange and Red line cars back into service, but as yet there is no date."

– "Chinese-owned rail company launches new project at Springfield plant, faces new heat," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Today's launch of a $647 million contract with LA Metro at the giant Chinese Railway Rolling Stock Corp. plant in Springfield comes as critics are warning against doing business with the company."

– "T estimates Red-to-Blue connector cost at $850m," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The MBTA unveiled an $850 million cost estimate for connecting the Red and Blue subway lines at Charles/MGH, a project that, if funding is found, could break ground in 2025 and be completed by 2030."

PARTY POLITICS

– "GOP chairman doesn't have the votes to oust Charlie Baker from party operation, Republicans say," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "Chairman Jim Lyons, a former Baker ally who heads a more socially conservative faction of the party, had been lobbying to minimize the influence of Baker and other elected officials. The move could have cleared the way for the party to endorse — and fund — a primary challenger to Baker should he face one in next year's gubernatorial race."

FEELING '22

– "DiZoglio to run for state auditor," by Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune: "State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, D-Methuen, has decided to make a run for state auditor, meaning she will not run for her current seat as 1st Essex District senator in 2022."

FROM THE 413

– "Gladys Oyola-Lopez chosen as Springfield city clerk," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to select Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez as the new city clerk, becoming the first Latina to serve in that position. … (Mayor Domenic J. Sarno) has stated that he intends to expand Oyola-Lopez's duties beyond the clerk's office to also include oversight of the Election Office and 311 department, to become a cabinet head. Sarno was not offering the expanded role to the other two finalists…"

– "Amherst town manager: 'I don't want to eliminate the Police Department until we have a suitable replacement'," by Jim Russell, Springfield Republican: "A major restructuring of the town's Police Department is being discussed and shaped by the Town Council. During Monday's meeting, councilors said they expect Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman to adequately fund the restructuring process for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 and in future. Bockelman promised action, saying a program would be up and running this year, but that it is also a work in progress since there are many unknowns."

– "Great Barrington prep school to 'reboot' as claims of past abuse continue to haunt," by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: "A prep school at which former students say they were abused by the late founder is closing temporarily while its owner reimagines an entirely new school."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Worcester DA findings: Officers were justified in fatal shootings of suspects," by Anoushka Dalmia, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Since 2015, there have been eight fatal shootings involving police officers in Central Massachusetts. … In all six of the concluded investigations, the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. determined that the officers acted properly, that their shooting of the suspects was justified."

THE NATIONAL TAKE

– "AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases," by Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press: "Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has been a leader in the legal push to hold companies and individuals accountable for the U.S. opioid addiction and overdose epidemic, which has been linked to nearly 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. … On Tuesday, Healey is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee to testify in support of a bill that would clarify bankruptcy laws so company owners and executives would not be able to use a corporate bankruptcy case to shield themselves from personal liability."

– "The problem with using the Squad as a proxy for 'socialism'," by Philip Bump, Washington Post: "It is more than 500 days until he's up for reelection, but Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) isn't taking any chances. In an interview with Fox News over the weekend, he bashed Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a potential Democratic challenger in that race and one who is generally seen as most likely to earn her party's nomination. He compared her to a group of House Democrats that calls itself 'the Squad'..."

– ICYMI: "SEC fires Republican audit watchdog after push from Warren, Sanders," by Kellie Mejdrich, POLITICO: "The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday said it removed Trump-era appointee William Duhnke as chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, in a victory for Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) days after they called for the audit watchdog's leadership to be fired."

EYES EMOJI — Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsing Maya Wiley in the New York City mayoral race, in which her former presidential rival Andrew Yang is also running. Tweet. Another candidate, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, had endorsed Warren in her presidential bid, but now faces accusations of sexual misconduct.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Joseph Prezioso, Bill Douvris, Ben Case, Dan Futterman, Michael Vallarelli, David Ciampi, and Hailey Reed of Rep. Jake Auchincloss's office.

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