| | | | |  | | By Lisa Kashinsky and Kelly Garrity | THE DISSENT IS COMING FROM INSIDE THE HOUSE — House Speaker Ron Mariano is now targeting firearms legislation for the fall after a procedural squabble with the Senate and concerns within his caucus threatened his ability to ram through the bill before the August recess. Mariano sent a message to representatives Monday night saying that members "must have the chance to continue to speak with their constituents and provide feedback” on the 140-page bill that aims to crack down on everything from “ghost guns” to where people can carry firearms. It faces staunch opposition from Second Amendment and gun-owner groups. After representatives raised questions in a pair of private meetings last week about navigating “the challenging new legal landscape” for gun regulations after the Supreme Court’s Bruen decision, Mariano said “House leadership will continue to work on the bill until it is ready for debate this Fall.” The speaker also took another swipe at the Senate, which derailed Mariano’s efforts to fast-track the bill to a public hearing by recommending it to the joint Public Safety Committee, rather than the Judiciary Committee as the House wanted. “We remain disappointed that the Senate delayed our intended review of this gun violence legislation by insisting on its referral to the Public Safety Committee,” Mariano wrote. The Senate doesn’t appear to be backing down on that one. “While we were hopeful that referral to the Public Safety Committee would expedite matters ... we remain confident the Legislature will perform an open and transparent process” on firearms legislation, a spokesperson for Senate President Karen Spilka said last night.
|  Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano talks to reporters at the State House in August, 2022. | Lisa Kashinsky/POLITICO | Yet Mariano was also facing pushback from within the House. Several members — from Republicans whose support is unnecessary to pass legislation, to Democrats known for breaking with the speaker — have been documented in a Reddit thread as either being against the bill or taking issue with pieces of it. "There are people that have concerns” over elements of the bill including concealed carry, state Rep. Patrick Kearney, a Scituate Democrat, told Playbook. Kearney said he was “not supporting the current version of the bill” in an email surfaced in the Reddit thread. “The intention of the bill is good. And I think that we can do something this session on guns,” Kearney said. But “I think the current bill has some work to be done.” Privately — and perhaps more crucially to the speaker’s vote count in a chamber where major bills tend not to move without a veto-proof majority — Democratic representatives have been raising concerns that Mariano would try to bring the bill to a vote without a public hearing. Mariano never publicly outlined a path through the stalemate with the Senate, telling reporters only that he had “three to four” options. “If you want to have greater transparency in government, which everybody wants, the minimal thing we need to do is have a public hearing,” one Democratic representative, granted anonymity to speak freely about the situation in a chamber where openly bucking leadership can lead to consequences, told Playbook. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Other bills are suddenly moving on Beacon Hill with less than a week until August break. Just not the budget. More on that below. TODAY — is the special election for District 8 Boston city councilor. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins Sharon Durkan, who's running against Montez Haywood for the seat vacated by Kenzie Bok, for an 8 a.m. GOTV rally outside the State House. Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll have no public events. Sen. Ed Markey reintroduces the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act at 10:30 a.m. and joins a Green New Deal Network happy hour in support of UPS Teamsters at 6 p.m. at MetroBar in D.C. Auditor Diana DiZoglio visits with Suenos Basketball at 3:30 p.m. in Lawrence. Tips? Scoops? Want to spill some more State House tea? Email us: lkashinsky@politico.com and kgarrity@politico.com.
| | | | JOIN 7/26 FOR A TALK ON THE NEW ENERGY ECONOMY: Join POLITICO's lively discussion, "Powering a Clean Energy Economy," on July 26 to explore the effectiveness of consumer-targeted policies to boost sustainability and create clean energy jobs. How are the Inflation Reduction Act's provisions faring? Which strategies truly sway consumer behavior? Hear from featured speaker, Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), among other experts. Don't miss this insightful event — register today and be part of the conversation driving America's clean energy future! REGISTER NOW. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — BUDGET IMPASSE: House budget chief Aaron Michlewitz told the State House News Service yesterday that he’s been in touch with Gov. Maura Healey’s administration about possibly filing another interim budget as negotiations over the state's annual spending plan drag on. Healey said she’s “prepared to take whatever steps necessary” to keep the state operating, but neither she nor her aides would commit yesterday to filing a second stopgap budget. The News Service is, however, reporting that a deal could be close on long-delayed funding for road and bridge repairs. — SURVEY SAYS: Republican Charlie Baker left office at the top of Morning Consult’s ranking of the nation’s most popular governors. His Democratic successor enters the list at number 12 with a 60 percent job-approval rating. While Democratic Hawaii Gov. Josh Green is “the most popular newly elected governor, Republican Sarah Huckabee Sanders of Arkansas and Democrat Maura Healey of Massachusetts aren’t too far off, receiving positive marks from 3 in 5 voters in their respective states,” Morning Consult analyst Eli Yokley wrote in a blog post accompanying the latest survey. Just 23 percent of voters disapprove of Healey’s job performance so far — a lower percentage than all but two of the 11 governors who rank above her on the list. Now that Baker’s gone, another moderate Republican has slid into the top spot: Vermont’s Phil Scott. Outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is ranked fourth. — “Senate President Spilka stops at Hatfield farm to announce creation of $20M fund to help beleaguered farmers,” by James Pentland, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Farmers who lost crops to this month’s floods, the February freeze and May frost [could] be able to seek compensation from a new $20 million fund announced Monday by Senate President Karen Spilka.” The measure still needs to clear several legislative steps before money could become available. — “Legislative staffers renew push for union,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Legislative staffers are renewing a push on Beacon Hill to unionize, with support from top Democrats and labor leaders, which comes a year after a similar effort to organize was scuttled by House and Senate leaders.” — “Healey marks 75th anniversary of ordered end to segregation in the military,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald. — “‘Taylor Swift Bill,’ ticket-buyer protections receive support at hearing,” by Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald.
| | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | — “Recent outbreak at Everett migrant hotel shelter shows dueling crises ‘coming to a head,’ advocates say,” by Maggie Scales, Boston Globe: “A recent respiratory illness outbreak at a hotel sheltering migrants in Everett highlights the increased health risks for immigrants living in cramped quarters as a housing crisis spreads through Massachusetts, doctors and advocates say." — "State-funded shelters in Mass. reach new record: nearly 5,000 families," by Gabrielle Emanuel, WBUR.
| | FROM THE HUB | | —“Wu-backed candidate for Boston City Council admits he’s never voted,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Henry Santana, a highly touted challenger for city councilor-at-large who snagged an endorsement from Boston’s mayor, addressed his blank voting record, saying that his immigration status prevented him from casting a ballot in prior elections.” — “Round two for ranked-choice in Boston,” by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Magazine: “A coalition will launch a new campaign this August — an education and advocacy effort pushing for the next Boston City Council class and the mayor to pass a home rule petition in 2024 that would change Boston’s existing election structure to a ranked-choice process. If the State House then signs off on it, of course.”
| | | | JOIN 7/27 FOR A TALK ON WOMEN LEADERS IN THE NEW WORKPLACE: In the wake of the pandemic, U.S. lawmakers saw a unique opportunity to address the current childcare system, which has become increasingly unaffordable for millions of Americans, but the initial proposals went nowhere. With the launch of the Congressional Bipartisan Affordable Childcare Caucus in May, there may be a path to make childcare more affordable. Join Women Rule on July 27 to dive into this timely topic and more with featured speakers Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO of Moms First and Founder of Girls Who Code. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | DAY IN COURT | | — “Why did Fall River's DCM chief lose his job? The Herald News will go to court to find out,” by Jo C. Goode, The Herald News: “For more than a year, The Herald News has attempted to obtain an investigative report and a separation agreement between the city and former Department of Community Maintenance director John Perry that was reached last June after a two-month investigation into possible wrongdoing.” — “Former Chicopee superintendent, accused of lying to FBI, wins motion to suppress,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “A federal judge has ruled FBI agents violated the constitutional rights of former Chicopee schools head Lynn Clark during her 2022 arrest on a charge of lying to investigators.”
| | | FROM THE 413 | | | — “Amherst regional superintendent Morris pledges backing for LGBTQIA+ students, hires behavioral administrator,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Superintendent Michael Morris is pledging to create a ‘safe, positive environment’ for all children who are educated in the town and regional schools — and apologizing to those who haven’t had that experience.”
| | | WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING | | | — “'We've done this before.' Holtec denied discharge into Cape Cod Bay, in draft state ruling,” by Heather McCarron, The Cape Cod Times: “Holtec International will not be allowed to discharge industrial wastewater from the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station into Cape Cod Bay if a draft decision announced Monday afternoon by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection becomes final.” — “Body of chef to Barack and Michelle Obama recovered from Martha’s Vineyard pond,” by Nick Stoico, Emily Sweeney and John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: “The body of a chef who cooked for Barack and Michelle Obama from the White House through the post-presidency was pulled from a pond on Martha’s Vineyard on Monday after he went missing while paddleboarding the previous evening, officials said.” — "Mitt Romney has a plan to disrupt the 'apparent inevitability' of Donald Trump locking up the GOP presidential nomination," by Katherine Tully-McManus, POLITICO. — “Massachusetts gets $58 million to get the lead out of schools,” by Jamie Robinson, GBH News.
| | MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND | | — “State board of elections to verify nomination signatures in question in First Congressional race,” by Alexa Gagosz, Boston Globe. — “Matos, Amo will start airing TV ads Tuesday in race for Congress,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI. — “Sound alike CD1 candidates try to separate themselves from the pack at first in-person forum,” by Katherine Gregg, Providence Journal.
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | WEEKEND WEDDING — Daniel Lippman, a White House and Washington reporter for POLITICO and former co-author of POLITICO Playbook (and a Great Barrington native!), on Saturday married Sophia Narrett, an artist who shows with Kohn Gallery and Perrotin. Pics TRANSITIONS — Ted D. Louis-Jacques is now director of veterans’ services for the Office of the Inspector General, a new position. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Shrewsbury state Rep. Hannah Kane, the Boston Globe’s Sean Cotter and Milton Valencia, former World Bank president Robert Zoellick, Amanda McGowan, Andrew Feldman, Alan Chartock and David Marx. 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 | | | | 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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