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Politico
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Politico
Worcester's ICE storm
ON THIN ICE — As federal immigration enforcement actions ramp up in Massachusetts, so is the debate over what level of coordination there should be between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police. A deportation operation in Worcester earlier this month threw the discourse into sharp relief. ICYMI: Two people were arrested by Worcester police after a crowd gathered as ICE officers were attempting to take into custody a woman they said was in the country illegally. The kerfuffle spurred outrage from immigration advocates and hardliners alike. Protesters r allied outside Worcester City Hall, calling on police to do more to shield residents from ICE, while Worcester's police union and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin took aim at Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj, who stood in front of the woman in an effort to keep officials from taking her. Days later, Stephen Miller, one of President Donald Trump's top deputies, was weighing in on X. The uproar prompted Worcester City Manager Eric Batista to sign an executive order 'reaffirming how the Worcester police interacts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.' The order prevents city employees from participating in a federal operation 'solely for the enforcement of federal civil immigration laws, except in response to a request to assist with support services deemed necessary to ensure officer safety.' But not everyone is satisfied. The measure, critics pointed out, doesn't require local police to verify that federal officials have the authority to carry out an arrest — by determining they have a warrant, for example. 'Worcester police should be involved in protecting the peace in the city of Worcester and enforcing the laws of Massachusetts. I don't think that they should be helping ICE do things that are constitutionally questionable at best,' said Miles Gresham, policy director for Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts, a nonprofit that sent members to the scene as the ICE operation was taking place. Some are calling on more action from the state's top Democrats. At a rally over the weekend, roughly 100 protesters marched from Boston City Hall to Boston Common, urging Gov. Maura Healey to take a stronger stand against ICE. And a petition circulated by the LUCE Immigrant Justice Network of Massachusetts asks the governor to declare ICE 'a rogue federal agency operating outside the law.' But others, including Republicans challenging Healey for her seat, have been making the case for more coordination between federal and state officials. A spate of Republican-sponsored bills on Beacon Hill would do just that, though they face long odds of passing without support from Democrats who hold a supermajority in the Legislature. GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@ TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey, Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and state and local officials hold a press conference on impacts to Medicaid in the megabill at 1:45 p.m. in Revere. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio attends Get Konnected's speed mentoring event at 5:30 p.m. in Boston. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces the city's summer safety plan at 10 a.m. in Dorchester and hosts a luncheon for Boston Public Schools valedictorians at 12:30 p.m. in Fenway. DATELINE BEACON HILL — DEP delays electric vehicle sales requirements for two years by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: 'The Healey administration said Friday it will not enforce minimum electric vehicle sales requirements for model years 2026 and 2027, administratively taking a step that lawmakers have repeated sought to force legislatively. Under the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation that Massachusetts adopted following California's lead in 2023, vehicle manufacturers are supposed to produce and make available for sale a gradually-increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles starting at 35% in model year 2026, rising to 43% in model year 2027 and eventually hitting 100% in model year 2035 and beyond.' WATCH — Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans' Services Jon Santiago talks funding cuts, homeless veterans by Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB. FROM THE HUB — Boston launches review of school bus safety following collision death of 5-year-old by Carrie Jung, WBUR: 'Boston city leaders said they are launching an independent review into the safety policies and performance of Transdev, the school bus contractor for Boston Public Schools. The move comes nearly a month after a bus operated by a Transdev driver struck and killed kindergarten student Lens Joseph during drop-off after school.' FROM HARVARD YARD — Harvard foreign students feel like 'poker chips,' consider transfer after Trump attacks by Juliet Schulman-Hall, MassLive. — In extremely rare move, Harvard revokes tenure and cuts ties with star business professor by Kirk Carapezza, GBH News: 'Harvard University has stripped a world-renowned scholar of her tenure status. The university's top governing board, the Harvard Corporation, decided this month to revoke Francesca Gino's tenure and end her employment at Harvard Business School. Gino, who was celebrated for her research on honesty and ethical behavior, had faced scathing allegations of academic misconduct and fraud.' THE RACE FOR CITY HALL — Kraft-aligned super PAC pours $1.4 million into attacks on Wu in mayoral race by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: 'The super PAC backing Josh Kraft in his challenge to Mayor Michelle Wu is dropping more than $1.4 million on ads, billboards, and text messages attacking the incumbent Democrat, marking the first significant infusion of outside cash into a race that's already splattered with mud-slinging. The spending, disclosed in a late Friday filing, is an extraordinary sum for an outside group to drop so early in the citywide contest. The timing of the push — and willingness of deep-pocketed donors to bankroll it — suggests voters' televisions and social media feeds could be inundated with political spots through the summer and fall.' Mayor Michelle Wu's campaign is out with a scathing statement in response this morning, accusing the Krafts of 'trying to buy' the election 'by trashing our city with millions of dollars of negative attack ads.' 'This is an unprecedented early start to outside money raining down on a Boston city election as Kraft runs the most negative mayoral campaign in generations,' the statement said. DAY IN COURT — Bar advocates to halt indigent defense work over stagnant pay by Aaron Curtis, The Lowell Sun: 'According to Massachusetts bar advocates, without a long-overdue raise, the justice system is headed for some serious trouble. In 2004, bar advocates — private attorneys paid by the state to represent clients unable to afford legal counsel — stopped taking new cases in protest of low pay. This move ultimately influenced lawmakers to raise the district court hourly rate to $50, as highlighted on a website created by attorney Todd Siegel advocating for increased compensation for attorneys who represent indigent clients. Bar advocates say that their wages have barely budged in the two decades since. … Now, history appears to be repeating itself as bar advocates, citing stagnant wages and legislative inaction, once again prepare to refuse new cases starting Tuesday.' FROM THE DELEGATION — Massachusetts Rep. Trahan's 'Les Miz' moment on Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' by John L. Micek, MassLive: 'In the early hours of last Thursday morning, as U.S. House Republicans got ready to send President Donald Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' over to the Senate, a Massachusetts lawmaker stepped into the breach, all Henry V-style, to try to stop it. That lawmaker, U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan, D-3rd District, offered what's known as a 'Motion to Recommit,' a parliamentary Hail Mary that would have sent the bill back to committee rather than allowing the eventual 215-214 vote to approve it.' FROM THE 413 — Clean energy measures, $7.68M budget coming to Shutesbury Town Meeting on Saturday by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Prioritizing purchase of zero-emission vehicles, supporting municipal decarbonization by 2050 and opting into the state's specialized energy code, while enhancing the existing safe community bylaw and adopting a town spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1, are among articles voters will decide at annual Town Meeting Saturday.' — Budget cuts hours for some Easthampton employees by Alexa Lewis, Daily Hampshire Gazette: 'Although the city's proposed fiscal 2026 budget avoids direct cuts to municipal employee salaries, six workers are facing reduced hours and a hiring freeze is being put in place. According to Mayor Nicole LaChapelle, some municipal employees 'had extended hours,' meaning the city approved working hours for some positions beyond their typical 34-hour workweek. The hourly adjustment heading into the next fiscal year, she said, is an act of 'resetting' back to the 'base workweek' for these positions. However, the citywide hiring freeze is an act of abundant caution, following the lead of the Healey administration amid fiscal uncertainty.' — Amid conversations about public health and accessibility in downtown Pittsfield, homeless people still lack reliable access to public restrooms and showers by Claire O'Callahan, The Berkshire Eagle. THE LOCAL ANGLE — Narrow timeline creates strain on New Bedford's elections by Colin Hogan, The New Bedford Light: 'Calendars, packets, papers, and check-lists cover the tables inside New Bedford's elections office. Five months will pass before city elections take place this fall, on Oct. 7 and Nov. 4, but already this office is humming — and it's maybe a little more tense than usual. … Because the City Council rejected election officials' advice — including [New Bedford Election Commission Chair Manuel] DeBrito's, his staff's, and the Secretary of the Commonwealth's — New Bedford will be the only city in Massachusetts to host its preliminary election in October this year. That leaves a short window for voters to return mail-in ballots for the Nov. 4 general election.' — Trump's DOJ retracts investigations of 8 police departments. What about Worcester? by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: 'President Donald Trump's Justice Department has announced it is 'retracting' its findings of constitutional violations by most of the police departments it cited under President Joe Biden. However Worcester's findings, for now, remain intact.' — More details emerge about health director's exit by Jim Sullivan, The Newburyport Daily News: 'As the city looks to replace former Health Director Laura Vlasuk, now running Malden's health and human services department, more details are surfacing as to why she decided to leave and how the news was shared with local leaders. After more than three years leading Newburyport's health department, Vlasuk left her role on May 14, roughly a week after the Malden City Council unanimously approved her appointment on May 5.' — Assistant to the mayor and city social worker positions being considered by Attleboro city council by Rhianwen Watkins, The Sun Chronicle. — Brockton's downtown homeless shelter moves to Manley Street by Chris Helms, The Brockton Enterprise. — 'Gulf of Weymouth' shirts raise $7,000 for new veterans' memorial by Jessica Trufant, The Patriot Ledger. HEARD 'ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Joanne Landers will be the new vice president of student affairs and Austin Gilliland has been tapped to serve as vice president of academic affairs at Northern Essex Community College. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Melissa Ludtke, state Rep. Steven Owens, Andrew Fowler and Brian Choquet. Happy belated to Sabrina Correa, who celebrated Monday.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Morrisey signs bill creating ‘Troops to Teachers' program for veterans amid WV teacher shortage
Gov. Patrick Morrisey held a ceremonial bill signing for Senate Bill 765, which establishes a Troops-to-Teachers program on Wednesday, May 21, 2025 at Hedgesville Middle School in Hedgesville, (West Virginia Office of Gov. Patrick Morrisey | Courtesy photo) Gov. Patrick Morrisey touted the state's new 'Troops to Teachers' program that aims to put veterans in classrooms while the state struggles with a teacher shortage. The governor called the program a 'common sense solution.' 'Let's get really smart, talented people into the classroom as quickly as possible,' Morrisey said. 'It's going to help veterans navigate the certification process, and it's going to allow them to get into the classroom faster … It's going to reduce some of the bureaucracy.' He announced the program Wednesday at Hedgesville Middle School in the state's Eastern Panhandle. 'Veterans have certainly proven their worth for our state and for our country,' Morrisey said before ceremoniously signing the Republican-sponsored measure, Senate Bill 765, into law that created the state- level program. The Troops-to-Teachers program helps veterans get classroom experience while they complete necessary requirements to become employed as K-12 teachers. Participants are required to have a bachelor's degree and pass the state's skills and subject matter tests in the area for which licensure is being sought. The state schools superintendent will issue teaching certificates to eligible participants. Del. Bill Ridenour, who retired from the U.S. Marine Corps, has supported the legislation for years after his own experience looking for a career following his military service. He had hoped to be a teacher but wasn't able to finance his education. 'West Virginia has one of the larger veteran populations in the country. We are not exploiting that resource,' said Ridenour, R-Jefferson. He has worked on the legislation for several years ahead of its passage this year. The House of Delegates and Senate unanimously passed the bill earlier this year. 'I'm very, very proud we're going to do this for our kids,' Ridenour said. Bill sponsor Sen. Tom Willis, R-Jefferson, is a West Virginia National Guard Green Beret. 'Veterans are uniquely suited to bring those qualities into our classrooms — to lead, inspire, and shape the next generation,' he said. West Virginia has the lowest teacher pay in the nation, which has contributed to the teacher shortage, particularly in border counties. Morrisey has said he'd like to see a pay raise for teachers but hasn't suggested legislation to accomplish it. This year, a Republican Senator proposed a bill that would have implemented locality pay for teachers; teachers in half the state's counties could have seen a raise based on their area's median home value. The bill didn't get up for a full vote in the Senate, and this year's legislative session ended without any action on teacher pay. The state's Public Employee Insurance Agency, which offers insurance to school employees, will see premium increases in July of 14% for state employees and 16% for local government employees in addition to out-of-pocket and copay increases. Union leaders representing West Virginia's public workers have called on lawmakers to stabilize the rising costs of health care coverage for state employees. In April, Morrisey said he'd call a special legislative session for lawmakers to address the rising costs of the program, but no further details have been released ahead of the July price hike. The governor has signed several other education-focused bills this spring, including a key measure bolstering elementary teachers' ability to remove disruptive and violent students. Other bills mandate that counties ban cell phones during classroom instructional time and that schools display a framed poster of 'In God We Trust.' West Virginia public schools continue to have some of the country's lowest academic outcomes while serving many children in poverty, raised by grandparents and in the state's foster care system. 'I'm committed to seeing our education system improve,' Morrisey said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Riot bill shelved by Assembly Committee
Protesters gather to march in Wauwatosa alongside the families of Antonio Gonzales, Jay Anderson Jr., and Alvin Cole in 2020. (Photo by Isiah Holmes/Wisconsin Examiner) A Republican-sponsored bill that would have defined a riot as a gathering of at least three people that could pose a threat of property damage or injury has been removed from the Assembly Judiciary Committee's executive session agenda. The bill has been criticized for being overly broad, and potentially chilling First Amendment protections of protest and free speech. Besides defining a riot, the bill also exposed accused rioters and riot organizers to felony charges and civil liability including restitution for attorneys' fees and property damage, and carried a prohibition on government officials with authority over law enforcement from limiting an agency's response to quell unrest. Rep. Andrew Hysell (D- Sun Prairie), a member of the Assembly Committee on Judiciary, said that he criticized the bill because it 'actually weakens existing law for the very people it was supposed to help.' The committee held a public hearing on the bill on May 7, at which a large number of Wisconsinites voiced opposition to the bill. Rep. Shae Sortwell (R- Two Rivers), one of the bill's authors, testified in favor of the bill, saying that it's needed to prevent protests from spinning out of control into riots, property destruction, and injury. Sortwell and other republican supporters of the bill referenced protests and unrest in 2020 in Kenosha and Madison. Among those who testified against the bill was Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-Madison). Like other critics, Clancy said the bill was written vaguely in order to be applied broadly to crack down on protest movements. 'While myself and many of my Democratic colleagues are tired of wasting our time and our constituents' resources on badly written, unconstitutional bills like AB-88, I'm ecstatic that Republicans have abandoned this one for now,' Clancy said in a statement after the bill was shelved by the Assembly committee. 'It's clear that passionate, thoughtful testimony from the public, free speech advocates and civil rights experts – along with excellent technical critiques from Rep. Andrew Hysell – has stopped this so-called 'anti-riot' bill dead in its tracks.' Clancy added that 'in reality, however, this isn't an 'anti-riot' bill: it's a threat to free speech, expression and assembly disguised as a public safety measure. Thankfully, it's now unlikely to move forward this session.' During the May 7 committee hearing where people spoke either in favor of or against the bill, one man wore a hat which used an expletive to denounce President Donald Trump. Committee Chair Ron Tulser (R- Harrison) demanded that the man remove the hat because it was offensive. Tulser threatened to have law enforcement remove the man, and called the hearing into recess. Later, when the hearing continued, the man was allowed to continue wearing the hat. Clancy told Tulser his emotional reaction to the hat and his impulse to call for police was an example of how a broad, penalty-heavy bill for protests like AB-88 is a bad idea. In his statement, Clancy urged his colleagues to spend 'less time trying to dismantle our rights and getting angry at rude hats' and more time 'addressing the actual needs of Wisconsin residents. Until that changes, we must all remain vigilant to fight back their next, terrible idea.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Axios
02-05-2025
- Politics
- Axios
Cleveland could face same scrutiny as other "sanctuary cities"
The recent spotlight on "sanctuary cities" could put Cleveland's immigration policies in the crosshairs of the Trump administration and state Republicans. Why it matters: Earlier this week, President Trump signed an executive order calling for federal agencies to document cities and states with laws and ordinances that don't comply with Trump's federal immigration laws. Zoom in: At the same time, Ohio lawmakers are considering House Bill 26, a Republican-sponsored bill that would require cities to cooperate with federal immigration laws or face state funding restrictions. The intrigue: Cleveland is not considered a "sanctuary city" by the Center for Immigration Studies, which tracks local governments that "obstruct immigration enforcement and shield criminals from ICE." However, Mayor Justin Bibb has been vocal in his opposition to federal immigration policies. "My administration will not engage in the deportation of individuals who have not committed violent crimes ... No law requires that we do so," Bibb said after Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids swept across Northeast Ohio in January. Flashback: City Council passed a resolution in 1987 declaring Cleveland a sanctuary city. What's next: Trump's order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Homeland Security to identify non-compliant cities and states within a month. They are to publish a list of jurisdictions and notify them, providing an opportunity to correct it. Meanwhile, HB 26 had its first hearing, which featured sponsor testimony, in front of the Public Safety Committee earlier this week. A vote has yet to be held. What they're saying:"Our role as the state and federal government is still to enforce reasonable laws, make sure that people's rights are protected," bill co-sponsor Rep. Tex Fischer (R-Boardman) said in February, per the Columbus Dispatch. "There is not a constitutionally protected right to illegally enter and reside in this country." The other side: What about those 'oops' moments where the sheriff goes, picks someone up, the person is detained, maybe detained for a long period of time, loses their job and loses their benefits, things of that nature?" Rep. Darnell Brewer (D-Cleveland) asked in questioning the bill, per the Statehouse News Bureau.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Gov. Lee signs bill protecting IVF, contraceptives access, despite 11 House Republicans pushing for veto
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Gov. Bill Lee has signed a Republican-sponsored bill into law codifying the right to in vitro fertilization (IVF) and contraceptives in Tennessee, despite 11 House Republicans urging him to veto the measure in a letter. The 'Fertility Treatment and Contraceptive Protection Act,' sponsored by Rep. Iris Rudder (R-Winchester) and Sen. Becky Massey (R-Knoxville), unanimously passed the Senate, but Republicans were divided on the issue in the House. 'To me, this bill is about life,' Rep. Rudder said. 'It brings life into the world. It gives families the right to access IVF. It gives families the opportunity to plan their families through contraceptives.' 📧 Have breaking news come to you: → However, some House Republicans argued women already have the right to IVF and contraceptives in the state, making the bill 'unnecessary.' 'This bill is a solution in search of a problem with serious, negative consequences,' Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County) said. Others said the bill conflicts with state law and alluded they believe it's anti-life. 'We already encode [in state law] on the one hand, that an embryo is a person; it's an unborn child, yet this bill creates a statutory right to create and destroy human embryos without limitation of any kind, just wantonly,' Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood) said. 'I think as you listen to some of the discussion on the House floor this morning, maybe you can understand why this is a very important bill to codify into law the rights of women to continue to access IVF and contraceptives,' Rep. Rudder said. 'This bill has nothing to do with what has been discussed on this floor this morning, other than to codify into law that the women in the state of Tennessee will continue to have the right to access IVF and contraceptives.' The bill passed the House, with 37 Republicans voting against it. In response, 11 House Republicans wrote a letter to Gov. Bill Lee, imploring him to veto the measure. 'If we, as a government, authorize the slaughter of even one innocent life, God will judge us collectively,' the letter reads. 'The power to save lies in your hands.' The letter, sent by Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County), also signed by Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), Rep. Jody Barrett (R-Dickson), Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), Rep Michele Reneau (R-Signal Mountain), Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville), Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill), Rep. Aron Maberry (R-Clarksville), Rep. Kip Capley (R-Summertown), Rep. Brock Martin (R-Huntington), and Rep. Ed Butler (R-Rickman), argued the 'morning after pill' could be considered an abortion pill because it could prevent implantation of a fertilized egg, a notion that's been disproven by multiple medical studies. In addition, lawmakers wrote in the letter IVF clinics destroy the 'fertilized eggs that the couple does not use,' which is 'a type of abortion' and 'an act of intentionally terminating human life that should not be provided legal cover.' The letter goes on to state IVF can result in 'too many pregnancies at once,' posing a health risk to the mother and her babies, and requiring a surgery to remove some of the babies. Lawmakers called this 'selective abortion.' Gov. Lee was not asked about the letter, but he told reporters on Tuesday he believes he knows what he'll do once the bill reaches his desk. 'Until I read it, I can't definitively comment on it, but the basis of my understanding of what it is, I plan to sign that bill,' Gov. Lee said. ⏩ On Thursday, a spokesperson for the governor's office confirmed that Gov. Lee had signed the bill. The bill became law upon receiving his signature. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
