Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook Baker's gas pump calculus

Monday, March 14, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook Baker's gas pump calculus

COST AND BENEFIT — The Baker administration sees an opening to make headway on the governor’s tax plans as top Democrats balk at suspending the state’s gas tax but look to provide some kind of relief to taxpayers shelling out at the pump.

Speaker Ron Mariano dismissed the concept as a “political stunt” after House lawmakers voted down a Republican-led proposal to shelve the gas tax last week. Senate President Karen Spilka wants the feds to investigate whether it’s a supply issue or price gouging that’s driving gas prices to record highs.

But they are open to other avenues of tax relief. Spilka is looking at “providing some relief” — particularly for low- and middle-income residents — in a climate bill she hopes to bring forward “probably in April.”

Mariano specifically mentioned the state’s estate tax. He told reporters that House leaders had been discussing changes to the estate tax even before Baker called to update it as part of his broader $700 million tax relief proposal. House leaders also said they were eyeing aid for renters.

That’s encouraging to the Baker administration. “Hearing Speaker Mariano voice such strong support for similar tax relief measures is another hugely positive sign that the governor’s tax cuts could become a reality for Massachusetts families,” Baker spokesperson Terry MacCormack said in a statement, adding that bipartisan support should “come as no surprise” given the state of inflation.

The contents and timing of a relief package remain unclear. We could get more answers this afternoon, when Baker and legislative leaders speak to the press after their weekly leadership meeting.

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi doesn’t see a gas-tax holiday as the answer to the “Putin price hike for gas,” either.

“That sounds like a good idea, and many of our members support that. But I said we can only write that bill if we can insist in the bill that the oil companies pass along that [savings] to the consumer. Traditionally, they have put it in their pocket,” Pelosi said Saturday after a Cambridge Health Alliance roundtable on federal health care funding with Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark and Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan.

President Joe Biden has released tens of millions of barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, and Pelosi said there are thousands of unused drilling permits oil companies can tap into. But she stressed that “this is not to be an excuse to destroy the planet” by drilling on public lands.

Trahan said the country is at an “inflection point” in which “we’re either going to think about energy independence in terms of drilling or we’re going to think about our accelerated transition to renewable and clean energy.”

And with rising gas prices adding to inflation woes, Pressley vowed to “hold corporations and companies accountable that are taking advantage of price gouging.”

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark, Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan, and state Rep. Marjorie Decker participate in a roundtable on mental health and health care funding at Cambridge Health Alliance. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

TODAY — Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and legislative leaders meet at 2 p.m. at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins an EPA press conference about the Neponset River at 10:30 a.m. in Mattapan. Rep. Jim McGovern makes federal funding announcements at noon in Shrewsbury and 2:30 p.m. in Northampton. Rep. Jake Auchincloss announces new federal funding for MA04 at 12:15 p.m. Spilka speaks at a noon White House event on how the Biden administration’s agenda impacts Massachusetts families.

Tips? Scoops? Know anyone else who's coming out of retirement? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Sen. Ed Markey is endorsing ACLU alum Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth County district attorney.

“Plymouth County needs a district attorney who will bring professionalism and accountability to the office, and compassion and results to the community, and that is Rahsaan Hall,” Markey said in a statement lauding Hall’s “deep experience working in and creating a justice system that centers equality and community engagement, and an unmatched commitment to fighting for civil rights.”

— NEW this AM: Sen. Elizabeth Warren is endorsing Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk DA. “With Ricardo as District Attorney, Suffolk County will help lead the fight for equal justice by combating racial and class disparities in our criminal justice system while supporting people’s safety, dignity and wellbeing,” Warren said in a statement.

— “Republican candidate Julie Hall of Attleboro withdraws from congressional race,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “Former Attleboro city councilor Julie Hall suspended her campaign for the 4th Congressional District on Friday, citing family and health reasons.”

Hall’s exit means Rep. Jake Auchincloss currently faces no challengers to his reelection bid. But he still could face a Democratic primary rematch against Jesse Mermell.

— ON TO THE CONVENTION: Democrats wrapped up their party caucuses on Saturday, bringing to a close the statewide candidates’ five-week dash between virtual, hybrid and in-person events that Salem mayor and lieutenant governor hopeful Kim Driscoll jokingly referred to as an exercise in “seat-belt Democracy” as she Zoomed into one Boston caucus while returning from another in Springfield (she wasn’t the one driving). Now they have just under two months to work the newly elected delegates to secure 15 percent of the vote at the party’s June convention to get a spot on the primary ballot.

— STAFFING UP: Kate Foster, a Joe Kennedy III alum, is now managing Chris Dempsey’s campaign for auditor. Carlos Garcia has been promoted to deputy campaign manager and scheduler.

— FROM THE NEWSPAPER PAGES: GOP governor hopeful Chris Doughty is running a full-page ad in the Boston Herald today calling to suspend the state gas tax, per his campaign.

— “AG Maura Healey leads in latest poll on gubernatorial race, though most voters are undecided,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Nearly half of likely voters in Massachusetts are unsure about their pick for governor — even if the November election were to be held today, a new Fiscal Alliance Foundation poll [conducted by Republican-aligned Advantage Inc. and] released Friday shows. … The poll question did not differentiate between Republican and Democratic gubernatorial hopefuls … Just over 31% of voters said they would cast their ballots for Healey, with Diehl trailing at 14.13%. Meanwhile, 3.33% of voters support Republican Chris Doughty, a Wrentham business owner, and 1.2% back Democratic state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz.”

EX-PATS

— GUESS WHO’S BACK, BACK AGAIN: Tom Brady un-retired from the NFL last night. “I’m coming back for my 23rd season in Tampa. Unfinished business LFG,” Brady tweeted last night. No word yet on whether Charlie Baker will reverse his decision not to run for a third term as governor.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— DON’T GO: Western Massachusetts lawmakers are urging the Baker administration’s top health officials not to close the state-sponsored “Stop the Spread” Covid-19 testing site in Amherst in April. With the Greenfield site also closing, that leaves just two locations in Springfield to serve all of Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, which the lawmakers argue is “insufficient.”

“[E]ven without spiking gas prices, this region has barely any cross-county public transit, creating transportation challenges to the remaining sites,” lawmakers, led by Amherst state Rep. Mindy Domb, wrote to HHS Sec. Marylou Sudders and DPH Commissioner Margret Cooke, asking them to keep the site open until June 1 . They said the Amherst site has also “proven invaluable” in identifying outbreaks and preventing community spread.

— “'No show' jobless claimants could lose benefits,” by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: “The proposal, filled by state Sen. Diana DiZoglio, D-Methuen, on behalf of a pair of Merrimack Valley business owners, would add failure to show up or reschedule a job interview to the state’s list of disqualifying factors to receive benefits.”

CORONAVIRUS UPDATES

— “Two years of COVID: A new analysis reveals a heavy toll on young families of color in Massachusetts,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “The analysis found that across every adult age group, Hispanic and Black people in Massachusetts died at higher rates than white people. Differences were especially pronounced among those in the prime of their lives. Among Hispanic people age 20-49, the death rate was nearly three times higher than for non-Hispanic white people. Among non-Hispanic Black people, the rate was 2.5 times higher.”

— "Mass. health care spending actually dropped in 2020," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Ironically, spending on health care declined by 2.4 percent in Massachusetts in 2020, an unprecedented drop that can be attributed to fewer people seeking care during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a report released Monday by the Center for Health Information and Analysis."

— COVID POSITIVE: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) tested positive for Covid-19 and is quarantining. “Grateful for 3 shots that made this a mild case, and a reminder to all who have not been vaccinated to do so ASAP,” she tweeted. Former President Barack Obama has also tested positive for Covid.

FROM THE HUB

— SHOT: “Report put Boston Long Island recovery campus at $540 million,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “A full overhaul of the Long Island addiction recovery campus would cost upward of $540 million — not even including the yet-to-be rebuilt bridge — according to a year-old ‘master plan’ proposal ordered up by the Walsh administration.”

— CHASER: “Boston readying Long Island building stabilization package, eyeing bridge movement,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “The Wu administration is preparing a stabilization package for the buildings on Boston’s Long Island, where the city continues to one day envision some sort of addiction-recovery campus — and hopes to be moving ahead on a bridge to it this fall. Administration officials told the Herald this week that the amount of cash the city’s looking to put toward stopping the deterioration of the already somewhat dilapidated buildings on the Boston island is still to be determined.”

— “In Mass. and Cass effort, the theme word is ‘decentralize’,” by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: “Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration has signaled she intends to follow through on a campaign promise to scatter recovery and harm reduction services, including needle exchange programs, across Boston’s neighborhoods — heeding the calls from neighborhood leaders who have long called for the decentralization of services from the [Mass. and Cass] area.”

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RUSSIA-UKRAINE

— IN MEMORIAM: “‘He was such a beautiful human.’ Nieman fellows mourn killing of journalist in Ukraine,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “Brent Renaud, 50, a 2019 Nieman Foundation fellow at Harvard University, was killed in the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, according to The New York Times. A Nieman colleague, Juan Arredondo, was with Renaud and injured in the same attack.”

— “Standing with Ukraine through film,” by Taylor Ann Bradford, Salem News: “When Oles Sanin’s film ‘The Guide’ became the Ukrainian entry for the Academy Awards in 2014, no one could anticipate that eight years later it would be shown all over the country to raise awareness and funds for his home country. … Prior to the film, Gov. Charlie Baker and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, commended the Cinema for hosting the fundraiser and encouraged viewers to donate funds to assist Ukraine.”

— WATCH: “Massachusetts Congressman Bill Keating on achieving peace in Ukraine,” by Janet Wu and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB.

— “Massachusetts medics deploy themselves to Poland to help Ukrainian refugees,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News.

BALLOT BATTLES

— “Keller @ Large: Mass. AFL/CIO President Calls Ride-Hailing Ballot Initiative ‘Wolf In A Sheepskin’,” by Jon Keller, WBZ: “Massachusetts AFL/CIO president Steve Tolman said he opposes a ballot initiative that would give gig workers such has Uber, Lyft and DoorDash drivers the classification of a paid employee instead of being considered an independent contractor.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Regional transit authorities contend with staffing shortages,” by Jacob Vitali, Lowell Sun: “‘Unfortunately, the number of people that have left has outpaced the number of people we’ve been able to replace,’ [Lowell Regional Transit Authority Administrator David] Bradley said.”

— “Lawmakers seek to limit train idling times,” by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport News: “State lawmakers want to set strict time limits for idling trains near residential neighborhoods amid complaints about noise and pollution.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “The megadonor with Russian allies campaigns don’t talk about,” by Lisa Kashinsky and Stephanie Murray, POLITICO: “As an anti-Russian fervor envelops campaign season, donations from Leonard Blavatnik, a Ukrainian-born industrial magnate made wealthy off decades-old Russian business deals, are beginning to attract unwanted attention. Yet Democrats and Republicans are clinging to the campaign contributions he’s sprinkled across top politicians in both parties this election cycle and in years past — a lengthy list that includes Joe Biden and Donald Trump’s inaugural committee. Blavatnik, a dual citizen of the United States and United Kingdom, isn’t among the eight people sanctioned by the federal government in the past two weeks, or the dozens more facing visa restrictions. … Blavatnik’s businesses are also starting to take a stand against Russia.”

— “Nancy Pelosi visits Cambridge Health Alliance for roundtable,” by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: “ [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark, Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Lori Trahan and state Rep. Marjorie Decker] heard from Cambridge Health Alliance officials about the struggles of adolescents with behavioral health needs who must wait for days in hospital emergency departments for an inpatient bed to open up. The pandemic has contributed to the high demand for mental health care by children and adolescents, the officials said. ‘We are definitely in a dire situation here,’ said Janine M. Hogan, nurse manager for emergency services at Cambridge Hospital.”

DATELINE D.C.

— “Marty Walsh’s inside baseball,” by Sam Stein and Max Tani, POLITICO: “The [Biden administration’s] main point person on the [MLB lockout] was Labor Secretary Marty Walsh. … According to multiple people familiar with the arrangements, Walsh had dinner with Tony Clark, the executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, on Jan. 19. He had dinner with commissioner Rob Manfred, deputy commissioner Dan Halem, Boston Red Sox president Sam Kennedy and Red Sox chairman Tom Werner on Jan. 26.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Federal investigation into potential fraud in Methuen police contract intensifies,” by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “Federal prosecutors are intensifying their criminal investigation into whether former Methuen police chief Joseph Solomon and the former leader of a police union conspired to defraud the city, according to two people who have met recently with prosecutors. … Prosecutors have called at least three witnesses to testify before a grand jury."

— “‘My heart radiates for queer youth.’ Mass. students walk out of class to protest anti-queer legislation in Florida and Texas,” by Gal Tziperman Lotan and Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: “Hundreds of high school students in Massachusetts and across the country walked out of their classrooms Friday afternoon to protest a wave of anti-queer government actions in Florida and Texas.”

— MORE: Rep. Ayanna Pressley blasted the Florida bill, which Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to sign, as “state-sanctioned hate” that can be reversed. “If you can legislate hate, then we can legislate equity. We can legislate justice. We can legislate healing,” she said after the CHA roundtable.

— “Massachusetts pushes for end of blood donation ban for gay and bisexual men amid nationwide blood shortage,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Bay State health officials are urging the feds to change the ‘discriminatory’ policy that effectively bans gay and bisexual men from donating blood as the nation faces its worst blood shortage in a decade.”

— “We’re screwed”: UPS misses the boat on summer steamship reservations,” by Jason Graziadei, Nantucket Magazine: “The potential for UPS to be without some or all of its boat reservations this summer could have severe impacts for island businesses, organizations and families that rely on its deliveries and services.”

— “Two years into the pandemic, rental assistance continues to climb,” by Jake Freudberg, GBH News.

— “Uber adding gas surcharge on rides amid climbing gas prices,” by Erin Tiernan, MassLive.

— “Visa renewal backlogs leave some Mass. workers torn between work and family,” by Saurabh Datar, WBUR.

SPOTTED — at a DCCC Women LEAD luncheon Saturday at the Liberty Hotel: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark, Reps. Lori Trahan, Jahana Hayes, Susan Wild and Sean Maloney, state Sen. Lydia Edwards, former Rep. Chester Atkins and Carole King, who performed.

WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Antonio Caban, deputy communications director for Senate President Karen Spilka, and his wife welcomed their first child, a happy, healthy baby boy, last week. Being a newcomer to #mapoli, he still has plenty to learn from his dad and has no plans to join the crowded race for lieutenant governor — or even think about running until 2040, Caban writes in.

TRANSITIONS — Jazmine Ulloa has joined the New York Times’ politics team from the Boston Globe.

— James T. Brett and Jordyn Zimmerman have been named members of the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Taunton Mayor Shaunna O’Connell, Massachusetts Democratic Party chair Gus Bickford, Jackson Cote, Denise Lloyd and Susan Slattery. Happy belated to Colleen Aber Tlagae, who celebrated Saturday.

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