Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey ups her cash game

Thursday, March 31, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey ups her cash game

SCOOP: HEALEY BRINGS IN THE BIG-SHOTS — Maura Healey already leads the money race for governor. The finance operation she’s building could leave her competition in the dust.

Healey has tapped veteran Democratic fundraisers Bryan Rafanelli and Beth Boland as finance co-chairs for her campaign, multiple people familiar with her money moves tell Playbook. Rafanelli, a Boston-based event planner, has been part of Healey’s orbit for years and has hosted fundraisers for her on Cape Cod. Boland, a partner at Foley & Lardner, was a finance co-chair for Martha Coakley’s Senate campaign.

Georgia Murray, who was finance chair for Rep. Ayanna Pressley’s 2018 campaign, confirmed she’s on Healey’s finance committee, too. Healey’s campaign declined comment.

Healey also has more fundraisers on the books. Boland, Murray and state Auditor Suzanne Bump are among the more than six dozen hosts of a "Women for Maura" Zoom fundraiser tonight featuring Maine Gov. Janet Mills, New York Attorney General Tish James, political strategist Stephanie Schriock and Mini Timmaraju, the president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, which endorsed Healey for governor yesterday. Tickets range from $100 to $2,500 for the online meetup. Healey has held "Women for Maura" events in March before.

Next month, Healey will join hosts Carlo Basile, Mike Costello, Jen Crawford, Joe Fallon, Mike Fallon, Tom Mangan, Jim Smith, Steve Walsh and Jay Youmans for a fundraiser at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse in Boston. Suggested contributions range from $200 to $1,000, per an invitation obtained by Playbook.

We’ll know Healey’s March haul soon. Today’s the end-of-month — and end-of-quarter — fundraising deadline.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The eyes of the entertainment world were on Boston last night as comedian Chris Rock took the stage for his first show since The Slap. And boy did we deliver.

TV cameras swarmed the crowd outside The Wilbur. Reporters inside tweeted Rock’s remarks. One anchor called it “the moment we’ve been waiting for.” Rock’s “still processing” line and Will Smith’s apology led some nightly newscasts.

National reporters took note of the “small media frenzy” outside the theater . But they described our intrepid local journalists as “bundled up in the 30-degree New England weather.” I’ll have you know it was a balmy 45 last night.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend the 10 World Trade groundbreaking ceremony at 10 a.m. in Boston. Healey is on GBH News’ “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu takes a walking tour of public art in Chinatown at 2 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Serving on someone's campaign finance committee? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

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CAMPAIGN MODE

— AMORE STOPS BY THE HORSE RACE: Republican state auditor hopeful Anthony Amore joined The Horse Race podcast this week to talk about his priorities, including auditing the Cannabis Control Commission, and his recent endorsement from Gov. Charlie Baker. Here are excerpts from his interview, and check out the full episode:

On auditing the auditor’s office: "I think we need to bring in a completely independent auditor to see why isn’t the auditor’s office reaching its mandated goals, and that is to audit every agency once every three years. … Is it a funding problem? And if it’s a funding problem, with a genuine collegial spirit I would approach the Legislature and say we need an improved budget structure."

On his relationship with the MassGOP: " I think it would be detrimental to my aspirations here to focus on how I would handle these issues that are happening with the party rather than just focusing on the fact I want to be this independent auditor for the commonwealth, a person who is placing people and professionals above politics."

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts reports rising coronavirus cases, hospitalizations drop again,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The state Department of Public Health’s report of 1,252 cases is up 17% from last Wednesday’s total of 1,074 infections.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— BALLOT BATTLE: Tech company executives warned Beacon Hill lawmakers yesterday that failing to let app-based drivers be independent contractors rather than employees would cost workers flexibility and jobs.

They were met with some skepticism.

“It sounds to me like you’re holding drivers hostage by saying ‘the government’s going to take your flexibility away, we have to change the law,’” state Rep. Steve Owens told representatives from companies including Lyft and DoorDash during a committee hearing yesterday.

“If drivers really want to maintain flexibility , then as their employer, I would maintain that for them, and there’s no prohibition under current state law against that,” Paul Feeney, Senate chair of the joint financial services committee, said. “In fact, I think most of us in the Legislature would probably encourage that.”

Supporters of the proposal to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors contend it would provide some new benefits to drivers and preserve their flexible work schedules.

“The drivers who support this question are real, they are many, they are the majority and they are asking for the reps’ and senators’ support,” Conor Yunits, spokesperson for the Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers coalition, said.

Opponents — including state Attorney General Maura Healey, who's suing Uber and Lyft over worker classification, the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and some drivers — argue that workers would lose rights and benefits as independent contractors.

Lawmakers have three choices from here: pass the industry-backed measure, come up with a compromise, or do nothing. The latter option will likely kick the already-brewing ballot battle into overdrive. State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski has more from yesterday’s hearing.

— “‘We need to change the law,’ Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito appeal for stronger protections for sexual assault survivors, including children,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on Wednesday made their latest push to protect some of Massachusetts’ most vulnerable residents as they listened to more heartrending stories from survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who say the courts failed to adequately shield them from their abusers.”

— “Conference committee to resolve differences in House, Senate veterans’ home governance bills holds 1st meeting,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “Western Massachusetts legislators on Wednesday lauded the first meeting of a conference committee assembled to iron out differences in dueling House and Senate bills to improve veterans’ services.”

— “Motion to restore Governor’s Council livestream dies without a second,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Those wishing to view the inner workings of the elected Governor’s Council will have to trek to the State House again, as a motion to restore the livestreams cut earlier this month died without a second.”

— "Tom Golden named next Lowell city manager," by Jacob Vitali, Lowell Sun: "State Rep. Tom Golden will be the next city manager of Lowell. Councilors voted 11-0 to give the position to Golden Wednesday after he faced questions from the City Council for about 90 minutes."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— "7 Massachusetts state troopers can’t yet be fired over coronavirus vaccine mandate, judge rules," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Seven troopers facing firing over the coronavirus vaccine mandate will be able to keep their jobs — at least for the time being — after a judge issued an injunction to stop the state police from showing them the door. ... This is following a lawsuit filed March 3 by the State Police Association of Massachusetts — the SPAM in question — against the state police, the commander Col. Christopher Mason and other offices in Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration following months of back and forth over Baker’s employee vaccine mandate, created last fall."

— “Massachusetts coronavirus booster shots: Who qualifies and how to schedule a vaccine,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Bay Staters who are 50-plus and residents who are younger with certain medical conditions can now roll up their sleeves for a second COVID-19 booster shot.”

WHAT CITY HALL IS READING

— “In Dennis White litigation, federal judge sides with Janey regarding discrimination claims,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “A federal judge this week found that Dennis White, the former Boston police commissioner who was fired last year after domestic violence allegations resurfaced, has failed to support his claims that his termination by then-Acting Mayor Kim Janey was discriminatory in nature. … White’s federal case against Janey and the city continues.”

— “Boston City Council backs Michelle Wu’s protest rule,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “The city council has passed Mayor Michelle Wu’s proposal that would essentially ban the kind of early-morning targeted protests that have dogged her and other local officials. The city council approved the measure by a 9-4 vote on Wednesday, with perhaps its two furthest right and two furthest left members voting against the ordinance change. … Casting the nay votes were City Councilors Frank Baker, Kendra Lara, Julia Mejia and Erin Murphy. Baker and Murphy are two of the more conservative members on the body and said they opposed the move on free-speech grounds, and Lara and Mejia, two of the more progressive councilors, have said they worried this could limit other protests.”

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FROM THE HUB

— NOT JUST THE NORTH END: “New Requirements Force Some Jamaica Plain Restaurants To End Outdoor Dining,” by Beth Germano, WBZ: “[David Doyle] may not have to pay a fee to the city like restaurants in Boston’s North End, but there are new costs all Boston restaurants will have to shoulder this year. He can no longer use the pallet walls that were built, decorated, and installed last season. ‘For us the first hard surprise was that was a lost investment,’ Doyle said.”

— “Interim DA Kevin Hayden supports modifying life-without-parole sentences for some prisoners,” by Aidan Connelly, GBH News: “Suffolk County's Interim District Attorney Kevin Hayden told Boston Public Radio Wednesday that he’s open to the idea of retroactively adjusting sentences for prisoners serving life without parole for crimes they committed where a murder took place, but in which they were not themselves the murderer.”

— “Black and Hispanic people are more likely to be denied mortgage loans in Boston,” by Zeninjor Enwemeka, Adrian Ma and Saurabh Datar, WBUR: “A new WBUR analysis of mortgage lending in Boston from 2015-2020 found lenders denied mortgages to Black applicants at three times the rate of white applicants. Hispanic applicants were twice as likely to be denied a loan compared with white applicants.”

— “Mayor Wu to speak at UMass Boston, Bunker Hill commencements,” by Grace Gilson, Boston Globe.

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— SUPKID, WICKD, REVEAH: “Funny, strange, silly, (and sad) vanity plates issued in Massachusetts,” by Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: “The personalized plates that were approved by the Registry of Motor Vehicles during the coronavirus pandemic provide a snapshot into the psyches of a sampling of Massachusetts motorists. The plates they chose spoke of fears and hopelessness (LONELY, CHAOS, WHYTRY), dreams and desires (BEAUTY, MUSCLE, HRDBDY, RKSTR, DRMBIG, RICHES), and whimsy (BIGWAD, MRSFUN, MRWKND, STYWLD, TOGA, BIGBUT, MWHAHA). Some plates were quintessentially Boston (POTHLE, WICKD, DOTRAT, TOWNIE, SUPKID) while others poked fun at our infamous accent (RUNNAH, SUPPAH, SURFAH, WINTAH, WATEVA).”

— “Top lawmaker vows movement on e-bike bill long sought by advocates,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Hours after a protest in front of the State House pushing for legislation that would bring electric bicycles, known as e-bikes, out of their legal purgatory, a top lawmaker said the bill is likely to move out of committee by Friday. Representative William Straus, co-chair of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee, said he’s confident the committee will act on the bill that would regulate the increasingly popular e-bikes as bikes as opposed to motor vehicles, which require a license, and allow them to be ridden on bike paths, by its Friday deadline.”

— “Boston one of two Massachusetts cities with the most pedestrian fatalities in 2021,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “Boston was one of two Bay State cities that had the highest number of pedestrian fatalities last year, according to a new report. In both Boston and Springfield, nine pedestrians were killed as they tried to cross the street, according to WalkBoston, a pedestrian advocacy group.”

— “‘I think this is going to be a very bad year’: Recent teen driving deaths alarm experts in Mass.,” by Deanna Pan, Boston Globe: “At a time when motor vehicle crash fatalities are surging nationwide, the recent deaths of three Massachusetts teenagers have alarmed experts, who fear what the warmer months portend for the state’s youngest drivers.”

ON THE STUMP

— “Amid national erosion of access, abortion rights group endorses Healey in Mass. governor’s race,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “National abortion-rights group NARAL Pro-Choice America endorsed Maura Healey for governor Wednesday, citing her record championing reproductive freedoms in Massachusetts and across the country, and her leadership as cochair of the Democratic Attorneys General Association. ... NARAL, whose statewide affiliate has backed Healey in the past, said it did not receive a response to its questionnaire from [state Sen. Sonia] Chang-Díaz. The Chang-Díaz campaign says it was never contacted by NARAL Pro-Choice America."

— “AG candidate Andrea Campbell details reform priorities,” by Trea Lavery, Lowell Sun: “One issue the candidate said she hopes to work on is criminal justice and police reform. During her time on the Boston City Council, she helped implement police-worn body cameras and an Office of Police Accountability and chaired the Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice. She said these measures and others can and should be implemented in municipalities across the state to help address issues such as racial profiling.”

— CASH DASH: Attorney Bruce Bierhans is honorary finance chair for Robert Galibois’ campaign for Cape and Islands district attorney, per his campaign.

DAY IN COURT

— "Jasiel Correia's attorneys have filed his appeal, and they say 'a new trial is necessary'," by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: "With just minutes before the deadline, former Fall River mayor Jasiel Correia II’s attorneys filed an appellate brief Wednesday with the First Circuit Court of Appeals on his conviction for fraud and government corruption, with his attorneys that there was insufficient evidence to convict him of defrauding SnoOwl investors or that he extorted money from marijuana vendors. As they have requested in the federal District Court previously, Correia’s appellate attorneys, Daniel Marx and William Fick, asked the appeals court to either vacate the 30-year-old former mayor’s conviction or grant him a new trial."

— “Former federal leasing director for New England pleads guilty to illegal gratuity,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: “The former director of leasing for the U.S. government in the New England region has pleaded guilty to receiving illegal gratuity in a corrupt scheme.”

— “Somerville orthodontist and landlord sues Tufts student journalists over story on renters’ protest,” by Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “A Somerville orthodontist and landlord with a litigious past is suing two Tufts University student journalists over coverage of a renters’ protest outside his office, claiming a story in the college newspaper defamed him and caused him emotional harm by suggesting he had lied.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Trahan urges renewal of suicide prevention programs,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “A tidal wave of youth behavioral health issues during the pandemic has Congress looking to reinvigorate suicide prevention programs targeting teens. A bipartisan proposal co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Westford, would reauthorize programs established under the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act, which support community-based youth and young adult suicide prevention efforts. The programs are set to expire at the end of September.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Massachusetts to welcome first Ukrainian refugees next week,” by Patrick Flanary, Cape and Islands: “‘We are expecting the first refugee family to arrive in West Springfield next week,’ the faith-based nonprofit Ascentria Care Alliance tells CAI. ‘This family’s case was expedited because they already had refugee status in motion before this current crisis. This will likely be the case for other initial arrivals into the country.’"

TRANSITIONS — Robert Orthman, formerly an attorney at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission, is now deputy general counsel for the state Department of Early Education and Care.

— Vipin Narang has been sworn in as principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for space policy. The nuclear security professor is taking a public service leave from MIT.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Rep. Barney Frank; Rep. Stephen Lynch; governor hopeful and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz; Mikko Zager, Maureen Williams and state Senate candidate Ed Dombroski.

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