Campaigns sweat SIGNATURE collection — ORDINARY LIFE is OVER for now — BAKER announces $10m for small biz loans
 |
||
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's St. Patrick's Day.
CAMPAIGNS SWEAT SIGNATURES AMID CORONAVIRUS —
While a group of congressional campaigns urges the state to delay a key election deadline amid the coronavirus outbreak, Secretary of State Bill Galvin is recommending that candidates continue collecting the signatures needed to appear on the Sept. 1 primary ballot.
Campaigns are adjusting to a new reality
amid the coronavirus outbreak, with virtual town halls and other tactics that allow for social distancing. But collecting the thousands of signatures due by June 2 is more difficult, especially for candidates who announced their bids in recent months. Campaigns need those signatures to make it on the ballot, but are wary of exposing staffers and strangers to the contagious disease.
Close to a dozen candidates running for Congress
— and three House members — are urging the state to delay the deadline to submit signatures by 30 days. The group wrote a letter to Galvin, Gov. Charlie Baker, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo yesterday.
"People across the commonwealth have adjusted their daily lives to prevent the further spread of COVID-19," the letter says. "Continuing to encourage people to solicit signatures from thousands of strangers is incongruous with that mission."
The letter is signed by Reps. Joe Kennedy III, Ayanna Pressley and Seth Moulton.
It's also signed by eight candidates running to replace Kennedy in the House — Dave Cavell, Becky Grossman, Alan Khazei, Ihssane Leckey, Jesse Mermell, Herb Robinson, Tom Shack and Ben Sigel. Brianna Wu and Dr. Robert Goldstein, who are running to unseat Rep. Stephen Lynch, also signed the letter. House campaigns must turn in 2,000 signatures, while Senate campaigns need 10,000. Kennedy's campaign has already turned in more than 15,000 signatures in to local elections officials, but signed on to support ballot access.
For his part, Galvin does not have the legal authority to postpone nomination paper deadlines or waive signature requirements, his office said. Those processes are set by statute, though Galvin asked the state legislature to expand his election powers last week.
In the meantime, Galvin's office suggested campaigns could give each signer a "fresh sheet of paper" and a new pen to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
"Since there has been no legislative action on this, we would recommend the candidates proceed as they normally would, but with appropriate precautions," Galvin spokesperson Debra O'Malley said in an email to POLITICO. "Candidates may consider making exact copies of nomination papers in order to give voters a fresh sheet of paper to sign. They may also provide signers with new pens, so they do not have to use a shared pen to sign the papers."
Some candidates plan to mail the papers to voters, O'Malley added, and campaigns may mail the signatures to election officials rather than deliver them in person. But even sending signatures in the mail could be considered a risk. In Washington, the secretary of state asked voters who mailed their primary ballots earlier this month not to lick the envelopes due to coronavirus concerns.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — The State House is closed to visitors, though state officials and employees are still allowed. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh gives a televised update on the city's coronavirus response. Rep. Katherine Clark hosts a telephone town hall on coronavirus with former Department of Homeland Security official
Juliette Kayyem and Dr. Nahid Bhadelia. Sen. Ed Markey is a guest on WBUR.
|
||
|
GO GLOBAL ... FROM HOME:
Global Translations, presented by Morgan Stanley, serves as your guide to understanding the global issues that impact us all without having to travel further than your inbox! You'll learn more about the power players and trends shaping our planet in ways you can apply to your own work and life. In the latest edition, author Ryan Heath ties together the global response to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak and the ways it's affecting 2020 election season in the United States, the health and financial crisis in Italy, and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.
|
||
|
||
- "Ordinary life in MA is over for now: Walsh orders construction shutdown, tally of cases statewide rises to 197," by Zoe Greenberg, Tim Logan and Martin Finucane, Boston Globe:
"The staggering scope of the coronavirus pandemic came into increasingly stark focus Monday as the MBTA announced it would cut back on service, schools across the state prepared to close for weeks, and Boston ordered a halt to major business and city construction projects, bringing a longtime building boom to a standstill. The number of cases in the state climbed to 197, up from 164 on Sunday, as the pace of testing accelerated."
- "Bills To Help Workers, Municipalities Now In Mass. Legislature's Hands," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "With closures tied to the coronavirus outbreak impacting everything from restaurants and schools to municipal offices, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday filed a suite of legislation intended to offer a lifeline to workers forced to stay home and to cities and towns trying to keep local government operational. Baker last week declared a state of emergency in response to the
spread of coronavirus throughout Massachusetts, but his emergency powers only extend so far."
|
- "Baker defends Trump comment on respirators," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine:
"With Massachusetts hospitals struggling to obtain badly needed stockpiled equipment for their patients and frontline workers, Gov. Charlie Baker defended President Trump's message to the nation's governors on Monday that they should try getting respirators, ventilators, and other equipment themselves. Baker, asked by a reporter what he thought of Trump telling the governors to get the equipment on their own, said that wasn't what he heard the president say."
- "Charlie Baker: $10M small business loan program launched over coronavirus setbacks," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker announced a $10 million small business recovery loan fund for small businesses that are impacted by COVID-19, after meeting with Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo. Baker, in a news conference Monday, urged schools to close, crowds to keep below 25 people and others to social distance as much as possible. And, he added, 'keep a level head.'"
- "Schools are shutting down but day-care centers remain open," by Stephanie Ebbert and Katie Johnston, Boston Globe:
"Though more than 1 million Massachusetts students will stay home from school for the next three weeks to control the spread of the coronavirus, the state has left open child-care centers, which serve the youngest children who require the most hands-on care and who are notorious for spreading germs. That has some day-care teachers concerned about their continued vulnerability. More than 18,000 have signed an online petition urging the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care to mandate the closure of child-care centers, which remain open at the discretion of the providers."
- "State may ban evictions as coronavirus hits economy," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Lawmakers have filed a proposal to temporarily ban evictions and home foreclosures for residents who can't pay the bills because of the new coronavirus outbreak. Legislation filed by 40 Democratic lawmakers would prevent the state's courts from enforcing evictions or foreclosures while the state remains under an emergency declaration. Lenders would be prohibited from carrying out foreclosures, while
courts overseeing eviction processes would be barred from entering foreclosure judgments."
- "When the show does not go on," by Shira Shocenberg, CommonWealth Magazine:
"As the coronavirus pandemic puts a hold of all gatherings in Massachusetts, the arts is one industry that is particularly hard hit. Virtually every public performance space is shut down, and theater classes are cancelled. Major museums are all closed. While some larger arts institutions may have a financial cushion, many smaller organizations live season to season. And artists are frequently part of the gig economy, paid for each concert they perform or each production they staff. When the work dries up, so do the paychecks."
|
||
|
||
- "First patients dosed with potential coronavirus vaccine from Cambridge biotech," by Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe:
"Healthy patients in Seattle began receiving dosages Monday of the first potential Covid-19 vaccine to enter clinical trials, a substance developed partly by the Cambridge-based biotech Moderna. The trial began at Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle and will enroll 45 healthy adult volunteers who are 18 to 55 years old, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), which is funding the trial. The institute is part of the National Institutes of Health."
- "Walsh announces 'Boston Resiliency Fund' to provide services during pandemic," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A new fund established to help Boston residents hit hardest by the coronavirus pandemic raised $10 million in its first day, city officials said Monday. The immediate priorities of the 'Boston Resiliency Fund' are to provide food to city children and older adults, technology to public school students for remote learning, and support, including child
care, to first responders and health care workers, according to Mayor Martin J. Walsh's office."
- "Essex County Brings People Back to Jail Amid COVID-19," by Deborah Becker, WBUR:
"Massachusetts is grappling with how to manage people in jails, prisons and courtrooms amid the coronavirus outbreak, with one sheriff pulling men out of a sober home and back to jail. Essex County Sheriff Kevin Coppinger's office said 30 men who had been in community sober homes are now at the jail's pre-release center. He said that's so the men could be monitored by jail medical staff for any signs of illness, and so treatment could be provided on site."
- "With coronavirus, restaurants have been in financial limbo. Now the bottom will fall out," by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: "Starting Tuesday, the bottom will really fall out for the restaurant industry. After days and weeks of mounting fear about coronavirus keeping people home, all restaurants and bars must stop dine-in operations on Tuesday, by order of Governor Charlie Baker, until April 6. The only food they can serve has to be through
takeout or delivery services. And liquor sales — a major part of their revenue ― is out altogether."
- "'They're taking it too lightly': Young people, spurred by apathy or confusion, have failed to heed official warnings to self-isolate," by Dugan Arnett, Boston Globe: "In the wake of an unprecedented pandemic, public health officials have begged Americans, with growing urgency, to stay at home unless absolutely necessary. But even in the midst of these dire measures, a large swath
of the local population — including many in their 20s and 30s — has yet to heed the message."
- "Boston Public Schools Set Up Food Distribution Sites For Student Meals During Coronavirus School Closings," by Marilyn Schairer, WGBH News:
"Boston Public Schools assured the public Monday that it is prepared to assist families with meals during the COVID-19 pandemic throughout the school closures slated to last through April 27. BPS said that on Tuesday, March 17, they will have 16 designated locations throughout the city as BPS food distribution sites for families to pick up packaged meal options for free breakfast and lunch meals."
- "In some neighborhoods, even the best drivers face steep insurance rates," by Eileen O'Grady, Boston Globe: "In Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park, and Mattapan — all low-income minority neighborhoods — car insurance rates are consistently, and significantly, higher than in other areas of Boston. According to data from the Massachusetts attorney general's office, residents in these parts of the city can pay up to three times the statewide average for car insurance."
|
||
|
||
- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: KHAZEI'S CORONAVIRUS PLAN — Alan Khazei, a Brookline Democrat running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III, is releasing a coronavirus "action plan" today, which calls for increased testing, tapping the army to set up emergency hospitals and requiring paid sick leave, among other proposals.
The plan.
|
||
|
||
- "MBTA to reduce train and bus service, close ferry," by Adam Vaccaro and Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe:
"With ridership drastically reduced due to the coronavirus outbreak, the MBTA will limit weekday service starting Tuesday, running a Saturday schedule on the subway and most bus lines. The T said the reduced levels of service are meant to balance the needs to limit crowding while adequately serving a much smaller ridership that still includes essential workers in the wake of the shutdown of schools, workplaces, and the broader regional economy."
|
||
|
||
- "Advocates, Attorneys Call For Immediate Release Of Non-Criminal Immigrants In ICE Custody," by Shannon Dooling, WBUR:
"Immigration attorneys and advocates are calling on the federal government to release all individuals currently held in federal immigration custody who do not have criminal convictions, in light of the public health emergency caused by the spread of the coronavirus. As of April 2019, there were 737 people detained in immigration jails in the state. Of those, 423, or nearly 60% of them have no criminal conviction, according to Syracuse University's TRAC Immigration database."
- "Courts closed to public; judges available by phone for bails, abuse prevention orders," by Gary V. Murray, Telegram & Gazette: "State courthouses were closed to the public Monday and Tuesday as court officials prepared to implement steps being taken in an effort to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Judges were to be available by telephone to review bails set on individuals held in custody as a result of weekend or Monday arrests and to deal with other emergency
matters, such as abuse prevention orders, search warrants and mental health or medical issues."
|
||
|
||
- "We need a grassroots stimulus package," by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, CNN: "The coronavirus relief package awaiting a Senate vote should not be delayed, and we must pass it immediately. But we need to do more. The US is heading toward a recession, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi has already announced plans for an additional emergency response package. This is the right approach.
We must act quickly to enact a major fiscal stimulus package that wards off economic disaster."
|
||
|
||
- "Mitt Romney Wants The Government To Give Every American Adult $1,000 During The Coronavirus Outbreak," by Addy Baird, BuzzFeed News:
"As the coronavirus pandemic continues to hit the US, people nationwide are being encouraged to stay inside their homes, and states and cities are beginning to close restaurants, bars, and other businesses. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney has a plan he thinks can help: Give every adult in the US $1,000. The proposal to give every adult $1,000 is one of several put forth by Romney to try and address the pandemic — and was central to entrepreneur Andrew Yang's Democratic presidential campaign."
|
||
|
||
- "Kennedy: Congress should send Americans cash to boost economy," WPRI: "Congressman Joe Kennedy III said the two measures that House Democrats has passed so far -- one offering aid to states, and a second providing free testing and various emergency benefits -- represent only a first step in the response."
- "Kennedy fields calls about coronavirus pandemic at Attleboro district office," by Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle: "U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III held a telephone in one hand and a turkey club sandwich in the other Monday as he read a stack of papers detailing calls his office had received from constituents about the coronavirus pandemic. In between wiping down his laptop and phone with disinfectant, he personally called the constituents."
|
||
|
||
|
||
- "With 160 employees in quarantine, BMC taps 54 temp nurses," by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle:
"More than 160 employees at Berkshire Medical Center are now furloughed for quarantine after possible exposure to the new coronavirus from patients who have tested positive, according to an internal company memo obtained by The Eagle. Through a temporary agency, BMC has hired 54 new nurses, who began arriving on Friday and who specialize in medical/surgical, intensive care and emergency services, according to the email sent to all employees on Sunday by Darlene Rodowicz, executive vice president of Berkshire Health Systems, parent company of BMC."
|
||
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.