| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | Presented by Brilliant | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! WALSH'S WAITING GAME — Did we all become experts on the Boston city charter for nothing? Today is March 5, and Mayor Marty Walsh still hasn't been confirmed as Secretary of Labor by the Senate. The mayor hasn't stepped down from his job at City Hall, either. This was supposed to be a key date for Boston election planners, thanks to an obscure provision in the city charter. If Walsh resigned his post by today, it would have triggered a special election in the late spring or early summer, followed by the regularly-scheduled election this fall. Since each election required a preliminary and general round, the city would have voted for mayor four times in the span of a few months. Instead, the City Council fast-tracked a proposal to scrap a potential special election this year. In hours of public meetings, which at times became pretty tense, councilors said too many elections would drive down turnout, cost the city too much money and put voters at risk during the pandemic. Beacon Hill agreed. Lawmakers passed the home rule petition and Gov. Charlie Baker signed it into law at the end of February. But if the Senate does not vote on Walsh's nomination today — and there's no vote scheduled right now — the scramble to prevent a special election in Boston may have been a false alarm. There was reason to believe the mayor would be confirmed by now, though. Walsh was nominated to lead the Department of Labor on Jan. 7, and had a friendly hearing before the Senate HELP Committee on Feb. 4. He cleared a vote before that committee on Feb. 11, and is now waiting for approval from the entire Senate. Walsh's chief of staff, Dan Koh, already started his job at the Department of Labor. While Walsh hasn't officially left City Hall, the race to replace him is becoming more crowded. John Barros, Walsh's economic development chief, launched his campaign for mayor yesterday, bringing the field to five major candidates. And a few others might jump in. Soon-to-be acting Mayor Kim Janey could run, and state Sen. Nick Collins has not ruled out a bid. Boston's Equity Chief Karilyn Crockett just resigned her post and is also considering a campaign. 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 is a guest on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio.” Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark and Mayor Brian Arrigo a vaccination clinic in Revere. Rep. Lori Trahan tours a vaccine site at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. | |
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| – “Massachusetts reports 1,410 new COVID cases, 42 deaths on Thursday,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials confirmed another 1,410 new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, which is based on 102,362 new molecular tests, according to the Department of Public Health. Officials also announced another 42 COVID-related fatalities, bringing the death toll from the pandemic to 15,967.” – “Mass. reports 343 new coronavirus cases among public school students, 133 among school staff members,” by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “Local school officials in Massachusetts reported to the state 343 new coronavirus cases among students and 133 among school staff members for the week that ended Wednesday. Officials estimate that about 450,000 students across the state are attending some form of in-person learning, and about 75,000 staff members are working in buildings.” – “19 Massachusetts communities at high risk for coronavirus, Revere and Brockton exit red zone,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Several perpetually ‘red’ cities are no longer at high-risk for coronavirus transmission as the list shrank to just 19 communities this week. Revere and Brockton, long two of the hardest-hit cities in the state, fell out of the high-risk red zone for coronavirus transmission this week.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Baker traveling to Florida following a family death, to return Monday,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Governor Charlie Baker traveled to Florida on Thursday after a death in the family, and will return Monday, a spokeswoman said Thursday night. The governor is meeting his wife, Lauren, in Florida to ‘attend to family affairs,’ according to his office. The trip is the first time Baker is leaving Massachusetts since he cut a family vacation in Utah short almost a year ago to return to the state and declare a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 10.” – “More than 1,000 Massachusetts businesses get COVID relief grants in latest round, totaling $40 million,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Another 1,026 Massachusetts businesses will receive COVID-19 relief grants from the state, Gov. Charlie Baker’s office said Thursday. The latest round of recipients got a combined $39.7 million through grants administered by the Massachusetts Growth Capital Corporation, according to a news release.” – “Lobbying expenditures totaled $85.6m in 2020,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The State House is closed these days because of COVID-19, but for the most part businesses and other advocacy groups are continuing to hire lobbyists to represent their interests on Beacon Hill. Total spending on lobbying in 2020 was $85.6 million, down $1.8 million, or 2 percent, from 2019, according to Secretary of State William Galvin’s office.” – “Middlesex DA Ryan, state lawmakers file bill to close loophole in hate crime statute,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan has filed a bill to close a loophole in state law that allows people to avoid being charged with hate crimes if they harass or intimidate someone by scrawling slurs on property that doesn’t belong to the victim, Ryan said Thursday.” – “Audit faults data system used by DAs,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “In an audit of the Cape and Islands district attorney’s office this week, state Auditor Suzanne Bump flagged the case management system used by all 11 Massachusetts district attorneys as outdated, citing in particular its information on juvenile defendants. If it is not replaced, Bump wrote, the system ‘may soon be unable to meet its operational needs,’ and the offices will not be able to comply with legal mandates to provide certain information related to juvenile justice.” – “12 Middlesex County superintendents urge state to provide ‘thoughtful plan’ before reopening elementary schools full time,” by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “The superintendents of 12 Middlesex County school districts say the Baker administration’s push for all elementary school students to return to full-time, in-person school in April has left many unanswered questions and concerns for local school leaders.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Massachusetts mass vaccination sites at Fenway, Gillette costing $1.1 million a week,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “For-profit companies that popped up amid the pandemic are raking in millions of dollars per week running the state’s mass vaccination sites, but lawmakers are raising questions about whether private vendors are ‘up to the job.’” – “Massachusetts spent 20 years fine-tuning its own mass vaccination plan. Then it looked elsewhere,” by Anissa Gardizy, Kay Lazar and Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts spent nearly two decades and millions of dollars planning how it would mobilize its vast network of local public health departments to respond in an emergency situation. But just days after federal drug regulators authorized the first COVID-19 vaccine in mid-December, the state abandoned its blueprint and instead entrusted a handful of private companies with running its mass vaccination sites.” – “Fenway Park Vaccine Site Will Move To Hynes Convention Center,” by Mike Deehan, GBH News: “The mass vaccination site at Fenway Park will move to the other side of the Fens at the Hynes Convention Center in Back Bay by the end of March, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Thursday. The two sites will overlap and both operate between March 18 and March 27, with anyone scheduled for a second dose at Fenway moved to Hynes.” – “Baker continues to cite constraints in vaccine supply,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Are you a Massachusetts resident frustrated to be still waiting for your COVID shot? Gov. Charlie Baker has a message: blame the feds.” – “Mad dash over early for Massachusetts coronavirus vaccine appointments,” by Joe Dwinell and Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Early birds grabbed coronavirus vaccine appointments Thursday before most others rubbed the sleep from their eyes. The mad dash ended at 7:10 a.m. when Mass.gov tweeted that all the open slots at Fenway Park, Gillette Stadium and the Reggie Lewis Center were gone. A few short hours later CVS also said it was booked.” – “More than 1.8 million doses of COVID vaccine have been administered in Massachusetts to date, roughly 300K this week,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts has administered 1,868,847 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine since the rollout began in December, according to the latest vaccine data released by the Department of Public Health.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “High school seniors of color are behind on completing financial aid forms, a worrying sign for college enrollment,” by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: “Across Massachusetts, high schools that serve predominantly Black and Latino students have seen some of the steepest declines in the number of seniors submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, during the pandemic. The trend has heightened fears that the already glaring racial gaps in college enrollment could deepen and leave communities of color behind in a future economic recovery.” – “Deploying to a Hesitant Community Near You: ‘Trusted Messengers,’” by Saraya Wintersmith, POLITICO: “Vaccine hesitancy has been identified as a barrier to vaccinating the general public equitably — particularly among the populations hardest hit by COVID-19. Programs to harness the trust and competence of volunteers like Williams are springing up locally and across the nation as a strategy to overcome skepticism.” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – “John Barros pitches Boston City Hall, small business experience in mayoral announcement,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Former city economic development chief John Barros kicked off his mayoral campaign with a pitch combining his City Hall experience and local business ties.” | |
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| | | | | FEELING '22 |
| – “With A Focus On Inequality, Democrat Ben Downing Starts His Campaign For Governor,” by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: “The race for governor of Massachusetts has begun — even though Election Day is still more than a year and a half away. The incumbent, Republican Charlie Baker, hasn't said if he'll seek a third term, but Democrat Ben Downing is already running .” | | DATELINE D.C. |
| – “CDC chief tries to rebuild her agency’s reputation — and morale,” by Erin Banco, POLITICO: “If you’re looking for good news on the state of the pandemic, Rochelle Walensky is not here to give it. From her first week directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, when she warned that Covid-19 could kill 100,000 people over the next month, Walensky has been charged with delivering difficult truths to a weary public.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Amid Climate Change Threats, Cape Planners Ask: Is It Time To Retreat From The Coast?” by Eve Zuckoff,” GBH News: “Catastrophic damage from climate change threatens coastal homes all over the Cape and Islands. And over the next 30 years, new research from a nonprofit research organization shows that the financial losses from flood damage alone could rise to $316 million per year for Massachusetts homeowners, a 36 percent increase from today.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “JUMBO JAB TAB,” — Globe: “Students of color struggle to access aid," "It's Thursday frustration, again.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “Smith & Wesson sales double in third quarter; New Jersey lawsuit targets gunmaker’s advertising,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Gunmaker Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. saw its gross sales increase 102.2% year-over-year in its most recent quarter, hitting $257.6 million for the three months ending Jan. 31. The company reported $127.4 million in sales in the same period last year.” – “Springfield presses for passage of home rule bill to allow impoundment, forfeiture of dirt bikes,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “Legislators have refiled a home rule bill, that if passed, would allow the city to expand efforts to get dirt bikes and off-road vehicles off city streets to protect public safety. The bill had been filed last year but expired without passage at end of the year.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Lockheed Martin will close factory in Marion, moving 400 jobs out of state,” by Ben Berke, The Public's Radio: “Lockheed Martin announced it will close a factory next year in Marion, Massachusetts that employs more than 400 workers. The defense contractor is the largest employer in the coastal town of 5,000, where a mix of factory and office workers manufacture underseas weapons for the U.S. Navy.” – “DCU Center COVID field hospital in Worcester to close, transition to a ‘warm site’ over the next several weeks,” by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: “Since the middle of February, the DCU Center’s COVID field hospital in Worcester has averaged fewer than 10 patients a week. On Thursday, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. announced that conversations have started with the state to decommission the site, which could close within the next couple of weeks.” – “Worcester library director, like others in area, keeping Dr. Seuss on the shelves amid controversy,” by Nicole Shih, Telegram & Gazette: “Dr. Seuss books that are now the subject of debate over claimed racist depictions remain on the shelves of the Worcester Public Library and other local libraries. But WPL Executive Director Jason Homer said he backs the decision by Dr. Seuss Enterprises to cease publication of six Dr. Seuss books that portray people in ways that are today considered hurtful.” TRANSITIONS – Dr. Robbie Goldstein joins the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a senior policy adviser in the office of the director. Goldstein was previously a candidate for Congress and was the founder and medical director of the transgender health program at Massachusetts General Hospital. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY – to state Sen. Barry Finegold, who turned 5-0 on Wednesday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Lowell state Rep. Thomas Golden, Josh Arnold, Sharon Block, Gov. Charlie Baker’s ‘18 campaign manager Brian Wynne, Chris Joyce, Chris Lane, Justin Backal Balik, Adam Boyajy, Tavo True-Alcalá and Tamsin True-Alcalá. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to UMass Journalism’s Steve Fox, Blake Gottesman, Jenn Queally and Lauren Young, who all celebrate Saturday. NEW EPISODE: COVID 101 – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith and Stephanie Murray discuss a coronavirus outbreak at UMass Amherst with Massachusetts Daily Collegian reporters Cassie McGrath and Will Katcher. 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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