News: Wu shifts her agenda into overdrive

Wednesday, February 9, 2022

Wu shifts her agenda into overdrive

Feb 09, 2022

DRIVING THE DAY — Three MBTA bus routes that run through the heart of Boston's lower-income neighborhoods will be fare-free for two years beginning March 1.

It's a major policy win for Mayor Michelle Wu after her $8 million plan hit a speed bump with the feds. She'll roll out the details of the pilot program for bus routes 23, 28 and 29 at 9:30 a.m. in Dorchester.

Wu is now poised to achieve one of her earliest goals as mayor during an increasingly hectic time for her fledgling administration.

She's embarking on a superintendent search, on top of a police commissioner search, on top of hiring key positions for her still-forming Cabinet. She's battling public safety unions in court and at the negotiating table over her vaccine mandate for city workers. And she's holding fast to her mask and vaccine requirements for businesses even as the Omicron wave ebbs.

"She has faced an unprecedented series of challenges," Larry DiCara, a former city councilor and historian of city politics, told me. "I'm not sure anyone's had this much thrown at them so early."

Wu chose to take on some of these challenges herself. While she inherited the police commissioner search, her transportation goals and vaccine rules — and the triumphs and tribulations that come with them — are of her own making.

It all tracks with Wu's pledge to do the "big and the small" as mayor. Now her effectiveness in doing so — keeping streets plowed while battling Covid-19 and working to fill two of the top jobs in the city — is about to come under more scrutiny as she nears 100 days in office.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Wu is far from the only mayor pushing a sweeping municipal agenda in an unprecedented and unpredictable time.

Two years into managing a marathon public health crisis, mayors across the country are also worrying about housing, crime and maintaining basic city services. POLITICO surveyed 25 mayors, including New Bedford's Jon Mitchell and Worcester's Joe Petty, about their cities' wants and needs, their relationships with state and federal officials and what keeps them up at night. Here are excerpts from their responses:

— Worcester is facing a housing crisis, and when it comes to creating more affordable housing, Petty said the "responsibility needs to be shared in the wealthy surrounding communities who largely favor single family homes and exclusionary zoning process."

— Mitchell wants a "more sustained commitment to infrastructure funding" from the federal government, calling President Joe Biden's bipartisan infrastructure law a "long overdue infusion of cash."

— Petty has seen a "greater level of attention [from] and collaboration with the state administration" during the pandemic, but he said "the state delegation and legislature [have] largely been absent."

— Mitchell said New Bedford faced challenges in "getting our interests heard in Boston" during the pandemic and that "Greater Boston dominates the discussion of state policies, priorities and the allocation of state resources. The only antidote is to ensure that every region of Massachusetts is fairly represented in state government, which has not happened in a long time."

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and education officials make a Covid-19 announcement at 10:30 a.m. at the State House. The Governor's Council interviews state Rep. Sheila Harrington for Gardner District Court clerk magistrate at 10 a.m.; Polito presides over a Governor's Council meeting at noon. MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak and Chief of Streets Jascha Franklin-Hodge join Wu for her transit announcement at 9:30 a.m.

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THE CLARK CAUCUS

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) are introducing a bill today that would ask colleges and universities to improve outreach to homeless and foster students and better connect them to financial aid and housing.

The "Higher Education Access and Success for Homeless and Foster Youth Act" would require homeless and foster students to be prioritized for on-campus housing and federal work-study programs, and provide in-state tuition rates for students without stable residency, among other aims.

"For the homeless and foster youth who find education as a pathway to stability and success, we cannot allow policies and paperwork to get in their way," Clark said in a statement, calling the bill a "common sense way for Congress to help" those students "attend college and continue building a better life."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 1,792 daily coronavirus cases, the lowest count since mid-November," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The 1,792 new cases reported on Tuesday was the lowest daily count since Nov. 10 before the holiday surge and omicron wave. … In the state's weekly breakthrough report, the state Department of Public Health reported 12,262 breakthrough infections last week — a 55% drop from the 27,530 breakthrough cases during the prior week."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Mass. will pay $500 to a half million low-income workers next month," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts state officials said Tuesday they will begin sending $500 payments to hundreds of thousands of low-income workers next month. … Roughly 500,000 residents will receive a payment by the end of March under the state's so-called Essential Employee Premium Pay program, state officials said. The checks, which are expected to total approximately $250 million, represent the first tranche from a $460 million initiative initially designed to reward low-income workers who worked in-person, particularly during the early throes of the pandemic. But under criteria released Tuesday, the Baker administration said it is not limiting the checks to only those who worked in person."

— "Massachusetts Legislature takes first crack at Charlie Baker's last budget," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "The state Legislature had its first opportunity to hear from state elected officials in a Joint Committee on Ways and Means hearing to vet the governor's final budget, which, among other things, includes almost $700 million in tax cuts. ... Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin expressed concern that he was 'dramatically underfunded' to run the statewide 2022 election."

— "A&F Secretary Heffernan calls millionaire's tax 'dangerous'," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Raising taxes on income over $1 million would be a 'dangerous policy,' given how well the state is doing financially under the current tax system, Secretary of Administration and Finance Michael Heffernan said Tuesday. … His comments reflect what is becoming a primary argument by opponents of the tax increase: The state is awash in cash, so more money is unnecessary."

— "Transparency Measures Disappear In Conference Darkness," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): "The biennial bill-reporting deadline came and went last week, but an 11-month legislative disagreement means the public may never know how their representatives and senators voted in deliberations over whether proposals should advance or fall short. The House and Senate each supported some form of pulling back the curtain on how panels vote, but Democrats couldn't agree on a reform plan and existing legislative rules do not require joint committees to publish any breakdown of where members stand on bills they report."

— "As Massachusetts State House enters 700th day of being closed due to COVID, activists push for reopening," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "In a stinging rebuke of Tuesday's milestone, the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance launched a campaign to bring the State House out of 'lockdown mode' and encourage constituents to put pressure on their elected leaders. … [Senate President Karen] Spilka, in a statement to MassLive on Tuesday, insisted that visitors will be welcomed back on Beacon Hill 'sometime this month.'"

— "Trooper's Widow Urges Lawmakers To Revive Drugged Driving Bill," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall: "Blasting lawmakers for once again spiking Gov. Charlie Baker's proposal to give police new tools to detect drugged drivers, a Baker spokesperson on Tuesday said the decision 'will only put more lives at risk.' Baker's office and the widow of a State Police trooper killed after being struck by an impaired driver took aim at the Judiciary Committee, which sent Baker's legislation (H 4255) to a study that effectively dooms its chances of passage this year."

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VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "42 Massachusetts Schools Now Allowed By State To Lift Mask Mandates," by CBS Boston staff: "According to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), 42 public schools have been given approval to lift their mask mandates as of Tuesday. … A DESE spokesperson told WBZ-TV it has received 68 requests to lift the mask mandate. Twenty-one are still being reviewed, three withdrew their request and two were denied."

— "Jan. 6 rioter moves on to organizing Mass. anti-vaccine mandate trucking convoy," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "One of six Massachusetts residents charged with crimes connected to the Jan. 6 insurrection in Washington, D.C., says she is now helping to organize Massachusetts participants in a planned nationwide truck convoy to protest COVID-19 vaccine mandates. In Tuesday posts to a public group on the messaging app Telegram, Suzanne Ianni said she has been asked by national organizers to lend a hand in organizing local truckers. The effort started in Canada, where a group of truckers protested having to be vaccinated to cross the U.S.-Canadian border."

FROM THE HUB

— "Big challenges confront Boston schools amid leadership shakeup: 'We don't want things to move backwards'," by James Vaznis, Bianca Vázquez Toness and Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Mayor Michelle Wu and Superintendent Brenda Cassellius attempted to reassure the public Tuesday that school improvement efforts will move forward as Cassellius prepares to leave the job, but big questions remain about whether momentum will stall or if a new leader will shift priorities. The district is in the midst of a number of major endeavors that could skid off course."

— "Here's when Boston plans to lift its COVID vaccine requirement for certain indoor venues," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, WBUR: "[Boston Mayor Michelle] Wu told reporters that the city plans to repeal the requirement once Boston's hospitalization and COVID rates are below three weekly metrics: less than 95% of adult ICU beds occupied, less than 200 daily COVID hospitalizations and less than a 5% citywide test positivity rate (excluding testing on college campuses, which would skew the numbers downward). Boston is already below one of the metrics, with 91.3% of ICU beds occupied."

— Massachusetts Restaurant Association President Bob Luz told the Boston Globe that Wu's vaccine requirement has led to a drop-off in business at restaurants and that it's in their "best interest" to "have the mandate rescinded as soon as possible."

ON THE STUMP

— REWIND: The Democrats running for state attorney general — former Boston city councilor Andrea Campbell, former lieutenant governor nominee Quentin Palfrey and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan — made their pitches on GBH's "Greater Boston" last night.

They differ over qualified immunity. Campbell and Palfrey both called to get rid of qualified immunity for police officers and other public employees. Liss-Riordan didn't denounce it, saying that the legal doctrine needs to be revisited because there are not enough "written decisions which would establish what the law in the area is." The Boston Globe's Samantha J. Gross has more.

— "City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo to run for Suffolk district attorney," by Danny McDonald and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: "City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, a former public defender who is known as a police reform stalwart on Boston's legislative body, announced his run for Suffolk district attorney Tuesday morning. … Flanked by city councilors, past and present, as well as pastors and community organizers, Arroyo pledged to build off of [former Suffolk DA Rachael] Rollins's progressive reforms."

— "Prisoner advocacy group endorses Attleboro's Heroux in contest for Bristol County sheriff," by David Linton, Sun Chronicle: "Bristol County for Correctional Justice, a group that has been regular critics of Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, praised [Attleboro Mayor Paul] Heroux for his criminal justice background and record of public service."

— "Former Ludlow Selectman Aaron Saunders weighing bid for Rep. Jake Oliveira's seat," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Aaron Saunders, a former Ludlow selectman and chief of staff to former state Sen. Gale Candaras, confirmed to MassLive Tuesday evening that he's considering a bid for state Rep. Jake Oliveira's seat. Saunders, now the senior vice president of Boston-based public affairs firm Benchmark Strategies, has fielded multiple encouraging calls to seek the 7th Hampden district seat."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "New study touts pilot-to-permanent bus programs in Everett, Cambridge/Watertown, Everett," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "A new study from the local think tank the Pioneer Institute found that improved bus infrastructure proved popular for bus riders and municipalities alike after three pilot programs. … The study looked at three pilot programs using Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT features, including a dedicated bus-only lane in the center of the roadway, off-board fare collection, changes in traffic flow at intersections to prioritize buses, and boarding level with the curb."

DAY IN COURT

— "3 graduate students file sexual harassment suit against prominent Harvard anthropology professor," by Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: "Three Harvard University graduate students sued the university on Tuesday, alleging it ignored nearly a decade of sexual harassment and retaliation by a prominent anthropology professor and permitted a system that protects powerful faculty — and the university's reputation — at students' expense."

— "District settles lawsuit over groups for students of color," by Philip Marcelo, Associated Press: "A Massachusetts school district has settled a federal lawsuit challenging its creation of affinity groups for Black, Latinx, Asian and other students of color. Parents Defending Education has agreed to drop its suit while Wellesley Public Schools will make it clear that the groups are open to any and all students, according to an agreement filed in Boston federal court on Monday."

DATELINE D.C.

— "Robinson Sees Grid Reliability As Top Concern," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service (paywall): "Reliability of the electric grid will be a top concern for Rep. Maria Robinson if she is confirmed to a post in the U.S. Department of Energy, the Framingham Democrat told a U.S. Senate panel Tuesday."

— "Black Lawmakers Urge DOJ To Take 'Aggressive' Action Against Voter Restrictions," by Sarah Ruiz-Grossman, HuffPost: "The letter — led by Democratic Reps. Jim Clyburn (S.C.), Ayanna Pressley (Mass.) and Mondaire Jones (N.Y.) — was meant to communicate to the DOJ that the agency needs to 'be more aggressive in its work to protect voting rights,' according to a news release from Pressley's office."

— "Warren and Daines team up on bipartisan stock ban," by Sophia Cai, Axios: "Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Steve Daines (R-Mont.) are teaming up to file a stock-ban bill, a bipartisan pairing that's part of a building movement to act on a potential conflict of interest."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Pervasive mold plagues state hospital for mentally ill detainees," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Pervasive mold and the potential for exposure to asbestos are endangering the health of individuals confined at Bridgewater State Hospital, according to a new report, leading to renewed calls to close the institution."

— "Massachusetts State Police Unresolved Case Unit sending unsolved playing cards to state prisons," by Bob Ward, Boston 25 News: "This week, 7,000 decks of playing cards, each card containing the image of a missing persons case or an unsolved homicide, will be sent into the state prison system. The idea is to generate leads from inmates."

— "South Coast charter school proposal withdrawn," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "A group proposing to open a charter school serving New Bedford and Fall River with a focus on 'early college' programs has withdrawn the application, citing 'political complexities' that the plan has faced."

— "Woburn case among most egregious in Open Meeting Law report," by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: "[State Attorney General Maura] Healey ruled in July that six members of the Woburn Public Library Board of Trustees held two illegal secret meetings during October the prior year where they hired a public relations firm and legal counsel to represent them in a messy fight over library staff layoffs."

MEDIA MATTERS

— "Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy sues over sexual assault claims in articles," by Jeremy Barr, Washington Post.

TRANSITIONS — William Pratt is now a policy adviser for the Treasury Department. He previously was a legislative aide for Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

SPOTTED — on Gabriela Coletta's virtual campaign kickoff for Boston City Council District 1 campaign: State Reps. Adrian Madaro; Dan Ryan and Tram Nguyen; Boston City Councilors Kenzie Bok and Ricardo Arroyo; and Coletta's former boss, Boston City Councilor and state Sen. Lydia Edwards, per an attendee.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Audrey Scagnelli, Jessica Ross, New Hampshire congressional candidate Gail Huff Brown and Geoff Young.

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