10/27/2017 06:56 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) and Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Sunny with a high of 61 today.
OPIOID DECLARATION RINGS HOLLOW FOR MASS. DEMOCRATS - President Donald Trump's public health emergency declaration for the opioid epidemic set off a firestorm of criticism Thursday from Massachusetts Democrats. Members of the congressional delegation didn't mince words in reaction to the announcement from Trump, who promised to run a "massive advertising campaign" to convince people, and specifically children, not to use drugs.
"President Trump offered the country a Band-Aid when we need a tourniquet," according to Sen. Ed Markey, who called the announcement "nothing more than a dog-and-pony show in an attempt to demonstrate the Trump administration is not ignoring this crisis."
Rep.Joe Kennedy III called the declaration "empty rhetoric" that will "only lead to a hollow response," and Rep. Seth Moulton said Republicans can't have "the best of both worlds" as they talk about "gutting the ACA while simultaneously talking about the opioid epidemic."
Sen. Elizabeth Warren was slightly more positive, calling it a "step in the right direction" but called on Trump to help Congress secure funding and appoint a Health and Human Services secretary immediately.
And the Massachusetts Democratic Party called on Gov. Charlie Baker to step down from the bipartisan opioid working group that recommended declaring a national emergency this summer, though MassDems stopped short of calling for the two Democratic members of the group to also step down.
Baker praised the declaration as a "strong step in the right direction" through a spokesperson and anticipated the working group's final report, which is expected to be released next week. Baker will have fingerprints on that final report - he and his team have already had meetings and calls with members of the opioid working group as well as the White House in the run-up to the report's release, according to his office, and Massachusetts' best practices around prescription training for doctoral and dental students were already included in August's interim report.
** 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 **
GET SMART - "What A National 'Public Health Emergency' Means For The Opioid Crisis In Massachusetts," by WBUR's Deborah Becker, Kathleen McNerney, and Kassandra Sundt: "The limited 90 day emergency declaration would allow for changes to certain laws and regulations. It will also provide for some grant money to address the public health crisis that kills tens of thousands of people in the US every year."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference at the Charlestown Recovery House to "blast" the president's opioid public health emergency declaration as "inadequate," according to his office's press advisory - Rep. Jim McGovern makes his first small-business tour of his central Massachusetts district with stops at a series of local craft breweries including Berkshire Brewing Co. and Wormtown Brewery - Government Center Station, South Station, the Burns Bridge in Worcester, and the Zakim Bridge in Boston will be lit green on Friday, October 27, in remembrance of six-year-old Devin Suau who recently died of a rare pediatric brain cancer. Today would have been his seventh birthday.
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Senate approves justice reform bill 27-10," by Andy Metzger, State House News Service: "The Senate passed legislation early Friday that could make drug traffickers in Massachusetts liable for murder while substantially reducing other criminal penalties for drug dealing in an effort to reduce the state's prison population and give offenders a better chance at turning around their lives. ... Four Democrats - Sens. Eileen Donaghue, Anne Gobi, Kathleen O'Connor Ives and Mike Rush - joined the chamber's six Republicans in opposing the final version of the bill (S 2185), which passed 27-10. Sen. Marc Pacheco, a Democrat, was not in the chamber for the final vote."
- "SJC chief calls attorney shortage for child care and protection cases 'a constitutional emergency,'" by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "When it comes to dispensing justice to the state's most vulnerable families, Massachusetts is facing a 'constitutional emergency,' and must urgently address the dearth of attorneys who handle cases where a child is removed from parental custody, the state's top jurist said."
- "Feeney swearing in delayed by overseas ballots," by Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle: "Paul Feeney thought he would be voting on some major issues in the Massachusetts Senate Thursday after winning a special election last week. But his swearing in has been delayed because Walpole and Mansfield received overseas ballots after the election. Until those ballots are counted and the total vote count is certified, Feeney cannot take office."
- "Activists seek new gender option on state IDs," by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: "A proposal by Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to offer a non-binary option appearing simply as an 'X' on learner's permits, driver's licenses and identification cards for people who do not identify as male or female."
- "State eyes flight rule to ship marijuana to islands," by Dan Adams and Martin Finucane, Boston Globe: "The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission is considering whether an untested federal regulation could provide a legal basis for moving marijuana between the mainland and the islands of Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket."
- "Senate names worker training grants for late Sen. Donnelly," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "A workforce training grant program championed for years by the late Sen. Kenneth Donnelly would be named in memory of him and given a dedicated funding stream under a bill the Senate passed Thursday. The Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund provides regional training partnerships with the goal of placing unemployed and underemployed workers in jobs that pay a decent wage. Sen. Jason Lewis said the trust fund can help both workers and employees."
- "In telemedicine, some say Berkshire County being left behind," by Valdya Baraputri, Berkshire Eagle: "Massachusetts legislators appear to be on the same page in facilitating telehealth and telemedicine in the commonwealth. At least in the eastern part of the state. ... 'While telemedicine is an excellent strategy and I think we should use it more,' said Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, D-Pittsfield, at her Statehouse office, 'it is not going to work unless you have the underlying infrastructure of broadband to all parts of the state, and right now a significant portion of the state lacks broadband.'"
THE WARREN REPORT -
- "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren endorses Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse for re-election," by Mike Plaisance, Masslive.com: "'Mayor Alex Morse is fighting every day to ensure everyone in the city of Holyoke gets their fair shot. I am glad to support his reelection campaign,' Warren said in a press release from the Morse campaign."
- "Warren: 'More questions than answers' on Niger attack," by Jeremy Herb, CNN: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren says there are 'more questions than answers' about what led to four US soldiers being killed in the October 4 Niger ambush, and she's arguing for Congress to have a bigger role in determining how US troops operate in countries like Niger where they don't have an active combat mission. Warren, who sits on the Senate armed services committee, told CNN the attack was yet another sign that Congress is long overdue to debate a war authorization that better defines the US' counterterrorism role."
MOULTON MATTERS -
- "Moulton PAC to aid vets who run for office," by Rick Sobey, Lowell Sun: "With the Serve America PAC based out of Salem, Moulton's hometown, he recently helped raise more than $600,000 for a dozen military veteran and service-oriented candidates he has endorsed all over America. Moulton said he's redoubling the PAC's efforts so Democrats can win back the House in 2018."
ON THE STUMP -
THE TITO JACKSON BUDGET IS OUT - Parse the details of Jackson's "People's Budget" for yourself on his Boston mayoral campaign website. It was released before a forum in Dorchester last night.
- "Who's The Best Mayor To Fix Lawrence's Problems?" by Bianca Vazquez Toness, WGBH News: "On one side, you have the former mayor, Lantigua, a former state representative and the first Latino mayor elected in the state. On the other side is Rivera, the current mayor. He was a city councilor before beating Lantigua by 81 votes four years ago. He's touting a record of getting things done."
- "Newton's boring mayor's race just got a lot more interesting," by Shirley Leung, Boston Globe: "As mayoral races go, this one was really boring. Until one candidate tried to stir up a little class antipathy, and instead started a gender war."
TSONGAS ARENA -
ON THE NRCC'S RADAR - MA-3 GOP candidate Rick Green has been named to the National Republican Congressional Committee's slate of "Young Guns" who are "On The Radar," according to the NRCC's website. "On the Radar candidates are individuals running in competitive congressional seats. They have met the minimum threshold in campaign organization and show potential to achieve greater status in the program as the cycle progresses."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "INSIDE THE MIAA," "BRADY'S SWEET RIDE," "MARTY OPEN TO HUB TOLL PLAN" - Globe: "Trump calls opioid crisis an emergency," "BENCH MARK," "How a mayor's race became a gender war," "Even Harvard will have to make do," "At deadline, some Kennedy files stay secret," "BRINGING MAGIC TO SALEM."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "Virginia company sues Mass. over online taxes," by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: "The lawsuit, filed Monday in a Virginia court by an online car stereo and electronics retailer, Crutchfield Corp., says Massachusetts' policy violates interstate commerce laws and is therefore unenforceable."
- "Springfield Rep. Carlos Gonzalez witnessing Puerto Rican devastation firsthand," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The dangerous driving is just one symptom of the upheaval Gonzalez has seen on his week-long trip to Puerto Rico as the island recovers from Hurricane Maria, which brought devastation on Sept. 20."
- "Schools enroll students fleeing Puerto Rico," by Arianna MacNeill, Salem News: "More than a month after Hurricane Maria tore through Puerto Rico, children whose schools were devastated by the storm are making their way to the mainland, including Massachusetts, to resume their studies. Five of them have already moved to Salem, where Superintendent Margarita Ruiz said she and other school officials were ready to welcome the students with backpacks full of supplies and other services they may need. Another three are on their way."
- "Newton and NYC mayors team to get solar lamps to Puerto Rico," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Puerto Rico is getting light, and the company responsible thanked Newton Mayor Setti Warren on Thursday for helping to make it happen."
- "Scott Brown: more complaints surface over behaviour of US ambassador to New Zealand," by Eleanor Ainge Roy and Julian Borger, The Guardian: "US officials investigated Brown after he was accused of inappropriate behaviour at a party in Samoa and was alleged by one woman to have stared at her breasts."
- "Second lawsuit seeks to halt Berkshire Museum art sale," by Larry Parnass, Berkshire Eagle: "A second legal front opened Thursday in the fight over sales from the Berkshire Museum collection. And in new court filings of its own, the museum contends nothing stands in the way of it selling 40 works. Though that plan runs counter to accepted museum practice, officials of the Pittsfield institution call it key to securing its future. Nothing restricts the museum from putting the works in new hands, its leaders say."
- "Cape fishermen push for action on habitat protection," by Doug Fraser, Cape Cod Times: "And so, it took 14 years for the New England Fishery Management to craft regulations protecting fish habitat, passing Omnibus Habitat Amendment 2 in June of 2015. But after over two years of review by the council and the National Marine Fisheries Service, it still hasn't been implemented, and Cape scallop fishermen are worried they may lose hundreds of millions of dollars worth of scallops that will perish before they get permission, under the habitat amendment, to enter closed areas and get them."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to EEA Communications Director Peter Lorenz, Medford Rep. Paul Donato, and North Attleboro Rep. Elizabeth Poirer.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Dedham Rep. Paul McMurtry, Solomon McCown & Company senior VP Dan Cence, and Boston Public Schools ombudsman Carolyn MacNeil, who all celebrate on Saturday and Sunday birthday-ers Taunton Sen. Marc Pacheco and UMass Boston director of economic development and corporate outreach Matt Fenlon.
DID THE HOME TEAMS WIN? Yes! - The Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 96-89. The Bruins beat the San Jose Sharks 2-1.
NEW THIS MORNING FOR YOUR #MAPOLI LISTENING PLEASURE - We've got two showdowns coming at you this week. First, we analyze Marty and Tito after their first (and last) mayoral debate. Then, John Kingston and Beth Lindstrom get testy over a U.S. Senate seat. Plus, turns out local elections are important - who knew? We're joined by a very special guest host this week: WGBH's one and only Mike Deehan! Subscribe and listen now on iTunes andSound Cloud.
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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. More **
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