Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Chang-Díaz spoils for a debate

Friday, March 25, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Chang-Díaz spoils for a debate

TIMING IS EVERYTHING — When Sonia Chang-Díaz challenged Democratic gubernatorial rival Maura Healey to three televised debates before the party’s June convention, she didn’t say that a media outlet had already reached out about doing one.

Chang-Díaz received an offer for a televised debate before issuing her call to Healey on Thursday. She accepted it shortly afterward, her campaign said. But her team wouldn’t say which outlet extended the invitation, or for when. Healey’s campaign said little beyond that the attorney general would debate "before the primary election.”

Pushing for a debate is a common tactic for underdog candidates. Still, the timing of Chang-Díaz’s challenge is telling.

It's expected Healey will outperform Chang-Díaz at the convention, and the senator's campaign has acknowledged as much. But two weeks after the party's caucuses ended, the delegate math is still murky. Healey’s campaign won't give estimates of her delegate count. Chang-Díaz’s camp believes she has the 15 percent delegate support needed to get on the primary ballot, though her team also said Thursday it hasn't contacted every delegate yet.

Wherever they stand in terms of raw numbers, Chang-Díaz needs to slow Healey's perceived momentum — which would get more fuel if Healey crosses 50 percent at the convention, notching the party's endorsement.

She also needs to chip away at Healey's massive lead in the money race. Chang-Díaz's campaign blasted out her debate challenge in a fundraising email Thursday evening. Look to see if she does it again as she revs up for her end-of-month fundraising push.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Gov. Charlie Baker installed a new chair on the MassHousing board this week. But the former chair, Mike Dirrane, claims he’s still the one in charge.

Baker swore in Jeanne Pinado on Wednesday as the first woman of color to chair the quasi-public agency’s board of directors.

But Dirrane — the agency’s longest-serving board member, who Baker reappointed as chair in 2016 — sent a letter to the governor last week saying he’s not stepping aside from the unpaid position. Dirrane argues that the statute governing the MassHousing board “clearly reads” that “once you’re appointed by the governor as chair you remain chair through the end of your term.” Dirrane’s term expires in September 2023.

“[Baker] declared someone chair — in my mind, illegally — and I think the courts will hold that up,” Dirrane told Playbook. “All I’m trying to do is preserve the independence of an independent agency and not let a lame-duck governor try to pack an agency.”

Dirrane wants Healey to weigh in on the matter. The AG's office deferred comment to the governor’s office. Baker’s team did not comment directly on Dirrane’s letter, but spokesperson Terry MacCormack said in a statement that the governor is “confident” that Pinado “will be an asset” to the board.

TODAY — Reps. Stephen Lynch and Lori Trahan host a press conference on their trip to Ukrainian border countries at 9:45 a.m. at Lynch's Boston office. Sen. Ed Markey and Assistant House Speaker Katherine Clark announce $4 million in federal funding for Wonderland Station in Revere at 10:30 a.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu tour ABCD Dorchester Early Head Start at 11 a.m. and then speak to press. Rep. Jake Auchincloss speaks at a Stand with Ukraine rally in Newton Center at 5 p.m. Chang-Díaz is on GBH’s “Talking Politics” at 7 p.m.

THIS WEEKEND — Auchincloss hosts town halls at noon in Mansfield and 2 p.m. in Taunton on Saturday; and at 4 p.m. Sunday in Needham. Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission Chair Steven Hoffman is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Clark is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Tips? Scoops? Come across any interesting letters? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts coronavirus cases climb again, K-12 schools report 2,594 cases,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The 1,086 new virus cases in the state was a 21% jump from 899 reported cases last Thursday. A total of 2,594 staff and students tested positive in Bay State schools in the past week, up from the previous week’s report as infections rise across the state.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— WIN SOME: The Senate unanimously approved a proposal from Democrat Walter Timilty to divest state pension funds from companies sanctioned by the federal government or incorporated in Russia, in response to that country's invasion of Ukraine. Senators also, as part of a midyear spending bill that cleared the chamber Thursday, voted to allocate $10 million to the state Office of Immigrants and Refugees to support resettling refugees, including from Ukraine.

“There is nothing that we can do to fully erase the pain and suffering caused by this immoral and unnecessary military action,” Senate President Karen Spilka said in a statement. “But we can insist that Massachusetts take action.”

The House also approved $10 million for refugee resettlement in its version of the supplemental budget. But House lawmakers previously shelved a proposal to divest state pension funds, which Speaker Ron Mariano said would be “too difficult.” That’s one wrinkle that could be ironed out in conference committee, where the budget bills appear to be headed.

— LOSE SOME: Senate Republicans couldn’t pass their proposal to suspend the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax through Labor Day. That amendment to the midyear spending bill failed 11-29.

But they did get some campaign-trail fodder. All four Senate Democrats running for statewide office — Sonia Chang-Díaz, Diana DiZoglio, Adam Hinds and Eric Lesser — voted against the proposal engineered to help motorists facing high prices at the gas pump.

— More on the Senate debate from the Eagle-Tribune’s Christian M. Wade: “Ahead of the vote, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, said lifting the gas tax temporarily would provide some relief from the state's motorists. … Democrats said the suspending collection of the gas tax would siphon away millions of dollars the state government uses for collateral to pay down debt on its bond obligations, negatively impacting the state's bonding rate.”

— “Massachusetts groups prepare to welcome refugees from Ukraine,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts organizations are preparing to help resettle refugees from Ukraine after the Biden administration announced Thursday that the United States would accept up to 100,000 of those displaced by the Russian invasion of their homeland. It’s unclear how many Ukrainian refugees might be sent to Massachusetts.”

— “To-go cocktails, expanded outdoor dining likely here to stay in Massachusetts for at least another year,” by Erin Tiernan, MassLive: “Expanded outdoor dining and to-go cocktails are likely here to stay in Massachusetts for at least another year after state lawmakers handed a ‘major victory’ to restaurants and voted to further extend the pandemic-era rules. … Gov. Charlie Baker still needs to sign off on the House- and Senate-approved extension.”

— “Baker’s $4,000 employer hiring bonus called ‘deeply misguided’,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “One of the state’s leading policy analysts is raising alarms about a proposal put forward by Gov. Charlie Baker to give nonprofit and for-profit businesses a $4,000 stipend for each new employee they hire through the end of the year. … The Baker proposal, he said, rewards employers for doing what they are already doing.”

— “Beacon Hill must ensure sports betting legislation is equitable for Black and Brown businesses, senators told in new letter,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Diversity, equity and inclusion must function as top priorities for the Massachusetts Legislature as it considers authorizing sports wagering, according to a letter sent to state senators on Thursday morning from the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts, the Association of Black Businesses and Professionals, and the Massachusetts Latino Chamber of Commerce.”

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “Boston hospital reports zero coronavirus patients in ICU for first time since pandemic started,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “More than two years after the coronavirus pandemic started wreaking havoc, Tufts Medical Center nurses and doctors for the first time are seeing zero COVID-19 patients in the intensive care unit.”

— “Wastewater data sends mixed signals amid dip in Boston-area COVID-19 cases,” by Marilyn Schairer, GBH News: “Anyone closely watching the wastewater data noticed a change last week: an uptick in the Northeast's COVID-19 prevalence for the first time since late December 2021. It was up 24% over the prior week. Then, new data as of Wednesday showed the region's numbers falling again, slightly. It's a mixed signal at yet another uncertain moment in the pandemic.”

— “Mayor Jon Mitchell battles COVID-19 for second time,” by Linda Roy, Standard-Times: “After his second bout with COVID-19, Mayor Jon Mitchell will likely head back to the office on March 25 after being quarantined and testing negative for the virus. … Mitchell attributes being fully vaccinated and boosted as key to his symptoms being mild and keeping him out of the hospital.”

— "POLITICO-Harvard poll: 40 percent of parents believe masks at school harmed their kids," by Dan Goldberg, POLITICO: "A significant percentage of parents whose children wore masks in school during the last year believe it harmed their education, social interactions and mental health, according to a POLITICO-Harvard survey. The poll’s findings come as the Biden administration monitors events in Europe, where BA.2, a subvariant of Omicron, is wreaking havoc, and White House officials warn that masks may be necessary if Covid-19 cases increase in the United States."

FROM THE HUB

— “A ‘demographic perfect storm’: Suffolk County had one of the steepest population declines in the US, census data show,” by Matt Stout and Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: “Suffolk County saw one of the steepest population declines in the country last year, losing 3.3 percent of its population in just 15 months after tens of thousands of people moved out of Boston and its surrounding communities, new census data show.”

— “Mass and Cass crowds ‘not acceptable,’ Wu administration says, vowing ‘decentralization’,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu’s Mass and Cass point woman defended the administration’s approach to fixing the troubled South End area, saying that the city is working to stop the returning crowds of drug users.”

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ON THE STUMP

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: The Retired State, County and Municipal Employees Association of Massachusetts has endorsed state Attorney General Maura Healey for governor, the association said.

— “Framingham's new majority-minority state rep district has third candidate,” by Zane Razzaq, MetroWest Daily News: “On Thursday afternoon, School Committee Chairwoman Priscila Sousa officially announced she's running for the new majority-minority 6th Middlesex District state representative seat. … Former City Councilor Margareth Shepard declared her intent to run in late January. … Local activist Dhruba Sen is seeking the seat as well.”

— “Greenfield man running for Republican nomination for governor,” by Domenic Poli, Greenfield Recorder: “Lucas G. Cote isn’t your typical candidate for statewide elected office. He has no campaign volunteers, virtually no political experience, and he’ll refuse any and all donations. But that’s not stopping him from running for the Republican nomination for governor.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA releases first five-year spending plan since pandemic began totaling $9.4B,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “The transit agency unveiled plans to spend $9.4 billion through fiscal year 2027 on 552 projects, including $579 million for new Red and Orange Line vehicles, $493.5 million for South Coast Rail, a commuter rail line that would provide service to Boston from Taunton, New Bedford, and Fall River, $420.1 million for a new fare collection system, and $357.7 million on the Green Line extension. The plan relies on federal funding from the $1 trillion infrastructure law over the next five years, which the MBTA estimates will be about $580 million."

DAY IN COURT

— “SJC says franchises must comply with independent contractor law,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday that companies operating as franchises need to comply with the state’s independent contractor law, a ruling that could lead companies to newly scrutinize the terms of their arrangements with franchisees."

— “30 years after life sentence, Thomas Koonce has chance at life outside prison,” by Meghan Ottolini, Boston Herald: “Thomas Koonce, recipient of a rare first-degree murder commutation from Gov. Charlie Baker, may be one step closer to a life outside prison after spending three decades behind bars. ‘I can only hope and pray you’ll agree I am a strong candidate for parole,’ Koonce said as he sat shackled before the state Parole Board Thursday. … The board will reconvene to decide on Koonce’s parole after a two-week period.”

— “Dropkick Murphys ‘SMASH’ neo-Nazis with cease and desist,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: “Soon after the Celtic-punk band became aware of a video created by local neo-Nazis that uses its song, ‘The Boys Are Back,’ the Quincy rockers fired off a warning on Twitter. … That same day, the band ... sent the white supremacist organization, The New England Nationalist Social Club, also known as NSC 131 or the Massachusetts 131 Lads, a cease and desist letter for copyright violations from its attorney.”

— “John Kerry sued, slammed over ‘absurd’ refusal to share details of his Climate staff,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “A watchdog group is suing climate czar John Kerry over his refusal to share details about his office staff until late 2024 — a response that violates a public records directive just sent by U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland.”

FROM THE 413

— “Gov. Charlie Baker talks repairs, not replacement, of troubled Roderick Ireland Courthouse,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Answering questions Thursday at an unrelated event in Holyoke, Baker said his administration has put together a proposal to the Massachusetts Trial Court to rip out and replace all the air handling equipment.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Nurses at Beverly Hospital, Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester authorize strike,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Nurses at two North Shore hospitals affiliated with Beth Israel Lahey Health System, Beverly Hospital and Addison Gilbert Hospital in Gloucester, voted to authorize a three-day strike. … [Beverly Hospital nurse Larn] Beard said that the hospitals, which fall under Northeast Hospital Corporation, have lost ‘hundreds’ of nurses in the last two years, or 40% of the nursing workforce.”

— “In Everett, reaction to a racist meme reveals a clash of old and new,” by Liz Neisloss, GBH News: “Two decades ago, only a quarter of the city’s population was non-white, but the city is now majority-minority. More than 50 languages are spoken in this city of 50,000, and immigrants from dozens of countries now call Everett home. But whether you are truly ‘from Everett,’ residents say, is waved like a badge of honor that leaves many feeling marginalized, and has helped keep the ‘old Everett’ in power."

— “Red Sox to replace Black Lives Matter billboard: ‘It was never a political statement’,” by Jason Mastrodonato, Boston Herald: “After almost two years, the Red Sox are taking down their 254-foot Black Lives Matter billboard that has been stationed behind Fenway Park facing the Massachusetts Turnpike. Bekah Salwasser, the Sox’ executive vice president of social impact and executive director of the Red Sox Foundation, told the Herald on Thursday that the organization has been proud of its support for the BLM movement, but now wants to use that signage to promote the 20th anniversary of the foundation.”

— “Martin J. Walsh to give commencement address at Endicott College,” by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe.

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— “FBI joins investigation into controversial ILO consulting contract,” by Eli Sherman, Tim White and Ted Nesi, WPRI: “The FBI has joined an investigation into the controversial multimillion-dollar education contract that the McKee administration awarded last year to the ILO Group, a politically connected consulting firm.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— “Sununu calls allegations against Spofford 'serious,' says they should be investigated,” by Lauren Chooljian, NHPR: “Gov. Chris Sununu is distancing himself from Eric Spofford, the founder of Granite Recovery Centers, the largest network of addiction treatment centers in the state. An NHPR investigation has found multiple allegations of sexual misconduct against Spofford involving his employees and a former client. … Spofford has donated thousands of dollars to Sununu’s political campaigns.”

SPOTTED — Former House Speaker Robert DeLeo at a fundraiser for state auditor hopeful Chris Dempsey at Carrie Nation last night, per a Playbook tipster.

TRANSITIONS — #mapoli veterans Karen Sharma and Michael Falcone formally launched a public affairs shop at MacDougall Advisors this week.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Maria Robinson, NYT's Felice Belman, Alissa C. Rooney and Playbook superfan Wayne Kashinsky.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler, Nick Bayer, Caroline Darmody and Kelli Ritter, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers DeLeo, Charlotte Peyser and Matt Siegel.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: TRANSPORTATION FOR A WHOLE NEW WORLD — State Sen. Brendan Crighton talks about his priorities as the new Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. Hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky break down the latest news from Beacon Hill to the campaign trail. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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