Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Beacon Hill's blame game

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Beacon Hill's blame game

BY KELLY GARRITY , MIA MCCARTHY AND LISA KASHINSKY

SUPP-LICATIONS — Spotted on Beacon Hill on Monday: Community health center doctors terrified that they’ll have to turn a patient out into the cold because there’s no more room in the state’s overrun shelter system. Public employees imploring lawmakers to pass a bill containing their contracts so they can be paid the money they’re owed before the year is out. Housing advocates fearful of what will happen to migrant families who arrive in the state, only to be told there’s nowhere for them to go.

The fallout from the Legislature’s failure to hash out a deal over a $2.8 billion supplemental budget that would close out the fiscal year, authorize raises for thousands of state workers and infuse the shelter system with $250 million was abundant in and around the State House.

State workers rally outside the Massachusetts State House to urge lawmakers to pass a supplemental budget. | Kelly Garrity/POLITICO

Hundreds of union workers gathered on the State House steps in the afternoon to jeer lawmakers for “playing politics” with their paychecks. In the evening, another group gathered for a candlelight vigil to call on Beacon Hill leaders to find more space for the dozens of families on the emergency shelter waitlist and for new arrivals after that.

The blame game continued inside the building, too. And today, all of the finger-pointers are going to be in Massachusetts.

President Joe Biden , who Gov. Maura Healey continues to press for more help managing the migrant crisis, touches down here today for his family's annual Thanksgiving pilgrimage to Nantucket. Biden has blamed the Republican-controlled House for not engaging with his attempts at immigration reform and not passing the extra funding he’s requested. Biden and Healey are not expected to have any meetings on migrant matters during the president’s five-day stay.

State House Speaker Ron Mariano, meanwhile, took swipes at both Healey and the state Senate after the Boston Globe first reported that conference rooms at a state transportation building are being used as temporary overnight shelter for up to 25 wait-listed families. That situation is “emblematic of the need for funding that is specifically reserved for overflow shelter options with greater capacity,” Mariano said in a statement that alluded to his chamber’s plan to require Healey to spend $50 million of the $250 million she requested on overflow shelter.

But the state Senate hasn't agreed to that plan. And senators have in turn jabbed at the state House for taking so long to bring the shelter money Healey asked for in September up for a vote.

Mariano said the state House will keep pushing the Healey administration to find more overflow sites. There is some progress on that front, beyond the converted conference rooms. A spokesperson for the United Way of Massachusetts Bay, which the state seeded with $5 million to help local organizations open temporary overnight shelters, said it’s received “several” applications so far, and expects to be able to begin funding at least one this week.

Don’t forget about the Republicans who have unusual leverage during these informal sessions, where one lawmaker’s objection can derail a bill. The state House GOP caucus sent a letter to the conference committee tasked with negotiating the supplemental budget, urging them to pop state workers’ contracts out of the larger spending bill and move them forward so people can get their already-agreed-upon raises.

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook won’t publish Thursday and Friday. Have a happy Thanksgiving and we’ll be back in your inboxes on Monday!

TODAY — Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Rep. Jake Auchincloss announce affordable housing decarbonization grants at 10:30 a.m. in Brookline. Healey speaks at the Firefighter of the Year Awards at 1 p.m. in Worcester and walks in the March for the Food Bank of Western Massachusetts at 4 p.m. in Deerfield. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends Thanksgiving-related events.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com , mmccarthy@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com.

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PARTY POLITICS

‘A TITAN OF MASSACHUSETTS POLITICS’ — John Walsh , a force in Massachusetts Democratic politics who was a key architect of former Gov. Deval Patrick ’s historic win in 2006 and who helmed Sen. Ed Markey ’s 2020 reelection campaign, has died. He was 65.

Tributes are pouring in for Walsh, a beloved mentor to countless young politicians and operatives, who chaired the state party from 2007 to 2013 and was most recently Markey’s chief of staff. The Boston Globe reported that Walsh, who had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, died in hospice care.

“John Walsh was a political genius and a transformational figure in the history of Massachusetts movement building,” Markey said in a statement. “But more than his campaign work, more than Boston sports — both of which he enjoyed discussing immensely — John loved to talk about his family and how they made everything possible for him.”

Patrick wrote on X that Walsh’s “memory lives forever in the legions of us he inspired, taught and cared about." Here are some of the other remembrances:

— Rep. Jim McGovern described Walsh as a “brilliant political strategist with a heart of gold.”

— Gov. Maura Healey wrote on X that Walsh “was one of the truly good people. He was brilliant while staying relentlessly humble, optimistic, inclusive, and empathetic to all.”

— Rep. Ayanna Pressley described Walsh on X as not just a "titan of Massachusetts politics" but also a “dear friend and partner-in-good.”

— Alex Goldstein , who worked for Walsh on Patrick’s 2006 campaign and at the state party, wrote on X : “There are no words to describe the enormity of his loss to generations of leaders and activists that were transformed by the gifts of his kindness and wisdom.”

— Doug Rubin, who worked alongside Walsh on Patrick’s 2006 campaign, described Walsh on X as “probably the most influential person in my professional life. And I’m not the only one who feels that way.” He later told Playbook: “There was no one like John, that’s for sure.”

A note from Lisa: John was a great resource who was generous enough to share his years of wisdom with reporters. He always made time for me, even after he went to D.C. My condolences to his family and friends.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “ Mass. Gov. Maura Healey announces new push to combat rise in hate crimes ,” by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive: “A newly created unit of the Massachusetts State Police will work with local law enforcement and community leaders to better the commonwealth’s response to the growing number of hate crimes, officials announced on Monday. ‘One hate crime is too many and we’re seeing more than one a day,’ Gov. Maura Healey said during a Monday news conference at the State House."

— “ State officials tout no bias in police stops. Looking closer reveals a different reality, ” by Jeannette Hinkle, Brad Petrishen, Dian Zhang, Dan Keemahill, Cape Cod Times/Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “When Massachusetts released its first taxpayer-funded report on racial profiling in two decades last year, the narrative was clear. Researchers found 'no support for patterns of racial disparity in traffic stops,' state public safety officials wrote in a press release. But a USA TODAY Network investigation by the Cape Cod Times, Worcester Telegram & Gazette and USA TODAY raises serious questions about how the study was procured, influenced and framed by staff at the state’s public safety agency.”

— "With adult shelters in Mass. overflowing, advocates worry about winter," by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: "Although the adult shelter population always swells as winter approaches, advocates and officials say in many places, the increase in individuals seeking shelter happened much earlier than normal and in larger numbers than expected. Facing what they says is a dire situation, several advocates and homeless service providers sent a letter to Healey calling for the state to open large overflow shelter facilities for the cold months. Anyone facing homelessness — from unaccompanied youth and adults to families — should have access to those emergency facilities, they said."

MASK-ACHUSETTS

— “Boston-area COVID wastewater rises ahead of Thanksgiving, free at-home test kits available,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “After a recent decline in the COVID wastewater data, the south-of-Boston and north-of-Boston virus wastewater levels have been climbing in the last week. The south-of-Boston weekly average is now up to 596 copies per milliliter, which is a 65% jump from 360 copies a week ago. Meanwhile, the north-of-Boston weekly average is up to 433 copies, also a 65% increase from 263 copies last week.”

— “ Health care coalition demands hospitals bring back masks, take precautions amid fears of COVID surge, ” by Emilee Klein, Greenfield Recorder.

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FROM THE HUB

— “ Wu intrigued by universal basic income program, ” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu says she backs the concept of universal basic income. What she doesn’t want is another limited pilot like the ones that have spread across the country. The topic came up during a conference on philanthropy earlier this month that Wu attended, sharing the stage with singer-songwriter John Legend and talking about how philanthropic entities can work with city government. Prompted by a question from an audience member about universal basic income — or UBI as it’s sometimes called — Wu pointed to a pilot program in Chelsea and said it’s been an ‘ongoing topic of conversation’ in Boston.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Lawmakers pushing for MBTA Commuter Rail electrification by 2035,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “State lawmakers are pushing new legislation that would finally set deadlines for electrifying the Commuter Rail, four years after the MBTA committed to the project. Much of the testimony at a roughly four-hour Joint Committee on Transportation hearing Monday focused on the proposed bill, which would require electrification of the entire Commuter Rail system by Dec. 31, 2035.”

DATELINE D.C.

NO FOWL PLAY — President Joe Biden pardoned two lucky Turkeys — Liberty and Bell — on Monday part of an annual pre-Thanksgiving tradition that dates back to the Truman administration. More from our colleague Myah Ward.

THE LOWELL CONNECTOR

— “ Councilors call for Corey Robinson to ‘step aside,’ ” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun: “City Councilor Corey Robinson’s fellow councilors pushed back Monday on his statement that he had 'no intention' of stepping down from his District 2 seat representing the Centralville neighborhood following his arraignment last week in Lowell District Court on two charges of assault and battery on a family/household member.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

NEW HAMPSHIRE’S MOST WANTED — Nearly six months after passing on his own presidential bid, New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is hitting the campaign trail almost as much as the Republicans who are actually running. On Monday, he appeared at town halls with former Govs. Nikki Haley and Chris Christie . Today he's going to one with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis .

Sununu is taking his sweet time endorsing. And there’s no rush, with nine weeks still to go until the first-in-the-nation primary. There’s not, as Sununu is looking for, a clear alternative to Donald Trump — though Haley is making a strong case for second place in recent New Hampshire polls.

When someone yelled out “endorsement!” as Sununu was introducing Haley in Hooksett yesterday, the governor, who was in the middle of discussing the New Balance event he’d just come from, replied: “I endorse New Balance wholeheartedly.” FWIW, New Balance Chair Jim Davis is backing Haley in this primary after previously supporting Trump.

Haley “did a great job in there, her message seems to resonate,” Sununu told reporters afterward. Later, in Nashua, Sununu told Christie he’s “almost a citizen” of New Hampshire with how much time he’s spending in the state, “and that’s exactly what we want with our candidates.” OK, no clear favorite there.

Sununu did highlight one difference between the two former governors: A few hours after the South Carolinian Haley joked that yesterday's sunny and roughly 40-degree weather was an “unbelievable kinda cold,” Sununu noted that Christie “doesn’t complain about our cold weather, which I love.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Michael Gordon and Bodo Liesenfeld have joined the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association board.

— Brenna Galvin is now press secretary at DCR .

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. David Muradian , Matt Martinelli , Michael Lipson , Jim Daiute and Timothy Cronin.

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