POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Let the tax-relief lobbying begin (again)

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY AND KELLY GARRITY PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook won’t publish Monday for Juneteenth. We’ll be back in your inboxes on Tuesday. PLAYING THE LONG GAME — Senators unanimously passed a roughly $590 million package of tax breaks last night that aims to boost housing production but excludes several business-friendly changes sought by the House and Gov. Maura Healey, teeing up another closed-door clash between chambers. It also sets off a new round of lobbying around cutting the short-term capital gains tax rate to 5 percent from 12 percent — a key component of both the House and Healey’s tax plans that the Senate skipped — and the “single sales factor apportionment” for corporate taxes that representatives approved but senators rejected. Business leaders didn’t push Senate President Karen Spilka too hard on either measure when she spoke at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce event yesterday ahead of her own chamber’s tax debate. But they made clear they’re going to keep up the pressure in private as the tax plans head to the negotiating table. “We’ll work with people on the conference committee and make our feelings known,” Jim Rooney, the chamber’s president and CEO, told Playbook after the event. "We think that there's the capacity, as the House did, to embrace” both measures, he said. But Rooney also signaled that the business community is willing to play the long game. Business groups are likely to get one long-sought win after both legislative chambers passed measures to raise the estate-tax threshold to $2 million. Some senators have expressed openness to discussing the single sales factor down the line. And Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues raised the possibility of revisiting short-term capital gains changes in an interview with the State House News Service. Housing advocates are taking a similar approach to two housing-development programs that the senators want to expand. If the House doesn’t agree to additional funding for the Housing Development Incentive Program and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit, advocates say they could get another shot at both in an upcoming housing bond bill. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute is asking lawmakers to hold off on pumping more money into HDIP until they tackle existing issues with the program, such as the unequal distribution of credits among Gateway Cities . The nonprofit is also urging lawmakers to consider building some mechanism to create affordable units into the program that’s designed to spur production of market-rate housing. Senators rejected an amendment to do so yesterday, but several signaled a willingness to revisit the idea at a different time. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! TODAY — Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll are on “Java with Jimmy” starting at 9 a.m. (Driscoll goes first.) Healey is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at noon. Driscoll chairs a Governor’s Council on Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking meeting at 1 p.m. in Lynnfield. Rep. Jim McGovern attends a Juneteenth flag raising at 5 p.m. at Worcester City Hall. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a public housing event at 11:30 a.m. in Charlestown, the opening of the city’s “Slavery in Boston” exhibit at 1 p.m. at Faneuil Hall and the Embrace Ideas Juneteenth Block Party at 4 p.m. at RCC. THIS WEEKEND — MBTA GM Phil Eng is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Planning on lobbying the tax-relief conference committee? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com .   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 .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — ASKING FOR CLEMENCY: Gov. Maura Healey is recommending pardoning seven people for decades-old crimes that range from arson to drug possession to assault, making her the first governor in more than three decades to propose pardons in the first year of their term. The pardons now go to the Governor’s Council for approval. Healey also pledged to “modernize” the state’s clemency process. Each governor gets to issue their own guidelines. The former attorney general said during a State House press conference that she wants to “center fairness and racial and gender equity” in hers. The group Healey first hopes to pardon includes a nurse, a social worker and a U.S. Army veteran. None are incarcerated. Only a few, including Glendon King and Terrance Williams , who appeared with Healey yesterday, still live in the state. And each were recommended for pardons by the Parole Board under former Gov. Charlie Baker . Healey is still considering one other holdover recommendation . Her office said it is not for Gerald Amirault and Cheryl Amirault LeFave , the siblings convicted in a high-profile child sexual abuse case who Baker controversially moved to pardon toward the end of his second term but later withdrew . The governor also vowed as a candidate that she would pardon those convicted of simple marijuana possession , but has yet to do so. “We need to do so in a way that legally makes sense,” Healey said yesterday. “We don’t want anybody to be set back, held back, from housing, from employment, from school because of a simple marijuana possession violation.” More from the Boston Globe’s Matt Stout and GBH’s Katie Lannan Governor Maura Healey announces she is recommending seven individuals for pardons to the Governor’s Council at the State House on June 15, 2023. | Joshua Qualls/Governor’s Press Office — TODAY’S SPECIAL: Senators approved Nov. 7 as the date for the special election to fill the seat Anne Gobi vacated to become Healey’s rural affairs director. That would make the primary Oct. 10 . — CHEEKY PROTEST: Eight members of the climate group Extinction Rebellion were arrested and escorted from the Senate gallery yesterday, after the pink-thong-clad protesters bared what they called their own “natural gas infrastructure” to send a message to lawmakers (scrawled across their bottoms) to “stop passing gas” — in this case, fossil fuel infrastructure. Each is charged with trespassing on state property, disorderly conduct and indecent exposure, state police said. Extinction Rebellion protesters have already faced arrest this year for staging a sit-in at the governor’s office (when she wasn’t there) and disrupting a joint session. — “Spilka outlines a different vision of competitiveness,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Where [other] groups to one degree or another prioritized tax cuts designed to keep wealthy residents from fleeing the state, [Senate President Karen] Spilka said the real problem is 26- to 35-year-olds who are struggling to live here because of the high cost of housing, health care, and higher education.” FROM THE HUB — “Boston’s new district map likely to stand, attorneys indicate,” by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “Boston’s new political map looks most likely to stand, leaving the city on schedule for its elections this fall, after the attorneys who sued to block an earlier set of the boundaries indicated Thursday that they are 'unlikely' to try to obstruct the latest attempt." — “Boston City Council’s cut to veterans’ office sparks outcry,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The City Council’s decision to cut $900,000 from the veterans’ services budget has prompted an outcry from across the country, council President Ed Flynn said.” — “Advocacy group calls for exhibit on slavery to be moved from Faneuil Hall, named for a slaveowner,” by Laura Haefeli, WBZ.   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 .     THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — “At-large update: Incumbents fill up war chests as challengers make ballot,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “The field of at-large City Council candidates stands at eight, as the four incumbents run for another two-year term and four challengers look to knock them out of a spot.” — “City Councilor Karen Kalinowsky is running for mayor of Pittsfield,” by Meg Britton-Mehlisch, Berkshire Eagle: “Citing her frustration with the recent budget process, City Councilor Karen Kalinowsky said Thursday she is joining the race for mayor.” DAY IN COURT — “Jack Teixeira, Air National Guardsman accused of leaking military secrets, indicted on new charges,” by Shelley Murphy and Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “Jack D. Teixeira, the Massachusetts Air National Guardsman accused of leaking top secret information on the Internet, was indicted Thursday by a federal grand jury in Boston on six counts of willful retention and transmission of national defense information, court filings show. The indictment comes two months after Teixeira, 21, of Dighton, was arrested on a criminal complaint filed by prosecutors.” — “Two from Worcester charged in Capitol riot; recorded themselves in building,” by Craig S. Semon, Telegram & Gazette: “Julie Miller, also known as Hong Ngo, 51, and Long Duong, also known as Jimmy Hoang Duong, 54, were taken into custody after an arrest warrant was issued Monday by a federal court in Washington." FROM THE DELEGATION — “ US senators urge regulator to change guidance on Massachusetts auto law,” by David Shepardson, Reuters: “[Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey] on Thursday urged the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to reconsider its decision to tell automakers not to comply with a recently effective Massachusetts state ‘right to repair’ law designed to allow customers access to vehicle data.” — “Sherrod Brown, Tim Scott float tougher bank CEO penalties after Warren rift,” by Eleanor Mueller, POLITICO. FROM THE 413 — “State puts Southampton immigrant facility on hold,” by The Daily Hampshire Gazette: “State officials have determined that the cost of operating a temporary processing facility for legal immigrant families and other displaced people at a former Harley-Davidson dealership would be prohibitive and have put plans on ‘indefinite pause.’” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “With no state oversight, Mass. medical school morgues are vulnerable to black market for bodies,” by Ally Jarmanning and Walter Wuthmann, WBUR: “Medical school morgues — like the one at Harvard where a manager is accused of stealing and selling body parts for tens of thousands of dollars — face no state oversight in Massachusetts, state officials said Thursday." — “Somerville dedicates funds for a supervised consumption facility,” by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “Somerville has approved most of the money needed for a mobile clinic where people using drugs could be monitored and revived if they overdose.” REGIONAL ROUNDUP — “R.I. official resigns amid scandal over racist, sexist comments made in Philadelphia,” by Edward Fitzpatrick, Boston Globe: “David Patten, the state official accused of making a series of racist, sexist comments during a business trip to Philadelphia, resigned Thursday evening. Patten’s resignation as director of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance in the state Department of Administration comes amid national coverage and mounting criticism of Governor Daniel J. McKee’s administration over the incident. Patten wrote that his resignation becomes effective June 30.” — “Several NH mayors, police chiefs say it’s time to give undocumented immigrants access to IDs,” by Gabriela Lozada, NHPR. MEDIA MATTERS — “Bloomberg cancels local ‘Baystate Business’ radio show, lays off hosts,” by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Maura Hogan joins Seven Letter’s Boston office as senior director. — Kristin Kelleher is now New England director of public affairs at Equinor. She most recently was stakeholder engagement manager for Beacon Wind at Equinor. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to POLITICO’s Madison Fernandez, Tom Fleming, the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo , MassINC’s Richard Parr, Nicholas McCool and Bill Shaner . HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to CBS News reporter Nicole Sganga, state Rep. Aaron Saunders and Maxwell Nunes, who celebrate Saturday; to Steph Evans, Rick Cappellazzo, Sarah Anders, Marlborough City Councilor and mayoral candidate Samantha Perlman and Ravi Simon, who celebrate Sunday; and to Monday birthday-ers DPH Media Relations Director Ann Scales , Sen. Ed Markey campaign alum and the AFL-CIO’s Liz Vlock, Galen Clark  and HubSpot’s Katie Burke . NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: IT’S NOT EASY BANKING GREEN — Boston Globe climate reporter Sabrina Shankman joins to talk about Gov. Maura Healey ’s new “green bank” for affordable housing. Hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky discuss whether former President Donald Trump ’s latest indictment is affecting his third White House bid. 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

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Healey braces for SCOTUS rulings

 

View in browser   BY KELLY GARRITY With help from Lisa Kashinsky NEW SCHOOL RULES? — The Supreme Court is due to rule in a pair of cases that could reshape college admissions and loan repayments for hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents. Justices are weighing whether to allow President Joe Biden’s program to wipe out up to $20,000 in student debt per borrower to proceed. Gov. Maura Healey, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley have been among the biggest proponents of the program that could significantly aid Massachusetts residents saddled with a combined more than $30 billion in federal student loan debt. And how the court rules on lawsuits challenging admissions practices at Harvard and the University of North Carolina will determine whether colleges and universities can continue using race as a factor in deciding which students to admit. Should the Supreme Court’s conservative majority rule against the universities, as schools are bracing for, it would throw a wrench into the affirmative action programs that institutions lean on to increase diversity in their student bodies. Colleges argue it would likely lead to a drop in diversity on their campuses. State leaders are already taking steps to mitigate potential fallout. Healey on Wednesday formed a new advisory council of 42 school leaders, civil rights experts, diversity advocates and students who will work “to break down barriers of access to higher education, particularly for those who have been historically marginalized and our students of color,” co-chair and Higher Education Commissioner Noe Ortega said in a statement. The state is also launching an awareness campaign aimed at drawing attention to existing programs that help students with college and career planning. The effort is particularly targeted toward Gateway Cities. State Sen. Lydia Edwards is floating another idea: a bill that would end preferences for legacy students in admissions at public and private colleges in the state. More than three-quarters of colleges in Massachusetts still had a legacy preference during the 2021-2022 school year, according to data compiled by Education Reform Now. “The very people who are suing claiming that they were banned or barred from those elite institutions and blaming people of color — Black people, specifically … have consistently missed or ignored the fact that they are more likely to have been blocked or banned from admissions from a legacy preference,” Edwards told Playbook. Getting colleges and universities — who lean on wealthy alumni for big donations — to get behind the bill could be a challenge. But if the high court does end affirmative action, "schools will have to do something,” Edwards said. “This is something immediately that they can do, a direct response.” And the way the state responds could become another key pillar in Healey’s “come to Massachusetts” pitch. “We want to send a clear message to students of all backgrounds — you are welcome here in Massachusetts,” Healey said in a statement. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Senators will debate their $586 million tax-relief package today, shortly after Senate President Karen Spilka addresses the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce at 9:45 a.m. at Boston’s City Winery. Business leaders are pushing senators to approve a cut to the short-term capital gains tax rate, after the chamber's Democratic leaders left it out of their initial plan. TODAY — Healey sends off state wildland firefighters to Canada at 9:30 a.m. at DCR in Carlisle, is on WBUR’s “Radio Boston” at 11:25 a.m., makes a “major criminal justice” announcement at noon at the State House and keynotes the Boston Bar Association’s Law Day at 6:30 p.m. at Symphony Hall. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll speaks at a Cape and Islands municipal leaders’ lunch at noon, chairs a STEM Advisory Council meeting at 2 p.m. and speaks at a Massachusetts Maritime Academy event at 3:30 p.m., all in Buzzards Bay. Auditor Diana DiZoglio addresses the Small Town Administrators of Massachusetts at 10 a.m. in Boylston. HWM Chair Aaron Michlewitz is in Washington, D.C., for the White House State Legislative Convening on Reproductive Rights. Tips? Scoops? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com .   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 .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Governor Healey preparing to recommend pardons for seven people, a rarity early in a governor’s term,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “In an unusually timed show of executive leniency, Governor Maura Healey is preparing to recommend pardons for seven people on Thursday, her first clemency actions since taking office less than six months ago, according to two people with knowledge of her plans. Healey’s decision to issue pardons so early in her first term would mark a major break from her immediate predecessors, who often waited until the final year or months of their tenures — if at all — to act on clemency petitions.” — “RMV on hiring spree ahead of new driver’s license law taking effect in July,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “The Registry of Motor Vehicles is on a hiring spree to prepare for a new law that allows people without lawful proof of presence in the United States to apply for a Massachusetts driver’s license. … The RMV expects 280,000 people to apply for a license during the first four years of the law, with the biggest demand between July and December, when the agency expects 105,000 to apply.” — More: “Mass. election overseer confident in automatic voter registration as driver’s license law takes effect,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Republicans who unsuccessfully tried to block the measure last year said Massachusetts residents without legal status could inadvertently be registered to vote through the state’s automatic voter registration system while applying for a license. Secretary of State William Galvin, who manages elections in Massachusetts, said he does not foresee any issues as people start to seek out licenses next month.” — “Complaints mount at long-term care facilities,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “A majority of the complaints were made by residents of [the state’s] nursing homes, and ranged from claims of physical and sexual abuse to inadequate care, billing and financial issues, and evictions.” — “Medical suicide legislation gets new life under new governor,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald. — “Bill would allow state funds for construction of pools in schools,” by Jonah Snowden, Springfield Republican.  — IN MEMORIAM:  "David M. Bartley, state’s youngest House speaker and longtime college president, dies at 88,"  by Bryan Marquard, Boston Globe.  More from Bartley's family, via the Springfield Republican's Jeanette DeForge. FROM THE HUB — “Boston City Council passes $4.2 billion operating budget that would cut BPD by $31 million,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “The Boston City Council approved a $4.2 billion operating budget Wednesday, sending the matter to Mayor Michelle Wu, whose administration already is expressing concerns about the scope of the changes in the council-approved spending plan. … The budget proposal, which was passed by the council 7-5, includes about $53 million worth of council amendments, changes that featured a nearly $31 million bite out of the Boston Police Department’s roughly $400 million budget. Wu has the ability to veto some, all, or none of the council’s budget amendments." — "Boston City Hall, loathed and loved, needs millions of dollars in repairs," by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR. DAY IN COURT — “Harvard Medical School morgue manager accused of stealing, selling human body parts as part of 'nationwide network',” by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR: “A manager of Harvard Medical School's morgue and his wife are accused of stealing human body parts — among them heads, brains, skin and bones — from donated cadavers and selling them, according to a federal indictment.” — “Judge orders not guilty verdict in case of neo-Nazi group leader charged in fight at drag queen story hour in Jamaica Plain,” by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe.   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 .     CHARLIE ON THE NCAA — "Tagging along on the listening tour of new NCAA president Charlie Baker: ‘This is the right place for me’," by Stan Grossfeld, Boston Globe: "The president of the NCAA doesn’t like it when people address him as 'President Baker.' ... Would he prefer another presidential title (like President of the United States)? 'My future, as far as I’m concerned, for now, is the NCAA,' says the former Massachusetts governor. 'There were a lot of things I could have done if I wanted to stay in politics.'" IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — “Utilities grapple with storm-related costs,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Under state law, utilities may recover operations and maintenance costs for a limited number of weather events from a ‘storm’ fund paid by consumers in the form of a surcharge tacked on to electricity bills. In a recent filing to the state Department of Public Utilities, National Grid said it incurred costs from responding to nine major storms in 2021 that qualify for cost recovery. The company is seeking to recover more than $103 million.” FROM THE 413 — “Controversial book policy in Ludlow fails,” by Luis Fieldman, MassLive: “School officials in Ludlow declined to take up a controversial book policy for a vote. ... The policy, introduced by member Joao Dias, aimed at giving the School Committee final approval for what books appear on the shelves of the school district’s libraries.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Union appealing new dress code for Attleboro workers,” by George W. Rhodes, The Sun Chronicle: “A new dress code that bans shorts and other things is causing a stir among city employees. The policy, which went into effect May 22, is being appealed through the city’s union grievance process, DPW Superintendent Mike Tyler said.” — “Federal government warns carmakers not to comply with Mass. right-to-repair law,” by Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe: “In a letter to 22 carmakers, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said that complying with the Massachusetts Data Access Law would violate federal car safety legislation, because the state law could make it easier for cybercriminals to interfere with sensitive data stored in cars or even take control of vehicles remotely.” — “Massachusetts to receive over $1 billion in opioid settlements,” by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “Massachusetts can expect to receive just over $1 billion over 18 years from settlements with opioid manufacturers and distributors sued for their roles in the nation’s opioid crisis. ... Massachusetts could see an additional $110 million from some Sackler family members and Purdue Pharma once that settlement is finalized.” — “More employers are planning to cut Mass. footprint, survey shows,” by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH MOOSE ON THE LOOSE — Staffers for Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) were spotted bringing a giant stuffed moose into the Dirksen Senate Office Building ahead of her “Experience New Hampshire” event yesterday (h/t Mia McCarthy) . And, despite at least one report to the contrary, Marty the Moose is not taxidermied , Shaheen spokesperson Sarah Weinstein said on Twitter. TRANSITIONS — Heidi Legg is now head of press, politics and public affairs for the British Consulate General Boston. She was previously at Harvard and founded TheEditorial. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Milt Spaulding, Marie Harf and Hunter Woodall. Happy belated to Maud Mandel , who celebrated Wednesday. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT : IT’S NOT EASY BANKING GREEN — Boston Globe climate reporter Sabrina Shankman joins to talk about Gov. Maura Healey ’s new “green bank” for affordable housing. Hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky discuss whether former President Donald Trump ’s latest indictment is affecting his third White House bid. 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

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