Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Democrat bridging Republicans' divides

Friday, September 22, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The Democrat bridging Republicans' divides

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COME TOGETHER NOW — Nothing brings together warring Republicans in this state like a Democrat determined to stick it to her own party.

Diana DiZoglio already has the MassGOP (read: the party establishment) helping gather signatures for her ballot question to audit the Legislature.

Now she’s got Rick Green cutting a $10,000 check to help bankroll the effort, the auditor confirmed to Playbook.

Green — the former congressional candidate who runs 1A Auto Parts — is one of the leaders and financiers of the more conservative wing of the party helmed by Jim Lyons that’s continued to operate behind the scenes since losing power back in January. These two GOP factions can’t stand each other — and they’re certainly not working hand in hand on this ballot effort. But they’ve at least found some exceedingly rare common ground over it.

DiZoglio’s ballot committee got an even bigger check — for $25,000 — from auto-sales magnate Ernie Boch Jr., who’s hosted campaign events for Geoff Diehl and Donald Trump over the years. Some establishment Democrats are balking over DiZoglio taking money from Trump lovers (though Green is backing Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president this time around). But they were never going to be on her side in this fight anyway.

Back to those feuding Republicans, though. Republican State Committee members came together in a mostly civil meeting last night at Kowloon to approve a presidential primary delegate plan they hope will lure more candidates to compete in this Super Tuesday state.

Republicans moved to a winner-take-all model in 2020 to protect Trump, the sitting president who was facing a primary challenge from former Gov. Bill Weld. The candidate who won over 50 percent of the vote would get all the delegates. If no one cleared that threshold, delegates would be awarded to any candidate who got over 20 percent of the vote. Trump easily won them all with 86 percent of the vote.

The 50-percent threshold remains in place for 2024. But if no one crosses it, candidates now only need 10 percent of the vote to win delegates.

Trump will still have an advantage, if he continues to poll as high as he is now and the two lawsuits attempting to bar him from the ballot in Massachusetts fail. A Trump campaign adviser told Playbook the former president’s team is “thrilled” with the delegate plan.

But his rivals, state Republican leaders hope, will have more of a reason to compete here — and potentially help bring in more money to the state party that's still $116,000 in debt. To that end, MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale is also considering charging candidates up to $20,000 for primary ballot access (there are far cheaper ways they can get on the ballot ). Carnevale hopes to have the party back in the black by early next year.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Tax relief cometh.

Top Democratic legislative leaders say they’ve struck a deal on a package of tax breaks that “responsibly implements our shared goal of making Massachusetts more affordable, equitable, and competitive.” But we won’t know what’s in it until next week, when lawmakers plan to file and vote on the agreement that’s been nearly two years in the making.

Gov. Maura Healey said she’s “pleased” to see an accord. As she should be. This is a win for the governor, who made tax relief for families and businesses a centerpiece of her campaign last year. But how much of a win will depend on which proposals made the cut.

TODAY — Healey and Rep. Richard Neal announce federal transportation funding at 9:30 a.m. at Springfield Union Station. Healey hosts President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs at noon at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu recognizes AmeriCorps senior volunteers at 11 a.m. in Boston.

THIS WEEKEND — Massachusetts Democrats gather for their state party convention at 10 a.m. Saturday in Lowell. MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. AG Andrea Campbell is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Tips? Scoops? Heading to the MassDems convention? Say hi to Lisa while you're there. In the meantime, email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .

A message from Choose Who You Use:

Last winter, customers of Massachusetts utility companies saw the largest electric rate increases in recent memory. If those customers had contracted with a retail electric provider instead, they would have saved nearly a billion dollars. Now is not the time to give the utilities a bigger monopoly in Massachusetts. Join the Choose Who You Use coalition to protect electricity choice and give Massachusetts ratepayers the ability to choose the most affordable, renewable options for them.

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

THANK YOU, NEXT — Gov. Maura Healey is “grateful” to see the Biden administration expand legal status to — and open up access to work permits for — hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan migrants already in the country. "But," she told reporters yesterday , "it's not enough."

Venezuelan migrants make up a small percentage of the more than 6,500 families in the state’s overburdened emergency shelter system, according to the state. That means while the Biden administration’s latest migrant move could alleviate some of the political pressure the president has been feeling from Democrats in Massachusetts and elsewhere, the on-the-ground impact here could be limited.

The Healey administration on Thursday called for more federal funding, expedited work permits and extended temporary protected status for Haitian families. Elizabeth Sweet , executive director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, also called to add Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras — “countries from which many arrivals are coming to Massachusetts" — to that list.

And Democratic state Sen. Marc Pacheco called for better federal standards for all new arrivals at a press conference promoting state lawmakers' bipartisan push for Congress to overhaul the immigration system. More from the Boston Herald’s Chris Van Buskirk .

One group that could benefit now: the Venezuelan migrants flown to Martha’s Vineyard by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ’ administration. GBH’s Sarah Betancourt has more on that .

CAN'T WORK BUT FILING FEES?

— “Gov. Healey expands legal services for migrants living in emergency shelters,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “The Healey administration plans to expand legal services for migrants living in emergency shelters in Massachusetts to help them access work authorizations and use state funds to pay for their online application filing fees.”

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Keeping public records secret is costing Mass. state and local agencies,” by Ally Jarmanning and Todd Wallack, WBUR: “The town of Natick has paid WBUR more than $22,000 to settle a lawsuit after refusing for months to provide records on a police officer accused of sexually assaulting a dispatcher. It’s just the latest example of government agencies in Massachusetts paying out large sums after ignoring or rejecting public records requests.”

— “Mayors renew call for vocational school admission changes,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: “More than three years after calling on the state to revamp what they said were unfair and discriminatory admission practices at regional vocational schools, a group of Massachusetts mayors says little has changed — and they are calling on the new Healey administration to take decisive action on the issue.”

VAX-ACHUSETTS

— “2,772 confirmed cases and 29 deaths in a week. See the latest COVID-19 data from Mass.,” by Boston Globe staff.

A message from Choose Who You Use:

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA pauses nearly all contractor work on tracks for 48 hours after fed crackdown,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “The MBTA paused nearly all of its contractor work on its tracks for 48 hours starting Thursday as the agency manages its response to federal restrictions that were put in place because of a series of near misses between trains and employees, according to internal communications obtained by the Herald.”

THE CLARK CAUCUS

LISTEN — To House Democratic Whip Rep. Katherine Clark talk about what it would take for Democrats to help Speaker Kevin McCarthy avert a government shutdown and the origins of her "scary" nickname on Playbook Deep Dive .

FROM THE 413

— “Healey calls rural health access ‘critical’ as Leominster birth ward to close Saturday,” by Dave Thompson, MassLive: “As advocates wait for an eleventh-hour intervention from Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey to save the embattled birthing center at UMass Memorial Hospital’s Leominster campus, Healey said Thursday her office is doing ‘all that we can’ to ensure access to birthing services in Central Massachusetts and across the state.”

— “Sec. of State Bill Galvin uses Massachusetts Day to promote mail-in voting,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “Voting by mail is easy and secure, says Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin who promoted the convenience Thursday during Massachusetts Day at the Big E.”

— “Former president of Animal Dreams says John Krol 'stole' $6,800 from nonprofit; Krol says it's a banking 'mistake',” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “The former head of a nonprofit cat rescue organization says that after she noticed $6,800 was inexplicably deducted from the group's bank account in 2019, she traced the money. She found it was paying off John Krol’s personal credit card. … Krol, who is now a candidate for Pittsfield mayor, told Carver at the time that it was a banking mistake.”

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THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “‘Glitch’ deprived some 4,800 Mass. residents of Medicaid coverage,” by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Globe: “Thirty states, including Massachusetts, are pausing the removal of thousands of people from Medicaid rolls after the federal government identified a ‘glitch’ that had mistakenly deprived half a million eligible people across the country of state-sponsored insurance.”

— “City solicitor reviewing policy on flag displays at Attleboro City Hall,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “When the LGBTQ+ rainbow flag, also known as the Pride Flag, was raised at city hall in June, it sparked a question in the mind of Anthony Marine. Why did this group get a special privilege?”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— “RNC threatens to pull New Hampshire debate if state moves up presidential primary,” by Paul Steinhauser, Fox News: “The Republican National Committee is warning New Hampshire not to move up the date of their first-in-the-nation presidential primary. The RNC's debate committee decided — in consultation with RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel — during a Thursday conference call to issue a warning that it will pull a planned GOP presidential primary debate in New Hampshire if the state leapfrogs Iowa caucuses and moves to the top of the party's nominating calendar.”

POLL POSITION — President Joe Biden 's name might not be on the Democratic primary ballot in New Hampshire next year, but he's still far and away likely voters' top choice in the contest, a new UNH poll shows . He also leads every major Republican presidential candidate, former President Donald Trump included, by wide margins in hypothetical matchups.

A message from Choose Who You Use:

Last winter, customers of Massachusetts utility companies saw the largest electric rate increases in recent memory. If those customers had contracted with a retail electric provider instead, they would have saved close to a billion dollars. Competition means more choices for consumers. Now is not the moment to give the utility companies a bigger monopoly. Join the Choose Who You Use coalition to protect electricity choice and give Massachusetts ratepayers the ability to choose the most affordable, renewable options for them.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Staverne Miller is now acting commissioner of the Department of Children and Families. She succeeds Linda Spears , who is leaving DCF to serve as president and CEO of the Child Welfare League of America.

— Bill Connolly is Nixon Peabody’s next general counsel and chief legal officer.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Massachusetts Playbook and POLITICO alum Stephanie Murray , who’s now a political reporter at The Messenger; POLITICO alum and GBH’s Jeremy Siegel ; Chris Carlson, Abigail DesVergnes, Mike Knittle, Sean Moynihan of The Moynihan Group, TT Sitterley and Helena Zay .

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Michael Falcone of MacDougall Advisors and Joshua Foer , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers former Rep. Joseph Kennedy II , former Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Scott Wallace , founder of the Wallace Global Fund and co-founder of Kennedy Democrats; Musawir Chaudhry and Hope Hall.

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: ICE SPICE BABY — Hosts Jennifer Smith and Lisa Kashinsky talk municipal elections, home equity theft and Dunkin’s latest sugary creation. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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