POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Mayoral miff over Mass and Cass

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY LONG ISLAND HAS 14 BUILDINGS PREVIOUSLY USED FOR ADDICTION TREATMENT QUINCY HAS OPPOSED REBUILDING THE BRIDGE  Is the Long Island bridge key for addressing the issues of Mass. and Cass? Here’s what the mayoral candidates think.  “We have been hearing about rebuilding the bridge and talking about this for six years now.” LINK ACTING THE PART — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu riled up her detractors by skipping town for a pre-planned trip one day after saying conditions at the open-air drug market and homeless encampment at Mass and Cass are deteriorating — and promising the city would “take a major step” to address it. Now Acting Mayor Ed Flynn is fueling the fire by proposing his own fixes for the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard area. The City Council president, who’s in charge until Wu returns on Saturday, has laid out to reporters exactly how he thinks the city should be tackling the troubled corridor: calling a public health emergency and asking the cops to conduct a warrant sweep. "There is no recovery taking place at Mass and Cass. There is only rampant drug use and routine violence," Flynn told Playbook, emphasizing the city's need to implement a new strategy to address those issues — and fast. “The situation is escalating dramatically. And we need to begin the process of coming up with plans on how we move forward.” But whether Flynn could make those moves as acting mayor is murky. From a legal perspective, the city charter says fill-in mayors “possess the powers of mayor only in matters not admitting of delay” — a highly subjective clause that’s seen challenges in the past . From a political perspective, any actions Flynn might take could seriously damage his relationship with the mayor — unless she gives him explicit approval first. As of Sunday evening, Wu’s office said she hadn’t authorized Flynn to go ahead with either of the measures he’s proposed. And Flynn doesn’t have the runway Kim Janey did when she took over as acting mayor in 2021 after Marty Walsh went to the Labor Department. Janey served seven months in the top job until Wu took over after the November mayoral election. Flynn is only keeping the mayor’s seat warm for 10 days, and Wu’s office said she “checks in multiple times a day” with her team. Rushing to course correct at Mass and Cass in the remaining days Wu is out of office would also likely cut first responders, nearby businesses and residents out of the conversation — and Flynn said their input is vital to coming up with a new plan for the area. Yet even if Flynn’s comments turn out to be bluster, he’s achieving two things: publicly pressuring Wu to change the city’s approach to Mass and Cass, and fueling the idea that she could be vulnerable if she runs for reelection in 2025. The “Save Our City” campaign may have failed to launch , but the idea of someone challenging Wu is gaining traction among her opponents. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.  The budget sitting on Gov. Maura Healey's desk includes $1 million for a drug diversion program for nonviolent young adult offenders targeted to Mass and Cass. But Boston officials are continuing to press the state for more aid. A front end loader scoops up tents, furniture and other items as a homeless encampment at Mass and Cass is cleared from the street, Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, in Boston. | AP TODAY — Healey has no public events. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and MBTA GM Phil Eng ride the bus from Chelsea to Boston at 7:45 a.m. Rep. Lori Trahan and Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren tout federal infrastructure funding at 11 a.m. at Mack Plaza in Lowell. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com .   A NEW PODCAST FROM POLITICO: Our new POLITICO Tech podcast is your daily download on the disruption that technology is bringing to politics and policy around the world. From AI and the metaverse to disinformation and cybersecurity, POLITICO Tech explores how today’s technology is shaping our world — and driving the policy decisions, innovations and industries that will matter tomorrow. SUBSCRIBE AND START LISTENING TODAY .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — POWER STRUGGLE: Senate President Karen Spilka is sort of sticking it to the House in the ongoing clash over control of the Legislature’s joint committees. “We have some wonderful, caring, dedicated House chairs of committees and wonderful, dedicated Senate chairs of committees. All of them want to get work done,” Spilka said on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” as she launched into a polite rebuke of the handful of House chairs who recently polled bills without their Senate counterparts’ consent. “Since I’ve been in the Legislature there has always been a mutual consideration between Senate chair and House chair,” Spilka, a 20-year legislative veteran, said. “I’m hoping that we get back to that.” VAX-ACHUSETTS — “State Police ordered to offer reinstatement to troopers suspended for refusing COVID-19 shots,” by Laura Crimaldi, Boston Globe: “An arbitrator has ruled that the State Police must provide back pay and offer to reinstate seven troopers who were placed on unpaid leave in 2021 after they refused to get vaccinated against COVID-19 based on their ‘sincerely held’ religious beliefs. In a 49-page decision released Friday, Bonnie J. McSpiritt, the arbitrator, wrote that the State Police violated anti-discrimination and affirmative action provisions in their contract with members of the force’s largest union by refusing to offer opportunities to stay on the job without getting vaccinated to qualified troopers.” MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — PERMISSION NOT GRANTED: As Gov. Maura Healey and the state’s federal delegation press the Biden administration to speed up the work authorization process for migrants coming to Massachusetts, the Eagle-Tribune’s Monica Sager reports that some migrants who arrived at Methuen’s Days Inn Hotel nine months ago still don’t have work permits . —  “Amid crush of migrant and homeless families in shelter system, Healey to announce plan to help,”  by Sean Cotter and Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The action could come as early as this week in the form of an emergency declaration, which some shelter directors say is much needed, said four people briefed on the administration’s plan.” DAY IN COURT — “‘It doesn’t matter who we’re taking on’: Meet the Boston-area groups suing Harvard over legacy admissions,” by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: “A mentorship program. A refugee services agency. And an intimate cohort of Latino activists. These are the three Boston-area community organizations that joined forces to take on America’s oldest university last month, demanding a federal investigation into Harvard’s use of legacy and donor admissions in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling outlawing race-based affirmative action.” — “Conservative groups sue to block Biden plan canceling $39 billion in student loans,” by Collin Binkley, Associated Press: “In a lawsuit filed Friday in Michigan, the groups argue that the administration overstepped its power when it announced the forgiveness in July, just weeks after the Supreme Court struck down a broader cancellation plan pushed by President Joe Biden.” — “'Gross violation': Middleboro student loses 'two genders' T-shirt case. Why it's not over,” by Christopher Butler, Brockton Enterprise: “Lawyers representing Liam Morrison, the Nichols Middle School student who sued school and town officials after being sent home for his ‘There are only two genders’ T-shirt, filed a notice of appeal on Friday, Aug. 4.” — “For Campbell, case against Malden charter school is also good politics,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine. — “Sen. Markey wants cameras in federal court so that Americans can watch Trump,” by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive. KENNEDY COMPOUND — “Anguish in Camelot: Kennedy Campaign Roils Storied Political Family,” by Peter Baker, New York Times: “In interviews in recent days, several members of the Kennedy family, some of whom did not want to be named, sounded tortured about the situation. They talked of a brother, cousin, uncle who flashed some of the raw political talent of his famed father, but who has undergone trauma and is headed down a path they do not fully understand.”   STEP INSIDE THE WEST WING : What's really happening in West Wing offices? Find out who's up, who's down, and who really has the president’s ear in our West Wing Playbook newsletter, the insider's guide to the Biden White House and Cabinet. For buzzy nuggets and details that you won't find anywhere else, subscribe today .     MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Cannabis black market and violent crime: ‘They almost killed a man over $2,000,’” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “Black market trafficking of pot has become a persistent problem in Western Massachusetts, police and prosecutors say. Illicit marijuana sales yield major profits and trigger collateral violence.” FROM THE 413 — “Should Native Americans be used as mascots in Agawam? Indigenous people say no,” by James Foster, Springfield Republican: “[State Sen. Jo] Comerford, with the help and guidance of Indigenous voices and a steering committee, has tried multiple times to pass Bill S.294. The bill aims to prohibit ‘public schools from using an athletic team name, logo, or mascot which names, refers to, represents, or is associated with Native Americans.’” — “Local groups take [stands] following proposed book ban in Ludlow,” by Olivia Hickey, Anthony Garuti and Abigail Murillo Villacorta, Western Mass News. THE LOCAL ANGLE — “State's budding film industry stalled amid ongoing strikes,” by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: “‘We’re certainly seeing an impact from both strikes,’ said Gary Crossen, general manager of New England Studios in Devens. ‘There is literally no film production going on in Massachusetts, or anywhere else for that matter.’” — IN MEMORIAM: “Tributes to Charles J. Ogletree Jr. reveal a mentor whose phone 'never stopped ringing',” by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — POLITICAL TIGHTROPE: Former Vice President Mike Pence was heckled by supporters of his former boss , Donald Trump , while campaigning in New Hampshire after the former president was arraigned on charges in connection with his attempts to overturn the 2020 election results. Pence defended his decision not to go along with Trump’s scheme — eliciting backlash from some in the crowd at his Londonderry town hall. His protesters included a woman who was prosecuted for her role in the U.S. Capitol riot , per the Boston Globe’s Steven Porter. Also showing the difficult line GOP presidential hopefuls are trying to walk around Jan. 6, 2021: Vivek Ramaswamy . The entrepreneur has pledged to pardon Trump if elected president. But he sidestepped questions in New Hampshire about whether he would have certified the 2020 election had he been in Pence’s position that day. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Scott Stossel , national editor of The Atlantic; Megan Costello, Aissa Renee Canchola, CC Leslie and Lyndsey Wajert. 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

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA

Supreme Court decision could BACKFIRE with NEW Legal Challenge

 

MeidasTouch host Ben Meiselas reports on a new legal challenge that could undermine the Supreme Court’s pernicious agenda after its latest devastating ruling.

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Chaos could cost Boston councilors on the ballot

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY With help from Kelly Garrity COUNCIL CONTROVERSIES — The Boston City Council is a mess. Soon councilors could face consequences for it. The past few weeks have been … eventful: Ricardo Arroyo paid a $3,000 penalty for violating the conflict of interest law by representing his brother in a sexual harassment lawsuit after becoming a city councilor. Kendra Lara crashed a car into a house and now faces a host of alleged motor vehicle violations , including driving with a revoked license. Councilors warred with each other and with the mayor over a city budget that almost cut spending for police and veterans. The process was complete with walked-back votes , override attempts and hurt feelings that showed the council’s dysfunction didn’t end with its court-prompted redistricting redo. Allegations of racism have swirled within a body that has often divided this term along racial lines. And the sparring is spilling online as members mount their reelection bids — and begin to position for the next mayoral race. Council President Ed Flynn — who’s alternated between acting like a dad trying to quell warring siblings and stoking the division by bankrolling the lawsuit that nixed the city’s first redistricting map — slammed Arroyo and Lara in a statement Wednesday for continuing to “draw negative attention” to the body through their “troubling ethical and legal lapses.” But he stopped short of calling for their resignations, telling the Herald that discipline “is not something I have considered yet.” Hours later, Councilor Michael Flaherty called it quits. The 20-year council veteran and top vote-getter in several at-large contests stunned the Boston political class by withdrawing his name for reelection “after much deliberation and self-reflection.” Flaherty didn’t mention the ongoing drama, but he didn’t need to. “The body is so dysfunctional that it’s driving good people from running or serving,” one City Hall insider lamented to Playbook after Flaherty’s surprise announcement, calling the council a “complete clown show.” Flaherty's departure is “a big loss for the city," former city Councilor John Tobin said. But he told Playbook it’s understandable given the “soap opera” that is the current council: “You just get to a point in your life that’s like, why am I doing this?” The Boston City Council convenes, Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2022, in the council chamber at City Hall. | AP The chaotic council won’t barrel ahead unchecked for much longer. Voters will soon head to the polls for the city’s September and November municipal contests. Flaherty’s exit from the at-large race guarantees at least one new face on the council next year, with now just three incumbents and five challengers running for the four citywide seats. District 3 Councilor Frank Baker’s departure guarantees another new member. And five of the nine district councilors have drawn challengers , according to the city’s elections department (Flynn, Gabriela Coletta and Brian Worrell are so far unopposed). Arroyo has three opponents: Roslindale’s Enrique Pepen, executive director of the mayor's neighborhood services team; Hyde Park police officer Jose Ruiz and Mattapan activist Jean-Claude Sanon. Arroyo has more money banked than any of his challengers, though Pepen and Ruiz outraised him in June, per OCPF. Oddly, Arroyo’s campaign website still says he’s running for district attorney. Lara has two challengers: William King, a past at-large candidate from West Roxbury who could draw votes from the part of the district that Lara is weakest in, and Benjamin Weber, a workers’ rights attorney from Jamaica Plain. Neither Lara nor Arroyo responded to calls for comment. Politicians have rebounded from bad press and personal troubles before. But, as former city councilor Larry DiCara told Playbook, “anything can happen in an off-year election when the turnout is lower and a small number of votes can have a dramatic impact.” GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips? Scoops? Running for city council? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com . TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey remains in Rhode Island through Saturday. Acting Gov. Kim Driscoll boards the Blue Line at 8:30 a.m. at the Orient Heights station to highlight transportation alternatives during the Sumner Tunnel closure. Wu launches the city’s Swim Safe Boston initiative at 10:30 a.m. at the BCYF Paris Street.   JOIN 7/11 FOR A TALK ON THE FAA’S FUTURE: Congress is making moves to pass the FAA Reauthorization Act, laying the groundwork for the FAA’s long-term agenda to modernize the aviation sector to meet the challenges of today and innovate for tomorrow. Join POLITICO on July 11 to discuss what will make it into the final reauthorization bill and examine how reauthorization will reshape FAA’s priorities and authorities. REGISTER HERE .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — OUT OF SIGHT, NOT OUT OF MIND: The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation is calling for the “timely resolution” of tax talks between legislative chambers in a new analysis that says the state can afford to do everything the House and Senate put on the table. That includes cutting the short-term capital gains tax rate and expanding housing tax credits. The one measure the group doesn’t want to see in the final deal: the Senate’s plan to require married couples who file joint federal income tax returns to do the same at the state level. Supporters say the change would close a “loophole” couples could use to avoid paying the new millionaires surtax. But MTF argues it would “run directly counter to the broader goals of addressing high costs and competitiveness.” Oh, and there’s still no budget. Massachusetts is one of just five states that hasn’t passed a fiscal year 2024 spending plan , per the National Association of State Budget Officers. — PUNTING ON RENT CONTROL: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu ’s rent-control plan likely won’t get a hearing on Beacon Hill until the fall, the State House News Service reports after lawmakers left the city's home-rule petition off the dockets for the housing committee’s June and July meetings. — “Harvard Legacy Admissions Targeted by Massachusetts Lawmakers,” by Janet Lorin, Bloomberg: “A bill in Massachusetts seeks to tax rich colleges that favor families of alumni and donors in admissions policies — namely Harvard University — and give the money to poorer community colleges. The legislation targets Harvard, Williams College and a half-dozen other schools that use preferences for students whose parents attended the college, called legacies, and meet a threshold of current endowment value per student.” — IN MEMORIAM: “State House Mourns Passing Of DCR Ranger [Joanne] Croken,” by Sam Doran, State House News Service (paywall). FROM THE HUB — “Wu wants to deliver police reform via union contracts. With potential arbitration on the horizon, will it happen?” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “It’s shaping up to be a defining question of Michelle Wu’s mayoral tenure: Can she deliver meaningful reform to the nation’s oldest police force? Wu has repeatedly cited collective bargaining as a tool to implement reform within the Police Department, which has been buffeted by scandal in recent years. But as the state takes over protracted contract talks with the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, the city’s largest police union, any changes to the next labor pact could be decided by independent arbitrators.” — "Just What Is Marty Walsh up to, Anyway?" by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "By all appearances, Walsh seems to be in the Boston public eye more and more these days after consciously stepping back to avoid detracting from the current mayor, Michelle Wu." — “Hillary Clinton headlines list of speakers for NAACP National Convention in Boston,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald. — ICYMI: “Former Globe president sues over the way he charges he was fired,” by Adam Gaffin, Universal Hub.   SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY .     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “WRTA appoints Connecticut transit official as new administrator,” by Tréa Lavery, MassLive: “The Worcester Regional Transit Authority has chosen Joshua Rickman, an official with Connecticut’s state transit system, as its new administrator.” — “Repairs that will shut down part of Green Line extension postponed until September,” by Mike Pescaro and Abbey Niezgoda, NBC10 Boston. ROLLINS REPORT — “Rollins could face suspension of law license, disbarment at hands of state disciplinary board,” by Mike Damiano and Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: “The misconduct that Rachael Rollins is alleged to have committed as US attorney is so unusual and varied that there is little precedent for what discipline she might receive, if any, from the state agency that regulates lawyers, according to legal ethics experts. … It is unclear if the board has begun investigating Rollins. Its general counsel, Joseph Berman, said, ‘We don’t comment on pending cases.’” DATELINE D.C. — "Spending bill targets Kerry’s office, global climate spending," by David Jordan, Roll Call: "House Republican appropriators want to eliminate funding for John Kerry’s position as President Joe Biden’s special envoy and for other international climate efforts." FROM THE 413 — “Here’s what happened when West Springfield police added a mental health clinician,” by Aprell May Munford, Springfield Republican: “On the second floor of the J. Edward Christian Municipal Office Building in West Springfield, Ariana Ploran sits monitoring a police radio — ready to jump into action. She did that the other day, holding an impromptu therapy session with someone on the side of a road. That same week, Ploran, a licensed mental health clinician, gave substance abuse resources to a person in a jail cell. … Since [she started joining police officers on calls in] November, repeat 911 crisis calls in the town have dropped by 20%, Ploran said.” — “Westfield director of public health is charged with allegedly stealing more than $7,000 in union funds,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “According to a police report obtained by The Republican, Joseph Rouse, the city’s director of public health, cashed checks and did not deposit that money in the union’s account.” — "Controversial Easthampton city council ordinance on crisis pregnancy centers passes," by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive: "At a heated public hearing attended by more than 50 people across the Commonwealth on Wednesday evening, an ordinance — which provides protections for those seeking reproductive and gender-affirming health care services — passed with six councilors supporting the measure despite mayoral apprehension." MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND — “State engineer accuses SouthCoast Wind of lying to RI agencies. What the email says,” by Alex Kuffner, Providence Journal: “A member of the team that reviews offshore wind projects for Rhode Island’s coastal regulatory agency has accused SouthCoast Wind of lying to a separate state board about the company’s $5-billion proposal to install nearly 150 wind turbines south of Martha’s Vineyard.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — “After extended health-related absence, Nashua state lawmaker who sued for remote participation resigns,” by Todd Bookman, New Hampshire Public Radio: “Longtime Nashua state Rep. David Cote, who is part of an ongoing lawsuit seeking remote participation in the New Hampshire Legislature, has resigned. … Cote, who was first elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives in the 1980s and has served in Democratic leadership, was never sworn in after winning election in 2022.” HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Sen. Richard Ross, state Sen. Jake Oliveira, Dave Eisenstadter and WBUR’s Cloe Axelson. 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

POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA