'Yes on 2' puts MCAS to the test

Aug 08, 2024

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NEW THIS MORNING: MCAS BALLOT BATTLE BEGINS — With less than three months until Election Day, the battle over the MCAS ballot question is kicking into gear.

Supporters of the question that would end the requirement that Bay State high school students pass the exam to graduate are officially launching the “Yes on 2” campaign today. The coalition, now named the Committee for High Standards Not High Stakes, includes leaders from the Massachusetts School Counselors Association and the Massachusetts Teachers Association.

The group is launching its website and going up on social media today and is ramping up campaigning next week with rallies and canvasses across the state in the works for next weekend.

The “yes” side can expect serious competition from the business-backed “no” campaign that already began spending thousands of dollars on digital ads last week and plans to spend well into the millions to convince voters to keep the MCAS requirement. A spokesperson for the “yes” side didn’t say how much proponents are planning to raise, but they are “prepared to spend significant resources to run a highly competitive race.”

In a memo to supporters, Jeron Mariani, a consultant on the campaign who worked on the successful Fair Share Amendment ballot effort, described the MCAS campaign as “well positioned for victory,” pointing to results from a survey the group commissioned that showed a “majority of voters support this ballot initiative already.” The results of the poll, as described in the memo, found 55 percent of those surveyed picked the “yes,” side, 37 picked the “No,” option and another 7 percent were undecided.

Take those with a grain of salt — campaigns present the numbers they want supporters to see. Plus, polling the question can get confusing since a “yes” vote calls for eliminating the requirement. (It was enough to trip up The Boston Globe in a headline last week.) Still, it’s not far off from a WCVB/UMass Amherst poll from last fall where 52 percent of respondents said they would vote to remove MCAS as a requirement for receiving a high school diploma, compared to 29 percent who said they would vote against it.

One message the group is already trying to make clear: a “yes” vote wouldn’t eliminate MCAS entirely; it would “simply reduce the test score to one of many data points that can be used in assessing a student’s readiness for success after graduation,” per a press release the campaign is sending out this morning.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Tips, scoops, birthdays, new ballot campaigns? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey speaks at a National Assessment Governing Board event at 10:15 a.m. at the State House and signs the HERO Act at 1 p.m. in Lexington. Attorney General Andrea Campbell accepts the “Agent of Social Justice Award” and delivers the keynote address at National Black Prosecutors Association’s annual conference gala at 7 p.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joins a press conference hosted by UNITE HERE Local 26 on the results of the union’s strike authorization vote at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall. Sen. Ed Markey tours the Lynn Community Health Center at 10:30 a.m., visits North Shore Community College at noon, joins Rep. Seth Moulton for a trolley tour of Salem at 2 p.m. and stops at the future site of the Salem Offshore Wind Terminal at 2:45 p.m. Moulton also celebrates Beverly Senior Day at 11:15 a.m., visits the Lynn Community Health Center at 3:15 p.m., stops at the Phoenix Food Hub and Catholic Charities Food Pantry at 4 p.m. and visits a student loan clinic his team is hosting at North Shore Community College at 5 p.m.

A message from Uber:

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

— “Packies urge Healey to tighten wine shipment rules,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “In a letter to Healey, Massachusetts Package Store Association Executive Director Rob Mellion called on her to sign into a law a bill that limits licenses for direct wine shipments only to companies that sell under a brand name owned or exclusively licensed to the winery. The measure was approved by the state Legislature last week before lawmakers recessed after formal sessions ended.”

SURROGATE MODE — A day after Vice President Kamala Harris announced Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate, Gov. Maura Healey hopped on TV to hype up “Coach Walz,” her Democratic Governors Association colleague.

“He’s about instilling hope in people,” she said during an interview on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” Wednesday.

How would he hold up in a debate against JD Vance? “It’s linebacker versus waterboy — no disrespect to water boys,” she said during an interview with ABC News.

Breaking News Briefing: Where Tim Walz Stands on the Issues — The Democratic ticket is set now that Vice President Kamala Harris has named Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate. Join POLITICO Pro on Friday Aug. 9 for a detailed discussion with specialist reporters on what Walz's track record says about the policies he and Harris will embrace in the final stretch of the 2024 presidential campaign. Register for the Briefing

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston City Council calls for emergency declaration over Steward’s Carney Hospital closure,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston City Council took action Wednesday to press the city’s mayor to declare a public health emergency in relation to Steward Health Care’s plan to close Carney Hospital, with the aim of keeping the Dorchester facility open. The Council passed a resolution, 12-0, calling for the emergency declaration to be made by the Boston Public Health Commission, and for city and state government leadership to be prepared, if there are no bidders for Carney Hospital, to seize the property by eminent domain to keep it open until a permanent operator is found.”

— “Mayor Ready To Dial Each Senator In Property Tax Push,” by Colin A. Young, State House News Service (paywall): “Senators be aware: If you get a call from a 617 phone number in the coming days, it could be Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The mayor's proposal to temporarily rebalance property tax rates in an attempt to shield residential property owners from a potentially large tax increase is on life support on Beacon Hill. It passed the House but stalled in the Senate, where a major opponent has emerged. The measure sailed through the House but after Senate President Karen Spilka's office said Tuesday that there is "no indication that there is sufficient support among Senators" for the plan to move ahead, Wu suggested Wednesday that she may poll all 40 senators herself.”

— “Former Boston city councilor Kendra Lara avoids jail time in 2023 crash, ordered to apologize to homeowner,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Former Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara pleaded guilty to driving with a suspended license in connection with a June 2023 crash, and was sentenced to probation and ordered to apologize to the elderly woman whose home she hit, court records show.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

— “Meet Republican Senate candidate John Deaton,” by Hannah Loss, GBH.

— “Bridgewater-Raynham's longtime State Rep. Angelo D'Emilia not running. Who is and why,” by Daniel Schemer,The Taunton Daily Gazette.

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FROM THE DELEGATION

— “Sen. Ed Markey: Calling the Trump-Vance presidential ticket 'weird' is 'accurate',” by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: “Sen. Ed Markey shared his thoughts on working with Gov. Tim Walz in the House, and the Democratic strategy of calling the Republican ticket ‘weird.’”

— “Warren, Markey press private equity giant Apollo to speed Steward hospital sales,” by Robert Weisman and Niki Griswold, The Boston Globe: “US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey on Wednesday pressed Apollo Global Management, which has emerged as the key party in talks to sell six Steward hospitals, to untangle snags and finalize sales by the end of the week. Even as the focus on the six hospitals intensified Wednesday, officials in Boston and other communities stepped up long-shot campaigns to save two other Steward hospitals, Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, slated to close by Aug. 31.”

FROM THE 413

— “Greenfield city councilors drop Code of Civility proposal,” by Anthony Cammalleri, Greenfield Recorder: “A proposal encouraging city councilors to read and sign the city’s Code of Civility and a section of the 1876 guide to political decorum ‘Robert’s Rules of Order’ has been withdrawn from City Council’s August meeting agenda after Committee Chairs members agreed that the policy would be difficult to enforce without political overreach.”

WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD BE READING

— “Among Massachusetts hospitals, the gap between rich and poor widens,” by Thomas Lee, The Boston Globe.

— “Norfolk homeless shelter draws another protest while dozens of families face eviction,” by Stephen Peterson, The Sun Chronicle: “Opponents of the state’s temporary homeless shelter at a former prison in town staged another rally on Wednesday as dozens of families faced eviction this week from the facility and advocates pleaded with the state to show them more compassion.”

MEANWHILE — “‘They don’t have anywhere to go’: Mass. advocates push back on 5-day limit for overflow migrant shelters,” Danny McDonald, Mike Damiano and Natalie La Roche Pietri, The Boston Globe.

— “More sea turtles are washing up on Cape Cod beaches. Rehab saved 100-pound Marsh Mallow,” by Heather McCarron, The Cape Cod Times.

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MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE

SUNUNU WATCH — Outgoing New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu endorsed former Sen. Kelly Ayotte in the race to replace him less than a month before she faces former state Senate President Chuck Morse in the Republican primary.

Sununu didn’t miss the chance for a dig at Massachusetts, borrowing one of Ayotte’s go-to lines in an email to supporters announcing his endorsement.

“Kelly’s right: New Hampshire is only one election away from turning into Massachusetts. Take my word for it as someone who’s had to veto income taxes and attacks on personal freedoms from the other side. We can’t let them put the Massachusetts model over the NH Advantage,” Sununu said.

MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND

— “VP pick Tim Walz expected in RI next week for campaign fundraiser,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “Democratic vice presidential candidate Tim Walz is expected to come to Rhode Island next week for a major fundraiser, 12 News has confirmed. An invitation obtained by 12 News indicates Walz is expected be in Newport on Aug. 16 to raise money for his party’s presidential campaign. The Minnesota governor was announced Tuesday as Vice President Kamala Harris’s pick to join her on the ticket.”

A message from Uber:

Massachusetts Uber and Lyft drivers now receive comprehensive benefits, including health insurance stipends for those working over 15 hours a week, paid sick leave, and occupational accident insurance. These protections ensure drivers have the support they need while maintaining their independence and mark a significant improvement in drivers’ quality of life.

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HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

TRANSITIONS — Karen Bordeleau, the former executive editor of the Providence Journal, will become executive editor of The New Bedford Light starting in October.

FedPoint CIO Michael Crones was elected to the board of the National Defense Industrial Association’s New England chapter.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Emily Rogers and Vinay Mehra, former president and CFO of The Boston Globe.

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