| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | | Presented by |  | | | FOOD FOR THOUGHT — The race for the White House is still neck-and-neck — and it could take days after the last ballots are cast to know the winner. But that hasn’t stopped the rumors from flying about who from the Bay State could end up with a prime post in a hypothetical Harris administration. One you might’ve missed: Some progressives on Capitol Hill are pushing for Kamala Harris to tap Rep. Jim McGovern for Agriculture secretary if she wins and current head Tom Vilsack steps aside, my colleagues Meredith Lee Hill and Grace Yarrow reported recently. According to their report, supporters have put McGovern’s name in the mix in conversations with Harris’ campaign officials, including manager Julie Chávez Rodriguez. McGovern, a rare urban-based member of the House Agriculture Committee, is focused on “winning the House back and being chairman of the Rules Committee,” he told Playbook yesterday at an event at Daily Table, a non-profit grocery store in Roxbury's Nubian Square. “What I'm interested in is making sure that whoever heads the USDA cares about issues like hunger and food insecurity … and [who] understands that our farm policy should not just be about supporting the big mega-farms, but about supporting a lot of the small and medium sized farms, like the ones that are here in Massachusetts,” McGovern said when asked about his interest in the role. Daily Table founder Doug Rauch was torn on the possibility of seeing McGovern leave Congress for a Cabinet role. It’s “a tough call,” Rauch said, “because what he's doing in Congress, he really leads the voice for making sure we don't forget about the population that is growing … that is really struggling to eat well.” McGovern, who also serves as the ranking Democrat on the powerful Rules Committee, has made ending hunger his mission in Congress. In recent years, he’s called on President Joe Biden to appoint a “hunger czar,” convened the first White House conference on hunger, health and nutrition in decades and worked to block added work requirements to food assistance programs. The odds of the Worcester Democrat getting confirmed by the Senate — particularly if Republicans win control — would be long, in part because he hails from a city in a state not best known for its agriculture production. And again, it’s all hypothetical… for now. Still, it never hurts to have your name floating around — and there are always other Ag-related jobs in the administration that wouldn’t require Senate confirmation. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Halloween! TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Rep. Richard Neal gives an update on the West-East Rail project at 11 a.m. in Springfield. McGovern speaks at a New England Council robotics event at 8:30 a.m. in Boston. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com
| | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson: We’re restoring the true meaning of healthcare—Innovating more precise, less invasive surgery and improving recovery. See how we’re connecting the best of Health&Care for every patient and provider. Learn more. | | | |  | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS | | — “No-limit super PACs spent hundreds of thousands on Massachusetts elections this year,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “An independent expenditure political action committee backed by the Massachusetts real estate industry dumped hundreds of thousands of dollars into local races this year and so far tops the list of so-called super PACs that have poured cash into closely-watched Beacon Hill elections. Reports filed with the Office of Campaign and Political Finance show the extent to which super PACs — which have no limits on the amount they can raise and spend so long as they do not coordinate directly with candidates — have waded into local contests.”
| | BALLOT BATTLES | | — “Mass. could soon legalize natural psychedelics, but not everyone is waiting,” by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR. — “Matt Damon endorses Question 2, which would remove the MCAS as a graduation requirement,” by Deanna Pan, The Boston Globe: “The campaign to end Massachusetts’ only uniform high school graduation standard has Hollywood on its side. Cambridge native Matt Damon has endorsed Question 2, the ballot initiative that would repeal the state law requiring students to pass their 10th grade MCAS exams. In a selfie-style video posted to X by the Yes on Question 2 campaign, the Academy Award-winning actor urged voters to ‘trust our teachers, not some one-size-fits-all test.’”
| | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “DiZoglio wants to audit the Legislature. But other audits remain undone,” by Jesús Marrero Suárez and Patrick Madden: “State Auditor Diana DiZoglio has campaigned hard for Question 1, which would clarify whether she has the power to audit the Massachusetts Legislature. But the office is already far behind with its mandated audits, a WBUR review has found. By law, the office must complete audits of about 200 state agencies every three years. WBUR discovered the office hadn’t audited nearly half of them by that deadline, according to a review of its website.” — “State lawmakers weigh independence, structure of Cannabis Control Commission as they consider reforms,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “Eight years after Massachusetts voters passed a ballot law legalizing the adult use of marijuana, state legislators are exploring whether there are ways to make the cannabis regulatory system work better for businesses, consumers and others involved in the industry.” — “Mass. Gov. Healey pauses demolition of iconic North Shore Pink House,” by Charlie McKenna, MassLive.
| | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson:   | | | | | FROM THE HUB | | — “Mayor Wu looks to ink long-term PILOT tax payments from ‘Big 9’ institutions first,” by Joe Dwinell and Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Herald has learned the Wu administration is negotiating with nine of the biggest nonprofits in Boston to ink long-term volunteer PILOT payments to help ease the tax burden on homeowners and businesses. Once most of those deals are secured with the ‘Big 9,’ other tax-exempt institutions in the city are expected to fall like dominoes.” — “Boston City Council green lights compromise property tax proposal, sends to Beacon Hill for approval,” by Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council voted 12-1 to pass the most recent version of Mayor Michelle Wu’s property tax home rule petition on Wednesday. It now goes to Beacon Hill, where it needs the state Legislature’s approval before an end-of-November deadline. It’s the latest development in a more than seven-month saga in which Wu has sought the authority to temporarily shift more of the city’s property tax burden onto commercial real estate than is currently allowed by state law, in order to prevent homeowners from seeing a significant spike in their property tax bills.” — “Developer seeks to turn North End offices into apartments,” by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: “A Boston real estate development firm has proposed creating 57 apartments out of what is now a mostly empty office building in the city’s North End. Copper Mill has applied for a property tax break to convert 123 N. Washington St., a 43,000-square-foot building blocks from TD Garden and North Station.” — “'He made you feel seen': Tom Menino remembered for his all-consuming love of Boston,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News. — "Leader of Mattapan tenant organization staves off eviction ... for now,” by Danny McDonald and Izzy Bryars, The Boston Globe. | | | TRAIL MIX | | | — “Harris and Trump — and their surrogates — pour into Wisconsin in final stretch,” by Irie Sentner, Lisa Kashinsky and Jessica Piper, POLITICO: " In Green Bay, former President Donald Trump took the stage in a bright orange safety vest and promised to protect women — whether they 'like it or not.' In Madison, 140 miles away, Vice President Kamala Harris touched on her parents’ stint teaching at the flagship university here and invoked the state’s motto — 'forward' — as a stand-in for her own 'we’re not going back.' It was all part of the candidates’ closing messages in their battle over 10 potentially crucial Electoral College votes." — “The presidential candidates are making the final push to voters. Why no talk of climate?” by Sabrina Shankman and Erin Douglas, The Boston Globe.
| | DAY IN COURT | | — “Abortion groups ask judge to toss out lawsuit,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “A coalition of abortion rights groups is asking a federal judge to toss out a lawsuit against them and Gov. Maura Healey by anti-abortion groups in response to a state-funded campaign targeting pregnancy ‘crisis’ center operators. In a motion to dismiss filed in U.S. District Court in Boston on Tuesday, lawyers for the Reproductive Equity Now Foundation argue that the plaintiffs ‘lack standing’ to file the lawsuit and blasted the legal challenge as an attempt to ‘silence’ their advocacy work.”
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — “Ed Markey defends choice to run for third term at age 80 as debate over senator age limits simmers,” by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe. — “Daylight Saving Time 2024: Mass. Sen. Markey renews push to make Daylight Saving Time permanent,” by John L. Micek, MassLive: “Every year, two things are certain: Americans will spring forward and fall back, prompting no end of grousing by your sleep-deprived fellow citizens. Also: Lawmakers on Capitol Hill will once again try to make Daylight Saving Time permanent.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Former Easthampton superintendent prospect sues over ‘ladies’ controversy,” by Stephanie Barry, The Springfield Republican: “Vito J. Perrone has sued Easthampton town officials over losing a schools superintendent position because of calling two women “ladies” in an email to town employees. Perrone, once a sure thing for the job, is suing for $300,000 in U.S. District Court. The lawsuit names Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and five School Committee members who voted to cancel his contract over the matter.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “New SouthCoast partnership tackles dual crises: Affordable housing and workforce training,” by Kathryn Gallerani, The Standard-Times. — “Mayor Jon Mitchell announces steps to ensure safe, anxiety-free New Bedford Election Day,” by Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times. — “Framingham councilors may vote next week on plan to satisfy multifamily zoning law,” by Tom Benoit, MetroWest Daily News: “With a year-end deadline looming, the Framingham City Council could vote as soon as next week on a plan to comply with the state's multifamily zoning law. Tuesday's council meeting featured a public hearing on the city's current plan to comply with the MBTA Communities Act, which requires 177 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts to designate at least one zoning district that allows for multifamily housing ‘by right,’ meaning certain conditions like special permits or variances aren’t required.”
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Samantha Ormsby, POLITICO’s Michael Kruse, Alexandra Pigeon and Boston Globe columnist Yvonne Abraham. Happy belated to state Rep. Ryan Hamilton, who celebrated Wednesday.
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