Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey hits the road ... again

Wednesday, July 12, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey hits the road ... again

RACKING UP THOSE FREQUENT FLYER MILES — Maura Healey has been governor of Massachusetts for six months. She’s only been in the state for five of them.

Healey has spent 27 nights out of state since she was sworn in on Jan. 5, according to a review of the governor’s schedule. Counting travel days, her absences climb to upwards of 30. She’s trekked to Washington, D.C., four times, Florida twice (once for vacation, once for a Democratic governors’ conference) and Michigan for another DGA confab. She spent the past two weeks on a trade trip to Ireland followed by some R&R in Rhode Island.

Now, four days after returning to Massachusetts, Healey is leaving again. The governor is heading to Atlantic City this afternoon for a three-day National Governors Association meeting at the Hard Rock Hotel. By contrast, records show Charlie Baker spent less than two weeks out of the state during his first half year as governor.

Healey’s office defended her numerous trips in the name of “bolstering” the state’s competitiveness and said the governor "remains in constant communication with her team and continues to work" while traveling.

The governor “believes that engaging with other Governors and elected officials , and pitching Massachusetts to businesses, educational institutions, and residents in other states and countries are crucial to our success as a state,” Healey spokesperson Karissa Hand said in a statement.

Geoff Beckwith of the Massachusetts Municipal Association agrees, arguing that Healey’s physical absences are “immaterial” in the Zoom age. “Plus," he said, "who wouldn’t want the governor to be meeting with her Democratic and Republican colleagues across the country, building relationships and building best practices?”

But the conservative-leaning Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance doesn’t share the same view — particularly with the state budget growing later by the day. The group’s spokesperson, Paul Craney, told Playbook that the governor (and state lawmakers) “should not be abandoning their posts on Beacon Hill and traveling anywhere until they’ve done their job and passed an annual budget.”

“Massachusetts voters would be best served,” Craney continued, “if their governor took this more seriously before she booked her next junket.”

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's not yet clear how much Healey’s trips are costing taxpayers. Personal and political trips are not paid for by the state, her office said. The cost of the trade trip to Ireland, however, is still being calculated and will be divided between the state, the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative and the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership.

TODAY — Healey surveys western Massachusetts storm damage at 9 a.m. in North Adams and 10:30 a.m. in Williamsburg . Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Senate President Karen Spilka tour Framingham District Court at 10 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a women in policing event at BPD headquarters at 11:15 a.m. AG Andrea Campbell tours Springfield’s Caring Health Center at noon and hosts an open house at the AG’s Springfield regional office at 2 p.m. Sen. Elizabeth Warren chairs a Senate subcommittee hearing on bank mergers at 2:30 p.m. in D.C.

Tips? Scoops? Traveling with the governor? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .

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THE NATIONAL TAKE

POLITICO illustration/Photos by Getty Images, AP, iStock

— FOES WITH BENEFITS: Gov. Maura Healey made a splash by taking out a dozen billboards across Texas and Florida promoting Massachusetts’ LGBTQ protections as part of a $750,000 tourism campaign. But she’s hardly the first governor to cross state lines to send a message. Governors deprived of foils at home in states with one-party rule are increasingly trolling their ideological foes in faraway places. Shia Kapos and I dig into the digs for POLITICO’s “The Fifty.”

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “A new BMC policy turns away migrant families seeking shelter — even if it means sending some to the airport in an Uber,” by Samantha J. Gross and Elizabeth Koh, Boston Globe: “Administrators at Boston Medical Center, which serves the neediest patients in the Boston area, have barred migrant families from sheltering in its emergency department, in some cases even sending them after-hours in Ubers to Logan Airport, according to five workers and a document reviewed by the Globe.”

— “Cost of housing migrants in state-funded hotels, motels unclear as Massachusetts witnesses influx,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A Republican state lawmaker accused the Healey administration of providing a ‘woefully incomplete’ response to a request for the costs associated with housing migrant families in 38 hotels and motels on an emergency basis. A spokesperson for Gov. Maura Healey pushed back against Rep. Peter Durant, saying the Spencer Republican [who’s running for state Senate] agreed to a pared-down ‘narrative’ answer to a records request asking for the number of hotels and motels contracted with the state to house migrant families and the total cost to taxpayers.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “AG seeks tougher penalties for 'ghost' guns,” by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: “Attorney General Andrea Campbell is urging lawmakers to set tough restrictions on ‘ghost guns’ as they consider tightening the state’s firearm laws. … But Second Amendment groups argue tougher gun controls are unnecessary and would punish law-abiding owners while ignoring the issue of illegal firearms. On Tuesday, the National Association for Gun Rights issued a ‘travel advisory’ warning legal firearm owners to avoid Massachusetts, citing the proposed gun control regulations.”

— “Rolling rally highlights push for Uber and Lyft drivers to unionize,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “Honking their horns and cheering as they circled the State House in a caravan, Uber and Lyft drivers rallied with labor groups and other advocates Tuesday to again press Massachusetts lawmakers to pass a bill that would let the drivers unionize and offer other worker protections.”

— “Nonprofits face a wave of help requests as new driver's license law takes effect,” by Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez, WBUR.

FROM THE HUB

— “Healey recommends head of Boston police watchdog office for Suffolk register of probate,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “Governor Maura Healey is recommending Stephanie Everett, the head of Boston’s police watchdog agency, to be appointed Suffolk Register of Probate and Family Court, replacing Felix D. Arroyo who announced his retirement in March. Everett, currently the executive director of Boston’s Office of Police Accountability and Transparency — commonly referred to as OPAT — would be the first Black person to serve as Suffolk register of probate. The appointment still needs approval from the Governor’s Council.”

— “‘We can have all of this’: Wu highlights promise of a climate-friendly transportation system,” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “At a transportation summit Tuesday, Mayor Michelle Wu laid out her vision for how the city can transform, even in the face of a troubled T.”

— “Wu takes aim at state education commissioner’s claims about BPS,” by Hannah Loss, GBH News.

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THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— CASH DASH: Big names are looking to deliver Boston City Council President Ed Flynn a big fundraising haul at a July 22 reception at PR guru George Regan ’s Mashpee residence. Former Legal Sea Foods CEO Roger Berkowitz , former Attorney General Frank Bellotti and former City Councilor Bill Linehan are among the hosts of the event that doubles as an 84th birthday celebration for Flynn’s father, former Boston Mayor Ray Flynn , per an invite obtained by Playbook and first reported by the Dorchester Reporter’s Gintautas Dumcius .

— ‘NO REGRETS’: Outgoing Boston City Councilor Michael Flaherty “went back and forth” over whether to continue his reelection bid. But he ultimately has “no regrets” about ending it, he told Dumcius in a new interview , adding that he hopes “voters will hit the reset button” on a dysfunctional council nearly paralyzed by its infighting.

— BAD FOR BUSINESS: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu piled on in an interview on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” yesterday, saying that the string of controversies surrounding members of the City Council “hurts [the body’s] credibility on every issue.”

— "Former mayor Sam Sutter wants his job back. He promises to 'deliver results' with a plan," by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: "Former Fall River mayor and district attorney C. Sam Sutter told a crowd of supporters, in his official announcement for another run at the city's highest office, that if elected again he will be a 'results'-driven mayor. 'I can deliver results for the people of Fall River; results he has not been able to deliver,' said Sutter, referencing incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— PRIME TARGET: Searching for deals this Amazon Prime Day? Sen. Elizabeth Warren is offering 20 percent off her campaign merch with the code “PRIME”. The proceeds, she said in a fundraising email, will help “power our movement to pass a wealth tax” and make billionaires like Amazon founder Jeff Bezos “pay their fair share” — or “cry.”

— TL;DR: Rep. Lori Trahan is renewing her push to make websites and mobile apps make their terms-of-service agreements more transparent. The bill that would force companies to distill those lengthy agreements that no one reads into easily digestible summaries: the aptly titled “Terms-of-service Labeling, Design and Readability (TLDR) Act.”

FROM THE 413

— CALL TO ACTION: Reproductive Equity Now is urging Easthampton city councilors to override Mayor Nicole LaChapelle ’s veto of an ordinance that would protect access to reproductive and gender-affirming care and raise public awareness about so-called crisis pregnancy centers.

LaChapelle expressed concerns about costly legal challenges and the city’s role in enforcing the state’s abortion laws in rejecting the measure. But Rebecca Hart Holder, president of Reproductive Equity Now, issued a statement Tuesday saying that “Massachusetts has an obligation to double down on its efforts to educate and protect the public from deceptive facilities that promote medical disinformation.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Furor over LGBTQ+ Pride flag, rainbow crosswalks roils Whitman,” by Chris Helms, Brockton Enterprise: “Whitman officials narrowly agreed to raise the LGBTQ+ Pride flag on public property, but the culture-war flashpoint over painting crosswalks in rainbow colors remains to be settled.”

— “Mass. Gaming Commission rejects LIV Golf betting as Senate probes deal with PGA Tour,” by Jon Keller, WBZ.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— OFF TO THE RACES: Outgoing Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig officially jumped into the New Hampshire governor's race on Tuesday, two months after forming an exploratory committee for the seat. She's facing Executive Councilor Cinde Warmington in a primary that's already dividing the state's Democratic establishment. Republican Gov. Chris Sununu has been hinting he might not seek a record fifth two-year term, but has yet to announce his intentions. More from WMUR .

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— “High-profile progressive lawmakers Khanna, Schakowsky back Regunberg for Congress,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “The endorsements by Congressman Ro Khanna of California and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky of Illinois were announced by [former state Rep. Aaron] Regunberg’s campaign on Tuesday. … The twin endorsements are the latest effort by Regunberg’s campaign to position him as the top choice for progressive voters in a primary that could see as many as 21 Democrats on the ballot.”

— "GOP endorses Marine Corps veteran Gerry Leonard for Cicilline seat," by Ted Nesi, WPRI.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

SPOTTED — Former Rep. Joe Kennedy III , the U.S. special envoy to Northern Ireland, on Capitol Hill yesterday (h/t Mia McCarthy and Andrew Solender).

TRANSITIONS — Stephanie Swanson has been named EVP of government affairs at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts. She is an alum of Eric Lesser and Barry Finegold ’s state Senate offices.

— Former White House economic adviser Brian Deese has been named an MIT Innovation Fellow.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Charlestown state Rep. Dan Ryan , Daily Hampshire Gazette reporter Scott Merzbach, Gregorio Gomez, Arlene Remz, Madeline Saunders and POLITICO’s Ryan Lizza .

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