News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JACKSON endorses JANEY — Campaigns SPLIT on STAFF VAX requirements

Tuesday, August 10, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: JACKSON endorses JANEY — Campaigns SPLIT on STAFF VAX requirements — Climate report prompts CALLS for ACTION

Aug 10, 2021

NEW THIS MORNING: JACKSON ENDORSES JANEY — Former Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson is endorsing Acting Mayor Kim Janey in her bid for a full term.

"Mayor Janey has been doing a very solid job in guiding the city, and I think it's important in these difficult times that we have someone who understands what has happened in the city of Boston and understands the need for progress" on issues ranging from education, to public safety, to closing the opportunity gap, Jackson told me in an interview.

Jackson's endorsement comes a week after Janey first issued her now-walked-back comments likening proof of vaccination requirements to slavery and birtherism. He called the remarks "a mistake that was a distraction."

"If we were to go back on any elected official's record, including my record, I'm sure you have more than enough fodder in that area," Jackson, who unsuccessfully challenged then-Mayor Marty Walsh in 2017, said.

"I'm very confident in her ability to lead in particular on this issue," Jackson said of Janey, who succeeded him as the District 7 councilor. "She's done a very good job in pushing folks to get vaccinated and is working to ensure our businesses open safely."

Jackson represents the second major endorsement for Janey following her remarks last week, in what appears to be a recent coalescing of some prominent Black and Latino leaders and community coalitions around the city's first female and first Black leader.

"You are seeing momentum by Mayor Janey ," Jackson said, adding that "having the experience and being mayor, even in the acting capacity, is an asset. And thinking about having potentially three mayors in one year, to me, is not the direction I'd like to go."

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe , the state's current Democratic nominee for governor, announced yesterday he'll be requiring his campaign staff to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Playbook surveyed candidates in major races here on their campaigns' vaccination plans:

— Boston mayor's race: Staffers for former city economic development chief John Barros and City Councilors Michelle Wu and Annissa Essaibi George are all vaccinated, per their campaigns. Barros and Wu would require any new staffers to get their jabs. Essaibi George's team said "thankfully, our campaign doesn't need such a policy because all of us are vaccinated." City Councilor Andrea Campbell is requiring all her staffers to be vaccinated or get weekly Covid-19 tests. Janey's campaign has "asked all campaign staff to have a Covid-19 vaccine plan, and all members have had at least one shot." Janey's taken heat from her rivals for not requiring city workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly Covid-19 testing, which she said she's "leaning toward."

— Governor's race: On the Democratic side, former state Sen. Ben Downing is requiring all staff be vaccinated. Harvard professor Danielle Allen is, too, "with exemptions for religious beliefs or a qualified medical condition." State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz's campaign and official staff are fully vaccinated, and her team said it will "monitor the evolving Covid situation and take all necessary precautions." Republican former state Rep. Geoff Diehl's campaign said: "We believe in our team and their ability to consider their own health and the health of others, and act according to those considerations, as Geoff also believes firmly in their right to medical privacy and will therefore not be requiring proof of vaccination from any staff."

— Lieutenant governor's race: State Rep. Tami Gouveia 's staff and fellows are fully vaccinated, and she supports "any organization's decision to require full vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment." Fellow Democrat Bret Bero will require his staff to be vaccinated. Republican Rayla Campbell said "it's their choice."

— State auditor's race: State Sen. Diana DiZoglio is requiring campaign hires to be vaccinated. Former Transportation for Massachusetts director Chris Dempsey said he expects all of his campaign staff to be vaccinated, with exceptions for medical and religious exemptions.

TODAY — Barros calls for Fairmount Line improvements and MBTA fare reform at an 8:45 a.m. press conference at South Station. Janey hosts a press conference to share updates on Boston's American Rescue Plan Act funding at 2:30 p.m. at City Hall. Rep. Lori Trahan, state and local officials highlight federal investments in Haverhill's infrastructure at 2:45 p.m. at the MVRTA administrative offices. The Mass. High Tech Council hosts a Covid-19 response virtual roundtable at 3 p.m. Boston mayoral candidates attend a Boston Main Streets forum at 5 p.m. at the Blair Lot of Nubian Square, moderated by GBH's Bob Seay. Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll talks mask mandates on Bloomberg Baystate Business at 5:12 p.m. Allen hosts a virtual platform meeting on affordable housing at 6 p.m.

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

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts coronavirus cases spike 2,587 over the weekend, hospitalizations climbing," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts health officials on Monday reported a spike of 2,587 coronavirus cases from over the weekend, as COVID hospitalizations also kept rising across the state. … The seven-day average of daily cases is now 780 infections, which is more than 12 times the record-low average of 64 daily cases in late June. The test positivity rate has now increased to 2.72%, a spike from 0.31% in late June."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Police Recruit Appeals Delayed Due to Funding Shortage," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "A lack of funding at the state Civil Service Commission creates substantial backlogs in cases and long delays in police recruits, particularly candidates of color, joining the force, an official at the agency said Monday."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "Belmont has enacted an indoor mask mandate. Will others follow suit?" by Felice J. Freyer, John R. Element and Julia Carlin, Boston Globe: "The town of Belmont on Monday became the second municipality in the state — after Provincetown — to mandate masks in all indoor public places, clarifying choices for people who live or do business in that wealthy suburb west of Cambridge. But elsewhere, the situation remains murky. On the heels of Belmont's announcement, the mayor of Salem, Kimberley Driscoll, said she would ask her city's Board of Health to impose a similar mandate."

— "Northampton to require indoor mask use starting Wednesday as delta variant spreads," by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

— "COVID mask advisory: Easthampton asks people to wear masks indoors 'regardless of vaccination status' due to delta variant ," by Heather Morrison, MassLive.com.

— "UMass-Amherst requiring face coverings for start of fall semester," by WCVB: "Massachusetts' largest public university will require students, faculty and staff to wear face coverings when the fall semester begins, regardless of whether individuals are vaccinated against COVID-19."

— "Boston-area coronavirus wastewater tracker: Southern region COVID data is nearly double the northern data," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The Boston-area coronavirus wastewater tracker is starting to reveal opposite trends for communities south and north of the city, as southern COVID sewage samples spike while northern samples are ticking down."

— "Bringing The COVID-19 Vaccine To Boston's Hardest-Hit Communities Is A Battle Against Hesitancy, Misinformation," by Tori Bedford, GBH News: "As of last week, the DPH Mobile Vaccination Program has delivered more than 85,000 doses via 1,577 community-based and state-sponsored vaccination clinics across the state … The effort has been a slog in a hard-hit section of Dorchester and in Mattapan, the neighborhood with the lowest percentage of fully vaccinated residents in the city, 40.9%. In those neighborhoods, the clinics have fought against misinformation circulating among Haitian immigrants and a longstanding distrust of the health care system among Black Americans rooted in a history of mistreatment."

— "Boston Teachers Union president says she would support a vaccine mandate for educators," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Jessica Tang, president of the Boston Teachers Union, said Monday she would support a vaccine mandate for educators — with some exceptions. Tang's stance follows remarks made by the head of the union's umbrella organization indicating the group could change its initial policy that made vaccines voluntary for educators."

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FROM THE HUB

— NEW: The Massachusetts Coalition for Health Equity has sent Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey an open letter demanding a citywide eviction moratorium, the group told POLITICO.

The letter was signed by 20 local organizations and nearly 200 activists and health care workers, including from some of the area's biggest medical centers. Among the signatories are city Councilor Andrea Campbell, one of Janey's mayoral rivals, and Massachusetts Teachers Association President Merrie Najimy.

The group is urging Janey to follow cities like Somerville and Cambridge in implementing a moratorium, citing the pandemic's disproportionate effects on communities of color and saying that state and federal efforts don't go far enough to stop evictions that can throw lives into "chaos."

— "Boston deadly shooting: City 'needs to step up' after woman dies at large Mattapan gathering," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "A woman was killed at a large Mattapan gathering early Monday morning, yet another fatal shooting that led [mayoral candidate and City Councilor Andrea Campbell] to call on City Hall to 'step up' and address violence in city neighborhoods."

— "Boston, Cambridge hotels seek OK for tourism fee," by Lily Robinson, CommonWealth Magazine: "Hotels in Cambridge and Boston, frustrated with the lack of funding for tourism, are seeking approval for a new room fee that would be used to attract visitors to the communities. Cambridge officials have already signaled their support and the Boston City Council, after holding a hearing on the proposal Monday, is likely to take action within the next 45 days. The new hotel fees, authorized under economic development legislation approved on Beacon Hill earlier this year, could start being collected as early as October 1."

— "The Pandemic Worsened Food Insecurity In Massachusetts. More Than 1 Million Residents Still Face Hunger," by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: "Catherine D'Amato, executive director of the Greater Boston Food Bank, told Boston Public Radio on Monday the numbers 'continue to be very striking,' with around 1 in 6 of every Massachusetts resident experiencing food insecurity. Before the pandemic, the numbers were closer to 1 in 12."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— "'It's taking too long': Boston mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell slams city's vaccination efforts," by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: "City councilor and mayoral candidate Andrea Campbell criticized Acting Mayor Kim Janey's handling of the coronavirus pandemic on Monday, calling on her administration to speed up its vaccination efforts. … Campbell has introduced plans to curb the increase in COVID-19 cases, calling for city workers to be vaccinated or face weekly testing, proof of vaccination in 'crowded public indoor areas,' $100 vaccine incentives, improving air quality in public schools, and testing all public school students and staff."

— "Should Boston have a junk food tax? Here's what the candidates for mayor said," by Zipporah Osei, Boston.com: "We asked the candidates for mayor a reader-submitted question about whether or not their administration would support a junk food tax. They told us their stance, and how they think Boston should address food injustice more broadly."

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: United Auto Workers Region 9A is endorsing David Halbert for Boston City Council at-large, per his campaign. "... [W]e know David will be a champion for working families and workers' rights," said Beverley Brakeman, regional director of UAW Region 9A.

BALLOT BATTLES

— The Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work is denying allegations from its opponents that it violated state campaign finance laws by failing to report expenditures.

"It is unfortunate that others would try to draw attention away from what drivers clearly want by making false claims based on their willful misunderstanding of Massachusetts campaign finance law," Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work spokesperson Conor Yunits said in a statement. "We remain focused on one thing: ensuring drivers' voices are heard by securing new benefits for them while protecting their flexibility."

The Coalition to Protect Workers' Rights filed a complaint, first reported by POLITICO, with the state Office of Campaign and Political Finance, alleging proponents of a ballot initiative that would classify app-based drivers as independent contractors made a "false claim" about their coalition's expenditures when the group filed organizing paperwork with OCPF last week. The Workers' Rights coalition asked OCPF to investigate.

OCPF does not "confirm the existence of a complaint" a spokesperson told the Boston Globe's Pranshu Verma, adding that OCPF's legal department reviews all requests on a "case-by-case basis."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— "'It splits their power': Why some think Fall River should have one congressmember, not two," by Audrey Cooney, Herald News: "With the latest census data likely to call for changes to local congressional districts, some advocates think Fall River should be redistricted to be all in one district instead of two. … Currently, part of Fall River is in the state's 4th Congressional district, represented by Congressman Jake Auchincloss. The rest falls within the 9th district, represented by Congressman Bill Keating."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "UN climate change report says the world is on fire. Now what?" by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: "Within hours of the early-morning release of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's massive report Monday, its grim news was met with a wave of resolve. In Massachusetts and beyond, elected officials, candidates for political office, and environmental advocates held news conferences, issued statements, and sent a blizzard of tweets calling for action."

— "Michelle Wu breaks down new climate report with author Bill McKibbon," by Boston.com staff.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Part of the Green Line's E branch is shutting down for construction. Local restaurants are worried about the impact on business," by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: "As construction gets underway this month to improve the Green Line's E branch, local restaurants are raising concerns about how the MBTA's work will impact business. … Dermot Doyne, who co-owns Penguin Pizza with Pamela Carthy at 735 Huntington Ave., told Boston.com the damage to his businesses from the construction will be 'colossal' after a year of barely hanging on due to COVID-19."

— "AFL-CIO Gives Baker Three Options For MBTA Board Seat," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "The Massachusetts AFL-CIO on Monday named three regional labor leaders to a shortlist for a spot on the new MBTA board of directors ... Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Steven Tolman tapped Robert Butler of Braintree, Northeast regional council president for the Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers union; Craig Hughes of Wilmington, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers' Grand Lodge representative for the eastern territory; and Darlene Lombos of Boston, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "How 2 Roxbury families are keeping marijuana business local," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Roxbury residents Solmon Chowdhury and Brian Keith had no plans to get into the marijuana business. But as the industry started getting off the ground in Massachusetts, the two men were approached, separately, by large out-of-state cannabis companies asking them if they were interested in getting involved. Chowdhury is Bangladeshi and Keiths is Black, and the state's cannabis licensing rules give priority to minority entrepreneurs. The large companies were seeking well-respected people of color to be their community face – but the terms of the proposed contracts made clear that the investing companies would run the business. … The friends from Roxbury – who met through their children, play club sports together, and work together on community boards – were uninterested in being the face of someone else's company. … Three years later, the Chowdhurys and the Keiths have established Rooted in Roxbury, a retail cannabis company owned and invested in exclusively by Boston residents of color."

FROM THE 413

— "Springfield group asks city council to weigh in on call for removal of Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood," by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: "For the third time in four weeks, protesters are asking city officials for the removal of Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood."

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Striking St. Vincent nurses unfazed by hospital's 'threats,' want to get back to table and get deal done," by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "Striking nurses on Monday called St. Vincent Hospital's announcement that it had hired 100 permanent replacement nurses, 'posturing' that does nothing to bring the sides back to the table."

— "Mayor admitted to Boston hospital for ear pain," by Jill Harmacinski, Eagle-Tribune: "[Lawrence] Mayor Kendrys Vasquez has been hospitalized in Boston, his chief of staff announced Monday morning. … Vasquez is in good spirits, his tests are stable and he's expected to return home by Wednesday, Jaramillo said."

— "Massachusetts joins other New England hospital associations to alert public of 'severe blood shortage'," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "In a video published Monday morning, the hospital associations from Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont, which represent hundreds of health care facilities in the region, alerted the public of a 'severe blood shortage' in the region."

MAZEL — to Rep. Jake Auchincloss and Michelle Auchincloss, who welcomed daughter Grace early Friday morning. She joins big brother Teddy. Pics.

TRANSITIONS — Mark Fuller, who has served as interim chancellor of UMass-Dartmouth since January, was named permanent chancellor on Monday. NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts has welcomed Rory Clark as political and field director, Claire Teylouni as government affairs director and Kayla Edwards as strategic coordinator. Benjamin M. Stern has joined Nutter as a partner in its litigation department.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Tackey Chan, state Rep. Steven Ultrino, Matthew MacWilliams, Ryan O. Ferguson and Mike Linhorst.

HAPPY BELATED — to Peter Panos, Rep. Richard Neal's campaign manager, who celebrated Saturday.

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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