09/28/2017 06:53 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) and Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Fog this morning, then sunny with a high of 78.
NEAL'S POTENTIAL TAX DEAL - Rep. Richard Neal is in the catbird seat for one of the biggest priorities in President Donald Trump's agenda: Tax reform.
Before Republicans rolled out the proposal yesterday, Trump invited Neal and a handful of other members of the influential Ways and Means Committee to the White House on Tuesday. As the most powerful Democrat on the tax-writing panel, it was Neal's second trip to the White House to meet with Trump, and yielded what sounded like a positive result. Neal said afterward that the president "said he wanted to work with Dems in tax reform and didn't rule out the principles raised in the meeting."
But a day later, Neal panned the limited details of the unveiled Republican proposal, calling it "a partisan process from the start" that puts the wealthy first. Neal has said he believes tax reform should be a bipartisan effort, and pledged that Democrats will be united in delivering tax cuts to the middle-class.
While there's not a lot Neal loves about the current proposal, the lack of specifics about the bill itself creates an opening for Congress to determine more details - and maybe a path to the bipartisan bill Neal, Trump, and others discussed.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - The Boston Red Sox host a conversation at Fenway Park on inclusion and diversity, with participants including Boston Mayor Marty Walsh -The Senate will hold a formal session, with budget override votes expected - Education Sec. Betsy DeVos speaks at Harvard about the future of school choice at 6 p.m. Expect sizable protests beforehand organized by the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance.
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- BAKER CONTACTS PR GOV: From Baker spox Lizzy Guyton : "Today [Wednesday], Governor Baker spoke with Governor Ricardo Rosselló to express his heartfelt condolences for the devastating damage and tragedy in Puerto Rico as a result of Hurricanes Maria and Irma and offered full support from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to provide all available assistance at Puerto Rico's request. ... Governor Rosselló reinforced the importance of utilizing the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nationwide system that all states and territories, including Puerto Rico, use to coordinate assistance in the wake of natural disasters. ... The Baker-Polito Administration will continue to monitor the relief efforts in Puerto Rico and stands ready to deliver any assistance possible."
- "Another day, another $9 million voted to be restored by House to state budget," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "The overrides would pack money back into 50 accounts dealing with environmental protections, education, homelessness assistance and other areas, and cleared the House with minimal discussion a week after its members restored $275 million in spending to the budget over Baker's objections."
- "Mass. has lost track of nearly 1,800 sex offenders, audit says," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Nearly 1,800 Massachusetts sex offenders did not have a current address on file with the state's registry, and close to 1,000 of those convicted criminals had not been classified by their likelihood to reoffend, according to an audit released Tuesday by state Auditor Suzanne M. Bump."
- "Criminal justice bill expected in the Senate within two weeks," by Andy Metzger, State House News Service: "Criminal justice reform legislation is expected to move out of committee this week and hit the Senate floor likely within the next two weeks, according to Senate President Stan Rosenberg."
TRUMPACHUSETTS -
- "Mass., other blue states are in crosshairs of GOP tax plan," by Victoria McGrane and Julia Jacobs, Boston Globe: "President Trump said the economy, corporations, and average American workers would all be winners under the GOP's ambitious tax overhaul that he outlined Wednesday. But the blueprint also would create losers: People who pay state and local levies in high-tax blue states, including Massachusetts."
- "Michelle Obama: Trump's female voters 'voted against their own voice,'" by Jessica Heslam, Boston Herald: "Former First Lady Michelle Obama today took aim at the women who voted Donald Trump into the White House, in an address to thousands at a Boston marketing conference. 'As far as I'm concerned, any woman who voted against Hillary Clinton voted against their own voice,' Obama said as the crowd erupted into applause at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center."
- "Librarian Rejects Books Donated By Melania Trump, Rips Dr. Seuss," by Mike LaCrosse, WBZ: "The librarian at the Cambridgeport Elementary School is saying no thanks to a shipment of books from First Lady Melania Trump. ... One school from each state was chosen by the White House to receive ten Dr. Seuss books as part of National Read a Book Day."
** A message from PhRMA: Are middlemen really holding down the cost of medicines? Biopharmaceutical companies set the list prices for their medicines, but it's your insurer that decides how much you pay out of pocket. More than one-third of the list price is rebated back to middlemen, but these savings aren't always shared with patients. http://onphr.ma/2xoeT5w **
THE WARREN REPORT -
- "Elizabeth Warren, Ed Markey seek immediate congressional help for Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands hurricane recovery efforts," by Shannon Young, Masslive.com: "U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey joined other Senate Democrats this week in urging congressional leaders to immediately act on legislation that would provide Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands residents necessary support in wake of Hurricanes Maria and Irma. The Massachusetts Democrats, who were among nearly a dozen that signed a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, called for Congress to take up a supplemental appropriations bill to ensure a sufficient increase in the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief fund, as well as other accounts that will help with hurricane recovery efforts."
- "Warren, Schatz, Booker, Murphy Demand Answers on Scheduled Shutdown of ACA Website During Open Enrollment": "Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawai'i), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called for an investigation into the planned periodic shutdown of Healthcare.gov - the official federal website established by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) where Americans can enroll in a health insurance plan - during the 2018 open enrollment period (OEP). The Trump Administration plans to make the website inaccessible for 12 hours on nearly every Sunday and on the first night of open enrollment."
ON THE STUMP -
- INBOX: "Mayor Marty Walsh announced that he has accepted invitations to participate in two debates before Election Day ... . Debates will be hosted by Dan Rea of WBZ (1030AM) on October 10th, and Jim Braude and Margery Eagan of WGBH (Ch.2/89.7 FM) on October 24th." One will be broadcast on the radio, and the other on TV.
WHAT NATIONAL REPUBLICANS ARE READING - "Why is Charlie Baker so popular?" by Joshua Miller, Boston Globe: "For more than two years, about 70 percent of voters have approved of Governor Charlie Baker's job performance - an unwavering level of support unseen at the State House in a quarter-century. The persistent backing for the Republican is keeping top challengers away, smothering the fund-raising efforts of the candidates already in the race, and dimming the prospects of Democrats retaking the corner office next year."
- "Baker supporting Attleboro Republican in Senate race," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "Gov. Charlie Baker met Tuesday with Republican Senate candidate Jacob Ventura and a Baker aide told the News Service Wednesday that the governor is supporting the Attleboro resident in his quest to fill the Senate seat vacated earlier this year by Walpole Democrat James Timilty."
- "Forget The Mayor's Race, Women Of Color Are Remaking Boston Politics," by David S. Bernstein, WGBH: "Lydia Edwards is the newest rising star in Boston politics, after a surprisingly strong second-place showing in Tuesday's preliminary election put her in likely position to win a district city council seat in November. Edwards, an African-American attorney, should be able to ride momentum and a more favorable general-election turnout to beat first-place finisher Stephen Passacantilli, according to political veterans I spoke with, who were uniformly impressed by Edwards coming within 80 votes of Passacantilli in the preliminary, out of more than 7,500 cast."
- "'Creepy' clown candidate brings police to college polling place," by Owen Boss, Boston Herald: "The sight of a clown driving a souped-up Dodge Viper outside a polling location prompted worried parents to call the cops, police said. But what sounded like a scene out of the hit horror movie 'It' turned out to be an at-large city council candidate trying to boost his name recognition on preliminary election day."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "DON'T BULLY ME, MICHELLE!" - Globe: "Tax plan targets state, local deductions," "Bezos knows Boston, but will he pick it?" "ONE MASSIVE FLIGHT DELAY," "Walsh's growing base echos Menino legacy," "Prosecutors offer chilling account of drugs, deceit in teacher's slaying," "Baker is liked, but many contend not intensely."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "Holyoke Schools Prepare For Influx Of Puerto Rican Families After Hurricane Maria," by Jill Kaufman, NEPR: "Students, families and many school staff in the western Massachusetts city of Holyoke are still desperate for news from relatives in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria hit last week. Eighty percent of Holyoke public school students are of Puerto Rican descent. And after the island experienced extensive damage from two hurricanes, the district is now expecting an influx of new students. Holyoke Superintendent Stephen Zrike said they're getting ready for new arrivals."
- "From Bridgewater to the Berkshires, The Eagle tracks a budding industry: Medical marijuana," by Larry Parnass, Berkshire Eagle: "The journey 'from seed to shelf' is complete for Berkshire County's first medical marijuana dispensary. At 11 a.m. Wednesday, more than four years after voters approved cannabis sales to qualifying patients, the therapeutic option arrived at the new Theory Wellness outlet at 394 Stockbridge Road in Great Barrington."
- "First step for Berkshire Flyer rail prospects: Measuring potential passengers," by Heather Bellow, Berkshire Eagle: "A working group charged with brainstorming a passenger train service from New York City to the Berkshires will start by gathering data to see how many people might use the train, and at what times. And by Christmas, the group hopes to have a few service patterns that can then be priced out by Amtrak."
- "Stanley Rosenberg proposes extending 'HQ2' across state," by Brian Dowling, Boston Herald: "The Bay State's Amazon bid should feature satellite operations spread across the state, Senate President Stanley C. Rosenberg said yesterday, becoming the latest official to question the value of a Boston-only headquarters for the online retail giant."
- "Weymouth's Union Point primed for Amazon bid," by Jordan Graham, Boston Herald: "Owners of the former U.S. Naval Air Station in Weymouth - backed by U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch - are pushing it as an ideal home for Amazon's second headquarters, saying they have long envisioned the 1,500-acre site as the start of an East Coast Silicon Valley. 'I think it would be a perfect match for the Union Point site - it seems to answer all the requirements that Amazon has,' said Lynch, whose district includes the site."
- "See where Boston hands out the most parking tickets," by David L. Harris, Boston Business Journal: "Using data obtained from the city, the Business Journal has generated a list of parking ticket hotspots around town. In total, the city issued 1,048,576 tickets, taking in $61.4 million in revenue from those violations in its most recent fiscal year, which spans from July 1, 2016 until June 30, 2017."
- "Pot destined for Mashpee starting to flower in Plymouth," by Christine Legere, Cape Cod Times: "Marijuana plants that will ultimately be processed into a wide assortment of medicinal products for Cape Cod patients, when the region's first dispensary opens for business in mid-December, have just begun to flower in a sprawling cultivation facility on Collins Avenue in Plymouth's industrial park. Medical Marijuana of Massachusetts currently has about 4,000 plants in various stages of growth, using only about half of the 46,000 square feet the former manufacturing building provides."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Matt Corridoni of Team Moulton and state Senator Joe Boncore aide Luigi Natale.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! - The Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 10-7.
HAVE YOU HEARD? - The first episode of The Horse Race, a new podcast about Massachusetts' most exciting campaigns from yours truly and master pollster Steve Koczela, is out of the starting gate. In the first ep.: What happened to Boston's mayoral race, the latest on MA-3 and Republican US Senate bids, and how Graham-Cassidy could take a bite out of the governor's race. Subscribe and listen now on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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** A message from PhRMA: Are middlemen really holding down the cost of medicines? Ever wonder who decides what you pay for your medicines? It's not who you might think. Biopharmaceutical companies set the list prices for their medicines, but it's your insurer that ultimately determines how much you pay out of pocket. More than one-third of the list price of a medicine is rebated back to middlemen, like insurers and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). These rebates and discounts create savings of more than $100 billion, but these savings aren't always shared directly with patients. Patients share the costs. They should share the savings. http://onphr.ma/2xoeT5w **
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