Wednesday, April 23, 2025

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Mass. lawmakers take Louisiana

By Kelly Garrity

THANK YOU TO OUR GREAT MASSACHUSETTS DELEGATION FOR PROBING ICE ABUSE!

ICED OUT — Members of Massachusetts’s congressional delegation have been trying to set up a meeting with Rümeysa Öztürk since they learned that the Tufts PhD student had be relocated to a detention facility in Louisiana.

On Tuesday, thanks to assists from Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and Troy Carter (D-La.) and local and national chapters of the ACLU, Sen. Ed Markey and Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Jim McGovern finally had their chance.

The trip, Pressley said during a press conference outside the South Louisiana Correctional Center Tuesday night, was a way to “conduct some real time oversight” of the administration’s immigration practice. The five-member congressional delegation met with both Öztürk and Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil and got a glimpse of the facilities they’re being held in.

“All day today, I’ve been asking myself the same question: What is happening to our country?” McGovern said during the press conference. “Words fail me to adequately describe how upset and how disturbed I am by what is happening not only to these two individuals and to others, but what is happening to our country,” he added later.

Members took turns describing the meetings, and both Pressley and Markey raised concerns about the quality of medical care detainees had access to (Öztürk’s lawyers recently said she had suffered several asthma attacks since being detained/).

Despite the circumstances, Öztürk, who was dressed in an orange jumpsuit, Markey told Playbook in a phone call after the press conference was in “very strong spirits.” But she’s still “suffering from the trauma of having six people capture her off the streets of Somerville” and ship her to another state more than a thousand miles away, the senator said.

Öztürk still hasn’t been charged with a crime. Top Trump administration officials have implied that the decision to revoke her visa was related to an op-ed in the Tufts student newspaper she co-authored in support of Palestinians.

A judge ordered that Öztürk be sent back to Vermont, where she was held briefly, by May 1 . But Markey is holding out hope that she’ll be released from ICE custody before then.

“Our hope is that Rümeysa will be walking the streets of Somerville by this time next week,” he said.

GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Markey, Pressley and McGovern are holding a press conference at Logan at 11 a.m. to unpack their trip.

TODAY — Markey, McGovern and Pressley ’s presser is at 11 a.m. in Terminal C. Gov. Maura Healey and first lady Joanna Lydgate host the New England Donor Services for a Pediatric Organ Donation Week event at 10:45 a.m. in the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends a groundbreaking for some of Salem State University’s major capital projects at 9 a.m. in Salem. Pressley hosts a town hall in Somerville at 7 p.m.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

****BUDGET AMENDMENTS!****

— Budget amendments show needs outpace state's ability to provide by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: “Representatives filed 1,650 amendments to the House Ways and Means Committee's $61.4 billion budget for fiscal year 2026, most of which seek to add more spending to a proposal that already envisions sizable growth. Debate on the budget is planned for next week. That's the highest number of amendments heading into a House budget debate in at least 14 years, topping the prior high of 1,566 for the fiscal 2024 budget.”

***UNEMPLOYMENT INCREASING! PRESIDENT BIDEN LEFT OFFICE WITH HISTORICALLY LOW UNEMPLOYMENT...TRUMP'S ECONOMIC DESTRUCTION CONTINUES!*****

— State extends unemployment benefits to 30 weeks as Springfield jobless rate hits trigger by Larry Edelman, The Boston Globe: “Massachusetts is boosting the maximum period for collecting jobless benefits to 30 weeks — a move that will strain the state’s unemployment trust fund, which is quickly running low on money. The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said on Tuesday that the seasonally unadjusted 12-month average jobless rate in the Springfield metropolitan area reached 5.2 percent in March. That figure triggers a provision in state law that increases the benefit period from 26 weeks — the default when unemployment is lower.”

DRUMROLL, PLEASE — Pedro Martinez (no, not that one) has been tapped to serve as the state’s new education commissioner.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education backed Martinez, the outgoing superintendent of Chicago Public Schools, in a 9-2 vote Tuesday, describing him as the right person to meet the moment with tensions between the state and federal officials running high.

Not everyone’s celebrating. Martinez didn’t leave Chicago with a lot of love from the Chicago Teachers Union after tough contract negotiations , and he didn’t get a totally warm-and-fuzzy welcome from one of the unions here.

“While we would have preferred a candidate with more statewide experience and have concerns about how this search process was conducted, we hope that Pedro Martinez will live up to the ideals of the Commonwealth and be the type of commissioner our educators and students deserve,” American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts President Jessica Tang said in a statement Tuesday.

“If we are going to truly meet the needs of our students and communities during this tumultuous time in public education, it’s imperative that the incoming commissioner builds consensus and elevates the voices of educators, students, and families most impacted,” she added

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

****NEW HAMPSHIRE! IT'S TIME FOR LEADERSHIP! ******

SUPPORT MAURA SULLIVAN!

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Rep. Seth Moulton ’s Serve America PAC is making its first endorsement of the 2026 cycle, backing Marine veteran and former Obama administration official Maura Sullivan in the race for New Hampshire Rep. Chris Pappas ’s seat as he looks to move to the Senate.

“Maura Sullivan is an amazing Marine veteran, a proven public servant and exactly the kind of leader we need more of in Congress,” Moulton said in a statement. “I’m proud that she is our first Serve America endorsement for 2026.”

So far, Sullivan is the only high-profile Democrat to officially jump in the race. But former Portsmouth City Councilor Stefany Shaheen is also eyeing a bid .

FROM THE HUB

ACTING THE PART — Boston City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune is acting mayor through Thursday while Mayor Michelle Wu is out town during school vacation week. Wu is back Friday, when she plans to sign the home petition that would waive a special election in District 7 (should Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson resign before May 8).

****TRUMP PRAISED THE WHITE SUPREMACISTS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE WHO CHANTED "JEWS WILL NOT REPLACE US" AS WELL AS OTHER ANTI-SEMITIC CHANTS....TRUMP PROMOTES WHITE SUPREMACISTS..WHERE IS THE RECOGNITION OF TRUMP'S SUPPORT? WHERE IS THE CONDEMNATION?*****

— The Trump administration asked Boston for a meeting about antisemitism. Then it went quiet. by Emma Platoff, The Boston Globe: “On March 13, the Trump administration’s antisemitism task force asked Boston Mayor Michelle Wu for a meeting on a serious topic. ‘We are aware of information alleging that schools in Boston have faced unacceptable incidents of anti-Semitic harassment and violence,’ wrote Justice Department attorney Leo Terrell, adding that administration officials wanted to meet with Wu ‘within the next 30 days.’ Officials from the Justice Department proposed a meeting on April 23, and set a site visit on April 9 for staff to prepare for the conversation. But now, a day before the meeting was to take place, the task force appears to have gone quiet, and the proposed gathering seems to be off. City officials say they have not heard from the Justice Department since the April 9 gathering in Boston, and there is no meeting on the schedule for Wednesday.”

****CARNEY HOSPITAL CLOSURE! STEWARD FAILURE FALLOUT!****

— Carney Hospital task forces recommends continuing health care services at that site by Trajan Warren, GBH News: “The working group assigned to determine what’s next for Carney Hospital issued its final report Tuesday with the recommendation that the now-shuttered medical facility should continue to provide health care services. The 32-member group was assigned by Gov. Maura Healey to present recommendations on what should happen with the site after Carney closed last summer. The report states that the site could accommodate multiple uses including direct health care services and other services that would improve health outcomes for underserved communities.”

excerpt:

“We’ve also explored innovative health delivery models,” Ojikutu said at the time. “ So, ways to combine health care with health-related social needs and actually think about broader community-level social determinants of health.”

The group’s recommendations are organized around five priority areas — site use, emergency services, primary care and care coordination, behavioral health and health-related social needs and social determinants of health.

Carney closed in August as part of the bankruptcy of Steward Health Care, which owned the hospital.

Carney had about 30,000 emergency department visits yearly before it closed. Since Carney’s closure, Boston Emergency Medical Services has seen a 20% increase in transport time taking former Carney patients to other hospitals, the report found.

Neighboring emergency departments have seen an increase of patients since Carney’s closure causing increased wait times and increased workload on employees, the report found.

****PURGING HISTORY!******

— National Park Service scrubs Boston LGBTQ+ history in quiet purge of website by Tiana Woodard, The Boston Globe: “A self-guided tour of Boston’s LGBTQ+ history. An article about the annual Gay and Lesbian Town Hall Meeting at Faneuil Hall. Pages highlighting Black and LGBTQ+ history at the Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters historic site in Cambridge. These are among the materials National Park Service quietly removed from its website following an executive order for federal agencies to purge references to transgender people, gender identity, and equity, according to a Globe review.”

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

— Mayor Petty: Worcester moving forward on plan to rebuild Burncoat High School by Jesse Collings, Telegram & Gazette: “The decision to officially kick off his reelection campaign at Burncoat High School was a calculated one by Mayor Joseph Petty. Petty, who announced his plans to run for an eighth-term as mayor on April 22, stood outside the entrance of Burncoat, the same place where he first announced his candidacy for mayor 14 years ago. … Petty, 64, is aiming for Burncoat High School to be the third high school in the city to be redeveloped since he first took office in 2011.”

FROM THE DELEGATION

***PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE THE IRS FUNCTION TO SERVE TAXPAYERS OVER THE OBJECTIONS OF FOR PROFIT TAX PREPARERS! THERE WERE PEOPLE ANSWERING THE PHONES, ANSWERING QUESTIONS, PROCESSING TAX RETURNS FASTERS...TRUMP/MUSKRAT/DOGsh*t WANT TO SLASH GOVERNMENT TO FUND TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY....NOT WORK FOR AMERICANS! ****

— Mass. Sen. Warren, 175 Congressional Dems call on Trump not to shutter free tax-filing service by John L. Micek, MassLive: “This year’s tax season might be in the books, but the fight over a government service that millions of Americans use to file their taxes is still going strong. On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., joined by hundreds of her fellow Democrats on either side of Capitol Hill, called on the Trump administration to back off its plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program.”

This year’s tax season might be in the books, but the fight over a government service that millions of Americans use to file their taxes is still going strong.

On Tuesday, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., joined by hundreds of her fellow Democrats on either side of Capitol Hill, called on the Trump administration to back off its plans to eliminate the IRS’ Direct File program,

The electronic system, developed under the prior Biden administration, allows taxpayers to file their tax returns directly to the agency for free.

News of the decision to close it was first reported by The Associated Press, which cited two people familiar with the decision.

The system saved the average taxpayer $160 in tax-filing fees and saved them hours of work, Warren said in a statement on Tuesday.

But Republican lawmakers and commercial tax preparation companies complained it was a waste of taxpayer money because free filing programs already exist, although they are hard to use.

The program had been in limbo since the start of the Trump administration as Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency have slashed their way through the federal government.

Musk posted in February on his social media site, X, that he had “deleted” 18F, a government agency that worked on technology projects such as Direct File.

“Ending this free, easy-to-use, and popular program would be an insult to American taxpayers, eliminating an important alternative to commercial options provided by the tax prep industry,” the lawmakers wrote in a joint letter to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Acting IRS Commissioner Michael Faulkender.

The lawmakers asked the Treasury Department and the IRS to respond to their demands to preserve Direct-File by May 5.

Seven of Massachusetts’ nine Democratic members of the U.S. House signed onto the letter, according to a statement from Warren’s office.

U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., Warren’s Senate colleague, also signed the letter.

The Democratic lawmakers pushed back hard against what they described as industry efforts to end the program, asserting that the “free, easy-to-use tax filing program requires the [tax prep] industry to compete for taxpayer business and is a direct threat to the industry’s bottom line.”

The two people were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

The Treasury Department has not made a decision about the program’s future, according to an official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

Adam Ruben, a vice president at the liberal-leaning Economic Security Project, said “the fix was in from the beginning.”

“It is an outrage to see everyday taxpayers play no role in this decision,” he said. “Cutting costs and saving money for families were just empty campaign promises.”

But David Williams, president of the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, which describes itself as a nonpartisan organization that disseminates research and analysis on the government’s effects on the economy, said Direct File was “problematic” from day 1.

He cited the program’s costs and noting that many people who started the process never finished. According to the IRS 423,450 taxpayers logged into Direct File and 140,803 submitted accepted returns in 2024.

On Tuesday, Warren and her colleagues remained steadfast in their support.

“The Trump Administration’s dismantling of a program that makes tax filing easier and free for millions of Americans is shameful. Taxpayers have spoken loudly and clearly: Direct File works well for them, and more Americans want access to it,” they wrote.

FROM THE 413

****SLASHING VETERANS SERVICES!****

— WMass veterans complain of disappearing doctors, threatened services by Jim Kinney, The Springfield Republican: “The Springfield VA outpatient clinic is down to two doctors – from its usual count of four or more. And new doctors aren’t taking jobs there, fearing they’ll fall prey to Trump-led budget cuts in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. ‘Morale is low,’ said Scott Hiorns, a Navy veteran from Ludlow who volunteers driving fellow veterans to VA medical appointments in the region. ‘Everyone is terrified about losing their job.’”

***LITHIUM ENERGY STORAGE!****

— Easthampton, Holyoke join push against siting lithium energy storage system over Barnes Aquifer in Westfield by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “City councils in Easthampton and Holyoke have unanimously passed resolutions opposing the siting of a lithium battery energy storage system, or BESS, project over the Barnes Aquifer in Westfield. The project, called Streamfield Energy Storage, is being proposed by Jupiter Power, a Texas company with similar storage sites across the country.”

****ARREST FIRST! DO RESEARCH LATER! CONTINUED ICE ABUSE!****

— One of the brothers arrested by ICE in Monterey last month was in the U.S. legally. He’s been released by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “One of two men who were taken into federal custody at their work site in Monterey last month has been released and has returned to the Berkshires, a coworker said. The other man is awaiting a hearing.”

PAY WALL

THE LOCAL ANGLE

****DURING ONE OF BERNIE SANDERS RALLIES, HE COMMENTED THAT THERE ARE 800 000 HOMELESS (LIKELY AN UNDERCOUNT). WE NEED TO FIND REASONABLE SOLUTIONS, NOT CRIMINALIZE HOMELESSNESS! VULTURE CAPITALISTS HAVE DRIVEN UP RENTS & DEMOCRATS HAVE OFFERED PROPOSALS THAT ARE IGNORED!***

THESE ARE SMALL HOMES THAT OFFER PPRIVACY & DIGNITY - IT'S A BEGINNING:

Arnold Schwarzenegger donates 25 tiny houses to homeless veterans

NY POST

— Longtime homeless encampment in Lowell is razed by Lynn Jolicoeur, WBUR: “Crews on Tuesday began what will be a days-long process to clear out a large homeless encampment along the Merrimack River in Lowell. Workers from a private waste removal company used track loaders and dumpsters to remove tents, furniture, and piles of clothing, blankets and garbage.”

excerpt:

Lowell City Manager Tom Golden said the city council in recent months expressed concern about pollution of the river from the encampment and asked his office to find out who owned the property. His office determined it's MBTA-owned land and asked state lawmakers who represent Lowell for help. The state delegation reached out to the MBTA, which is paying for the clean-up.

The MBTA confirmed details of the arrangement, saying it hired the private contractor to do the work.

"There's garbage. There's needles," Golden said of the encampment area, adding that there's also human waste because of the lack of a restroom. "We're always very concerned with health and the environment, and we have not supported people living outside. And we're trying to get the assistance people need."

Lowell enacted a public camping ban last fall, but that's limited to city-owned property. The ban allows police to cite and fine people who continue to camp after space in a shelter has been offered.

Geneva Hobbs and her partner have been living in the encampment for about a year. The 39-year-old said she wants local leaders to focus on getting people into housing.

"The more awareness we bring, the better. Maybe they'll actually be able to see that what they're doing isn't properly right," she said. "Put people somewhere ... feed them, know what I mean? Don't just shun them off and push them to the side, because we're still human."

The city's director of homelessness initiatives, Maura Fitzpatrick, stopped by the site Tuesday morning. She said the city's CO-OP outreach team has visited the site regularly for many months, checking on people and offering resources including connections to recovery programs and housing placement assistance.

"We are with these people every single day," Fitzpatrick said. "Some people are service-resistant, and they say no. We don't give up, though. We never stop trying."

The site is next to the city-owned Sheehy Park, along a path that runs through some trees and brush next to the river. That path connects to railroad tracks, where there are campsites tucked in the woods between the tracks and the river. Some people built shacks as homes on the property.

City workers posted notices to vacate throughout the property almost two weeks ago, saying the city had deemed it uninhabitable.

The encampment has grown over the past year. Edwin Caraballo, 33, said he'd been living in a tent there for about three years after struggling with substance use for almost half of his life.

"I was in a recovery program for, like, six months. So it was my time to leave soon," Caraballo said. "So I went in a sober house. But it was like all my [Supplemental Security Income] check was going to [pay rent for] it. So I didn't have money for food. So I just guess, like, I'd rather just be homeless so I could save money."

Caraballo said while it's tough to have his campsite removed, he understands the city's need to have the property cleaned. He and other residents who were on site Tuesday said they've moved their belongings to other places in the city to camp until they can obtain permanent housing. Caraballo said he's moving up a waitlist to get a Lowell Housing Authority apartment.

About a dozen activists from a grassroots group that helps and advocates for people who are unhoused, called Lifting Lowellians: Assistance and Mutual Aid, stood in the area to protest the encampment removal. They held signs that read, "Sweeps are cruel" and "Housing, not sweeps."

"This does not fix the housing crisis at all. And it makes it harder for people whose lives are already in survival mode 24/7," said Jovanna Mason, a member of the group. "It's a way to violently take the little that these people have away from them."

Lowell police officers, including some from the CO-OP team, were on site to maintain public safety and continue to offer services to residents. A commander said the clean-up was expected to last four days.

— Worcester has a plan to combat climate change, but there is some doubt it can be achieved by Henry Schwan, Telegram & Gazette: “The city is making progress in its Green Worcester Plan to fight climate change, but there's concern that the plan's ultimate goal won't be achieved. During the April meeting of the Green Worcester Advisory Committee that promotes the plan and advises the city on its implementation, member Ted Conna said the city is doing the best it can with the resources available. But it may not be enough.”

PAY WALL

— Antisemitism reached a ‘historic’ level in Mass. in 2024, per Anti-Defamation League report by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune.

PAY WALL

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

ON THE LIST — Lots of Massachusetts pols made Boston Magazine’s list of “150 Most Influential Bostonians” this year, from Gov. Maura Healey (6) and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu (7) to Reps. Katherine Clark (24) and Ayanna Pressley (30), and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (38). Who else made it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to state Rep. Brian Ashe, 90 West founder and CEO Alex Goldstein, Taylor Pederson, Terrence Clark, Kerry Talbot, former GOP gubernatorial nominee Geoff Diehl and former Massport Police Chief Joe Lawless.

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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