| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity and Lisa Kashinsky | Presented by McDonald's | FROM THE SOAPBOX — Maura Healey is more fully harnessing the power of the bully pulpit. During a brief press conference Monday, the governor turned a question about suspending the state’s “right-to-shelter” law into an opportunity to again slam U.S. House Republicans for failing to pass the Senate’s bipartisan border deal. “A deal was on the table — a deal that would have addressed and corrected so much of this and fixed a broken immigration system. And the fact that a few Republicans were unwilling to not follow the instructions of a former president is really shameful,” Healey said. She’s also doubling down on her administration’s sanctions against Milton after the town voted to reject a zoning plan that would have brought it into compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, despite grumbling from town officials. “It's a law that will be enforced. I was also clear at the outset that communities that don't comply with the law will deal with the consequences, which include the withholding of state funding,” she said. And the gloves really came off each time the conversation turned to struggling Steward Health Care, which blew a deadline last week to submit sufficient financial data to the state. Healey lit into the Steward and its CEO, Ralph de la Torre, calling the for-profit company “a house of cards and a charade that has put patients and providers and the stability of our market at risk." And she laid the fault at de la Torre’s feet. “It frankly disgusts me,” Healey said, “that a particular CEO came and chose to do what it appears he did in terms of how he ran operations and put patients and providers and our communities at risk." It’s somewhat of a return to form for Healey, who burnished her profile in part by using her platform as attorney general to repeatedly berate — and sue — then-President Donald Trump. Since taking the governor’s office, her strongest political stands have largely been reserved for reproductive rights issues. But that’s now changing — whether because Healey is more comfortable in the corner office, because it’s an election year, or, more likely, both. One place where Healey is still pulling her punches: the Legislature. With Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano by her side, Healey declined to urge lawmakers to act faster on the supplemental budget she submitted weeks ago to cover the ballooning costs of the state’s emergency shelter system. “We continue to work together on this,” she said, before turning back to calls for more federal funding.
|  Gov. Maura Healey (at the podium) is taking more of a stand — just not with the Legislature. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO | Money for the overburdened system is expected to run out in the coming weeks. The state has roughly $180 million left to spend on the system, and has spent $395 million so far this fiscal year, according to the latest report from Healey’s administration. But Mariano offered little insight as to when his chamber will take up Healey’s stopgap spending plan. “We're just taking a look at it now,” he said. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Healey will step onto a different soapbox today, when she delivers a speech to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce that will preview her economic development bond bill and promote her affordable housing plans. It's at 10 a.m. at the Westin Copley Place. TODAY — Lt. Gov Kim Driscoll and Administration & Finance Secretary Matt Gorzkowicz testify on the Municipal Empowerment Act at 11 a.m. at the State House. Driscoll, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Auditor Diana DiZoglio attend a Dominican Independence Breakfast hosted by Boston City Councilors Julia Mejia, Enrique Pepén and Henry Santana at 8 a.m. at the IBEW Local 103. Rep. Seth Moulton hosts an event for his Serve America PAC at 6 p.m. in Boston. AG Andrea Campbell is on GBH News’ “Boston Public Radio,” at 11 a.m. followed by Healey at noon. Rep. Lori Trahan is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston" at 11 a.m. Tips? Scoops? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com.
| | | | A message from McDonald's: From 2021 to 2022, the McDonald’s System contributed over $700 million to Massachusetts’ economy, supporting over 14,350 jobs statewide. McDonald’s presence in local communities throughout Massachusetts generated nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue, providing funding for public schools, infrastructure, parks and more. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma. | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE — State Reps. Mike Day, Carlos Gonzalez and Joseph McKenna were appointed to the conference committee charged with hashing out differences between the House and Senate gun bills. Once the Senate selects its conferees, the group can begin negotiating — though it’s unlikely we’ll see a final version for a while. — “Legislation to mandate an admissions lottery for vocational schools advances on Beacon Hill with some changes,” by James Vaznis, The Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts Legislature has taken a major step toward requiring vocational schools to admit students via a lottery, under a revised bill that is generating strong opposition from vocational school leaders. The bill, which was recently released by the Joint Education Committee, would maintain some admissions criteria, but would limit it to only attendance and discipline records.” — “MassHealth rolls continue to drop, but decline slowing,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Tens of thousands of Medicaid recipients lost their state-funded health care coverage last month amid an ongoing review of eligibility following the end of pandemic-related federal protections. Health officials, however, say the purge of insured is slowing. About 57,000 MassHealth members lost coverage in January as part of the so-called redetermination process, according to state data published Monday.” — “Longtime Mass. special ed official, Russell Johnston, expected to be named acting education chief,” by Mandy McLaren, The Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is scheduled on Tuesday to name Russell Johnston, a longtime special education official, as acting chief of the state’s K-12 public school system. Johnston will formally assume the role March 16, after outgoing Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley officially steps down.”
| | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | FORT POINT SHELTER SITE — The United Way of Massachusetts Bay will be standing up a temporary shelter in a Fort Point office building “as soon as possible,” Gov. Maura Healey told WCVB’s Sharman Sacchetti at the State House Monday. Healey didn’t give a timeline for when the site would be operational, but her administration did inform South Boston elected officials that the plans were moving ahead during a call Monday morning, the Boston Herald reported.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO GLOBAL PLAYBOOK: Don’t miss out on POLITICO’s Global Playbook, the newsletter taking you inside pivotal discussions at the most influential gatherings in the world, including WEF in Davos, Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to UNGA in NYC and many more. Suzanne Lynch delivers the world's elite and influential moments directly to you. Stay in the global loop. SUBSCRIBE NOW. | | | | | | | FROM HARVARD YARD | | — “Sadun Resigned Over Concern Harvard Wouldn’t Implement Antisemitism Task Force Recommendations,” by Tilly R. Robinson and Neil H. Shah, The Harvard Crimson: “Harvard Business School professor Raffaella Sadun resigned as co-chair of the presidential task force on antisemitism after repeatedly considering stepping down because she felt the University would not commit to acting on its suggestions, according to a person familiar with the situation. ... A person close to Sadun said she ultimately decided to step down from the task force because its mandate did not include the swift implementation of measures to combat antisemitism.”
| | WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET | | STRATEGIC THINKING — Attorney General Andrea Campbell has released a five-point strategic plan designed to guide her office through 2027. Her goals: advance economic opportunity and consumer justice; protect public health and safety and close gaps in health care access; improve youth well-being; expand the office’s reach across the state; and balance upholding state law with “improving government accountability and criminal legal reform.” Read the plan.
| | | | A message from McDonald's:   | | | | | ON THE STUMP | | SUPER TUESDAY PREVIEW — More than 325,000 ballots have already been cast in the Bay State’s presidential primaries, the bulk of them by mail. Voters have requested more than 731,000 mail-in ballots and returned more than 310,000 of them, according to the secretary of state’s office. Meanwhile, some 14,000 people have voted early in person. Turnout is currently at 6.6 percent, and is more than double in the Democratic primary than it is on the Republican side. Meanwhile, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley keeps adding to her schedule here. The Republican presidential hopeful will headline a fundraiser ahead of her rally in Needham on Saturday. It's being hosted by New Balance Chair Jim Davis, former MassGOP Chair Jennifer Nassour (who's Haley’s state campaign chair), Baker administration Finance Secretary Mike Heffernan and state Rep. Hannah Kane (who are co-chairs of Haley’s campaign here) and Ozzie Palomo, according to an invitation obtained by Playbook and first reported by Puck News. It’s $1,000 to attend and $3,300 for co-hosts. On Sunday, Haley is heading to Burlington, Vermont, for an afternoon rally. — “John Deaton turns to Ron DeSantis’ former New Hampshire campaign aide to head Senate bid,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts Senate candidate John Deaton is staffing up his campaign, putting at the top of the operation two political operatives who helped support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ now-defunct presidential bid in New Hampshire, according to an adviser. Deaton hired as his campaign manager Michael Gorecki, who served as the New Hampshire state director for DeSantis’ presidential campaign, and Tyler Flanigan as deputy campaign manager, who was the state’s field director for Never Back Down, a DeSantis-aligned super PAC.” ENDORSEMENT CORNER — Harvard professor Laurence Tribe is playing in a lesser-known race in the Bay State. The prominent legal scholar endorsed Mara Dolan, who is challenging District 3 Governor’s Councilor Marilyn Petitto Devaney, in a post on X Monday. DIEHL HIM IN — Geoff Diehl seems to be gearing up to run for something. The former Republican nominee for governor and U.S. Senate is teasing a “huge announcement” this morning on “The Kuhner Report.” Diehl has been exploring another run for the state Senate seat he lost to Democrat Michael Brady in a 2015 special election. His website says he’s running for the seat, even though Diehl himself told Playbook Monday that he hadn’t pulled papers for it. Diehl also loaned his campaign committee $5,500 last month. But he’s also rumored to be launching a bid for MassGOP chair in the power struggle that never ends. — “Muslims account for 50,000 registered voters in Massachusetts,” by Mark Herz, GBH News.
| | | | On the ground in Albany. Get critical policy news and analysis inside New York State. Track how power brokers are driving change across legislation and budget and impacting lobbying efforts. Learn more. | | | | | | | DAY IN COURT | | — “Man in prison for 27 years sues state for $1 million for wrongful conviction,” by Travis Andersen, The Boston Globe: “A man who spent 27 years in prison before his murder conviction was thrown out in 2021 filed a lawsuit against the state on Friday, seeking $1 million for his wrongful incarceration, records show. James Lucien, 50, filed suit in Suffolk Superior Court against the Commonwealth, the sole defendant named in the civil action. The monetary award being sought is the maximum figure available to him under a state law dealing with wrongful convictions, legal filings show.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Airman Aaron Bushnell who died after setting himself on fire attended Cape Cod schools,” by Denise Coffey, Cape Cod Times: “Aaron Bushnell, who set himself on fire Sunday in front of the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., had connections to Cape Cod. He attended Nauset Public Schools from 2003 to 2007 and 2013 to 2014. The information was released by the school district and confirmed by Nauset Regional School Committee member Chris Easley. Bushnell, 25, of Whitman, was an active-duty member of the U.S. Air Force.” — “Patriots Owner Bob Kraft Meets Doug Emhoff to Discuss Antisemitism,” by Jordan Fabian, Bloomberg: “Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff met with New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and civil rights leader Clarence Jones in Massachusetts on Monday to discuss a surge in antisemitism and other forms of bias in the US.” — “Local Ukrainians struggle to keep attention on Russian invasion’s 2nd anniversary,” by Phillip Martin, GBH News.
| | | | A message from McDonald's: McDonald’s is an economic engine for the state of Massachusetts, contributing over $700 million to our state’s economy, directly employing nearly 11,600 Massachusettsans and supporting an additional 2,750 jobs statewide. It’s also an engine of opportunity: 1 in 4 independent McDonald’s operators in Massachusetts began their careers as restaurant crew members, generating wealth for their families and local communities. We are proud to support Massachusetts through public schools, parks and more from the nearly $125 million in federal, state and local tax revenue generated by the McDonald’s System’s activities. And thanks to the generosity of McDonald’s customers and owner/operators, the $700,000 raised through Ronald McDonald House Charities in 2022 provided over 7,000 overnight stays for families with children receiving medical care in Massachusetts. Learn more about McDonald’s impact on local communities in Massachusetts and nationally by visiting https://www.mcdeconomicimpact.com/state-impacts/ma. | | | | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Sen. Eric Lesser, who's now senior counsel at WilmerHale; Susan Zalkind, Alan Harvey Guth and Ayub Tahlil, press assistant for Gov. Maura Healey. 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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