| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | STATE HOUSE SCRAMBLE — Beacon Hill was bustling Wednesday as lawmakers raced to wrap up bills before the clock ran out on formal sessions for the year. But by day's end only the congressional and Governor’s Council redistricting maps made it to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk, while a nearly $4 billion spending bill remained mired in conference committee. Here’s how it all went down: SIGNED, SEALED AND DELIVERED — The future of Fall River and New Bedford’s congressional representation is now in the governor's hands. The contentious congressional map that would separate the South Coast cities by putting all of Fall River in the 4th District while keeping New Bedford in the 9th District breezed through the House on a 151-8 vote, with Democratic South Coast state Reps. Alan Silvia and Christopher Markey joining six Republicans in opposition. It ran into more resistance in the Senate , where state Sen. Becca Rausch blasted mapmakers for carving up MetroWest into five districts and state Sen. Marc Pacheco decried his colleagues’ treatment of the South Coast. The Senate passed the map 26-13, but not without state Sen. William Brownsberger, the Senate redistricting chair, expressing “regret” that not “every single senator is satisfied with the results of the redistricting process.” Joining Rausch, Pacheco and Republican Minority Leader Bruce Tarr in dissension were Democratic state Sens. Michael Rodrigues, Mark Montigny, Julian Cyr, Diana DiZoglio, Adam Hinds, Walter Timilty, Sonia Chang-Díaz, Jamie Eldridge, Harriette Chandler and Patricia Jehlen. Rep. Bill Keating , who’s been pushing to couple Fall River and New Bedford in his 9th District, credited the “many senators who understood the injustice of what’s being done to this region" as he again condemned the potential breakup. THE ONES THAT GOT AWAY (FOR NOW) — Negotiators failed to seal the deal on one of their biggest priorities before the break — a roughly $3.8 billion spending bill that would pump American Rescue Plan Act dollars and state surplus funds toward essential workers, public health infrastructure and other priorities. “It was unfortunate that we weren’t able to get it done today, but we could strike a deal at any time,” House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz said. His Senate counterpart, Rodrigues, vowed to "bring a resolution to the floor soon." Lawmakers can bring the spending bill up in one of the informal sessions that will finish out the year. But those are risky business — just one lawmaker's objection can derail the measure. Baker, who‘s been pressing the legislature to spend the ARPA money, dispatched his spokesman to issue a rare statement rebuking the continued delay by lawmakers. "Massachusetts was already behind most of the country in utilizing these funds before the latest setback, and further delay will only continue to leave residents, small businesses and hundreds of organizations frozen out from the support the rest of the country is now tapping into to recover from this brutal pandemic," spokesperson Terry MacCormack said in statement blasted out just moments ago urging lawmakers to "move quickly." The House and Senate also swapped health bills, though neither took up the other's legislation yesterday (more on that below). Both chambers gaveled out without either extending the pandemic-era expansion of voting by mail that’s set to expire on Dec. 15, or moving forward with any permanent voting reforms. They're both back today for informal sessions. GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. My POLITICO colleagues are keeping watch as states redraw every congressional district in the country — and decide the balance of power in Congress for a decade. Check out our brand-new tracker where we break down every update. TODAY — Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland attend a Vineyard Wind groundbreaking ceremony at 1 p.m. in Centerville. Polito announces grants in Fall River at 11:15 a.m., attends a 1910 Genetics’ ribbon-cutting event at 4 p.m. in the Seaport and speaks to the Amesbury Chamber of Commerce at 6:30 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu discusses expanding fare-free bus service at Ashmont Station at 9:30 a.m. Baker and Wu join the Greater Boston Food Bank’s Chain of Giving event at 10 a.m. United Mine Workers of America strike outside the Boston Fidelity building at 10 a.m. Boston City Councilor Lydia Edwards announces a mystery endorser of her state Senate bid at 1:30 p.m. in East Boston. | |
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| – “Massachusetts coronavirus cases surge 2,650, the highest daily count since February,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The count of 2,650 new daily infections is the most in one day since Feb. 7’s tally of 3,004 cases. That was when most of the population was not vaccinated.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Massachusetts lawmakers fail to reach compromise on $3.8 billion spending bill before break,” by Matt Stout and Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: “House and Senate leaders, who for weeks targeted mid-November to reach a compromise on the legislation, said late Wednesday that they will continue to meet in closed-door talks, and raised the possibility that a deal between the chambers could emerge in upcoming informal sessions, which are typically sparsely attended." – Rep. Ayanna Pressley wrote a letter to the six lawmakers negotiating the spending bill calling for them to “take advantage of this once-in-a-generation opportunity to prioritize equity and center the needs of our most vulnerable communities.” – “Massachusetts Senate approves sweeping mental health bill,” by Steve LeBlanc, the Associated Press: “The Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved a bill Wednesday that would guarantee Massachusetts residents are eligible for annual mental health wellness exams at no cost — akin to annual physical exams. The sweeping bill, which passed on a 39-0 vote, would also create an online portal to help smooth the transition from emergency to longer-term care; establish a panel to help resolve barriers to care for children with complex behavioral health needs who find themselves in an emergency room; and dedicate $122 million to support nearly 2,000 behavioral professionals.” – “House votes to strengthen control of health system expansions,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Firing a shot across the bow of the state’s leading hospital networks, the House voted nearly unanimously on Wednesday to give a state health commission more authority to scrutinize expansion plans – and to give community hospitals what amounts to veto power over efforts by large hospital systems to encroach on their service area." – “New Bill Targets Protesters Outside Homes Of Electeds,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service (paywall): “Protesters have chained themselves to boats in front of Gov. Charlie Baker's home to demonstrate support for climate change action. An anti-addiction activist dumped hypodermic needles outside the governor's Swampscott residence. And far-right activists routinely protested the governor's COVID-19 restrictions within shouting distance of his front door. … Rep. Steven Howitt, of Seekonk, has newly filed legislation that would impose legal penalties for protesting too close to the home of an elected official.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Judge denies request to halt mask mandate in Mass. schools,” by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: “A state judge on Tuesday denied a legal request to halt Massachusetts’ mandate requiring all public school students and staff to wear masks indoors, regardless of vaccination status, through mid-January. Hampden County Superior Court Judge David M. Hodge’s ruling against a preliminary injunction, which follows similar court orders in other states, found that Massachusetts did not overstep its authority in protecting public health amid the COVID-19 pandemic.” – “Unvaccinated Massachusetts prison guards fired over Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID mandate,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Some state prison guards who defied Gov. Charlie Baker’s COVID vaccine mandate were fired this week — coming one month after the deadline passed for more than 40,000 Executive Department employees to be fully vaccinated. Correction officers who refused to get the COVID-19 shot were placed on an unpaid five-day suspension, followed by an unpaid 10-day suspension before facing the Baker administration’s steepest disciplinary measure.” – “'We just want a choice': New Bedford municipal employees protest city's vaccine mandate,” by Kerri Tallman, Standard-Times: “City employees and others against New Bedford's COVID-19 vaccine mandate protested outside of city hall on Tuesday. … When the policy was enacted on Monday, around 30 workers for the Department of Public Infrastructure did not show up to work in protest of the vaccine mandate. ... DPI workers said the number of protesters will increase and the protests will continue until the mandate is lifted.” – “Boston-area coronavirus wastewater tracker is spiking ahead of Thanksgiving: ‘It’s quite worrisome’,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “Two recent virus samples from south of Boston show high COVID wastewater levels that haven’t been seen since January — when coronavirus case tallies were peaking and the majority of people were not vaccinated.” | | WU TRAIN |
| – “‘We’re locked in partnership’: Gov. Charlie Baker says of new Boston Mayor Michelle Wu,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Gov. Charlie Baker vowed to build a partnership with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu on Wednesday, hours into her first full day and historic term as the first woman and person of color elected to the city’s top post. Baker and Wu met at the governor’s office in the Massachusetts State House Wednesday morning, discussing pressing issues like public transportation and housing. Baker declined to comment on what common ground, if any, the governor and Wu had found on establishing a fare-free MBTA system — a hallmark of the mayor’s campaign.” – Will Baker’s working relationship with Wu reach the level of his “bromance” with former Mayor Marty Walsh? “I fully expect that we’ll be talking a lot,” the governor told reporters. “Whether or not we’ll get to the point where my wife will be taking my phone away from me on a Saturday night at 10 o’clock and telling Marty Walsh that it’s time for the boys to stop talking, who knows. But that’s not required for a lot of important work to get done.” – “Will Mayor Wu put an end to Boston’s mind-numbing mayoral numbering debate?” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “While [Michelle Wu] is in many ways a first — first woman, first person of color, first millennial, first mother — to be elected to the position, Wu’s exact number in the city’s nearly 200-year history of mayors is up to somewhat fraught interpretation. Depending on how you count them, she could be Boston’s 50th mayor. She could be the 60th mayor. She could be the 47th.” – "Wu requests $8 million in federal ARPA funds for fare-free bus expansion," by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: "Boston Mayor Michelle Wu asked the City Council Wednesday to approve a last-minute funding request to spend $8 million in federal pandemic relief funds to expand Boston's fare-free bus pilot. The request failed — for now — on a procedural objection, pushing the matter to the council's COVID-19 recovery committee. The funding request, an attempt to fulfill a campaign promise to move towards free public transit, would eliminate fares on the 23, 28 and 29 bus routes for two years. ... Wu's former mayoral rival, Dorchester-Mattapan Councilor Andrea Campbell, objected to suspending the rules for its passage [but said] 'I want to make it crystal clear, I'm for this.'" | | WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
| – “Judge rules against ACLU lawsuit seeking to stop tent-clearing at Mass. and Cass,” by Tori Bedford, GBH News: “A Suffolk Superior Court Judge on Wednesday denied a request from the ACLU of Massachusetts for a temporary restraining order aimed at stopping the city of Boston’s dismantling of a homeless encampment near Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard, known as Mass. and Cass, near the city’s South End.” – More: “Court sides with Boston over ACLU on Mass and Cass — but it’s unclear what comes next,” by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: “[Mayor Michelle Wu said] in a morning press conference that the city had begun ‘pausing’ tent-removal efforts as a decision on an emergency order was due soon by the judge. And then asked whether the city would resume the efforts if the courts sided with them, she said, ‘not necessarily.’ … After the judge’s ruling, Wu’s office wouldn’t say whether the pause is continuing, other than to say the city will take a ‘holistic approach’ to ameliorating the situation there focused on creating more supportive housing.” – “Boston City Council says no to fossil fuel investments,” by Milton J. Valencia and Sabrina Shankman, Boston Globe: “The City of Boston is poised to give final approval to a law that would divest city funds from the fossil fuel industry, a symbolic but forceful message supporting green energy investment as Massachusetts officials are set to similarly debate where to devote state resources. In a unanimous vote, the City Council passed an ordinance Wednesday that would prevent the city treasury office from investing any funds in the fossil fuel industry, including infrastructure.” – “Boston could begin to fine contractors under its diversity hiring policy — but not for missing the hiring targets,” by Daniel Kool, GBH News: “A Boston commission approved a new policy Wednesday to impose fines on developers who fail to provide the city demographic data on their workforce, under a longstanding city ordinance that requires builders to employ Boston residents, women and people of color.” | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL |
| – "His mayoral run through, Barros looks to new chapter leading large real estate firm," by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: "John Barros is ready for his next chapter. He is joining commercial real estate brokerage firm Cushman & Wakefield as managing principal for the Boston market. ... Barros, who is Black, will be the first person of color to run a major brokerage firm in Boston." – “Super PAC spending stacked up during mayoral race,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “With the tallying of votes complete, an accounting of super PAC spending is in order. The outside groups, also known as super political action committees (PACs), raised $5.6 million, almost $2 million more than the $3.8 million spent in the 2013 race, the last open contest for mayor.” | | BALLOT BATTLES |
| – “Variety of proposals inching toward 2022 ballot,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: “Plans to expand retail beer and wine sales and define ride-hailing drivers as independent contractors are among a narrowing roster of proposed referendums inching toward next year’s ballot. Wednesday was the deadline to submit the requisite 80,239 certified signatures of registered voters to local election offices, a major hurdle to the 2022 ballot. … Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Nurses Association has backed away from three proposed ballot questions calling for redistributing earnings from affluent hospitals, increasing financial transparency, and prohibiting hospital CEOs from working with pharmaceutical firms." | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “‘The money may not go that far.’ Massachusetts transportation agencies still sorting through federal infrastructure law,” by Taylor Dolven, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts transportation agencies are still sorting through the new federal infrastructure law to determine how to spend an influx of cash over the next five years. The state can expect to receive around $8.5 billion for transportation, including funding for airports, public transit, roads, bridges, and electric vehicle chargers, and will be able to compete for billions of dollars in grants..." – “T notes: New phenomenon – GLX leftover money,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “After paring back the cost to $2.3 billion, the T now finds itself five years later with a project that’s 85 percent complete, all of the 'risk-exposing milestones' achieved, and the prospect of having more than $200 million left over when the work is completed.” | | DATELINE D.C. |
| – “Where’s Marty Walsh sleeping?” by Alex Thompson, Lisa Kashinsky and Tina Sfondeles, POLITICO: “Labor Secretary Marty Walsh has not moved to Washington, D.C. Instead, when the former Boston mayor is in town, he stays at the Capital Hilton, a few blocks from the White House. He’s only in the capital on occasion. And a spokesperson tells us that when he does come, ‘He 100 percent foots the bill for that.’ … A source close to the Labor secretary dismissed that there were any political motives behind the hotel stays. The person said the living arrangement was due to the fact that Walsh has family obligations back in Boston and is frequently on the road for the job.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “VIDEO: Brockton school officer on leave after kneeling on student while making arrest,” by WCVB: “A Brockton School Police Department officer is on leave after he knelt on a student while placing him in handcuffs at Brockton High School on Wednesday." – “‘Our culture, our people, and our pain are not a costume.’ Malden councilor criticized for costume mocking Asian women,” by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: “A Malden city councilor is facing harsh criticism from advocacy groups after a photo surfaced online of her dressed up for Halloween as an employee of Orchids of Asia, the Florida spa that ensnared Patriots owner Robert Kraft in a prostitution case in 2019.” – "Convicted former mayor Jasiel Correia asks judge: Let me stay out of prison for Christmas," by Dan Medeiros, Herald News: "Correia's attorneys on Wednesday filed a motion with Judge Douglas Woodlock asking to delay the date he needs to surrender to prison, postponing it for a month." – “Baker urges 'transparent airing' in Danvers,” by Paul Leighton, Salem News: “Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday urged officials in Danvers to have a ‘transparent airing’ regarding the allegations of racist and homophobic conduct in the Danvers High School boys’ hockey program.” – “MFA workers stage one-day strike, demanding better wages, benefits,” by Dana Gerber, Boston Globe. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Rory Clark, POLITICO’s Hailey Fuchs, Melanie Nigro, Eric D. Roiter and Monica Rosales. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: AN EXPENSIVE DEBATE OVER GIG WORKERS' RIGHTS — Host Jennifer Smith brings you both sides of the debate over the proposed 2022 ballot question to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors with Conor Yunits of the Massachusetts Coalition for Independent Work and labor attorney Shannon Liss-Riordan, who's supporting the Coalition to Protect Workers’ Rights. 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. | |
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