News: Gas tax fight revs up again

Thursday, March 24, 2022

Gas tax fight revs up again

Mar 24, 2022

IF AT FIRST YOU DON'T SUCCEED — Republicans who watched an effort to suspend the state's gas tax flame out in the House earlier this month are hoping the idea gains momentum in the Senate.

GOP senators want to force a roll-call vote on a proposal from state Sen. Ryan Fattman that would shelve the state's 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax through Labor Day. Fattman's plan is among the 51 amendments filed to a $1.6 billion mid-year spending bill the Senate is expected to take up today.

It's unlikely to pass. But by pushing the vote, Republicans can at least get Democrats on the record on tax relief for motorists and potentially spin up some campaign-trail fodder.

"We want to advance the conversation," Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr told reporters yesterday outside the State House. "The one thing that isn't acceptable is to do nothing in the face of the pain that we see facing families, that's destabilizing household budgets and threatening the survival of businesses."

Maryland and Georgia have both paused their gas taxes. Connecticut's legislature is sending a billto Gov. Ned Lamont that would do the same. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is open to the idea.

But Democratic leaders here still aren't buying it, and GOP Gov. Charlie Baker favors broader tax relief. Meanwhile, Republican-led efforts could lose steam if prices at the pump keep falling. The average price of gas per gallon has dropped by 10 cents over the past two weeks, according to AAA.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Lawmakers are also making another push to divest state pension funds from Russian ties.

Democratic state Sen. Walter Timilty and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr each filed amendments to the mid-year spending bill that would authorize the state to divest pension funds from companies doing active business in Russia.

The Senate push comes after the House shelved a similar effort earlier this month, and after Speaker Ron Mariano said it's "too difficult" to disentangle investments "that we might have through second or third parties."

TODAY — Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend a Make Ready program event at 10 a.m. in Holyoke. Polito makes a grant announcement at 12:30 p.m. in Shelburne Falls and participates in "Critical Conversations: The Impact of Social Media" in Franklin at 6 p.m.

Rep. Richard Neal addresses the New England Council at 8:30 a.m. at the Seaport Hotel. Rep. Ayanna Pressley visits Chelsea's La Colaborativa at 1 p.m. Rep. Jake Auchincloss tours Manet Community Health Center at 2:30 p.m. Wu attends a BPS Superintendent Search Committee remote community listening session at 6 p.m. GOP governor hopeful Geoff Diehl and MA-02 hopeful Jeffrey Sossa-Paquette swing through Worcester County beginning at 8 a.m. at Lalajava in Northborough.

Call me, beep me if you want to reach me. Or send your tips, scoops and birthdays to lkashinsky@politico.com.

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The AAPI Victory Fund is endorsing state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz for governor today. Brad Jenkins , the group's president, said the endorsement "was always a given" because Chang-Díaz is a "groundbreaker" as the first Latina and Asian American elected to the state Senate. The group also lauded her commitment to progressive policies in a statement.

Chang-Díaz rolled out new endorsements yesterday from elected officials including state Rep. Steve Owens and two-dozen city, town and school board members across various communities.

Her campaign dropped that list not long after House Speaker Ron Mariano said during a State House News Service virtual event that he's supporting state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor. Mariano called it an "easy choice" after working with Healey for years on health care issues. Senate President Karen Spilka declined to pick a side; she's in a trickier spot given that Chang-Díaz is in her caucus.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: IBEW Local 2222 has endorsed Quentin Palfrey for state attorney general, per his campaign.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts is endorsing Chris Dempsey for state auditor after he earned 90 percent support from the group's members, his campaign said.

— STILL PUSHING: GOP governor hopefuls Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty are keeping up their pressure on Beacon Hill Democrats to suspend the gas tax. Diehl, a former state representative, says lawmakers who won't pause the gas tax should give up stipends they get as part of their pay.

Doughty and his running mate, former state Rep. Kate Campanale, are going after Healey for not supporting a gas-tax holiday. But by focusing on the Democratic frontrunner, they seem to have forgotten about Chang-Díaz, a sitting state senator who could actually cast a vote on the gas tax today.

— "Attorney General Maura Healey collects 10,000 signatures on her nomination paperwork for governor," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports jump in new coronavirus cases as variant spreads, 1 death reported," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The state Department of Public Health's report of 1,074 cases is up 48% from last Wednesday's total of 725 infections."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— COMMON GROUND: The House will move forward with mental health care access legislation after all. "We will do the Senate mental health bill and we will do our own mental health bill," Speaker Ron Mariano said during a State House News Service event yesterday, adding that "whatever we do will be to complement and combine with the Senate to broaden the expanse of mental health changes that we need" and will "not be in competition" with legislation the Senate passed last year.

Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka also shared a laugh over Gov. Charlie Baker 's intention to "fight like mad" for his own bill to increase access to mental and behavioral health services. "Not certain the governor is going to have to put his dukes up for anything here," Spilka said.

— BEHIND THE SCENES: Mariano was a Beacon Hill veteran when he took over as speaker, but he still leaned on Spilka for help.

"Much to my surprise when I took over, there was not a handbook or a playbook that comes with this job," Mariano said during the SHNS event. "I had the good fortune to be able to rely on phone conversations with the Senate president. Because there were many times, I will admit this now, that there were some desperate phone calls to the Senate president to see how she would handle the situation that I was experiencing at the time. And the advice and the calming effect that she had on commiserating with me as we puzzled through my dilemmas was a big help."

That support appears to have its limits. Mariano indicated he's looking to take a different tack on tackling prescription drug costs than the Senate. And Spilka didn't mention anything about sports betting, which both Mariano and Baker back.

— "Mass. House Speaker says lawmakers could tackle soaring childcare costs 'right away,' potentially in next month's budget," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts House Speaker Ronald Mariano indicated Wednesday that lawmakers could begin tackling the exorbitant costs of child care in Massachusetts 'right away,' if in a more limited fashion than advocates have sought."

— "Senate climate change bill likely to coincide with Earth Day, Senate President Karen Spilka says while sidestepping gas tax debate," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "A climate resiliency bill that Senate President Karen Spilka has broadly previewed in recent weeks — and that's garnered heightened urgency amid steep gas prices due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine — will likely emerge for debate that coincides with Earth Day on April 22."

— "Baker offering employers $4,000 for each worker hired," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "Frustrated at the disconnect in Massachusetts between available jobs and available employees, the Baker administration is offering for-profit and non-profit employers $4,000 for each new worker they hire this year. The goal of the HireNow program is to give employers an incentive to recruit and train workers who they normally would not bring in for an interview because of their lack of skills."

— "COVID Essential Pay Program: Some 500,000 Mass. workers should expect to receive $500 payments over the next week," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Roughly 500,000 essential workers in Massachusetts should expect to receive $500 payments in the mail over the next week, the Baker administration said Wednesday."

— "Correction Department denies unsafe conditions at Bridgewater," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "The Massachusetts Department of Correction is disputing the findings in a report that said the agency has refused to address pervasive mold and the potential for asbestos exposure at Bridgewater State Hospital. In fact, Correction Commissioner Carol Mici said, the agency has spent $1.7 million addressing the problems."

— "'Hurry up': Activists call on Senate to OK driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants," by Kevin G. Andrade, Standard-Times: "More than 200 people are expected to attend a demonstration at the State House Thursday in support of legislation granting driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts."

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WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

— "North End restaurateurs threaten legal action over $7,500 outdoor dining fee," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Spiced-up North End restaurateurs met for an hour over the new neighborhood-specific $7,500 outdoor-dining fee, then told reporters that they're considering legal action — and just setting up outdoor dining and ignoring the fee."

— "Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces new office for LGBTQ+ advancement," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday announced a new office for LGBTQ+ advancement, elevating advocacy for the city's queer community to a more prominent place in her still-shifting administration."

FROM THE HUB

— "After police officers were phased out of Boston's public schools, violent incidents raise public safety concerns," by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: "With no school-employed officers, it has fallen on regular police and the city's school police unit to handle emergencies at schools in the neighborhoods they patrol. Between the first day of school and Thanksgiving break, the most recent 911 call data available from Boston Public Schools, police responded to 177 incidents at 62 schools across the city. More than one-quarter of the 911 calls were for incidents involving fighting or assault. And these emergency calls represent only the most serious issues. Teachers, deans, and school safety specialists reported more than 4,000 other incidents to school administrators from September through November, which can range from disrupting class to cutting school or trespassing."

— "Street population at Mass and Cass again on the rise, locals say," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The warmer weather is bringing increasing numbers of people back out onto the streets to openly sell and use drugs, Mass and Cass-area residents say ahead of a public meeting with city officials. … 'We're seeing more and more activity together with increasing numbers of people assembling on the street,' Steve Fox of the South End Forum, one of the working group's founders, told the Herald. He said the tent-removal effort in January succeeded in getting rid of the entrenched encampment there — but, 'The same environment pre-tent that we have been seeing for years is on its way back.'"

— "As Baker re-launches sale of Hynes Convention Center, debate brews on what might replace it," by Catherine Carlock and Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "A little more than two years ago, Governor Charlie Baker hung a 'for sale' sign on the Hynes Convention Center. Then came COVID, and those plans went on hold. Now, the Baker administration is set to try again to sell the Hynes, in what is a very different world for conventions and big-time development. And that's about to spark a debate over what to do with a key corner of the Back Bay."

— "Boston asylum office has second lowest grant rate for asylum seekers in the country," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "The Boston asylum office for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services granted only about 11% of applications last year, less than half the national average, according to a report released Wednesday. The report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maine found that the Boston office had the second lowest grant rate across the country."

— "Pro-union baristas in the Boston area say Starbucks is forcing them out but company denies retaliating," by Tori Bedford, GBH News: "Workers at the Starbucks locations in Massachusetts moving to unionize with Workers United say that pro-union workers are being driven to quit with dramatic cuts in hours, an uptick in write-ups for arbitrary offenses and an increased pressure from upper management. Starbucks denies its local stores are retaliating against employees engaged in organizing a union, actions that would violate federal labor laws."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Former MBTA leader and Mass. secretary of transportation gets top job at NYC's transit system," by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: "Rich Davey, the former general manager of the MBTA and Massachusetts Secretary of Transportation, was picked to lead New York City's subway and bus system, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Wednesday. Davey, 48, will leave his role as a partner at Boston Consulting Group, where he advises public transportation systems, to take over the nation's largest public transportation system starting on May 2."

DAY IN COURT

— "SJC suspends Probate Court judge without pay for groping court employee and lying about it," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "In a rare rebuke, the state's highest court Wednesday suspended Probate and Family Court Judge Paul M. Sushchyk without pay after finding that he groped a woman employee participating in a 2019 judicial conference and then lied about it."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "Paying too much at the pump? Fall River man says electric unicycle can help replace cars," by Audrey Cooney, Herald News: "With gas prices causing some serious headaches at the pump, some drivers may now be looking for an alternative. With his electric unicycle, Fall River resident Rick Madeira is ahead of the game."

FROM THE 413

— "Northampton parents, students rally for end to school mask mandate," by Brian Steele, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "About two dozen people affiliated with the new organization MaskChoice Pioneer Valley gathered to promote optional masking, holding signs urging city officials to follow the lead of the state education department, which lifted the statewide public school mandate on Feb. 28."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "A Newton couple were ordered to remove their political yard signs. Now they want their names cleared," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "For years, Newtonville's Martina Jackson put her politics out for all to see. The longtime Democratic campaigner's front-yard signs are a 'who's who' display of state and national issues. … The signs violated a local ordinance and had to go, officials said. If they stayed put, she and her husband, Daniel, faced up to a $300-per-day fine, and a potential criminal court complaint, according to the city's written order to remove the signs. Now those yard signs are at the center of a Middlesex Superior Court suit filed by the Jacksons against the city of Newton, which currently imposes limits on when — and for how long — signs with political messages may be displayed."

— "Massachusetts' virtual schools have 'poor academic outcomes' but state's education commissioner still recommends renewing certificates," by Heather Morrison, MassLive: "Nearly a year after most students returned to in-person learning, two virtual Massachusetts schools are looking to renew their certificates. While the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley recommended renewing their certificates, he also noted concerns regarding both schools' 'poor academic outcomes' and 'the delivery of its academic program.'"

— "AG investigation, NAACP report target Danvers leaders in wake of hockey team controversy," by Bob Hohler, Boston Globe: "Danvers leaders faced new fallout Wednesday from alleged violent racist, homophobic, and antisemitic behavior by its high school boys hockey team, as the state attorney general's office is now investigating the school system's handling of the case and the NAACP called for changes in the Police Department over its role in the controversy."

TRANSITIONS — Colleen Fitzgerald joins Benchmark Strategies as a senior public relations associate.

— Megan Whilden has been named director of development at the Carmel Foundation. She most recently has served as executive director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Berkshire Community College.

— Weymouth's Tim Cronin has been named the Massachusetts director of climate policy for Health Care Without Harm, which works with hospitals on environmental issues.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Vail Kohnert-Yount; Tyler Giles, digital director at Hammerhead Strategies; WXII 12 reporter Ford Hatchett and Playbook fan Paul Murray.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: TRANSPORTATION FOR A WHOLE NEW WORLD — State Sen. Brendan Crighton talks about his priorities as the new Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. Hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky break down the latest news from Beacon Hill to the campaign trail. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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