Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The LG race realigns

Tuesday, June 7, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The LG race realigns

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‘YOU’VE GOT TO WORK IT’ — The race is on to woo supporters of former lieutenant governor hopefuls state Sen. Adam Hinds and businessman Bret Bero, both of whom failed to advance from the state Democratic convention.

Calls and texts have been flying from Cape Cod to the Berkshires over the past two days as candidates and their surrogates scramble to lock up newly at-play voters and endorsers. Of particular interest are the state lawmakers and western Massachusetts elected officials who had endorsed Hinds, according to the state senator's supporters and local political operatives.

Hinds’ exit clears an obstacle for the other western Massachusetts candidate in the race, state Sen. Eric Lesser, who finished third at the convention. But there's no guarantee that Hinds’ supporters will throw their weight behind Lesser.

“I don’t think it’s a given that Lesser being from western Massachusetts is a slam dunk,” said state Rep. Smitty Pignatelli, a Lenox Democrat who had endorsed Hinds. “You’ve got to work it.”

Hinds’ endorsers face competing pressures: There’s the pull of a fellow 413-er; the expectation that those in the legislature will endorse another one of their own in either Lesser or state Rep. Tami Gouveia, who finished second at the convention; and the allure of Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll, who secured the party's endorsement for lieutenant governor at the Worcester confab.

Driscoll has snagged the support of one Hinds backer already: former Northampton Mayor David Narkewicz, her campaign told Playbook exclusively.

Hinds and Bero will also be expected to endorse one of their former rivals. Neither candidate was ready to make that call when asked by Playbook yesterday.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The Democratic convention is over, but the fight to get rid of the 15-percent rule continues.

EXCLUSIVE: Pignatelli has sent MassDems Chair Gus Bickford a letter saying it’s time for the party to reconsider requiring candidates to get 15 percent support from convention delegates to get on the primary ballot, calling it “inherently undemocratic” and suggesting the party adopt a ranked-choice voting system at its next nominating convention.

“The existing requirement for statewide candidates to obtain 10,000 signatures is no small feat, and it is discouraging to see that a body composed of individuals who are not representative of the statewide electorate bring hard-run campaigns to an end,” Pignatelli wrote.

Bickford has repeatedly argued against eliminating that threshold, but sent Pignatelli's letter to the party Rules Committee for consideration.

“It is my understanding that the majority of the candidates paid for their signatures,” Bickford told Playbook. “The 15 percent rule is a much better bar to determine how good a candidate is in gathering support — and we’ve seen in the likes of Deval Patrick and Elizabeth Warren that it frankly makes them presidential-like candidates.”

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will not publish on Thursday, June 9 or Friday, June 10 — because I’m heading down to POLITICO HQ. D.C. Playbookers, email me at lkashinsky@politico.com to meet up! I’ll be back in your inbox on Monday, June 13.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito mark progress in the Parcel 12 development over the MassPike at 9:30 a.m. in Boston and attend a Sanofi ribbon cutting at 2:30 p.m. in Cambridge. State AG Maura Healey participates in a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Forum at 8 a.m. at the Seaport Hotel. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu testifies on real-estate transfer fees at 1 p.m. at the State House. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) introduce their Affordability Is Access Act to expand affordable over-the-counter birth control at 3 p.m. Governor hopeful and state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz visits Leominster’s Growing Places at 5 p.m. and participates in an Elect North Central Gubernatorial Forum at 7 p.m.

A message from PhRMA:

Did you know more than half of every dollar spent on medicines goes to someone who doesn’t make them? There’s a long line of middlemen, like PBMs and insurers, collecting a significant portion of what you pay for medicine. The share of total spending for brand medicines received by the supply chain and other stakeholders increased from 33% in 2013 to 50.5% in 2020. Learn more.

ON THE STUMP

— FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: International President of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA Sara Nelson is endorsing Shannon Liss-Riordan for state attorney general, her campaign said.

— NEW: Liss-Riordan is again calling on her rivals for attorney general to debate four times before the primary election in September — and is calling out Andrea Campbell for not engaging with her campaign on scheduling, per a statement shared with Playbook.

“Two months ago she said her campaign would be in touch about scheduling debates. That was the last we heard from Andrea’s team,” Liss-Riordan said in a statement. Her campaign said it’s been in contact with Quentin Palfrey's team about debates.

— 'TIS THE SEASON: Speaking of debates, fresh off earning her party’s endorsement for secretary of state NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan is challenging incumbent Bill Galvin to three televised pre-primary debates.

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara has endorsed state Rep. Nika Elugardo for Second Suffolk state senator.

— HINDSIGHT IS 2022: Adam Hinds' campaign for lieutenant governor is over, but the state senator, who will also be out of a job come January, told Playbook he's "optimistic about where this could lead and where I could do the work next." Businessman Bret Bero is also moving on from the campaign trail; he'll resume teaching at Babson College this fall.

— “Election Forecast: Most Lawmakers Will Cruise To Reelection,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Most Massachusetts state lawmakers will stroll into another term in office unopposed, poised to face no declared opponents in both the Sept. 6 primary and Nov. 8 general elections. All 160 House districts and 40 Senate districts are up for grabs every two years. Among the pool of lawmakers seeking reelection, 92 representatives and 16 senators are the only candidates to qualify for the ballot in their respective districts, according to a News Service analysis of preliminary data from Secretary of State William Galvin.”

THE LATEST NUMBERS

— “Massachusetts COVID cases decline over the weekend, virus rates dip,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The state Department of Public Health reported a daily average of 1,687 COVID cases over the weekend, which was down from the daily rate of 1,757 infections during Memorial Day weekend."

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

HAS ANYONE CONSIDERED REDUCING THEIR CONSUMPTION OR TAKING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION?

— “Massachusetts gas prices may hit $5 a gallon this week, State House leaders refuse to suspend gas tax amid soaring prices,” by Rick Sobey and Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “Other states have suspended their gas taxes because of the surging gas prices, but Massachusetts State House leaders have continued to reject calls to freeze the tax. Senate President Karen Spilka on Monday noted that Connecticut’s gas prices are similar to the Bay State’s after our southern neighbor suspended the gas tax. … House Speaker Ronald Mariano also said that relief from suspending the gas tax — based on what has happened in Connecticut — has ‘proven to be … a myth.’”

— GO ON: House and Senate leaders are keeping it vague about what other forms of tax relief they're pursuing instead of pausing the gas tax. Mariano said his House team is working through ideas from Gov. Charlie Baker’s $700 million tax-break proposal and “a couple others” from members to “create a wide-ranging array of help.” Spilka vowed to have a tax-relief package done before the end of July, when session ends, said senators are “looking at relief for low-income, the most vulnerable populations and working families” as well as seniors.

— Related: “Report urges caution with tax breaks,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “As Beacon Hill leaders consider a tax-relief package, they should focus on one-time rebates and other temporary measures to maximize the use of a windfall of state surplus revenues, according to a new report."

— “Baker elevates ongoing effort to pass ‘revenge porn’ bill,” by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: “Gov. Charlie Baker's administration is stepping up its push for legislation that would provide new protections for survivors of violent crimes and the harmful distribution of explicit images commonly known as ‘revenge porn,’ one of the governor's top priorities as he prepares to exit office."

— “House set to override veto of undocumented driver’s license bill as Gov. Charlie Baker continues to express concern,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Gov. Charlie Baker said he decided to veto legislation that would grant some immigrants in Massachusetts without legal status a pathway to obtain a driver’s license because both legislative branches made clear during separate debates on the bill ‘that my concerns were not the same’ as theirs. … The House will make its move first and is scheduled to hold a formal session Wednesday to override the governor’s veto.”

— “‘Massachusetts gun laws have been proven to work.’ Amid spate of mass shootings, policymakers tout Bay State as blueprint,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Tragedy has regularly proved to be an accelerant for change in Massachusetts, pushing state policymakers to tighten their already strict gun laws at a time when major federal changes have regularly stalled and Republican legislators in other states loosened theirs. Now, in the wake of horrific gun violence in Buffalo, Uvalde, Texas, and elsewhere, activists and state officials are pointing to Massachusetts as a model, arguing that its rules weaving together background check mandates, far-reaching prohibitions, and local licensing standards should be a guide — if not for Congress, then other states.”

A message from PhRMA:

FROM THE HUB

— “Wu talks about problems facing Boston schools, and the search for a police commissioner,” by Tiziana Dearing and Chris Citorik, WBUR: “On the state of negotiations between her office and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE): ‘We're still in talks. I know our teams met. Some of my team went out to DESE in Malden, I believe, on Friday, and had a very productive conversation. So we're still honing in on what exactly the major action steps will be and how that will be codified in the documentation and in the agreement that will be signed. But we're all on the same page in terms of how urgent the issues are.’”

— More from Wu's WBUR interview: “Mayor Wu: Patrick Rose case is shaping the city’s approach to collective bargaining,” by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com.

— “Boston Public Schools ‘safety crisis’: Group urges Michelle Wu to tackle school safety following string of gun, violent incidents,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “A city group that focuses on safety in Boston Public Schools is calling on Mayor Michelle Wu to make school safety a top priority following a string of gun and violent incidents across the district."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “East-West Rail authority ‘certainly being considered’ in the state Legislature but timeline for draft language remains murky,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “Senate President Karen Spilka did not offer a timeline Monday afternoon for when her branch could take up legislation creating an East-West Rail transit authority but said she was ‘happy’ to have had a first conversation with U.S. Rep. Richard Neal last week on the topic."

— “State and feds submit application to fund replacement of Bourne, Sagamore bridges,” by Asad Jung, Cape Cod Times.

DAY IN COURT

— “Auto shops push for ruling in 'right to repair' lawsuit,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “More than 18 months after Massachusetts voters soundly approved an update to the state’s ‘right to repair’ law, the changes have yet to go into effect. That’s because a lawsuit filed by automakers to block the law has been grinding on in a U.S. District Court in Boston amid a mountain of legal filings and several delays in a ruling in the case, which seeks to undo the voter-approved changes.”

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Utilities facing pushback on clean energy contract compensation,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The three Massachusetts utilities, accustomed to getting their way on Beacon Hill, are facing pushback on a provision in state law that allows them to collect from electricity ratepayers up to 2.75 percent of the value of any clean energy procurement for simply carrying the contract on their books. House and Senate negotiators trying to reach agreement on climate change/energy legislation are at odds on the utility compensation issue, with the House backing the existing 2.75 percent level and the Senate in favor of cutting it back to 1.25 percent."

— “After years of uncertainty, Falmouth wind turbines to be demolished,” by Asad Jung, Cape Cod Times: “The saga of Falmouth’s largest renewable energy project appears to be finally nearing a close, now that the town has hired Atlantic Coast Dismantling LLC to demolish two wind turbines.”

BALLOT BATTLES

— “Two gig drivers’ perspectives, from opposite sides of the independent contractor debate,” by Katie Johnston, Boston Globe: “Carlos Soares spent almost two weeks in early December 2020 struggling to breathe as he battled COVID and pneumonia in an Attleboro hospital. He didn’t feel well enough to get back on the road driving for Lyft and Uber until the middle of the next month. Soares thought he’d be taken care of. Lyft had promised drivers COVID sick pay based on their hours, and he’d been driving eight to 10 hours a day, transporting medical staff and other essential workers. But the pay put into his account — $250 — was ‘a slap in the face,’ Soares said. … Prossie Namanda is all for having a voice. She’s just using hers to ensure that her flexibility doesn’t go away.”

FROM THE 413

— “$56 million Holyoke Soldiers’ Home lawsuit inches toward settlement,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “Defendants including home administrators and state officials on May 12 reached a $56 million deal with 168 victims of the outbreak, broken up into survivors of veterans who died from the virus or those who were sickened but survived past a certain date that year. Details of the settlement must be approved by U.S. District Judge Mark G. Mastroianni, who conferred with attorneys by phone Monday morning. Attorneys are aiming to finalize the settlement by mid-November.”

— “The North Adams City Clerk is resigning this month. It's the second person to leave the job in six months,” by Greta Jochem, Berkshire Eagle.

— “The Pittsfield Board of Health pulled its cease-and-desist order over the Verizon cell tower. So the company dropped its lawsuit,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle.

A message from PhRMA:

Did you know that PBMs, insurers, hospitals, the government, and others received a larger share of total spending on medicines than biopharmaceutical companies? That’s right, more than half of spending on brand medicines goes to someone who doesn’t make them. Let’s fix the system the right way and ensure more of the savings go to patients, not middlemen. Learn more.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Economic confidence falls in May among employers and households, according to new data,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “Employer confidence in the state fell again in May just as new polling data shows most Americans have a negative view of the economy in general."

— “Native American leaders call for Harvard to return human remains,” by Craig LeMoult, GBH News: “As Harvard University acknowledges its museum collection has held the remains of thousands of Indigenous people for generations, some Native American leaders say the university is acting too slowly to release those remains to tribes for burial.”

— “Home alcohol deliveries jumped 300% during COVID; underage sales increased too,” by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: “In the era of COVID-19, Massachusetts restaurants, pubs and even package stores have increasingly turned to home delivery as an option to stay in business. But the head of the state Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission warned that the pandemic is no excuse for a liquor license holder to get sloppy. Executive Director Ralph Sacramone said home deliveries of alcohol in Massachusetts have increased by 300% in the last two years, especially since the state enacted a temporary law to allow restaurants for the first time to include beer, wine and mixed drinks with takeout or delivery orders of food. But he said the increase in alcohol deliveries has resulted in a bump in incidents where alcohol has been improperly delivered to minors or even left on the front steps.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, chair of the House Ways & Means Committee, Cambridge City Councilor Tim Toomey, Kevin Sprague and Isaac Luria. Happy belated to state Sen. Adam Gomez.

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