Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Soldiers’ Home suit is settled. Now what?

Friday, May 13, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Soldiers’ Home suit is settled. Now what?

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SOLDIERING ON — Gov. Charlie Baker hopes the $56 million the state intends to pay to settle a lawsuit over the deadly Covid-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will bring veterans’ families “some closure.”

For Laurie Mandeville Beaudette, who lost her father, James Mandeville, as a result of the outbreak, it’s more complicated than that. She’s grateful for the settlement but said the fight for “justice” isn’t over.

“I do not feel that this settlement is justice,” Beaudette told Playbook. “I feel like it’s finally an acknowledgement from the commonwealth of Massachusetts for their role in this tragedy.”

Multiple damning investigations and reports and legal moves later, this chapter of the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home saga is closing. But the story’s not over. Here’s why:

— Attorney General Maura Healey’s ongoing appeal: The state attorney general brought criminal neglect charges against the facility’s former superintendent and former medical director. But a judge tossed the charges. Healey appealed, and a brief is due by June 27. Beaudette said she and other Holyoke Soldiers’ Home families are “really counting on” Healey to win the appeal.

— Legislation is still pending on Beacon Hill: Legislation that would overhaul oversight of the Holyoke and Chelsea soldiers’ homes remains mired in conference committee, where details are scant and movement isn’t expected until at least after the Senate finishes its budget later this month.

— A new home still needs to be built: Baker last May signed off on a $400 million bond bill to build a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. If all goes according to plan, construction could begin this year on the eight-story, 234-bed facility that will include an adult day center and other features.

State Sen. John Velis, a conference committee member and advocate for the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home families, told Playbook that he hopes the settlement will provide families “some type of security” and that “the main North Star throughout all of this is ensuring that something like this never happens again.”

Beaudette hopes that’s the case. “I really hope and pray that they learn from this tragedy and move forward and do things differently, do things by the book, follow the science,” she said, growing emotional as she recalled her late father. “Here you have the most vulnerable population, the elderly, men and women who have served their country. They deserve to be respected, they deserve to be waited on, they deserve so much and they’re not getting it.”

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Get out and enjoy the weekend.

TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends a “Day of AI” event at WBUR’s CitySpace at 10:45 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a Jamaica Plain Coffee Hour at 9:30 a.m. at Mozart Park and visits the German Centre at 11 a.m. Boston City Councilor Ruthzee Louijeune hosts a Haitian Flag Day Breakfast at 10:30 a.m. at City Hall Plaza; Wu speaks at 12:15 p.m. Senate President Karen Spilka is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at about 12:50 p.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren joins local officials at Holyoke City Hall to discuss ARPA funding at 3:55 p.m.

THIS WEEKEND — Healey participates in a rally to defend abortion access at noon on Saturday on the Boston Common. Management expert and market analyst Peter Cohan of Babson College is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Wu is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

A message from PhRMA:

Thousands of scientists in Massachusetts are creating ground-breaking treatments to fight everything from the common cold to cancer. Gov. Charlie Baker’s bill would let the government set prices on medications, limiting the amount of research scientists can do to create cures. More importantly, it might make some medications harder to get. Gov. Baker: let the scientists do their jobs, don’t discriminate against patients, and stop threatening access to medications. Go to SupportMassCures.com to learn more.

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Coronavirus in Massachusetts: 5,576 new COVID cases, 16 deaths as metrics rise,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “Coronavirus cases statewide continued a rapid rise with on Thursday with 5,576 people reporting falling sick with the disease as percent positivity and hospitalizations also continue to hike.”

— “Mass. reports uptick in new school coronavirus cases: 13,380 among students and 4,043 among staff,” by Adria Watson, Boston Globe.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Children’s advocates want universal free school lunches to continue,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “Advocates are calling on state lawmakers to extend free meals at schools, a program that came into place during the pandemic and is even more important now with food insecurity rates even higher than before COVID hit. House lawmakers on Beacon Hill approved a budget proposal that includes $110 million to extend free school breakfast and lunch. While the provision would not be permanent, it would extend the program for the next school year. [The Senate budget proposal did not include the measure].”

— “Gov. Charlie Baker laughs off possibility of serving in U.S. Cabinet role: ‘I’m not thinking about stuff like that at all’,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “In a missed bromance opportunity with former Boston mayor and now U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday laughed off the possibility of wanting to serve in the U.S. Cabinet once his second gubernatorial term comes to a close. ‘I’m not thinking about stuff like that at all,’ Baker said during an interview on WBUR’s Radio Boston.”

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “State offering free telehealth option for residents to gauge their eligibility for COVID-19 treatment pill Paxlovid,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “In a statement, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services said the program, launched in collaboration with the group Color Health, allows residents aged 18 and older who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 and are experiencing mild to moderate symptoms to have a video consultation with a trained clinician to determine if they’re eligible for Paxlovid, a pill that can reduce the risk of severe symptoms and hospitalization by nearly 90 percent.”

— “Most of Mass. Now at High Risk for Community Transmission of COVID,” by Marc Fortier, NBC 10 Boston: “The latest data released Thursday shows that Barnstable, Berkshire, Dukes, Essex, Franklin, Middlesex, Nantucket, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk, and Worcester counties are all listed as high risk.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Wu to launch a new era of school construction, pledging $2 billion to revamp city’s school facilities,” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “Mayor Michelle Wu pledged Thursday to spend $2 billion to overhaul Boston’s deteriorating school facilities, under an ambitious effort that would begin with 14 new school buildings or major renovations. Wu billed the proposal as a ‘Green New Deal for Boston Public Schools’ and promised to greatly accelerate the pace of construction in a school system that has built fewer than a dozen new schools over the last 40 years, and where some buildings date to the 1800s.”

— “Boston schools student threw ‘boiling hot’ water on teacher’s face — but school didn’t call 911, cops say,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “A Boston Public Schools teacher had to take herself to the doctor and then the police station after a student threw ‘boiling hot’ ramen-noodle water on her face — and the school’s principal wouldn’t call 911, according to a police report.”

— “City Council meeting on police budget keeps focus on overtime and mental health,” by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: “As it reviews Mayor Michelle Wu’s $4 billion budget proposal, the Boston City Council on Thursday peppered police officials with questions about the department’s policies and priorities, from reducing overtime to increasing racial diversity among employees. Wu has proposed trimming the city’s policing budget by 1 percent to $396 million that accounts for a wave of retirements among veteran, higher-paid officers, reducing overall compensation costs.”

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PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— WELCOME ABOARD: Gov. Charlie Baker said on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” yesterday that the federal safety investigation of the MBTA is “welcome” for “a lot of reasons.”

“What the FTA will bring, among other things, is a lot of information and a lot of knowledge about what the rest of the country does and how other systems manage their older lines and their older units,” Baker said. “I think in the grand scheme of things, a focus on core operations and that sort of thing, especially with an organization that’s actually seen a lot more than certainly anybody has at the T, is a good thing.”

— “MBTA board member raises safety questions,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “A member of the MBTA’s oversight board on Thursday questioned whether all of the people being hired by the transit authority to address safety issues are actually improving safety.”

— “MBTA $12.6M over fuel budget due to spiking diesel prices,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “MBTA Treasurer Pat Landers told the T’s Audit and Finance subcommittee Thursday morning that the year-end fuel cost for its commuter rail and buses in Fiscal Year 2022 is expected to be $48 million, which is $12.6 million more than what it had budgeted for. Landers attributed the higher-than-anticipated cost to a volatile market, with ‘Russian oil being a huge factor’ in spiking fuel and diesel costs.”

ON THE STUMP

— “Healey takes campaign to the South Coast, snags endorsements,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “Attorney General Maura Healey hit the campaign trail here Thursday, visiting a slice of the waterfront to announce endorsements from South Coast elected officials and talk up her pitch to boost public transportation, expand the offshore wind industry, and support community greenspaces. … But as with much of her bid for governor, Healey was light on some details Thursday.”

— "Huff Templeton of Williamstown jumps into the race for Adam Hinds' state Senate seat," by Scott Stafford, Berkshire Eagle: “Huff Templeton is running for the state Senate seat held by state Sen. Adams Hinds, who is running for lieutenant governor of the Bay State. State Rep. Paul Mark, D-Peru, is also running for Hinds’ seat.”

— SIGNATURE MOVES: State Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz says she’s the first woman of color to pass the signature threshold necessary to get on the ballot for governor; state attorney general hopeful Shannon Liss-Riordan has nearly 14,000 certified signatures to qualify for the ballot in her race; state Sen. Adam Hinds and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll have also crossed the 10,000-certified-signature mark, in their case for lieutenant governor.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: State Senate hopeful Sydney Levin-Epstein has been endorsed by Carole King, Hampden County Register of Deeds Cheryl Coakley-Rivera, Governor’s Councilor Mary Hurley; Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and retired Springfield police chief Paula Meara.

DAY IN COURT

— “William Allen released from prison after life sentence commuted,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “William Allen is out of prison. After serving almost 28 years of a life sentence on first-degree murder charges, Allen, now 48, left the Old Colony Correctional Center last week. Allen is living with his family in Brockton. So far the transition to being home has been smooth, he said. He's focusing on spending time with his family. ‘It feels good,’ Allen said in a phone interview.”

A message from PhRMA:

WARREN REPORT

— “Warren Bill Would Require Companies to Explain Price Hikes,” by Laura Davison, Bloomberg: “Senator Elizabeth Warren wants companies to disclose the rationale for charging more for their products and empowering federal regulators to go after companies ranging from oil producers to food sellers that have sharply increased prices. Legislation she’s drafted, obtained by Bloomberg News, would allow the Federal Trade Commission and State Attorneys General more leeway to investigate sellers that charge excessive prices. The legislation also clarifies that price gouging anywhere in the supply chain is illegal.”

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Two years after asking for future of gas investigation, Healey asks state to reject results,” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “Attorney General Maura Healey, who two years ago prompted the state to begin mapping the phaseout of natural gas in Massachusetts, is now asking it to scrap the blueprint emerging from the process, saying it favors gas company profits over a healthy climate. … In a 106-page document filed with the state Department of Public Utilities late last week, Healey also said the agency’s decision-making process should be overhauled to prioritize climate goals over the health of utilities, currently one of its functions.”

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Sarah Kim, interim Cannabis Control Commission chair, says she won’t seek position full-time,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Interim Cannabis Control Commission Chair Sarah Kim said she does not plan to seek the position full-time as the group looks to fill out a leadership post following the departure of former Chairman Steven Hoffman.”

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FROM THE 413

— “Racist emails to caricatures: UMass Amherst campus reports 42 incidents of hate bias this school year; more than any other academic year,” by Tristan Smith, MassLive: “Racist caricatures sketched on a whiteboard, students taunting disabled individuals and a racist email that referred to Black students on the UMass campus as ‘animals’ are just a select few of the 42 discriminatory bias incidents reported on the UMass campus during the current academic year.”

— “UMass astronomers help uncover details of black hole at ‘the center of our galaxy’: Global scientific effort identifies ‘gentle giant’ Sagittarius A*,” by Steve Pfarrer, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— "Massachusetts gas prices reach new record high for fifth straight day," by WBZ: "Gas prices in Massachusetts reached a new record high for the fifth day in a row Friday, according to AAA. The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the state is now $4.47."

— “Report: Mass. Muslims continue to face egregious discrimination at home, at school, even at the post office,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “In 2021 CAIR-MA had 163 requests for legal assistance related to hate crimes, harassment, bullying, employment and housing discrimination. Among those complaints are prisoners concerned about religious freedom issues, and calls about police harassment toward members of the public. That’s a decrease from before the pandemic, when the organization received an average of 240 calls annually, but CAIR doesn’t think that’s because there are fewer incidents of harassment, discrimination and hate crimes.”

— “Hispanic-serving colleges in Mass. support Latino students, but some schools fall short,” by Diane Adame, GBH News: “The Urban College of Boston is one of the state's seven Hispanic-Serving Institutions, or HSIs, federally recognized colleges whose enrollment is at least 25% Latino. Achieving that recognition opens the door for specially designated federal funding.”

— “Pummeled at the pump: Towns see huge increases in fuel budgets amid record-high prices,” by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger: “Norwell is not alone in feeling the crunch. In Marshfield, town meeting voters put an additional $125,000 into the fuel budget following a reserve transfer of $40,000, for a total increase of $165,000.”

— “New UMass poll surveys Americans' feelings about overturning Roe v. Wade,” by WCVB: “A new UMass Amherst poll is gauging the feelings of Americans following the historic Supreme Court draft leak, which is pointing to a potential overturning of Roe v. Wade. The UMass Amherst poll is based on a sample of 1000 people nationwide. Respondents were asked if they thought the Supreme Court should overturn Roe v. Wade: 34% - Yes; 50% - No; 16% - Don’t Know.”

— “Proposal for new Worcester school committee districts, meant to make Latino, Black voters voices heard, up for public input,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive: “The public will have a chance to comment on proposed school committee districts, meant to ensure the voices of Latino and Black residents are heard, at five upcoming public hearings in the city. The city of Worcester agreed to change the way it elects members to the school committee after a lawsuit was brought against it for its current practices.”

A message from PhRMA:

Massachusetts is a booming biotech ecosystem. Its scientists and researchers are developing ground-breaking treatments to fight everything from the common cold to cancer.

Gov. Charlie Baker’s bill imposes government prices on medications, which would then limit the amount of research scientists can do to create lifesaving treatments. By setting medication prices, it also means politicians decide which patients and diseases are more important than others.

State bureaucrats should not be playing doctor. When the government imposes artificial prices from the top-down, some patients can lose access to their medications. Seniors, the disabled, and the chronically ill are most vulnerable to these policies.

Gov. Baker: let the scientists and doctors do their jobs, don’t discriminate against patients, and stop threatening access to medications. Go to SupportMassCures.com to learn more.

MEDIA MATTERS

— “Boston Globe shows growth in digital subscriptions,” by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: “According to the Globe's semi-annual filings with the Alliance for Audited Media, the average number of online subscribers from October 2021 through March 2022 was 244,190, up from 234,398 for the prior six-month period.”

TRANSITIONS — Ahmad Ali will join Sen. Ed Markey’s team as press secretary. Ali was press secretary for Data for Progress and was a fellow on Markey’s 2020 reelection campaign.

SPOTTED — at the Plymouth County Democratic League’s candidate night in Hanson last night: Auditor hopefuls Chris Dempsey and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio; lieutenant governor candidates Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, state Sen. Adam Hinds and state Rep. Tami Gouveia; Plymouth DA candidate Rahsaan Hall; and state Sens. Susan Moran, John Keenan and Michael Brady.

ALSO SPOTTED — Rep. Jake Auchincloss hanging out with his MA-04 predecessor, former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, at the Capitol.

AND ALSO SPOTTED — Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian outside the Justice Department in D.C., per a Playbook tipster.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Michael Goldman, president of Goldman Associates. Happy belated to Kate Kelly, who celebrated Thursday.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Pam Wilmot, Lucy Martirosyan, Samuel Greer, Jeffrey Barrett, Alycia DiTroia, Sophia Nigro and Kylie Harrigan, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers J. Patrick Brown, Jay Hulings and Kevin Connor.

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.

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