FAMILIAR FACES — Maura Healey is constructing a gubernatorial administration that appears lots like her legal professional common’s workplace.
A 3rd of Healey’s Cupboard secretaries served together with her at varied factors over her eight years as legal professional common. So did a number of the deputies now filling out the governor’s surroundings and public security groups:
— EEA Secretary Rebecca Tepper was Healey’s power and surroundings bureau chief.
— Appearing HHS Secretary Mary Beckmanwho will finally turn into an adviser to incoming secretary Kate Walshwas Healey’s well being care and honest competitors bureau chief.
— Local weather chief Melissa Hofferwho joined the administration by means of the EPA, was Healey’s local weather bureau chief earlier than that.
— Terrence Reidy was an assistant legal professional common earlier than becoming a member of the Baker administration and being reappointed public security secretary by Healey.
— Gina KwonHealey’s prison bureau chief, is now her undersecretary of legislation enforcement.
— Elizabeth MahonyHealey’s new Division of Vitality Assets chief, was her senior power coverage adviser within the AG’s workplace.
A number of of the governor’s prime aides additionally came to visit from One Ashburton Place. Chief of employees Kate Prepare dinner was Healey’s first assistant legal professional common in addition to a Patrick administration alum. Senior adviser Gabrielle Viator was Healey’s chief of employees and senior coverage adviser. Jillian Fennimore continues as Healey’s communications director. And April English is now chief secretary after serving varied roles within the AG’s workplace.
A lot of Healey’s secretaries and deputies spent years representing and imposing insurance policies for the state businesses they’re now main. It’s a lineup of trusted associates with subject-matter experience who can doubtless ease Healey’s transition with out her having to micromanage from the nook workplace. And she or he’s balancing the bevy of legal professionals with different Cupboard hires who deliver intensive expertise on Beacon Hill and within the non-public sector.
“Whereas they might implement penalties and litigate within the legal professional common’s workplace, [Healey’s deputies] couldn’t themselves implement the insurance policies. Now they’re ready to implement within the government,” former Legal professional Normal Scott Harshbarger informed Playbook. “Had I been elected governor in 1998, I can’t think about that I wouldn’t have employed quite a lot of individuals in that workplace as a result of I knew them, knew what they knew substantively and their strengths and weaknesses.”
By plucking prime expertise from her outdated job, Healey can be creating alternatives for brand new Legal professional Normal Andrea Campbell to reshape the workplace. Campbell has already introduced two attorneys again to the workplace and promoted three others as a part of her preliminary batch of hires.
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Campbell is signaling another methods her legal professional common’s workplace will differ from her predecessor’s.
Whereas Healey typically waded into nationwide coverage debates, repeatedly suing the Trump administration and submitting amicus briefs on circumstances overlaying the whole lot from First Modification rights to reproductive care, Campbell indicated a special strategy on WBUR yesterday.
“We’ve got to strike a stability,” Campbell mentioned. “One factor I did hear as I criss-crossed the state is sure, of us need us to concentrate to some nationwide points, in fact, and shield us. However they don’t need us to overlook the problems we now have to cope with right here at dwelling.” Campbell pointed to creating financial alternative as an space she hopes to steer each inside the state and nationally.
TODAY — Rep. Stephen Lynch discusses federal funding at 10 a.m. in Braintree. Sen. Ed Markey visits Codman Sq. Well being Heart at 11 a.m.
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— “State eyes vacant Newton resort for momentary emergency shelter use,” by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: “State officers and a Newton developer are having ‘early conversations’ about utilizing a vacant resort as a brief shelter for households, as Massachusetts’ assist system strains to assist hundreds of households in dire want of emergency housing.”
— “Report: ‘Millionaires tax’ rekindles ‘Taxachusetts’ label,” by Christian M. Wade, Each day Information of Newburyport: “The Tax Basis’s annual report on state tax brackets singled out Massachusetts as the one jurisdiction to enact a person revenue tax charge enhance within the earlier 12 months, with the voter-approved ‘millionaires tax’ setting a brand new 4% levy on incomes of greater than $1 million. The examine ranked Massachusetts’ 9% marginal state revenue tax charge because the seventh highest within the nation, and put it on the prime of different New England states. Different states with excessive marginal charges included California, New York and New Jersey, in response to the report.”
— UPHILL BATTLE: The specter of the State Home is looming giant over Boston’s lease management debate. Metropolis councilors from throughout the political spectrum voiced issues about passing Mayor Michelle Wu’s home-rule petition for lease stabilization — or some model of it — just for it to die on Beacon Hill like different initiatives previous.
In addition they began suggesting tweaks. GBH’s Saraya Wintersmith reviews that a number of councilors took challenge with Wu’s plan to exempt new buildings from lease caps for 15 years after their opening. Some progressives additionally predictably mentioned Wu’s proposed cap for lease will increase was too excessive. And Metropolis Council President Ed Flynn floated a counterproposal to present tax breaks to landlords who supply below-market-rate rents, per the Boston Herald’s Sean Philip Cotter.
Democratic legislative leaders on the State Home, who finally management what will get to the ground there, aren’t saying a lot at this early stage. A spokesperson for Karen Spilka mentioned the Senate president “seems to be ahead” to the proposal heading up the hill and can “confer together with her members on this and different points” — so not a lot to go on there. Home Speaker Ron Mariano has prior to now mentioned there are “critical questions in regards to the effectiveness” of lease management.
— “Meet the lady tasked with making Boston’s nightlife enjoyable,” by Hannah Inexperienced, BostInno.
— OFF TRACK: Bear in mind these two Orange Line vehicles Playbook mentioned had been presupposed to be delivered by the top of the month? Nicely one acquired a bit derailed in transport and spent a day parked on the freeway in Chelmsford after it fell off a tractor-trailer.
— “Issues plaguing the T are scaring off GM candidates, sources say,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The MBTA’s unhealthy popularity is deterring prime expertise, and making it tougher to recruit a brand new common supervisor, a number of sources informed the Herald. … The notion outdoors the Boston area is that the T is ‘falling aside,’ which is hurting the worldwide seek for a common supervisor — already one of many hardest jobs within the nation to recruit for — regardless of the $300,000-plus wage, the transit watcher mentioned.”
— “Lawmakers press state on municipal energy agreements,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “Almost 20 communities have been ready — in some circumstances for a number of years — for state utility regulators to log out on native energy plans that will permit them to decide on their city electrical energy supply and purchase in bulk, to save lots of ratepayers cash amid rising power payments. … In a letter to the DPU’s appearing chairperson Cecile Fraser, U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey name on the state company to conduct a ‘well timed overview’ and approve pending municipal aggregation plans for communities to assist ratepayers save on their utility payments.”
— “Massachusetts congressional delegation brings dwelling $5M for veterans companies,” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald.
— “Approaching the ‘inexperienced ceiling’? Easthampton hashish dispensary closes,” by Emily Thurlow, Each day Hampshire Gazette: “In what could also be one other indication that the area is approaching the ‘inexperienced ceiling’ of retail marijuana gross sales, Pleasantrees closed its Easthampton dispensary on the finish of January and is attempting promote its Amherst retailer close to the UMass campus.”
— “With reasonably priced housing coffers shallow, Nice Barrington may take a minimize of actual property offers,” by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: “City officers searching for cash to resolve a housing disaster are mulling whether or not the city ought to take a minimize of actual property offers made by the wealthy and plunge it into varied reasonably priced housing wants.”
— “Mayor strikes to ease residency guidelines in New Bedford,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Journal: “With roughly 15 % of non-school municipal jobs in New Bedford vacant, Mayor Jon Mitchell is pushing to put off residency necessities for many administration positions.”
— “State schooling boss backs proposed Worcester Cultural Academy,” by Jeff A. Chamer, Telegram & Gazette: “The commissioner of the state’s Board of Elementary and Secondary Schooling has voiced his assist of the proposed Worcester Cultural Academy, a constitution college. … Metropolis and public college officers, together with the Metropolis Council and College Committee, in addition to town’s educators’ union and superintendent, have voiced their opposition to the formation of the Worcester Cultural Academy.”
— “Former Cohasset worker charged with stealing hundreds from city to energy cryptomine,” by Karen Anderson and Gail Waterhouse, WCVB: “Formally, Nadeam Nahas labored for the Cohasset college system within the amenities division. However the Cohasset Police Division alleges he additionally secretly operated a cryptocurrency mine inside a crawlspace in Cohasset Center/Excessive College, stealing practically $18,000 in electrical energy from the district to take action.”
— “RI eyes late-summer major to fill Cicilline seat as extra take into account a run,” by Ted Nesi and Shiina LoSciuto, WPRI: “Beneath the earliest potential state of affairs, the first could be Aug. 8 and the particular election would doubtless be Oct. 3; below one other state of affairs, the schedule would observe a reasonably typical election rhythm for Rhode Island, with a Sept. 5 major and a Nov. 7 particular election.”
TRANSITIONS — Harvard Kennedy College’s Meghan L. O’Sullivan has been appointed director of the varsity’s Belfer Heart for Science and Worldwide Affairs beginning July 1.
— Erin Tiernan is now editor of MASSterList. She beforehand labored for MassLive and the Boston Herald.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former state Rep. Lenny Mirra, Bob McGovern and Neil Levesque.
NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: MASS. EXODUS — Hosts Steve Koczela, Jennifer Smith and Lisa Kashinsky marvel why everybody’s leaving Massachusetts. The Boston Globe’s Samantha J. Gross joins to speak in regards to the Healey administration’s combined report on public data. Subscribe and hear on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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