| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | Presented by The Ridge Wallet | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Friday the 13th. Be careful out there! BICKFORD TO LEAD STATE DEMS — Massachusetts Democrats are eager to win the governor's office back from Republican control in 2022. But last night, a scene from a party meeting gave a glimpse at why that won’t be easy. During a lengthy virtual meeting that was marked by some technical difficulties, some state committee members were caught on a hot mic after neglecting to hit the mute button. During one waiting period, the Democrats started making small talk over Zoom. "Give credit where credit is due," said a committee member, in reference to how the popular Republican governor has handled the pandemic and his opposition to President Donald Trump. "I actually admire him for the fact that he stood up to Trump," said another member. "This is being recorded, just a reminder," a third member said to quash the pro-Baker talk. And in the Zoom chatroom, members wrote comments like "so embarrassing" and "see ya'll in Politico tomorrow." The conversation didn't reflect the views of everyone in the meeting, but the Baker praise illustrates Democrats' biggest hurdle in 2022 if the governor runs for another term. Baker is more popular among Democrats than he is among independent voters and Republicans, meaning it'll be tough for a Democratic gubernatorial candidate to run against him. Massachusetts Democratic Party chair Gus Bickford will get another shot at helping Democrats campaign in two years — He coasted to reelection last night. Bickford won 62% of the vote against challengers Mike Lake and Bob Massie, even after facing criticism for his handling of an incident during this summer's Democratic primary. A particularly tense moment came after the meeting had adjourned, but the Zoom call was still live. Several members asked why the party opted not to address "the elephant in the room." They were referring to an investigation which found the party acted improperly when handling allegations against Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse during his congressional campaign. The report was addressed briefly several times, and Bickford apologized for his conduct, but some members wanted to have a larger conversation about the incident. Others on the committee said the meeting was adjourned, and the stream cut out. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Sen. Ed Markey joins a call with Black Lives Matter, Demand Justice, and Sunrise Movement about adding seats to the Supreme Court with Congressmen-elect Mondaire Jones, and Jamaal Bowman. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Brenda Cassellius is a guest on GBH’s “Morning Edition.” Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins is a guest on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio.” Boston Mayor Marty Walsh virtually participates in the Mass. Black Expo hosted by the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts. | |
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| | TRACK THE TRANSITION, SUBSCRIBE TO TRANSITION PLAYBOOK: The definitive guide to what could be one of the most consequential transfers of power in American history. Our Transition Playbook newsletter—written for political insiders—tracks the appointments, people, and power centers of the new administration. Don't miss out. Subscribe today. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “More than 10,000 dead from COVID in Massachusetts: officials confirm 21 new fatalities, 2,482 cases,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts reached another grim milestone in the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday as health officials confirmed that there have now been more 10,000 deaths from the virus since the health crisis began. State health officials announced another 21 COVID-related fatalities Thursday, bringing the confirmed death count to 10,015, according to the Department of Public Health. Officials also confirmed another 2,482 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 174,953.” – “As Mass. reaches 10,000-death milestone, a look at what’s been lost,” by Dugan Arnett, Boston Globe: “The first death came in mid-March. A Winthrop man, 87 years old. A veteran with preexisting conditions. Homebound residents watched uneasily as Governor Charlie Baker, in one of his increasingly bleak updates, called the death ‘heartbreaking’ but added what many were already thinking: That this was a day we all knew was coming.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “House passes abortion access budget amendment,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “A lame duck House passed a budget amendment Thursday night that would allow women as young as 16 to obtain abortions without parental or judicial approval and expand access to abortion when the fetus is older than 24 weeks. Backers of the amendment, which passed by a vote of 108-49, characterized it as desperately needed with the recent shift that has taken place on the US Supreme Court.” – “Nearly $46 billion Senate budget plan relies on nearly half of ‘rainy day’ fund, includes some eviction protections,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “The Massachusetts Senate tacked on extra eviction protections and mental health resources to an otherwise similar budget plan as the House, relying on $1.5 billion from the state’s stabilization fund. The Senate announced Thursday a nearly $46 billion budget, about 5.5% more than fiscal 2020, that would drain nearly half of the ‘rainy day’ fund to cover costs in education, housing, mental health and food security.” RELATED: “Mass. Senate joins push to change sales tax collection,” by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal. Link. – “Kimberly Budd commended as ‘superior choice’ for chief justice of SJC at confirmation hearing,” by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “Kimberly Budd, the first Black woman nominated as chief justice of the state’s highest court, was commended as a “worthy and superior choice” by Governor Charlie Baker during opening remarks Thursday at her confirmation hearing before the Governor’s Council. Budd, an associate justice on the Supreme Judicial Court since 2016, is ‘absolutely the right candidate’ to lead the court, Baker said, based on her experience and ‘her skills as a collaborator, a listener and a leader.’" – “Gov. Charlie Baker reiterates that children should be in classrooms as he tours Carlisle school, sees district ‘using every single square inch of space,’” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive.com: “DESE has audited at least two school districts, East Longmeadow and Watertown, for having remote learning education plans during times of low coronavirus transmission rates. Baker said Thursday that large amounts of coronavirus spread inside school buildings have not been observed in Massachusetts.” – “Senate President Karen Spilka expects to see abortion protections tacked onto nearly $46 billion fiscal 2021 budget,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “The Massachusetts Senate budget plan does not include any new abortion protections, but Senate President Karen Spilka said she wouldn’t rule out a reproductive health amendment being tacked onto the $45.98 billion budget. The House is debating its $46 billion budget Thursday, which includes a reproductive health amendment filed by Rep. Claire Cronin.” – “The Next Wave: How This Mass. Coronavirus Surge Compares To The Spring,” by Carey Goldberg, WBUR: “This week, it became official: Massachusetts is in the throes of a second coronavirus surge. Gov. Charlie Baker says so. Asked if he considers the recent rise in cases a surge, he answered: ‘Yeah. We are in the midst of what was expected and anticipated by a lot of folks in the public health and epidemiological community last spring — which is that there would be an echo associated with this, and it would land in the fall.’” | | CABINET WATCH |
| – “Baker says he would veto any attempt to change law that allows him to name interim senator,” by Danny McDonald and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Amid swirling speculation about the potential of Senator Elizabeth Warren landing a Cabinet post in president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, Governor Charlie Baker said that he would veto any legislative attempt to change the law that gives him the authority to name a senator in the case of a vacancy.” – “A Biden administration post? Boston’s Walsh says he is concentrating on the task at hand,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Amid rampant rumors of a possible post in the Joe Biden administration, Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Thursday the president-elect’s transition team has not been in contact with him about a gig and emphasized that he loves the job he has. Speaking at an unrelated news conference outside City Hall, the Dorchester Democrat said he has been honored to be mentioned but stressed that his focus was on issues directly affecting the city, such as the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Mayor Walsh drafts law to create independent police accountability office,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Thursday that he has drafted an ordinance to create an independent police watchdog office, the first major step in a series of reforms laid out last month by a city task force. The ordinance, which will be introduced to the City Council next week, would create in Boston a first-of-its-kind Office of Police Accountability and Transparency that would monitor police and community relations, review police policies, and push accountability and transparency within the Boston Police Department.” – “Boston sees largest single-day increase in COVID cases in months, with 355 reported Thursday,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said the city saw its biggest increase in coronavirus cases Thursday since the summer. Walsh said there were 355 new confirmed cases on Thursday — its highest single-day total since June. There were no new deaths. So far, 884 Bostonians have died from COVID-19, officials said.” – “New England States Ban Interstate Travel For Youth Hockey,” by Khari Thompson, WBUR: “Governors from all six New England states, including Massachusetts' Charlie Baker, will halt interstate travel for youth hockey competitions, citing recent coronavirus outbreaks connected to the sport.” | |
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| | | | | THE 2020 ELECTION |
| – “One of the most important political operatives you’ve never heard of,” by Zoe Greenberg and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: “Throughout the presidential campaign, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon often repeated a mantra from her collegiate softball days to rally staff on endless Zoom calls: We can do hard things. Even for someone with an optimistic attitude, 2020 presented a particularly high number of ‘hard things’ for the woman running Joe Biden’s campaign.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Federal appeals court rules that Harvard’s use of race in admissions is sound,” by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: “The First Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed a lower court decision that Harvard University’s admissions process does not discriminate against Asian-American applicants, likely propelling the battle over affirmative action to the US Supreme Court. An opinion issued by the appeals court Thursday found that Harvard’s use of race in admissions met the requirements of the law.” | | TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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REPUBLICAN VOTER REGISTRATION IS AT A 70 YEAR LOW AND THIS HIGHLIGHTS THE REASONS: – “Biden is ‘falsely posing as winner’ of presidential election, Massachusetts GOP Chairman Jim Lyons says,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts GOP Chairman Jim Lyons claimed President-elect Joe Biden is ‘falsely posing as the winner’ of the election as he used the state party’s email list Thursday to amplify President Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of voter fraud and raise money for his legal battles.” | | THE CLARK CAUCUS |
| – “House Democrats’ down-ballot leadership races offer a look at a post-Pelosi future,” by Paul Kane, The Washington Post: “Rep. Katherine M. Clark (D-Mass.), who holds a more junior leadership post, has emerged as the front-runner to win the assistant speaker race, but first must defeat Rep. David N. Cicilline (D-R.I.), a senior member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and one of the caucus’s most prominent gay lawmakers. In September, as she launched her bid for a promotion, Clark sent a letter to all Democrats that, in retrospect, hit the precise tone for what turned out to be tumultuous political times.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “WHO'S IN THE RED?" "PARTY FAVOR,” — Globe: “Vote group dismisses Trump's claims," "10,000.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “New Bedford officials say they’ve distributed over 100,000 masks,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “The city of New Bedford has distributed over 100,000 masks free of charge to keep residents safe amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, officials said. A spokesman for Mayor Jon Mitchell confirmed via e-mail Thursday that the mask initiative, first launched in May, had surpassed the 100,000 face covering mark.” – “Lowell Police: No evidence to substantiate racist poll incidents,” by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun: “Police are still investigating reports by a Boston-based organization that anti-Asian racist incidents allegedly occurred at two polling locations on Election Day, but said there is so far no evidence to substantiate the claims. Capt. James Hodgdon said no police officers or election workers witnessed such incidents occurring, and no other witnesses or victims have come forward.” – “Almost all of a Mass. town’s fire department plans to resign Friday if concerns aren’t met,” by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “Almost all the members of the Rockport Fire Department say they’ll quit Friday unless the town meets a list of concerns they have about the department. In a letter delivered to the town’s selectmen on Monday, the close to 30 volunteer firefighters made five demands of the town, including removing the town’s Director of Emergency Services Mark Schmink, and eliminating that position altogether.” | | MEDIA MATTERS |
| – “Bob Oakes, Host Of WBUR's 'Morning Edition,' Will Take On New Role,” by Callum Borchers, WBUR: “Oakes, 65, is eyeing retirement. Listeners who love waking up to his familiar baritone and distinctive pronunciation of the station's name, ‘double-hew-bee-you-are,’ have several months to savor the experience, as the station conducts a national search for his successor. Oakes then plans to take on one final assignment: senior correspondent.” TRANSITIONS – Marcos Marrero is leaving his role as director of the Holyoke’s Office of Planning & Economic Development, and will be succeeded by outgoing state Rep. Aaron Vega. – Kelley Tuthill was named chief operating officer of Catholic Charities of Boston. Link. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Gov. Charlie Baker, who is 64; NECN’s Sue O’Connell; Sudbury state Rep. Carmine Gentile, Monica Scalpato Burke and POLITICO alum Jonathan Topaz. 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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| | NEW EPISODES OF POLITICO'S GLOBAL TRANSLATIONS PODCAST: The world has long been beset by big problems that defy political boundaries, and these issues have exploded in 2020 amid a global pandemic. Global Translations podcast, presented by Citi, unpacks the roadblocks to smart policy decisions and examines the long-term costs of the short-term thinking that drives many political and business decisions. In the latest episode, we look at the renewed interest in an old phrase: industrial policy. Is it still too controversial in policy circles, or is it the future of policy as governments worldwide reshape global supply chains? Subscribe for Season Two, available now. | | | | | | |
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