Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Charlie Baker takes the hot seat

Saturday, January 20, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Charlie Baker takes the hot seat

With help from Lisa Kashinsky

CHAHLIE IN THE HOUSE — Charlie Baker may have closed his campaign bank accounts , but that doesn’t mean the former Republican governor is out of politics entirely.

Baker spent his Thursday morning on Capitol Hill, testifying at a “Name, Image and Likeness Playbook” hearing.

In his first year as president of the NCAA, Baker has become a familiar face in the halls of Congress. Once one of the nation’s most popular governors, it’s federal lawmakers who now hold Baker in high regard as he pushes for more legislative action on NIL issues.

And as NIL discussions have increased , so have Baker’s visits to Congress. Members on both sides of the aisle have introduced different NIL bills, but none have made progress on getting signed into law.

“I absolutely believe that we can reach a bipartisan bill — to use the term that several have used previously and I used to use a lot in my old job,” Baker said in his testimony, touching on his past gubernatorial experience in a blue state.

This time around, Baker sat in the hot seat as lawmakers used the NIL hearing as a vehicle to air a whole host of frustrations with the NCAA in front of a packed hearing room — a rarity among the daily hearings on Capitol Hill.

Charlie Baker, photographed while governor, testified Thursday before a House committee. | Elise Amendola/AP

Republicans and Democrats alike expressed concern over travel times for students in conferences that now include East and West Coast schools — especially for those in sports outside of football and basketball. Some members asked Baker about his plans to fix the student athlete transfer portal system.

They also asked about a more politically radioactive subject — transgender athletes competing in women’s sports, a staple of the campaign trail these days. Multiple Republican lawmakers wanted Baker to commit to preventing these athletes from competing but the former governor danced around the answer without a commitment. Ever the politician, however, he offered to speak with any disgruntled lawmakers afterwards.

“If folks want to have an open conversation about issues associated with college sports and women’s sports, we’ll figure out how to make that happen,” Baker said.

Baker wasn’t the only Bay State politician in the room Thursday. Democratic Rep. Lori Trahan, a former Georgetown volleyball player and strong advocate for NIL legislation, also serves on the committee. Trahan, who noted that the NCAA had kept its “head completely in the sand” on the NIL issue for years, highlighted the issue of international students not having the same NIL opportunities as domestic students.

She wasn’t impressed by Michigan Republican Rep. Tim Walberg’s question to Baker about whether an increase in international student athletes is preventing American students from playing at colleges.

“The hearing took a couple irrelevant turns. Here we are talking about NIL and we have one member who’s saying that international athletes shouldn't be allowed to play college sports because they're taking spots away from American players,” Trahan told Playbook after the hearing. “But Charlie did a good job of keeping it focused on what the hearing was about.”

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . That's enough D.C. coverage. Now back to New Hampshire (If you see us up there this week, say hi!).

TODAY — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at the Massachusetts Municipal Association’s annual meeting at 9:15 a.m.; Gov. Maura Healey delivers the keynote address at 9:30 a.m., and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends. Driscoll speaks at a roundtable at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at St. Anselm College at 2 p.m.

THE WEEKEND — Wu attends GOTV events for the write-in Joe Biden campaign in Nashua and Manchester Saturday. State Sen. Peter Durant is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Manchester Mayor Jay Ruais is on NBC10’s “At Issue” on Sunday.

Tips? Scoops? Things you want Mia to watch on Capitol Hill? Email us at mmccarthy@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

SUPPORTING THE STRIKE — Newton schools are closed after 98 percent of the members of the city’s teachers union voted Thursday to begin striking today .

The Newton Teachers Association has been negotiating with the school committee for over a year on a new contract the union is hoping will include pay raises and provisions that will require the city to hire more staff and social workers.

Now, Rep. Ayanna Pressley is wading into the fight, calling on Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller and the school committee to “fully fund the schools Newton deserves.”

Newton’s teachers “deserve a contract that reflects both the value of their labor and their humanity,” Pressley said in a statement first shared with Playbook. “I urge Mayor Fuller and the Newton School Committee to immediately come to the table, invest in our educators, and fully fund the schools Newton deserves.”

DATELINE BEACON HILL

NO TAX HIKES ON THE TABLE — Gov. Maura Healey doesn’t plan to turn to tax hikes or fee increases to cover the cost of the ambitious spending proposals she outlined in her State of the Commonwealth speech Wednesday night, she told reporters Thursday. And the Senate’s top budget writer is optimistic the state can make “needed investments” without raising taxes.

“Our economy continues to grow. We are not in a recession. Our GDP continues to grow. Albeit it's growing at a much smaller rate than what we were used to. We can certainly live within our means, make needed investments in education and early education, and health care and mental health and like without tax hikes,” Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues told Playbook.

The Legislature shares many of Healey’s goals, Rodrigues said, including education and early education, housing and mental health.

“We are going to make investments in those areas, to the point that we can afford to, and as much as we can afford,” he said.

— “ Healey advances $4B affordable housing bill, ‘highest priority’ of her administration ,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald: “Gov. Maura Healey moved an enormous $4.1 billion bill to tackle a housing shortage decades in the making to a Joint Committee on Housing hearing Thursday morning, doubling down on the urgency of the 'issue of our time' following her State of the Commonwealth speech the night before.”

— “ Governor’s budget cuts threaten services for seniors, providers say, ” by Jason Laughlin, The Boston Globe: “Programs for Massachusetts seniors are in dire need of new funding in the wake of the state’s recent round of fiscal belt tightening, say those who provide meals and other services to the elderly.”

— “Massachusetts Senate passes cat declawing ban bill sponsored by Springfield Sen. Adam Gomez,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican.

— “Healey administration lays out the logic behind its 5-year push to reinvent literacy learning,” by Max Larkin, WBUR.

WHAT'S ON CAMPBELL'S DOCKET

— “AG Campbell threatens ‘legal action,’ loss of funding if Milton referendum tanks new zoning plan,” by Jeremy C. Fox, The Boston Globe: “Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell warned Milton officials in a strongly worded letter this week that the town could face ‘legal action’ and lose ‘a wide variety of state funding’ if a referendum vote next month succeeds in nullifying the town’s most ambitious zoning proposal in nearly 100 years.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MassDOT backs, will study, Palmer stop for east-west rail,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The Massachusetts Department of Transportation and its consultants will study, select a site and do a conceptual design for a future Palmer stop on the proposed east-west passenger rail. The work, paid for from $4 million in the state’s capital fund set aside in June, is expected to take 18 months, state Rail and Transit Division Administrator Meredith Slesinger told the MassDOT Board of Directors this week.”

TRUMPACHUSETTS

BALLOT BATTLES, CONTINUED — The fight to bump Donald Trump off the ballot faced its first test Thursday, as lawyers for and against the effort met at a preliminary hearing to discuss the challenge.

But a motion to dismiss the challenge filed by Trump’s team on Wednesday held up debate and shifted the hearing’s focus to whether or not the state Ballot Law Commission has the jurisdiction to determine Trump’s eligibility.

Trump’s attorney Marc Salinas argued that because Trump got on the ballot by having the state party submit his name — rather than filing nominating papers — the commission doesn’t have the authority to remove him.

“There is nothing in the case law or the statutes that the c ommission is required to follow, that says qualification to be on a ballot is a precondition to appear on the ballot,” Salinas said, echoing an argument Secretary of State Bill Galvin made earlier this month. (If the state Democratic party submitted Barack Obama ’s name, Galvin said, he would be required to include it on the ballot, though federal law precludes the former president from seeking another term).

Free Speech for People and prominent labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan filed the two nearly identical challenges last week, and Thursday Liss-Riordan argued the commission does have the power under state law to weigh in on “the legality, validity, completeness and accuracy of all nomination papers and actions required by law to give candidates access to the ballot.”

Both sides have until the end of the day today to submit any other documents to the commission, but when and how the panel could rule is still unclear. Liss-Riordan hopes the commission “will act quickly,” since state law requires a decision by Jan. 29, she said.

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IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— “Offshore wind procurement delayed 2 months,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Beacon: “The Healey administration on Thursday said it is delaying the state’s next procurement of offshore wind by nearly two months to allow more time for the Internal Revenue Service to provide guidance on the availability of new tax credits. The delay pushes back the deadline for submission of bids from January 31 until March 27. More importantly, the two-month delay means final approval of the next offshore wind deals may not come until the end of 2024 or early 2025.”

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Uxbridge to refund more than $1 million to weed shop in impact fees case,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The Town of Uxbridge has reached an agreement in Superior Court to largely refund the community impact fees paid by a cannabis store, according to court documents and the law firm representing the store. On Dec. 29, the town entered into an agreement with Caroline's Cannabis to refund the store $1,171,633.60. According to a statement from the law firm MacMillan Law Offices, the refund constitutes 80% of the community impact fees the store paid the town and may be the first known refund of the controversial fees in the state.”

FROM THE 413

— “Hadley climate panel balks at toughening energy rules in building code,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette.

— “Pittsfield Mayor Peter Marchetti revives his 'One Pittsfield' campaign slogan — this time as a TV program,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, The Berkshire Eagle.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Norfolk DA denies being told he is target of federal investigation,” by Luis Fieldman, MassLive: “ Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey’s Office issued a statement Thursday denying that federal prosecutors named Morrissey or members of his office as targets of a federal probe due to the handling of Karen Read’s murder case.”

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

TRAIL MARKERS — Nikki Haley has a 12-plus-hour day on the campaign trail in New Hampshire today, but that’s been a rarity since the primary pivoted from Iowa. Debates are off. Donald Trump , who's been spending time in court, has an evening rally. Ron DeSantis returns today, but then he’s off to South Carolina for the weekend. Lisa and Natalie Allison have more on the collapse of the first-in-the-nation primary .

POLL — “ Trump slightly increases lead over Haley in New Hampshire, new Globe/Suffolk/NBC10 poll shows ,” by Marc Fortier, The Boston Globe

Here’s where the candidates are today:

TRUMP — holds a rally in Concord at 7 p.m. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio) campaigns for him at the Saddle Up Saloon in Kingston at 4 p.m.

HALEY — has GOTV events at 7:20 a.m. in Newfield; 8 a.m. in Hampton; 11:45 a.m. in Amherst; 4 p.m. in Milford and a 6:30 p.m. rally in Manchester.

DESANTIS — heads to the Courtyard Marriott Nashua at 4:45 p.m. and Cara Irish Pub in Dover at 7:30 p.m.

PHILLIPS — is in Salem at 7:30 a.m. and Concord at 5 p.m.

MARIANNE WILLIAMSON — is embarking on a diner tour of Manchester start at 2:45 p.m.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Sen. Julian Cyr, who turns 38 today, and Adam Sege. Happy belated to Kate Dineen, who celebrated Thursday.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Serena McMahon, Liam O’Connor, and your D.C.-based Playbook co-writer , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Molly Trowbridge, Jeremy Jacobs and Diego Sanchez, a Massachusetts Democratic State Committee member and Barney Frank alum.

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