POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey names Santiago veterans secretary

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY PROPAGANDA!  NUCLEAR KNOWN FOR COST OVERRUNS,  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY CAPITOL MARKETS WON'T INVEST  DUE TO RISK!  RADIOACTIVE WASTE? Presented by PROGRAMMING NOTE — Massachusetts Playbook will not publish Monday in observance of Presidents Day. We'll be back on Tuesday. Email me in the meantime: lkashinsky@politico.com . BREAKING: SECRETARY SANTIAGO — Gov. Maura Healey is tapping state Rep. Jon Santiago, an emergency room doctor and U.S. Army Reserve major recently back from deployment, as her veterans services secretary. It’s a big move for Santiago, a third-term Democrat who ran unsuccessfully for Boston mayor in 2021. He’ll start March 1, the day that veterans secretary rises to a Cabinet-level position under soldiers’ home reform legislation passed after deadly Covid-19 outbreaks at both facilities. It will also be a big challenge: Santiago will be tasked with standing up a new secretariat while improving oversight of the soldiers' homes. He'll take over from Baker administration holdover Cheryl Lussier Poppe. Santiago is Healey's first Latino Cabinet member. He's also the first lawmaker Healey has plucked for her administration, a move that will set off a special election in Boston. “Representative Santiago has dedicated his life to serving his country — whether that’s volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic, working in the emergency room throughout COVID, being deployed overseas with the U.S. Army Reserve, or advocating for increased access to housing, public transportation and substance use disorder treatment in the State House,” Healey said in a statement to Playbook. “His public health expertise and military service make him uniquely qualified to serve as Massachusetts’ first ever Secretary of Veterans’ Services." GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Nikki Haley is off and running in New Hampshire — and yes, I saw some of you there last night. Haley is in the midst of her first trip to New Hampshire as a presidential candidate after frequenting the state last year to campaign for congressional hopefuls Matt Mowers and Don Bolduc. The latter is now her first big endorser in the state. Some view Bolduc, the GOP’s hard-right 2022 Senate nominee who dabbled in election denialism and ultimately lost by 10 points, as a liability for Haley. But he gives her a network to build on in New Hampshire at a time when the former chair of the state party is working for Donald Trump, the former vice chair is rallying support for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and other activists are playing the field. That Bolduc picked Haley over Trump, who waited until just days before the general election to endorse Bolduc, is unsurprising. “This really isn’t about him,” Bolduc told me. “Right now we have an opportunity for change.” Bookmark it and move on. Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley speaks at a town hall campaign event, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2023, in Exeter, N.H. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) | AP By being the first major candidate to declare against Trump, Haley is writing the playbook for dealing with the former president on the campaign trail. So far that’s been to acknowledge the ties that bind — in Haley’s case, offering anecdotes about her time as ambassador to the United Nations that double as ways to show off her diplomatic bona fides — then move on. Haley doesn't name Trump when she calls for a new generation of leadership, though her implication is clear. It's an approach that seemed to play well with last night's audience: a lot of Republicans and independents who had voted for Trump in the past and are now looking for someone — anyone — else. But she’ll eventually have to broaden her appeal. Otherwise, Haley’s opening pitch is heavy on her backstory and light on culture-war issues like abortion and sex education. The former got no mention last night. The latter did, when Haley said she doesn't think Florida’s law banning sexual orientation and gender identity education through third grade “goes far enough.” Haley has another town hall tonight. Before that she’ll attend a private meet-and-greet with the New Hampshire Federation of Republican Women, the first in the group’s planned series with presidential candidates. And while Haley was in New Hampshire yesterday, Gov. Chris Sununu was in Florida speaking to the Naples Republican Club. TODAY — Haley is at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at 6 p.m. THIS WEEKEND — Outgoing MassDems Chair Gus Bickford is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Rep. Ayanna Pressley is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. PROPAGANDA!  NUCLEAR KNOWN FOR COST OVERRUNS,  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY CAPITOL MARKETS WON'T INVEST  DUE TO RISK!                          RADIOACTIVE WASTE?  A message from NextEra Energy: A Beacon Research Poll shows that a majority of Massachusetts voters support clean, low-cost nuclear energy as a tool to fight climate change. Support for nuclear increases beyond 70% as people learn more.   MAHTY MONITOR — WALSH'S BREAKAWAY: Less than two years after he was sworn in as labor secretary, Marty Walsh will become the first statutory Cabinet secretary to exit the Biden administration. The former Boston mayor will skate off to the NHL Players’ Association — and a likely massive pay raise — in mid-March. The union finally confirmed the move Thursday, more than a week after news of Walsh’s pending departure set off a scramble to succeed him in Washington. Walsh never actually moved to D.C. , so instead of "welcome home" let's just say we'll see ya at Dunks, Mahty. The D.C. press corps is already mourning the loss of your accent.   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — WHO YOU SHOULD BE LOBBYING: Your 2023-2024 House and Senate lobbying guides — aka leadership and committee assignments for the new session — are here. Down several members of his leadership team after last session’s departures, House Speaker Ron Mariano elevated state Reps. Mike Moran to majority leader, Alice Peisch to assistant majority leader and Frank Moran to one of the two second assistant majority leader slots. He also named Danielle Gregoire 1st Division chair and moved Paul Donato back into leadership as 2nd Division chair. Senate President Karen Spilka ’s deputies remain unchanged. Mariano dismissed concerns about replacing the first female House majority leader — now-U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Claire Cronin — with a man. Five of Mariano’s nine deputies are women. And Moran, a former assistant majority leader who helped steer the Legislature through two redistricting cycles, “earned the right” to be majority leader, Mariano told reporters. See the full House and Senate committee assignments. — "Amid political pressures, TikTok hires lobbying firm in Massachusetts," by Anissa Gardizy, Boston Globe: "TikTok has hired a Massachusetts lobbying firm to advocate for policy at the state level, a new strategy for the Chinese-owned video-sharing app. Boston-based Bay State Strategies Group took on TikTok as a client this month, according to a filing with the state. It’s the first time TikTok has tapped a lobbying firm in Massachusetts, and it comes on the heels of mounting political pressures at the federal level regarding its ties to China and data security concerns." — “Santiago Treatment Hints At Possible Departure,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “[State Rep. Jon] Santiago, an emergency room physician and U.S. Army Reserve major who recently returned from a deployment overseas, held the unusual distinction of not receiving a single committee assignment when House Speaker Ron Mariano on Thursday rolled out the full list of each panel's leaders and rank-and-file members. … In two weeks, the job of veterans' services secretary becomes a full Cabinet-level position under a 2022 reform law. … A communications aide to the governor did not respond when asked about the possibility that Santiago might be named to a job.” — “State regulators verify 12K complaints against Mass. cops, will release info,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “More than a third of all complaints against police officers submitted to state law enforcement regulators by the end of 2021 were deemed ‘sustained’ because there was enough evidence to support the allegations, according to data released Thursday afternoon. The new details come as the Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission also voted to publish a list of police officers who were not granted state certification, including the names of 37 law enforcement agents who were denied certification because of a disciplinary matter.” — "Healey administration begins training police in how to inspect gun dealers amid concern laws aren’t being enforced," by Sarah L. Ryley, Boston Globe: "The Healey administration has launched advanced training courses for police officers on how to inspect gun dealers, following Globe reporting that found hundreds of gun shops across the state had gone years without a police inspection." THE LATEST NUMBERS — “Boston COVID wastewater data rises, Massachusetts virus cases dip and hospitalizations drop,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported 4,470 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 639 COVID cases from the last week was down 3% from the daily rate of 656 virus infections during the previous week.” FROM THE HUB — “Boston’s new outdoor dining guidelines include tighter rules in the North End,” by Diti Kohli, Boston Globe: “The Wu administration on Thursday released new outdoor dining rules for neighborhoods across the city that include a sharp cutback in allowable al fresco areas in the famed Italian enclave. Restaurants in most of Boston will be allowed to set up tables starting May 1 on adjacent sidewalks and in parking spaces after submitting engineering plans and paying a fee. But North End eateries will be limited to sidewalks, and only those of ‘adequate’ width. The required width will be 5 feet between the edge of the patio and the road in low traffic areas, and 8 feet in high traffic areas.” — “Boston Public Schools quietly negotiating with city police to formalize relationship,” by Naomi Martin and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Boston Public Schools is quietly negotiating an agreement with the city’s police force, which Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration said Thursday will not place police in schools but instead will formalize the two entities’ relationship and clarify when educators should call police to respond to incidents. Police have not been stationed inside Boston’s schools since the summer of 2021.” PROPAGANDA!  NUCLEAR KNOWN FOR COST OVERRUNS,  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY CAPITOL MARKETS WON'T INVEST  DUE TO RISK!  RADIOACTIVE WASTE?   A message from NextEra Energy:     IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — “New $50 million grant program will help ‘decarbonize’ low-income housing in Mass.,” by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “There are more than 2.6 million homes in Massachusetts. A lot of them are old and leaky, and use fossil fuels for heating and cooking — in fact, about 30% of the state's carbon emissions come from buildings. If Massachusetts is going to meet its legally binding climate goals, the building sector will need a massive overhaul. To help jumpstart the process of ‘decarbonizing,’ or dramatically reducing emissions, the Healey administration announced on Thursday a new $50 million grant program to fund retrofits in low- and moderate-income housing.” WARREN REPORT — "Elizabeth Warren is building an anti-crypto army. Some conservatives are on board," by Zachary Warmbrodt, POLITICO: "The progressive Massachusetts Democrat is starting to recruit conservative Senate Republicans to her anti-crypto cause and getting some early positive vibes from bank lobbyists, who also want to rein in digital asset startups." FROM THE 413 — “‘Rising star’ Javier Reyes confirmed as next UMass chancellor,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Moments after a unanimous vote Thursday morning by the University of Massachusetts board of trustees naming him the chancellor-elect for the flagship campus, Javier Reyes offered his appreciation for being selected in both English and then Spanish. … In English, Reyes, interim chancellor at the University of Illinois Chicago, elaborated on his excitement at assuming the chancellor role at a university committed to advancing the frontiers of research and innovation and promoting economic empowerment and equity.” — “State officials pledge to work with operator of 4 nursing homes in Chicopee, Westfield, Springfield to try to keep them open,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican.   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Boston’s Pride parade set to return this summer under new leadership and new name,” by Nick Stoico and Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: “New England’s largest Pride parade will return in June for the first time since 2019 under the leadership of a new organization after Boston Pride dissolved amid controversy over transgender and racial inclusion. Pride Month’s signature parade and festival will be held June 10 on Boston Common and at City Hall Plaza, according to Boston Pride For The People, the newly formed organization.” — “'Porn in our library' or beneficial knowledge? Abington book challenge raises the question,” by Peter Blandino, Patriot Ledger: “Titled 'This Book Is Gay,' the Juno Dawson nonfiction book is one of 14 that have faced challenges in the Massachusetts public schools so far this academic year. Critics object to the book's graphic descriptions of sex acts and say the book isn't appropriate for school-age children. In Abington, the book challenge devolved into several harsh meetings that included accusations of bigotry and personal attacks that have helped drive a wedge driven between some parents and school administrators.” THE NATIONAL TAKE — “DeSantis signs migrant relocation, election fraud bills,” by Anthony Izaguirre, The Associated Press: “Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed bills to expand his migrant relocation program and enhance the prosecutorial power of his election police unit, furthering key components of his conservative agenda ahead of his expected White House run. … The legislation is meant to quell legal questions that have surrounded a flight last year that the governor’s administration used to relocate a group of South American migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.” PROPAGANDA!  NUCLEAR KNOWN FOR COST OVERRUNS,  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY EXEMPT FROM LIABILITY CAPITOL MARKETS WON'T INVEST  DUE TO RISK!  RADIOACTIVE WASTE?   A message from NextEra Energy: Registered voters in Massachusetts show a clear interest in leveraging nuclear energy in the fight against climate change, according to a recent Beacon Research survey. The survey focused on the state’s energy resources, specifically how nuclear energy can be incorporated to reach long-term clean energy goals.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Kimberly Shea, Divya Chaturvedi and Carol Campbell have joined the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women. — Jack Chamberland is now comms director for Rep. Richard Neal. He most recently was legislative assistant and legislative correspondent for him. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Steve Grossman and Andrew Bilski. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to former state Auditor Suzanne Bump , the Boston Herald’s Rick Sobey and Joe Caiazzo of the JCN Group, who celebrate Saturday; and to WBZ’s Tiffany Chan , who celebrates Monday. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT:  A GALENTINE’S GALLOP —  GBH’s Saraya Wintersmith and the Boston Herald’s Sean Cotter walk hosts Jennifer Smith and Lisa Kashinsky through all the ways the Boston City Council is breaking with Mayor Michelle Wu  — and where they might be able to find some agreement. Kashinsky provides a dispatch from Senate President Karen Spilka’ s inaugural Galentine’s Day celebration. 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 Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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