Friday, February 7, 2025

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Rules debate gets rolling

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Goli Sheikholeslami and John Harris

RULES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN’ — The Senate set the ball rolling on its rules debate Thursday — and with it, the larger conversation about transparency legislative leaders hinted at in their opening speeches of the session.

The chamber is pushing for a package of tweaks to the rules that govern the way they operate that, they argue, will shine a light on often opaque inner workings.

The proposed package calls for moving up the deadline bills that are reported out of committee (known as Joint Rule 10 day) by a couple months to early December in the first year of the two-year session. Legislators would also get a longer heads-up before a bill is brought before them for a vote, and both lawmakers and advocates would be notified about upcoming joint committee hearings earlier.

Senators also want to codify what they put into practice after the bumpy end/not-quite-end of formal lawmaking last session — allowing debate and votes on conference committee reports after the final formal session next summer.

And the package, if it passes, would require legislators to post summaries of bills they file written in “plain English” as state Sen. Paul Feeney put it to reporters Thursday.

The changes, said state Sen. Joan Lovely, the chair of the temporary committee set up to put the package together, should help increase “transparency and efficiency” after a session rife with inter-chamber bickering that saw logjams on multiple pieces of major legislation (most of which did end up passing, any legislator will remind you).

But the Senate still has to get in buy-in from the House. And here’s a quick reality check: The House and Senate haven’t been able to agree on joint rules for years. Last year’s debate became especially testy and ended with the House and Senate chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy threatening to hold separate hearings (A compromise energy bill did end up passing in limbo months between the final formal session and the end of year end of session, legislators will also remind you.).

House Speaker Ron Mariano was cool to the Senate’s pitch to push up Joint Rule 10 day. “We were concerned about that — that it does take away power from the chairmen,” he told reporters Thursday. “We wanted to encourage more fact finding on the problems with the bills and who they're benefiting and who they're hurting.” And he didn’t give much indication about what changes his chamber plans to make.

The big question: Whether the changes will in practice help legislation move along faster and give the public more insight into how and why their priorities make it across the finish line or falter.

Lawmakers have in the past regularly moved to suspend the rules to funnel fast-moving legislation through the process, especially when facing tight deadlines (or the threat of a Friday session or weekend work).

And advocates who have been pushing for more transparency say that, while some of these pieces are a good start, there’s plenty of room for improvement.

“Rules are one way for the Legislature to be made immediately more transparent in their operations, but as anyone will point out, they also suspend the rules fairly often,” Scotia Hille, the executive director of Act on Mass, told Playbook. “Really tackling the problems of a lack of transparency and the concentration of power in the Legislature will take deeper culture shifts.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . TGIF! Grab your shovels and your space savers, we could be in for some more snow this weekend.

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 1 p.m. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell hosts a press conference alongside New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin and Connecticut Attorney General William Tong on their lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s efforts to end birthright citizenship at 8:30 a.m. in Boston. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at the Greater Haverhill Chamber Business Awards Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. in Atkinson, New Hampshire, and at the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce annual meeting at noon in Plainville.

THE NEWTON NEBBISH IS AN UNINFORMED AIR HEAD WHO BLABBERS, HAS NO EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC POLICY....KELLER: EXPECT JUST ANOTHER SOFTBALL LOVE FEST

Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft greets commuters at the Maverick MBTA stop in East Boston at 7:30 a.m.

THIS WEEKEND — Kraft is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. House Speaker Ron Mariano is on WCVB’s “On The Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “State representative spent $10,000 from campaign coffers on crisis PR amid Globe reporting on relationship with lobbyist,” by Samantha J. Gross, The Boston Globe: “Democratic state Representative Jeffrey Roy spent $10,000 in campaign donations on an outside communications consultant amid Globe reporting about his relationship with a high-profile Beacon Hill lobbyist, records show. Roy paid the PR public relations firm of Joe Baerlein, a lawyer and consultant who has run his own PR shop since 2017, $10,000 on Jan. 21 for ‘Public Relations and Political Strategy consulting,’ according to his monthly disclosure, which was filed on Feb. 4. The filing came five days after the Globe inquired about how Baerlein was paid and one day before campaign finance laws require candidates to disclose their monthly spending, which is on the 5th.”

THIS IS A STATE-WIDE PROBLEM & REPUBLICANS OFFER NO SOLUTIONS! LEAVING PEOPLE IN THE COLD IS NOT A SOLUTION!

On a cold night, looking for New Bedford’s unhoused

The annual overnight census provides a snapshot of New Bedford’s homeless population. The 24-hour continuous effort is one of more than 400 censuses that take place on the same night in towns and cities across America.

https://newbedfordlight.org/on-a-cold-night-looking-for-new-bedfords-unhoused/

— “Mass. Democrats beat back Republican-led attempt to reduce state-run shelter funding,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts House Democrats trampled Republican-driven efforts Thursday to expand the information covered in background checks for state-run shelter applicants and reduce the amount of funding Beacon Hill is infusing into the taxpayer-funded emergency assistance program. During an hours-long session Thursday afternoon, House Republicans repeatedly tried to amend a $425 million spending bill that funds the shelter system through the end of fiscal year 2025 to include stricter reforms than what Democrats put forward earlier this week.”

PAY WALL FOR BOSTON HERALD RAG

— “222,000 new homes must be built over the next decade to fix housing shortage, state says,” by Andrew Brinker, The Boston Globe: “The Healey administration on Thursday laid out a new goal for housing construction that captured the staggering scale of the challenge facing Massachusetts: nearly a quarter-million new homes in just the next 10 years. In a state infamous for construction delays and opposition to new housing of all kinds, the analysis from a committee appointed by Governor Maura Healey crystallizes the severity of the housing shortage in Massachusetts that is warping the lives of everyday people and could worsen if the state does not begin building faster.”

HECKLING WORKS — Football fanatics can put one more bet on the books this year.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission voted Thursday to allow prop bets on the outcome of the coin flip at the start of the Super Bowl Sunday.

What you can bet on: which team will win the coin flip, whether that team will win the game, if the result is heads or tails and whether the away team (this year that’s the Kansas City Chiefs) makes the right call on the toss.

Sports bettors have a heckler to thank. State Gaming Commissioner Brad Hill brought the issue before the commission after he got heckled about it while refereeing a basketball game, per State House News Service .

The Race for City Hall

DON’T CALL IT A CAMPAIGN KICK-OFF — But Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Lunar New Year fundraiser was something in that realm. Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, a longtime Wu ally and chief budget writer in the House, kicked off the event, with a warning about the months ahead: “We’re in for a dogfight,” he told the crowd.

But Wu, he said, is the “right person” for the job. “She doesn’t back down when certain things — the press or Republicans or something else tries to push her around.”

The event capped a week of activity in Boston’s mayoral race after Josh Kraft officially launched his campaign Tuesday. The race may have gotten off to some early bickering, but the reception was relatively light on digs and heavy on introductions to the newest addition to Wu’s campaign team, her weeks-old daughter Mira.

MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS

— “ICE detained a Mass. man with no criminal record — and sent him to Texas,” by Jesús Marrero SuárezSimón Rios, WBUR: “Federal immigration police last week detained a Brazilian man living in Marlborough, Mass., and in a surprise move, swiftly transported him to a Texas facility. Attorneys say the transfer indicates he is being tracked for deportation, despite entering the U.S. legally and possessing no criminal record. Lucas Dos Santos Amaral is now listed at the Karnes County Immigration Processing Center in Karnes City, about 50 miles southeast of San Antonio, according to an online detainee locator run by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Just days ago, Amaral was being held at the Plymouth County jail, on an ICE detainer.”

— “Visas for human trafficking victims under scrutiny,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts law enforcement officials are increasingly helping victims of labor and sexual trafficking apply for special immigrant visas, but that path to legal status is coming under scrutiny from the Trump administration. In 2023, there were 526 requests to police and state prosecutors from trafficking victims seeking legal protection under visa programs designated for immigrant survivors of human trafficking, according to data from the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security. Of those requests, 354 were approved, the data shows.”

PAY WALL

TRUMPACHUSETTS

FASCISTS TARGET GROUPS TO UNITE EXTREMISTS AS A DISTRACTION FROM THEIR FAILED POLITIES!

— “Dept. of Education launches investigation into MIAA following Trump's order on trans athletes,” by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: “A day after President Donald Trump signed an executive order designed to keep transgender athletes from competing in girls and women’s sports, the Department of Education announced that it has launched an investigation into the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association for allegedly violating Title IX.”

ELIMINATING EDUCATION DEPT. WILL DISPROPORTIONATELY HURT REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED RED STATES THAT ALREADY LAG FAR BEHIND....

RELATED — “Mass. Sen. Markey, school advocates, line up against Trump’s moves on Education Department,” by John L. Micek, MassLive: “Days after President Donald Trump began a move to gut the U.S. Department of Education, a coalition of Bay State lawmakers, joined by allies across the state’s public education establishment, have teamed up to resist any executive action against the agency, MassLive can exclusively report.”

excerpts:

“Trump, Elon Musk and his henchmen want to lock the promise of public education behind an ivory tower of rich people and throw away the key, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., whose office is leading the effort, told MassLive on Thursday. ”That’s what Project 2025 wanted to do, and that’s what Trump is implementing."

“Every day, educators, students, administrators and parents in Massachusetts demonstrate what a world-class public education system can do: provide every child with the opportunity to thrive, strengthen our communities and drive economic growth,” the lawmakers and education groups said in a joint statement. “Students, parents, educators and communities deserve consistent leadership committed to improving education for all, not to be used as political pawns.”

TRUMP CHAOS REIGNS!

— “New Bedford health center grapples with confusing Trump DEI orders,” Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: “As part of its effort to clamp down on diversity, equity and inclusion, the Trump administration last week ordered federally funded health providers, including the Greater New Bedford Community Health Center, to cease certain programming relating to DEI, gender identity and transgender people in order to comply with executive orders. The U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) notice was paused just days later on Monday due to a court-issued restraining order, but the federal actions have introduced uncertainty to the New Bedford community, and may threaten future health services for residents, many of whom are lower income, uninsured, or immigrants.”

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FROM THE 413

— “Easthampton council picks Derby for president,” by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “The City Council unanimously elected Precinct 4 councilor Salem Derby to serve as the new council president at Wednesday’s meeting, expressing faith in his leadership and experience. Derby has been serving as the council’s acting president since his predecessor Homar Gomez was elected as a state representative, vacating his position on the council.”

— “Pittsfield school administrators agree to work longer days in return for pay raises in a contract with the School Committee,” by Greg Sukiennik, The Berkshire Eagle: “A three-year contract agreement between the Pittsfield School Committee and the union representing administrators resulted in pay raises for members in return for longer work days. The committee discussed the deal in executive session on Wednesday for about 15 minutes before returning and voting to ratify it in open session.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Administrators: Swastika found in Uxbridge High School bathroom 'not an isolated incident',” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “A swastika was found painted in an Uxbridge High School bathroom Wednesday, administrators told parents, part of a concerning uptick in slurs they called out as unacceptable. … In the email, reviewed by the Telegram & Gazette, Interim Superintendent Karen Dwyer and Uxbridge High Principal Michael Rubin wrote that staff found a swastika, along with other vulgar graffiti, in a girls bathroom Wednesday after school had closed.”

excerpts:

“This incident is particularly troubling as it occurs while many of our students are studying Elie Wiesel’s ‘Night,’” they wrote, “providing a stark contrast between learning about the Holocaust’s horrors and finding such hateful symbolism in our own school.”

“As Elie Wiesel himself reminded us, ‘The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference,’” they wrote. “We cannot and will not be indifferent to acts of hatred in our school, no matter who the target may be.”

Rubin, the grandson of Holocaust survivors, said he believes in many cases high school students are unaware of the harm such actions cause, and that education on that point is crucial.

TRUMP'S ACTIONS ARE BEING CHALLENGING IN COURT AS A VIOLATION OF THE IMPOUNTMENT ACT PASSED BY CONGRESS IN RESPONSE TO ANOTHER REPUBLICAN PRESIDENT

— “Federal money for 6 Cape Cod water quality projects still frozen after Trump order,” by Denise Coffey, The Cape Cod Times: “Federal funding remains frozen for six water quality restoration projects on the Cape, despite challenges to President Donald Trump's executive order. Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, has been unable to submit payment requests through the federal government portal since Jan. 21, the day after Trump took office.”

excerpt:

But one of the executive orders Trump signed during his first week in office paused disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Gottlieb believes that’s the reason he hasn’t been able to submit invoices.

“We’ve been unable to access the federal payment system to submit invoices for work legally authorized to be completed under the terms of binding contracts,” he said in a telephone interview Feb. 5.

The Automated Standard Application for Payments (ASAP) is an electronic system that federal agencies use to transfer money. Gottlieb has tried to access the system several times daily.

“When contracts are signed, the money transfers off the agency’s account into the ASAP system which is managed under the Department of Treasury,” he said. “That money is then available because it's been encumbered by the contract and distributed for legally authorized program activities and uses.”

Those two legally binding contracts, totaling $17.5 million, were authorized by Congress for the following projects:

The restoration of a tidal pond and salt marsh at Oyster Pond in West Falmouth.
A bog and wetland restoration project at Red Brook on the Falmouth/Mashpee border.
The restoration of a cold-water fisheries habitat for herring migration on the Upper Quashnet River in Mashpee.
The restoration of Mashpee River from Mashpee Pond to the tidal exchange on Route 28.
A salt marsh restoration project at the Weir Creek system in Dennis.
A cranberry bog and natural wetland conversion at Hinckleys Pond in Harwich.

The federal agency Gottlieb works with hasn’t been able to give him any information. He was told to contact the ASAP help line, but no one picks up.

“You can grow old waiting on the line,” he said. “No one answers. It’s pretty bad.”

— “Plenty of interest in North Attleboro Town Council for April election,” by Stephen Peterson, The Sun Chronicle: “Sixteen residents have taken out papers for the nine-member council ahead of Friday’s deadline. They include many incumbents but also several newcomers. Council members President Justin Pare, Vice President John Simmons, Daniel Donovan, Mark Gould, John Costello, Patricia St. Pierre and Andrea Slobogan have taken out papers. Pare, Donovan, Gould, Costello and St. Pierre have returned their papers and they’ve been certified as having enough signatures of registered voters.”

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Emily Myron is the new assistant director of land and habitat conservation at MassWildlife. She was a senior policy manager for The Nature Conservancy.

— Sean Costello is joining the Massachusetts Association of School Committees as its field director. He has worked in state Rep. Bruce Ayers’ office for the past ten years.

— Samantha Perry has started as communications director for state Sen. Barry Finegold.

SPOTTED — at Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s Lunar New Year fundraiser: Suzanne Lee, Colette Phillips, former Boston City Councilors John Tobin, Josh Zakim and Matt O’Malley; Darlene Lombos of the Greater Boston Labor Council; John Drinkwater of the AFL-CIO; Betsy Patullo, Tom Tinlin, Jake Sullivan, Dan Cence; state Reps. Aaron Michlewitz and Adrian Madaro; Boston City Councilor Sharon Durkan; Kevin Ready, Gustavo Quiroga, Shanti Frye, Marinell Rousmaniere of EdVestors; Harry Shipps, Sean Curran, Matt Wilder, Geoff Why and Ross Levanto.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former Uxbridge state Rep. Kevin Kuros, Keri Rodrigues, Mike Cummings, Mark Townsend, Michel R. Scheinman and Beth Robbins.

HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Gov. Maura Healey, Ben Stevens of Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, Jacob Foose and Larry Ruttman, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Gail Huff Brown, Geoff Young, Jessica Ross and Audrey Scagnelli.

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