| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity | | Presented by |  | | | THE STATE OF VETERANS SERVICES — When Jon Santiago was tapped to run the state’s new Office of Veterans Services, he was tasked with restoring the public’s faith in the state’s ability to provide for veterans after Covid-19 outbreaks ravaged the two state-run veterans’ homes in Chelsea and Holyoke. About a year and a half later, there are physical signs of change. The new Chelsea Soldiers' Home opened its doors last year, and Santiago and other state leaders were in Holyoke last week to mark a milestone in the construction of the new facility currently being built there. More change is on the way. Santiago, a former state representative and the state’s first veterans secretary, notched a win when the Legislature passed the HERO Act during the last scheduled formal session of the year. Now the work begins to implement the policies packed into what Santiago described as “the most comprehensive veterans bill” in the state’s history. One of the biggest challenges the office is grappling with: addressing veteran homelessness. It’s one that’s become politically fraught, with the high housing costs and the state’s emergency shelter crisis. But the juxtaposition of housing veterans and migrants who arrive in the state is “overblown,” Santiago said. “Veterans have been prioritized, and I can tell you that my work and our support of homeless veterans in the Commonwealth has not been impacted by any other program,” he said, noting the state’s $20 million campaign launched this spring to end veterans’ homelessness. Still, there’s more work to be done. Playbook spoke with Santiago, who was heading to South Korea for a veterans’ conference (his first trip out of the country in the role) about what a second Trump administration means for veterans in Massachusetts and his relationship with the Legislature. This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Is there anything you expect to change for your office when Donald Trump is back in the White House next year? Something to be aware of is that when Trump was elected, he passed the VA MISSION Act, and to some that would be considered a privatization of services. I want to make sure that we are funding the VA and the workforce at the VA, as opposed to the privatization of services. So that's something just to be aware of, and we'll see what his second administration plans to do. Fortunately, we here in my office are funded through state funding, and we're able to do that without much help from the federal government. The HERO Act was one of the few bills that was passed during the last formal session. What's your relationship with the Legislature like this these days, and what was your experience like when trying to get this legislation to the governor's desk? I have a tremendous respect for the Legislature. When Governor Healey put out her bill, the House passed her bill and added a whole host of provisions to make it even better. And then when it went to the Senate, a similar process occurred. They were all very committed to supporting veterans and very committed to get this done. And I think what you've seen over the past couple of months, after the July 31 deadline, things have moved forward, whether it's the long-term care bill or the maternal health bill — a lot of these things have been done. It's a hard job. 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@politico.com. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey gives an update on drought conditions and brush fire risk at 10:30 a.m. in Middleton. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll chairs a meeting of the Special Commission on Emergency Housing at 10 a.m. at the State House and opens a virtual meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission at 1 p.m. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu attends a ribbon cutting for affordable housing units at 10 a.m. in the South and is on GBH for her monthly “Ask the Mayor” segment at 11 a.m.
| | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson: We’re restoring the true meaning of healthcare—Innovating more precise, less invasive surgery and improving recovery. See how we’re connecting the best of Health&Care for every patient and provider. Learn more. | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — “‘It’s kind of unbearable': Mass. vet Marvin Howard honored for a lifetime of service,” by John L. Micek, MassLive. — “Will Berkshire County be covered in solar tiles to fuel Boston's energy demands? Berkshire County lawmakers hope not,” By Jane Kaufman, The Berkshire Eagle: “A map showing solar energy possibilities across the state created by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources shows high potential for solar farms in Berkshire County. With Massachusetts clean energy goals setting net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and land cheaper in this part of the state, Berkshire farms and fields are vulnerable to solar development.”
| | FROM THE HUB | | — “Boston election ballot mess raises concerns about city’s ability to handle ranked-choice voting,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Boston’s failures in last week’s election have prompted concerns around whether its Election Department, now under investigation by the Secretary of State’s office, would be able to handle a “dramatic” shift to a ranked-choice voting system. Opponents of a Council proposal that seeks to overhaul the city’s election process with a ranked-choice voting system, where voters would rank their favorite candidates, have seized onto last week’s ballot shortages as proof that Boston is not equipped to handle ‘sweeping changes’ to its electoral system.”
| | FROM THE DELEGATION | | — "'Backlash proves my point': Rep. Moulton defends controversial comments, criticism of his own party," by Sharman Sacchetti, WCVB: "[Rep. Seth] Moulton is a Marine Corps veteran who holds an annual town hall for vets on Veterans Day. This year, he hosted the event for the 10th time at Veterans Town Hall in Marblehead. Afterward, he defended the controversial comments referencing transgender athletes."
| | | | The lame duck session could reshape major policies before year's end. Get Inside Congress delivered daily to follow the final sprint of dealmaking on defense funding, AI regulation and disaster aid. Subscribe now. | | | | | | | TRUMPACHUSETTS | | — “‘This is the man that can help us’: How economic frustration turned Fall River from a blue stronghold to Trump country,” by Matt Stout and Omar Mohammed, The Boston Globe: “In 2012, this post-industrial city voted like many of Massachusetts’ urban Democratic strongholds, with three of every four voters casting a ballot for then-President Barack Obama. Legislative incumbents cruised to reelection in both the city and nearby towns. Half of Fall River’s registered voters were Democrats themselves. That blue bastion is now something else: Trump country. Former president Donald Trump’s victory last week in Fall River was the first for a GOP presidential candidate since Calvin Coolidge exactly a century ago and just one of several on the South Coast, helping add to Republicans’ unexpected gains around New England.”
| | PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES | | — “Millbury Town Meeting votes to snub MBTA housing law. Here's how it happened,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “Another Central Massachusetts community has voted to resist the MBTA zoning law, which is designed to increase housing. On Saturday, a Millbury Special Town Meeting voted down an article that would have amended the town's zoning bylaw and zoning map to be in compliance with the state law. The article needed a simple majority to be approved.”
| | | | A message from Johnson & Johnson:   | | | | | DATELINE D.C. | | CONSTRUCTING A CABINET — The next Trump administration is quickly taking shape. The president-elect has tapped Florida Rep. Mike Waltz to be his national security adviser, former New York Rep. Lee Zeldin to helm the Environmental Protection Agency and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik to be his next ambassador to the United Nations. He also plans nominate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio to serve as secretary of State, my colleagues report. — “The big takeaway from Trump’s whirlwind round of personnel announcements,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Alice Miranda Ollstein and Meredith Lee Hill, POLITICO: “Donald Trump is sending a message to anyone hoping to work with his second White House: Dissenters need not apply. In a rapid-fire series of edicts and late-night social media posts over the last 72 hours, Trump made clear to Washington he plans to stack his second administration with loyalists and expects Republicans on Capitol Hill and elsewhere to fall in line.” — “Scenes from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago transition,” by Meridith McGraw and Natalie Allison, POLITICO.
| | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN | | | — “Troubles at factory making Vineyard Wind blades,” by Anastasia E. Lennon, The New Bedford Light: “At least 14 turbine blades built for the Vineyard Wind project have been shipped to France from New Bedford, apparently due to a manufacturing defect that has resulted in layoffs and suspensions at the blade manufacturing plant in Gaspé, Quebec. GE Vernova laid off nine managers and suspended 11 unionized floor workers at the LM Wind factory in Gaspé last month in response to the defective blade that broke on a turbine in July, the local union confirmed to The Light on Monday.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Anonymous letter in Amherst Regional School District crosshairs,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “An anonymous letter critical of new Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman and her administration, a communication that also publicly released confidential and personal information about a school district employee, will be discussed at the Amherst Regional School Committee meeting Tuesday.”
| | | | Policy change is coming—be the pro who saw it first. Access POLITICO Pro’s Issue Analysis series on what the transition means for agriculture, defense, health care, tech, and more. Strengthen your strategy. | | | | | | | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “Worcester City Council to reconvene for first time since being shut down by protesters,” by Marco Cartolano, Telegram & Gazette: “City Council is back Tuesday after taking two weeks off for the election. In addition to a series of new reports and councilor orders, Tuesday's meeting will feature the entire agenda from the Oct. 22 meeting when the Council adjourned after only 40 minutes due to protesters shutting down the meeting following the council's vote against suspending the rules to hear their resolution in support of a ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Hamas war.” — “Report: Employers upbeat about business climate,” by Christian M. Wade, The Eagle-Tribune: “Massachusetts employers are confident about the state's business climate with inflation cooling and the economy growing, according to a new report. The latest Business Confidence Index, which is compiled by the pro-business group Associated Industries of Massachusetts, shows overall enthusiasm among employers edged up to 55.5 in October, its highest level in two years. That's up 2.3 points from September and 4.3 points from a year ago, the group said.” — “3 North Shore school districts closed Tuesday as teacher strikes to continue after Veteran’s Day,” by Molly Farrar, Boston.com: “Students won’t be returning to school in Beverly and Gloucester Tuesday after weekend bargaining sessions didn’t successfully end a strike educators began Friday. Marblehead teachers will be joining their neighboring districts’ strike starting Tuesday. At a press conference Monday, educators from the Beverly Teachers Association, Union of Gloucester Educators, and Marblehead Educators Association said their respective school committees and mayors are misleading families about the strike.”
| | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH | | HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Seekonk state Rep. Steven Howitt, Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, MassINC alum Winthrop Roosevelt, Tim Urban, Devra First, Kusumita Savaram and Laura Kashinsky.
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