News: Galvin goes for the record

Monday, January 24, 2022

Galvin goes for the record

Jan 24, 2022

HE'S RUNNING — Secretary of State Bill Galvin will seek a record eighth term, saying he provides a "unique service" as one of the country's most senior election officials at a critical moment for voting rights.

"I'm really motivated by making further progress on the election-law reforms we made [during the pandemic] and implementing them," Galvin told Playbook. "I'm really proud of my record."

Galvin's announcement sets off what could be one of the cycle's blockbuster primaries. He faces NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan, who argues she'll bring a "fresh perspective" to the office Galvin's held for decades and go further to protect voting rights.

SPEAKING OF PRIMARIES — Democrats running for governor not named Maura Healey are offering previews of how they're angling to compete against her — in policy and in pot shots.

Harvard political theorist Danielle Allen knocked Healey's "serious re-branding" in a fundraising email and painted the two-term state attorney general as part of the Beacon Hill establishment in an interview with WBZ's Jon Keller . While Healey's putting an early focus on economic recovery, Allen said "housing is the number one pain point in the commonwealth."

State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz told Progressive Massachusetts members that "no one is entitled to" the governor's office and that she "didn't get into this race because I thought it would be easy, or because it was a good career opportunity." She called to improve transportation and make housing, health care and childcare more affordable. And she emphasized that "hovering over it all is climate change."

Healey's campaign said a scheduling conflict kept her from Progressive Massachusetts' annual meeting. She spent the opening weekend of her campaign marking the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and pledging to continue her fight to ensure abortion access.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Our gubernatorial hopefuls are likely keeping an eye on the fight over abortion access taking place just across state lines. Playbook helper extraordinaire Anne Brandes dives into the latest battle over New Hampshire's new abortion law — and how it could put more stress on Massachusetts health care providers:

Weeks after a near-total ban on abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy took effect, Granite State lawmakers are weighing whether to allow the procedure in cases of rape, incest and fatal fetal anomalies, and to eliminate requiring ultrasounds.

Republican Gov. Chris Sununu signed off on the restrictions as part of the New Hampshire budget last year, but he's now urging legislators to create exceptions that are dividing the GOP.

A GOP-led state House committee largely rejected Sununu's calls last week. Lawmakers voted against a Republican-backed bill that would have added the exemptions Sununu is seeking, though they did tweak the ultrasound requirement. Two bills from Democrats that would repeal the abortion law and enshrine abortion access in New Hampshire got hearings but face uphill battles in the GOP-led Senate.

Lawmakers and advocates who support abortion rights are pushing to codify the protections regardless of how the U.S. Supreme Court approaches Roe v. Wade in the coming weeks. While New Hampshire has a "tradition of pro-choice Republicans," Kayla Montgomery, spokesperson for Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, told Playbook "we have a tough rough ahead of us."

They're also facing anti-abortion rights activists who don't have a foothold elsewhere in New England. "Babies are people, too," New Hampshire Right to Life president Jason Hennessey told Playbook. "Whether it's defending the current law that protects them or trying to have additional protections, it's human rights."

Back in the Bay State, local abortion rights advocates are warning that the New Hampshire law may trigger an influx of out-of-state patients that could further strain Massachusetts' Covid-stressed health care system. Massachusetts codified abortion access in 2020, including after 24 weeks in certain cases.

"It's reasonable to assume that we could see New Hampshire families coming here looking for that care," Reproductive Equity Now Director Rebecca Hart Holder said. "Later abortion care often requires a surgical setting, and we know that surgeries are being canceled here in Massachusetts. The intersection of our health care providers being stretched beyond what is reasonable and patients coming here for abortion care is something I'm very concerned about."

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and House and Senate leaders huddle for their weekly leadership meeting at 2 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu gives an update on employee vaccine requirements at 10 a.m. at City Hall and is on WBUR's "Radio Boston" at 3 p.m. Rep. Jake Auchincloss hosts an infrastructure roundtable with mayors and town administrations at noon and a student mental health roundtable at 3:30 p.m. Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark discusses federal bridge funding at 2:30 p.m. in Framingham.

Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll has earned another 55 endorsements from current and former mayors, city council and school committee members, and Democratic State Committee members in her bid for lieutenant governor. They include: Governor's Councilor Terrence Kennedy; state Rep. Dan Cahill and former state Rep. Carol Donovan; mayors Mike Cahill of Beverly, Gregory Verga of Gloucester, Ted Bettencourt of Peabody, Tom Koch of Quincy, Jeannette McCarthy of Waltham and Scott Galvin of Woburn; past mayors Joe Curtatone of Somerville, Joseph Sullivan of Braintree, and Sefatia Romeo Theken, Bruce Tobey and John Bell of Gloucester; and Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger.

— NEW: Dan Koh, a former MA-03 congressional hopeful and current chief of staff to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, says he will not run for lieutenant governor. "We are living in a critical moment in history for America's workers, and I am dedicated to helping advance the Department of Labor's mission. As such, while I have been humbled by the outreach that I have received from supporters, I will not be a candidate in the lieutenant governor's race."

— ENDORSEMENT RECAP: IBEW Local 103 and the LGBTQ Victory Fund have endorsed state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor.

— WATCH: "Danielle Allen, Candidate For Massachusetts Governor, Calls For 'Exit Ramp' For Use Of Masks," by Jon Keller, WBZ.

— "Two candidates step up to the plate in Cape and Islands district attorney race," by Rachael Devaney, Cape Cod Times: "[Criminal defense attorney Robert Galibois] said he will formally announce his candidacy at 2 p.m. Monday at Barnstable County Superior Court. Also, a private practice and criminal defense attorney, Republican John 'Jack' Carey, of East Sandwich, will vie for the district attorney position and will formally announce his intention to run Tuesday."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Baker seeks level funding for local road projects in next year's capital spending plan," by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker on Saturday announced that his next capital spending plan would again seek $200 million in funding for local road and bridge projects over the objections of municipal leaders who say spending in this area has been flat for about a decade and needs to be increased."

— "Polito Forecasts $31 Mil Increase In Unrestricted Aid," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "With state tax revenues continuing to blow past projections, municipal leaders said Friday they are disappointed in Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito's forecast that cities and towns would share a collective $31.5 million hike in the pot of unrestricted local aid they receive from Beacon Hill."

— "Report: Domestic violence murders increased last year," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: "[Danielle] Taylor's murder was one of 15 domestic violence-related homicides in Massachusetts last year, according to a new report, which cited an increase over the previous year. In 2020, there were 10 cases, according to the state's Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team."

— "Charlie Baker files legislation to update wiretapping laws, but faces some scrutiny," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker refiled legislation first submitted in 2017 to allow law enforcement more power to tap into wiretapping resources to investigate a wider range of violent crimes. … When the bill was first filed in 2017, it garnered support from Attorney General Maura Healey, as well as former Boston Police Commissioner William Evans, as the Herald reported at the time."

— "Advocates call for relief from utility payments at rally on Boston Common," by Andrew Brinker, Boston Globe.

— "Racist covenants still stain property records. Mass. may try to have them removed," by Simón Rios, WBUR.

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "Gov. Charlie Baker rebukes 'over the top' COVID protocols at colleges amid high vaccination rates," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Gov. Charlie Baker, who remains hyper-focused on maintaining in-person learning for K-12 public school students to protect their mental and social well-being, on Friday sternly rebuked ongoing COVID-19 protocols at universities."

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

— LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is granting city workers an extra week to get vaccinated before they face repercussions. In the meantime, she "continues to have productive conversations with municipal unions" about the vaccine mandate, according to her office.

A person familiar with the discussions tells Playbook there's a deal in the works with the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association. The deal, per a draft obtained by POLITICO, could give officers in compliance with the mandate two mental health and wellness days and allow for rehiring those who resign over the mandate but then get vaccinated within a certain period of time. Wu's office declined comment last night; she's expected to give an update on the mandate at 10 a.m.

— "Firefighters union pushes back against vaccination mandate for Boston's workforce even as vast majority of members comply," by Danny McDonald and Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "[O]pposition to Mayor Michelle Wu's strengthened COVID-19 vaccination mandate continue[s] to boil, with scores of first responders protesting the policy at Dorchester's Florian Hall and one union official vowing they would continue a legal fight against the rule."

FROM THE HUB

— "Lydia Edwards to keep council seat for first three months on Massachusetts senate," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "New state Sen. Lydia Edwards will continue to serve on the City Council for more than three months, Edwards' campaign announced in a Friday-evening-news-dump press release that didn't say whether she'd be taking a salary from both positions."

— "Number of homeless Boston Public Schools students climbs," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "The number of homeless Boston Public Schools students has climbed more than 25% in four years, according to district officials, and nearly all of them are students of color."

— "Pediatric doctors speak out against Tufts Children's Hospital closure," by Natalie Gale, Boston.com: "Wellforce, which owns Tufts, Lowell General Hospital, Lawrence Memorial Hospital, and other providers, said in a statement that Tufts' Chinatown facility turns away hundreds of adult patients each month, and that they project that fewer children will need hospitalization in the future."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "'A lot of people are going to miss her': Wilmington woman mourned following Friday MBTA train crash," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "The family of a woman killed at a Wilmington railroad crossing Friday demanded accountability in the case Sunday, a day after investigators said a worker failed to return a safety system to its normal operation, keeping gates from lowering for an approaching train."

— "Suffolk DA will not bring criminal charges in BU professor's death at JFK/UMass station," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "The Suffolk district attorney's office will not bring criminal charges in the death of Boston University professor David K. Jones, who died after falling through a rusted, broken section of staircase at JFK/UMass station in Dorchester in September, officials said Friday."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Costly ballot fights ahead on gig economy, income tax amendment," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The committee supporting the ride-hailing driver question, Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers, raised a staggering $17 million last year. … The Coalition to Protect Workers Rights, a labor-funded group formed to oppose the ballot question, has raised just over $1 million."

— "Biz groups say millionaires tax will hurt small employers," by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Gloucester Daily Times: "Jeffrey Sheehy's family has spent decades building their Lawrence-based mineral processing company into a profitable, multimillion dollar business. … But Sheehy says a proposed tax on the state's top earners, which goes before voters in the November election, would cut into profits and 'kill the incentive to grow' for his company and many other employers in the region and state."

DAY IN COURT

— "Jasiel Correia, headed to prison in New Hampshire, asks judge to stay free until March," by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: "For a second time, former mayor Jasiel Correia II, destined to report to federal prison in a week, asked Judge Douglas Woodlock on Friday to stay out of prison — this time until March."

— "Feds oppose latest legal effort to block tribe's reservation," by the Associated Press: "The U.S. Department of the Interior, in a legal brief filed in Boston federal court on Jan. 14, argues the court should reject a bid by opponents to reopen a federal court challenge to the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe's more than 300-acre reservation in southeastern Massachusetts."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "After months of delays, state approves doubling of solar energy," by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: "The state Department of Public Utilities in late December approved doubling the state's Solar Massachusetts Renewable Target (SMART) program, which provides incentives to make the economics of solar feasible and would create some 1,600 megawatts of electricity. But clean energy advocates fear the lengthy limbo is a bad augur for the next generation of solar development to go before the DPU."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "Massachusetts marijuana excise tax revenue exceeds alcohol for first time," by Mike Beaudet, WCVB: "Halfway through the current fiscal year, Massachusetts has collected $51.3 million so far in alcohol excise taxes. For the first time, marijuana excise taxes have exceeded alcohol's. At the same midway point this fiscal year, the state has collected $74.2 million as [of] December 2021."

FROM THE 413

— "Holyoke Soldiers' Home Coalition leaders receive national VFW award for pandemic advocacy," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: " Paul Barabani, former superintendent of the home, and his onetime deputy John Paradis, were granted the 'Above and Beyond Award' for their advocacy on behalf of the nearly 80 veterans who died on the virus in 2020, their families and the staff who struggled through the worst of the pandemic."

— IN MEMORIAM: "Late Springfield state legislator Athan 'Soco' Catjakis recalled as political heavyweight with affinity for 2nd chances," by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Where does Alex Morse go from here?" by Mark Shanahan, Boston Globe: "Given his age (32) and obvious ambition (mayor was his first job out of college), many, including his new Select Board bosses in Provincetown, have wondered if [Alex] Morse is merely biding his time before running for Congress again. But sitting in his office at Town Hall, as his goldendoodle, Oliver, noisily snarfs a Pup-Peroni treat, Morse sounds like he might be done with politics. … An indication that Morse may not, in fact, be eyeing another run for congress was his decision to close his federal campaign account."

— "Canadian 'Spudpocalypse' campaign targets Massachusetts as governments chop Prince Edward Island potatoes," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "A new advertising campaign warns of an impending 'spudpocalypse,' chipping into potato supplies and driving price spikes as Prince Edward Island tubers are hit with a moratorium on exports."

— "Mass. unemployment rate falls below 4%," by Steph Solis, Boston Business Journal: "The Massachusetts economy added an estimated 20,100 jobs in December, rounding out the year with a total of over 222,000 jobs gained in 2021 and bringing the unemployment rate to where it was pre-pandemic."

— "With new resources, Mass. resettlement groups boost number of Afghan evacuees they'll help," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "Six resettlement groups now expect more than 2,000 Afghan arrivals to the commonwealth — double the number originally estimated in September. That estimate has slowly grown with the advent of new resources to help fund evacuees' first few months here."

— "New commander of USS Constitution to blend old, new in keeping Navy showpiece ship-shape," by Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe: "It was a small-town Southern upbringing for [Billie] Farrell, far from the salt water that would become as familiar to her as western Kentucky, and far from the wooden decks of the USS Constitution, where in a chilly outdoor ceremony Friday she became the ship's first female commander in its 224-year history."

— "With new leadership, Methuen police brass calls truce with city officials," by Jill Harmacinski, Eagle-Tribune: "In what's seen as a new dawn for city police, members of the superior officers' union say they want to 'open the channels of communication and work forward together' with the mayor and City Council. … The letter, sent to Mayor Neil Perry and City Council President D.J. Beauregard, comes after years of dissent between the city and superior officers union over a contract battle."

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— "R.I. Democrats scrambling to find strong candidate to replace Langevin in Congress," by Edward Fitzpatrick and Dan McGowan, Boston Globe: "Powerbrokers within the party have spent the weekend attempting to convince state Treasurer Seth Magaziner, former CVS executive Helena Foulkes, and Secretary of State Nellie M. Gorbea to drop out of the crowded primary for governor in favor of a run for Congress."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state representative candidate Roberto Jiménez-Rivera; DJ Napolitano, principal at Dewey Square Group; and Andrew Friendly. Happy belated to Jessica Spence of Rep. Jake Auchincloss's office, who celebrated Sunday.

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