| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky | | | UNEXPECTED GUESTS — Surprising Maura Healey at work doesn’t always work out. A slew of activists have visited the governor’s office in the month and a half since Healey moved in. But they haven’t all gotten the same reception. Take the 100-plus Mothers Out Front activists who showed up in late January to deliver a letter spelling out their climate goals for Healey. The group gave Healey’s office a heads-up, and was greeted by the governor and her top climate officials, EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper and climate chief Melissa Hoffer. Healey even posed for pictures with them. But neither Healey nor Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll emerged from behind closed doors when Woburn teachers showed up on the fifth day of their strike asking to see the top Democrats. Aides said that both women were in meetings at the time, and, after a contentious exchange, the teachers left. Healey subsequently said she’s against legalizing teacher strikes. Healey wasn’t even in the state when Extinction Rebellion members staged their sit-in last week to demand she stop fossil fuel infrastructure projects. Hoffer heard them out, though the administration has repeatedly declined to share details of the conversation. And Healey doubled down on her pledge to “move away” from fossil fuels. Fourteen protesters were eventually arrested for trespassing, not the first time members of the group have been arrested for protesting a governor here. The visits are part of Healey’s very public introduction to life as the most prominent figure at the State House. And they represent a marked change from the eight years she spent high above the fray in the 18th-floor attorney general's office at One Ashburton Place. “That’s the way it works. It’s the People’s House. And I’m sure we’ll have any number of visitors and folks looking to advocate to our administration either in person or through other means,” Healey told Playbook. “I am, as always, anxious to engage with people, either at the State House or around the state.” But there’s a perceived “right way” and “wrong way” to getting your point across in politics. Activists will now have to decide whether it’s more effective to make nice or make a scene when it comes to approaching the nascent Healey administration with their requests. And Healey, in turn, will face a messy but major governance test in how she handles them. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Marty Walsh is still labor secretary, but you wouldn’t know it from how Washington is acting. Jockeying to succeed Walsh is well underway. Post-mortems are already being published about his tenure. And yet, a week after news broke that Walsh was on his way out, he’s still there. In fact, the Labor Department is actively trying to show Walsh remains on the job, my colleague Nick Niedzwiadek writes in. And so the WALSH DEPARTURE WATCH stands at eight days and counting. TODAY — Healey is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren keynotes an Open Markets Institute event at 10 a.m. Secretary of State Bill Galvin heads to D.C. for the National Association of Secretaries of State winter conference. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Monday in observance of President's Day. After the hiatus, we'll be back on Tuesday. Tips? Scoops? Planning to drop by the governor's office sometime soon? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy: A Beacon Research Poll shows that a majority of Massachusetts voters support clean, low-cost nuclear energy as a tool to fight climate change. Support for nuclear increases beyond 70% as people learn more. | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS ARE COMING: Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano are hauling Democrats in for caucuses this week after all, signaling that leadership and committee assignments are likely forthcoming ahead of school vacation week. Senators will caucus today, while representatives are on deck for tomorrow. — “Healey faces a ‘critical’ choice in naming next State Police leader: to look inside, or out,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “For years, the Massachusetts State Police has churned through superintendents, offering governors multiple chances to name its top leader. But as she prepares to name the department’s third colonel in six years, Governor Maura Healey faces a whole new question: Where to look for one? Filling the superintendent position is an early test not only of Healey, the state’s former chief law enforcement official, but also of a two-year-old law that now allows the governor — should she choose — to pull the department’s next leader from beyond its ranks.” — “Illegal Harvard Basketball bets were made at MGM Springfield; regulators investigating,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “State gaming regulators said Tuesday they are investigating illegal bets made at MGM Springfield on a pair of Harvard University men’s basketball games, marking the third instance of prohibited wagering taking place at an active sportsbook in Massachusetts. … ‘We’ve had three of these now in a week and a half’s time,’ [Commissioner Nakisha Skinner] said. ‘I don’t know what the volume is going to be. But certainly, as we were reviewing operator applications, we learned that these are relatively routine and I’m not sure who used the word routine, but they’re relatively routine matters.’” — “Sports betting companies spent hundreds of thousands on lobbying firms in Mass.,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “In the years leading up to the legalization of sports betting in Massachusetts, some of the top wagering companies from across the country spent hundreds of thousands on Beacon Hill-focused lobbying firms just as legislation approving the activity was gaining momentum in the Legislature. And top executives from well-known brands such as DraftKings and FanDuel have donated thousands of dollars in campaign contributions to top Democrats in the state over the past three years as advocacy for the ability to wager on sporting events started to bleed into mainstream conversations.” — “Campbell previews changes to AG's office, weighs in on crime lab convictions and Justin Root investigation,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “In her first regular appearance on GBH's Boston Public Radio since becoming Massachusetts' new attorney general, Andrea Campbell outlined her plans for restructuring that office and tackling issues that might strike some as falling outside the AG's purview. Asked by host Jim Braude if Massachusetts' gun-control laws are jeopardized by the U.S. Supreme Court's established antipathy to gun control, Campbell said her office has already filed briefs against challenges to existing state restrictions — and that, in the coming months, she plans to roll out a new gun-enforcement unit inside the attorney general's office.” — “Stop, you're on camera: Proposed state bill targets drivers passing stopped school buses,” by Jeff A. Chamer, Telegram & Gazette: “Drivers who speed by stopped school buses may find a ticket waiting for them in their mailbox if state Sen. Michael O. Moore’s bill passes the Legislature. Moore’s bill, which the Millbury Democrat filed in January, would give municipalities throughout the state decision-making power to install cameras on buses to help enforce traffic violations.”
| | | | STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING: What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today. | | | | | | | FROM THE HUB | | — “Mayor Wu doubles down on her opposition to an elected school committee,” by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu doubled down on her reluctance to shift to an elected school committee Tuesday, setting up potential political friction between her administration and the nearly 80% of voters who expressed a clear desire to do away with a school board appointed by the mayor. ‘I have never been supportive of an elected school committee,’ said Wu, responding to a listener question during an appearance on GBH News’ Boston Public Radio. ‘I ran for this job because I want to make a difference in the schools. I want to have accountability and responsibility to be able to make the changes that we need.’” — “Massachusetts Inspector General’s office eyeing Boston schools busing contract,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “The Office of the Inspector General has its eye on the Boston Public Schools bus contract that raised eyebrows last year, with the state entity telling the school district to ‘proceed at their own risk’ with the pact. … The contract procurement process took some flak in December when the Boston Finance Commission, a statutorily created city budget watchdog, took issue with the fact that only one company — the one that currently does busing for the district — had put in a bid to run transportation for the district.”
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy:   | | | | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “Transportation secretary Fiandaca visits troubled Red and Orange Line car factory in Springfield,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca quietly took a tour of the new Red and Orange Line car factory in Springfield Monday amid serious concerns about the quality of cars which forced the MBTA to halt deliveries last summer. MassDOT spokesperson Jacquelyn Goddard said via e-mail the purpose of Fiandaca’s visit was ‘to see first-hand the new car assembly operations to underscore that getting new Red and Orange Line cars into service safely and according to MBTA manufacturing specifications is a priority.’” — “Stunning amount of problems with China train deal exposed,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Minutes from closed-door meetings held last year reveal an escalating number of defects with the new Orange and Red Line cars and repeated criticism by the MBTA that its Chinese contractor was taking a lackadaisical approach to resolving them. These documents, obtained by the Herald through a public records request, show that CRRC only delivered nine of the 37 two-car train sets it promised in January 2022, reused safety-critical hardware on trains, and submitted ‘approval to proceed’ forms to bypass inspections where cars were missing materials.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Are former FTX Digital exec Ryan Salame’s extensive Lenox investments safe? Uncertainty sparks community concern,” by Clarence Fanto, Berkshire Eagle: “The Sandisfield native associated with disgraced FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s bankrupt bitcoin exchange is lying low as investigations and court cases take their course. But his marquee Lenox restaurants are operating as usual and some business leaders are cautiously optimistic.” — “Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield nursing homes want to remain open: Lawmakers searching for ways to make them financially viable,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican.
| | | | DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS– DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Toxic 'forever chemicals' force Mass. towns to face 'true cost of water',” by Barbara Moran, WBUR: “Littleton isn't the only town spending millions to clean up the chemicals. Barnstable has so far invested $27 million to deal with PFAS, for example; and Cambridge recently spent $8.5 million to temporarily switch water supplies while changing its PFAS filters.” — “School ‘swatting’ incidents continue with spate of hoaxes,” by Eli Curwin, Boston.com. — “More Worcester families are saying no to district's sex ed curriculum,” by Jeff A. Chamer, Telegram & Gazette. — “Braintree town councilor proposes using birth control to curb rat population,” by Fred Hanson, Patriot Ledger.
| | | | A message from NextEra Energy: Registered voters in Massachusetts show a clear interest in leveraging nuclear energy in the fight against climate change, according to a recent Beacon Research survey. The survey focused on the state’s energy resources, specifically how nuclear energy can be incorporated to reach long-term clean energy goals. | | | | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | SPOTTED — Former state Sen. Eric Lesser saying hello to Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein at Cafe du Parc at the Willard hotel yesterday in D.C. TRANSITIONS — Mike Kennealy, former housing and economic development secretary under ex-Gov. Charlie Baker, will join the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston as chief strategy officer on Feb. 27, per the Boston Globe’s Jon Chesto. — Baker's former deputy communications director, Anisha Chakrabarti, is now a communication strategist at Kraft Sports + Entertainment. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Law 360’s Chris Villani. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Ottawa Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters | | Follow us | | | | |
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