Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Gig-worker fight heads to the airwaves

Friday, April 8, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Gig-worker fight heads to the airwaves

NEW: BALLOT BATTLE SHIFTS INTO NEW GEAR — The tech-backed coalition pushing for app-based drivers to be independent contractors is pumping $2.1 million into television ad buys targeting the Legislature.

Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers wants lawmakers to classify drivers for apps like Uber, Lyft, DoorDash and Instacart as independent contractors, rather than employees, under state law. The coalition's proposal also offers drivers some new benefits. Proponents argue the status quo would cost workers their flexible schedules and potentially their jobs.

“Flexibility is why they drive — to set their own hours, be their own boss — but politicians are threatening to end that flexibility,” a male narrator intones in “Purpose,” the 30-second ad that also features a DoorDash driver from Attleboro. “Ask lawmakers to protect flexibility and independence for drivers.”

Some lawmakers pushed back against that argument in a legislative committee hearing last week , saying there’s nothing in state law that stops the tech companies from offering workers flexibility. And opponents argue that workers would lose rights and benefits as independent contractors.

But the tech companies say otherwise. And now, fresh off a similar legislative win in Washington state , they’re footing the bill for Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers’ pricey ad buys on broadcast, cable and digital channels including WCVB, WBZ, NBC10 and Boston 25 over the next few weeks.

If the Legislature doesn’t act on the industry-backed proposals by May 4 , the fight over gig-workers’ rights and benefits will likely head to the ballot. And that means the coalition’s ad could serve as the opening salvo in an already costly ballot battle. The coalition’s $2.1 million initial ad buy costs more than the amount of money that opponents Massachusetts Is Not For Sale raised last year.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Karen Spilka doesn’t want to talk about Senate staffers unionizing.

While staffers wait to see whether the Senate president will voluntarily recognize their union, Spilka and key members of her leadership team gathered Thursday to roll out their sweeping climate change legislation. And she was not in the mood for off-topic questions.

“This press conference is about climate,” Spilka said in response to a reporter’s queries about the union effort. “I issued a statement, and I’d like to stay with climate.”

Spilka has talked for some time about unveiling climate legislation in April. And if she wants something to celebrate on Earth Day, she has to get the debate going before school vacation week.

Still, by bringing her high-priority bill to the fore now — and to the floor next week — Spilka is temporarily redirecting attention away from the union push and other topics she’s less than enthusiastic to discuss, like sports betting. So far, it’s working. The Senate president — so often peppered with questions about sports wagering no matter the topic at hand — faced zero queries on the topic Thursday.

TODAY — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu visits Dearborn STEM Academy at 9 a.m. State AG hopeful Andrea Campbell continues her Gateway Cities tour in Southbridge and Worcester starting at 11 a.m. State Sen. Paul Feeney announces $975,000 in new funding to expand the Teamsters Local 25 Driver Training Program at 12:30 p.m. in Tewksbury.

THIS WEEKEND — Eileen McAnneny of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Lori Trahan is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. AG Maura Healey co-headlines the 2022 LGBTQ Victory Fund National Champagne Brunch at 11 a.m. Sunday in D.C.

Our links might not always work — sorry again — but my email does. Send your tips and scoops to lkashinsky@politico.com .

DON'T MISS ANYTHING FROM THE 2022 MILKEN INSTITUTE GLOBAL CONFERENCE: POLITICO is excited to partner with the Milken Institute to produce a special edition "Global Insider" newsletter featuring exclusive coverage and insights from the 25th annual Global Conference. This year's event, May 1-4, brings together more than 3,000 of the world’s most influential leaders, including 700+ speakers representing more than 80 countries. "Celebrating the Power of Connection" is this year's theme, setting the stage to connect influencers with the resources to change the world with leading experts and thinkers whose insight and creativity can implement that change. Whether you're attending in person or following along from somewhere else in the world, keep up with this year's conference with POLITICO’s special edition “Global Insider” so you don't miss a beat. Subscribe today.

SCOTUS WATCH

— BARRIER BREAKER: The Senate confirmed Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday, making her the first Black female justice in the top court’s history. Three Republicans, including former governor and current Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, joined Democrats in the 53-47 vote.

“Watch your step, concrete ceiling just shattered,” Rep. Ayanna Pressley, the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts, tweeted as congratulations came pouring in for Jackson. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called her confirmation “extraordinary,” and Sen. Ed Markey called Jackson “an inspiration to us all” who will “bring a sorely needed perspective and voice to our nation’s highest court.” MassLive’s Erin Tiernan and Tristan Smith have more reaction from the delegation and local pols.

— GO DEEPER: “From judge to justice in 6 weeks: How Schumer got Jackson confirmed,” by Marianne LeVine and Burgess Everett, POLITICO.

ON THE STUMP

— DEBATE DRAMA, AG EDITION: Shannon Liss-Riordan’s call for a climate debate is roiling the state attorney general’s race. But it’s not clear who, if anyone, comes out of this debate over debates a winner.

To recap: Liss-Riordan challenged Democratic rivals Andrea Campbell and Quentin Palfrey to a climate debate sometime in the next two months. Palfrey said to add four more — two before the party’s June convention, two after — on other topics. Liss-Riordan’s campaign responded by asking “why any campaign wants to limit the number of debates to four?” Her campaign also accused Campbell of agreeing to the climate debate and then backtracking. Campbell’s team said she’s open to every single debate and that her campaign wants to be part of the planning conversations for all of them.

Why is this happening? Think back to how this week started: Liss-Riordan’s campaign said she polled the AG race — she declined to release the results — and was putting $500,000 of her own cash into her bid. Now she’s calling for a debate ahead of the party’s convention. Whatever she saw in that poll, Liss-Riordan is looking to shake things up.

— DEBATE DRAMA, GOV EDITION: "Be brave, Maura Healey, and debate Sonia Chang-Díaz before the Democratic state convention," by the Boston Globe Editorial Board: "Healey’s counter-offer keeps Democratic activists from comparison shopping before they decide on a possible endorsement at their convention and decide who will be on the ballot. It also makes Healey look tentative and afraid to tell voters what she stands for."

CAMPAIGN MODE

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Nine elected leaders from Springfield and Holyoke have endorsed NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan for secretary of state. They include state Rep. Bud Williams, Springfield City Councilors Justin Hurst, Jesse Lederman, Tracye Whitfield and Melvin Edwards; Springfield school board members Denise Hurst and LaTonia Monroe Naylor; and Holyoke City Councilors Tessa Murphy-Romboletti and Israel Rivera.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: UNITE HERE Local 26 has endorsed state Sen. Diana DiZoglio for state auditor.

— Worcester Mayor Joe Petty is endorsing Campbell for AG at 4:45 p.m. outside Worcester City Hall.

— CAMPAIGN KICKOFF: Gov. Charlie Baker will join Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson for the Republican's reelection campaign kickoff on April 20 in Westport.

— “Former Patriot Matt Light running for school committee in Foxborough,” by Colleen Cronin, Boston Globe: “Matt Light is taking on a new challenge in Foxborough, this time off the field. The former New England Patriot is running for school committee, Foxborough Town Clerk Bob Cutler confirmed to the Globe. Light was unavailable for comment on Friday. But in a March 31 interview on conservative news outlet Newsmax, Light said he was inspired to run after conversations with friends and family about Foxborough school pandemic policies.” NEWSMAX?

— “North Andover's Joe Finn to run for State Rep,” by Will Broaddus, Eagle-Tribune: “Joe Finn, a law enforcement officer who recently served as special agent in charge of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, has announced he is running for state representative from Massachusetts’ realigned 14th Essex District.”

— “Bump says auditor cannot audit Legislature,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Sen. Diana DiZoglio of Methuen, one of two Democrats seeking to become auditor, has caused a bit of a stir by saying she intends to audit the Legislature if she gets elected. … Suzanne Bump, who is stepping down next year after serving 11 years as auditor, said she researched the issue when she first was elected. According to a statement issued by her office, the enabling statute of the auditor’s office grants her the authority to audit more than 200 executive branch agencies. ‘The Legislature is not among that list; therefore, the Office of the State Auditor by law does not have the authority, express or implied, to audit the Legislature,’ the statement said.”

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts coronavirus cases jump 20%, hospitalizations drop to lowest level since the summer,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The 1,760 new virus cases in the state was a 20% jump from 1,472 reported cases last Thursday. A total of 3,766 staff and students tested positive in Bay State schools in the past week, up from the previous week’s report.”

— “Town-by-town COVID-19 data in Massachusetts,” by Ryan Huddle and Peter Bailey-Wells, Boston Globe.

INTRODUCING DIGITAL FUTURE DAILY - OUR TECHNOLOGY NEWSLETTER, RE-IMAGINED: Technology is always evolving, and our new tech-obsessed newsletter is too! Digital Future Daily unlocks the most important stories determining the future of technology, from Washington to Silicon Valley and innovation power centers around the world. Readers get an in-depth look at how the next wave of tech will reshape civic and political life, including activism, fundraising, lobbying and legislating. Go inside the minds of the biggest tech players, policymakers and regulators to learn how their decisions affect our lives. Don't miss out, subscribe today.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Baker still seeking broader waiver from feds on unemployment overpayments,” by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: “Gov. Charlie Baker told Boston Public Radio Thursday he is still asking the federal government for permission to forgive nearly $2 billion worth unemployment insurance payments that were mistakenly paid to Massachusetts residents. Last week, the U.S. Labor Department — headed by former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh — denied Baker's blanket request to waive collection of the entire $2 billion sum. … Baker reaffirmed his desire to get sports betting legislation signed before he leaves office.”

— “Senate climate bill goes granular, ups electric vehicle rebates,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Senate leadership unveiled a very prescriptive $250 million climate change bill on Thursday that would direct Gov. Charlie Baker and his successor to boost rebates for zero emission vehicles, allow a small group of municipalities to ban the use of fossil fuel infrastructure in new construction, and set aside $100 million for investments in clean energy infrastructure. With the filing of the Senate legislation and the debate expected on the bill next week, the stage is set for Beacon Hill to do some serious horse-trading on climate change over the next few months as the legislative session winds down. Baker has proposed using $750 million in federal aid to fund a clean energy investment fund. House legislation would steer millions of dollars in tax credits and money raised from assessments on customer utility bills primarily to offshore wind development.”

— MassLive’s Alison Kuznitz has more details on the Senate bill: “The bill calls for the creation of a $100 million Clean Energy Investment Fund to spur infrastructure developments, with separate proposals making it easier to seek financial assistance for ‘cutting-edge technologies,’ including nuclear fusion, networked geothermal and and deep geothermal energy. There’s also a proposed $100 million Electric Vehicle Adoption Incentive Trust Fund in the bill, plus $3,500 rebates — an increase of $1,000 from the current provision — for zero-emission cars and light-duty trucks. Rideshare companies like Uber and Lyft would need to comply with stricter emission-reductions rules, and the bill also requires the MBTA fleet to be fully electrified by 2040.”

— “Baker admin: Clean energy jobs down, industry still recovering,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “The clean energy sector in the Bay State lost over 8,000 jobs during the pandemic, a hit state officials attribute to supply chain and labor issues in a part of the economy they expect to rebound in the future.”

— “State audit finds over $6 million in public benefits fraud in FY 2021,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Fraudsters in Massachusetts pulled off a whopping $6,139,720 in public benefits fraud last fiscal year, according to a newly released report from State Auditor Suzanne Bump. … Last year, the auditor’s Bureau of Special Investigations opened 3,224 new investigations and completed 3,404, including some carried over from the prior year. Of those, 479 identified fraud, with the average amount totaling $12,817.79.”

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Senate passes a marijuana equity bill,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a bill that takes significant steps toward helping minority entrepreneurs and those affected by prior enforcement of drug laws break into the legal marijuana industry, which has so far been dominated largely by big companies and White business owners. ‘Massachusetts became the first state in the country in 2017 to include explicitly an equity mandate in its adult use cannabis law,’ said Senate Cannabis Policy Committee chair Sonia Chang Diaz, a Boston Democrat running for governor, in an interview. But, she said, ‘There’s just a huge gap between the express intent of the law and what we’re seeing in real life.’”

— More: "Legalization 2.0: Massachusetts Senate approves overhaul of marijuana laws," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: “The package of reforms would crack down on excessive fees charged by municipalities to licensed marijuana operators, clear the way for cities and towns to approve cannabis cafes, and put more muscle behind policies meant to make the licensed pot industry equitable after decades of racially disproportionate drug arrests.”

FROM THE HUB

— “'I've never seen anything like it': Flight attendant crash pad busted by Boston Inspectional Services,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “It’s inconspicuous — an old service garage on an East Boston private way with pickup trucks outside and the roar of the airport behind it. The inside tells a different story: There’s a four-bedroom apartment in the back meant to serve as a ‘crash pad’ for up to 20 flight attendants.”

DAY IN COURT

— "Dzhokhar Tsarnaev asks for stay of execution, seeks new appeal on constitutional grounds," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is asking the First Circuit Court of Appeals to stay his execution and consider four constitutional claims in his case that were not presented to the US Supreme Court, which last month reinstated the death penalty for Tsarnaev, ruling that he had received a fair trial for his role in the 2013 terrorist attacks that killed three and injured more than 260."

THE CLARK CAUCUS

— “As American Workers Return to the Office, Democrats Push to Address the Lack of Affordable Childcare,” by Abby Vesoulis, TIME: “[M]ore than 100 Democratic members of Congress, sent a letter to President Joe Biden, urging him to throw his weight behind stalled legislation that would fund universal pre-K for all 3- and 4-year olds and create a sliding scale child-care system for younger children based on household incomes. … The proposals also make good economic sense, says Katherine Clark, assistant speaker of the House, who headed the letter to Biden.”

THE PRESSLEY PARTY

— “Ayanna Pressley files legislation to fund long COVID care,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “The bill would invest federal funds into several local-level COVID treatment initiatives. It would allow the Department of Health and Human Services to award grants up to $2,000,000 to health care providers, including community health centers, to treat long COVID, and would invest grant funds into new multidisciplinary long COVID clinics to treat the symptoms of the condition, with an emphasis on traditionally underserved populations.”

FROM THE 413

— “Pittsfield public schools and an employees union have been in contract talks for months. They're asking the state to help mediate,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “The Pittsfield Federation of School Employees, which represents paraprofessionals, bus drivers and attendants, cafeteria workers, custodians and educational secretaries, and the School Committee have agreed to ask the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations to help mediate. The parties have been in negotiations since last summer.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Mass. will close one of its oldest prisons,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “The Department of Correction said Thursday it will shutter MCI-Cedar Junction at Walpole within two years, citing a reduced incarceration rate and high maintenance costs. There are 525 men held at MCI-Cedar Junction, the department said, which means the prison is operating at only 68% capacity. The state now has the lowest incarceration rate in 35 years, with almost 6,000 people in custody in 16 correctional facilities, the department said.”

— “Fall River police can't find 2 years of drug 'buy logs.' This could affect criminal cases,” by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: “The Fall River Police Department is dealing with another hit to its tarnished reputation after two years' worth of controlled-buy logs used for drug case investigations have been reported missing.”

— "Here are the 26 locals on the Forbes billionaires list," by Annie Probert, Boston Globe.

— “Former Gov. Michael Dukakis honors leadership of Volodymyr Zelenskyy,” by Alexi Cohan, GBH News.

SPOTTED — Brockton Mayor Robert Sullivan meeting with Sen. Ed Markey in D.C. Sullivan is meeting with delegation members about electric buses and economic development, a spokesperson said.

TRANSITIONS — Walt Wuthmann is moving from WBUR’s “Radio Boston” to being a general assignment reporter for the radio station.

— The Boston Globe’s David Dahl has been named editor of The Maine Monitor.

— Sherin and Lodgen has added Julia C. Royce as an associate to the firm’s corporate department.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Melissa Olesen, a staffer in Markey’s office and a Kennedy alum; Maddie Beecher and Jackie Kessel.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to former state Rep. Dan Cullinane, who celebrates Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Max Clermont and Elaina Nigro.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: GATEWAY CITIES TAKEAWAYS FOR THE U.K. — Peter Abbott, the British consul general to Boston, joins hosts Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith to discuss what he learned from the U.K. Consulate’s recent visits to five Gateway Cities. 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.

Follow us on Twitter