POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: The best things in politics are free

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY MASSACHUSETTS ON HER MIND — Chuck Morse, who? Kelly Ayotte is getting a mountain of free press for her nascent New Hampshire gubernatorial campaign by pummeling Massachusetts. It’s a savvy strategy. Good or bad, every headline and tweet is priceless attention on Ayotte in the pricey Boston media market that covers a large swath of her home state. In just over a week, she’s gotten free airtime on WBZ for blaming Massachusetts’ border cities for pumping opioids into New Hampshire (and spun it into a multi-day news story by calling out host Jon Keller online ). She’s received above-the-fold coverage in the Eagle-Tribune (which also covers southern New Hampshire) and prominent play in the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald twice over . She’s led the MASSterList and WBUR Today newsletters and seen plenty of ink in this one, too. Her tweets warning that New Hampshire is “one election away from turning into Massachusetts” have racked up 1.5 million views on the platform formerly known as Twitter. That’s more than the number of people who live in her state. Meanwhile, her rivals, including Morse, the former state Senate president and failed U.S. Senate candidate, and Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, who’s eyeing the race, have drawn nary a headline here. “I’m never going to be popular in Massachusetts,” Ayotte said . “And that’s perfectly okay with me.” Ayotte’s ploy is a win on both sides of the state line. As the New Hampshire Journal’s Michael Graham put it, the only thing “better for a New Hampshire Republican than taking shots at liberal Massachusetts” is “when Massachusetts shoots back.” The more Bay State pols pile on Ayotte (Auditor Diana DiZoglio , who lives in border-city Methuen, is the latest), the more she gets to rally a Republican base that’s already primed against Massachusetts. And it’s not just over the opioid crisis. New Hampshire Republicans love to mock Massachusetts for its high taxes and liberal leanings. GOP candidates from Chris Sununu to Donald Trump have riled up their supporters by claiming Massachusetts voters are bused across the border to interfere in their elections. Long story short, there’s little downside to Ayotte using Massachusetts as a political punching bag — until she needs campaign cash, that is. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. The bickering doesn’t stop at the border. A new battle is brewing in the interchamber war engulfing Beacon Hill, this time over a multimillion-dollar supplemental spending bill. And the House and Senate continue to butt heads over the budget. The annual spending plan is now on track to be the latest state budget in 22 years, save for the first year of the pandemic. Keep scrolling for more. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Sen. Ed Markey reintroduces the HEAT Act at 11 a.m. in Chelsea. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu co-hosts the NAACP Welcome Reception at 5:30 p.m. at the BCEC and speaks at the Culture Nights Music Festival at 6:30 p.m. in the Seaport. THIS WEEKEND — Vice President Kamala Harris addresses the NAACP convention Saturday at the BCEC. Rep. Ayanna Pressley hosts a “Democracy for the People” town hall at 3 p.m. Saturday at Roxbury Community College. SUNDAY SHOWS — MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Former state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Bets on when lawmakers will pass a state budget? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .   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 .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — TIME IS MONEY: Gov. Maura Healey is buying Democratic legislative leaders more time to strike a budget deal — again. Her second interim budget, which lawmakers returned to her desk within hours of her filing it, will keep the state running through August. Little else is running so smoothly under the golden dome. Let’s take a look at where some big bills stand just days before August recess traditionally begins: — DEAL: Lawmakers have now passed $200 million for road and bridge repairs after the annual Chapter 90 bill languished behind closed doors for four months. They also tacked on another $175 million in transportation-related grants. — NO DEAL: The budget. Tax relief. The supplemental spending plan that would aid financially strained hospitals and extend horse race simulcasting. Gun regulations. House Republican Leader Brad Jones said the Democratic dysfunction “shows that one-party government doesn’t work for the citizens of the commonwealth.” But the Democrats don’t see it that way. “The public’s not asking me” about the budget, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues , the chamber’s chief budget negotiator, told reporters yesterday. “I’ve had no constituent call me.” His counterpart, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz , said the budget delay is not for "lack of trying.” He pledged to keep “working through the weekend” with more formal sessions scheduled for Monday. But how close a deal could be remains unclear: neither lawmaker will divulge the areas of disagreement. And Healey isn’t publicly pressuring lawmakers to get moving even as they hold up some of her biggest priorities. “This is all part of policymaking,” she said earlier this week. The Boston Herald’s Chris Van Buskirk and the Boston Globe’s Matt Stout have more on the budget standoff. Massachusetts House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz speaks to reporters at the State House on Thursday, July 27, 2023. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO — “Supp Budget Procedure The Source of Latest House-Senate Squabble,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service (paywall): “The Senate had not yet voted to approve a $513 million spending bill when House Speaker Ron Mariano cried foul, arguing that the procedural steps his counterparts across the hall took will slow down final passage of legislation designed to inject funding into financially strained hospitals, revive a hydropower transmission project, prevent a lapse in simulcasting wagering laws and more. Senate President Karen Spilka retorted by effectively dismissing his concerns and pointing out that the House had already deployed the same technique it now criticizes.” — “State Senate passes bills on gender-neutral birth records, ID access for homeless people,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “With a pair of unanimous votes on Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate approved bills that would make it easier for homeless youth and adults to access state IDs, and for Bay Staters to make sure their state identification documents accurately reflect their gender identity.” — “Mom Files Petition To Strike High-Stakes MCAS,” by Sam Drysdale, State House News Service (paywall): “Someone has officially filed a petition to put on the statewide ballot the question of whether students should be required to pass a standardized test in order to graduate — but it wasn't the state's large teacher's union, which has been publicly considering whether to bring the question to voters. Shelly Scruggs, a Lexington resident and mother to a 15-year-old boy, told the News Service Thursday she filed the petition on behalf of her son.” — More: “Poll finds wide support for standardized testing as Mass. teachers try to upend them,” by Alvin Buyinza, MassLive: “Across party lines, the majority of Bay State residents support school standardized tests, according to a new poll of likely general election voters released Thursday.” — “Massachusetts lawmakers may require hybrid meetings for most public boards,” by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette. PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “Now arriving from New York: ‘Reinforcements’ to bolster MBTA executive ranks,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Four veterans of New York’s transportation system are headed to top roles at the beleaguered MBTA in new general manager Phillip Eng’s most public shake-up of the agency since taking over in April after a career in New York.” — “MBTA overpaid for transit ambassadors, did not set performance metrics, report finds,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “The MBTA overpaid a Tennessee-based company by more than $5.3 million to outsource in-station customer service agents and did not set clear goals to track their performance, Massachusetts’ top government watchdog found in a new report.”   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 .     DAY IN COURT — “FBI arrests Swansea man who was at the Jan. 6 Capitol riots,” by Dan Medeiros, Herald News: “The Swansea man who admittedly took part in the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol building has been arrested by the FBI and accused of a felony offense of civil disorder.” A federal judge also sentenced Somerville's Noah Bacon to 12 months in prison, two years of supervised release and $2,000 in restitution after he was found guilty of illegally entering the Capitol and the Senate Chamber on Jan. 6, 2021. — "Trump charged with new crimes in classified documents case," by Kyle Cheney and Josh Gerstein, POLITICO. WARREN REPORT — SURVEY SAYS: Republicans still don’t have a candidate to take on Sen. Elizabeth Warren next year. So the conservative-leaning Fiscal Alliance Foundation had Republican-aligned pollster Advantage Inc. test how the Democrat would fare in a hypothetical matchup against former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Warren got 41 percent support to Polito’s 29 percent. Another 30 percent of the 750 likely voters surveyed were undecided. But anyone dreaming of drafting Polito is about to have those hopes dashed. A spokesperson for the Republican told Playbook that “Polito will not be a candidate for office in 2024.” — “Elizabeth Warren and Lindsey Graham want a new agency to regulate tech,” by Brian Fung, CNN. IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — “Avangrid resuming construction of Mass.-financed hydro line,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The top official at Avangrid said construction of the Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into Maine is slated to resume next week, and his presentation suggested the project could be up and running this year.” — “Report shows interest in solar rooftops rising,” by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times. FROM THE 413 — “Pittsfield politics are heating up with a preliminary election scheduled for September. Here's who is running,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “City Council president Peter Marchetti, at-large councilor Karen Kalinowsky and former City Council vice president John Krol all received more than the necessary 300 signatures to make it on the ballot.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Councilor's absence raises questions,” by Ethan Forman, Gloucester Daily Times: “For much of his term, Councilor at-Large James W. ‘Jamie’ O’Hara Jr. has been living and working out of state, in Pensacola, Florida, and other places. The issue is not about his lack of attendance at meetings, as the council has been mostly meeting on Zoom since the COVID-19 pandemic, and O’Hara has been on screen. But O’Hara’s being out of town so much has irked some residents who believe he should be present to represent them. O’Hara even pulled his nomination papers to run for reelection this fall by proxy.” — “Amid voter fraud accusations, West Bridgewater residents call for criminal investigation,” by Ryan Kath, NBC10 Boston: “An NBC10 Boston investigation raised questions about whether the Select Board chair in West Bridgewater lived in the community. Anthony Kinahan resigned from his elected position before our story published earlier this month, but some residents are now calling for a criminal investigation into voter fraud allegations.” — “MA could allow cities to regulate costly broker fees for tenants,” by Drew Karedes and Marina Villeneuve, Boston 25 News. — “Acton will give $3,000 toward child care costs to each eligible family,” by Maggie Scales, Boston Globe. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY —  to Beata Coloyan, Ayla Brown  and to retired Daily Hampshire Gazette editor and Northampton City Councilor Stanley Moulton. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to former state Rep. Byron Rushing, Shelby Ashline, Hayley Fleming  and Hirak Shah , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-er Brendan Roche . NEW HORSE RACE ALERT:  DRAG US —  The Dorchester Reporter’s Gintautas Dumcius breaks down the latest Boston City Council chaos. Host Jennifer Smith pulls back the sequined curtain on “drag queen story hours.” Hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky talk new polling on Gov. Maura Healey . Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud . 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

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Council controversies eclipse Boston races

 

BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY HEAR US OUT — Michael Flaherty's decision to end his reelection bid blew open the at-large race for Boston City Council. But you'd hardly know there was an eight-way contest taking place with the current councilors’ drama drowning out the competition. Ricardo Arroyo’s ethics fine, Kendra Lara’s car crash and the council’s ongoing infighting are looming over the five challengers vying for four citywide seats — one of whom is now guaranteed a spot on the governing body with Flaherty’s exit. And it doesn’t help that when this year’s council contests do get attention, it’s usually for the crowded race to replace outgoing Councilor Frank Baker in District 3. The council’s dysfunction drove some of these candidates into the race. “That's one of the reasons really why I’m running,” at-large candidate Henry Santana told Playbook. “I want to be able to be a candidate that brings pride back to the City Council.” But it’s also making it tougher for the non-incumbents to break through — and keep the conversation focused on issues like gun violence (a 12-year-old was killed in Mattapan yesterday ) and affordable housing in an increasingly unaffordable city. “The community will continue getting the short end of the stick if the councilors keep fighting each other or are only concerned with what they’re doing next politically,” at-large candidate Clifton Braithwaite told Playbook. “Veterans, education, elders, violence — there are so many things we can get together and fix. And I think we have an opportunity with new leadership.” On Thursday, the remaining incumbents and three of their challengers clashed not with each other but over policy in a forum hosted by the Boston Wards 4, 5 and 10 Democratic committees , establishing clear divides over their housing, transportation and education priorities. Councilor Erin Murphy and Bridget Nee-Walsh, a South Boston ironworker making her second council run, stood against the rest of the field that supports rent stabilization and legalizing safe injection sites. Nee-Walsh also gave a thumbs-down to approving more money for fare-free transit when the mayor’s free bus pilot program runs out of federal funding; Murphy questioned whether the city could afford it. As the challengers try to battle their way onto the council , Flaherty’s exit brings another upside: There’s no need for a preliminary election with only eight people left in the at-large field, meaning the candidates will have until November, rather than mid-September, to make their case. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Are you running for Boston City Council? We want to hear from you: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com . TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey departs New Jersey for Michigan to meet with the Michigan Women’s Commission and “fellow governors” including Gretchen Whitmer. Acting Gov. Kim Driscoll participates in the Salem United Negro Election Day Parade & Celebration at noon in Salem. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11 a.m. THIS WEEKEND — House Speaker Ron Mariano is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. UMass President Marty Meehan is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday.   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 .     DATELINE BEACON HILL House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and House Speaker Ron Mariano outside the Massachusetts House chamber on July 13, 2023. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO — WELL THIS JUST GOT INTERESTING: Gov. Maura Healey may get more funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program after all. Healey pitched raising the $10-million-per-year cap for the market-rate housing program to $50 million in the first year and $30 million thereafter as part of her tax-relief plan. The Senate included the increase in its tax package — and even upped the Year One bump to $57 million. The House hadn’t touched HDIP — until now. The big amendment representatives added to the nearly $700 million supplemental budget they passed yesterday : expanding HDIP to $57 million in the first year and $30 million thereafter. (As a reminder, both the House and Senate wanted to increase HDIP funding as part of the economic development bill that fell apart at the end of last session.) By popping HDIP out of tax-relief negotiations, House Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters that his chamber is attempting to "jump-start" the larger debate around how best to tackle the state's housing shortage. But he cautioned against “reading into” the move as a sign that a tax deal is far off. And yet, the chamber’s chief budget negotiator, House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz , wouldn’t commit to a timeline for delivering either a budget or a tax agreement. “It could be tomorrow, it could be next week,” he said. Now it’s up to the Senate to choose how to proceed on HDIP. Senate President Karen Spilka ’s office said she's "pleased the House has agreed this is an important problem" and that senators "will need to review the House proposal before deciding on a course of action." The House is also upping its pressure on the Senate to get moving on gun legislation as the chambers clash over which committee will steer the sweeping firearms bill state Rep. Michael Day filed late last month. Mariano wants his chamber to pass the gun regulations before the traditional August recess — an incredibly tight timeline for a typically lethargic Legislature. Mariano’s office has now scheduled a pair of closed-door meetings for representatives next week to help “clarify misconceptions” about the bill, State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski and Alison Kuznitz report. — GIVING IT ANOTHER GO: Advocacy efforts are picking up again around legislation that would criminalize so-called revenge porn, after former Gov. Charlie Baker ’s attempts to do so failed to make it over the finish line during his tenure, Boston 25’s Kerry Kavanaugh and Marina Villeneuve report . — “Rally at Mass. Statehouse calls for action on child care costs,” by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette. — "Lt. Gov. Driscoll went knocking on doors in Worcester to underscore MassHealth changes," by Tréa Lavery, MassLive. FROM THE HUB — “Despite her revoked license, City Councilor Kendra Lara ‘regularly’ drove to City Hall,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “City Councilor Kendra Lara ‘regularly’ drove to work at Boston City Hall, a city spokesperson said Thursday, even though she has not had a valid driver’s license for a decade. City officials, who reviewed video footage in response to a public records request from the Globe, said Lara routinely drove to and parked in City Hall’s executive garage, including just days before she swerved into a Jamaica Plain home late last month, in an accident that has raised glaring questions about her driving history.” — “Residency challenge filed against embattled Boston city councilor Kendra Lara,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The challenge could trigger a review from the Boston Election Commission. Lara is seeking a second term and faces two challengers in the Sept. 12 preliminary election. Lara denied the allegation, telling the Herald that she lives in the district she represents, at the address listed on her campaign filing.” — “Vice President Kamala Harris to offer keynote speech at NAACP Convention in Boston,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald. THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — “Zondervan won’t run for a fourth council term, ensuring at least three new Cambridge leaders,” by Marc Levy, Cambridge Day: “[T]here will be a guaranteed three new faces on the council come January, the most since 2017. … Vice mayor Alanna Mallon and councillor Dennis Carlone have also decided not to run again; fellow councillors Patty Nolan and E. Denise Simmons haven’t made their intentions clear.” — “Former councilor joins race for Amesbury mayor,” by Matt Petry, Newburyport Daily News: “Former City Councilor Richard Marggraf and Joshua Sorgini both pulled nomination papers for the position of mayor this week, joining incumbent Mayor Kassandra Gove, John Proctor and Ted Semesnyei.”   UNLEASH THE FUTURE OF HEALTHCARE WITH POLITICO, A 7/20 INTERACTIVE EVENT: Imagine a future where rare genetic diseases are not only treatable, but potentially curable. Where our approach to chronic illness takes a monumental leap forward. That future is already taking shape in the form of next-generation health care treatments such as gene therapy. Join POLITICO on Thursday , July 20 and delve into the burgeoning field of gene therapies, which hold the power to redefine our health care landscape. Are you ready to explore this new frontier in health care? Don't miss this chance to be part of the conversation. REGISTER NOW .     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA adds commercial driver’s permit program to bus operator training amid shortage,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A bus driver shortage at the MBTA led the agency to incorporate a commercial driver’s license permit program into new hire onboarding, a move the authority’s top hiring official said helped boost recruitment efforts and bring in more candidates.” — “Another bad day for riders on the MBTA, as train fire erupts and water pipe breaks,” by John R. Element, Laura Crimaldi, Taylor Dolven and Daniel Kool, Boston Globe. FROM THE DELEGATION — PRESSLEY PUSHES TO END EXECUTIONS: Rep. Ayanna Pressley has refiled her bill to end the use of the federal death penalty and re-sentence those on death row, POLITICO first reported . She secured a significant, though temporary, win on the matter when Attorney General Merrick Garland imposed a moratorium on federal executions in 2021. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Rep. Jim McGovern are among the bill's co-sponsors. — “Calls for help pour into '988' suicide hotline,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, a Salem Democrat and co-sponsor of the bipartisan bill that established the hotline, said the easy-to-remember three-digit number is a breakthrough in helping people in crisis who may otherwise try to harm themselves.” DATELINE D.C. — “US climate envoy John Kerry spars in heated exchanges with House Republicans ahead of Beijing trip,” by Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press: “U.S. climate envoy John Kerry defended his negotiations with China — and angrily rebuffed what he called a ‘stupid’ lie that he routinely travels by private jet — during a grilling by House Republicans on Thursday before he sets out on his next climate mission to Beijing.” MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — “The Boston Weed Party? MariMed stages cannabis tax protest,” by Cassie McGrath, Boston Business Journal: “MariMed executives threw boxes labeled ‘weed’ into Boston Harbor to protest a federal tax code they say places unfair burdens on the cannabis industry.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Forced to resign: West Bridgewater selectman accused of lying about where he lives,” by Ryan Kath, NBC10 Boston: “NBC10 Investigators started looking into the chair of the West Bridgewater Select Board, and whether he actually lives in the community. When NBC10 questioned Anthony Kinahan about his residency, he submitted his resignation on Wednesday.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — ‘WE WILL NOT CEDE NEW HAMPSHIRE’: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign is doubling down on his commitment to campaigning in the Granite State after early stumbles . DeSantis faces a tougher sell for his culture-war conservatism in New Hampshire than in the other early nominating states. But the governor’s campaign said it “will not cede New Hampshire” in a memo obtained by NBC News and it “will not dedicate resources to Super Tuesday that slow our momentum in New Hampshire.” The memo also said DeSantis is “thriving” in town hall settings, after he was initially criticized for not doing the Q&A-style events in New Hampshire. — “Primary Payback: Some New Hampshire Democrats Hope ‘Wacko’ Kennedy Embarrasses Biden,” by Stephanie Murray and Nicole Gaudiano, The Messenger. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Rick Jakious of Rep. Seth Moulton’s office, former state Attorney General Martha Coakley , former Rep. Patrick Kennedy, Erin Olivieri of state Sen. Barry Finegold’s office, Zach Crowley of Sen. Jason Lewis’ office, Laurily Epstein, Nate Bermel and David Emil Reich . HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Ariel Zirulnick, David Lippman (h/t son Daniel), Jon Hurst, Stefanie Coxe and Allison Godburn who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Maddie Conway and Daily Hampshire Gazette alum Sarah Crosby . NEW HORSE RACE ALERT:  BALLOTS FIRED!!! — State House News Service’s Chris Lisinski joins hosts Jennifer Smith and Lisa Kashinsky  to break down some potential ballot questions for 2024, including legalizing psychedelics. Plus, Maura Healey wades into the gubernatorial troll wars. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud . 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