POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: What N.H. losing FITN means for Mass.

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY AT FIRST SLIGHT — The 2024 Republican presidential primary is ramping up in New Hampshire just as Democrats are preparing to strip away the state's plum perch in their lineup. Former President Donald Trump kicked things off on the Republican side when he returned to the Granite State on Saturday for the first time since 2020 to pitch party activists and, as POLITICO scooped , announce former state GOP chair Stephen Stepanek as a senior adviser for his third White House bid. Former President Donald Trump speaks during the New Hampshire Republican State Committee 2023 annual meeting, Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023, in Salem, N.H. (AP Photo/Reba Saldanha) | AP He also slammed Democrats for “cruelly and disgracefully trashing” the state’s “beloved” first-in-the-nation primary, just days before Democratic National Committee members are expected to approve President Joe Biden’s plan to make South Carolina the first primary next year. Nevada and New Hampshire would share the second date. Here’s where things get complicated. In order to share the No. 2 spot in the lineup, New Hampshire would have to change its law requiring that its primary be held at least seven days before any other state's. The DNC granted New Hampshire Democrats an extension to get that done and to expand access to early voting, another requirement to stay in the early window. But even if Democrats wanted to acquiesce to the DNC’s requests, Republicans who control the governor’s office and the Legislature aren’t biting. New Hampshire could go rogue and hold the first Democratic primary anyway — a move that could bring consequences for the state party and, perhaps more importantly, for candidates who buck the DNC’s chosen calendar. That doesn’t appear to be deterring Marianne Williamson , the author, activist and 2020 Democratic presidential contender who’s already planning her return to New Hampshire. But it’s an open question whether Democrats with a clearer shot at the nomination would take the risk. And that brings us back to Massachusetts. New Hampshire’s demise on the Democratic side would cost candidates and operatives here a key springboard in their own backyard. “Presidential campaigns have always recruited talent from Massachusetts," Joe Caiazzo, who’s worked on Sen. Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaigns and statewide campaigns in Massachusetts, told Playbook. "This tradition has developed a pipeline of Democratic operatives that have played significant roles in national and state politics for generations." And while Massachusetts candidates are by no means guaranteed an advantage in New Hampshire — we all remember how poorly they fared north of the border in 2020 — losing that local launchpad would still be a huge blow. Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., waves at her supporters as she arrives on stage during the McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Dinner, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2020, in Manchester, N.H. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) | AP GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Abortion-rights advocates are launching a new hotline that will offer free and confidential legal advice and resources to Massachusetts health providers and patients seeking the procedure here. The Abortion Legal Hotline is a joint effort between Attorney General Andrea Campbell, Reproductive Equity Now, the Women’s Bar Foundation, ACLU of Massachusetts and five major law firms. They’ll formally unveil the hotline at 9:30 a.m. at the attorney general’s office alongside Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Democratic Whip Katherine Clark, Rep. Ayanna Pressley and former AG Martha Coakley. The hotline also marks Campbell’s first big step toward fulfilling her campaign pledge to protect and expand access to reproductive care. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey , Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll , top lawmakers and budget writers meet at 2 p.m. at the Senate president’s office with a press conference to follow. It’s the governor’s second leadership meeting and the first that will include Republican minority leaders state Sen. Bruce Tarr and state Rep. Brad Jones . Boston Mayor Michelle Wu participates in the city’s homeless census beginning at 11:30 p.m. at City Hall. Tips? Scoops? Settled on which team you're rooting for in the Super Bowl? Meh. Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .   JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE .     PARTY POLITICS — REPUBLICAN ROW: MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons was dealt a significant blow in his battle to retain control of the state party late last week, but he’s still swinging. A superior court judge has ordered Lindsay Valanzola to be put back on the MassGOP state committee after Lyons vacated her seat by claiming she no longer lived in her district. The judge also ordered Lyons to not interfere with Valanzola voting in Tuesday’s leadership election — in which she told Playbook she’ll cast her ballot for anyone but Lyons. Lyons sort-of responded with an email to state committee members accusing his main competition for chair, Amy Carnevale , of being involved in a “smear” campaign to undermine his leadership. Carnevale dismissed the “eleventh hour attempt to malign my character” in a statement. She called it “a blatant effort to distract from the fact that under Jim Lyons, the party has failed on every measurable metric. Anyone who knows me and my record of service to the party, knows that I have always served with integrity.” — NOT ON MY BINGO CARD: Lyons has one new supporter in his corner — Harmeet Dhillon , the California Republican who just lost her bid to lead the Republican National Committee in resounding fashion to Chair Ronna McDaniel . Dhillon tweeted Sunday that MassGOP members should give Lyons another term, calling him “a friend who listens to the grassroots voters in your state, not just what party bosses & elites think.” Lyons tweeted his thanks. — WATCH: Former GOP auditor hopeful Anthony Amore discuss his party’s future with WBZ’s Jon Keller . DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Gov. Maura Healey calls workforce challenges ‘devastating’ in Mass. health care,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “In an increasingly familiar refrain, Gov. Maura Healey sounded the alarm about acute workforce shortages to hundreds of health care leaders and medical professionals Friday. … Healey stopped short of disclosing new potential state funding or legislative initiatives for the health care workforce at the meeting, though the new governor told reporters there’s ‘an array of things we need to do.’ She spoke broadly about expanding telehealth options and sending more mobile health units into communities.” — “Healey says she's open to changes on implementing ‘millionaires tax’,” by Benjamin Kail, Boston Business Journal: “Gov. Maura Healey says she’s open to proposals on how to implement the so-called ‘millionaires tax,’ in light of suggested changes to the recently-approved 4% surtax on all earnings topping $1 million. But the governor won't budge on ensuring that the new revenue source goes toward education and transportation as approved by voters.” — “‘5% or less’: Massachusetts rent control advocates rally at the State House,” by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: “A group of state legislators last week filed a legislative package that introduces a clearer framework for municipal rent control than other local option bills filed in recent years, with stronger tenant protections and stronger limits on rent increases, advocates say. Saturday’s rally focused on the new package, with many ‘5% or less’ chants. The 5% refers to how the bill would give municipalities the option to adopt a rent control policy that would tie rent increases to the inflation rate, with a maximum annual increase of 5%.” — “Gas stove bans weighed amid health, climate concerns,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts could become the latest front in the culture war clash over gas stoves, with legislative proposals being considered that would restrict or ban the fossil-fuel powered appliances in new homes. On Beacon Hill, a group of progressive Democratic lawmakers have filed proposals that would require the state to draft regulations restricting gas ranges and other appliances in new construction.” — WATCH: UMass President Marty Meehan voice support on WCVB’s “On the Record” for Gov. Maura Healey ’s plan to make community college free for those over age 25 without college degrees, as opposed to Senate President Karen Spilka ’s proposal to eliminate tuition and fees for all. “It’s not so much that it’s an age limit,” Meehan said. “It’s that there’s a real need because folks are in the workforce who don’t have a degree” and could be earning more money if they had one. FROM THE HUB — “After Wu's speech, Walsh defends his time in City Hall,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Days after Mayor Michelle Wu used part of her ‘State of the City’ speech to critique the past decade of development in the city, her predecessor appeared to offer a defense of his administration’s time inside City Hall. Appearing before the business-backed New England Council on Friday, US Labor Secretary Marty Walsh devoted a significant portion of his remarks to laying out some of his administration’s successes.” — "Advocates call for re-commitment to Boston police reform after fatal beating of Tyre Nichols," by Walter Wuthmann, WBUR: " 'It shows how much work we have to do as a country, and as a society,' said Mayor Michelle Wu. But Wu said she’s confident in the police reform process underway in the city."   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     WARREN REPORT — EYES EMOJI: Sen. Elizabeth Warren has repeatedly said President Joe Biden “should” run for a second term. But she stopped short of saying Vice President Kamala Harris should again be his running mate when asked on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” Friday. “I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” Warren said. “I’ve known Kamala for a long time. I like Kamala. I knew her back when she was an attorney general and I was still teaching and we worked on the housing crisis together, so we go way back. But they need — they have to be a team, and my sense is they are — I don’t mean that by suggesting I think there are any problems. I think they are.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA can’t afford bus network overhaul, oversight board says,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Brian Kane, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, said communities that rely on the region’s public transit system are concerned that the T won’t be able to afford to implement bus network redesign, or that doing so ‘may require defunding or cutting service elsewhere.’” — “WRTA meets targets on ridership, costs in new state report,” by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: “The word around City Hall is that the Worcester Regional Transit Authority is a disaster. … But a recent state report evaluating the 15 regional transit authorities on nine performance metrics tells a different story.” TODAY'S SPECIAL (ELECTION) — “Attleboro mayoral candidate John Davis says he'll forgo salary if elected,” by Jim Hand, The Sun Chronicle: “Mayoral candidate John Davis announced Sunday he would decline to take a city salary for the rest of 2023 if he wins the Feb. 28 special election in Attleboro. … The starting salary for mayor is about $110,000 and has regularly scheduled raises. [Former Mayor Paul] Heroux was making $134,000 when he left.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Woburn teachers to strike Monday after contract talks fail to reach deal Sunday,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “More than 500 Woburn educators are expected to walk the picket line Monday morning after a last-ditch effort by union and School Committee negotiators failed to broker a deal for a long-sought contract Sunday. The strike means no classes Monday for Woburn’s roughly 4,300 public school students.” — “Two people in crisis shot dead by police, two years apart. Will Massachusetts rethink armed response to mental health emergencies?” by Sonel Cutler and Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: “In July, Amherst swore in the state’s first team of unarmed responders. Meanwhile, similar efforts by Cambridge and Lynn have inched along over the past year, amid fierce debate over who should oversee crisis workers and how closely they should work with police. While joint responses by police and crisis workers to certain emergencies are used across the state, including in Boston, Lowell, and Framingham, a fully unarmed alternative has been slower to gain traction.” — “Heroux Pitches Second Option for New Bedford’s Ash Street Jail Closure,” by Marcus Ferro, WBSM. — MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS: “Cannabis gross sales in Massachusetts top $4-billion,” by Amy Phillips, WWLP. — IN MEMORIAM: “Former Cambridge mayor Alice Wolf, an advocate for refugees and LGBTQ equality, dies at 89,” by Bryan Marquard, Boston Globe. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — "New Hampshire GOP governor says he’s considering 2024 White House bid," by Paul LeBlanc and Kit Maher, CNN: "GOP Gov. Chris Sununu of New Hampshire said Sunday he is considering a White House bid in 2024, citing the Granite State’s 'live free or die' spirit as a model for the Republican Party." — CHANGING OF THE GUARD: Chris Ager is the new chair of the New Hampshire GOP. Ager, a Republican National Committee member, was elected at the state party's annual meeting Saturday. He defeated Lou Gargiulo , one of former President Donald Trump 's 2020 campaign co-chairs in the state, for the post. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Northeastern University professor Alan Mislove has accepted a temporary position as assistant director for data and democracy in the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy. — Brendan Christopher is now a legislative aide for state Rep. Dawne Shand. Christopher previously interned for state Rep. Michael Day and was deputy campaign manager for state Sen. Susan Moran. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ed Murray. 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: Amplifying Latino priorities

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY PROPAGANDA! NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!  NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!  Presented by THE LATINO LANDSCAPE — Latinos make up more than 12 percent of the state’s population, are fueling its growth and are making inroads in state and local politics. Yet there’s been no large-scale survey of their political leanings or policy priorities — until now. Amplify Latinx teamed up with the MassINC Polling Group to survey 1,203 Latinos in Massachusetts. The expansive project also included two Spanish-language focus groups of Latino residents, one in the eastern part of the state and one in the west, and interviews with elected Latino officials from the municipal level up through the Legislature. The results provide a roadmap for policymakers. Housing and health care affordability top the list of what Latino residents want state leaders to prioritize over the next year, followed by creating jobs and ensuring access to high-quality K-12 education. Two-thirds of respondents "strongly support" limiting how much landlords can increase rent each year, in a potential boost for rent control policies. And 63 percent strongly support expanding access to financial support for small businesses. Amplify Latinx is tackling the economic concerns raised in the poll by supporting legislation to help microbusinesses — independently owned entities with fewer than 10 employees and less than $250,000 in annual gross income. Bills filed by state Rep. Carlos González and others would create an employee training and workforce development fund for microbusinesses and establish a department focused on micro and minority-owned businesses within the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development. Beyond policy, the survey should also ring some alarm bells about top pols’ outreach efforts to Latinos. More than half of Latinos have never heard of Katherine Clark, the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House, and 49 percent have never heard of Rep. Ayanna Pressley. The two women combined represent several cities with higher Latino populations. Maura Healey doesn’t fare much better: 42 percent have never heard of the new governor. And 41 percent don’t know Sen. Ed Markey. By contrast, just 19 percent haven’t heard of Sen. Elizabeth Warren, the state’s senior senator and former presidential hopeful. Those numbers improve slightly among registered voters — the majority of which, according to the survey, lean toward or identify as Democrats. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Dive deeper into the poll on this week’s episode of The Horse Race . TODAY — Healey speaks at the Mass Health and Hospital Association’s annual meeting at 8:45 a.m. at the Westin Copley hotel and the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Pinnacle Awards at noon at the Omni Boston Seaport. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh addresses the New England Council at 9:30 a.m. at the Seaport Hotel. Warren is on GBH’s “Boston Public Radio” at 11 a.m. THIS WEEKEND — Former President Donald Trump returns to New Hampshire for the first time since 2020 on Saturday to keynote the state GOP's annual meeting. Former GOP auditor hopeful Anthony Amore 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. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com .   PROPAGANDA! NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!  NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!  A message from NextEra Energy: A Beacon Research poll of Massachusetts’ voters conducted in July 2022 showed that a majority support the use of clean, low-cost, carbon-emissions free nuclear energy to fight climate change . Over 70% of informed voters support including nuclear energy to fight rising energy costs and climate change.   THE LATEST NUMBERS — “Boston’s COVID data shows promising trends but ‘important to remain vigilant,’ Massachusetts virus cases drop 15%,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “On Thursday, the state Department of Public Health reported 5,797 virus cases over the last week. The daily average of 828 COVID cases from the last week was down 15% from the daily rate of 972 virus infections during the previous week.” — “New coronavirus waste water surveillance program reveals neighborhood disparities,” by Zeina Mohammed, Boston Globe: “Earlier this month, the City of Boston began sampling waste water from 11 manholes in as many neighborhoods across the city. The goal is to get a more localized look at how the coronavirus is spreading. What emerged was a picture of glaring, though unsurprising, disparities. According to the most recent report, released Monday, Roxbury had the highest coronavirus levels in the city — more than three times those of Roslindale/West Roxbury and Charlestown, which had the lowest levels. Allston/Brighton, Mattapan, and Dorchester also had above-average counts.”   JOIN POLITICO ON 2/9 TO HEAR FROM AMERICA’S GOVERNORS: In a divided Congress, more legislative and policy enforcement will shift to the states, meaning governors will take a leading role in setting the agenda for the nation. Join POLITICO on Thursday, Feb. 9 at World Wide Technology's D.C. Innovation Center for The Fifty: America's Governors, where we will examine where innovations are taking shape and new regulatory red lines, the future of reproductive health, and how climate change is being addressed across a series of one-on-one interviews. REGISTER HERE .     DATELINE BEACON HILL — “Workforce shortages are at 'crisis point,' Healey says,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “[Gov. Maura] Healey’s address to hundreds of executives and corporate leaders at a Newton Marriott marked the new governor’s first time speaking directly to the state’s business community, an audience pondering how the Democrat might shift dynamics after eight years of Republican Gov. Charlie Baker, a former health insurance executive. During her campaign and in first three weeks on the job, Healey has pegged affordability and the state’s competitiveness as among her focal points. She stuck to those themes Thursday, reiterating some broad-strokes plans that line up with business concerns.” — “Maura Healey’s pending equity audit will focus on taxpayer dollars,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “At the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ executive forum Thursday, Healey emphasized the pending equity audit would prioritize studying which taxpayers and constituents are accessing services from state government — rather than on ‘personnel and headcount’ at agencies.” — “Lawmakers push for universal free school meals,” by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: “Massachusetts is one of only a handful of states that continued offering free school meals after COVID-19 restrictions lapsed, but Beacon Hill lawmakers are considering a plan that would make the changes permanent. A bipartisan proposal filed for consideration in the upcoming two-year session would make breakfast and lunch free for all public school students, regardless of their family’s income. The move would make permanent a pandemic-related policy that provided free school meals for students in the past three years.” — “Boston Chamber pushing ‘congestion pricing’ bill,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce is backing legislation that would create a commission dedicated to studying ways to reduce traffic, including a congestion pricing option that could increase costs for drivers traveling in and around the city.” — “Two elected officials drafted legislation to regulate artificial intelligence technology — with some help from ChatGPT,” by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: “Last week, state Senator Barry R. Finegold and Representative Josh S. Cutler used the controversial computer program, which has swept the Internet in recent months, to help draft two separate proposals to regulate its usage, moves that are believed to be among the first of their kind. … As part of the bill, ChatGPT was asked to include a line indicating that the proposal was drafted with its help. … ‘Any errors or inaccuracies in the bill should not be attributed to the language model, but rather to its human authors,’ ChatGPT wrote.” — “Teaching climate change: High schoolers implore legislators to act on ‘greatest problem’ facing young generation,” by Colin Hogan, New Bedford Light: “For the second year in a row, a network of student organizations is proposing new learning standards that integrate climate science and civics into existing classes, such as biology and history.” PROPAGANDA! NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!  NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!    A message from NextEra Energy:     PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA opens up about crippling subway car delivery delays,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “The MBTA pulled back the curtain a bit on Thursday about what’s causing crippling delays in the production of new Red and Orange Line trains by a Chinese manufacturer and its assembly plant in Springfield. Jeffrey Gonneville, the T’s interim general manager, said the Chinese company, CRRC, was supposed to deliver all 152 new Orange Line cars by December 2022, but so far has delivered only 78. CRRC was supposed to deliver all 252 new Red Line cars by this September, but so far has delivered only 12.” — “State settles on design type for new Sagamore, Bourne bridges. Here is the latest,” by Zane Razzaq, Cape Cod Times: “Officials from the state Department of Transportation have settled on a design type as they move forward with plans to replace the aging Sagamore and Bourne bridges. Twin arches are the right route because they would get traffic off the existing bridges the fastest, said state Department of Transportation Project Manager Bryan Cordeiro during a Tuesday meeting to update the public. … Cordeiro said the state is still waiting to see if the project can win funding under the federal Mega Grant program.” DAY IN COURT — “Mass. SJC chief justice calls for increase in state funding for civil legal aid for low-income residents,” by Tonya Alanez, Boston Globe: “The pandemic has spurred low-income people to seek out legal aid for unemployment, domestic violence, housing, and immigration cases. But there’s not nearly enough funding for legal aid organizations to meet the exploding demand, Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd said on Thursday as she called for more state funding to address the growing equity concerns. … Budd and advocates called for $49 million in increased state funding in fiscal year 2024 for the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation, the largest funding source for civil legal aid organizations in the state.”   DOWNLOAD THE POLITICO MOBILE APP: Stay up to speed with the newly updated POLITICO mobile app, featuring timely political news, insights and analysis from the best journalists in the business. The sleek and navigable design offers a convenient way to access POLITICO's scoops and groundbreaking reporting. Don’t miss out on the app you can rely on for the news you need, reimagined. DOWNLOAD FOR iOS – DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID .     IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN — “Mass. leads nation in ‘green’ building development,” by Kathryn Carley, Dig Boston: “Massachusetts ranks number one in the nation for ‘green’ building development. The ranking is based on what’s known as LEED certification, which is the most widely used green building rating system in the world, judging factors related to health, efficiency and cost savings.” FROM THE 413 — “Panel explores case for reparations in Northampton,” by Alexander MacDougall, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Proponents of establishing a commission on reparations in Northampton for African Americans are lobbying the City Council to pass a resolution on the issue in February, coinciding with Black History Month.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Civil service commission urges law enforcement agencies to bring charges against former Methuen police chief Joe Solomon,” by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “Former Methuen Police Chief Joseph Solomon should face criminal or civil charges for engaging in ‘serious misconduct’ by hiring police officers who were untrained and unqualified, including the former chair of the city council, concludes a scathing new report by the state Civil Service Commission. Solomon, who was one of the highest-paid law enforcement officers in the country before he was placed on leave and then retired in 2020, allegedly circumvented civil services rules by hiring favored candidates out of their civil service order and by hiring part-time police officers who did not apply through the civil service system at all.” MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — 2024 WATCH: Former President Donald Trump is headed back to New Hampshire on Saturday for the first time since the 2020 election. Marianne Williamson, the author and activist who's considering a second run for the White House after flaming out of the 2020 Democratic primary before voting began, is also considering a visit, per the Washington Post's Michael Scherer . Williamson's pending trip comes amid turmoil over the state's first-in-the-nation primary status on the Democratic side.  PROPAGANDA! NUCLEAR MAKES NO SENSE!  NOT CLEAN! NOT RENEWABLE!  MOST EXPENSIVE ENERGY AVAILABLE!  A message from NextEra Energy: Affordable, carbon-emissions free, reliable electricity from nuclear energy. Seabrook Station lowers consumer energy costs in Massachusetts and New England by providing a year-round, low-cost, baseload energy supply. And American-made nuclear energy supports hundreds of jobs across New England.   HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH SPOTTED — at Estella for Samuel Gebru of Black Lion Strategies’ new year’s party: state Sen. Liz Miranda, Falmouth Select Board vice chair Onjalé Scott Price , Colleen Fonseca of the Builders of Color Coalition, Imari Paris Jeffries of Embrace Boston, Bruce Stebbins of the Cannabis Control Commission, MassChallenge’s Damon Cox and Cindy Rowe of the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action. WEDDING BELLS — Congratulations to Tyler Carlton and Philippe Kelley on their wedding last weekend. Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff officiated the ceremony. Guests included Auditor Diana DiZoglio , state Sen. Joan Lovely , Essex DA Paul Tucker , Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle and Walter North , former U.S. ambassador to Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu. TRANSITIONS — Kate Donaghey is now undersecretary and chief of staff to state Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler. She previously was executive director of LearnLaunch. — Former LG candidate and former state Rep. Tami Gouveia is now director of HHS audits under Auditor Diana DiZoglio. — Alicia K. Mack has joined Nutter as chief business development and marketing officer. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Anna Ornstein, Jenna Kaplan and Cherilyn Strader.  HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to 90 West’s Antonio Caban , former deputy communications director to Senate President Karen Spilka; former Rep. Peter Blute, Chrissy Raymond , former Rep. Peter Torkildsen, Christina Knowles and Katie Holzman , who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Rep. Jake Auchincloss , Provincetown Town Manager Alex Morse , Dr. Natalia Linos , Mass. Playbook alum and Bloomberg’s Lauren Dezenski and Rich Rubino . NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: LATINOS IN MASSACHUSETTS — Dive deep into Amplify Latinx and The MassINC Polling Group's recent survey of more than 1,200 Latinos in Massachusetts — considered to be the "largest ever Latino focused poll on civic engagement and economic prosperity" in the state — with hosts Steve Koczela and Lisa Kashinsky and Amplify Latinx CEO & President Eneida Román . 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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