| | |  | BY LISA KASHINSKY | IT’S CRUNCH TIME — Beacon Hill has a full legislative plate ahead of Thanksgiving, with lawmakers racing to wrap up a massive spending bill. And some cities are also getting new mayors ahead of the holiday. So let’s look at the week ahead: DEAL OR NO DEAL — The legislature’s self-imposed deadline for getting an American Rescue Plan Act spending bill to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk will come to pass on Wednesday. Both chambers unanimously approved roughly $3.82 billion packages. Now the House and Senate Ways and Means chairs, who pre-negotiated some shared investment priorities, are leading the post-vote negotiations over funding differences and local earmarks. A conference committee could be named as soon as today. It’s a tight timeline, but lawmakers have some flexibility. The bill doesn't die when formal session ends Wednesday night; it can still be taken up in informal session or it can carry over into the new year (one legislator described the latter as a “worst-case scenario”). BALLOT WATCH — Groups hoping to get their ballot questions before voters in 2022 have until Wednesday to submit at least 80,239 signatures to local election officials for certification. It’s the first big test for the Uber-and-Lyft-backed push to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors, and for MassGOP-backed initiatives including voter identification, since 16 ballot petitions cleared the state attorney general’s certification process in September. IN WITH THE NEW — Joshua Garcia will be sworn in as Holyoke’s new mayor today and Michelle Wu will take her oath of office on Tuesday. They’ll join newly minted Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena, who took over the reins from his city’s acting mayor on Friday. As for early priorities: Garcia told CommonWealth Magazine’s Shira Schoenberg that he plans to tackle the city’s $2 million budget deficit. Wu told the Boston Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter that there’s a “tremendous need” for City Hall to hire more staff as more than 400 positions sit open. THE BATTLE FOR FALL RIVER — There's no imminent deadline, but there is some push to get the congressional and Governor's Council redistricting maps approved before lawmakers effectively break until next year. Watch in coming days whether mapmakers change their plan to fully split Fall River from New Bedford amid cries from some electeds and activists to have the South Coast cities in the same congressional district. GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. For our Boston-based readers, what do you think Mayor-elect Michelle Wu’s priorities should be for her first 100 days? Drop me your answer at lkashinsky@politico.com for a chance to be featured in Playbook this week! TODAY — Rep. Jake Auchincloss hosts a “Strong Towns Town Hall” with local leaders at 9:30 a.m. at the Black Box Theatre in Franklin. Auchincloss, Rep. Lori Trahan and state Senate President Karen Spilka are among the lawmakers joining President Joe Biden for the signing of the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act at 3 p.m. at the White House. | |
| | DON’T MISS POLITICO’S SUSTAINABILITY SUMMIT: Join POLITICO's Sustainability Summit on Tuesday, Nov. 16 and hear leading voices from Washington, state houses, city halls, civil society and corporate America discuss the most viable policy and political solutions that balance economic, environmental and social interests. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “After 600 days, the Massachusetts State House remains closed to the public. It appears to be the only state capitol still shut on this continent,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Nearly every other state has taken more steps to let people back into the ‘people’s house’ since the onset of COVID-19, according to a Globe review of official statements, news reports, and responses from government officials. And while Hawaii is the only other state whose capitol the Globe found is still closed to the general public, it does allow those with appointments to enter." – “Elephants and giraffes and monkeys, oh my! Massachusetts bill takes aim at traveling animal shows,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “A pair of parallel bills, filed by state Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, in the Senate and Reps. Lori Ehrlich, D-Marblehead, and Brad Jones, R-North Reading, in the House, would ban lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs, mountain lions, primates, bears and giraffes from participating in traveling animal acts. The bills, which will be heard on Friday, would implement fines of $500 to $10,000 per animal.” – “Baker administration unsure of balance in unemployment insurance fund,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “A top aide to Gov. Charlie Baker said on Friday that the administration is still trying to determine the current balance in the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund. … US Treasury data indicate the fund has a current balance of $2.9 billion and owes the federal government $2.3 billion in connection with previous borrowings to keep the fund solvent.” – “Lawmakers seek to revitalize local health departments,” by Christian M. Wade, CNHI/Eagle-Tribune: “...medical experts say city and town health departments have been underfunded and understaffed for decades, and will need more money and resources to ensure they can respond to the next pandemic. On Beacon Hill, lawmakers are planning to direct a windfall of funding to health boards as part of a plan to spend billions of dollars in federal pandemic relief money and surplus revenues.” – “Massachusetts lawmakers must act to extend vote-by-mail, Secretary of Commonwealth Bill Galvin warns,” by WCVB: “Both chambers of the Massachusetts Legislature previously voted to temporarily extend vote-by-mail and early voting options through Dec. 15, 2021.” – “Critics say TCI could further burden drivers as Massachusetts gas prices rise,” by Erin Tiernan, Boston Herald: “The Baker administration has said its plan would only pump prices up about 5 to 9 cents per gallon. But opponents of the plan aren’t buying it.” | | MAPMAKER, MAPMAKER |
| – “Attorney says new Randolph district maps are racially drawn, threatens lawsuit,” by Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Patriot Ledger: “A Boston attorney is threatening to sue the state over what he says are racially gerrymandered house districts that dilute Randolph's diverse voting power. Attorney Paul DeRensis said he wants Randolph to be in one house district. Before the new maps were signed into law last week, Randolph's voting power was split into three districts. Now, it's in two districts, dividing the vote of Black and other minority voters. He said he is representing Randolph voters.” | | VAX-ACHUSETTS |
| – “Broad Institute researcher wants to fade into obscurity, but first she hopes her COVID book is a bestseller,” by Jonathan Saltzman, Boston Globe: “Eighteen months ago, Alina Chan co-wrote an explosive paper that said scientists should investigate the possibility that a virus from a laboratory in China caused the pandemic. Buffeted by a firestorm of criticism, the Cambridge researcher now says she plans to change her name. But only after her book on the origins of COVID-19 is published.” – “Some of Massachusetts’ larger cities remain below 60% COVID vaccination rate; search your town’s rate here,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive: “At least 16 communities with more than 20,000 people, about the size of the average Massachusetts town, have yet to cross the 60% vaccinated threshold, data from the state Department of Public Health shows." – “COVID-19 cases increase among Mass. students, staff statewide,” by Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: “State education leaders released their latest tally of COVID-19 cases Friday, as student cases reported statewide increased to 2,640 and staff cases grew to 381 for the one-week period that ended Wednesday." – “Number of Massachusetts schools with state approval to lift COVID mask mandate rises to 13; DESE has received 23 total requests,” by Melissa Hanson, MassLive. | | FROM THE HUB |
| – HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE: Annissa Essaibi George says she’s dried her “healthy dose” of post-election tears and is ready to embark on an “active recovery” from her mayoral-race loss. According to an email to her supporters on Friday that means finishing out her city council term, getting back out in Boston’s neighborhoods and encouraging her supporters to carry out acts of kindness and shop local. “After all that we’ll see what comes next,” she wrote. “I promise I am not done.” – "Janey made history as mayor of Boston, but there's more to her legacy," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Buttercream frosting may not be the first thing most people associate with Kim Janey's eight-month stint as Boston's acting mayor. But it's top of mind for Lisa Mackin, who recently launched a baking business through the residential kitchen program created under Janey's administration." – “Boston’s Curley School will continue with 10-day closure — against the wishes of state education commissioner,” by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: “The Curley K-8 School in Jamaica Plain will continue its 10-day closure in the face of a coronavirus outbreak, Boston officials say, going against the wishes of Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeff Riley, who’d asked that students and staff return earlier.” – “Boston honors former state representative and mayoral candidate Mel King,” by Marie Szaniszlo, Boston Herald: “In addition to his roles as husband, father and friend, Mel King has been many things over the course of his 92 years: educator, activist, community organizer. ... before King, his family and a crowd of more than a hundred well-wishers at Columbus Avenue and Yarmouth Street, the mayor unveiled a sign naming the intersection Melvin H. ‘Mel’ King Square and proclaimed Saturday as ‘Mel King Day’ to enthusiastic applause.” – WATCH: Boston City Councilors Ricardo Arroyo and Julia Mejia discuss on GBH News whether an elected school committee will become a reality under Mayor-elect Michelle Wu’s watch. | | WU TRAIN |
| – “Millennial. Mom. Mayor. Another way Michelle Wu reflects a changing Boston,” by Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: “...at 36, [Michelle Wu] will be the youngest mayor to helm one of the 25 largest cities in the United States. That’s just four years older than the typical resident of the city she will lead — the median age of Bostonians is 32 — giving many in what is easily the city’s largest generational group hope that their perspective will ring out from City Hall.” | | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
| – “MBTA uses ads, Dunkin’ gift cards to beg riders back to the T,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “The in-house [ad] campaign, which cost about $69,000 in radio and gas pump ads and an additional $14,470 for ads in the city’s two newspapers, is slated to run through the end of the month. It uses several mediums to attract riders, including MBTA-owned billboards plastered with images of gridlocked cars with messages like, ‘Bottlenecks. Take the T’.” | | FEELING '22 |
| – “Shannon Liss-Riordan, labor attorney and former US Senate candidate, weighing run for attorney general,” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “Shannon Liss-Riordan, a Brookline labor attorney and one-time US Senate candidate, has told associates she is weighing a bid for attorney general should Maura Healey not seek reelection to the seat next year, according to two people with knowledge of her plans.” | | WARREN REPORT |
| – “McCarthy, Warren meet to discuss green jobs, infrastructure legislation,” by Hannah Chanatry, WBUR: “White House National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined state and local leaders Friday to discuss the influx of money coming to the state as a result of the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure bill. Massachusetts is expected to receive more than $9 billion.” – “Elizabeth Warren says vote on second infrastructure bill ‘unlikely’ before Thanksgiving,” by Erin Tiernan Boston Herald. Watch more from Warren’s “On the Record” interview on WCVB. | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – Sen. Ed Markey said the climate deal that emerged from Glasgow “was a good first step, but it’s far, far short of what has to happen.” He called for Massachusetts to be a leader in tackling climate change and for his colleagues in Washington to pass the reconciliation package that includes $555 billion to help mitigate climate change. “We have no time to waste,” Markey told Democratic electeds and activists on a Zoom Sunday organized by dozens of Democratic city and town committees and activist groups. State Rep. Nika Elugardo moderated the climate-focused event. Democratic governor hopefuls Danielle Allen and former state Sen. Ben Downing; LG hopefuls state Sen. Adam Hinds, state Rep. Tami Gouveia and Bret Bero; state auditor candidate Chris Dempsey ; state Sens. Marc Pacecho and William Brownsberger, and state Reps. Sean Garballey, Steven Owens and Carmine Gentile were among the attendees. | | DATELINE D.C. |
| – "Biden-successor chatter grows and Harris isn’t scaring off anyone," by Eugene Daniels and Alex Thompson, POLITICO: "Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is the point person on implementing much of the popular bipartisan infrastructure deal. This fall, Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) boosted the mayor of Manchester, N.H., during her recent reelection campaign and is keeping in touch with allies in the critical primary state, according to people familiar with the calls. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) is on a book tour and campaigned in Virginia for Terry McAuliffe. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) endorsed left-wing and progressive candidates outside of Massachusetts this past year. The spokespeople for that quartet either declined to comment or stressed that the moves were unrelated to future electoral ambitions." | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “‘About time’: Latinos reflect on historic Holyoke mayoral win by Joshua Garcia,” by Elizabeth Román and Damaris Pérez-Pizarro, Springfield Republican: “When voters elected Joshua A. Garcia to be Holyoke’s first Latino mayor, it was the realization of a dream for generations of Puerto Rican men and women who arrived here looking for opportunities and a better life. … According to the 2020 U.S. census, 53.9% of Holyoke’s 38,238 residents identify as Hispanic or Latino, with the majority being of Puerto Rican descent.” – “Northampton reforms reach ‘critical mass’: As Mayor-elect Gina-Louise Sciarra prepares for office, the city sees a confluence of major changes,” by Will Katcher, MassLive: “From pushing to decriminalize psychedelics to reimagining policing, there is usually some big, exciting, new idea arriving in Northampton. But for there to be a half-dozen big, exciting — and in some cases, groundbreaking — new ideas converging on the community at once is a bit more unusual, Mayor-elect Gina-Louise Sciarra said.” – “With Tennessee coming to woo Smith & Wesson workers, Massachusetts industry offers opportunities, too,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The Blount Partnership — the Tennessee economic development agency that put together a $9 million-plus incentive package for Smith & Wesson to partially relocate there — is coming to Springfield next week to woo the gun manufacturer’s employees. … U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal said the situation points to a larger need to align the workforce with employer needs and to train workers for their next opportunity.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Suffolk, Middlesex prosecutors crack some of the state’s oldest crimes,” by Amy Sokolow, Boston Herald: “Renewed efforts by the Middlesex and Suffolk DA’s to solve some of the state’s most stubborn crimes have led to breakthroughs in a half-dozen decades-old cold cases in the past two years.” – “AG wants more info on Danvers hockey hazing, sexual assault allegations,” by Jill Harmacinski, Salem News: “Stopping short of calling it an investigation, a spokesperson for Attorney General Maura Healey said her office has requested ‘more information’ from both the Danvers schools and Police Department in light of allegations of sexual and physical abuse, racism and other unacceptable behavior among varsity hockey players." – “Mass General Brigham resists the lead of hospitals banning or limiting trustee investments in its startups,” by Liz Kowalczyk and Sarah L. Ryley, Boston Globe: “Last month, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston adopted tough new rules to ensure that its trustees don’t profit personally from their prestigious volunteer role. … The sudden change came as the Globe Spotlight Team found that at least seven trustees had personally invested in Dana-Farber startups … But officials at Mass General Brigham ... are not planning to ban trustee investments or create an ethics policy that specifically addresses such investments.” – “Politics and the City: Money not only factor in campaign success,” by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “District 1 candidate Richard Cipro raised $43,773 this year, which was more than any other City Council candidate. Add in the nearly $4,500 that the Massachusetts Majority political action committee independently shelled out in support of the city police sergeant, and that's close to $50,000. Cipro lost to incumbent Sean Rose by 407 votes.” – “Lowell PD’s co-response clinicians bring positive results,” by Aaron Curtis, Lowell Sun: “The first few months of the Police Department’s Jail Diversion Program — highlighted by this summer’s hire of co-response clinicians — have attained its goals. The program diverted 19 people from arrest or emergency department visits from July to September." – “St. Vincent Hospital CEO quells scuttlebutt of deal reached with striking nurses,” by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: “In a memo to staff on Friday afternoon, St. Vincent Hospital CEO Carolyn Jackson denied rumors of a deal to end the eight-month nurses strike, writing ‘there is no agreement and no deal to announce.’” – “‘It’s a huge honor’: Harvard Crimson names its first Latinx president in almost 150-year run,” by Shannon Larson, Boston Globe. – “Keith Hovan, Southcoast CEO, taking leave of absence as he faces criminal charges,” by Frank Mulligan, Wicked Local. – "Ralph's Tavern says Worcester Monopoly was 'pay-to-play' and bar plans to blow boards to pieces," by Dave Nordman, Worcester Telegram & Gazette. SPOTTED – Former ambassador and Sen. Scott Brown at yesterday’s Patriots game (Brown’s tweet). TRANSITIONS – Paris Alston and Jeremy Siegel will take over as co-hosts of GBH News’ “Morning Edition” in 2022. Alston rejoins GBH from WBUR. Siegel is a POLITICO alum. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to MassLive’s Melissa Hanson, Gail Gitcho, Emily Schlichting, Alexandra Lippman and Micah Rosen. Happy belated to Nikki Blank. 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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