News: Mariano makes his LG pick

Monday, April 11, 2022

Mariano makes his LG pick

Apr 11, 2022

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FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MARIANO BACKS DRISCOLL FOR LG — The top House Democrat on Beacon Hill has made clear whom he wants to work with in the corner office next year.

Speaker Ron Mariano is endorsing Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll for lieutenant governor, citing her shared vision for developing offshore wind and her years of experience in municipal government. The top House lawmaker has also endorsed state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor, throwing his weight behind an all-female team of veteran public servants to top his party's ticket.

"Mayor Driscoll has an impressive record of accomplishment starting in Chelsea and as a transformative mayor in Salem," Mariano said in a statement. "She is the best kind of leader: inclusive, accountable, and focused on results. She will be a valuable partner for our work in the House and the best advocate for the cities and towns of the Commonwealth."

Mariano bypassed a member of his own caucus, state Rep. Tami Gouveia, in endorsing Driscoll. Gouveia, a progressive second-term lawmaker, has voted against leadership on bills ranging from speaker term limits to same-day voter registration (Gouveia wanted both). He also overlooked Democratic state Sens. Eric Lesser and Adam Hinds. Driscoll called Mariano a "tremendous leader" on health care, education and clean energy and said she's "honored" to have his support.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Budget season kicks into high gear this week.

Top House lawmakers will unveil their fiscal 2023 budget proposal on Wednesday. We'll get an early glimpse at House lawmakers' early education and care plans, as well as other proposed workforce investments, when Mariano, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and some of their Beacon Hill colleagues tour an early learning center in Boston this afternoon.

Gov. Charlie Baker will certainly be watching — in part for any hints about what House lawmakers might say or do about the tax breaks he proposed in his own $48.5 billion budget plan, including $700 million in relief for seniors, renters, parents and low-income workers.

"It is an election year, and I think people like tax relief," Eileen McAnneny of the nonpartisan Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, which supports Baker's plan, told WBZ's Jon Keller in an interview that aired Sunday. "The proposal is balanced, so it provides a lot of help to folks at the lower end of the income spectrum who have been most impacted by the pandemic."

Mayor Michelle Wu is also poised to unveil her first budget as Boston's chief executive this week. Wu's plan, influenced by a public listening tour, will serve as a blueprint for the progressive policies she hopes to achieve and shed light on her plans for the Boston Police Department and other agencies. It also sets her up for potential clashes with city councilors who have more power over the city's purse strings this year, though the council is pretty Wu-friendly.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and HHS Sec. Marylou Sudders virtually testify on the administration's health care proposal at noon. Sen. Ed Markey keynotes the investiture ceremony for Lynn Perry Wooten, Simmons University's first Black president, at 10 a.m. Mariano, Michlewitz and colleagues tour Ellis Early Learning at 12:30 p.m. Rep. Richard Neal celebrates the Postal Service Reform Law of 2022 in Springfield at 1:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu hosts a press conference on the Boston Blooms Block Party at 1:30 p.m. GOP governor hopeful Chris Doughty attends the campaign kickoff for Plymouth County DA Timothy Cruz and Sheriff Joe McDonald at 5 p.m. in Plymouth. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) speaks virtually at Tufts University at 5:30 p.m.

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

A message from PhRMA:

Thousands of scientists in Massachusetts are creating ground-breaking treatments to fight everything from the common cold to cancer. Gov. Charlie Baker's bill would let the government set prices on medications, limiting the amount of research scientists can do to create cures. More importantly, it might make some medications harder to get. Gov. Baker: let the scientists do their jobs, don't discriminate against patients, and stop threatening access to medications. Go to SupportMassCures.com to learn more.

THE PRESSLEY PARTY

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Rep. Ayanna Pressley will visit Randolph on Wednesday to discuss the $1 million in federal funding she secured to build a community health center at Randolph High School . She'll also hold a roundtable discussion on the barriers to health care services facing residents of Randolph, a city whose population is majority people of color, and how to equitably recover from the pandemic.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Groundbreakings and potholes, Charlie Baker's public schedule looks like 2019. Behind the scenes, COVID looms," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Every Tuesday and Thursday, Baker and staffers will gather, usually for an hour, to pore over data on booster shots, test distribution, hospitalizations, and more. Every other week, he'll huddle with a six-person advisory board of doctors and public health experts; every other Wednesday at 7 a.m., Marylou Sudders, his health and human services secretary, talks with hospital leaders. It's fed into what Baker called the state's 'giant surveillance effort,' the largely behind-the-scenes work tracking COVID-19 that has trudged on after the daily press conferences and physical trappings of the administration's pandemic response have steadily fallen away."

— "Charlie Baker signs a law that allows older relatives to adopt younger relatives," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker has signed the bill closing a longstanding legal loophole in Massachusetts by signing a law that will allow older siblings and other relatives to adopt their younger relatives."

— "Seekonk lawmaker files bill to crack down on catalytic converter thieves," by David Linton, The Sun Chronicle: "State Rep. Steve Howitt has filed legislation to crack down on catalytic converter thieves and unscrupulous scrap dealers who buy the stolen automobile parts. 'It's becoming an organized crime because there's more money in it,' the Seekonk Republican, who represents Seekonk, Rehoboth, Swansea and parts of Norton, said on Friday."

— "A Natick Select Board member is resigning to join Senate President Karen Spilka's office," by Abby Patkin, MetroWest Daily News: "Little more than a week after Natick filled two open seats on the Select Board, another vacancy has emerged as former Chair Karen Adelman-Foster announced her resignation Wednesday. 'I'm extremely honored to have taken a job with Senate President Karen Spilka's office as director of community engagement and municipal policy,' Adelman-Foster told fellow board members."

— "Police union criticizes certification questions," by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport News: "More than 10,000 Massachusetts police officers are expected [to] undergo a new state certification process this year that will include a review of their personnel records and face-to-face interviews. … Members of the union representing state police troopers now say they are 'deeply troubled' by the subjective nature of some of the questions they will be required to answer."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "More COVID funding flowing to these Massachusetts community organizations to help with vaccine equity," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Community organizations scattered throughout Massachusetts will collectively receive $4.5 million in new COVID-19 funding to bolster vaccination rates and overcome ongoing disparities, the Baker administration announced Friday."

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FROM THE HUB

— "Nearly 1 in 3 BPS students was chronically absent last year, state says," by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: "Department of Elementary and Secondary Education data shows that 29.4% of BPS students missed 10 or more days of school from 2020 to 2021, the most recent academic year for which statistics are available."

— "Boston organization ABCD suddenly down millions in federal funds," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The ubiquitous Boston social services organization ABCD says the feds suddenly have pulled the rug out from under it, informing the nonprofit that its normal $2.8 million family-planning grant just won't be showing up this year. … ABCD sent a letter on Friday to HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra, saying the organization's leaders are 'in disbelief' and 'Thousands of our low income residents and communities of color in Boston and other cities in Massachusetts were devastated' by the news."

— RACE FOR CITY HALL: Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune has endorsed Gabriela Coletta for District 1 city councilor, her campaign said.

A message from PhRMA:

ON THE STUMP

— "Secretary of state races are suddenly in the spotlight. But no state has what Massachusetts does: a Democratic primary," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "[Secretary of State Bill Galvin] is the only incumbent Democratic secretary of state being targeted within his own party. As the secretary of state role rockets to newfound political prominence, Galvin's challenge from attorney Tanisha Sullivan stands alone in an already abnormal slate of contests across the country. Here, the race has become rooted in a larger, if familiar, question for the longtime incumbent: What more, if anything, do voters want from an office that's had the same leader for nearly three decades?"

— "Two months in, Maura Healey's pitch for Mass. governor is light on the details," by Matt Stout and Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "More than two months into her front-running campaign, [state Attorney General Maura] Healey, a South End Democrat, has yet to detail a platform or offer concrete ideas for fixing many of what she says are the state's most pressing problems. She has rarely taken questions or done interviews on the campaign trail, largely sticking to radio or television hits; she hasn't responded to progressive groups' surveys seeking her views; and her single-page campaign website, bereft of policy proposals or even a short biography, is largely geared toward soliciting donations."

— "Massachusetts governor campaign donation receipts show big gap in average donation amount," by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: "Democratic Attorney General Maura Healey, thought to be the frontrunner in the race, raked in the highest average donation of $336. Former state Rep. Geoff Diehl, a Republican who's been endorsed by Donald Trump, has the lowest average donation at $103. Republican businessman Chris Doughty earned the second-highest average donation amount, at $245, while Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang- Diaz's average donation was $183."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "Man dies after getting arm stuck in MBTA Red Line train door as it left Broadway Station in Boston," by WCVB: "A spokesperson for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office said a passenger got their arm stuck in the doorway of an inbound Red Line train at the Broadway platform, was dragged a short distance and died of their injuries."

— "Flights canceled, delayed at Logan again, JetBlue says rest of the month will be 'challenging'," by Kim Lucey, 7 News.

WARREN REPORT

— "Bipartisan Klepto Act unveiled to track down Russian oligarch assets," by Sylvan Lane, The Hill: "A bipartisan group of senators released a bill Friday meant to track down real estate, yachts, private jets and other luxuries owned by foreign oligarchs. The bill, called the Kleptocrat Liability for Excessive Property Transactions and Ownership (Klepto) Act, would impose far stricter rules for how much information must be disclosed about who is purchasing a wide range of assets often used for money laundering. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) introduced the bill Friday as a way to ramp up pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin."

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FROM THE DELEGATION

— "Trahan: Businesses need to stop work in Russia," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "While the coalition of countries standing against Russian President Vladimir Putin are doing what they can, there is more that needs to be done by the world's corporations to help stop the atrocities the Russian army is committing in Ukraine, [Rep. Lori Trahan] who recently visited the region said." Watch parts one and two of Trahan's interview on WCVB's "On the Record."

— "A Cold War law could be used to boost heat pump production," by Dharna Noor, Boston Globe: "Democrats and climate advocates are demanding the White House invoke a Cold War-era law to boost domestic manufacturing of heat pumps and other clean energy technologies, arguing it could simultaneously counter Russia's aggression in Ukraine and fend off climate change. … White House officials are reportedly considering it, and five senators, led by Massachusetts Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, wrote a second letter asking Biden to use his executive authorities, including those in the Defense Production Act, to 'support and increase manufacturing capacity' for heat pumps and other clean technologies."

DATELINE D.C.

— "Democrats turn to their Gen Z whisperer as youth support wobbles," by Elena Schneider, POLITICO: "An alienated youth vote is an existential threat for Democrats in 2022: They backed [President Joe] Biden by a 25-point margin in 2020, voting at all-time highs. And in their hour of need, powerful Democrats are looking for answers from [John] Della Volpe, a 54-year-old pollster with salt-and-pepper hair who is not on TikTok. … Della Volpe has led Harvard University's Institute of Politics Youth Poll since its inception in 2000, with former students including House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) and Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "Massachusetts needs at least 750,000 electric vehicles on the road by 2030. We are nowhere close," by Sabrina Shankman and Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: "Back in 2014, state officials calculated the number of gas-burning cars they would need to get off the roads and replace with cleaner, greener options to meet climate goals. By 2020, they said, electric cars in the state needed to total more than 169,000. By 2025, that number had to rise to 300,000. But reality has fallen wildly short of the dream. As of last month, just 51,431 electric passenger vehicles were registered in Massachusetts, less than a quarter of the target. Only about 31,000 of those were fully electric. The remainder, plug-in hybrids, burn gas once they deplete their batteries."

— "$40 million natural gas pipeline roasted by area groups," by Dave Canton, Springfield Republican: "Nearly 200 people from nearly 60 different organizations gathered in front of the federal courthouse on State Street Saturday to protest a proposed natural gas pipeline from Longmeadow to Springfield, a gas pipeline that owner Eversource said is redundant, probably won't be needed and could cost as much as $44 million. The company website calls the pipeline a "reliability project," to ensure the flow of natural gas in the event the company's primary pipeline is disabled."

A message from PhRMA:

Massachusetts is a booming biotech ecosystem. Its scientists and researchers are developing ground-breaking treatments to fight everything from the common cold to cancer.

Gov. Charlie Baker's bill imposes government prices on medications, which would then limit the amount of research scientists can do to create lifesaving treatments. By setting medication prices, it also means politicians decide which patients and diseases are more important than others.

State bureaucrats should not be playing doctor. When the government imposes artificial prices from the top-down, some patients can lose access to their medications. Seniors, the disabled, and the chronically ill are most vulnerable to these policies.

Gov. Baker: let the scientists and doctors do their jobs, don't discriminate against patients, and stop threatening access to medications. Go to SupportMassCures.com to learn more.

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "With warehouse delivery service, Easthampton's Budzee aims to become the Amazon of weed," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Set to open on Monday, Budzee will provide a warehouse-style delivery system for weed. While there currently exist courier services that pick up marijuana products from retailers and deliver them, Budzee's co-owners say they're the first operation to cut out the middleman and deliver directly from their own warehouse."

RUSSIA-UKRAINE

— "Russian School of Math co-founder blasted for saying Ukraine shares blame in death toll," by Phillip Martin, GBH News: "The co-founder and CEO of the nationally-known Russian School of Mathematics and a related summer camp for children is under fire from some parents and supporters of Ukraine. In comments posted to a private Facebook page for the school's summer program that were later shared on other public platforms, Inessa Rifkin suggested that Ukraine's president shared blame for the mounting civilian deaths caused by Russia's invasion."

FROM THE 413

— "'It doesn't work without that piece': 120 formerly homeless veterans live on the campus of a VA medical center; if the hospital leaves, what is left for them?" by Will Katcher, MassLive: "Drug and alcohol treatment centers available to veterans facing addiction would no longer be moments away when the urge to pick up a drink or pill arises. The VA cafeteria that many Soldier On residents rely on for multiple meals a day would disappear. The federal police force that protects the campus, many times providing nearly immediate responses to veterans in medical distress, would depart."

— "Family, friends and supporters march and rally for Miguel Estrella in Pittsfield. They want answers and reform after his fatal shooting by Pittsfield police," by Dick Lindsay, Berkshire Eagle: "Chanting 'Justice for Miguel' and 'We need change,' well over 100 people rallied in support of Miguel Estrella, who was shot and killed by city police late last month. … Estrella's family is calling on the department to release the names of the two officers."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "12 unvaccinated Massachusetts troopers fired," by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts has terminated 12 members of the State Police — 11 troopers and one sergeant — for failing to comply with Gov. Charlie Baker's vaccine mandate. The troopers were let go Friday after an internal hearing process, according to State Police spokesman David Procopio. None of those fired are the seven troopers participating in an ongoing lawsuit over the mandate."

— "Mass. could become haven for procedures," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "If the U.S. Supreme Court overturns the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, Massachusetts' abortion protections would make it a haven for women who live in states with more restrictive laws seeking to have the procedure. … [T]here are concerns that the state's health care providers could be targeted by lawsuits from individuals or groups from other states for performing the procedure."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ethel Kennedy, former Boston City Councilor Tito Jackson, Henry Gass, Matt Tannenbaum, Ted Dooley, Kevin Gilnack, Todd Domke, David Wofford and Darlene Murray.

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