Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A guide to post-Roe Massachusetts

Monday, June 27, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: A guide to post-Roe Massachusetts

SCOTUS SHOCKWAVES — Thousands of pro-abortion demonstrators took to the streets from Boston to Worcester to Springfield to Cape Cod. Anti-abortion advocates vowed to keep fighting until the procedure is outlawed even in blue states. At least once, they crossed paths.

Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts saw a “significant increase” in calls from inside and outside the state in the hours after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, a spokesperson said. They were largely from people asking if the procedure was still legal in Massachusetts (it is) and asking about contraception options such as intrauterine devices (IUDs).

This is how the first weekend of a post-Roe America played out in deep-blue Massachusetts.

Violet Wolfson, center, and her sister Olivia, left, attend an abortion-rights rally, Saturday, June 25, 2022, in Quincy, Mass., a day after the Supreme Court ended constitutional protections for abortion that had been in place nearly 50 years in a decision by its conservative majority to overturn Roe v. Wade. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer) | AP

Abortion remains accessible in Massachusetts after being codified into state law in 2020. GOP Gov. Charlie Baker added another layer of protection through an executive order barring Massachusetts from cooperating with extradition requests from other states and preventing executive department agencies from assisting other states’ investigations into patients and providers.

But abortion providers and advocates — anticipating a surge of patients and warning of charges that could come from red states moving swiftly to ban the procedure — want more money and more protections. State Sen. Eric Lesser, who’s running for lieutenant governor, wants to enshrine abortion access in the state constitution. One of his rivals, state Rep. Tami Gouveia, said on WCVB’s “On the Record” that she wants to expand access to medication abortion, including on college campuses.

Right now, funding and further protections are tied up in the Legislature’s budget negotiations. The Senate proposed more money, $2 million, for abortion access than the House and approved an amendment from state Sen. Cindy Friedman that would expand the protections Baker put in place.

We’ll likely get a better sense this afternoon of whether House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka want to speed those budget talks along or put abortion-related measures into a standalone bill. The Democrats and Baker are expected to talk to reporters after their leadership meeting.

At the national level, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is pushing President Joe Biden to declare a public health emergency and expand access to medication abortion and over-the-counter birth control pills. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is urging the president to explore using federal lands to protect access to the procedure, among other things.

Protesters demonstrate at the Supreme Court following its abortion ruling. | Francis Chung/E&E News

“We need to treat this like the national emergency that it is,” Warren said at a press conference outside the State House on Friday. But “most of all,” she added, “we are aimed like a laser beam at the election in November.”

Democrats are seizing on Roe's fall to try and change their midterms fortunes and tip the scales in close races. In New Hampshire, vulnerable Democratic Sen. Maggie Hassan is using Roe to galvanize her supporters and attack her Republican rivals, who were touting their “pro-life” records in the wake of the decision.

Back on our side of the state line, Republican governor hopeful Geoff Diehl and his running mate, Leah Cole Allen, said they support the court’s decision and “both believe in protecting innocent life wherever possible.” Rival Chris Doughty said he would “not seek any changes to our state’s abortion laws.” The sole Democrat running for governor, Attorney General Maura Healey, is pro-abortion and has vowed to defend access to the procedure.

NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan is trying to make abortion an issue in her Democratic primary against Secretary of State Bill Galvin by bringing up her opponent’s decades-old antiabortion stances. Galvin dismissed such attacks when Josh Zakim tried them four years ago, calling abortion a “personal moral choice.”

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Questions about what's next post-Roe? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

TODAY — Baker talks about his tax-relief legislation at noon at the State House. Auditor Suzanne Bump, state Sen. Adam Hinds and state Reps. Natalie Blais and Carlos Gonzalez examine public buildings serving first responders in Ashfield and Conway at 10 a.m. Auditor hopeful Chris Dempsey visits Union Station at 5 p.m. to announce new Worcester County endorsements. Warren hosts a meet and greet at Powers Farm in Randolph at 6 p.m. Doughty hosts a BBQ fundraiser at his Wrentham house at 6 p.m.

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YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: Rep. Ayanna Pressley is endorsing former Boston City Councilor Andrea Campbell for state attorney general, Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk district attorney and ACLU of Massachusetts alum Rahsaan Hall for Plymouth district attorney.

“Our criminal legal system is fundamentally broken. That’s why I introduced the People’s Justice Guarantee in Congress, and why I believe in the need for leaders at every level who prioritize humanity, safety, and dignity for all of our communities," Pressley said in a statement shared with Playbook.

"Andrea, Ricardo, and Rahsaan each have unique lived experience, but share a commitment to reimagine current systems and use the law to advance equity, opportunity, and true justice for everyone in Suffolk County, Plymouth County, and across Massachusetts,” she continued.

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1459, which represents nearly 5,000 workers across western Massachusetts and Vermont, has endorsed state Sen. Eric Lesser for lieutenant governor, per his campaign.

— Salem School Committee Vice Chair Manny Cruz has been endorsed for 7th Essex state representative by New Politics’ New Power project.

— “Chris Doughty shunned from Lowell GOP rally,” by Lowell Sun staff: “Massachusetts Republican candidates for several key state positions piled into Lowell’s Athenian Corner to pitch themselves to a room of more than 200 voters on Tuesday night. One such candidate was Geoff Diehl, a former state representative who is the party frontrunner in this year’s race for governor. … [Chris] Doughty was noticeably absent from the rally this week, and it isn’t because he couldn’t make it — it’s because he wasn’t even invited. John MacDonald, co-organizer of the event and prominent local Republican, said Doughty was purposefully left off the roster because he doesn’t represent Republican values. … MacDonald is the public relations manager for Nashua-based 1A Auto Parts, according to his LinkedIn page. Diehl also works for 1A Auto Parts, as the director of business development for its Pepperell-based TRQ Auto Parts division, according to his website.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Mass. governor, rare pro-choice Republican, signs order to protect health care providers who provide abortion services to out-of-state residents,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The Swampscott resident, who is not running for reelection, was one of the only Republican governors in the country to take such a stance in response to the Supreme Court ruling, putting a spotlight on Baker’s brand of socially liberal, fiscally moderate Republicanism — a long-held Massachusetts tradition that appears to be fading away.”

— “Keller: State treasurer says Massachusetts has enough revenue to consider suspending gas tax,” by Jon Keller, WBZ: “Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker said the state has ‘more than enough funding’ at its disposal to suspend the gas tax, pass his proposed tax relief plan and still invest in the state. Does state treasurer Deb Goldberg agree with the governor's assessment? … ‘(Baker) is absolutely right. I don't think people realize just how much money we have in the bank,’ Goldberg said. … Goldberg said the state has about $16 billion in the bank, and added she believes now is the time to provide tax relief against inflation and rising gas prices.”

— More: “Biden’s state gas tax holiday plea lands with a thud among Dems,” by Lisa Kashinsky and Jeremy B. White, POLITICO: “President Joe Biden’s cheerleading of a gas tax holiday is putting him at odds with Democratic legislators across the country who have spent months spurning such calls. Top Democrats in Massachusetts and Rhode Island are flat-out rejecting Biden’s plea, citing the potential for lost revenue streams for infrastructure projects and minimal savings for consumers. In California, Democratic legislative leaders who rebuffed Gov. Gavin Newsom’s attempt to stop a gas tax hike from going into effect July 1 are resisting calls for a gas tax holiday from Republicans and moderate Democrats.”

HOW ABOUT TARGETED REFUNDS TO LOW INCOME FAMILIES? HOW DOES THE ESTATE TAX THRESHOLD BENEFIT LOW INCOME FAMILIES?

— Also related: Seventy-one percent of respondents in the new UMass Amherst/WCVB poll support suspending the state’s gas tax through Labor Day, including 51 percent who “strongly support” such a measure. The survey, conducted in mid-June, also shows 57 percent support for raising the state’s estate-tax threshold to $2 million, which is part of the suite of tax breaks Gov. Charlie Baker proposed back in January.

THE ESTATE TAX HELPS LOW INCOME RESIDENTS HOW? CROSS HER OFF MY LIST OF POTENTIAL VOTES!

State Rep. Tami Gouveia, a lieutenant governor candidate, spoke against suspending the gas tax and against raising the estate-tax threshold while on WCVB’s “On the Record,” advocating instead for expanding the earned income tax credit and others.

— “Legislation aims to improve diversity among Mass. educators,” by Adria Watson, Boston Globe: “The Educator Diversity Act would establish alternative certifications for aspiring teachers, an educator data dashboard, and require districts to appoint officers or teams to set plans and ‘ensure compliance with all provisions.’ Additionally, the bill would create an educator diversity grant fund.”

— “State creates supplier-diversity office oversight board, reports growth in Black vendors,” by Meera Raman, Boston Business Journal: “The state increased its spending with Black-owned vendors last year, and the Baker administration signed a new executive order on Friday to strengthen the state’s supplier-diversity efforts by creating more accountability at the state level.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Massachusetts education commissioner will recommend declaring Boston schools underperforming,” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced Friday he will seek to have Boston Public Schools declared an underperforming district, a rare move that follows a breakdown in negotiations with Mayor Michelle Wu on a district improvement plan. … ‘We tried our best to reach an agreement, but at the end of the day, we had to move forward,’ Riley said in an interview with the Globe. … Wu said she was surprised by Riley’s decision to halt the negotiations and seek to declare the district underperforming. She said Riley never brought up the possibility of making that kind of declaration previously and she had been optimistic a deal would be struck.”

— “Superintendent finalist vows to 'lean' on others to foster understanding inside Boston public schools,” by Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Tommy Welch, a regional superintendent for Boston Public Schools, highlighted the importance of teamwork and elevating underrepresented people into leadership positions across the district during a marathon round of public interviews Friday for the Boston school superintendent role.”

— “NAACP Boston President Tanisha Sullivan urges Boston School Committee to ‘halt’ superintendent search process,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The leader of NAACP Boston is putting the Boston School Committee on blast for its superintendent search, raising concerns over the ‘lack of representation’ in the finalist pool and adding that presenting only two candidates ‘should raise an automatic caution flag.’”

— “Boston Mayor Wu now interviewing police commissioner finalists,” by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “The panel tasked with identifying candidates to become Boston Police Commissioner has submitted a list of four finalists to Mayor Michelle Wu, putting the city’s search for a top cop into its final stage.”

— “With upcoming leadership transition, what’s next in the effort to diversify the Boston Fire Department?” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “The Boston Fire Department, a notoriously change-resistant institution that has come under criticism for its overwhelmingly white and male ranks, is on the cusp of leadership change.”

SCOTUS WATCH

— #EXPANDTHECOURT: The Supreme Court’s decision to upend five decades of constitutional abortion rights left Sen. Ed Markey saying “it’s clearer now more than ever before that we must expand the broken, stolen, and illegitimate Supreme Court of the United States.”

It’s not clear whether his colleagues agree. The bill that would grow the bench by four seats picked up a few more House supporters after POLITICO published the draft SCOTUS opinion last month that would overturn Roe and remains stuck at just two Senate cosponsors, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Warren told Playbook Friday she’s “completely on board” for expanding the court, but that “we don’t have to in order to protect Roe. We can protect Roe v. Wade with a statute in Congress.”

THE NATIONAL TAKE

— “'It's now up to the states': Republicans move to ban abortion after Roe falls,” by Megan Messerly and Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO: “Fifty governors began charting vastly different paths on abortion policy on Friday after the Supreme Court dismantled the federal constitutional right to abortion and returned decision making power to the states. Red state governors and attorneys general moved swiftly to ban access to the procedure and announced special legislative sessions to restrict abortion in the minutes and hours after the Supreme Court’s decision. Their blue state counterparts quickly issued executive orders and announced new policies to protect abortion and prevent abortion-rights opponents from prosecuting providers and patients for pregnancies terminated legally in their state’s borders.”

— “Roe’s fall pushes abortion to center of the midterms: ‘This is an eight-alarm fire’,” by Jess Bidgood, Boston Globe: “Democrats seized on such rhetoric — as well as a line from Justice Clarence Thomas’s concurring opinion suggesting that cases allowing gay marriage, same-sex intimacy, and the use of contraceptives should also be revisited — to inject new urgency into midterm campaigns that so far have been defined by anger at persistent inflation and President Biden’s lagging approval ratings, leaving Democrats feeling gloomy about their prospects. … ‘This is an eight-alarm fire,’ [Sen. Elizabeth Warren said in an interview]. ‘We should make this a key part of the election.’”

Yet 56 percent of respondents in the UMass Amherst/WCVB survey of Massachusetts residents conducted shortly before the court’s decision said SCOTUS overturning Roe v. Wade would have no impact on their likelihood of voting in the midterms, compared to 36 percent who said it would increase their chances. That’s with 63 percent of respondents saying the court shouldn't touch Roe.

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DAY IN COURT

— “Attorney accused of bribery in seeking Medford marijuana license,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Somerville attorney Sean O’Donovan was arrested Friday and charged with trying to bribe a family member of the Medford police chief to convince the chief to help a marijuana company he represented obtain a license. The marijuana company, which was not named in the indictment but which CommonWealth confirmed is Theory Wellness, has not been charged with wrongdoing.”

BALLOT BATTLES

— “Group says Maura Healey deliberately slowing ballot drive to overturn licenses law,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “The driving force behind a petition to overturn a new state law that gives illegal immigrants access to a driver’s license says Attorney General Maura Healey is deliberately slowing the ballot initiative as an August deadline looms. … The process requires that Secretary of State Bill Galvin and Healey approve a ballot question summary before signatures can be gathered.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “School bathroom closures statewide drive rising tensions, pushback,” by Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: “Driven by efforts to curtail teen vaping, and to prevent outbreaks of vandalism sparked by the TikTok trend known as 'Devious Licks,' the widespread crackdowns on bathroom access have left students in some schools searching urgently for unlocked stalls — and pining for any open restroom, no matter how broken or dirty. As teenagers learn to hold their urine for hours – or stop eating and drinking at school to avoid discomfort — the outcry against the closures from students and parents has grown louder.”

— “Gunmakers are fleeing the Northeast, complaining about the region’s tough gun laws as they go,” by Sarah L. Ryley and Andrew Brinker, Boston Globe: “Gun Valley is rapidly declining as more conservative states lure gun manufacturers away with promises of cheaper labor and energy costs, generous incentives, and more favorable gun laws. Northeastern politicians, meanwhile, have increasingly targeted these companies for their roles in perpetuating gun violence — even as these same officials regret the erosion of the industrial workforce gun-making has sustained.”

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— “Providence officer charged with assaulting political rival at abortion rally,” by Sarah Doiron, Amanda Pitts, Ted Nesi and Carl Sisson, WPRI: “A Providence police officer and Republican political candidate is facing charges after he allegedly assaulted his Democratic opponent outside the Rhode Island State House Friday night, in an incident that has quickly drawn national attention. The Providence Police Department announced that Patrolman Jeann Lugo — who had been running for state Senate — was arrested, charged and arraigned Saturday afternoon at the Lincoln barracks of the Rhode Island State Police.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to MassBio CEO Joe Boncore, Lexington state Sen. Michael Barrett, Plymouth state Rep. Mathew Muratore and Paul Tencher , a Sen. Ed Markey alum. Happy belated to Erik Lin-Greenberg, who celebrated Saturday.

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