Dems' pre-convention drama

May 31, 2022

PARTY POLITICS — Hundreds of Democratic activists and most of the party's statewide candidates are at odds with MassDems Chair Gus Bickford for letting the Uber-and-Lyft-backed coalition seeking to classify app-based drivers as independent contractors advertise and table at this upcoming weekend's convention, despite the party's stated opposition to the proposal.

More than 370 office-seekers, convention delegates and party activists have signed a petition circulated by delegates including Jonathan Cohn, a Democratic State Committee member and Progressive Massachusetts policy director, that calls on Bickford to rescind Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers' tabling privileges at the party's Worcester gathering. MassDems also ran an advertisement from the coalition in a pre-convention booklet mailed to delegates, drawing ire from delegates and activists on social media.

"[I]t is confusing at best and hypocritical at worst for Mass Dems to run a paid advertisement for a special interest group it denounces in its party platform," the letter to Bickford reads. "This sends the wrong messages to Convention delegates and party activists about our priorities."

Bickford defended the party's decision to run the ad and give the industry-backed coalition space at the convention.

"We, the Party and myself, have strongly endorsed Mass Not For Sale," Bickford told Playbook, referring to Massachusetts Is Not For Sale, the coalition opposing the proposed ballot initiative, which is also an exhibitor at the convention. "However," Bickford added, "we allow for discussion and free speech within our party."

Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers spokesperson Conor Yunits cited Democratic support for similar measures that passed in California and Washington and said: "But here in Massachusetts, Democratic Party officials, who claim to represent workers, are telling 83 percent of rideshare and delivery drivers that they don't even want to hear from them. There's nothing democratic about that."

The party's two gubernatorial candidates, state Attorney General Maura Healey and state Sen. Sonia Sonia Chang-Díaz, top the list of those calling on Bickford to change course. All five lieutenant governor hopefuls — state Sens. Eric Lesser and Adam Hinds, state Rep. Tami Gouveia, businessman Bret Bero and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll — have signed on. So have attorney general candidates Quentin Palfrey, Shannon Liss-Riordan and Andrea Campbell, and auditor hopefuls Chris Dempsey and state Sen. Diana DiZoglio.

"Our party should not be taking $$ from, nor giving mic time to, anti-labor campaigns that diametrically contradict our own platform," Chang-Díaz tweeted when she signed the petition on Sunday.

Healey's campaign said the attorney general "believes that Uber, Lyft and other gig companies' efforts to misclassify workers and deny them the basic workplace protections they deserve are wrong and illegal. That's why she sued Uber and Lyft, and that's why she fervently opposes the ballot question."

GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Are you a Democratic convention delegate who's yet to make up your mind in the governor's race or any others down the ballot? I'd like to talk to you! Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.

TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Bill Keating and local officials announce $76.7 million to clean up New Bedford Harbor at 11 a.m. at Foss Marine Terminal. Polito promotes the administration's FORWARD legislation at 12:30 p.m. at the New Bedford Marine Commerce Terminal. Markey and Rep. Jake Auchincloss attend a roundtable on federal aid for Taunton schools at 2:30 p.m. at Mulcahey Elementary. Rep. Lori Trahan highlights ARPA funding at 4 p.m. at Jaworek Elementary in Marlborough. Reps. Jim McGovern and Jamie Raskin discuss "Defending Our Democracy" at 6 p.m. at First Churches of Northampton. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a Dorchester coffee hour at Garvey Playground at 9:30 a.m. and gives the keynote speech at the Boston Municipal Research Bureau's annual meeting at noon at the Seaport Hotel.

P.S. — GO CELTICS!

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— "State commission takes years to resolve discrimination cases. One took 17. Another took 15," by Simón Rios and Todd Wallack, WBUR: "The [Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination] has long had a reputation for tardiness, but the pandemic has made delays far worse as the agency lost employees who were not replaced. The backlog of old cases under investigation for more than 18 months has climbed more than five-fold since 2019, the agency's own data shows, reaching 1,400 cases today. And many cases take much, much longer."

— "Governor Baker vetoes bill to give driver's licenses to undocumented residents," by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "One day after state legislators approved a bill to allow undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses in Massachusetts, Governor Charlie Baker vetoed the measure, saying it poses a risk to election security. … A spokesperson for Senate President Karen E. Spilka said the chamber will override, but did not provide a date. The House will override the veto during its next formal session on June 8, according to a spokeswoman for House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano. … Baker's concerns over election security have been rejected by Democratic leaders, including Secretary of State William F. Galvin, the state's top election official."

— "Massachusetts House votes to outlaw 'revenge porn,' following 48 other states," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts House on Thursday unanimously passed legislation that would criminalize so-called revenge porn, targeting a form of abuse that is already outlawed in 48 other states. The 154-0 vote came after months of pressure from Governor Charlie Baker and survivors, who've argued that Massachusetts laws had fallen woefully behind in protecting people whose ex-partners post sexually explicit images or videos online without their consent. It still needs approval in the state Senate before reaching Baker's desk."

— "Massachusetts Legislature moves budget to final committee, leaves tax cuts for later," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "The budget that the House and Senate will need to square between them has left the upper chamber, ballooning to just shy of $49.8 billion and leaving the two legislative bodies little time to consider the tax cuts not included in either body's bill."

FROM THE HUB

— ICYMI: "Boston counters state receivership proposal with pledges to improve schools, requests of state," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Boston has volleyed a proposal back to the state, pledging changes to school safety efforts, transportation, special education and more as Mayor Michelle Wu looks to head off the looming prospect of receivership."

— More: "Baker: BPS officials 'need a plan' to avoid state receivership," by Aidan Connelly, GBH News.

— "Boston Public Schools administrator says she was pushed out for raising concerns over how English learners are taught," by Bianca Vázquez Toness, Boston Globe: "A dispute between Boston education leaders and an ousted administrator has opened a window on the district's inability to maintain stable leadership within the central office and continued failure to meet the needs of immigrant students. The administrator in charge of English learning said she resigned when threatened with firing after she repeatedly complained the district was improperly steering students into regular classes instead of special smaller programs designed just for them. But, according to Aketa Narang Kapur and her lawyer, officials from Boston Public Schools said she violated conflict of interest policies by improperly obtaining two laptops for her staff from a former business partner."

— "Boston's bill to land the right school boss hits $1.4M … and counting," by Marie Szaniszlo and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "The city's seemingly never-ending search for the right school boss has racked up a $1.4 million bill over recent years, according to a Herald payroll analysis."

— "Boston police bought another 'high performance' drone — and want to create a new unit to fly it," by Ivy Scott, Boston Globe: "The Boston Police Department has quietly taken steps to expand its drone surveillance program this year without notifying the City Council or the public, raising concerns among privacy advocates about the transparency of its technology use."

— "Boston's boring social scene? The city wants a 'late-night czar' to help," by Hannah Green, BostInno: "Sheena Collier, founder and CEO of Boston While Black, says that Boston has no trouble attracting talent, with its world-class universities and job opportunities in sectors like tech and life sciences. But as for keeping that talent here, not so much. One problem, Collier says, is the fact that many see the city's social scene as kind of a snoozefest."

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— "T board lays out priorities — safety, infrastructure, budget shortfalls," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The chair of the MBTA board, backed by her fellow directors, set three broad priorities for the agency on Thursday – safety was No. 1, followed by an infrastructure spending target of $2 billion a year, and a call to deal with looming operating budget deficits. Betsy Taylor said safety must be the agency's top priority, and acknowledged the agency is coming up short right now."

BALLOT BATTLES

— "Fair Share Amendment won't work, according to free market think tank," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "A plan to change the state constitution to allow extra taxes on any dollar earned over $1 million would result in workers fleeing the state and would not have the positive impact proponents of the change claim, according to a new book by published by the Pioneer Institute."

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ON THE STUMP

— ENDORSEMENT ALERT: Boston City Council President Ed Flynn and Ironworkers Local 7 will endorse City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo for Suffolk district attorney at 9:30 a.m. at the Ironworkers Local 7 Union Hall, per his campaign.

— WATCH: Attorney general hopeful Quentin Palfrey talks gun control, campaign finance and why he doesn't support a gas tax holiday on WCVB's "On the Record."

— "Geoff Diehl's daughter wasn't forced to sign a 'white privilege' pledge, superintendent says," by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: "The superintendent of the school district Geoff Diehl's daughter attends said the Republican gubernatorial candidate was wrong to claim that his child was forced to sign a pledge to acknowledge her white privilege."

— "District Attorney Andrea Harrington formally announces her bid for reelection," by Greta Jochem, Berkshire Eagle: "District Attorney Andrea Harrington officially announced she is running for reelection on Saturday. … She was elected as district attorney in 2018 after running on a progressive platform and working as a criminal defense attorney for 15 years. Now the incumbent is running against longtime trial attorney Timothy Shugrue, another Democrat, in the primary election this fall."

PARTY POLITICS

— "Even in Massachusetts, GOP politics are all about Trump," by Emma Platoff, Boston Globe: "[T]he hard-right turn the party has taken nonetheless signals the continued decline of the moderate New England Republican, long popular here for conservative fiscal policy, a hands-off approach to social issues, and as a counterbalance to a Democratic-dominated Legislature. And it raises questions about the character of the party nationally: If moderate voices cannot prevail in the Massachusetts Republican Party, then where?"

DAY IN COURT

— "Final Massachusetts State Trooper gets only probation in Troop E overtime scandal," by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: "Retired Massachusetts State Police Trooper Daren DeJong will see two years of probation for his role in the Troop E overtime scandal and will have to fork over a little more than $14,000 in restitution."

— "New clock starts on fresh legal fight over PCB removal from Housatonic River," by Larry Parnass, Berkshire Eagle: "Lawyers are gearing up for the next, and possibly last, legal fight over the government's plan to remove toxic pollutants strewn into the Housatonic River decades ago by the General Electric Co. This time, the legal authorities on the other side of the bench will not work for the Environmental Protection Agency."

FROM THE DELEGATION

— "Legislators call for investigation into Boston asylum office over low rate of approvals," by Sarah Betancourt, GBH News: "Members of Congress from Massachusetts and Maine are demanding the oversight office for the Department of Homeland Security launch a formal investigation into the Boston asylum office's abnormally low rate of approving asylum applications."

— "Rep. Stephen Lynch: NRA influence has held up past gun legislation, but this time 'it might be different,'" by Jon Keller, WBZ: "Despite failures to reach a compromise in the past, Lynch said there have been signs that the latest mass shooting could spark change. 'I think the horrific nature of this, and the fact that it occurred in Texas and there is a lot of pressure from parents, and I'm hearing a lot of the Senators are getting calls from the public, it might be different,' Lynch said, adding that he remains skeptical."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

— "FERC grants delay on N.E. energy market reform," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "In a decision posted at 10 p.m. Friday night, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission gave the operator of the New England power grid two more years to come up with a system for incorporating subsidized clean energy into the region's electricity markets. Environmental activists had been urging FERC not to grant the delay, but the commission voted 4-1 to approve it."

— "MBTA board balks at $102m Transit Ambassador contract," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "After seven months of rubber-stamping nearly everything put before it, the MBTA board of directors this week balked, at least for a month, at approving a $102 million, five-year contract to hire 200 Transit Ambassadors."

FROM THE 413

— "Mayor announces independent audit of Greenfield Police Department," by Chris Larabee, Greenfield Recorder: "Mayor Roxann Wedegartner announced Friday morning that the city is launching an independent audit of the Greenfield Police Department following the May 6 jury verdict that found the department racially discriminated against a former officer."

— "Pittsfield Mayor Linda Tyer tests positive for COVID," by Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle: "Mayor Linda Tyer tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday and is currently in quarantine, she told The Eagle on Monday."

— "On Memorial Day, war in Ukraine brings back hard memories for those who have served," by Tony Dobrowolski, Berkshire Eagle: "On the day when veterans remember their comrades who fell in long-ago conflicts, many were thinking of another war which is happening right now."

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

— "Bad blood, old friendships, political alliances run Everett, a Globe review shows," by Stephanie Ebbert, Boston Globe: "Just across the Mystic River from Boston, Everett has been transformed in recent years by a high-end casino and an influx of immigrants. But a Globe review found this diverse gateway city of 49,000 still runs on old friendships and bad blood, a thicket of political alliances controlled by a circle of white political leaders who owe their jobs, their contracts, or their allegiance to the mayor, Carlo DeMaria. … In a lengthy interview, he dismissed his critics as politically motivated, insisted he has the support of average residents, and pointed with pride to the dazzling changes he has presided over in Everett."

— "8½ years is enough: Augustus reflects on run as Worcester city manager," by Cyrus Moulton, Worcester Telegram & Gazette: "In an hourlong interview Friday, [City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr.] reflected on his tenure: the successes and challenges and the triumphs and tragedies. He also reflected on change, both in the country and in Worcester, and what that has meant for local politics."

— "Is the water at your beach safe? New report card finds issues with protocols used for water quality flags at Boston Harbor beaches," by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: "Save the Harbor/Save the Bay's 2022 Metropolitan Beaches Water Quality Report card found the overall water quality safety rating for beaches managed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation in the Boston Harbor region was 86%, down from 93% in 2020."

— "Last Salem 'witch' exonerated," by Will Broaddus, Eagle-Tribune.

— "The state of Massachusetts is officially in a drought," by David Epstein, WBUR.

MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

— "Exception added to New Hampshire's 24-week abortion ban," by Holly Ramer, The Associated Press: "New Hampshire's ban on late-term abortion no longer applies in cases in which the fetus has been diagnosed with 'abnormalities incompatible with life.'"

— "Law enforcement investigating vandalism targeting homes of NHPR journalists," by Meir Rinde, NHPR.

SPOTTED — Gov. Charlie Baker at Friday's Celtics game and at Metallica's Boston Calling set on Sunday.

TRANSITIONS — Samuel Gregg has been named a distinguished fellow in political economy and a senior research faculty member of the American Institute for Economic Research. He most recently was research director at the Acton Institute, where he spent twenty-one years.

— Ellie Gaughan, state Rep. Meg Kilcoyne's former campaign manager, is now digital associate at MissionWired.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Katie Sagarin and Gena Mangiaratti. Happy belated to Colleen Fitzgerald, senior public relations associate at Benchmark Strategies, who celebrated Thursday; Andrew Fowler, who celebrated Friday; Alicia DePaolo , who celebrated Sunday; and to Treasury's Natasha Sarin, who celebrated Monday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AND CONGRATS — to WPRI'S Ted Nesi, who is celebrating this year with his wife, Kim Kalunian, and their newborn, Samantha Anne Irene Nesi, who they welcomed into the world on Thursday.

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