Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Clark’s infrastructure roadshow

Thursday, February 17, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Clark’s infrastructure roadshow

PROGRAMMING NOTE — Massachusetts Playbook will not publish Friday or Monday. I’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday.

CLARK CAUCUS — Replacing lead pipes in Watertown. Repairing bridges in Framingham and Revere. Buying electric school buses for Lexington.

Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark helped secure funding in the American Rescue Plan Act and the bipartisan infrastructure law to make these projects possible. Now the fourth-ranking House Democrat is touting those successes back home while pushing to resurrect the Build Back Better Act, in some form, in the Senate.

Playbook briefly caught up with Clark earlier this week at the Watertown DPW to talk infrastructure and child care investments. Here are excerpts from our conversation:

These are big projects with big price tags. How are projects like lead pipe replacements going to affect people’s everyday lives?

Projects like this are often hard to see; these are corroded pipes that are under our streets. But what people are going to be able to see is clean drinking water that is safe for their kids, for their families, for their pets. It makes a huge difference in the quality of life. … While we do it, we are creating great jobs and we’re helping save the planet.

Childcare access is a key issue for you. What’s the status of that, and Build Back Better?

We are not ever going to back down from fighting for childcare that we know families need to get back to work, and they need it to be affordable and high quality.

President Joe Biden’s poll numbers are slipping. Thirty House Democrats are retiring. Can Democrats hold the House?

We sure can. … As we look across the aisle, we see a Republican Party that is committed to anti-democratic policies and has forgotten about working Americans at home. Clark later told GBH the midterms are “going to be challenging."

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. State Attorney General Maura Healey isn’t the only gubernatorial hopeful starting off with a focus on jobs and the economy.

Republican businessman Chris Doughty is vowing to tackle the state’s high cost of living in a new radio ad.

“Are you tired of the high cost of living in Massachusetts? Instead of renting a U-Haul to move, check out Republican Chris Doughty for governor,” the narrator of the 60-second spot intones, going on to call Doughty a “true fiscal conservative who will work hard to make Massachusetts more affordable.”

Doughty dropped $1,300 on the ad that’s set to air through March 15, according to the AdImpact tracker. Doughty’s campaign said it will air in Boston, Worcester, Springfield and on Cape Cod.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and state and local officials celebrate plans to build the state’s first offshore wind manufacturing facility at Somerset’s Brayton Point at 11:30 a.m. Clark highlights federal infrastructure investments in Lexington at 11 p.m. and Revere at noon. Interim Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden tours Chelsea’s La Colaborativa at 1 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu visits small businesses in Hyde Park at 4 p.m. Rep. Jake Auchincloss participates in a panel on cryptocurrency regulations at 4 p.m.

— Wu, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren are set to speak at the Rev. Miniard Culpepper’s HUD retirement celebration today.

THIS WEEKEND — Senate President Karen Spilka is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Stephen Lynch is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Former Boston city councilor Andrea Campbell has picked up more than 60 endorsements in her run for state attorney general. The group of current and former electeds from across the state includes state Sens. John Cronin, Julian Cyr, Brendan Crighton, Sal DiDomenico, Lydia Edwards, Barry Finegold, Cindy Friedman, Jason Lewis and Michael Rush; state Reps. Michelle Ciccolo, Ed Coppinger, Dan Donahue, Kip Diggs, Bill Driscoll, Nika Elugardo, Sean Garballey, Russell Holmes, John Mahoney, Liz Malia, Joan Meschino, Liz Miranda, Chynah Tyler, Sarah Peake, Jon Santiago, Tom Stanley and Bill Straus; Berkshire DA Andrea Harrington, Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff and the mayors of Somerville, Cambridge and Easthampton.

Joining them are Boston City Council President Ed Flynn and councilors Brian Worrell, Liz Breadon, Ruthzee Louijeune, Tania Fernandes Anderson and Erin Murphy; former councilors Sal LaMattina, Tito Jackson, Matt O’Malley, John Connolly, Josh Zakim and Campbell’s former mayoral rival Annissa Essaibi George.

Former state Rep. Marie St. Fleur, a major backer of Campbell’s mayoral bid, and former Somerville mayor Joe Curtatone are also among the endorsers.

— DEVAL’S DOLLARS: Former Gov. Deval Patrick is doling out more donations this cycle. Patrick gave the $1,000 maximum to Campbell, Plymouth district attorney candidate and ACLU alum Rahsaan Hall, and state representative hopeful Kate Donaghue, a veteran Democratic activist, per OCPF filings. Patrick previously maxed out to state auditor hopeful Chris Dempsey and gave $500 to Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll’s campaign for lieutenant governor.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: State Sens. Julian Cyr, Adam Gomez and Lydia Edwards are endorsing state Sen. Diana DiZoglio for state auditor. The senators will join DiZoglio for a virtual policy announcement at 1:15 p.m.

— “Poll Puts Healey, Diehl Ahead of Pack and Doubts Surtax Support,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): “ With seven months before voters go to the polls, Attorney General Maura Healey and former Rep. Geoff Diehl hold significant advantages with voters in their parties, and Healey, a Democrat, is the clear front-runner to succeed Gov. Charlie Baker, though more than half the electorate has yet to choose a candidate, according to a new poll. … The poll also attempted to gauge support for a question moving toward the ballot in November that would impose a surtax of 4 percent on all earned income above $1 million. The MassFiscal poll found that 51.6 percent of voters oppose the proposed ballot question, which is an outlier from other polls that have found significant support for the wealth tax. The poll did not describe the income surtax in detail, but rather told respondents it would ‘raise the income tax on some high-income earners and middle-class small businesses.’”

— “Interim Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden announces bid for full term,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: “‘I pledge today to reform how the district attorney approaches its full mission of serving the community and ensuring public safety,’ interim Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden said in front of the Boys and Girls Club in Dorchester, where he once served on the advisory board, Wednesday morning.”

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Boston-area coronavirus wastewater keeps plunging, COVID hospitalizations go down,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The latest update on the wastewater tracker shows that both the south and north of Boston wastewater levels have fallen all the way back to what the levels were in September, long before the omicron surge. … The state Department of Public Health on Wednesday reported 1,653 daily coronavirus cases, a 41% drop from last Wednesday’s total of 2,794 infections.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “In historic vote, Mass. House passes bill to allow driver’s licenses for residents without legal immigration status,” by Samantha J. Gross and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts House of Representatives approved a bill on Wednesday that would allow residents without legal immigration status to get driver’s licenses. Buoyed by support from law enforcement, the measure won enough support in the heavily Democratic chamber to overcome a potential veto from Republican Governor Charlie Baker. The tally was 120-36 and came after a two-hour debate on the bill, which would allow residents to prove their identity with documents such as a foreign passport, birth certificate, and marriage or divorce records from any state or territory. … Senate President Karen E. Spilka said in a statement Wednesday that she is a longtime supporter of such an effort, and that she ‘very much look[s] forward to having further discussions with our membership on this issue.’”

— The Boston Herald’s Erin Tiernan has more on the House debate: “Critics of the bill, including [Gov. Charlie] Baker, have shared concerns over how to verify an undocumented person’s identity. ... But [Transportation Committee Chairman William Straus] said the ‘narrowly drawn’ bill satisfies ‘the Baker documentary standard.’”

— “Governor’s Council commutes first-degree murder sentences for first time in 25 years,” by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “For the first time in a quarter century, the Massachusetts Governor’s Council on Wednesday commuted the life without parole sentences of two prisoners convicted of first-degree murder, making them eligible for release and reopening a potential path to freedom for others who make ‘extraordinary’ strides behind bars. In a unanimous vote, the eight-member board granted Governor Charlie Baker’s request to reduce the sentences of Thomas Koonce, 54, and William Allen, 48, from first- to second-degree murder after scrutinizing the nature of their crimes and their efforts to better themselves during several decades in prison.”

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VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "Worcester Repeals Mask Mandate, Again," by Neal McNamara, Patch: "For real this time: Worcester has repealed its mask mandate. The Board of Health voted 3-2 during a special meeting Wednesday to repeal the mandate effective 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. ... The Board of Health had to vote a second time on repealing the mandate because new member Gary Rosen, a former city councilor, was not sworn in at the previous meeting on Feb. 7."

— “Cabinet Chiefs Urge Colleges To Relax Mask Requirements,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Less than three weeks after they urged colleges to help lead Massachusetts ‘into an endemic,’ a pair of Cabinet secretaries said the Baker administration will ‘strongly encourage all higher education institutions’ to consider relaxing mask requirements on campus.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Unions celebrate court ruling blocking COVID-19 vaccine mandate, but Mayor Michelle Wu likely to appeal,” by Danny McDonald and Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: “The controversy surrounding Mayor Michelle Wu’s COVID-19 vaccination mandate for the city workforce continues to consume her early tenure as Wu on Wednesday indicated the city will likely press on in its attempts to enforce the requirement, despite a recent court setback that municipal unions celebrated as a win in their fight with the administration.”

— “Michelle Wu vows to ‘fight’ state receivership of schools,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu vowed to push back on any state attempt to take control of the ever-beleaguered Boston Public Schools, saying she’d ‘fight’ efforts to put the district into the hands of a state-appointed receiver. ‘Receivership is not an option for Boston,’ Wu told GBH radio hosts Wednesday in response to a submitted question from a listener.”

— “Wu signals shift in development priorities with planning that favors neighborhood issues over a downtown skyscraper,” by Catherine Carlock, Boston Globe: “In a clear early signal of her development priorities, Mayor Michelle Wu is pumping the brakes on a long-debated plan that would allow a skyscraper on the edge of Boston Harbor, saying her administration will focus first on better planning of waterfront development in East Boston.”

DAY IN COURT

— “Lynnfield parent sentenced to 15 months in prison in Varsity Blues bribery scandal,” by Shelley Murphy and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “A Lynnfield father was sentenced to 15 months in prison Wednesday for paying $1.2 million in bribes to have his three children admitted to elite colleges as athletic recruits and claiming a portion of it as a tax write-off — the longest sentence so far in a nationwide college admissions scandal.”

— “Massachusetts GOP office intruder to face clerk magistrate as police seek charges,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “Woburn police are turning to a clerk magistrate to decide if there is enough evidence to charge a 72-year-old attorney with threatening staffers at the MassGOP headquarters. Woburn Police Chief Robert Rufo told the Herald Wednesday night his department will file that request Thursday with Woburn District Court seeking a show cause hearing against Hugh Samson of Nahant.”

WARREN REPORT

— “Sen. Elizabeth Warren now wants to ban all state lawmakers and elected officials from trading corporate stocks,” by Camila DeChalus, Insider: “Democratic Sen. Elizabeth Warren called to ban all state lawmakers and elected officials from trading individual stocks as more momentum grows on Capitol Hill to pass a similar measure for members of Congress.”

KENNEDY COMPOUND

— “Kennedy compound vandalism suspect claims to be part of the family; ordered to undergo psychological evaluation,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “A judge is ordering a psychological evaluation of a 32-year-old upstate New York man who was arrested late Tuesday night for allegedly vandalizing the Kennedy family’s Hyannisport compound and claiming to be a part of the elite political family, court documents show.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Firefighters sue equipment makers over 'forever chemicals' in gear,” by Vanessa Ochavillo, WBUR: “Fifteen firefighters are seeking compensation for illnesses they allege more than two dozen American companies contributed to by using so-called ‘forever chemicals’ in their workplace gear. The firefighters — who worked in Worcester, Norwood, Brockton, Fall River and Boston — discovered last December that their blood contained elevated levels of PFAS chemicals, according to a lawsuit filed in Massachusetts federal court Wednesday.”

— “Utilities seek off-peak natural gas rate increases,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Newburyport Daily News: “The state’s natural gas consumers, who are already getting hit with rising energy bills, could be digging deeper into their pockets for several more months with utilities seeking rate increases for the off-peak season.”

— “Flood dampens 1.65 million Massachusetts birth and death records,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “An HVAC water line ruptured on Feb. 6 in the building that houses the state’s birth, death, marriage and other records, flooding the building and dampening 3,300 volumes of documents.”

— “Wynn Resorts cashes in on Everett casino in $1.7 billion deal,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “Wynn Resorts is selling off its Encore Boston Harbor casino property in Everett, though patrons shouldn’t notice any difference at all. On Tuesday, Wynn announced a $1.7 billion sale to Realty Income, a large real estate investment trust, and plans to use the proceeds, in part, to help fund its development plans across Broadway from the casino. But no, Wynn isn’t going anywhere: The Las Vegas-based casino operator will lease the Encore property from Realty Income, starting at $100 million a year, escalating slightly each year, essentially to keep pace with inflation.”

— AGREE OR DISAGREE? “Massachusetts has the ‘most liberals’ in the US, according to Stacker,” by Heather Morrison, MassLive: “More liberals live in Massachusetts than any other state in the U.S., according to Stacker. The website ranked each state by two metrics. First, Stacker looked at the percentage of residents who identify as liberals. It then looked at the percentage of the state’s voters who voted for President Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election by using data from Gallup, 270toWin, and the Cook Political Report’s 2020 National Popular Vote Tracker, the website stated.”

LEGACY BUILDING — Gov. Charlie Baker has been named a 2022 Ivy League Basketball Legend. “These Legends contributed significantly to — and left a lasting impact on — their respective basketball programs, universities and chosen professions,” the Ivy League said, describing Baker as a “defensive-minded power-forward for Harvard’s 1977-78 squad” and an “integral part” of the team.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Andrew Bilski.

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY — to state Auditor Suzanne Bump, the Boston Herald’s Rick Sobey, and Joe Caiazzo of the JCN Group, who celebrate Friday; to WBZ’s Tiffany Chan, who celebrates Sunday; and to Jay S. Schaefer, who celebrates Monday.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: BACK TO THE STATE HOUSE — State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski and Katie Lannan run down the latest legislative happenings, and the building’s pending reopening, with hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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