News: Debate challenge gone awry

Friday, September 30, 2022

Debate challenge gone awry

Sep 30, 2022

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UNFORCED ERROR — Bristol County sheriff hopeful and Attleboro Mayor Paul Heroux is the latest candidate to accuse his November rival of refusing to debate. Except this time, it's not entirely true.

The latest controversy in an already contentious sheriff's race began when Heroux's campaign sent out a press release Thursday saying Sheriff Tom Hodgson "refused to debate." The Democrat claimed the Republican incumbent "backed out of a debate" moderated by New Bedford Light's Jack Spillane, "refused an offer" to debate by the League of Women Voters and "did not respond" to the NAACP New Bedford branch about a candidate forum. At the end of the press release, Heroux's campaign said it was "unclear" whether Hodgson had agreed to a televised debate on WPRI slated for Oct. 28.

But Hodgson had accepted WPRI's debate offer on Sept. 15, the same day invitations were sent out, WPRI's Ted Nesi confirmed to Playbook, adding that Hodgson actually RSVPed two hours before Heroux. Hodgson posted that he's agreed to two other debates, including one on radio station WBSM.

Reporters and radio hosts quickly tweeted clarifications to Heroux's press release. New Bedford Light said Hodgson did pull out of an event, but described it as a "community conversation series," not a debate.

Heroux told Playbook that "refused" was a "bad choice of words" for the press release. He said he was attempting to call out Hodgson for "avoiding debating" on issues related to incarcerated women and people of color.

He also suggested that Hodgson, an honorary chair of Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign here, is trying to skirt questions about topics that have made him a political lightning rod: a tie he wore in a nearly 20-year-old official portrait that historians told WBUR looked similar to the Confederate battle flag, and his membership on the board of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which the Southern Poverty Law Center identifies as an anti-immigration "hate group."

Hodgson at the time called the tie "patriotic" and denied any connection to Confederate beliefs. His campaign spokesperson, Holly Robichaud, told Playbook on Thursday that "the rumor about the tie has been debunked over and over again and as far as I'm concerned, [Heroux] owes the sheriff one hell of an apology, as well as the voters of Bristol County." She also said she never received an email from the NAACP. The NAACP New Bedford branch and League of Women Voters did not respond to requests for comment.

Hodgson, for his part, capitalized on the extra attention by re-upping his support from moderate GOP Gov. Charlie Baker.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Attorney General Maura Healey is taking a break from her economy-focused messaging and highlighting her work taking on opioid manufacturers and distributors in the third television ad of her gubernatorial campaign.

The 30-second spot, "Have Our Backs," features Roger Brunelle, who lost his son to an opioid overdose and who served on the family advisory council that worked with Healey's office on investigating OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma. Healey secured a $4.3 billion settlement that bans the Sacklers from the opioid business and requires their company, Purdue Pharma, cease operating or be sold by 2024. The agreement includes $90 million for recovery, treatment and prevention efforts in Massachusetts.

The ad also uses photographs from the press conference announcing the settlement that include GOP Gov. Charlie Baker, who has praised Healey as a "real champion" in tackling opioid-related issues, but has declined to get involved in the race to replace him.

TODAY — Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren, Rep. Stephen Lynch, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and state Sen. Nick Collins attend a Massport Conley Terminal upgrade event at 1:30 p.m. in South Boston. Markey and Warren make an announcement "that will supercharge the Massachusetts offshore wind industry" at noon at the JFK Federal Building in Boston. Markey participates in a symposium at Boston University at 3:15 p.m. Rep. Jim McGovern is on WBUR's "Radio Boston" at 11 a.m.

THIS WEEKEND — State Sen. Lydia Edwards and GOP AG nominee Jay McMahon debate ballot Question 4 on driver's licenses for undocumented immigrants on WBZ's "Keller @ Large" at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Democratic AG nominee Andrea Campbell campaigns in Fall River and Swansea on Saturday, and in North Adams on Sunday.

Tips? Scoops? Fun weekend plans? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The coalition supporting the Fair Share Amendment that would add a 4 percent surtax on annual income above $1 million has released its next television ad in what's expected to be a $10 million advertising campaign. This one features Karsen Eckweiler , co-owner of Democracy Brewing in Boston, refuting the opposition's argument that the surtax would wind up hurting small businesses.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Add Sen. Ed Markey to the list of high-profile Democrats coalescing around state Sen. Diana DiZoglio for auditor. "From expanding access to affordable health care, to defending reproductive freedom and gender equity, to protecting families and workers, she is committed to the solutions for the challenges that Massachusetts families face," Markey, who stayed out of the Democratic primary, said in a statement.

— DEBATE TRACKER: A second gubernatorial debate is now on the books. NBC10 Boston, NECN and Telemundo Boston will host the first faceoff between Democrat Maura Healey and Republican Geoff Diehl at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12. The two will meet again in a previously scheduled debate hosted by WCVB, WBUR and the Boston Globe on Oct. 20.

— "Small-Town Bona Fides, Affordability Headline Healey Campaign Stop," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service (paywall): "Painted by the Mass. Republican Party as a 'radical' who is out of touch with regular people, [Democratic gubernatorial nominee Maura] Healey spent the first five minutes of her address in Millbury downplaying things like her Harvard education, Boston residency and Democratic Party affiliation in favor of apolitical themes. … While Healey focused most of her remarks Thursday on affordability and the state's competitive stance, the proposal to add a 4 percent surtax to household income above $1 million did not come up until late in the Q&A, when someone asked Healey directly for her position on the policy that many fear will repel businesses from the Bay State. 'I've been supportive of the fair share [amendment]. It's been out there for a while, though,' Healey said before detailing some things she isn't such a fan of, like setting policy by ballot question. … After her remarks at the chamber, Healey told reporters that she still is supportive of the surtax question and plans to vote yes on Question 1 this November."

— "Early registration finds interest among up-and-coming voters," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Teenagers too young to vote in Massachusetts can sign up in anticipation of going to the ballot box, and hundreds of thousands have taken part in the pre-registration program. More than 230,000 teens have pre-registered to vote since 2016, when the law went into effect, according to the latest data from Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office."

— "Mass. House committee votes are secret. What to know about a ballot question trying to change that," by Aimee Moon, WBUR: "In the November election, Massachusetts voters in 20 House districts will tell their representatives whether or not they want lawmakers' committee votes to be made public."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— "Massachusetts reports 9,047 new COVID cases, jump in virus hospitalizations; 41 COVID deaths were reported in the last week," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The state's daily average of 1,292 COVID-19 cases from the last week is similar to the daily rate of 1,299 virus infections during the previous week. Meanwhile, the state reported that 694 total patients are hospitalized with COVID-19, which is up 104 patients from this time last week — an 18% increase in one week."

— "Massachusetts reports 15 new monkeypox cases, more than 17,000 people vaccinated," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The count of 15 new monkeypox cases in the Bay State was down from 17 infections during the previous week, according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. It brings the total number of monkeypox cases in the state to 396."

— "Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts," by Ryan Huddle and Peter Bailey-Wells, Boston Globe.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "MCAS scores show major drop since 2019," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Student achievement remains well below where it was in 2019, indicating a steep loss in learning during the pandemic that has yet to be made up, according to statewide MCAS results released Thursday. … The 2022 MCAS results reflect the standardized tests that were taken in the spring of 2022 in grades three through eight and grade 10. In every subject – math, English, and science – the percentage of students who scored as meeting or exceeding expectations fell between 2019, the last year of full, in-person education, and 2022. There were some hopeful signs, with both math and science scores rebounding slightly compared to 2021, indicating that some learning recovery has begun. However, there were also areas where scores have continued to drop, including in writing and elementary school English."

— "Westport's Sen. Rodrigues on Relief Checks and Economic Development Bill," by Marcus Ferro, WBSM: "Senator [Michael] Rodrigues, in a recent in-studio appearance on WBSM's SouthCoast Tonight, questioned the Baker-Polito Administration's legal authority to authorize the 62F refund to come in the form of cash when the law states the refund would be in the form of tax credits against the following year's tax liability."

FROM THE HUB

— "Deeply divided, can Boston's city councilors repair relations?" by Danny McDonald and Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: "Last year, Boston elected one of its most diverse City Councils in history, with a mandate to empower the legislative body to bring change to City Hall. But in recent months, tensions have been building behind the scenes, reaching a boiling point weeks ago when the new council looked more like an ugly rerun of old-school Boston politics — dysfunction and a deep schism with racial overtones. … 'We can't continue to function in this environment,' said Julia Mejia, who is in her second term as an at-large councilor. She proposed bringing in a mediator to facilitate discussions among the councilors."

— "Boston closed 221 records requests by citing own inaction," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Boston's records office cited its own inaction in closing 221 public records requests in total, the city now says, going back to March 29, 2021, jumping the total number up significantly from what the office originally offered. The city on Thursday provided data for 2021 through November, adding 186 instances of this practice to the 35 it acknowledged earlier this week."

— "Wu tells Greater Boston Chamber audience that her interests are aligned with theirs," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "In her highest-profile speech focused on business since taking office last fall, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu made her case on Thursday morning to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that her interests and goals were aligned with the executives in the room."

— More: "With executive order, Mayor Wu looks to double speed of affordable housing approval process," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com.

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "New Red, Orange Line trains could be delayed, again, by more than a year, MBTA says," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Orange Line cars that were expected at the beginning of this year may not be available until next summer, and Red Line cars due next fall could be delayed until summer 2025, officials told the T's board of directors. The possible setback comes nearly two years after the company said production was delayed until 2024."

— "MBTA plans to crack down on fare evasion with new commuter rail gates," by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: "Starting on Saturday, riders will have to show a ticket at the fare gates before being allowed to board a train on the commuter rail."

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— "Plane companies told to hold on to records in DeSantis, migrant lawsuit," by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: "Lawyers representing a group of migrants who were flown to Martha's Vineyard earlier this month are asking two aviation companies to hold onto any documents related to flights from Texas to Massachusetts as part of a federal lawsuit. … Attorneys for the migrants are asking the two plane companies to keep flight logs, passenger lists, communications with the DeSantis administration, contracts with the state of Florida, and any payments received for the work."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Paying to play: How rideshare and delivery companies spent $43 million buying influence in Mass.," by Dan Atkinson, Dig Boston: "Uber, Lyft, Instacart, and DoorDash poured the funds into a 2022 ballot initiative that would allow the rideshares to classify their workers as independent contractors, a status that has been hotly debated. … While the ballot question they financed is dead, they're still pushing forward with plans to deny workers benefits available to other employees in the state. And campaign finance reports show how they've spent millions of dollars on national and state Democrats and progressive power players, trade groups, and consultants — with some of their hires also working for the [Maura] Healey campaign."

YOU'VE GOT MAIL

— "Elected officials divided over voting by mail," by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: "In the primary, several of the state's top elected officials — including Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, and Democrats Attorney General Maura Healey and Senate President Karen Spilka — were among a majority who voted by mail. But many elected officials, on both sides of the political aisle, say they still prefer casting their ballots the 'old-fashioned' way. That includes Democratic Secretary of State Bill Galvin ... [a]nd House Speaker Ron Mariano."

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DAY IN COURT

— "Former eBay executive who ran scheme to harass Natick couple sentenced to nearly 5 years in prison," by Aaron Pressman, Boston Globe: "The former eBay executive who concocted a bizarre scheme to stalk and harass a Natick couple was sentenced to 57 months in prison on Thursday, bringing to a close one chapter of the horrific story of the tech company's internal security gone awry."

— "Late Chief Justice Ralph D. Gants honored in special SJC sitting," by Katie Mogg, Boston Globe: "Attorney General Maura Healey, Harold Koh, a Yale professor, lawyer, and Gants's former roommate, and attorney Gavin Alexander, Gants's former law clerk, were among those who gathered at John Adams Courthouse to celebrate Gants's remarkable career."

DATELINE D.C.

— "Biden administration scales back student debt relief for millions amid legal concerns," by Michael Stratford, POLITICO: "The Biden administration is scaling back its debt relief program for millions of Americans over concerns about legal challenges from the student loan industry as well as a new lawsuit from Republican-led states. In a reversal, the Education Department said on Thursday it would no longer allow borrowers who have federal student loans that are owned by private entities to qualify for the relief program."

— "Democrats Bush, Pressley introduce bill on reproductive health care for people with disabilities," by Amanda Morris, Washington Post: "Reps. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) introduced a bill in the House on Thursday that aims to eliminate barriers to reproductive and sexual health care for people with disabilities."

FROM THE 413

— "Flagship finances back to pre-pandemic levels: Extra $23M from state, strong enrollment leaves campus in healthy position," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Significant financial support from the Legislature and solid student enrollment means operations at the University of Massachusetts are returning to pre-pandemic levels, while at the same time allowing $60 million in building projects to be pursued on the Amherst campus."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Mass. hospitals at risk of disruption, flooding even in moderate hurricanes," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: "A new study warns Boston-area hospitals with little experience operating during a hurricane will see increased disruptions like flooding and power outages during the damaging storms."

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "Maggie Hassan and Chris Sununu lead Senate and governor races, N.H. poll finds," by James Pindell and Daniel Kool, Boston Globe: "Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan leads her Republican challenger, Don Bolduc, by about 8.5 percentage points in a New Hampshire race that could determine control of the US Senate, according to a new poll."

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HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH

SPOTTED — Rep. Jim McGovern at Instacart's reception following the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health. Pic.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Tom Mahoney, Joe Rull, SVP at Benchmark Strategies; Greg Mecher, Hunt Allcott, Arielle Picheny Dufour, Phillip Martin, Paul Guercio, Michael T. Giordano and state Rep. Liz Malia.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Ethan Case, Kim Isleib and Jon Niedzielski, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers former mayor and Cambridge City Councilor E. Denise Simmons, Rosie Quick, Marlena Baldacci and Sejal Hathi.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: SHELTER FALLOUT — GBH News' Sarah Betancourt walks hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky through the latest legal fallout surrounding the migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud.

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