POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Watching Harris take on Trump

By Kelly Garrity ABOUT LAST NIGHT — The room could’ve been mistaken for a comedy club. But instead of a two drink minimum, the mandate was voter registration. Dozens packed into Savvor, the restaurant-slash-lounge serving up Caribbean and Southern cuisine at the edge of Chinatown and Boston’s Leather District to watch last night’s debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump. To get into the watch party — hosted by Boston’s chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha (one of the elite Black fraternities and sororities known as the Divine Nine), along with the Boston branch of the NAACP, MassVOTE, and the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts — attendees had to make it past MassVOTE Executive Director Cheryl Clyburn Crawford, who was set up at a table by the door, checking attendees voter registration status and signing up new voters as they arrived. The event wasn’t billed as partisan, though it garnered a pro-Harris crowd — no surprise in the Democratic-leaning city and given that Alpha Phi Alpha counts the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, of which Harris is a member — as its sister organization. The crowd howled when Trump claimed without evidence that migrants arriving in the U.S. are eating people’s pets, prompting a swift fact-check from ABC’s moderators. And it laughed as Harris reacted to the former president’s allegation, when talking about abortion, that babies could be executed after birth.    TRUMP LUNACY! Planning for the event was underway soon after President Joe Biden stepped aside and Harris locked up support from the Democratic Party, Andreas Douglas, the chapter president, told Playbook. Eddie Firmin, the owner of Savvor — one of the oldest Black-owned businesses in the neighborhood — was quick to open his doors for it. Interest in the race has increased since Harris took over on the top of the ticket, organizers said (unsurprisingly, given the dramatic weeks leading up to the shift). But some onlookers were still skeptical Harris can win in November. But despite the jovial environment during the back-and-forth, not everyone was laughing by the end of the night. “If it weren’t so serious, I would be laughing,” Connie Forbes, one attendee who’s backing Harris in the race, told Playbook after the debate wrapped. Others praised Harris’ performance, but cast doubts on whether it was enough to sway many voters. Debates don’t often tip the scales too much one way or another (recent history excluded), and we likely won’t know what impact last night had on the candidates’ standing for a bit. But for now, each campaign has some new sound bites to run with as the election heads into the home stretch. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Keep scrolling for more coverage from last night's showdown. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey , Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu join the annual Massachusetts 9/11 Commemoration at 8:15 a.m. at the State House and attend the Massachusetts 9/11 Fund’s annual wreath-laying ceremony at 1 p.m. at the Public Garden. Healey and Driscoll attend the annual Madeline Amy Sweeney award ceremony at 9:40 a.m. and the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial Ceremony at 5 p.m. at the State House. Healey speaks at the Annual Tribute Service Project hosted by Project 351 and the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund/Home Base at 11:30 a.m. on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, and Driscoll chairs a Governor’s Council meeting at noon. Wu speaks at a back to school event at 11 a.m. in Roxbury and at the Brain Aneurysm Foundation Symposium at 3:30 p.m. in Back Bay. Attorney General Andrea Campbell attends the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference in Washington. She joins a panel on the role of state attorneys general at 1 p.m. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at a West Roxbury Business & Professional Association Meeting at 8 a.m. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com .  More on the debate: —  “Harris won the debate — and it wasn’t close,”  by POLITICO staff:  “Kamala Harris showed up — and then some. The vice president’s performance against Donald Trump, in which she repeatedly baited him and knocked him off balance, was a far cry from President Joe Biden’s disastrous June debate. And it gave Democrats the role reversal they had hoped for after their switch at the top of the ticket.” —  “Republicans blame moderators for Trump’s poor debate performance,”  by Emily Ngo, Kimberly Leonard, Natalie Allison and Jessica Piper, POLITICO:  “Republicans know Donald Trump didn’t win Tuesday’s debate. And they know who to blame: the media.” —  “Taylor Swift endorses Kamala Harris for president,”  by Anthony Adragna, POLITICO —  “Fact-checking the 2024 Trump-Harris debate,”  by Glen Kessler, The Washington Post HAITIANS EATING PETS? TRUMP LIE! POST BIRTH ABORTIONS? TRUMP LUNACY! TARIFF STUPIDITY!  THIS IS A MORE CREDIBLE SOURCE:  Fact-checking the ABC News presidential debate CNN ELECTION UPDATES KELLY AYOTTE IS THE 'FORMER' SENATOR FOR GOOD REASON! DO YOUR HOMEWORK & CONSIDER HER VOTES & POST DEFEAT WORKED FOR DEFENSE CONTRACTORS.... KELLY AYOTTE has spent her time trashing MASSACHUSETTS...what has she done for NEW HAMPSHIRE? NH residents clog highways traveling to BOSTON for good paying jobs. What have YOU done KELLY?  — “Former U.S. Sen. Ayotte to face former Manchester Mayor Craig in New Hampshire governor’s race,” by Holly Ramer, The Associated Press: “New Hampshire will elect a female governor for the third time in November after former U.S. Sen. Kelly Ayotte and former Manchester Mayor Joyce Craig won their respective primaries Tuesday. The governor’s office is an open seat for the first time since 2016 thanks to Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s decision against seeking a fifth two-year term.” — “Maggie Goodlander defeats Colin Van Ostern in 2nd District Democratic race,” by Kirk Enstrom, WMUR. DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Mass. funding for victim services cut by feds,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts is slated to get $17 million from the federal government for victim assistance programs, but the funding is much less than what the state normally gets and comes as a state funding plan is stalled in the Legislature. Under the Office for Victims of Crime latest round of disbursements, the state will be getting about $16 million in federal funding for victim assistance grants and another $1.4 million for victim compensation grants. The funding is part of a nearly $1 billion in grants distributed to all 50 states for fiscal year 2024.” — “Healey team finalizing closeout budget bill,” by Sam Doran, State House News Service (paywall): “he Healey administration is putting ‘final touches’ on its legislative plan to close the ledger on fiscal 2024, Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz said Tuesday, with plans to file the so-called closeout budget this week. ‘We hope to have that out in the next day or so,’ he told the Local Government Advisory Commission at a meeting in Easthampton.” FROM THE HUB — “Boston to expand free museum program to non-BPS kids,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Beacon: “Mayor Michelle Wu said a pilot program providing free access to a set of Boston museums to Boston Public Schools students will be expanded next year to include all school-age children in the city. Wu lauded the program’s success on Tuesday, saying more than 36,000 Boston students and their family members have taken advantage of it since its launch earlier this year. But the initiative became the flashpoint for criticism because it did not include some 13,000 Boston students who attend charter schools or students who are bused to suburban districts through the Metco program or who attend private schools. Speaking on GBH radio Tuesday morning, Wu said the city was in ‘the final stages of nailing down an agreement that would expand [the program] to all school-age children throughout Boston.’” — “Wu addresses BPS parents’ bus frustration: ‘Major challenges are being addressed’,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald.  — “Recent gun violence prompts Boston city councilor to request more police in Dorchester, Mattapan,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Recent violence in Dorchester and Mattapan, including a horrific murder at a barbershop that went viral on social media, has one Boston city councilor calling for more of a police presence in those two neighborhoods. City Council Vice President Brian Worrell alerted various neighborhood groups via email Monday that he plans to formally request that the Boston Police Department beef up their patrols and staffing levels in the B-3 and C-11 precincts ‘over the long term,’ citing the ‘recent violence’ that has occurred in ‘our community.’” — “50 years later, sisters confront the pain of Boston’s busing crisis,” by Emily Judem and Stephanie Leydon, GBH News.  — “Wu holding out hope for her commercial property tax plan,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Michelle Wu tells GBH News she’s still hopeful that the state Legislature will allow Boston to temporarily raise commercial tax rates as commercial property valuations drop, a move she says would keep Boston residents from paying drastically higher property taxes over the next few years.” AT THE BALLOT BOX LOW VOTER TURNOUT! — “Turnout for the Mass. primary election was once again poor, but it has been worse,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “The good news: For statewide voter turnout for this month’s state primaries, it could’ve been much worse. And it has been. Turnout for Massachusetts’ Sept. 3 primaries was 16.6 percent, in which more than 841,000 of the state’s 5-million-plus eligible voters cast votes, Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s office announced on Tuesday.” DAY IN COURT — “In case of $70,000 Tiffany ring, SJC judges fully engaged,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon: “Justices at the state’s highest court appear open to doing away with the traditional approach to answering a very niche question: should it matter whose fault it is when an engagement goes sour, even with a $70,000 diamond ring on the line? During arguments in the case of Bruce Johnson and Caroline Settino — with a pricey Tiffany & Co. engagement ring and engraved wedding bands at stake — Supreme Judicial Court justices were frank about their dismay at being asked to rummage around in romantic relationship details to determine whether an engagement ring should be treated a unique kind of gift subject to a unique kind of legal analysis.” IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — “New England governors, Canadian premiers say cross-border bonds will help them tackle climate change,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “Governors from across New England and their counterparts from several provinces in eastern Canada are pledging to work together on a regional approach to climate change. The governors and premiers met Tuesday at Boston University, where they signed resolutions reconvening a pair of binational committees focused on energy and the environment.” — “Adapting together: Local support, federal funding help farms respond to climate change,” by Jacob Nelson, Greenfield Recorder. MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS — “Fight between Goldberg, O’Brien heading to court,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon. THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Mass. colleges get poor marks on free speech,” by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News. — “Brockton School board members 'very disappointed' with deficit probe. Here's why,” by Christopher Butler, The Brockton Enterprise: “The Brockton School Committee received a presentation from the independent audit firm RSM Tuesday night regarding its much-anticipated findings from the review of the district's bombshell fiscal year 2023 $18.25 million budget deficit. This is a different audit from the one Mayor Robert Sullivan discussed at a press conference Tuesday afternoon, but it's on the same topic — the deficit that rocked the school department and city. On Aug. 31, 2023, Sullivan, who also chairs the school committee, announced a shocking $14.4 million deficit in its budget for fiscal year 2023. According to a report from February 2024 by data analytics firm Open Architects, that deficit was actually $18.25 million.” — “Worcester City Council lowers citywide speed limit to 25 mph,” by Adam Bass, Masslive: “The Worcester City Council voted unanimously on Tuesday night to approve a proposal to lower the city’s speed limit. The proposal lowers the city’s statutory speed limit to 25 mph from 30 mph and establishes 20 mph safety zones in ‘sensitive areas,’ including parks, playgrounds, hospitals, senior citizen housing and childcare centers.” — “Dighton-Rehoboth forfeits first game under new gender policy,” by Tyler Hetu, The Sun Chronicle. — “Quincy City Council voted itself a big raise. Why one councilor is refusing to accept it,” by Peter Blandino, The Patriot Ledger: “One city councilor says he won't be taking the new $13,500 increase in annual salary. City councilors wrapped up the last session before the summer break by approving raises both for the mayor and themselves. But one of the body's nine members, Ward 6 Councilor Bill Harris, announced this week he will not accept the extra money.”  PAYWALL HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Sen. Ben Downing, Andrew Sagarin, POLITICO’s Joe Schatz and Matt Giancola. Happy belated to Brian Farnkoff, who celebrated Tuesday. 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 Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   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: Buckle up for a bumpy budget season

BY KELLY GARRITY , LISA KASHINSKY AND MIA MCCARTHY BALANCING ACT — The much discussed “belt-tightening” has arrived on Beacon Hill — sort of. Gov. Maura Healey is pushing a $58 billion budget that pumps tens of millions more dollars into child care and the MBTA. It also slashes close to $1 billion in spending and searches for new revenue sources to pay for the spending increases she’s seeking without hiking taxes or tapping the state’s so-called rainy-day savings account. Even with essentially flat tax-revenue projections, Healey’s proposal is about $2 billion more than the budget she signed last summer — and recently cut $375 million from. Healey is leaning on the roughly $1.3 billion in money the state estimates it will bring in from the so-called millionaires tax to cover the cost of the proposals she first laid out in her State of the Commonwealth address — including $590 million for child care and education programs, $127 million more for the MBTA’s operating budget and $45 million to reduce fares for low-income riders. She’s also seeking new funding sources , including from authorizing online lottery sales and redirecting other revenues. AT 50% CAPACITY! To balance things, Healey wants to cut $450 million from various line items — going so far as to propose closing MCI-Concord to save $16 million in operating costs and $190 million in capital projects — and avoiding $500 million in spending increases in other areas. AT 50% CAPACITY! Criticism came swiftly from Republicans and service providers who rely on state funding. House Minority Leader Brad Jones said Healey’s plan ought to be “tempered by the fiscal realities facing the Commonwealth.” And the correction officers union also said it's "adamantly against" closing the state's oldest men's prison. None of what Healey laid out is a done deal. Healey’s budget proposal officially kicks off a monthslong legislative process that’s unlikely to end before the summer. But her biggest spending battle may come far sooner. Healey also filed a long-awaited supplemental budget Wednesday to help cover the ever-ballooning costs of the state’s shelter system through next year. The governor wants to drain more than $800 million in pandemic-era funds from a surplus account. Yet that money, combined with the $325 million Healey is budgeting for the next fiscal year, still leaves a roughly $90 million funding gap. Healey's plan to plunder a reserve account drew criticism from top Democratic legislative leaders before she even filed it. Now that she has, they're not saying much. A spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka said she would “review what the governor filed as the budget process moves forward.” And a joint statement from House Speaker Ron Mariano and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz similarly offered little insight. “The House has worked hard to balance the goal of ensuring that no family in Massachusetts spends a night on the street, with the responsibility of allocating taxpayer money in a fiscally prudent manner,” they said. So, basically, TBD. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Senators are set to give a long-awaited "update" on their plans for gun-safety legislation at 3 p.m. TODAY — Healey speaks at Associated Industries of Massachusetts January Executive Forum at 9 a.m. in Newton and swears in Michelle Yee as a probate and Family Court justice at 3 p.m. at the State House. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends the Massachusetts Marine Trades Association Business of Boating Conference at 11:45 a.m. in Foxborough and chairs a Seaport Economic Council meeting at 2 p.m. at the State House. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces a geothermal energy pilot at 11 a.m. in Dorchester, is on GBH’s “The Culture Show” at 2:30 p.m. and speaks at the reopening of the Faneuil Boston Public Library Branch in Brighton at 3:30 p.m. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email us:  lkashinsky@politico.com ,  kgarrity@politico.com  and  mmcarthy@politico.com.   JOIN 1/31 FOR A TALK ON THE RACE TO SOLVE ALZHEIMER’S: Breakthrough drugs and treatments are giving new hope for slowing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s disease and ALS. But if that progress slows, the societal and economic cost to the U.S. could be high. Join POLITICO, alongside lawmakers, official and experts, on Jan. 31 to discuss a path forward for better collaboration among health systems, industry and government. REGISTER HERE .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — “A state law could separate mothers from their children: Why is this happening?” by Henry Schwan, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “The moment when a mother gives birth is supposed to be a time of supreme joy. But a state law is traumatizing parents, according to some medical experts and lawmakers, because it can potentially take a newborn away from its mother.” —  "State lawmakers explore hospital receivership amid Steward Health Care [financial] crisis," by Jessica Bartlett, The Boston Globe. MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS — “'Beyond terrible': With overflow shelters full, families huddle in cars and at Logan,” by Gabrielle Emanuel, WBUR: “Across the state, advocates said some families have been sleeping in their cars, even as temperatures have dropped below freezing. It’s become common enough that one nonprofit developed a handout on how to safely spend the night in a vehicle during the winter. Other homeless families are sleeping at Logan Airport. On a recent night, dozens of families, including children, slept on blankets while a regular stream of airport announcements played overhead, and suitcase-toting travelers passed by.” — “Immigrants and supporters in Fairhaven shaken by move to new shelter,” by Eleonora Bianchi, The New Bedford Light: “Earlier this month, the state’s Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities (EOHLC) started moving families from the Seaport Inn to the Inn & Conference Center at UMassLowell. The state notified Fairhaven officials of this change, which is detailed in posting on the town’s website. … The state moved 250 families from short-term hotel accommodations, many of which didn’t have contracted housing providers, to new hotels used as shelters with wraparound services, housing officials told The Light in an email. By the end of January, the hotels in Fairhaven, Dartmouth, Swansea and around the state will no longer function as emergency immigration shelters.” FROM THE HUB — “Wu announces research teams for task force on reparations,” by Mandile Mpofu, The Bay State Banner: “Mayor Michelle Wu took another step toward reparations this week, announcing the group of academics and history experts who will lead research efforts into Boston’s role in the transatlantic slave trade and the city’s more recent history of discrimination. The results will serve as the basis for recommendations by a reparations panel she formed last year.” — “Boston City Councilor Flynn heads to Israel for ‘educational seminar’” by Molly Farrar, Boston.com. DAY IN COURT TICK TOCK — Former President Donald Trump ’s legal team and the MassGOP have until 4 p.m. today to submit responses to an appeal filed Tuesday by the coalition seeking to remove Trump’s name from the ballot in Massachusetts. — “Incarceration and crime rates both down sharply since 2018 reforms,” by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Beacon: “Fiver years after Massachusetts enacted sweeping reforms aimed at reducing incarceration and addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, a new study says the state has seen sharp decreases in both incarceration and crime rates, but found racial disparities in the system have widened.” — “Judge pushes back hearing for Mass. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking top secret information,” by Travis Andersen, The Boston Globe THE PRESSLEY PARTY — “More than 100 gather for Boston interfaith vigil calling for ceasefire in Israel-Hamas war,” by Emily Spatz, Boston.com: “More than 100 people gathered in front of Boston Public Library Wednesday evening for a vigil calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and memorializing the lives lost in Gaza and Israel since the war’s outbreak. … As [Rep.] Pressley stepped up to the podium on the stairs leading up the Library, she said she did not accept the invitation to speak as a member of Congress, but as ‘a sister in struggle,’ recalling her roots of growing up as part of a small church in Chicago with her grandfather as the reverend.”   YOUR GUIDE TO EMPIRE STATE POLITICS : From the newsroom that doesn’t sleep, POLITICO's New York Playbook is the ultimate guide for power players navigating the intricate landscape of Empire State politics. Stay ahead of the curve with the latest and most important stories from Albany, New York City and around the state, with in-depth, original reporting to stay ahead of policy trends and political developments. Subscribe now to keep up with the daily hustle and bustle of NY politics.      FROM THE 413 — “Mental Health Association secures $6.5 million in financing for new Chicopee headquarters,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican. THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Newton school district shares anti-strike posts on official social media,” by Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Teachers on strike in Newton are crying foul over a series of posts on the Newton Public Schools official Facebook account criticizing the Newton Teachers Association. The 10 messages appeared just after 7 p.m. Tuesday night. … Officials with Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller's office said they did not know who authored the posts and referred WBUR to the school district. Superintendent Anna Nolin did not respond to a request for comment.” — “Anti-Defamation League’s New England regional director resigns after less than year in role,” by John Hilliard, The Boston Globe: “Rabbi Jonah Steinberg, who was announced as the successor to longtime regional director Robert Trestan in June, will “refocus his efforts in returning to his lifelong role as a rabbi, a member of the academic community, and a Jewish educator, a calling he wouldn’t be able to pursue at ADL,” spokesperson Shellie Burgman said in an email.” — “Sale of old Attleboro high school appears to have strong city council backing,” by George Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle. — “Perry sees Methuen reaching 'new heights',” by Monica Sager, The Eagle-Tribune. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE NOT-SO GRANITE STATE OF MIND — Nikki Haley is taking the fight to Donald Trump in South Carolina . Trump and his allies are ramping up pressure on her to get out of the GOP primary. The presidential race may have moved on from New Hampshire — for now — but we've got new data from the primary to parse. Our colleague Jessica Piper unpacks the downsides for the four major candidates still in the running. And Lisa talks to the anti-Trump Republicans who see signs of general-election weakness for the former president in primary exit polls. We’ve also got updated data on all of those write-in ballots. President Joe Biden won 77,061 write-in votes in the Democratic primary — and 497 on the Republican side. In another quirk, Haley beat Trump in Democratic primary write-ins, 4,695 to 2,055. Democrats who wanted to vote in the GOP primary had to change their party registration back in October. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ted Chambers, Heather Bellow, David Newman and Amy Sokolow. 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 Kelly Garrity @KellyGarrity3   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