09/06/2017 07:10 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) and Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
HAPPY WEDNESDAY, MASSACHUSETTS. A flash flood watch is in effect for the eastern part of the state with showers and thunderstorms possible through tonight.
STATE OF PLAY IN THE TSONGAS ARENA - September has begun with a barrage of announcements from would-be MA-3 candidates eyeing the state's only open congressional seat in 2018. Here's the latest movement in the Merrimack Valley:
WHO'S FILING - Dan Koh, who officially filed with the Federal Election Commission, and is taking the potential bid so seriously that he's moving up to Andover from Boston this weekend, where he tells me he'll start living in a rental apartment. Koh may not work for Mayor Marty Walsh any more, but he's already officially locked down Walsh's endorsement. But does this mean Team Walsh will decamp to the Merrimack Valley to stump for Koh in what could be a crowded Democratic primary?
On the Republican ticket, Mass Fiscal founder Rick Green is celebrating his birthday today by filing an exploratory committee with the FEC, per his Facebook and Twitter posts last night.
WHO'S ABOUT TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING - Sen. Barbara L'Italien, who told me yesterday she's "got a big announcement in the next day or so." People close to Steve Kerrigan, meanwhile, say something is coming from the former LG candidate soon.
WHO'S STILL LOOKING - Former Sen. Barry Feinstein and Sen. Eileen Donoghue, both of whom ran for the seat in 2007. Conventional wisdom at this point says Donoghue could be the frontrunner in the race if she decides to enter it. But if she stays out, it's a totally open seat, according to some veteran MA-3 watchers.
WHO'S OUT - Ellen Murphy Meehan, who announced yesterday that she's staying out of the race to remain focused on health care issues. Interestingly, she included quotes from both Rep.Niki Tsongas and her ex-husband and former Rep. Marty Meehan in her statement saying she wouldn't run. Murphy Meehan was considered by many to be the frontrunner if she had entered the race. Watchers now say that title falls to Donoghue.
Adding to this week's announcement rush is time and money - the quarterly deadline for fundraising reports falls at the end of September. Many would-be MA-3 candidates are taking that deadline into consideration: Can you announce now and raise enough money quickly enough to scare off potential challengers, or do you wait until the end of September and worry only about fundraising for that last quarter of 2017 - but risk entering a too-crowded field?
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
** A message from New England Clean Power Link: Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, renewable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. More **
TODAY - Gov. Charlie Baker, LG Karyn Polito, Sen. Vinny DeMacedo, and Rear Admiral Francis McDonald, the president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, observe the deployment of the Academy's training ship T.S. Kennedy to Houston to assist with Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts -- At noon, AG Maura Healey's office posts its decisions on potential 2018 ballot questions and initiative petitions -- Centro Presente and other advocates plan to rally in support of DACA and the Temporary Protected Status programs inside the State House at 4 p.m.
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Galvin backs tax disclosures for presidential ballot access," by Jim O'Sullivan, Boston Globe: "Secretary of State William F. Galvin, the state's top elections official, will throw his support behind an effort, inspired by President Trump's refusal to disclose his finances, to require presidential candidates to release their tax returns in order to appear on the state's ballot."
- "Senators taking health care talks to Vermont," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "Five members of a Senate health care cost control working group plan to travel to Vermont Wednesday for meetings in Montpelier and Waterbury on Thursday with political and health care officials, according to Senate President Stan Rosenberg's office."
BIPARTISANSHIP IS POSSIBLE - Sorry Washington, the children are the future. The Massachusetts High School Democrats and Teenage Republicans have found common ground to come together to "strongly endorse" Rep. Linda Dean Campbell's civic engagement bill yesterday, which they say would increase the state's lacking civics education requirements.
TRUMPACHUSETTS -
- "Lewandowski to Join IOP as Visiting Fellow," by Lucas Ward, Harvard Crimson: "Corey R. Lewandowski, President Donald Trump's embattled former campaign advisor, will join the Institute of Politics as a visiting fellow this semester, the IOP announced Tuesday. Lewandowski and the other visiting fellows, including the former president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the former governor of Kentucky, will each host several events for students on campus throughout the fall semester. The five new visiting fellows join 'Morning Joe' co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, who were named IOP fellows over the summer."
- "Bay State officials blast Trump's DACA decision," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "A handful of Massachusetts elected officials on Tuesday slammed President Donald Trump's decision to end the program that protects children brought to America illegally by their parents from deportation as heartbreaking, shameful, hypocritical and 'just plain evil.'"
- "Sanctuary campaigns launched," by Dustin Luca, Salem News: "The ballot question to decide the fate of the city's 'Sanctuary for Peace' ordinance has finally been released, allowing supporters and opponents to launch their campaigns. Supporters of the ordinance have started branding their campaign as 'Yes on 1,' announced through social media postings on and after Labor Day. There's been no official announcement from opponents, but one poster was already urging voters to 'vote no.'"
ON THE STUMP -
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK -- Beth Lindstrom, a Republican running to unseat Sen. Elizabeth Warren, plans to launch a campaign against a potential drop-off and pick-up fee at Logan Airport by branding the "airport tax" as "another tax increase on the middle class," according to Lindstrom's campaign. Lindstrom plans to talk about the issue on the campaign trail, though she hasn't officially hit the trail yet and has no public events yet lined up. In the meantime, Lindstrom's team says they will be gathering signatures as well as planning digital and social outreach.
- "Fitchburg Councilor Dean Tran announces state Senate run," by Lowell Sun: "City Councilor-at-large Dean Tran announced Tuesday that he is a Republican candidate for the state Senate seat recently vacated by Jennifer L. Flanagan so she can serve as the governor's appointee to the state Cannabis Commission. 'I am excited to offer my candidacy as the next full-time state senator for the Worcester and Middlesex District,' Tran said in a statement released early Tuesday evening in which he congratulated Flanagan on her appointment."
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - SEIU 509 is launching a paid digital campaign against Triangle Inc. CEO Coleman Nee today after the company fired four employees who were involved in efforts to unionize last month. The ads, which run until the end of this week, will be published on social media sites and encourage people to write to Nee, a former secretary for Gov. Deval Patrick, about the anti-union firings.
WOOD WAR - Herald: "WATCH IT!" - Globe: "Trump ends DACA," "N.Y. accuses Sox of stealing signs via device," "Mass. leaders promise to aid immigrants," "Cites 'unfair system' and tells Congress to act," "Ailing signal system again disrupts subways," "Amid vicious storms, concerns on global warming swirl."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "More women's colleges open doors to transgender students," by Collin Binkley, The Associated Press: "Until last year, Ninotska Love would have been barred from attending Wellesley College. She's an accomplished student who has persevered through hardship, but under longstanding rules, the college would have rejected her. Now the rules have changed. This week, Love will become one of the first transgender women to attend Wellesley in the school's 147-year history."
- "Berkshire Museum's Smithsonian ties severed over art sale plan," by Amanda Dane, Berkshire Eagle: "The Berkshire Museum has ended its relationship with the Smithsonian Institution as the result of the museum's decision this summer to sell off some of its art as a way to bolster its endowment and fund an extensive renovation. The affiliation between the two institutions, established in April 2013, provided Berkshire Museum with Smithsonian resources and reciprocal admissions benefits at participating Smithsonian affiliates."
- "Bridgewater State says it will be first US university to make Narcan widely available," by Ben Thompson, Boston Globe: "Bridgewater State University will offer public access to Narcan in locations across campus to combat potential overdoses, the university said."
- "Environmental group appeals approval of Sandwich plant expansion," by Chris Lindahl, Cape Cod Times: "An environmental advocacy group is appealing the state's decision to permit the expansion of NRG Energy's Canal Generating Plant in Sandwich, arguing the officials failed to adequately consider a 2008 law aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Conservation Law Foundation on Aug. 3 filed an appeal with the Supreme Judicial Court of the state Energy Facilities Siting Board's approval of the NRG project."
- "Ex-Gov. Patrick off hook in Parole Board suit filed by Salem woman," by Julie Manganis, Salem News: "Ousted Parole Board member Pamela Lombardini can't prove that then-Gov. Deval Patrick knew his chief of staff would bring state troopers and a warning that 'it will get ugly' when he asked for her resignation 6 1/2 years ago, a Salem Superior Court judge has ruled. In a decision to grant summary judgment dismissing most of the civil suit filed by Lombardini in 2013, Judge Peter Lauriat also found that Lombardini, of Salem, has no private cause of action for wrongful termination against the former governor and the state."
- "Yawkey T stop could be renamed if street changes," by Matt Stout, Boston Herald: "The state Department of Transportation will 'follow the lead' of the city and rename the Yawkey commuter rail station - as some lawmakers have advocated - if Boston officials ultimately rebrand nearby Yawkey Way, a MassDOT spokeswoman said."
ICYMI - "Boston Red Sox Used Apple Watches to Steal Signs Against Yankees," by Michael S. Schmidt, The New York Times: "For decades, spying on another team has been as much a part of baseball's gamesmanship as brushback pitches and hard slides. The Boston Red Sox have apparently added a modern - and illicit - twist: They used an Apple Watch to gain an advantage against the Yankees and other teams. Investigators for Major League Baseball have determined that the Red Sox, who are in first place in the American League East and very likely headed to the playoffs, executed a scheme to illicitly steal hand signals from opponents' catchers in games against the second-place Yankees and other teams, according to several people briefed on the matter."
MAZEL! -- to Senate President Stan Rosenberg and partner Bryon Rosenberg, celebrating one year of marriage today.
AND ANOTHER MAZEL -- to Dr. Wen Shi, named CEO of the Cambridge-based Forsyth Institute.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Rep. Bill Keating, who is 65, chief of staff for Boston city council president Michelle Wu Dave Vittorini, Gabrielle Farrell, press secretary for the Committee to Elect Martin J. Walsh, Business Review senior editor Curt Nickisch, Franklin Park Coalition executive director Corey J. Allen, Nathan Hale Veterans Outreach Centers founder Christopher C. Hart, and Boston City Council candidate Peter Lin-Marcus.
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DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! -- The Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays 3-2.
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** A message from New England Clean Power Link : Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, sustainable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. The entire line will travel underground and underwater, and is expected to deliver low-cost electricity to the Commonwealth over the next 40 years. Massachusetts can expect to reap $19.9 billion in benefits over the next 20 years alone, while ratepayers can expect to save $655 million a year in energy costs. Most importantly, the project is 100% privately financed and comes with a fixed-price bid, protecting taxpayers and ratepayers alike from any cost overruns. The project's developers have also established a $20 million fund to assist low-income ratepayers in western Massachusetts. http://politi.co/2gqhWpr **
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