Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Inside ballot campaign bank accounts

Tuesday, October 22, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Inside ballot campaign bank accounts

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BANK ON IT — Campaign lit, lawn signs, advertisements, consulting — some ballot campaign committees are spending big to try to sway voters to their side as they begin hitting the polls and submitting their mail-in ballots.

The latest campaign finance filings submitted yesterday offer a glimpse into the state of the ballot question spending race. Here’s some highlights:

— The “High Standards Not High Stakes” committee pushing Question 2, which would end MCAS as a graduation requirement, still hasn’t raised or spent any money, but the Massachusetts Teachers Association is nearing $9.7 million in in-kind contributions.

That’s roughly six times as much as the opposition, though they ramped up fundraising in the last period that ran from Oct. 2-16, in part thanks to a $250,000 donation from New Balance Chairman Jim Davis.

— The “Committee to Protect Tips” has spent $1.6 million fighting to block Question 5, which would slowly bump up wages for tipped workers until it hits the state’s minimum wage (at which point business owners could decide to pool tips), more than twice as much as supporters have in real dollars and in-kind contributions combined.

— The “Coalition for Safe Communities,” the group opposing Question 4, which would legalize psychedelics, with restrictions, did finally stir to life after raising and spending no money during the previous reporting period. The group pulled in $100,675… but spent less than $30 during the last period.

That number will likely jump on the next report (due on Election Day). The committee is going up with TV ads in the Boston and Springfield markets today warning that passing Question 4 would be “dangerous” and touting support from The Boston Globe’s and the Berkshire Eagle’s editorial boards.

Meanwhile, the supportive “Massachusetts for Mental Health Option” has shelled out close to $6.5 million, and has been backed by another $452,462 in in-kind contributions. Despite the distance in fundraising, recent polls show Massachusetts voters are split on how they’ll vote.

But not all publicity needs to be paid for. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio rankled legislative leaders yesterday when her office released a 77-page “performance audit” blasting the Legislature for a lack of transparency, as her political operation pushes Question 1, which would give her the authority to crack open their books.

“It is beyond past time that we return to the historical practice of this office auditing the Legislature, as has been the case for the vast majority of the history of this office," DiZoglio said in a statement released with the report. "If there is nothing to hide, open up the doors and let the sunshine in. Sunlight is, after all, the best disinfectant."

House Speaker Ron Mariano slammed the report as “pure political self-promotion and electioneering” in a statement, and a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka described DiZoglio as “singularly focused on the upcoming election and promoting her ballot question,” while lawmakers concentrate on churning through work.

The committee pushing DiZoglio’s question has raised around $406,682 and spent $381,871 total so far, with the biggest costs coming from signature gathering. Who needs ads when the report earned the auditing effort plenty of press?

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. We’re officially two weeks out from the election:)

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey has no public events. Attorney General Andrea Campbell delivers remarks at a webinar on combating hate in Massachusetts schools hosted by her officer at 11 a.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu speaks at a National League of Cities event at 9 a.m. in Roxbury and give remarks at EdVestors’ 19th annual “School on the Move” prize ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in Back Bay. Sen. Ed Markey tours the Boston Children’s Museum and learn about its climate resilience planning initiative at noon in Boston and joins MassDems chair Steve Kerrigan for a virtual event on environmental issues at 7 p.m.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Struggling with dos and don’ts for millionaire tax,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Beacon: “The constitutional amendment creating the millionaire tax was pretty vague about what could be done with the revenue it would generate. ... Despite the wide latitude afforded by the language, a budget-balancing maneuver by Gov. Maura Healey using millionaire tax money is drawing criticism on Beacon Hill and shaping up as the first real test of what exactly voters intended for the money.”

— “State regulators delay truck emissions rules,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “The Healey administration is pumping the brakes on tough new zero-emissions standards for trucks that were set to go into effect next year, citing a lack of technology and enforcement authority. The state Department of Environmental Protection said it is delaying implementation of the so-called Advanced Clean Truck regulations that would have required auto manufacturers, starting with the 2025 model year, to gradually increase annual sales of new zero-emission trucks in the state. The rules will now go into effect beginning with 2026 models, regulators said.”

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Massachusetts Republicans look to give power to courts in violent illegal immigrant cases,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and House Minority Leader Brad Jones are leading a push that addresses a ‘critical statutory gap’ preventing trial courts from holding convicted criminals and repeat offenders subject to immigration detainers. The legislation, slated to be filed Monday, comes after a series of violent illegal immigrants were released back into the community by local courts while federal officials held immigration detainers on them.” PAYWALL FOR BOSTON HERALD RAG

FROM THE HUB

— “At Boston Water & Sewer, unions push for an HR director to be placed on leave amid civil litigation,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “A trio of unions are pushing for a human resources director at the Boston Water and Sewer Commission to be sidelined from her day-to-day duties amid civil litigation that alleges she swindled a house away from an elderly relative who suffers from dementia. Representatives from three labor groups wrote a letter to the commission’s executive director, Henry F. Vitale, and the agency’s board of commissioners this month ‘strongly suggesting’ that union members’ ‘sensitive information be entrusted to the custody of the legal department’ until the HR director in question, Marie A. Theodat, is placed on administrative leave pending the conclusion of an internal probe or the resolution of the civil litigation.”

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

2025 WATCH — All’s still quiet on the Josh Kraft front. The New England Patriots Foundation president didn’t say Monday evening if he’ll run for mayor in Boston next year when pressed by reporters after a forum on civic engagement at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library.

“Tonight I was just focusing on getting young people to vote and talking about the importance of voting,” Kraft said. “So that’s what I’m going to talk about tonight.”

During the forum, Kraft, alongside Patriots defensive end Keion White and MassVOTE’s Marisol Santiago fielded questions from UMass Boston political science professor Erin O’Brien.

Emphasizing the importance any one vote can make, he shouted out Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia, who won her seat on the council by a single vote in 2019.

As for his own political role models, Kraft told reporters he was a fan of President Harry Truman and mentioned late Chelsea state Rep. Richie Voke, who he described as a “mentor.”

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “McGee to lead MBTA board as Glynn steps aside,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Beacon: “Thomas Glynn is stepping down as chair of the MBTA board of directors on November 1 and being replaced by his colleague on the board, Thomas McGee. McGee, a former state lawmaker and mayor of Lynn, is very similar to Glynn in a policy sense. Both men share a belief that the MBTA is key to the long-term economic well-being of eastern Massachusetts and deserving of strong state support.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

ENDORSEMENT CORNER — Former Gov. Charlie Baker endorsed Republican Governor’s Council candidate and Peabody City Councilor Anne Manning-Martin, her campaign announced last night. Manning-Martin “has a proven record of being a strong independent voice when we need it most,” Baker said in a statement.

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “Cannabis businesses are surrendering licenses at an increased pace in Mass.,” by Isabel Hart, Boston Business Journal: “The rate at which cannabis businesses are surrendering licenses has picked up rapidly in the past year as the industry faces economic and regulatory headwinds. Since last September, four retail licenses have been either surrendered, not renewed or revoked. In the entire five years since the legal cannabis industry sparked up in Massachusetts prior to September 2023, just five licenses had been surrendered by local businesses. On the non-retail side — which includes manufacturers and growers — 26 non-retail licenses have been surrendered, revoked or not renewed over the past year. Over the previous five years, only 11 such licenses were surrendered.”

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FROM THE 413

— “In Greenfield, city hall's fiscal stability questioned following departures,” by Michael Carolan, The Springfield Republican: “Two councilors are questioning the city‘s fiscal stability in the wake of an exodus of multiple longtime municipal employees following Virginia “Ginny” Desorgher’s landslide victory for mayor a year ago. Desorgher, a former councilor in the city of 18,000, won the mayor’s seat last November against incumbent Mayor Roxann Wedegartner. The finance director, accountant, treasurer/collector and two clerks are among at least a dozen municipal employees who have resigned or been terminated from their positions in the last nine months, city officials and employees said.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Poor parent behavior leads to Pentucket superintendent issuing statement,” by Matt Petry, The Newburyport News: “Two incidents of parents allegedly breaching school security and confronting other parents last week resulted in School Superintendent Justin Bartholomew issuing a strongly worded statement as well as asking police to investigate one of the confrontations.”

— “Protest planned after Gaza ceasefire resolution blocked from Worcester City Council agenda,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “After the city clerk's office declined to place a petition requesting support for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war on the agenda for the Tuesday City Council meeting, the multi-faith coalition behind the petition is planning a protest at City Hall before the meeting.”

MEDIA MATTERS

— “GBH replaces morning radio co-hosts, announces relaunch of 'Basic Black',” by Don Seiffert, Boston Business Journal: “GBH 89.7 FM is replacing the two millennial co-hosts of its morning radio program two-and-a-half years after they took over the role. The Boston nonprofit behind one of the area's two public radio stations said Monday that Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel, who debuted as hosts of Morning Edition in 2022, are moving onto new roles. … GBH said news reporter Mark Herz, who is 63, will step in as interim host of Morning Edition at a new time, 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. (it now runs 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.).”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Dr. Luu Ireland will serve as the new chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. John Rogers, Jonathan Carvalho, Jenna Lamond, Atlantic Council’s Trey Herr, Lindsay Kalter and Connor Meoli.

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