Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: October surprise

Thursday, October 19, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: October surprise

PROGRAMMING NOTE — You’ve been reading her byline for months. Now you’ll be seeing a lot more of Kelly Garrity in your inboxes, on Beacon Hill and beyond.

I’m thrilled to officially welcome Kelly to Massachusetts Playbook. A member of POLITICO’s breaking news team since September 2022, this Northeastern University grad and Walpole native has covered everything from White House happenings to Boston’s City Council elections.

Kelly is now stepping into an expanded role with Playbook as I pivot to more fully covering the 2024 presidential primaries in New Hampshire. Some of you eagle-eyed politicos have already seen me — and my byline — up there these past few months. I’m grateful for the opportunity to cover this unprecedented campaign cycle in more depth. And don’t worry, I’ll still be delivering #mapoli news and scoops to your inboxes — just with a little less frequency.

New Hampshire, put me on your lists (if you haven’t already). Massachusetts, add Kelly to yours. And say hi when you see us around!

We also want to hear from you. What do you want to see more of in Playbook? More coverage of central and western Massachusetts politics? Of the 2024 primaries in New Hampshire? Of Rhode Island? Please email us your thoughts: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Now to the news.

Four Boston electeds are endorsing William King in the District 6 City Council race today, a quartet that includes state Reps. Russell Holmes and Christopher Worrell and Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden.

But one name stands out: Tania Fernandes Anderson. The District 7 councilor is an ally of District 6 Councilor Kendra Lara, who voters sent packing in the preliminary election after her late-June car crash. Now Fernandes Anderson is backing King, a lifelong Boston resident and nonprofit IT director who is Black, for Lara’s seat.

“By electing leaders who understand our diverse communities' struggles , we will be best equipped to work together toward finding tangible solutions that uplift all residents, which is why I am proud to endorse William King,” Fernandes Anderson said in a statement shared first with Playbook.

Fernandes Anderson’s endorsement is notable for three reasons. She's a member of the council’s left bloc, but she's passing over the more progressive of the general-election candidates — Ben Weber — in favor of King. One of the council’s most outspoken critics of Mayor Michelle Wu, Fernandes Anderson is now positioning against Wu, who's backing Weber , on the campaign trail. And Fernandes Anderson is also aligning herself with one of her council foes: at-large Councilor Erin Murphy, who’s endorsed King and helped fundraise for him . As they say, politics makes strange bedfellows.

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announce an executive order on competing for federal funding at 9:30 a.m. at the State House. Driscoll attends a municipal marina ribbon-cutting ceremony at 1:30 p.m. in Scituate and participates in STEM Week events at 3 p.m. in Hanover and 6 p.m. at the Harvard College Observatory.

Wu provides an update on a homeownership program at 10:30 a.m. in Dorchester. AG Andrea Campbell is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends a Psychological Center gala at 6 p.m. in Lawrence.

GO INSIDE THE CAPITOL DOME: From the outset, POLITICO has been your eyes and ears on Capitol Hill, providing the most thorough Congress coverage — from political characters and emerging leaders to leadership squabbles and policy nuggets during committee markups and hearings. We're stepping up our game to ensure you’re fully informed on every key detail inside the Capitol Dome, all day, every day. Start your day with Playbook AM, refuel at midday with our Playbook PM halftime report and enrich your evening discussions with Huddle. Plus, stay updated with real-time buzz all day through our brand new Inside Congress Live feature. Learn more and subscribe here.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

BOND BILL BATTLE LINES — Elected officials and special-interest groups are already drawing battle lines over Gov. Maura Healey ’s $4.1 billion housing bond bill.

— THEY LIKE IT : Boston Mayor Michelle Wu , who summited Beacon Hill just last week to ask lawmakers to let the city levy a tax on high-dollar real-estate sales, said she’s “grateful” to see the governor supporting transfer fees. Associated Industries of Massachusetts and the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization are also among those backing the bond bill.

— MIXED REVIEWS: The Greater Boston Real Estate Board applauded initiatives to develop state-owned land and create more housing units. But CEO Greg Vasil slammed the transfer tax as an “unstable source of revenue that would cause more harm than good.”

— THEY DON’T LIKE IT: The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance is glad rent control didn’t make the bond bill, but that’s about the only thing the conservative group is happy about.

SPOTLIGHT ON HOUSING — As Healey begins her biggest housing push yet, the Boston Globe is out with a new Spotlight series on Greater Boston's housing crisis .

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — More than two-thirds of Massachusetts voters support legislation that would let cities and towns establish supervised drug consumption sites, according to a Beacon Research poll conducted for Massachusetts for Overdose Prevention Centers and sponsored by ACLU of Massachusetts. That includes majority support among Democrats (85 percent), independents (63 percent) and Republicans (53 percent).

The overdose-prevention coalition is releasing the results of the mid-September survey of 603 voters ahead of a Monday hearing on legislation from state Sen. Julian Cyr and state Reps. Marjorie Decker and Dylan Fernandes that would create a pilot program for safe-consumption sites. Massachusetts recorded a record-high 2,357 opioid-overdose deaths last year.

— “House Approves Gun Law Changes On 120-38 Vote,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “Most House Democrats lined up Wednesday in support of a major overhaul of the state's firearms laws, easily hurdling over procedural complaints and sending the Senate a measure that has generated incendiary criticism from gun owners and promises from supporters that it will save lives. … [Representatives] unanimously agreed to an amendment making clear that the bill does not ban off-duty police officers from carrying firearms in certain restricted spaces, so long as the weapon is provided by their department.” More from the Boston Globe's Samantha J. Gross .

— “Massachusetts is drowning in single-use plastics. Why not ban them?” by Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “An executive order issued by Governor Maura Healey earlier this fall banned state offices from buying single-use plastic bottles — a step hailed by many as a victory, but which applies to only 0.003 percent of the plastic bottles used in Massachusetts. … Now, lawmakers and advocates are pushing to go much further — an outright ban on single-use plastics.”

ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR

— “Mass, N.H. senators implore Biden administration to help Americans trapped in Gaza,” by Travis Andersen and Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: “Senators from Massachusetts and New Hampshire on Wednesday urged the Biden administration to ‘immediately implement a plan’ to help American citizens trapped in Gaza leave the war-torn area safely, including a Medway family and other New England constituents who’ve sought help from the lawmakers.”

— "At least six Jewish protesters arrested at pro-Palestine rally outside JFK federal building in Boston," by Danny McDonald and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: "At least six Jewish protesters were arrested at a pro-Palestine demonstration that descended on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s Boston office on Wednesday 'to push for de-escalation and a ceasefire' of the war between Israel and Hamas."

— “Mass. Rep. McGovern joins call for Israel-Hamas ceasefire,” by John L. Micek, MassLive.

— “State Department official resigns, citing ‘destructive’ decisions in Israel-Hamas war, ” by Andrew Zhang, POLITICO.

NO RESOLUTION — The Boston City Council punted yesterday on dueling resolutions tied to the Israel-Hamas conflict. One, filed by Councilor Michael Flaherty , condemned the “cowardly terrorist actions of Hamas” and expressed solidarity with Israel. The other, filed by Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson , called for an immediate ceasefire in the region. Rather than take a vote, councilors sent both resolutions to public hearings. More from the Globe’s Danny McDonald and Travis Andersen and the Herald’s Gayla Cawley.

Boston isn’t the only city weighing in on the conflict. Worcester’s City Council passed its own resolution on Tuesday, condemning Hamas for taking hostages in Israel.

PLAYBOOK IS GOING GLOBAL! We’re excited to introduce Global Playbook, POLITICO’s premier newsletter that brings you inside the most important conversations at the most influential events in the world. From the buzzy echoes emanating from the snowy peaks at the WEF in Davos to the discussions and personalities at Milken Global in Beverly Hills, to the heart of diplomacy at UNGA in New York City – author Suzanne Lynch brings it all to your fingertips. Experience the elite. Witness the influential. And never miss a global beat. BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION. SUBSCRIBE NOW .

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “As state pleads for federal help, Mass. lawmakers meet with Homeland Security secretary on migrants,” by Tal Kopan and Jim Puzzanghera, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts’ representatives in Congress met with the secretary of Homeland Security for an hour on Wednesday morning to impress upon him the need for more assistance to deal with the number of migrants seeking shelter in the Commonwealth. Representative Richard Neal of Springfield said he organized the meeting of the state’s all-Democratic delegation and Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas at the request of Governor Maura Healey."

— “Violations do not hold up with state contract for Days Inn,” by Monica Sager, Eagle-Tribune: “The state is paying over $211.9 million to Community Teamwork to assist homeless and immigrant families in shelters, including the Days Inn in Methuen. … [I]n the contract between the [state] and Community Teamwork, the ‘scope of service’ indicated the contractor, Community Teamwork, must ‘provide safe, clean, well-maintained and furnished facilities for families.’ … But recent inspections did not find this true to the Days Inn situation.”

Days Inn racks up 347 health violations
https://nationworldnews.com/days-inn-racks-up-347-health-violations/

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

'SPILLING THE T' — The MBTA’s podcast is officially here, after a fittingly stop-and-start launch earlier this month. The first episode, which was posted and then quickly taken down at the beginning of month, features a conversation with MBTA General Manager Phil Eng about the challenges facing the system and his vision for its future.

DAY IN COURT

— “Biden nominates Joshua Levy as permanent Massachusetts U.S. attorney,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “The White House announced Wednesday that President Biden intends to nominate Acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Joshua Levy to permanently serve in the position. Levy has been acting U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts since Rachael Rollins resigned in May. She left office after two federal investigations found ethics violations and abuses of power.”

FROM THE 413

— “Springfield mayoral hopeful says COVID aid grantee has conflict; state rules imply otherwise,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican: “In a statement issued Tuesday by Justin Hurst, a 10-year councilor who is running for mayor, he questioned if his rival Mayor Domenic J. Sarno improperly pledged $250,000 in American Recovery Plan Act funds to the City Line Cafe, which is owned by Martin Cunningham, a Planning Board member.”

— “Peter Marchetti gets Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll's endorsements in his run for mayor of Pittsfield,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “New report shows ‘catastrophic’ cost of not replacing Cape Cod bridges,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: “According to a report prepared at the request of U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Bill Keating, the 90-year old Bourne and Sagamore Bridges are already costing Cape businesses money and impacting quality of life for the people who live and visit the region.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "‘There’s just no excitement’: Retail politics takes a nosedive in a Trump-dominated campaign," by Natalie Allison and Lisa Kashinsky, POLITICO: "GOP candidate events in Iowa, the first-in-the-nation caucus state, are down nearly 50 percent this election cycle, compared to the same point in 2015, according to a review of campaign event trackers in early states. In New Hampshire, the first primary state, the candidates’ roster of September events was a fraction of those eight years ago. And hardly anyone is making the trek to Nevada."

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Nicole “Nikki” Davies has joined Morgan, Brown & Joy as an associate.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to POLITICO’s Kyle Cheney , state Rep. Alan Silvia , Michael Goodman, state Rep. Kate Donaghue, Isaac Simon, Griffin Tighe of state Rep. Kate Hogan’s office and Mark Cote .

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: BOND, HOUSING BOND — GBH’s Katie Lannan joins hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky to discuss the building blocks of Gov. Maura Healey ’s housing bond bill. Koczela and Kashinsky dive into the latest on the state’s migrant crisis. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and SoundCloud .

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 .

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