News: Clock ticks on Beacon Hill

Tuesday, June 28, 2022

Clock ticks on Beacon Hill

Jun 28, 2022

NOTHING HAPPENS UNTIL SOMETHING MOVES — GOP Gov. Charlie Baker said he spent "30 to 45 days" working to ensure an executive order to protect abortion patients and providers was ready to go if the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. When the decision came down, he issued his decree within an hour.

Four days after the court dismantled five decades of constitutionally protected abortion access and eight weeks after POLITICO published the draft SCOTUS opinion that signaled this outcome, Democratic legislative leaders are still deciding how to line up their defenses. Funding and additional protections have been mired in uncertain budget talks while red-state bans push blue states to become sanctuaries for those seeking reproductive care.

Up to $2 million in funding and additional protections for patients and providers were being negotiated as part of the budget. But lawmakers on Monday sent Baker a $6 billion one-month budget — buying them time to continue deliberating after the new fiscal year begins on Friday, but muddying the timeline for abortion-related measures.

Then a planned leadership meeting and post-meeting press conference with Baker, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano was abruptly canceled. Instead, Mariano and Spilka spent Monday afternoon huddling with a group including House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz. Mariano seemed to indicate the meeting was on abortion-related legislation, telling reporters on his way to Spilka's office: "We're working on it, we're absolutely doing it."

In other post-Roe news:

— Baker believes his executive order could do more than just offer protections to patients and providers: it could help bring more companies to Massachusetts.

"I do believe that, having listened to and heard from a lot of companies over the course of the past several days about what this decision means with respect to their workforces and their benefit plans, that there may in fact be a big opportunity here for Massachusetts to encourage some employers to either come here or expand their footprint here," Baker told reporters.

— Attorney General Maura Healey joined 21 of her counterparts in vowing to "use all legal tools at our disposal" to defend abortion access.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The Democratic Governors Association is endorsing Healey for governor, with DGA Chair and North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper saying "she knows what it takes to bring people together and has a plan to tackle the high cost of living through investments in housing, transportation and child care."

The DGA endorsement is no surprise, given that Healey's the only Democrat still running for a seat the party is bullish on flipping. But it notably opens the door for Healey to access the DGA's digital, fundraising and messaging services. And it could mean even more money spent on her behalf in the general election.

Healey's already spent at least $835,800 since January, nearly double the amount of her closest Republican rival, according to state campaign finance records. She's also dropped $4.5 million on primary- and general-election television ad buys.

Other candidates are readying to get on the airwaves: GOP governor hopeful Chris Doughty plans to spend $500,000 on TV ads this summer, his campaign told Playbook. And Andrea Campbell became the first candidate to place TV ad buys in the attorney general race, reserving about $350,000 worth of pre-primary airtime, the Democrat's campaign confirmed.

TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito makes a Mass Trails grant announcement at 9 a.m. in Milton and hosts FORWARD infrastructure events at 11:30 a.m. in Lawrence and 1 p.m. in Lowell. Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Stephen Lynch and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu host a press conference on federal funding for climate resilience at 10:30 a.m. at 165 HarborWalk in South Boston. Warren kicks off a canvass in support of the Fair Share Amendment at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln Commons Park in Malden and hosts a meet-and-greet at 7 p.m. at the Winchester Public Library. Candidates for Suffolk County DA and sheriff participate in Boston Wards 4/5 Dems forum moderated by Danielle Allen at 6:30 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Got pics from last night's crazy cool sunset? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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FROM THE HUB

— "Boston, state strike schools agreement — heading off receivership and 'underperforming' designation," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Boston appears to have headed off state receivership and an 'underperforming' designation after Mayor Michelle Wu and Education Commissioner Jeff Riley inked a last-minute improvement plan agreement on the eve of looming unilateral moves from on high. 'DESE, BPS and the City were able to finalize the Systemic Improvement Plan today, and therefore Commissioner Riley will not ask the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to vote to declare the district underperforming,' the state Department of Elementary & Secondary Education said in a statement Monday evening."

After tense negotiations in which both sides sought leverage through the press, the city emerged victorious in two key areas the Wu administration deemed crucial: getting the state to put an end date on its BPS intervention — June 30, 2025 — and to clearly define the role of the independent auditor who will be hired to parse data surrounding transportation, facilities and bullying.

"This agreement documents specific steps, timeframes, and clear scope for a partnership with the state that sets our district up for success," Wu, who will testify at today's Board of Elementary and Secondary Education meeting, said in a statement last night. "I'm glad that our discussions ultimately reinforced that Boston's local communities know best how to deliver for our schools."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 3,491 COVID cases over the weekend, virus hospitalizations plateau," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The state Department of Public Health reported a daily average of 1,164 COVID cases over the weekend, which was a bit up from the daily rate of 1,017 infections last weekend."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "Gov. Charlie Baker's tax cuts: 'Relief is truly needed' for senior citizens in Massachusetts, supporters say," by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: "Gov. Charlie Baker, flanked by tax relief allies at the Massachusetts State House, honed in on the economic plight of older Bay Staters as he refined his pitch to Beacon Hill Democrats to pass his massive $700 million tax break proposal before the end of the legislative session next month. The Republican governor's tax package is crafted to help low-income residents, seniors, families and other vulnerable groups disproportionately impacted by the financial woes of the COVID-19 pandemic — though it's been met with little urgency so far from House Speaker Ron Mariano or Senate President Karen Spilka."

— "Gov. Charlie Baker pushes back on criticisms of his administration's management of the MBTA amid safety probes and calls for oversight hearings," by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: "After a week where the MBTA pulled new Orange and Red Line cars from duty and briefly shut down service at stations passing under Downtown Boston's Government Center Garage, Baker said Monday afternoon that there are 'always opportunities to point fingers' when it comes to problems at the transit agency. 'I would much rather worry about trying to make the things that need to get fixed, fixed,' Baker told reporters in his first media availability in a week. 'The T is not immune to all the issues associated with labor that are affecting virtually every part of our economy.'"

— "Rep's Drunk Driving Case Continued Without A Finding," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): "Two months after he was arrested for driving with a blood alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit, Rep. David LeBoeuf quietly resolved his criminal case in Quincy District Court last week. LeBoeuf was due in court Monday for a pre-trial hearing before the two-term Democrat entered a plea agreement last Tuesday that sees him lose his license for 45 days. He must also complete a driver alcohol education course and pay $600 in fines, plus $65 per month in probation fees for one year."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Group launches effort to preserve law that allows undocumented residents to get driver's licenses," by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "Supporters of a law that allows Massachusetts residents without legal immigration status to get driver's licenses have launched a ballot committee to try and keep that provision on the books in the face of a GOP effort to repeal it this November. The progressive ballot question committee, Vote YES for Work and Family Mobility, was organized Monday, and is being led by veteran organizer Harris Gruman, a top SEIU union official who has worked on ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage, give employees paid sick time, and tax the state's highest earners. … Jim Lyons, chair of the state Republican Party, said the group leading the recall effort is still waiting on the sign-off on ballot language from Attorney General Maura Healey, who he said 'has been reluctant to release any information' about when the petitions may be ready to distribute. According to correspondence shared with the Globe Monday, a summary of the measure was provided to Secretary of State William F. Galvin in the morning. Healey's office said the campaign is now able to start collecting signatures."

While proponents contend that licensing more drivers will increase road safety, opponents of the new law say it lacks basic safeguards and want to put it before voters before it takes effect next summer.

"It was so controversial in the way it was passed and debated, I think it's an opportunity for Massachusetts to chime in," former state veterans' Secretary Francisco Urena , who immigrated here from the Dominican Republic and is one of 17 people who signed the petition kickstarting the ballot-question process, recently told Playbook.

"What [message] does that send to immigrants who are waiting in embassies as we speak right now? Where's their opportunity? If we have an immigration process in this country, let's debate the immigration process and let's not try to find, circumvent a way around it," Urena continued. "I understand that there's a lot of advocates out there and they're going to say this process of bringing it to a ballot should not be happening. But I say why not?"

A late-April Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll found 47 percent of respondents opposed the measure while it was going through the Legislature, while 46 percent were in favor of it and 7 percent were undecided. In a new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll, 46 percent of respondents are against the law, compared to 40 percent who support it and 14 percent who neither support or oppose it.

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— "Worcester Mayor Joe Petty's campaign for Senate receiving reports of a number of signs vandalized, stolen," by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive: "Some of Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty's campaign signs for State Senate have been cut down and torn in half. Others are simply missing altogether, according to reports his campaign is receiving. Petty's campaign is currently working to get to the bottom of it, spokesperson Kate Norton told MassLive Monday."

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Simon Cataldo has been endorsed for 14th Middlesex state representative by the Massachusetts Nurses Association, his campaign said.

— Springfield City Councilor Melvin Edwards has endorsed Sydney Levin-Epstein for Hampden, Hampshire and Worcester state senator.

DAY IN COURT

— "Judge rules lawsuit against Boston police officers who allegedly beat George Floyd protesters can proceed," by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: "A federal judge on Monday denied a motion to dismiss a civil rights lawsuit brought by four people who accused three Boston police officers of using excessive force against them while clearing crowds during a 2020 protest."

— "Judge throws out 2 questions on Massachusetts police officer licensing questionnaire," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The new state licensing commission for police officers for now can't ask cops its planned questions about whether they've posted anything 'that you believe could be perceived as biased' or if they've belonged to any organization that has 'unlawfully discriminated' against anyone based on race, gender or other factors, a judge has ruled while allowing the rest of the questionnaire."

— "Pittsfield man bragged he'd hit an officer Jan. 6. He now faces years in prison," by Larry Parnass, Berkshire Eagle: "Troy Sargent of Pittsfield took to social media after the Jan. 6 uprising to say he'd twice struck 'a rookie cop.' On Monday, after failing to get a judge to dismiss charges brought against him two months after the insurrection, Sargent pleaded guilty to assaulting law enforcement officers at the U.S. Capitol."

SCOTUS WATCH

— "Supreme Court rules in favor of prayer in high school sports: Attorney General Maura Healey 'disappointed' in decision," by Tristan Smith, MassLive: "In a brief [co-authored by several attorneys general] Healey backs her contemporaries' claim that the coaches prayers were not protected under the First Amendment because he was on duty and engaged in his job responsibilities immediately after the game while students were still on the field."

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ROE FALLOUT

— "Massachusetts employers and insurers navigate post-Roe America," by Louisa Moller, WBZ: "Massachusetts based companies have signaled that they will pay for travel expenses for their out of state employees to get abortions. 'We are working to ensure that all US employees will have access to reproductive healthcare no matter what state they live in,' financial services company State Street told WBZ in a statement."

— "Democratic exasperation builds at Biden's slow roll on Roe," by Burgess Everett, Sarah Ferris, Adam Cancryn and Jonathan Lemire, POLITICO: "It's not a full Democratic pile-on yet, even as the party's base rages after the conservative-leaning high court stripped a nationwide right to abortion. That's in part because Democrats recognize both that [President Joe] Biden's hands are somewhat tied and that the dynamics in Congress don't allow a robust response. Nonetheless, lawmakers like [Rep. Pramila] Jayapal and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) are pressing the president for a more urgent counterattack. Among their ideas: covering expenses for federal employees who need to travel to receive abortion services, helping pay for out-of-state abortions, enshrining abortion access for active-duty military and opening up federal lands to abortion counseling and procedures."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "'Social equity' applicants making inroads, gradually, in cannabis business," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "The program is designed to give a leg up to those from communities disproportionately incarcerated and punished by the War on Drugs, or those who have themselves had a marijuana conviction on their record. … But in an industry where big money rules the day, the experiences of [Damaris] Aponte and others have also highlighted how steep the barriers to entry remain, regardless of the state's social equity efforts."

FROM THE 413

— "Northampton VA medical center saved as senators dismantle closure commission," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "A bipartisan group of U.S. senators announced Monday the effective end of the federal commission that had proposed the closure of Veterans Affairs facilities including Northampton's VA medical center. … In a statement Monday, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Worcester, praised the senators for working to end an 'unfair and arbitrary process.' McGovern and U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, had advocated for the Leeds facility to remain open, and McGovern said he would continue to do what he can to 'block any legislative attempts to shut down the Leeds VA and take care away from our veterans.'"

— "State Auditor Suzanne Bump, legislators tour inadequate public safety facilities in Ashfield, Conway, blast 'east-west divide'," by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: "Conway Police Chief Kenneth Ouimette had a question for the visitors standing inside the town fire station. 'So, I need to know. Ashfield or Conway. Which is worse?' he asked. Having toured the cramped and antiquated Ashfield fire station 30 minutes before, and now having also gone through the cramped and antiquated Conway fire station, State Sen. Adam G. Hinds could only shrug that it was a toss-up."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Gas prices in Massachusetts drop to $4.92 a gallon," by WBZ: "That's down a penny from Monday and 8 cents in the last week."

— "Report cites lack of progress fixing gas leaks," by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport Daily News: "The state's aging natural gas pipelines are still riddled with thousands of potentially dangerous and damaging leaks, according to a new report that calls on Beacon Hill policymakers to accelerate a shift toward renewable energy."

HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH

WEEKEND WEDDING — Greg Honan, communications director at With Honor Action and an alum of Harvard's Belfer Center, and Emily Roseman, research director and editor at the Institute for Nonprofit News, got married Saturday at the Barn at Bradstreet Farm in Rowley, Massachusetts, with Megan Corrigan officiating. Pic ... Another pic

HAPPY 41st ANNIVERSARY — to David and Honey Lippman of Great Barrington.

TRANSITIONS — POLITICO and Massachusetts Playbook alum Stephanie Murray is now a reporter covering crypto policy for The Block.

— State House News Service's Katie Lannan is joining GBH News next month to cover Beacon Hill and state politics.

— State Rep. Tram Nguyen and Carol Leon, program manager of the Boston Mayor's Office for Immigrant Advancement, have been named the 2022 Rappaport Institute Urban Scholars at Harvard.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Moses Marx and Nick Mitchell.

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