Only kind of joking
SOUTHIE SMACKDOWN — Top pols gathered in Boston Sunday for state Sen. Nick Collins' annual beatdown/cringefest St. Patrick's Day political breakfast — and a chance to air their barely-simmering grievances. Here's what you missed:
NOTE QUITE OFF TO THE RACES — With a deep bench of Democrats all with nowhere to go, one of the main themes of the morning was everyone's ambitions for higher office.
Senate President Karen Spilka joked about state Auditor Diana DiZoglio challenging Gov. Maura Healey for governor (prompting DiZoglio to hold up a 'false' sign, (Trump joint-address style). Boston mayoral hopeful Josh Kraft said he'd gladly vote for Mayor Michelle Wu … for a Senate seat. And DiZoglio and Healey herself joked about the first-term governor's perceived national ambitions after recent interviews with The New York Times, Seth Meyers and political podcaster Molly Jong-Fast.
TARGET PRACTICE — Wu and Kraft had one of their first face-to-face confrontations since the son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft officially got in the race last month.
Wu roasted Kraft for his family wealth and his father's connections to President Donald Trump. Kraft responded with some playful and pointed ribbing of his own, knocking Wu over bike lanes and the $650,000 tab for lawyers who helped her prep for her testimony before the House Oversight Committee in D.C.
GRUDGE MATCH — DiZoglio brought down the house with remixed renditions of pop songs pushing for — what else — her audit of the state Legislature.
'It's me, Hi! I'm the problem, it's me. On your … dime — everybody agrees,' DiZoglio belted to the tune of Taylor Swift's 'Anti-Hero.' That's a line Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano can probably agree with.
MISSING IN ACTION — Notably absent from the lineup: any members of the state's congressional delegation. Rep. Stephen Lynch, who represents South Boston, was on a congressional mission in Switzerland, Collins said during the event.
GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy St. Patrick's Day.
Another no-show at Sunday's breakfast: the Dunkin tracksuits Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll first broke out at last year's reception.
'We are a nation of laws, not of DunKings or DunkQueens,' Healey said, paraphrasing a line from former President John Adams. 'So you won't be seeing me in the outfit ever again.'
TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and First Lady Joanna Lydgate visit Boston's Children Hospital to highlight the impact of cuts to National Institutes of Health funding at 2:40 p.m. Secretary of State Bill Galvin hosts a viewing of Revolutionary War-era artifacts that will be on display as part of the Revolution 250 Commonwealth Museum exhibit at 11 a.m. in Dorchester.
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio speaks at the Massachusetts Municipal Auditors and Accountants Association Conference at 8:45 a.m. in Amherst. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends the South Boston Citizens Association's Evacuation Day event at 9:30 a.m. in South Boston and joins the East Boston Senior Center's St. Patrick's Day celebration at noon in East Boston.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com.
DATELINE BEACON HILL
SHELTER SHIFT — Gov. Maura Healey rolled out regulations Friday lowering the limit on the number of families in the state's emergency shelter system from 7,500 to 5,800 and following through on reforms laid out in the supplemental budget she signed last month. As of May 6, there were roughly 5,500 families in state-run shelters, according to a report from the state's housing office.
As of Friday, those seeking shelter are required to consent to criminal background checks, and anyone convicted of a serious crime (murder, arson, kidnapping, rape) in the last three years will be ineligible for emergency shelter. Read the regulations.
— 'Massachusetts is increasingly becoming the target of Republican ire,' by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: 'President Donald Trump's administration and Congressional Republicans are increasingly targeting Massachusetts over immigration policies and alleged antisemitism at institutions of higher education. From Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's testimony in Washington on the city's so-called 'sanctuary status' to investigations into local colleges and universities, federal lawmakers and officials in the Trump administration are setting their sights on the Bay State. The latest salvo from conservatives on immigration came in the form of Sen. Ted Cruz's threat to subpoena the Massachusetts Port Authority in an effort to produce information on the migrants that slept at Logan International Airport during the height of new arrivals.'
— 'Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey rewards, punishes communities with MBTA zoning law,' by Lance Reynolds, Boston Herald: 'The Healey administration is rolling out $8.7 million to Massachusetts cities and towns complying with the controversial MBTA zoning law while withholding previously committed grant funds from resistant communities. Gov. Maura Healey has rewarded 10 municipalities following the state's orders by enacting zoning plans compliant with the MBTA Communities Act. At the same time, her administration continues to be taken to court.
— 'Faculty unions seek more money for public colleges,' by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: 'A coalition of college faculty unions is calling on state leaders to carve out more money from the millionaires' tax to offset anticipated federal cuts to public higher education funding. Gov. Maura Healey wants to pump at least $2.5 billion into facilities at the University of Massachusetts, state universities and community colleges over the next decade to modernize campuses by building new labs, classrooms and training facilities that support fields like web development, robotics and advanced manufacturing.'
— 'Mass. lawmakers don't have to follow the public records law. Few of them say that should change,' by Matt Stout and Anjali Huynh, The Boston Globe: 'Massachusetts state legislators say they are creating a new era of openness on Beacon Hill. They want to make more votes public, better explain the bills they're proposing, and make changes that promote, as one Democrat put it, 'extreme transparency.' Very few, however, say they are inclined to embrace another basic requirement: that the Legislature, like the vast majority of public bodies in Massachusetts and its legislative counterparts nationwide, provide records when the public asks for them.'
THE RACE FOR CITY HALL
— 'William Reichelt to seek fourth term as West Springfield mayor,' by Michael Ballway, The Springfield Republican: 'Closing in on a decade as mayor, William Reichelt says he still has work to do. 'I love this job,' he said when asked about his plans to run for reelection this year to a fourth term. 'It's been a blast these past 10 years. We've done a lot.' He pointed to infrastructure projects at various stages of planning — a new police station, a new Fausey School, extensions of bike lanes and multi-use paths — as well as steps he has championed to make West Springfield's roads safer, such as lane reductions and speed humps.'
PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES
— 'West-East Rail funding uncertain under Trump administration,' by Mitch Fink, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'President Donald Trump's return to office has raised questions about the future of hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding Massachusetts secured for its West-East Rail plan with suggestions the administration may place a greater emphasis on birth and marriage rates and immigration policy.'
DAY IN COURT
— 'Judge orders U.S. Customs officials into court to answer for RI doctor's deportation,' by Tom Mooney, The Providence Journal: 'A federal judge has ordered U.S. Customs and Border officials to respond Monday at a hearing before him to allegations they 'willfully' disobeyed his order not to deport a Rhode Island doctor until he could review her case. On Friday U.S. District Judge Leo T. Sorokin, in Massachusetts, issued an order that Dr. Rasha Alawieh, 34, who had been detained at Logan Airport on Thursday after returning from visiting family in Lebanon, not be deported without giving the court 48 hours notice.'
KEEPING UP WITH THE DELEGATION
— ''Musk is killing veterans': Mass Rep. Moulton tells packed town hall,' by John L. Micek, MassLive: 'Tech billionaire Elon Musk is cutting a destructive path through the middle of the federal government, and the damage will take a deadly toll on the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton told constituents at a town hall on Saturday.'
LISTEN — Rep. Jake Auchincloss joined Puck's 'Impolitic' podcast for lengthy conversation on the government shutdown situation, Trump's trade policies, House Speaker Mike Johnson's leadership and more.
POLL POSITION — A poll conducted by the Republican-aligned firm Advantage Inc. for the Fiscal Alliance Foundation pitted Rep. Jake Auchincloss against Sen. Ed Markey in a hypothetical Senate matchup. The results? A statistical tie with lots of respondents still undecided.
Of those surveyed, 25.25 percent said they would support Markey, while 24.5 backed Auchincloss, within the poll's margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.
But but but: The poll surveyed 800 likely Bay State voters, not just those likely to participate in a Democratic primary. It was conducted from March 6-12.
FROM THE 413
— 'No one likes uncertainty: Here's how Trump's proposed tariffs on Canadian lumber will impact the Berkshires' housing market,' by Claire O'Callahan, The Berkshire Eagle.
THE LOCAL ANGLE
— ''To cultivate a culture of excellence': Saucier sworn in as Worcester police chief,' by Craig S. Semon, Telegram & Gazette.
— 'Unanimous decision: Provincetown School Committee chooses Paul Teixeira as superintendent,' by Desiree Nikfardjam, Cape Cod Times.
— 'Norfolk County sheriff in Washington to discuss funding for mental health programs,' by Imani Clement, WCVB.
HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Northampton Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra, former MassGOP Chair Jim Lyons, Daniel Bellow, Cam Charbonnier, Amber Jamanka and Jeremy Comeau.
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