News: Ed Markey is walking on sunshine

Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Ed Markey is walking on sunshine

Mar 16, 2022

(UN)LIKE CLOCKWORK — Daylight saving time usually kicks off a time-honored tradition: Bay Staters grumble about losing an hour of sleep but cheer the extra hour of afternoon daylight like the Vitamin-D-deprived sad saps we are. Lawmakers call to never fall back. Reporters make puns and move on.

Not this time.

The Senate voted yesterday to make daylight saving time permanent. Sen. Ed Markey, who's long pushed to lock the clocks, had hinted that the bipartisan effort could finally see the light this year. But the swift and unanimous passage of the Sunshine Protection Act yesterday still took many of us by surprise.

"It's time to ensure we have that extra hour of daylight every evening so the corners of people's mouths are turned upwards in a smile every day of the year," a positively giddy Markey told Playbook by phone not long after the vote. "Now we need representatives to see the light and pass this bill."

Hold on a minute. The last time Congress made daylight saving time permanent, it was reversed within a year after kids going to school in the dark proved dangerous. That concern persists today. If daylight saving time goes year-round, we wouldn't see the sun rise until after 8 a.m. in December.

"We can make adjustments where necessary," Markey said. "Ultimately we want that hour [of extra daylight] when the vast majority of people are up and able to enjoy it, so I believe we can come up with solutions to keep kids safe."

The Sunshine Protection Act faces a cloudy future in the House. Markey told Playbook he's been a bit too busy working his Senate colleagues to see where his counterparts across the Capitol stand. Luckily for him, I had some time to ask around.

Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark supports making daylight saving time permanent. So do Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jake Auchincloss and Seth Moulton, who said falling back an hour "causes unnecessary car accidents, depression and more instances of workplace injuries."

Rep. Lori Trahan, who probed the mental health benefits of ending the biannual clock-changing ritual in a hearing last week , told Playbook she hopes the House moves quickly on the proposal. Springing forward and falling back is "especially tough on children and teens," she said. "I'm supportive of any proposal that prioritizes our kids' mental health."

We likely wouldn't soak up that extra afternoon sun until 2023. But that isn't stopping Markey from rocking around the clock in celebration now. The ebullient senator commemorated yesterday's vote by sharing his "Daylight Saving Time Mix" of 18 "sunny jams" that he planned to listen to on his way home.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Donald Trump's support of Geoff Diehl might not go both ways.

The GOP governor hopeful was noncommittal when asked by WAMC recently whether he'd support Trump if the former president runs again in 2024.

"If we have the same policies that we had during his time in office and the same success that he had, I would be very hard pressed to see why I wouldn't support him," Diehl said. "But at the same time, if there's other candidates that emerge that potentially want to challenge him, I'm open to hearing their message as well."

Trump settled a score against Gov. Charlie Baker by backing Diehl. But Diehl doesn't appear to hold the same grudge. Diehl said he supported Baker in all three of his gubernatorial bids. And though they disagree on policy, Diehl told WAMC he would still seek the outgoing governor's endorsement.

"Yeah, I think Charlie and I will have a talk at some point," Diehl said. Baker recently told WBZ's Jon Keller that he's "not planning to get involved in the governor's race at this time."

TODAY — Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses Congress at 9 a.m. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito chairs a Governor's Council meeting at noon. Clark and colleagues host a virtual kickoff event for the congressional Pre-K and Child Care Caucus at 11 a.m. State Sen. Lydia Edwards and former Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone join a Fix the Grid Campaign rally on the Boston Common at 4:30 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Need to debrief from the most dramatic finale of the most dramatic season of The Bachelor ever? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: State attorney general hopeful Andrea Campbell has locked up over 30 more endorsements from current and former elected officials, per her campaign. Those endorsing the former Boston city councilor for statewide office include former U.S. Rep. Bill Delahunt; state Sens. Will Brownsberger, Jo Comerford and Michael Moore; state Reps. Bruce Ayers, Dan Cahill, Pat Haddad, Alice Peisch, Dan Ryan, John Rogers, Smitty Pignatelli and Bud Williams; Quincy Mayor Tom Koch; Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno; Boston city councilors Kenzie Bok and Julia Mejia; former Boston councilors John Nucci and Mark Ciommo, and former state Sens. Joe Boncore and Ben Downing , who ended his governor campaign in December.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: UNITE HERE Local 26 is endorsing Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk district attorney. Local 26, which represents about 12,000 hospitality workers across Massachusetts and Rhode Island, is the first union to endorse in the race, Arroyo's campaign said.

— PRESSURE POINT: GOP governor hopeful Chris Doughty and his running mate, former state Rep. Kate Campanale, will make another push to suspend the state's gas tax at a 2 p.m. press conference in Dedham.

— LENDING HER VOICE: Democratic state attorney general hopeful Shannon Liss-Riordan will join the growing calls to close the unsafe Roderick L. Ireland Courthouse in Springfield at 1:15 p.m.

— ENDORSEMENT RECAP: The Massachusetts Building Trades Council endorsed state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor after her keynote address at the group's convention in Springfield.

— "Liss-Riordan wins SEIU Local 888 endorsement in AG race," by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: "On Tuesday, [Shannon] Liss-Riordan's campaign rolled out the support of SEIU Local 888, which represents 8,000 state, municipal and education workers in Massachusetts."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 502 daily coronavirus cases, the lowest single-day count since the summer," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The state Department of Public Health reported 502 COVID-19 cases, the lowest single-day count of virus cases since July 22 when infection rates were low. … The total of 227 patients is the lowest hospitalization count since Aug. 2. … In the state's weekly breakthrough report, the state Department of Public Health reported 2,509 breakthrough infections last week — down from the 3,194 fully vaccinated cases during the prior week."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— SEEKING RELIEF: Republican lawmakers unveiled a trio of bills yesterday to help ease the pain Bay Staters are feeling at the gas pump. The bills would suspend the state's 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax through Labor Day; provide electric-vehicle rebates; and offer a 58.5-cents-per-mile tax credit to motorists commuting to school, work, medical appointments or on behalf of charitable organizations.

"We cannot stand idle," Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr said in a statement. "These bills create powerful tools to assist strained household budgets not only with the cost of fuel, but also with the costs of technology to be freed from dependence on that fuel."

The renewed GOP push to halt the gas tax comes as governors and legislatures in other states work to temporarily shelve their gas taxes or delay increasing them.

— "Baker unveils new bill to expand primary care and mental health treatment," by Priyanka Dayal McCluskey, Boston Globe: "Two years after the pandemic derailed his health care agenda, Governor Charlie Baker on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping new plan to boost primary care and mental health, control drug prices, and better coordinate care. … It calls on health care providers and insurers to increase spending on primary care and mental and behavioral health by 30 percent over three years — an investment of $1.4 billion. To keep total costs in check, providers and insurers would be required to cut spending growth in other areas, such as pricey hospital services. The bill largely mirrors legislation that Baker proposed in late 2019 but couldn't get through the Legislature before COVID-19 shifted priorities."

— "Joel McAuliffe, Sen. Eric Lesser's deputy chief of staff, leaving as he weighs run for open Massachusetts House seat, ally says," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Sen. Eric Lesser's deputy chief of staff will soon leave his post, potentially in pursuit of a bid for state representative — as his boss, a Longmeadow Democrat and Obama administration alum, remains in the midst of a hectic campaign for lieutenant governor, MassLive has learned."

FROM THE HUB

— "Mayor Wu plans to celebrate Boston's reemergence from pandemic shutdown with downtown events," by Mackenzie Farkus, GBH News: "While there are 'many moving pieces' to the downtown reopening days, [Mayor Michelle] Wu hopes the first of these events will coincide with Boston Marathon festivities in mid-April — and that the series will continue throughout the summer."

— "Harvard's big plans in Allston face growing pushback from the neighbors," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "A newly established coalition of community groups sent a nearly 20-page letter to Mayor Michelle Wu over the weekend, listing a long line of commitments they want to see from Harvard as the institution embarks on about 140 acres of development in Allston. The letter — from the Coalition for a Just Allston-Brighton — has been in the works for several months and was sent amid a city review of a crucial first stage of Harvard's plans."

— "East Boston Neighborhood Health Center faces standoff with advocates claiming shoddy care," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "East Boston Neighborhood Health Center told GBH News it sent two letters to nonprofit Centro Presente's director Patricia Montes asking to meet and discuss the claims of at least 10 immigrant families — including one whose infant died — that they received shoddy medical care. … Advocates say they are holding the clinic's administration at bay because they don't want to see the health institution police itself. … They're also lawyering up. Centro Presente held a press conference Tuesday to announce that Lawyers for Civil Rights has joined their effort and has sent a letter to the Department of Public Health and Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey demanding a joint investigation into the claims of poor patient care."

DON'T MISS POLITICO'S INAUGURAL HEALTH CARE SUMMIT ON 3/31: Join POLITICO for a discussion with health care providers, policymakers, federal regulators, patient representatives, and industry leaders to better understand the latest policy and industry solutions in place as we enter year three of the pandemic. Panelists will discuss the latest proposals to overcome long-standing health care challenges in the U.S., such as expanding access to care, affordability, and prescription drug prices. REGISTER HERE.

DAY IN COURT

— "Boston activist Monica Cannon-Grant indicted on fraud, conspiracy charges," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Controversial but connected Boston activist Monica Cannon-Grant used her nonprofit's coffers as her own, federal prosecutors allege as the Violence in Boston founder faces charges of defrauding people who thought they were contributing to a good cause — when they actually were funding her meals, car payments and nail-salon appointments. Cannon-Grant and her husband Clark Grant — who already was criminally charged by the feds, alleging he had engaged in pandemic-assistance fraud — 'agreed to use VIB as a vehicle to personally enrich themselves and their designees,' according to the federal indictment unsealed Tuesday. … An attorney for Cannon-Grant, Robert Goldstein, said in a statement that the charges are a 'rush to judgment.'"

— The Boston Globe has local reaction to charges against Cannon-Grant: "Donald Osgood, one of Cannon-Grant's many supporters for her work in the community, said the charges did not change his feelings. … Rayla Campbell, a Randolph Republican who was targeted by Cannon-Grant during her unsuccessful campaign against US Representative Ayanna Pressley, called the charges 'a good day for justice and I'm hopeful this can help expose how certain groups and individuals have exploited a movement meant to bring about meaningful change and turn it into the politics of personal destruction and hatred.'"

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Republicans Request Investigation of Walsh's Labor Negotiations," by Paige Smith, Bloomberg Law: "The U.S. Department of Labor's independent watchdog should review Labor Secretary Marty Walsh's involvement in labor disputes, to ensure he 'adheres to his obligations under federal ethics laws,' Republican House members requested in a letter sent Monday."

WARREN REPORT

— "Elizabeth Warren's anti-crypto crusade splits the left," by Zachary Warmbrodt, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts — who has long led the left's charge to crack down on banks and Wall Street — has emerged as one of the party's most vocal cryptocurrency critics, warning that it exposes consumers to danger, is ripe for financial crimes and is an environmental threat because of its electricity usage. But a new generation of progressives — and a number of other senior Democrats — are embracing the startup industry."

FROM THE 413

— "Attorney General Maura Healey visits Baystate Medical Center in Springfield to talk health care workforce, mental health and access to care," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "[Covid] isn't going away, and neither is the impact it's had on health care, mental health and the health care workforce. State Attorney General Maura Healey learned that, as well as the need to focus on recruitment, vaccination and behavioral health, on Tuesday as she met for an hour with about 30 staffers at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Everett city councilor criticized for sharing racist meme," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "Residents are denouncing City Councilor Anthony DiPierro and calling for him to resign after he apologized last week for having circulated a racist meme online. The message he traded with others in the city became public last week in a report by the Everett Leader-Herald and led him to write a letter of apology that was published by the Everett Advocate. The message, and two others sent by DiPierro that were obtained by the Globe, make reference to the n-word."

— "Massachusetts suicide prevention group launches text line designed for young people," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "A Massachusetts-based suicide prevention organization is launching a text line for young people to connect with peers around their age — a 'game-changing service that will save lives,' advocates say. Samaritans is starting to offer 'Hey Sam' — an anonymous, peer-to-peer text service designed for young people up to age 24, staffed by trained volunteers of the same age group."

— "How $526 million in opioid settlements will be distributed in Massachusetts," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: "In Massachusetts, cities and towns will get 40% of funds coming to the state, with the rest added to a state trust fund created to ensure settlement dollars are used to address the opioid crisis."

— "MGM Springfield reports $19.9 million take in February; state casino taxes collected since 2018 top $1B," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "And with this most recent revenue report, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission said it has collected a total of $1.018 billion in taxes and assessments from MGM, Plainridge Park Casino and Encore Boston Harbor since each facility opened."

— "Veterans hospitals, clinics to be shuttered, shifted in consolidation plan," by Brian MacQuarrie and Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "The US Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing to shutter medical centers in Bedford and Northampton and significantly reduce services in Jamaica Plain, as part of a sweeping consolidation plan that would alter where veterans in Massachusetts and across the nation receive care. … In addition, the VA recommended closing community clinics in Lynn and Gloucester and combining those services in a new center in Salem. The VA clinic in Quincy also would be closed, with its health care provided at a new facility in South Weymouth."

TRANSITIONS — GBH News State House reporter Mike Deehan is leaving to launch Axios Boston's morning newsletter later this year.

— Rich Copp, VP of communications at Mass General Brigham, will lead Solomon McCown & Cence's growing health care practice.

— Nigel Jacob, co-founder of the City of Boston's Office of New Urban Mechanics, is now a senior fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Taubman Center for State and Local Government.

— Aviva Rothman-Shore joins Beacon Communities as SVP, community engagement.

— Casey Crownhart and Jessica Hamzelou are joining the MIT Technology Review.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Boston Globe alum and Philadelphia Inquirer digital editor Felicia Gans Sobey, Mark Eurich, Bobby Deren and Mary Deren.

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