| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! THIS WEEK BY THE NUMBERS — On the national level, this week is ending like it began. The presidential race is still in limbo , though Democratic nominee Joe Biden made gains over President Donald Trump as votes were tallied in battleground states last night. But with the attention on the presidential race, it would have been easy to miss other news happening in the state, including a rise in reported Covid-19 cases. Here are a few numbest to put this week in context: – 1,761: The number of positive coronavirus cases reported in Massachusetts on Thursday. Gov. Charlie Baker's new coronavirus guidelines take effect today, which include a stay at home advisory from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. and new rules for restaurants. Link. – 3.3 million: The number of voters who turned out for this year's presidential election in Massachusetts. That's higher than turnout for the 2016 presidential election, almost double the 1.7 million people who voted in this year's September primary. As a result, officials are considering keeping a version of the state's coronavirus-inspired mail-in voting program for future elections. Link. – $46 billion: The cost of a budget proposal that state lawmakers rolled out this week. The House plans to debate its fiscal 2021 budget plan next week, which is slightly larger than the bill Baker presented in October. Four months into the fiscal year, the state has relied on an interim budget due to the unpredictability of the coronavirus pandemic. Link. – 1 million: The number of people who don't have enough food in Massachusetts, according to a new study reported by the Boston Globe. The state just reported its lowest unemployment numbers in months, but Massachusetts has seen the steepest percentage increase of food insecure residents of any state over the course of the Covid-19 crisis. Link. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is a guest on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio.” | |
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| – “Second COVID wave continues as Massachusetts reports 1,761 new cases, 23 deaths on Thursday; city, town data delayed one day,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials confirmed another 1,761 coronavirus cases on Thursday, bringing the statewide tally to 160,698. That’s based on 86,359 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health. There are presently 18,279 active cases of the virus across Massachusetts.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Mass. House leaders, releasing budget proposal, say it’s the wrong time to hike taxes,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Warning of potential pain ahead, Massachusetts House leaders said Thursday they want to avoid broad-based tax hikes for now and use up to $1.5 billion from savings accounts to navigate the state through the rest of the fiscal year. The $46 billion budget proposal, which the House plans to debate next week, largely follows the framework Governor Charlie Baker laid out last month.” – “Charlie Baker’s order requiring face coverings at all times in public takes effect on Friday. Some disease experts say it goes too far.” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Gov. Charlie Baker often stresses that the state’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic would follow the public health data. However, the Massachusetts governor’s ‘no exemptions’ public face-covering mandate — part of a slate of new orders that take effect Friday to address the recent increase in infections and hospitalization — is receiving criticism from some public health experts who say the new rule departs from that science-based approach.” – “Anxious About New COVID Restrictions, Mass. Restaurant Association Asks Baker For Clarity,” WBUR: “Restaurant owners across Massachusetts are waiting for clarification from the Baker administration about new regulations slated to go into effect on Friday. Earlier this week, Gov. Charlie Baker announced what he called ‘targeted interventions’ to stem the rising number of coronavirus cases in the state. In addition to a stricter mask and stay-at-home advisory, the order states that dining at restaurants must end by 9:30 p.m.” – “Biden's Big Mass. Win Doesn't Do Much For Beacon Hill Dems,” by Mike Deehan, GBH News: “Early election results show that Joe Biden received more than double the votes of President Donald Trump in Massachusetts, but the huge Democratic win did little to penetrate the halls of the State House, where Democrats will likely command only one additional seat in the Legislature next year.” – “Four people arrested outside Gov. Baker’s Swampscott home,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “Four people were arrested outside Governor Charlie Baker’s Swampscott home Thursday morning for allegedly trespassing on the residence during a demonstration, State Police said. In a statement, State Police spokesman David Procopio said the incident unfolded around 7:20 a.m., when troopers ‘responded to a demonstration’ outside Baker’s house.” – “Enrollment declines cropping up in public schools,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “Two months into the new school year, some communities are beginning to report enrollment declines, presumably an offshoot of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Worcester school district lost 1,046 students, about 4.2 percent of last year’s total of 25,049, according to the Telegram & Gazette.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Mayor Walsh urges patience on election,” by Travis Andersen and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Thursday continued to preach patience as the nation awaits the results of the presidential election. With former vice president Joe Biden pushing closer to the 270 Electoral College votes needed to carry the White House on Thursday, the mayor, speaking during an early afternoon news conference outside City Hall, said ‘I feel good where the election is today.’” – “Walsh Commissions $2M Tourism Campaign To Mitigate COVID Drag,” by Isaiah Thompson, GBH News: “Mayor Marty Walsh Thursday announced the rollout of a new city advertising initiative aimed at reviving the city’s crippled tourism industry by marketing Boston as a ‘safe city’ — to begin when, Walsh says, the city has significantly lowered COVID-19 infection rates.” – “Study: A million people in Mass. don’t have enough food,” by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: “As the country awaits the returns of the presidential election and any prospects of another economic stimulus bill, one thing has remained consistent amid the pandemic: People in Massachusetts are going hungry. And the problem is only growing. Massachusetts has seen the highest percent increase of residents facing food insecurity of all states, according to new projections released by Feeding America last Friday.” – “Walsh Says Coronavirus Testing Is Up 8% In Boston. Here's Why The Mayor Wants Even More,” WBUR: “City officials in Boston are continuing to urge people to get tested for the coronavirus. The city's positive test rate was 7.2% for the week ending on Oct. 31, down slightly from 8% the week before. There is still a 10% positive test rate in Dorchester, Mattapan and East Boston.” – “Mass. jobless claims see biggest decline in months,” by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: “New unemployment claims in Massachusetts fell by nearly a fifth last week, according to preliminary federal data, the largest single-week decline since the summer. Nearly 39,000 residents filed initial claims for traditional unemployment benefits during the week ending Oct. 31, down from almost 48,000 the previous week.” – “252 new cases of coronavirus reported in Massachusetts schools, topping 1,000 for the year,” by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: “A total of 252 staff and students in Massachusetts schools have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past week, topping 1,000 cases since school started, according to data from the Department of Education. The weekly report posted on Thursdays shows 154 students and 98 staff tested positive for the coronavirus from Oct. 29 to Nov. 4.” – “MassBio panelists see hope for the drug industry under a Biden presidency,” by Allison DeAngelis, Boston Business Journal: “While a victor has yet to be declared in the presidential election, the drug industry is already looking well into the first several months of the next presidential term, and many see the drug pricing conversation coming back down the pipeline. Experts anticipate that the primary focus for either candidate will remain on Covid for the time being .” | | IN THE VOTING BOOTH |
| – “New Boston Resident May Have Cast Vote That Switched Webster From Red To Blue,” by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: “The town of Webster flipped from red to blue by just one vote in the presidential election, and one voter feels like he played an important role in that. Jake Beaumont, 24, moved to Boston earlier this year and says in September, he mailed the state a form to update his voter registration. But when he got to the polls in Allston around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday, he found out he was actually not registered in Boston.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “See What the MBTA Thinks about Our Story about Workers Not Wearing Masks,” by Colman M. Herman, Boston Magazine: “Several weeks ago, I wrote an account of my experience asking several MBTA workers why they weren’t wearing required masks on the job. Afterward, I was interested in learning what the T was doing to remedy the problem. I could have simply asked, but instead I decided to take a different tack. You see, as a public entity, the MBTA is subject to the Massachusetts Public Records Law, which makes most state and municipal records available for public scrutiny by anyone.” | | MARKEYCHUSETTS |
| – Following His Own Re-Election, Ed Markey Is Optimistic That Joe Biden Will Be The Next President,” by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: “As a nation waits, Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey's message is simple: count every vote. The Massachusetts Senator is cautiously optimistic that, when all is said and done, Joe Biden will be the next president. And Markey is hopeful that Biden will be able to lower the temperature of partisan rancor in Washington.” | | BALLOT WARS |
| – “What went wrong for ranked choice voting in Massachusetts?” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “The campaign to bring ranked choice voting to Massachusetts seemed like it had a lot going for it: endorsements from the deep-blue state’s top elected Democrats, an enthusiastic base of support, a roughly 3,000-to-1 fundraising advantage over a last-minute opposition campaign. Pre-election polls even showed the ballot measure, Question 2, with a slight lead.” – “Question 1 on ‘right to repair’ won majority in every city and town in Massachusetts,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “The campaign to expand access to vehicular data, known as the ‘right to repair’ coalition, won big in the 2020 election, getting the majority of votes in just about every city and town in Massachusetts. As of Thursday night, Question 1 was approved by the majority of voters in every city or town, according to the Associated Press' tally and unofficial election results shared with MassLive.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
| – “One place Trump gained in Mass.: heavily Latino cities,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: “Deep blue Massachusetts, where Joe Biden ran up his biggest margin of any state, was an afterthought in the presidential race, which was largely fought in a dozen or so battleground states. But results in Lawrence and a handful of other Massachusetts Gateway Cities with large Latino populations show a striking pattern that lines up with one of the more surprising national trends in the race: gains by President Trump among Latino voters.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Court seeks input on question over marijuana host community agreements,” by Julie Manganis, The Salem News: “The state's highest court, which decided last month to take on the issue of retail marijuana host community agreements in a dispute involving the city of Salem, is now asking for input from others with an interest in the issue. The Supreme Judicial Court is seeking ‘friend of the court’ briefs in the appeal by Mederi Inc., which was seeking to open a retail marijuana dispensary on Highland Avenue.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “BIGGEST LOSER,” “ALL EYES ON...” — Globe : “Biden gains ground, Trump lashes out with false claims,” “Out of mind, the virus still surges,” “Democrat drawing close in Ga., Pa.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “‘A man who appears wherever he’s asked’: Attorney for former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh fights release conditions during arraignment,” by Stephanie Barry,” “An attorney for former Holyoke Soldiers' Home Superintendent Bennett Walsh cited his client’s military record on global battlefields while waging his own fight against proposed conditions of pretrial release during Walsh’s arraignment on criminal charges linked to the home’s deadly COVID-19 outbreak. Walsh and former Soldiers' Home medical director Dr. David Clinton on Thursday each pleaded not guilty to 10 criminal neglect charges.” – “Scores of families press for in-person learning in Amherst, Pelham schools,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “More than 100 families are petitioning both the Amherst School Committee and the union representing teachers and paraprofessionals to work toward getting some students, especially high needs students, back into school buildings.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Race To Replace Newton City Councilor Takes Shape,” by Jenna Fisher, Patch: “The former head of the Massachusetts League of Women Voters took the first step to run for Newton City Council last month. Meryl Kessler filed a statement of organization Oct. 14 with the state's office of Campaign and Political Finance indicating she is likely to run.” – “‘I feel so betrayed.’ A church in Fitchburg is at the epicenter of a growing COVID-19 outbreak,” by Deanna Pan, Boston Globe: “As the pandemic has worn on, churches across the country have emerged as a major source of coronavirus infections. Now Crossroads, a popular Pentecostal church, is one epicenter of an escalating outbreak in Fitchburg. The Massachusetts Department of Labor Standards first investigated complaints about the church’s compliance with COVID-19 health protocols in late September, according to the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development.” – “Worcester Public Schools pushes back hybrid start date for highest needs students as building HVAC work continues,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “Worcester School Committee members on Thursday night made the difficult decision to push back the start of hybrid education for the district’s neediest students as work on building HVAC systems is taking longer than expected. The work should be completed in 2021, officials said during the meeting.” TRANSITIONS – Kristina Gaffny is leaving her role as communications director for state Sen. Cindy Friedman to pursue a new communications job with the Colorado Senate Democratic Caucus. Liz Berman will serve as communications director for Friedman. – Former candidate for congress Jamie Zahlaway Belsito is taking on a new role as the first full-time policy director for the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance. – Sherin and Lodgen LLP partner Carla M. Moynihan has been appointed chair of the firm’s real estate department. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Saturday birthday-ers Joe Tutino and Cindy Rowe, and Tom Connors who celebrates Sunday. NEW EPISODE: DOWN FOR THE COUNT – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray break down the results of the 2020 election, with insights on the presidential race, local contests and polling. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud . 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. | |
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