Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Haiti crisis hangs over Mass.

Thursday, March 21, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Haiti crisis hangs over Mass.

BY KELLY GARRITY , MIA MCCARTHY AND LISA KASHINSKY

Presented by

SHELTER SHOWDOWNS — When Ron DeSantis flew nearly 50 migrants to Martha’s Vineyard in 2022, the group of primarily Venezuelans who said they were lured by false promises of jobs and housing saw an outpouring of support from the island community.

If the Florida governor follows through on his suggestion this week that he could send more planes — this time full of Haitians fleeing the chaos in their country — to the Vineyard, they would be met with the same “empathy" and "compassion and support” the community showed a year and a half ago, state Sen. Julian Cyr told Playbook.

“It's disappointing that Ron DeSantis continues to prioritize pulling off political stunts, at the expense of vulnerable human beings, instead of solving complicated problems,” said Cyr, who represents the Cape and Islands.

But this isn’t 2022. The state’s emergency shelter system has reached a breaking point, and lawmakers grappling with its ballooning costs amid a revenue slump are now weighing unprecedented changes to the program.

An influx of Haitian migrants fleeing their home country amid threats of violence and dwindling food supplies could further complicate matters. Massachusetts has the third-largest Haitian diaspora in the U.S., a population that is likely to grow given the upheaval in the Caribbean country.

Rep. Ayanna Pressley, co-chair of the House Haiti Caucus, said Massachusetts and the rest of the country will see a surge of new arrivals if the root problems in Haiti are not addressed. “Until we redesignate [temporary protected status] for Haiti, halt deportations, stop the trafficking of arms from the U.S. to Haiti, we will continue to see the numbers grow,” Pressley told Playbook.

Pressley also said Massachusetts needs more federal funding to help care for migrants — money the Healey administration has long begged Congress and the Biden administration to provide.

“We need more. We have to make sure [states and municipalities] have robust federal support,” Pressley said. And, she added, “that is not limited to the situation in Haiti and the new arrivals that are coming into our Commonwealth.”

Cots are set up for migrants and homeless families at the Cass Recreational Complex shelter in Roxbury. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO

Now, state lawmakers who’ve all but given up waiting for federal aid are taking matters into their own hands.

Senators will vote today on their version of a supplemental budget that would allow the Healey administration to dip into the more than $800 million stashed in a pandemic-era savings account to cover shelter costs, while limiting shelter stays to nine months (with the possibility of 90-day extensions for those who meet certain qualifications).

HAVING ENDURED SENATOR TARR'S BEHAVIOR
FROM THE GALLERY....A SIGHT TO BEHOLD!
HIS PROPOSAL MAKES NO SENSE & WOULD
INCREASE HOMELESSNESS & HEALTH ISSUES,
AMONG OTHER ISSUES.

A SHORT SIGHTED & IRRESPONSIBLE
SOLUTION!

HOW ABOUT CONDEMNING MAGA GOP FOR THEIR FAILURES TO ACT ON A BIPARTISAN BORDER BILL?

Republicans are pushing amendments that would add even more restrictions. One from Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr would require people to have lived in the state for six months before becoming eligible for the emergency assistance program.

That change failed in the House, and it’s unlikely there’s any stronger appetite within the Senate’s Democratic supermajority. But, Tarr said, modifying the state’s right-to-shelter law was once off the table, too.

“We've now seen a proposed limitation in the House of nine months and a proposed limitation in the Senate of nine months,” Tarr told reporters Wednesday. “So, modifying the right to shelter law is now a line that we have crossed and everyone in this building has indicated a willingness to explore those options.”

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . We reached out to Gov. Maura Healey’s office to see if she wanted to comment on DeSantis’ threat — and to see if the maxed-out shelter system has space to accommodate a potential wave of arrivals from Haiti. Her office declined comment.

TODAY — Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at an early college day event at 10 a.m. and a youth mentoring day event at 11 a.m. at the State House. House Speaker Ron Mariano speaks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce forum at 9:45 a.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the launch of the 2024 youth summer jobs program at 11 a.m. in South Boston. Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at the North Shore Chamber of Commerce business expo at noon in Peabody.

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

A message from the Service Employees International Union:

Uber and Lyft are planning to spend big on a ballot initiative to buy their way around respecting the rights of Massachusetts’ rideshare drivers. But rideshare drivers in our state have a different vision: one that works better for consumers and gives drivers a voice on the job. Drivers can’t get there alone — we're calling on the Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions to convene drivers and rideshare companies and steer us down a better road.

DATELINE BEACON HILL

MIXED SIGNALS — Days after Gov. Maura Healey declined to tell The Boston Globe (and, later, the rest of us) where she went for four days in mid-February to “make sure that privacy is maintained for my family,” the paper published an episode of its “Love Letters” podcast in which Healey and her partner, Joanna Lydgate , opened up about their relationship and how music keeps them connected.

So to recap: Healey won’t say when she’s leaving the state due to unspecified “security concerns.” And she won’t disclose details of her personal trips because “my personal life is my personal life.” But she’ll discuss the “strain” her job puts on her relationship with Lydgate and the “cumulative toll” of the critiques she faces — about her job performance and her personal life — on a podcast.

CommonWealth Beacon’s Gintautas Dumcius called it “mixed messages.” Globe columnist Joan Vennochi wrote that Healey is “setting up a zone of privacy that shifts very conveniently based on a calculation of what is helpful to share about her personal life.” And, as Vennochi points out , this isn’t just a transparency issue: Healey “‘travels with security,’ whether her travels are personal or state-related — which means they come with a taxpayer cost.”

LETTING SOME LIGHT IN — In a surprising move for the typically shadowy negotiations that take place on Beacon Hill, the group of six lawmakers hashing out the differences between the House and Senate gun bills opted to keep negotiations open to the public — until next week, at least. More from the State House News Service.

— “‘I nearly took my own life.’ Mass. poised to become 49th state to outlaw ‘revenge porn,’” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “The state Senate is expected to vote Thursday on a bill criminalizing 'revenge porn' that hews closely to a proposal that unanimously cleared the House. … With more than three months until lawmakers wrap up formal sessions, legislators, survivors, and advocates say they’re hopeful — some for the first time — that after floating around Beacon Hill for years, the legislation will finally reach Governor Maura Healey’s desk and close a loophole that nearly every other state long ago addressed.”

— “Changes in Personal Care Attendant program could harm disabled people in Berkshires. Advocates took their case to Gov. Healey,” by Greg Sukiennik, The Berkshire Eagle: “On Wednesday, a Berkshire County contingent joined disabled people and their advocates at the Statehouse in Boston to argue against proposed eligibility restrictions [for MassHealth’s Personal Care Attendant program]. Advocates say those changes would cause more than 100 Berkshire residents with disabilities, and about 6,000 statewide, to lose services that allow them to live at home.”

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FROM THE HUB

WU WATCH — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu still won’t say whether she’s running for reelection. But during a town hall with WBUR’s Rupa Shenoy, Wu pointed to long-term projects — like her ambitious — and controversial — plan to renovate White Stadium in Franklin Park — to hint at her intentions.

“I feel lucky every single day to wake up and get to try to make a difference in the city that has made every difference in my life and my family's life,” Wu said. “I hope to be able to make an announcement at some point about continuing to do this work.”

THE VIEW FROM NEW YORK — “Boston’s mayor makes friends — and enemies — with her focus on housing,” by E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker.

— “‘I wanted to put my fist through the TV.’ Not everyone in South Boston likes Ed Flynn’s take on St. Patrick’s Day parade,” by Niki Griswold and Maddie Khaw, The Boston Globe: “Numerous complaints about public debauchery, littering and destruction of property during this year’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade in South Boston has ignited a debate about the future of the long-running event, with City Councilor Ed Flynn calling for it to be relocated from his neighborhood if revelers don’t straighten up. … Most Southie residents who spoke with The Globe Wednesday afternoon disagreed with Flynn’s calls to move the parade — some strongly so.”

A message from the Service Employees International Union:

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “Cambridge City Council takes next step in pilot program to make MBTA Bus Route 1 fare-free,” by Ayumi Nagatomi, The Harvard Crimson: “The Cambridge City Council unanimously passed a policy order on Monday asking City Manager Yi-An Huang … to work with the MBTA and the City of Boston to implement a fare-free Route 1 bus program.”

NOTED — Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “can’t speak to anything that might be coming down the line,” related to more federal funding to replace the Cape Cod bridges . But he did tell WPRI’s Ted Nesi during a visit to Rhode Island earlier this week that “we’re fully aware of how much of a concern” the Cape bridges are.

KENNEDY COMPOUND

— “Kennedy family set to step up its efforts to help Biden's campaign,” by Mike Memoli, Peter Alexander and Kelly O'Donnell, NBC: “Some members of the extended Kennedy clan already have issued statements making clear they stand with [President Joe] Biden this fall. But a gathering of dozens of Kennedys at the White House last weekend marked the beginning of a more active effort by the family to boost Biden’s reelection effort, and push back against one of their own.”

MORE — Biden specifically shouted out former Rep. Joe Kennedy III , his special envoy to Northern Ireland, at the gathering, our White House colleagues report .

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FROM THE 413

ROLLING THE DICE — MGM Resorts is exploring the sale of its Springfield casino, Bloomberg’s Gillian Tan and Christopher Palmeri report . The Springfield Republican’s Jim Kinney dives into what that could mean for the city : “Any new owner buying MGM Springfield would still be bound not only by state gaming regulations but by MGM’s existing state license, its host agreements with Springfield and surrounding communities,” he writes.

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Mayor, council ponder: Who should live in New Bedford to work for the city?” by Frank Mulligan, The Standard-Times: “Mayor Jon Mitchell wants to eliminate a residency requirement for about 150 city management positions, and has offered to add city workers and firefighters into the mix.”

— “Fights at Brockton High 'trending downward' — what school police are doing,” by Christopher Butler, The Enterprise.

— “Then: a homeless encampment near the BU Bridge. Now: Hundreds and hundreds of jagged rocks,” by Spencer Buell, The Boston Globe.

— “Hiring freeze in Braintree as town officials grapple with budget woes,” by Fred Hanson, The Patriot Ledger.

— “Taunton sues hotel operator for housing too many migrant families,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald.

A message from the Service Employees International Union:

Massachusetts is facing a choice between two paths for the future of the gig economy:

Allow billion-dollar rideshare companies to pursue a deceptive, anti-worker ballot initiative that locks drivers into independent contractor status, depriving them of their basic rights and a meaningful voice on the job.
Empower our state’s 55,000 rideshare drivers with a voice through a union and give them the ability to bargain with rideshare companies to improve pay, safety, and working conditions.

Rideshare drivers have a roadmap for a better gig economy for Massachusetts, and it starts with legislative leadership convening all stakeholders to eliminate confusion on the ballot and reach a resolution. The Massachusetts legislature is at a critical crossroads. We urge them to choose a better path for drivers and consumers. Learn more here.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

THE PICKS ARE IN — Our governor who knows a thing or two about basketball is predicting South Carolina’s Gamecocks will pull off a March Madness win in the women’s bracket and that UConn’s Huskies will bring home the trophy for the second year in a row for the men — the same final predictions as Biden .

TRANSITIONS — Jess Bidgood is rejoining The New York Times as the new managing correspondent of the On Politics newsletter. She's now senior national political reporter for The Boston Globe.

— Abbey Niezgoda is going from reporter to managing editor at NBC10 Boston.

— Rick Sobey has been promoted from reporter to assistant editor at the Boston Herald.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to UMass Lowell’s John Cluverius, Ryanne Olsen and Shane Dunn .

NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: THE HEMP RACE — Hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky tackle some of the state’s burning mysteries: Why are hemp-based THC seltzers appearing outside of dispensaries? Why are fewer voters registering with a party? Where is Gov. Maura Healey traveling? Some of those prove easier to answer than others. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud .

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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