Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey's no good very bad day

Thursday, February 8, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey's no good very bad day

With help from Mia McCarthy

PERFECT STORM — And we thought the toughest thing Maura Healey would have to deal with Wednesday was selling her budget to some skeptical lawmakers.

Instead, the governor found herself under fire for nominating her former romantic partner to the state’s highest court and was later left hanging by two of her allies, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, when they voted to block the federal border deal that could have funneled desperately needed dollars toward Massachusetts and other states overwhelmed by an influx of migrants.

Gov. Maura Healey is navigating a difficult stretch. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

Healey defended her decision to nominate Gabrielle Wolohojian , a longtime Appeals Court judge, as her second pick to the Supreme Judicial Court . Wolohojian was unanimously recommended to Healey by the committee that vets SJC selections on her behalf. The governor wouldn’t say if the panel gave her any other names to consider.

“I don’t want the fact she had a personal relationship with me to deprive the commonwealth of the person who's most qualified for the position,” Healey said.

The best the warped MASS GOP can do is speak out in the mindless Boston Herald? That defines their audience.

MASS GOP has consistently promoted and supported unqualified, incompetent candidates, ignoring lack of QUALIFICATIONS.

But it might. Healey, who typically avoids putting her private life in the spotlight, is now inviting scrutiny of her personal affairs. While leaders in the legal community contend the pair’s past relationship won’t be an issue, it quickly became a political talking point. The MassGOP slammed the nomination as “highly inappropriate.” And it was predictably torn apart in the opinion pages of the Boston Herald.

Those concerns are reaching the Governor’s Council, which now faces the thorny task of deciding whether a seasoned judge who happens to be Healey’s former flame can ascend to the state’s top judicial bench. The Council is expected to take up the nomination on Feb. 21.

Councilors Terry Kennedy and Eileen Duff — who said they first urged Wolohojian to apply for a seat on the SJC seven or eight years ago — both told Playbook the nomination was a “courageous” move by the governor. “She’s the most qualified person in the state,” Duff said.

But another member, Tara Jacobs, questioned whether Wolohojian would have to recuse herself from cases involving the Executive Branch because of a conflict of interest. (Healey insisted Wolohojian wouldn’t, saying she doesn’t as an appellate judge.).

Healey drew some attention away from the controversy by unleashing her sharpest criticism yet of Congress for abandoning the border bill. But while the governor was railing against Republicans for walking away from the bipartisan deal, the state’s two Democratic senators were among the band of five progressives voting against advancing it .

Their dissension ultimately didn’t matter — Republicans had the numbers to tank the deal regardless of how the Democrats voted. “I can’t vote for a deal that’s dead and make those immigration provisions the starting basis for the next round of negotiations,” Warren told reporters at the Capitol. Markey expressed similar sentiments in a statement, raising concerns with policy changes that he said would have “eviscerat[ed] due process protections” for migrants.

But the deal’s demise is still a major blow to Healey, who engaged in private conversations with the White House and the congressional delegation as she publicly lobbied for the bill’s passage . And it’s yet another setback as she scrounges for millions more dollars to support the state’s overburdened shelter system.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Healey also nominated four district court judges Wednesday, as the former attorney general continues to reshape the state’s judiciary.

TODAY — is Healey’s birthday. Neither she nor Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have any public events.

Tips? Scoops? Hit us up: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

Gov. Maura Healey and Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz testified before the Legislature's Ways and Means Committee on her fiscal year 2025 budget. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

FISCAL ‘WINTER’ IS HERE — The Legislature’s chief budget writers issued grim fiscal forecasts during a budget hearing in which they warned “additional adjustments” to the current state spending plan may be warranted and telegraphed continued belt-tightening for the next one.

“Winter isn’t just coming, folks,” House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said. “It’s already here.”

Gov. Maura Healey and her finance secretary, Matthew Gorzkowicz , defended her roughly $58 billion spending plan in the face of slumping tax collections, saying it is based on “the best estimates available … through our consensus revenue process.” Healey is calling to increase state spending by about $2 billion in fiscal year 2025, and is asking lawmakers to balance that by trimming $450 million from various line items, avoiding spending increases in other areas and seeking new revenue sources.

But if revenues keep falling short of benchmarks, Michlewitz told Playbook the House would consider crafting a spending plan that’s even less than what Healey put on the table.

“That’s certainly an option based off of how the revenues have been tracking,” Michlewitz said. “We still have to see where the next couple of months go before making that declaration.” Catch up on the budget hearing with the Boston Herald .

ONTO SUPER TUESDAY — Dudley Selectman John Marsi is all-but guaranteed to take over the 6th Worcester House seat state Sen. Peter Durant vacated for his new post. Southbridge Town Councilor David Adams conceded the GOP primary Wednesday, sending Marsi onto the March 5 special general election in which he faces no Democratic opponent.

But there is a Democrat waiting to challenge him in November: Jeanne Costello , the vice chair of the Dudley-Charlton regional school committee, filed to run for the seat Wednesday after scrapping plans for a write-in campaign in the special election.

POUR ONE OUT FOR THESE BILLS — Bringing back happy hour is off the legislative menu (again) (for now). But bills that would legalize medical aid in dying, update the state’s sex-education guidelines and give state employees health insurance on their first day of employment are among those moving forward after receiving favorable reports from their committees by Wednesday’s Joint Rule 10 deadline.

Hanging in the balance: bills that would revive rent control and boost tenant protections (the Housing Committee asked for an extension until April 18) and the so-called CHERISH Act that would create a path toward debt-free college (the Higher Education Committee filed an extension until March 1).

— “‘An urgent, urgent issue’: Bill advances to give state authority in choosing reading curriculum,” by Mandy McLaren, The Boston Globe.

SMITTY’S NEXT STEPS — State Rep. Smitty Pignatelli chatted with WAMC Northeast Public Radio about the decision to end his 22-year run on Beacon Hill, what’s next for him (“Trying to keep West-East rail on the front burner”) and the nascent race to replace him (he’s talked two people interested so far).

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

IT’S GIVING SURROGATE — A day after President Joe Biden accused former President Donald Trump of pushing congressional Republicans to torch the border deal for political purposes, Healey did the same.

The bipartisan agreement would have “ended the migrant crisis and the inflow of people into this country,” said Healey, who is serving as a surrogate for Biden’s reelection campaign. “It’s incredibly frustrating that we were that close to a deal that, by the way, was negotiated and developed by a Republican, a Democrat and an independent. And all that went away because Donald Trump said something.”

Meanwhile, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said on “Java with Jimmy” that the overflow shelter site for migrant and homeless families at the Cass Recreational Complex in Roxbury is nearing its 400-person capacity a week after it opened. More from the Boston Herald .

A Suffolk University poll showed voters are split over the governor’s decision to move migrants from Logan Airport to the recreation center at the expense of community programs that use the facility. A plurality, 49 percent, of respondents supported the move, while 40 percent opposed it. The statewide survey of 1,000 registered voters was conducted Feb. 2-5 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

— “Next stop Seaport? Fort Point neighbors told brace for migrants,” by Gayla Cawley and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “ The city has warned startled Fort Point neighbors to be ready for migrants to move into their Seaport district. The Healey administration is eyeing an office building on Farnsworth Street as the next spot to house homeless migrants, the Herald has learned. The location is amid the bustling Seaport not far from the Children’s Museum. … An email sharing the potential migrant move to the Seaport area obtained by the Herald goes on to say other groups ‘need to be communicated with’ about the possibility of migrants squeezing into the area.”

— “Compassion vies with concern, confusion over migrant shelter at ‘the Cass’,” by Mandile Mpofu, The Bay State Banner.

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YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

CAMPAIGN SZN — Candidates running for office this year can begin pulling nomination papers, Secretary of State Bill Galvin announced Wednesday. Candidates running for district or county offices have until April 30 to collect signatures and submit them with their local clerks. Those eyeing federal office have until May 7 if they’re running in a party primary, or June 30 if they’re launching a non-party bid.

Speaking of federal office, Rep. Richard Neal has a challenger: Nadia Milleron , Ralph Nader ’s niece and an attorney-turned-aviation-safety advocate whose daughter died several years ago in a Boeing plane crash in Ethiopia. Milleron, who lives in Sheffield, filed paperwork with the Federal Election Commission earlier this month and confirmed to Playbook that she’s running. She’s holding a virtual meet-and-greet with the group of primarily Democratic activists who launched a website in 2022 critiquing Neal’s record, according to an email invitation obtained by Playbook. Milleron is running as an independent, according to her FEC filing.

THAT'S ALL SHE WROTE — Self-help author Marianne Williamson ended her second presidential campaign last night , leaving Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) as the sole major primary challenger to Biden. The Suffolk poll showed Biden crushing them both among likely Democratic primary voters in the state, with 70 percent support compared to 6 percent for Phillips and 5 percent for Williamson.

Biden also beat Trump and third-party candidates Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Cornel West in a hypothetical general-election matchup. Biden had 45 percent support, Trump had 26 percent, Kennedy won 9 percent and West had 2 percent.

DAY IN COURT

— “Former alderman gets two years in federal bribery case that rocked Somerville and Medford,” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “An attempt to bribe Medford’s police chief — part of a scheme to obtain approvals for a marijuana company that would earn him a six-figure yearly payout — earned former Somerville attorney and alderman Sean O’Donovan a two-year federal prison sentence.”

— “3rd Mass. State trooper charged in driver’s license bribery scandal pleads not guilty,” by Will Katcher, MassLive.

— “Ousted pot boss O’Brien’s appeal denied; hearing over job can go forward,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald.

FROM THE DELEGATION

— “4 months after Hamas' attack on Israel, Mass. congressional delegation split on ceasefire,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “The most striking example is Rep. Stephen Lynch. Immediately after the Oct. 7 attacks, he focused on their brutality and the need for unequivocal U.S. support for Israel. But on Jan. 19, Lynch added his name to the list of congressional members calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

CASHING IN ON THE HYPE — Mass. Lottery is running a Super Bowl ad locally featuring “Taylor,” but not the Taylor (Swift, of course).

TRANSITIONS — Healey named Andy Koziol as her East-West Rail director .

— Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian is now vice chair of the Council of State Governments Justice Center Advisory Board.

— Marc Aidinoff will be an assistant professor of the history and social studies of technology at Harvard. He was chief of staff for the Office of Science and Technology Policy at the White House.

— MAB Community Services CEO Barbara Salisbury is retiring. She previously served as the state’s budget director under former Gov. Mike Dukakis.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Gov. Maura Healey, Ben Stevens of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Jacob Foose and Larry Ruttman .

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: BIVALVE PARTISANSHIP — Lisa Kashinsky checks in on the state of the state GOP a year into Chair Amy Carnevale ’s tenure. Steve Koczela and Jennifer Smith talk polls and ballot measures. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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