Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Keeping up with Katherine Clark

Wednesday, December 14, 2022

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Keeping up with Katherine Clark

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POWERING UP — Even as they head for the House minority in January, Massachusetts Democrats are poised to continue their tradition of wielding unusual influence for a relatively smaller delegation.

Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark will soon be the No. 2 House Democrat. Rep. Jim McGovern is losing control of the gavel on the Rules Committee but will continue as its top Democrat, leadership announced Tuesday. Rep. Richard Neal is expected to follow the same trajectory on the House Ways and Means Committee.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley recently launched a bid for Democratic Women’s Caucus chair . Rep. Stephen Lynch is in a three-way race for the party’s top spot on the Oversight Committee. And Rep. Lori Trahan, who just secured a seat as the New England representative on the panel that oversees committee assignments, will formally nominate Lynch for the job in a committee meeting later today.

“The president said it best when he was at the infrastructure event at Boston Logan [in September] that nothing gets done without the Massachusetts delegation,” Trahan told Playbook at the Capitol on Tuesday. “That’s a testament to the leaders that we have … and that has allowed us to sort of punch above our weight.”

Clark will take Massachusetts’ influence a step further as minority whip — a crucial role in which she’ll be responsible for ensuring party cohesion as Republicans push bills aimed at dividing Democrats. Playbook caught up with Clark after the Green Line Extension opening in Medford to talk about her new role. Here are excerpts from our chat:

Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., House Minority Whip-elect, speaks at a news conference Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, on Capitol Hill in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib) | AP

What does it mean to have someone from Massachusetts climbing higher in House leadership?

It means the people of the commonwealth are going to be right at the leadership table. And the issues that they're concerned about, the challenges people are facing, and the leadership they're showing and always have in health care, in the innovation economy, are going to be the issues that we're talking about.

What are your priorities for the next session and what can reasonably get done with Republicans taking the majority?

My door’s open to them — and that is shared by our [incoming] leader [Rep. Hakeem] Jeffries (D-N.Y.) — to any time Republicans want to actually work. But if they are going to return to extremism, work against the environmental investments that we've been able to make, are not going to continue to help us — in fact, roll back the health care savings that we were able to bring to seniors — they're going to meet with us shoulder to shoulder in opposition.

The White House has signaled it's open to a compromise deal to expand the child tax credit that could include a work requirement. Is that something you’d be open to?

We’re in negotiations around this. The child tax credit halved child poverty in a very short period of time. We know this as a program that works, that is great for families and kids. And so we're going to do everything we can to get that back.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. There are just two Playbooks left for the year. Send me your tips, scoops and transitions: lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker attends a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Chelsea Soldiers’ Home at 10:30 a.m. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends a groundbreaking ceremony in Worcester at 10 a.m. and chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon at the State House. Gov.-elect and AG Maura Healey attends her final meeting as chair of the Victim and Witness Assistance Board at 1:30 p.m. at 1 Ashburton Place. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at a graduation ceremony for the inaugural PowerCorpsBOS cohort at 10:30 a.m. in Jamaica Plain and holds a winter weather press conference at 1:30 p.m. at the Public Works Department Yard in the South End.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Gov. Charlie Baker frustrated over lack of immigration reform measures,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Stymied by bureaucratic hurdles in state and federal government, Gov. Charlie Baker reaffirmed his plea Tuesday for the White House to pursue immigration reform that could alleviate a burgeoning humanitarian crisis in Massachusetts. Baker wants President Joe Biden to give people who are seeking asylum the opportunity to work during the process. ‘We have not heard anything from the Biden administration in response to our request,’ Baker told reporters Tuesday at the State House. ‘I’m really disappointed by that.’”

— “Governor’s Councilors skeptical of Amirault pardons,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Gov. Charlie Baker recommended pardoning Gerald Amirault and Cheryl Amirault Lefave, who were convicted in a high-profile child sexual abuse case. But members of the Governor’s Council on Tuesday suggested that their approval is far from a done deal. … At least two of the eight councilors said they will oppose pardons, while others voiced serious skepticism, either because of the case itself or because of the process by which it reached the Governor’s Council. The council has not yet set a date for a vote.”

— “State awards $5 million for new STEM Tech academies,” by Adria Watson, Boston Globe: “The academies will start next school year as a six-year program for students to simultaneously earn their high school diplomas and post-secondary credentials at a community college at no cost.”

— “Officers with past complaints recertified by state policing commission amid first batch of names released,” by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: “The state agency charged with creating police certification standards and holding abusive officers accountable released the first tranche of a long-awaited public database of certified officers Monday, which includes some Boston Police officers who have had complaints against them sustained by internal investigators. … ‘The fact that there is a past disciplinary matter does not mean that an officer will not be certified,’ said Cindy Campbell, spokeswomen for the Massachusetts Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission.”

— "WynnBet wins state approval for first online sports betting license," by Michael Silverman, Boston Globe: "WynnBet received the first green light for a Massachusetts online sports betting operator license on Tuesday. ... WynnBet is operated by Wynn Resorts, the owner of Boston Encore Harbor, the Everett casino that received the state’s first retail sports betting license last Thursday."

— SO LONG, FAREWELL, PART II: While Playbook focused yesterday on the goodbye speeches from office-seekers who frequently appeared in this newsletter this year, former colleagues of departing state Senate President Emerita Harriette Chandler, who took the gavel during a turbulent time in the chamber, say her advocacy for reproductive rights and “the most vulnerable people” should not have been overlooked. Here’s more from her speech .

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “ Warren rips Pfizer for vaccine price hike,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Sen. Elizabeth Warren is blasting Pfizer over its plan to increase prices for its COVID-19 vaccines next year, accusing the pharmaceutical giant of trying to make a profit off the life-saving medicine. Last month, Pfizer announced plans to quadruple the cost of its COVID-19 vaccine, increasing it to $110 to $130 per dose when the federal government stops buying and distributing it, as is expected next year.”

— “Mass. officials plan to distribute 3.5 million free COVID rapid tests,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive.

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FROM THE HUB

— “Boston, regional police dodge transparency ordinance in bolstering surveillance network,” by Dan Atkinson, Dig Boston: “At a public hearing at the end of November, Boston police and officials heard from activists and lawmakers concerned about transparency regarding surveillance technology in the city. The gunshot detection system ShotSpotter received particular criticism over accuracy and deployment, but officials defended the tech and said it was needed to increase public safety. What city representatives did not say was that they were already planning on spending more money on gunshot detection, through a bid that was released two weeks after the hearing that also calls for retaining ‘all acoustic data’ picked up by the contractor’s microphones.”

— “Teacher plans run for District 3 Council seat,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Joel Richards, a Boston Public Schools teacher and pastor who ran for the District 4 City Council seat in 2021, plans to make another run for office next year. But [after redistricting] he’d be running for the District 3 City Council seat. ... Frank Baker, who has held the District 3 seat since 2012, has yet not decided whether he is running for reelection, though he raised nearly $30,000 last month.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Green Line derailment highlights MBTA’s transparency problem,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “A derailment delayed service for more than six hours on part of the Green Line Sunday, but was only reported as a ‘disabled train’ to the public, continuing a lack of transparency from the MBTA around safety issues.”

— “Lawmakers tasked with probing MBTA will release final report in January,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald.

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

TRANSITION TIME

— “Healey made her first Cabinet picks. She’s also gauging whether some Baker officials might stay, sources say,” by Samantha J. Gross and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “The news [of Gov.-elect Maura Healey’s first hires] comes amid rumblings that the Healey transition team, which has been slow to announce appointments, has been meeting with members of outgoing governor Charlie Baker’s Cabinet to gauge their willingness to remain in their current roles in the new administration. … Those familiar with the discussions said some Cabinet secretaries have indicated that they would consider staying on, while many others don’t have an interest in continuing their roles, citing already-formed exit plans.”

— "Dewar Now In Line For Acting AG Post," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service (paywall): "Elizabeth Dewar is now positioned to serve as acting attorney general next month until Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell is sworn in on Jan. 18. First Assistant Attorney General Kate Cook was in line to serve as acting AG after Maura Healey is sworn in as governor on Jan. 5, but Healey on Tuesday named Cook to serve as chief of staff in the governor's office."

DAY IN COURT

— “Pittsfield nursing home resident is lead plaintiff in class action against state officials over being ‘needlessly institutionalized’,” by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: “The state has been underfunding its system for supporting people with disabilities as they live independently in the community. A class-action lawsuit is aiming to remove nursing homes as places to house them.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

— CRYPTO CURIOUS: Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jake Auchincloss turned to new FTX chief John J. Ray III for answers about what caused the crypto exchange’s collapse and how people will get their money back during a House Financial Services Committee hearing on Tuesday. Auchincloss — the committee’s vice chair, who’s taken campaign donations from FTX officials — warned that his “patience with the crypto bulls is wearing thin.” He also called for more crypto regulations in response to a constituent’s question during a telephone town hall for his district last night, his spokesperson said.

But Auchincloss continues to refuse to give back or donate the $5,800 he took from FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried, who has now been arrested and charged with multiple counts of fraud , money laundering and campaign finance violations.

"I’m not going to send money to a guy sitting in a Bahaman jail, that’s for sure. That money is out the door, helping elect Democrats,” Auchincloss said Tuesday on WBUR . At least $73 million in political donations tied to Bankman-Fried are also now at risk of being clawed back as part of FTX’s bankruptcy proceedings , Bloomberg reported this week.

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MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Northampton marijuana shop closing, first shutdown for the state’s cannabis industry,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The Source, a marijuana shop at 58 Pleasant St. that opened only in March will close Friday. It’s the first marijuana shop in Massachusetts to shut down since the first legal adult use dispensaries opened in 2018. Many in the industry see this as a harbinger of a shakedown in a maturing industry, especially in Northampton which has 12, soon to be 11, operational stores.”

— “Risks of cannabis-impaired driving to be added to Mass. driver’s education curriculum,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “Starting in January, driver’s education courses will include a primer on the perils of driving under the influence of marijuana, according to the state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “‘No one really wants to talk about alcohol’: Alcohol abuse costs Mass. more than $5 billion yearly, new analysis finds,” by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: “Alcohol abuse costs Massachusetts at least $5.6 billion annually, while causing thousands of deaths and illnesses, according to a new analysis from Boston University researchers. Yet revenues from alcohol-specific taxes fall far short of repaying those costs, the report concludes. And the state has failed to take basic steps, such as raising the excise tax on liquor or prohibiting advertising that targets minors, that would reduce alcohol’s heavy toll and improve health, the researchers say.”

— “ Teamsters plan to strike at St. Vincent Hospital Dec. 26 over stalled contract,” by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: “Nearly one year after an agreement was reached in the St. Vincent Hospital nurses’ strike, technicians and therapists in the Teamsters union at the hospital are planning to go on strike Dec. 26 unless a new contract can be reached.”

DATELINE D.C.

— SPOTTED: at the White House for the signing of the Respect for Marriage Act: Sen. Ed Markey, state Sen. Julian Cyr, state Reps. Tram Nguyen, Jack Patrick Lewis, Natalie Higgins and Adam Scanlon; BAGLY chair Neal Minahan, MassEquality Executive Director Tanya Neslusan and Tre’Andre Valentine of the Boston Human Rights Commission and the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition. Cyr, a Truro Democrat, also invited a very enthusiastic Vice President Kamala Harris to Provincetown.

Gov-elect Maura Healey was unable to attend the ceremony, per her spokesperson. But the first openly gay person elected governor of Massachusetts, who also led the first successful challenge to the Defense of Marriage Act, hailed the progress for the LGBTQ+ community in an MSNBC interview while also urging people to keep "standing up and standing strong in the face of these outrageous attacks and efforts and threats to take us backwards.”

PROPAGANDA: A message from NextEra Energy:

Seabrook Station has provided Massachusetts with low-cost, clean, reliable energy for over 30 years, reducing carbon emissions regionally by approximately 4 million tons per year. Nuclear energy is Massachusetts’ most cost-effective and essential tool to combat climate change.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — The Friends of the Public Garden has named Rebecca McKevitz as its new director of capital projects and parks care.

— Andrew Reed has joined the Environmental League of Massachusetts and the ELM Action Fund as VP of development.

— Assistant Secretary for MassHealth Amanda Cassel Kraft will be stepping down on Jan. 2. Deputy Medicaid Director Mike Levine will serve as acting assistant secretary.

— Joseph R. Betancourt will become the eighth president of The Commonwealth Fund in January.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to GBH’s Alexi Cohan, Toora Arsala, John Ullyot of Brighton Strategy Group and Christopher Marcisz.

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