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TAX TALK — Boston Mayor Michelle Wu may have sold key business stakeholders on her revamped proposal to shift the city’s property tax burden, but she’s still facing hurdles on Beacon Hill. The mayor’s closely watched home rule petition looked poised to make it through the Legislature after Wu worked out an agreement with business leaders early this fall that earned approval from Democratic leaders in both the House and the Senate. But after emerging from the Revenue Committee with a favorable report, the bill hit a snag before it could even make it through the House. Republican Rep. David DeCoste delayed its passage, doubting the presence of a quorum at the sparsely attended House session. It's a procedural tactic Republicans have repeatedly used to their advantage during informal sessions, where any one lawmaker can typically temporarily block a bill. Wu said in a statement it was “disappointing to see a procedural delay used on a local home-rule petition,” especially, she noted, “because the State Representatives from Boston already voted to support this measure and it’s their constituents who are facing the potential for a devastating tax hike that our consensus solution would address.” But DeCoste, who represents Norwell, Hanson, Rockland and Hanover, said he’s not alone in his opposition to the bill — and claimed that some of his Democratic colleagues, including legislators from Boston, aren’t thrilled with the bill. “There’s still a lot of quiet opposition to this, both in the House and the Senate,” DeCoste told Playbook. DeCoste’s main concern, he said, is that the shift will add more stress to the commercial property market that’s still feeling the effects of the pandemic — and that people outside the city, including in his district, will be impacted. The timing is key. Wu has said the city needs the bill passed before the end of the month to set the new property tax rates before sending out the adjusted tax bills early next year. With the Thanksgiving holiday likely to slow things down on Beacon Hill next week, it’s unclear if both chambers will pass the bill before that deadline — though the House is meeting again today and potentially could get things back on track. There’s also not much time left before the legislative session ends. If the proposal gets stuck in the Legislature through the end of the year, Wu will have to start over — during a mayoral election year. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Friday! Here’s former Gov. Charlie Baker playing “start, bench, cut” with Thanksgiving dishes to get you in the early holiday spirit. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attend a White House dinner at 6:30 p.m. in D.C. Driscoll speaks at the Department of Children and Families National Adoption Day event at 9 a.m. in Brockton. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu delivers turkeys at the Villa de la Alegría at 1 p.m. in West Roxbury. THIS WEEKEND — MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services Kate Walsh is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. State Auditor Diana Dizoglio, former Secretary of Education Paul Reville and state Sen. Jason Lewis are on NBC10 Boston’s “At Issue” at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com | ||||
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— “As Biden administration winds down, state’s $2.5 billion liability in misspent federal funds remains unclear,” by Adam Reilly, GBH News: “With just two months left in the Biden administration, it’s still not clear if Massachusetts will need to repay the federal government roughly $2.5 billion in erroneously disbursed federal relief funds.” — “Report recommends against sports betting kiosks,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “A private consultant hired by the state is recommending Massachusetts not authorize sports betting kiosks at bars, restaurants and other venues, citing a lack of revenue from the machines in other states and the societal impacts of expanded gambling. The report by the Spectrum Gaming Group, which was hired last year by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, concluded that ‘there is little to no economic upside for kiosk hosts and the Commonwealth itself while there is an increased risk of negative social impacts.’” | ||||
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— “More MBTA shutdowns expected in 2025,” by Gintautas Dumcius, CommonWealth Beacon: “MBTA riders who slogged through this year’s shutdowns should brace themselves for more next year, though they’ll be more limited in scope and duration, according to transit officials. Phil Eng, the MBTA’s general manager, told members of the public transit agency’s oversight board that the focus on fixing tracks is paying off with better rush hour service on the various transit lines, and the MBTA will in 2025 turn more attention to fixing its signaling infrastructure on the Red and Orange lines. The signal work is slated to last into 2026.” | ||||
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— “SJC finds state housing office can’t require outside verification for families seeking emergency shelter,” by Danny McDonald, The Boston Globe: “Amid a housing crunch and a migrant crisis in Massachusetts, the state’s highest court on Thursday removed an administrative hurdle for local homeless families seeking emergency shelter, finding a state housing agency could not require families to provide documents to verify their identities and relationships to one another at the start of the application process.” | ||||
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IN — “Trump picks a different Florida loyalist for attorney general: Pam Bondi,” by Gary Fineout, Mia McCarthy and Erica Orden, POLITICO: “Donald Trump said he will nominate former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his attorney general, hours after his first pick for the role, former Rep. Matt Gaetz, withdrew from consideration for the position. In selecting Bondi, Trump again chose a staunch loyalist who is seen as an overtly political operator. She defended Trump during his first impeachment in 2019 and appeared with him on the trail in the final days of the 2024 campaign. She is co-chair of the law and justice division at the pro-Trump America First Policy Institute, which has been likened to a Trump administration in waiting.” OUT — “Matt Gaetz withdraws from consideration for Trump's AG,” by Olivia Beavers, POLITICO: “Matt Gaetz announced Thursday he is withdrawing his name from consideration as President-elect Donald Trump's pick as attorney general, noting in a social media post that his nomination had become a distraction.” | ||||
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NEW CAUCUS DROPPED — Rep. Jake Auchincloss is among the handful of members of congress forming a new, pro-housing caucus on Capitol Hill. Dubbed the “YIMBY” Caucus (the commonly used acronym for “Yes in my backyard”), the group will be co-chaired by Auchincloss and Reps. Scott Peters (D-Calif.), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.), Marc Molinaro (R-NY), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.) and Brittany Pettersen (D-Colo.). “At all levels of government, Americans need permitting & land use reforms that unlock more housing production,” Auchincloss said in a statement announcing the new coalition Thursday. | ||||
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— “A Great Barrington man was out on bail for six months. Then ICE showed up,” by Heather Bellow, The Berkshire Eagle: “A town resident accused of raping a teen at a town park last year was taken into custody by federal immigration authorities last week before he had a chance to stand trial in Pittsfield. The Nov. 12 arrest of Mynor Stiven De Paz-Munoz, 21, is being criticized by the Committee for Public Counsel Services as an unusual, and ‘heavy-handed approach,’ and one that ‘erodes trust in the legal system and prioritizes enforcement over fairness, leaving everyone involved without answers.’” | ||||
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— “Tensions boil over as Worcester board grills developer over Polar Park project delays,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “The rift between the city's redevelopment authority and the developer working on several projects in the area of Polar Park was out in the open during a Thursday morning meeting. … The discussion came after Madison Properties notified the city in an October letter that it would terminate its tax increment financing agreement on the Left Field Building, a proposed mixed-use space next to the ballpark at 50 Washington St., ending targeted tax payments that were higher than what the property was assessed at.” — “Remaining ARPA funds help pay down school deficit,” by Teddy Tauscher, The Eagle-Tribune: “The town is making headway in chipping away at a $2.8 million school deficit. The Select Board voted Monday to use the town’s remaining American Rescue Plant Act funds, $750,000, which combined with other planned measures, should bring the school deficit down to about $600,000. In total, North Andover will spend an estimated $65 million on schools this year.” — “New Bedford mayor, council at odds over $11M in cuts to city budget: 'Figure out a way',” by Frank Mulligan, South Coast Today: “An apparent budget battle is being waged between the City Council and city officials over how much money is needed to pay New Bedford's bills. The battle was joined after the council approved more than $11 million in cuts to Mayor Jon Mitchell's proposed $536 million proposed budget in June. Mitchell called the council cuts ‘predictably arbitrary.’ He said his administration would ‘review each budget cut and make course corrections as needed.’” | ||||
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AYOTTE STAFFS UP — New Hampshire Governor-elect Kelly Ayotte has tapped Hillsborough County Sheriff Christopher Connelly to serve as her chief of staff and John Corbett, who consulted on her campaign, as a senior adviser, per WMUR. | ||||
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TRANSITIONS — John Chartier of McKinsey & Company, John Connaughton of Bain Capital, Russell Low of Axcelis Technologies and Valery Panier of Boston Consulting Group have joined Massachusetts High Technology Counci’s board of directors. SPOTTED — at Abundant Housing Massachusetts’ annual celebration: state Reps. Sam Montaño and Jim Arciero, Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, Cambridge City Councilor Burhan Azeem, Joseph Gravellese of Heading Home, Hyphenated Strategies’ Katie Prisco-Buxbaum and TransitMatters Executive Director Jarred Johnson. REBRAND — The Downtown Boston Business Improvement District (Downtown Boston BID) is now the Downtown Boston Alliance. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Lauren Goldman Moran, chief of the MassAGO’s fair labor division, and her twin sister Michelle Goldman, assistant clerk magistrate at Middlesex Superior Court. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Keith Boynton, Tory Stephens, Joel McAuliffe and Matt Stromski, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Sonia Ballard and Mass DPH’s Alison Cohen. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com. | ||||
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