POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Georgia on their minds ... again

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY Presented by PEACHY KEEN — Bay Staters are going all-in for another Georgia U.S. Senate runoff. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey joined President Joe Biden for a fundraiser for incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock at the swanky Beacon Hill abode of Jim and Cathy Stone on Friday. The DSCC event came after the trio helped union members make calls to Georgia voters from the IBEW Local 103 in Dorchester. In other Massachusetts connections, Sydney Levin-Epstein, a local Democratic operative who lost her 413 state Senate bid this fall, is in Georgia serving as Warnock’s national events director. Embattled MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons is also getting in on the action, calling on Republicans to funnel money toward GOP nominee Herschel Walker — though he listed the wrong day for the election in one of his fundraising emails (it’s Tuesday). And UMass Lowell is out today with a new poll of the Peach State showing Warnock slightly ahead of Walker. The Democrat leads the Republican 51 percent to 46 percent in the poll of 1,300 likely voters conducted Nov. 18-28 with a margin of error of +/- 3.2 percentage points. Warnock led Walker by less than one point in the November election — an indication tomorrow’s results will be close. Emerson College also showed a tight race in its late November poll . President Joe Biden speaks on the phone while visiting a phone bank at International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Boston. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., speaks on a phone at right. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) | AP Biden laid out the runoff stakes in simple terms when he was here Friday. Right now, control of the Senate is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the edge through her tie-breaking votes. Democrats and the independents who caucus with them won 50 seats in the November election, while Republicans won 49. If Walker wins the Georgia runoff, the power balance in the Senate remains as it is now while the House shifts to Republican control in January. If Warnock holds his seat, Democrats gain a little wiggle room after, as Biden put it at the IBEW, navigating the demands of “50 presidents” within their own party — hint: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) — for the past two years. “We need that 51st seat,” the president said. But the Warnock element of Biden’s visit was largely overshadowed by his meeting with Prince William and the protest he faced over his controversial deal to avert a potentially crippling freight rail workers’ strike. A couple hundred rail workers and advocates, organized by the local Democratic Socialists of America, picketed outside the JFK Library where the president was meeting the prince. And they provided an intriguing split screen with the show of union support Biden was putting on over at the IBEW, where he got a warm welcome, as his administration works to soothe its relationships with the rail unions. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell is rolling out her transition team today, a diverse group of office alums, former mayors, ex-law enforcement officials, criminal justice advocates and partners at major local firms. It’s chaired by former first assistant attorneys general Mary Strother and Stephanie Lovell, former Suffolk District Attorney Ralph Martin and Brent Henry, health care partner at Mintz. The transition team — directed by Campbell campaign manager Will Stockton — consists of a hiring committee and a “Ready on Day One” committee split into five subcommittees focused on different bureaus of the attorney general’s office. Notable names include Lawyers for Civil Rights Executive Director Ivan Espinoza-Madrigal; state Sen. Lydia Edwards; former Plymouth DA candidate Rahsaan Hall; former state Sen. Ben Downing and Michael Curry of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, who both serve on Gov.-elect Maura Healey’s transition team; former state Sen. Barbara L’Italien, now the executive director of the Disability Law Center; and Environmental League of Massachusetts President Elizabeth Turnbull Henry. TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attend a South Coast Rail ribbon-cutting ceremony at 9:30 a.m. in Assonet. Polito and EEA Secretary Beth Card announce the creation of the Massachusetts Office of Outdoor Recreation at 4 p.m. at Wachusett Mountain in Princeton. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com . A message from NextEra Energy: NextEra Energy is the first company in history committed to moving past net zero all the way to Real Zero™, leveraging low-cost renewables to drive energy affordability for customers.   DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Getting our ‘Fair Share’ will take unified approach, lawmakers say,” by Nino Mtchedlishvili, BU Statehouse Program/Berkshire Eagle: “Western Massachusetts lawmakers say they need a unified approach to advocate for their communities’ needs creatively and persuasively as decisions are made on Beacon Hill on how to divvy up the money that will be generated by passage of the Fair Share Amendment.” FROM THE HUB Britain's Prince William, Prince of Wales and Catherine, Princess of Wales, greet U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry as they attend the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards ceremony at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, in Boston, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (Brian Snyder/Pool Photo via AP) | AP — ROLLING OUT THE GREEN CARPET: The Prince and Princess of Wales’ trip across the pond culminated Friday evening with their Earthshot Prize awards ceremony at the MGM Music Hall in Fenway. The red carpet was green. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu wore a sustainable gown made of 1970s rug yarns with audio cassette tape woven into the fabric and a sash made of repurposed fallen umbrellas. Five international climate innovators won $1.2 million (1 million pounds) apiece to help expand their work . David Beckham, Catherine O’Hara, Rami Malek, Shailene Woodley, Daniel Dae Kim, Ellie Goulding, Chloe x Halle and Annie Lennox presented or performed. Billie Eilish, to the dismay of many, videoed her performance in. Former Massachusetts governor and current Utah Sen. Mitt Romney shaved his beard. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and her husband Conor Pewarski pose for a photo as they arrive at the second annual Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony at the MGM Music Hall, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Mary Schwalm) | AP The royals entered the room to someone in the audience apparently shouting "Free Ireland," but it was quickly followed by a scream of "We love you, Kate." The ceremony opened with a land acknowledgment from a member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe. While most of Massachusetts’ big names were seated at tables on the first floor, Romney was at a table on the second-floor balcony, POLITICO’s Ally Mutnick writes in. The Boston Globe’s Mark Shanahan and the Boston Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter have more details. Massachusetts Gov.-elect Maura Healey, center right, sits at The Earthshot Prize Awards at the MGM Music Hall at Fenway, in Boston, Friday, Dec. 2, 2022. (David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via AP, Pool) | AP — SPOTTED at the Earthshot awards: presidential climate envoy John Kerry and his daughter, Vanessa; Romney and his wife, Ann; Gov. Charlie Baker and his wife, Lauren; Wu and her husband, Conor Pewarski; Gov.-elect Maura Healey and her sister, Caitlin Healey; Attorney General-elect Andrea Campbell ; Ambassador Caroline Kennedy and her son and daughter; Sen. Ed Markey, former Rep. Joe Kennedy III, Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, Boston City Councilor Kenzie Bok, state Sen. Lydia Edwards at the bar with fellow East Boston state Rep. Adrian Madaro and City Councilor Gigi Coletta; state Reps. Rob Consalvo, Jeff Roy and Andy Vargas; Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, Miss Massachusetts Katrina Kincade, BPDA Chief Arthur Jemison, former Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley and former Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone (h/t Mutnick and Cotter).   POLITICO APP USERS: UPGRADE YOUR APP BY DECEMBER 19! We recently upgraded the POLITICO app with a fresh look and improved features for easier access to POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Starting December 19, users will no longer have access to the previous version of the app. Update your app today to stay on top of essential political news, insights, and analysis from the best journalists in the business. UPDATE iOS APP – UPDATE ANDROID APP .     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “Walsh helped avoid a rail strike, but now must mend Biden administration relations with angry unions,” by Jim Puzzanghera and Jackie Kucinich, Boston Globe: “Despite the disappointment and anger from some rail workers and labor advocates — including about 200 who protested the deal outside an appearance by Biden in Boston Friday — [Labor Secretary Marty] Walsh said the [agreement with the rail unions] still represented a victory for unions [despite the lack of paid sick leave]. ‘It’s definitely a win because when we first got involved in this, this contract wasn’t going anywhere,’ he said in an interview. He noted that the five-year deal, retroactive to 2020, includes a total pay raise of 24 percent and improved health care benefits. But Walsh has work to do to smooth over relations with organized labor after forcing a deal on union members who had voted to reject it.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Katherine Clark, the House Democratic whip-elect, both faced questions about the rail deal on the Sunday politics shows. Warren, who voted against the deal because it didn't include additional paid sick days, told WCVB's "On the Record" that "the issue is not gone. I, along with a lot of other senators, said we have to stay on this question about forcing people to work sick and injured." Asked on NBC's "Meet the Press" whether she was "comfortable" with Democrats passing a bill preventing the addition of more sick time, Clark said it's a "national shame that we do not have paid sick leave in this country as a national policy for every single worker" and that her party would continue to push for it. — “MassDOT, Amtrak, CSX seek $108 million in rail improvements between Springfield and Worcester,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The state Department of Transportation and rail companies Amtrak and CSX Corp. applied [last] week for $108 million in federal transportation money to help fund improvements along the 53 miles of railroad between Springfield and Worcester. Once the improvements happen, the plan is to add two daily Amtrak trips between Boston, Worcester and Springfield as a first phase of east-west rail.”   A message from NextEra Energy:     YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — “Mass. 2022 midterm: Why did the poorest communities have a low voter turnout?” by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive: “In cities with high poverty rates like Lynn, New Bedford and Lawrence, no more than 35% of voters cast their vote in the midterm election. Meanwhile, in wealthy communities like Eastham, Carlisle and Mount Washington over 70% of registered voters turned out to the polls. Officials in some of the state’s poorest areas cite a high number of uncontested races in their municipality as one of the root causes behind their low voter turnout.” DAY IN COURT — “Former Natick official to serve 15 days in jail for her part in the Jan. 6 attack,” by Deborah Becker, WBUR: “The former Natick town official charged with participating in the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol has been sentenced to 15 days in jail. Suzanne Ianni was sentenced in federal court in Washington, D.C. Friday for charges of entering the Capitol building last year to protest President Biden's election. She will have to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons to begin serving the sentence. The date for her to report has not been set.” — “Fall River city councilor seeks to have felony charges dropped in 'love triangle' case,” by Jo C. Goode, Herald News: “The obstruction and harassment case against City Councilor Pam Laliberte continues as a Fall River district court judge decides on her request to drop two felony charges and send the remaining misdemeanor counts to be handled in a closed-door magistrate clerk’s hearing. However, the Bristol County District Attorney’s office wants to pursue the felony charges against Laliberte, who was City Council president until the news of the criminal case against her emerged publicly.” — “Man charged for allegedly voting in Mass. and N.H. in 2016 election,” by Adam Sennott, Boston Globe: “A man who has residences in Massachusetts and New Hampshire has been indicted for allegedly voting in each state during the 2016 presidential election, according to New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella’s office." PARTY POLITICS — “MassGOP leadership race heats up, with some candidates vowing to forgo $100G salary to get job done,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons rakes in roughly $100,000 per year as leader of a party that failed to win a single statewide election this November, a salary that two candidates eyeing his job vowed not to take amid the state committee’s fundraising difficulties. ‘I have made a commitment to do the job without a salary,’ said Amy Carnevale, a longtime MassGOP committee member who is mulling a run for chair. Jon Fetherston, a former chair of the Ashland Republican Town Committee and longtime host of the ‘All Politics is Local’ podcast, said he would also forgo a salary and work the chair position as a volunteer.”   JOIN WEDNESDAY FOR A POLITICO DISCUSSION ON THE NEW TRAVEL EXPERIENCE : Americans are now traveling in record numbers — but the travel experience has changed drastically in recent years, not always for the better. What lessons can we learn from the pandemic and different responses around the globe? And in the face of a possible recession, what will help the travel industry remain vibrant and deliver jobs? Join POLITICO on Dec. 7 for “The Travel Experience Redefined” to discuss these questions and more. Breakfast and coffee will be provided. REGISTER HERE .     FROM THE 413 — “Pittsfield councilors want answers on whether a cell tower could be making people ill,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “After months of silence — and the launch of a lawsuit with several city defendants — the Pittsfield City Council is wading back into the longstanding dispute between Verizon Wireless and Shacktown residents who say a cell tower makes them sick. [Last] week, the majority of city councilors voted to support petitions that ask either Mayor Linda Tyer or Council President Peter Marchetti to send letters to state and federal representatives asking them to advocate that the Federal Communications Commission reevaluate its radiofrequency exposure limits.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Massachusetts enacted its most ambitious housing law in decades. Now the hard part is enforcing it,” by Andrew Brinker, Boston Globe: “John Gollinger is scrambling. Two months ago, Gollinger, the executive director of the Waltham Housing Authority, learned that the state is cutting its contribution to his budget next year by more than $300,000. … Even more perplexing than the cuts, Gollinger says, is the reason for them: Waltham’s failure to comply with early procedural requirements of the state’s new MBTA Communities law, an ambitious effort to tackle Massachusetts’ housing crisis by mandating new multifamily zoning in communities served by the MBTA.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — FITN IN JEOPARDY: "DNC moves forward with dramatic change to presidential primary calendar," by Elena Schneider, POLITICO: "Members of the party’s Rules and Bylaws Committee, charged with recommending a new calendar, gave a near-unanimous vote of approval on Friday for [President Joe] Biden’s proposal, with only minor tweaks to the dates and two ‘no’ votes from Iowa and New Hampshire members. The revised proposal would see South Carolina host the first 2024 presidential primary on Feb. 3, a Saturday, followed three days later by New Hampshire and Nevada. Georgia would then hold an early primary on Feb. 13, and Michigan would hold its contest on Feb. 27. Iowa would be out of the early lineup altogether. ... [The proposal could] spell the end for New Hampshire, as Democrats there threaten to still hold their presidential primary first, a move they insist they must do to comply with state law." — NOT RUNNING: New Hampshire GOP Chair Steve Stepanek, a former Trump campaign co-chair in the Granite state, says he won't seek a third term leading the party. State party Vice Chair Pamela Tucker is also stepping down. Stepanek was likely to face a leadership challenge after Republicans lost key races. A message from NextEra Energy: NextEra Energy is the first company committed to reaching Real Zero™, as in 100% clean energy. We’re not just offsetting carbon emissions — we’re eliminating them.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Jennifer Benson is stepping down as president of the Alliance for Business Leadership to “pursue a new opportunity supporting Massachusetts’ growing clean energy industry,” according to the ABL. Benson will continue to serve on ABL’s Climate and Energy Council. — New York state Health Commissioner Mary Bassett is leaving in January to return to Harvard University's T.H. Chan School of Public Health, per The Associated Press . — Jeff Cohen will start as WBUR's managing producer of local news shows in January. — POLITICO's Shannon Young, a #mapoli alum, is joining Morning Brew as a health care reporter. — Business Journals' higher education editor Hilary Burns is joining the Boston Globe as a higher ed reporter. — Elana Ross is now director of strategic comms at the Health Resources and Services Administration at HHS. She previously was deputy comms director for Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Merrilee Rogers of Rep. Jake Auchincloss' office, Ellen Parker, Simon Jerome and Greg Timilty. Happy belated to MassLive's Alison Kuznitz and the Boston Globe’s Jackie Kucinich, who celebrated Sunday. 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 .   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: White OUT — MASSGOP POWER STRUGGLE — Galvin RIPS redistricting plan

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY WHITE OUT — Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey has fired Police Commissioner Dennis White and announced plans to launch a “nationwide search” for the city’s next top cop. But the goal she laid out for naming a permanent commissioner “toward the end of the year” quickly drew criticism from her rivals in the mayoral race that stretches through Nov. 2. “A national search for police commissioner without an elected mayor is a charade,” City Councilor Michelle Wu tweeted. “This acting administration should not use City resources on a search before the general election.” City Councilor Andrea Campbell said in a statement that “the Acting Commissioner must continue to lead our police department until the next elected mayor can conduct a rigorous and transparent search for a permanent commissioner to ensure the department can serve the diverse needs of our community.” City Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, state Rep. Jon Santiago and former city economic development chief John Barros also reportedly think White’s replacement should wait until after the election. The criticism could become a thorn in Janey’s side as the mayoral race and the search for Boston’s next police commissioner proceed in tandem. Searches to fill major public offices can become contentious. Activists slammed the 2019 Boston Public Schools superintendent search for its perceived lack of transparency . The Massachusetts Port Authority’s CEO search the same year was dragged in the press for largely playing out behind closed doors. Boston hasn’t seen an outside search for a police commissioner since Ed Davis came in from Lowell in 2006. While all of the mayoral candidates agreed White should go, the now ex-commissioner has vowed to continue his legal battle against the city — creating another lingering headache for Janey and possibly prolonging the issue in the mayoral race. GOP POWER STRUGGLE — Massachusetts GOP Chairman Jim Lyons saw a plan he was backing to remove Gov. Charlie Baker and other elected Republican leaders from the state party executive committee flame out without the votes to pass it, POLITICO reported yesterday. And the chairman remains under fire for his handling of a GOP state committeewoman’s anti-gay remarks toward a congressional candidate, with nearly all House Republicans calling on Lyons to have Deborah Martell resign or do so himself. But while some believe support for Lyons may be waning, Republican sources tell me there’s no real movement among state committee members ahead of their meeting Wednesday to amass the two-thirds vote necessary to remove Lyons as chairman. “Doesn’t make sense. We don’t have the votes,” one committee member texted me. Another said it’s “clear” the chairman still has more than a third of the state committee in his corner. Lyons was narrowly reelected chairman in January, meaning that unless he resigns or the state committee mounts a serious effort to oust him, the next chance for a new chairman won’t come until January 2023 — after the next gubernatorial election. GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Keep staying cool. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: lkashinsky@politico.com. TODAY — Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan opens her office’s inaugural data summit at 9 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan joins state Rep. Linda Dean Campbell and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio at 11 a.m. at the Greater Lawrence Community Action Council’s Methuen Head Start facility to highlight childcare investments in the American Rescue Plan. Rep. Ayanna Pressley joins House and Senate colleagues to unveil the Women’s Health Protection Act at 11:30 a.m. Acting Boston Mayor Kim Janey visits with the staff of the BCYF Tobin at 1 p.m. State Auditor Bump virtually attends the National State Auditors Association annual conference; Bump and her office will formally receive the organization's Special Projects Award for their report on police training and accountability.   JOIN THURSDAY FOR A TALK ON RESETTING INTERNET PRIVACY: Calls for some type of national privacy law have gained traction in recent years. The U.S. has no overarching national law governing data collection and privacy. Instead, it has a patchwork of federal laws that protect specific data types, such as consumer health and financial information and the personal data generated by children. Join POLITICO for a conversation on tech, data and the future of user privacy, and the most viable path forward. REGISTER HERE.     THE LATEST NUMBERS – “Massachusetts reports less than 100 new coronavirus cases for first time since last June,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts health officials on Monday reported less than 100 new coronavirus cases for the first time since last June.” DATELINE BEACON HILL – “Top election official rips redistricting plan,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: “The state's top election official is ripping a proposal that would require the Legislature to redraw local political maps, suggesting the move is a power grab by lawmakers. A proposal heard by the Legislature's Election Laws Committee on Monday would eliminate the June 15 deadline for local governing boards to approve voting precincts, and allow the Legislature to set the precincts using census tracts, after it draws new maps for congressional and legislative districts.” – “Pandemic changes Fair Share debate,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “When a coalition of labor, clergy, and liberal organizing groups first proposed raising the tax rate on income over $1 million, the year was 2015. ... Fast forward six years, after an SJC ruling keeping the question off the 2018 ballot, and the so-called Fair Share amendment, or millionaires’ tax, is back and up for a final legislative vote next week. If it passes as expected, it will go before voters on the ballot in November 2022. But the tax hike – which would impose a 4 percent surtax on income over $1 million – will be debated in a much different context this time around.” – “Environmental groups, governor ‘not giving up’ on TCI in Connecticut as pressure mounts on Massachusetts to drop deal,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Pressure is mounting in Massachusetts to drop a controversial plan to cut vehicle emissions in the Northeast as Connecticut’s governor and environmental groups say they’re ‘not giving up’ yet.” VAX-ACHUSETTS – “Massachusetts likely to reach herd immunity by mid-June, slightly later than predicted,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “Gov. Charlie Baker’s prediction that Massachusetts would achieve herd immunity by early June slipped away on Monday, as state data shows the number of coronavirus shots going into arms daily continues to drop off. But the state is still on track to reach the governor’s goal of 4.1 million fully vaccinated individuals by the middle of the month.” – “Fire at Pfizer doesn't harm production,” by Madeline Hughes, Eagle-Tribune: “A generator at the (Andover) Pfizer facility caught fire Monday morning, drawing a heavy response from firefighters. Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said there is not believed to be any impact to the facility's production operations as a result of the fire.” FROM THE HUB – “Janey fires Dennis White as Boston police commissioner,” by Danny McDonald and Sahar Fatima, Boston Globe: “Acting Mayor Kim Janey fired Boston Police Commissioner Dennis White on Monday, ending months of chaos atop the department sparked by the reemergence of decades-old domestic abuse allegations against him shortly after he took the job in February.” – More from WBUR’s Ally Jarmanning and Deborah Becker: “White's attorney, Nick Carter, said in a statement White was ‘deeply disappointed’ by the decision. ‘He is a Black man, falsely accused of crimes, not given a fair trial or hearing, and then convicted, or terminated which is the equivalent here,’ Carter said. ‘This reflects an ugly pattern in our country.’” – “Boston appears to have illegally withheld inappropriate texts after career-ending School Committee meeting,” by Bianca Vázquez Toness and Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “A second Boston School Committee member has resigned due to racially charged observations made about parents during a lengthy public hearing last year about the exam school admissions process.“ – “With Janey's OK, Boston Moves Toward Giving The City Council More Budget Power,” Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “Acting Mayor Kim Janey Monday approved the Boston City Council’s budget ballot question, which would ask voters in November to approve or reject granting the council a greater say in how the city spends its roughly $3 billion annual budget. With Janey's approval, the measure now goes to the state attorney general's office for final review. … Janey’s approval came after a long weekend of phone calls and outreach from advocates who believe Boston’s budget process should be more democratized.” – "Students describe racist comments by former leader, call for Boston Public Schools to be held accountable for ‘abuse’," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "For months, many students weren’t ready to share their experiences in a controversial form of group therapy that was part of their prestigious student council. But on Monday a group of eight students held a news conference detailing abuse they said they suffered in those sessions, which they called a required part of the Boston Student Advisory Council that they and their parents didn’t always fully consent to participate in. They demanded Boston Public Schools be held accountable." THE RACE FOR CITY HALL – “Mayoral candidates vow to increase student involvement in education decisions,” by Jack Lyons, Boston Globe: “Each member of the six-way race expressed a desire for more student involvement in the city’s education system, including giving voting power to the School Committee’s student representative, while speaking at a virtual youth-led forum on Monday afternoon.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES – “Is the MBTA’s Green Line Extension still on track?” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Noting that the project had faced ‘schedule pressure,’ MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said during a meeting Monday afternoon that the agency’s Fiscal Management and Control Board may be presented a vote on the project later this month. And while Poftak didn’t provide any additional details about the nature of the vote, subsequent comments by MBTA officials suggested the completion date may no longer be set as it was when Gov. Charlie Baker said he was putting it ‘up on his wall’ last October.” – “MBTA looks at cars, tracks as cause of derailment that sidelined Springfield-built CRRC cars,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The MBTA said Monday that it's working to get the Springfield-built Orange and Red line cars back into service, but as yet there is no date.” – “Chinese-owned rail company launches new project at Springfield plant, faces new heat,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “Today’s launch of a $647 million contract with LA Metro at the giant Chinese Railway Rolling Stock Corp. plant in Springfield comes as critics are warning against doing business with the company.” – “T estimates Red-to-Blue connector cost at $850m,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The MBTA unveiled an $850 million cost estimate for connecting the Red and Blue subway lines at Charles/MGH, a project that, if funding is found, could break ground in 2025 and be completed by 2030.” PARTY POLITICS – “GOP chairman doesn’t have the votes to oust Charlie Baker from party operation, Republicans say,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Chairman Jim Lyons, a former Baker ally who heads a more socially conservative faction of the party, had been lobbying to minimize the influence of Baker and other elected officials. The move could have cleared the way for the party to endorse — and fund — a primary challenger to Baker should he face one in next year’s gubernatorial race.” FEELING '22 – “DiZoglio to run for state auditor,” by Bill Kirk, Eagle-Tribune: “State Sen. Diana DiZoglio, D-Methuen, has decided to make a run for state auditor, meaning she will not run for her current seat as 1st Essex District senator in 2022.” FROM THE 413 – “Gladys Oyola-Lopez chosen as Springfield city clerk,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “The City Council on Monday voted unanimously to select Election Commissioner Gladys Oyola-Lopez as the new city clerk, becoming the first Latina to serve in that position. … (Mayor Domenic J. Sarno) has stated that he intends to expand Oyola-Lopez’s duties beyond the clerk’s office to also include oversight of the Election Office and 311 department, to become a cabinet head. Sarno was not offering the expanded role to the other two finalists…” – “Amherst town manager: ‘I don’t want to eliminate the Police Department until we have a suitable replacement’,” by Jim Russell, Springfield Republican: “A major restructuring of the town’s Police Department is being discussed and shaped by the Town Council. During Monday’s meeting, councilors said they expect Amherst Town Manager Paul Bockelman to adequately fund the restructuring process for the fiscal year that begins on July 1 and in future. Bockelman promised action, saying a program would be up and running this year, but that it is also a work in progress since there are many unknowns.” – “Great Barrington prep school to 'reboot' as claims of past abuse continue to haunt,” by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: “A prep school at which former students say they were abused by the late founder is closing temporarily while its owner reimagines an entirely new school.” THE LOCAL ANGLE – “Worcester DA findings: Officers were justified in fatal shootings of suspects,” by Anoushka Dalmia, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “Since 2015, there have been eight fatal shootings involving police officers in Central Massachusetts. … In all six of the concluded investigations, the office of Worcester District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. determined that the officers acted properly, that their shooting of the suspects was justified.” THE NATIONAL TAKE – “AP Interview: State AG pushes accountability in opioid cases,” by Geoff Mulvihill, Associated Press: “Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey has been a leader in the legal push to hold companies and individuals accountable for the U.S. opioid addiction and overdose epidemic, which has been linked to nearly 500,000 deaths over the last two decades. … On Tuesday, Healey is scheduled to appear before a congressional committee to testify in support of a bill that would clarify bankruptcy laws so company owners and executives would not be able to use a corporate bankruptcy case to shield themselves from personal liability.” – “The problem with using the Squad as a proxy for ‘socialism’,” by Philip Bump, Washington Post: “It is more than 500 days until he’s up for reelection, but Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) isn’t taking any chances. In an interview with Fox News over the weekend, he bashed Rep. Val Demings (D-Fla.), a potential Democratic challenger in that race and one who is generally seen as most likely to earn her party’s nomination. He compared her to a group of House Democrats that calls itself ‘the Squad’...” – ICYMI: “SEC fires Republican audit watchdog after push from Warren, Sanders,” by Kellie Mejdrich, POLITICO: “The Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday said it removed Trump-era appointee William Duhnke as chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, in a victory for Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) days after they called for the audit watchdog's leadership to be fired.” EYES EMOJI — Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorsing Maya Wiley in the New York City mayoral race, in which her former presidential rival Andrew Yang is also running. Tweet. Another candidate, NYC Comptroller Scott Stringer, had endorsed Warren in her presidential bid, but now faces accusations of sexual misconduct. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Joseph Prezioso, Bill Douvris, Ben Case, Dan Futterman, Michael Vallarelli, David Ciampi, and Hailey Reed of Rep. Jake Auchincloss's office. 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.   DON'T MISS THE MILKEN INSTITUTE FUTURE OF HEALTH SUMMIT: POLITICO will feature a special edition of our Future Pulse newsletter at the 2021 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit. The newsletter takes readers inside one of the most influential gatherings of global health industry leaders and innovators who are turning lessons learned from the past year into a healthier, more resilient and more equitable future. Covid-19 threatened our health and well-being, while simultaneously leading to extraordinary coordination to improve pandemic preparedness, disease prevention, diversity in clinical trials, mental health resources, food access and more. SUBSCRIBE TODAY to receive exclusive coverage from June 22-23.       Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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