Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Massachusetts takes Manhattan

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Massachusetts takes Manhattan

BIG APPLE POLITICAL CIRCUS — Move over, "Family Feud." Former President Donald Trump’s courtroom drama is dominating from the local airwaves to the Boston Globe’s landing page.

Nearly every major Boston-area TV news station sent reporters and cameras to New York for Trump’s historic arraignment. The Globe had a political reporter stationed outside the Manhattan courthouse . And Trump pleading not guilty to 34 felony charges for allegedly falsifying business records led local newscasts through 11 p.m.

Trump remains a ratings driver for TV stations and clickbait for news sites . Articles about the former president’s indictment held five of the 10 spots on the Globe’s most-read list and accounted for four of the top 10 most-read stories on the Herald’s website as of 9 p.m. last night.

Former President Donald Trump is escorted to a courtroom, Tuesday, April 4, 2023, in New York. | AP

But plenty of other things happened yesterday. Here’s what you missed while watching Trump’s motorcade:

— The state is getting a new Department of Public Health commissioner. The Healey administration tapped CDC senior policy adviser and MGH infectious diseases doctor Robbie Goldstein, a progressive Democrat who primaried Rep. Stephen Lynch in 2020, for the role. The Boston Globe’s Jessica Bartlett and Kay Lazar have more .

— Gov. Maura Healey is establishing a Latino Empowerment council led by Archipelago Strategies Group CEO Josiane Martinez and La Colaborativa executive director Gladys Vega. The 40-member group , which brings together Latino leaders from Beacon Hill and beyond, will advise the governor on expanding economic opportunities for and improving the "overall wellbeing" of the state's growing Latino population.

— The Uber-and-Lyft-backed coalition pushing to keep app-based drivers as independent contractors is out with a new poll fueling its case. More than three-quarters of the 436 active drivers surveyed (from lists provided by the app companies) would “rather be classified” as independent contractors.

And 85 percent support legislation that would keep that classification and provide certain benefits, such as a guaranteed minimum wage and paid sick time. The mid-March poll conducted by Beacon Research (Healey’s favored polling firm) was paid for by the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work.

— The congressional delegation continues to probe Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse and its local implications. The FDIC, at Rep. Jake Auchincloss’ request, held a region-specific briefing for members yesterday. Auchincloss also met with Federal Reserve Bank of Boston CEO Susan Collins.

Lawmakers advocated for Massachusetts to “continue having a strong voice in the conversation” about banking regulations, Auchincloss told Playbook. They made the case that the state has a significant stake in the regulatory fallout from SVB’s crash, which affected not just tech startups but also nonprofits and affordable housing projects. And they spoke of the need to keep the small- and medium-sized banks that help prop up these sectors “competitive” against their larger counterparts.

“This is not a cascade of bank runs. The situation is stable,” Auchincloss said. “But there’s no room for complacency. We need the regulators to be issuing recommendations for how they can improve and we need them to remain vigilant.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

TODAY — Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll host the first meeting of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Latino Empowerment at 11 a.m. and attend a Gold Star Spouses Recognition Day event at 1:30 p.m., both at the State House. Driscoll chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is on “Java with Jimmy” at 9 a.m.

Sen. Ed Markey tours Community Servings at 10:30 a.m. in Jamaica Plain. Rep. Ayanna Pressley announces federal funding at 10:30 a.m. at Randolph’s Turner Free Library. Rep. Lori Trahan announces federal funding at 11:45 a.m. at Lowell Community Health Center. Rep. Jim McGovern visits Project Just Because at 2 p.m. in Hopkinton and joins the Worcester Zero Fare Coalition at 4 p.m. at the Millbury Senior Center.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Head of Mass. Commission for the Blind steps down following Globe report of turmoil within the agency,” by Elizabeth Koh, Boston Globe: “The head of the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind is stepping down from his post of four years, the state announced Tuesday, just days after a Globe report detailed turmoil within the agency, including allegations of verbal abuse, questionable spending, and subpar services.”

— “Report faults MassHealth for paying claims to dead people,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “The report, released by state Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro’s office, found that between 2017 and 2021 MassHealth paid nearly $17,500 in claims for personal emergency response systems more than 30 days after the recipient’s listed date of death.”

— BUDGET BATTLES: Andrea Campbell is pressing lawmakers for more money to retain and hire lawyers in the attorney general’s office. She’s asking for about $1 million more than Gov. Maura Healey proposed for her old office in her first budget. More from State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski .

— “Treasurer Goldberg wants the state pension fund divested from gun manufacturers,” by Haley Lerner, GBH News: “Massachusetts Treasurer Deborah Goldberg is once again urging the Legislature to divest the state pension fund from gun manufacturers in response to the recent mass shootings across the country. … Just 0.002% of the pension fund is invested in manufacturers that sell assault rifles and ammunition to consumers, Goldberg said, or about $1.5 million of the $92 billion fund.”

— “Magic Mushrooms, MDMA would be legalized under Republican’s plan,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “According to [state Rep. Nicholas Boldyga,] the Southwick Republican, who calls himself ‘widely regarded as the most conservative member of the Massachusetts Legislature,’ the so-called war on drugs has led to ‘disastrous consequences’ and prevented society benefiting from what prevailing research has demonstrated are medicinally useful substances.”

— NEW DOG IN TOWN: The State House lost a familiar face when Merrick , the longtime guide dog for State House Americans with Disabilities Act coordinator Carl Richardson , retired in March. Now Richardson is training Tigger, a 2-year-old yellow Lab, for prime time. The Boston Globe’s Kate Armanini has more — with pictures!

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston joins ‘violence reduction’ program amid rising homicides,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Mayor Michelle Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox announced Tuesday that Boston was selected for a new ‘Violence Reduction Center Cohort,’ a weeklong training program for law enforcement, community leaders and service providers that aims to reduce gun-driven homicides in cities.”

— “Services for Mel King set for next week in Boston,” by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe.

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TRUMPACHUSETTS

— UNPACKING THE INDICTMENT: “The new revelations — and key questions — in the Trump indictment,” by Josh Gerstein, POLITICO: “Manhattan prosecutors allege that Trump concealed hush money payments by falsely labeling related transactions as legal expenses and by arranging for a tabloid publisher to bottle up the story of a woman who said she had a sexual relationship with Trump. In doing so, the prosecutors say, Trump repeatedly violated a New York corporate record-keeping law and agreed to break campaign finance laws.”

— THE VIEW FROM MAR-A-LAGO: “With an ‘arraignment party,’ Trump jolts his campaign,” by Meridith McGraw, Natalie Allison and Alex Isenstadt, POLITICO: “Tuesday, in a way, was like a campaign relaunch, still grievance-filled but with Trump world feeling that they are in a better position. The polling that just months ago was used as evidence of his failure to rally the base has dramatically shifted, now showing the former president with leads upward of 20 percentage points over DeSantis. It underscored the central paradox of Trump’s political career: His standing benefits from the crises he endures.”

— REPUBLICANS REACT: MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale said Trump’s arraignment “appears to be based on contrived legal arguments and discredits the notion of judicial integrity and impartiality.” Former Massachusetts governor and Utah U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney , a frequent Trump critic, said in a statement that Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg “stretched to reach felony criminal charges in order to fit a political agenda.”

— THE LOCAL ANGLE: “Donald Trump arraignment leaves mixed feelings among Massachusetts voters,” by Christina Hager, WBZ.

FROM THE 413

— MAIL ORDER: Agawam is the latest community to opt out of mail-in voting for this year’s municipal elections over cost concerns , the Springfield Republican’s Aprell May Munford reports.

— “Easthampton School Committee meeting shut down after more than 300 try to tune in,” by Luis Fieldman, MassLive: “Several members of the public shouted insults at members of the committee as they tried to figure out how to accommodate the large turnout, presumably drawn by the recent hiring of a superintendent that was rescinded the following week.”

— “City Council President Peter Marchetti kicks off his campaign for mayor with vision of 'One Pittsfield',” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “Marchetti is one of two announced candidates [vying to replace Mayor Linda Tyer]. Former City Council Vice President John Krol, who is also seeking the mayor’s office, [held] his own kickoff event at the Italian-American Club on Tuesday night.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Civil Rights office closes complaint filed against Newton by conservative parent group,” by Adria Watson, Boston Globe: “The decision addresses a federal civil rights complaint filed by Washington, D.C.-based Parents Defending Education last October against the high school alleging a student-led theater production broke the law by limiting auditions to only students of color.”

— “Union alleges coverup of incident involving gun at Southbridge High School,” by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: “Faculty and staff at Southbridge High School are criticizing school leaders and questioning why the school didn’t go into lockdown after a student posted a video of himself brandishing a gun in the school bathroom last month.”

— “Ex-Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. leaving Dean College after less than a year,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive.

— “Ballot questions about changing Seekonk town government fail at hands of voters,” by Stephen Peterson, The Sun Chronicle.

— “BU creates standards for chatbots in the classroom,” by Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Robin Levitt Topol, Timothy M. Murphy and Emily Grannon Fox are now partners at Nutter. Murphy and Fox will be based in Boston.

— Jane Doe Inc. policy director Hema Sarang-Sieminski is taking on the role of deputy director.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Charlie Baker alum and South & Hill Strategies co-founder Lizzy Guyton , and to Aleca Hughes McPherson .

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