News : POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: SCOTT BROWN stages his COMEBACK — CLARK's DISCLOSURE

Thursday, August 12, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: SCOTT BROWN stages his COMEBACK — CLARK's DISCLOSURE — LOOKING BACK on the last REDISTRICTING

Aug 12, 2021

SCOTT BROWN'S BACK (AGAIN) — Seven months after Scott Brown returned from New Zealand and declared he was "disgusted with politics," the former U.S. ambassador is jumping back into the fray.

Brown resigned as dean of New England Law Boston yesterday and announced plans to "re-engage in the political arena" and support "candidates and causes who share my vision of re-building the Republican Party and moving our country beyond partisan gridlock," according to his resignation letter, which was first reported by the Boston Globe.

Brown isn't planning to run for office in 2022, according to a source close to the former senator. But he's got options if he wants them — and ties to two states that could have open-seat races for governor next year.

Massachusetts GOP Gov. Charlie Baker hasn't said whether he'll seek a third term. While former Republican state Rep. Geoff Diehl is already in the race, the Boston Herald's Joe Battenfeld posits that Brown could be the candidate to unite the warring factions of the state GOP.

But Brown currently lives in Rye, N.H. — so making a run in Massachusetts, where he upset Democrat Martha Coakley in Jan. 2010 to win the late Ted Kennedy's Senate seat before being booted by now-Sen. Elizabeth Warren in 2012, is likely off the table. Plus, the source close to Brown told me that "any political future Scott Brown has is in New Hampshire."

There, GOP Gov. Chris Sununu is taking his time deciding whether to run for reelection or challenge Sen. Maggie Hassan, as top national Republicans want. Either one presents a window of opportunity for Brown to make a Granite State comeback after his failed challenge to Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in 2014.

Republicans are eager to flip Hassan's seat. If Sununu doesn't go for it, and former Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, another potential contender, doesn't jump in, "Brown is an accomplished and charismatic leader who would be instantly credible, and likely well funded and well received," veteran New Hampshire GOP strategist Jim Merrill told me. And if Sununu takes the plunge into the Senate race, the governorship would be up for grabs.

For now, Brown's intent on helping elect others. The source close to Brown pointed to his political action committee, Strong Country for Today and Tomorrow, or SCOTTPAC — which is still active but is not actively raising money — as a starting point.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Here are two things to watch today:

— The U.S. Census Bureau is releasing the first local-level results of the 2020 census this afternoon — and providing initial analysis on population change, race, ethnicity, the 18-plus population and housing occupancy — setting off a scramble to redraw state and congressional legislative districts across the country. We already know Massachusetts won't lose a House seat like it did after 2010. But uneven population growth will likely bring some shifts across the nine congressional districts, changes we can expect some more clarity on later today. Secretary of State Bill Galvin is planning a press conference to discuss population numbers and trends at 5 p.m., and the Legislature will combine the Census data with information gleaned from the roughly 18 hearings the Redistricting Committee has held thus far to start redrawing the congressional districts, as well as the 40 state Senate and 160 state House districts.

— Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey is expected to announce a vaccination policy for city employees during a 1:30 p.m. press conference at City Hall, about a week after she said she and union leaders were "working toward" a vaccine mandate. Janey's drawn criticism from her rivals in the mayoral race for not yet requiring city workers to get vaccinated or submit to weekly Covid-19 testing as the Delta variant drives up cases in Boston and beyond. But even if she appeases them today, the virus that had faded into the background earlier this year as cases dwindled and restrictions eased is now likely to remain at the forefront of the mayoral race through the September preliminary election. And for Janey, with the bully pulpit comes the scrutiny. Read the Boston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter for a deeper look at how the Covid-19 resurgence is shaking up the mayor's race, and the Boston Globe's Joan Vennochi on how Janey's applying the late Tom Menino's playbook as she looks to seal the deal with voters.

TODAY — Janey gives remarks at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for Pope John Paul II Playground in Dorchester at 10 a.m. Sen. Ed Markey, state Sen. Sal DiDomenico, state Rep. Dan Ryan and local officials hold a press conference highlighting the Senate's passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill and $3.5 trillion budget resolution, 11 a.m., Chelsea Square Park. Boston mayoral candidate and City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George is on Radio Boston at 3 p.m. Rep. Stephen Lynch talks infrastructure, cybersecurity, vaccine and mask requirements at 5:35 p.m. on Bloomberg Baystate Business. State Rep. Tami Gouveia, candidate for lieutenant governor, hosts a virtual meeting seeking input for the state Democratic Party platform 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 1,368, the highest daily amount since April," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Wednesday's COVID case count of 1,368 infections continues the trend of ballooning virus numbers as the more highly contagious variant sweeps across the Bay State. The last time the state reported more than 1,300 single-day infections was on April 28. That was before the majority of Massachusetts residents were fully vaccinated."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "A decade after Beacon Hill approved historic new political maps, Mass. elected officials remain far whiter than the state," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "'Map expected to add to diversity,' read a headline in the Globe. It was November 2011, and politicians and outside advocates alike were pleased with the state's new political maps, drawn in the once-in-a-decade redistricting process that follows the US Census. Together, they would create the state's first majority-minority congressional district, a seat that would one day belong to Boston Democrat Ayanna Pressley. And they doubled the number of majority-minority seats in the state House of Representatives to 20, an effort they hoped would make Beacon Hill look more like, and better serve, the state. But 10 years later, as state lawmakers again embark upon the redistricting process, just half of the 20 House districts drawn to include mostly people of color are actually represented by lawmakers of color. And the state Legislature remains far whiter than the state population."

— "New Bill Would Set $55,000 Wage Floor For Legislative Staff," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "Legislative leaders this spring awarded staff raises and one-time work-from-home stipends, but Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven and Sen. Diana DiZoglio said their colleagues need to take more substantial action to address concerns that leave many staffers anxious about their futures. … The first bill in the package (HD 4386) would set a minimum salary of $55,000 for full-time House, Senate and joint legislative employees, increase other salary tiers accordingly, and require annual pay raises scaled to the increase in the statewide median household income. They also called for providing legislative staffers with yearly cost-of-living adjustments (HD 4388) and offering retroactive bonuses to offset costs incurred during the pandemic (HD 4387)."

— "Western Mass. legislators, community organizations urge eviction relief during COVID surge," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "A letter signed by 20 area state senators and representatives, along with various other organizations and officials, supports the "COVID-19 Housing Equity Bill" (H 1434). The bill would temporarily halt foreclosures and no-fault evictions, and ensure that landlords cooperate with rental assistance programs ahead of action, officials said. … The letter was addressed to the chairs of the Joint Committee on Housing, which has scheduled a public hearing on the bill Thursday."

—"So Far, More Than 1,000 People Have Died Of Opioid Overdoses In Mass. This Year," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "Preliminary data presented to the state Public Health Council Wednesday showed there were just over 1,000 opioid overdose deaths in the first six months of this year — a 5% decrease compared with the first half of last year. The data included confirmed and estimated overdose deaths."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

—"Mask confusion: Mass. Public Health Council stalls on rescinding inactive mask mandate," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "What was supposed to be a simple procedural vote to rescind an inactive statewide mask mandate during a Wednesday Public Health Council meeting turned tense, delaying the vote to do so until September."

— "Mass. Stopped Sharing Child COVID Hospitalization Data. We Asked Why," by Kathryn Sotnik, NBC 10 Boston: "Up until June 30, Massachusetts publicly reported hospitalizations from COVID-19 by age group; as children prepare to return to school with COVID-19 cases climbing back up, those numbers are blacked out."

—"UMass Memorial Medical Center reopening command center as delta COVID cases spread amid bed shortage related to service cuts at St. Vincent Hospital," by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: "UMass Memorial Medical Center is planning to reopen its command center for the foreseeable future to address what it says are three emerging crises significantly impacting the ability to care for patients in Central Massachusetts. Those crises are the resurgence of COVID-19 fueled by the delta variant, the closure of 100 hospital beds in the region and a nationwide labor shortage, according to a statement from the medical center."

— "SEIU Local 509 calls for COVID vaccine mandate for all of its nearly 20,000 members in Massachusetts," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "A local union that represents employees in health, human services, higher education and within the Baker Administration will formally request a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for its nearly 20,000 employees in Massachusetts … after it said its members have experienced first-hand the effects of the virus while working in state-run hospitals and providing direct care in group homes, elder care, and disability services."

— "Massachusetts private companies implement patchwork of vaccine mandate policies," by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: "A patchwork of policies around employee vaccinations is emerging at private companies nationally and locally as state and federal authorities hold out on universal coronavirus vaccine requirements … Dozens of hospitals, colleges and universities have announced mandates — including the latest at UMass Medical School — and State Street Corporation this week became one of the first major Massachusetts companies outside of the healthcare and education sectors to announce a vaccine mandate for workers."

FROM THE HUB

— "Clergy, police, community advocates address Boston violence," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "Every Wednesday over the last 23 years, clergy, police and community advocates have gathered around a table at the Ella J. Baker House in Dorchester to try to save Boston's soul. They begin with a prayer by the Rev. Eugene Rivers, the founder of the Violence Reduction Task Force, but that's about as much religion as there is during the hour. They are trying to resurrect a city where nearly one in five lives are below the poverty line, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and where violent crime is down overall, but where gun violence has left people shaken, particularly in the poorest neighborhoods. "

— "CEO to exit East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, join Blue Cross Blue Shield," by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal: "Manny Lopes, CEO of East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, has announced he will leave nearly a three-decade tenure to join Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts as executive vice president of public markets and government relations."

— "The Church At The Center Of Boston's Only Latin Cultural District Is Up For Grabs," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News.

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THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— "Black And Latino Caucus Chair Endorses Campbell For Boston Mayor," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Roxbury State Rep. and Black and Latino Caucus Chair Chynah Tyler endorsed Andrea Campbell's bid for mayor Wednesday, demonstrating that Campbell is challenging Acting Mayor Kim Janey on Janey's Roxbury home turf. … [The endorsement came] after former Roxbury City Councilor and 2017 mayoral candidate Tito Jackson endorsed Janey, setting the stage for Roxbury to be a battleground neighborhood in the preliminary, which is typically decided with low turnout."

— "Boston: Every Mayoral Candidate Says Housing Is Too Expensive. But How Would They Fix It?" by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "City Councilor Michelle Wu, the first candidate to officially enter the race, is a vocal proponent of rent control, also known as rent stabilization. … After opposing rent control earlier in the campaign, [Acting Mayor Kim] Janey has recently signaled that she's open to the idea — but she didn't bring it up in a recent interview with GBH News. Instead, Janey focused on moves she's made since replacing former Mayor Marty Walsh back in March, including significantly boosting assistance for some homebuyers."

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: 32BJ SEIU, a majority-immigrant building service employees union with about 20,000 members in its Boston-based district, is endorsing David Halbert, Ruthzee Louijeune, Julia Mejia and Carla B. Monteiro for Boston City Council at-large; Lydia Edwards for District 1; Ed Flynn for District 2; Ricardo Arroyo for District 5; Kendra Hicks for District 6; Tania Anderson for District 7; Kenzie Bok for District 8 and Liz Breadon for District 9. "We're very excited to announce our support for perhaps the most diverse range of candidates we've seen in a Boston election cycle," Roxana Rivera, 32BJ SEIU vice president and head of the union in Massachusetts, said in a statement.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Louijeune has also been endorsed by SEIU 509 and SEIU 888 in her bid for Boston City Council at-large, per her campaign.

— "SEIU 1199 to sit out mayoral preliminary," by Gintautus Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter.

— "We asked the mayoral candidates about exam school admissions. Here's what they said," by Zipporah Osei, Boston.com.

WARREN REPORT

— "Warren drops opposition to Biden's higher education nominee," by Michael Stratford, POLITICO: "President Joe Biden's pick for the No. 3 spot at the Education Department is moving forward in the Senate after Sen. Elizabeth Warren dropped her opposition, citing 'substantial reforms' to the federal student loan program that she says the administration vowed to make."

THE CLARK CAUCUS

— "Fourth-Ranking House Democrat Apparently Violated Stock-Trade Rules," by Zach Everson, Forbes: "The No. 4 Democrat in the House of Representatives has joined the growing ranks of lawmakers who've recently failed to report their securities trades within 45 days, as federal law requires. On Wednesday, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) disclosed that she'd sold more than $100,000 of shares in private investment adviser Ruane, Cunniff & Goldfarb back to the company in January. 'Assistant Speaker Clark notified the Ethics Committee immediately upon learning of this transaction,' a spokesperson said."

DAY IN COURT

— "Feds: Sober home operator sexually harassed female tenants," by the Associated Press: "Federal prosecutors filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the operator of several sober homes in Massachusetts alleging he subjected female tenants to sexual harassment by, among other things, seeking sexual favors in exchange for rent forgiveness or extra privileges."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "'We have so much to lose': Realities of climate change have galvanized these Massachusetts teens to fight for their future," by Jack Lyons and Kate Lusignan, Boston Globe: "And after a new United Nations report that presented the magnitude of the crisis in alarming terms, young people, who stand to inherit a hot planet from their elders are increasingly calling for action on a broad scale."

FROM THE 413

— "Holyoke Soldiers' Home receives accreditation after deadly COVID outbreak; building project one step closer," by Stephanie Barry, MassLive.com: "More than a year after COVID-19 ravaged the state-run Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, the facility received high marks from an independent health care accreditation organization."

— "Four women running for North Adams mayor in historic election," by Matt Ristaino, Spectrum News 1: "This year's race for the mayor's office in North Adams is a historic one. All four candidates on the ballot are women, which means, for the first time in North Adams history, the city will have a woman as mayor."

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "For People With Disabilities, Outdoor Dining Has Created New Opportunities — And New Hazards," by Meghan Smith, GBH News: "Disability advocates say outdoor dining can be a mixed bag when it comes to accessibility — a walk along Centre Street in Jamaica Plain reveals plenty of obstacles for wheelchair users, from wobbly ramps to high tables to steep curbs."

— "Answering the call: A record number of women graduated from the state's fire academy in June," by Nancy Shohet West, Boston Globe: "They range in age from 25 to 52, and their lives intersected at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy in Stow, when they became part of the largest class of women ever to graduate from the academy's Call/Volunteer Recruit Training Program."

— "This Mashpee resident is highlighting the 'ridiculous' posts found in people's hometown Facebook groups," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "The zany, outlandish conversations and arguments that unfold nearly daily in hometown Facebook groups are often a great source of entertainment. … Mashpee resident Anthony Varela realized this several days ago after a TikTok video he made highlighting and deconstructing a particularly ornery discussion on a page for Plymouth residents racked up more than 3 million views."

TRANSITIONS — Tyler O'Day, state Rep. Jim O'Day's son, will become social media manager for the Empire State Building and its parent company in September. He currently manages social media for Barstool Sports. Tweet. Lowell Sun reporter Stefan Geller joins the Providers' Council as communications manager later this month. Tweet.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Lauren Collins Cline.

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