10/18/2017 07:07 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) and Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Sunny with a high of 71 today.
FEENEY TRIUMPHS IN GILLETTE STADIUM LAND - The former state director for Bernie Sanders is headed to the Massachusetts state Senate.
Paul Feeney triumphed in a three-way race in a Bristol and Norfolk-based district yesterday, capturing the seat for a reliably progressive Democrat. Feeney won 49 percent of the vote to Republican Jacob Ventura's 43 percent and Independent Joe Shortsleeve's 9 percent.
Jobs First Independent Expenditure PAC, which has generally supported conservative candidates, spent $12,000 in the primary to support Ventura and oppose Feeney and another $10,000 in the general. But Feeney overall raised nearly double Ventura's amount as of the most recent campaign finance filings -$77,000 to Ventura's $40,000 and Shortsleeve's $6,000.
Feeney's win is a boost for Massachusetts Democrats also running on a similar progressive platform around single-payer health care, higher minimum wage, and the so-called millionaires tax - specifically, for the three Democratic candidates for governor. That winning set of issues will be tested twice more, in upcoming special elections in the Merrimack Valley and in the Worcester and Middlesex-based state senate district.
Feeney's victory drew national praise by groups like the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, which donated $10,000 to the state party during the special election and promised in an email it will "look forward to carrying Democrats' winning momentum into Washington, New Jersey, Virginia, and the 2018 midterm elections."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, Reps. Richard Neal and James McGovern, Connecticut Reps. Elizabeth Esty and John Larson, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno, CT State Rep. Christopher Perone, and state Rep. Aaron Vega converge on Springfield's Union Station for New England Knowledge Corridor's 'State of the Region' Conference - Rep. Stephen Lynch will represent Mayor Marty Walsh at the West Roxbury Business and Professional Association Candidates Forum tonight at 9 p.m., the Walsh campaign tells me - Boston mayoral candidate and City Councilor Tito Jackson hosts the first in a series of town halls around the city. The first takes place at Old South Church in the Back Bay.
** 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 **
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Baker looking for ways to offset loss in federal health subsidies," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Gov. Charlie Baker is looking for ways to offset the expected loss of federal subsidies to health insurers through the end of the year, but deferring to Congress for now to put money behind 2018 Affordable Care Act payments that insurers rely on to keep plan costs lower. President Donald Trump announced last week his administration no longer considered it lawful to continue cost sharing reductions (CSR) payments to insurers. The payments, under the Affordable Care Act, are used to keep certain co-pays and deductibles low, but Congress never appropriated money to pay them."
- State Sen. Eric Lesser plans to bus constituents to Boston to testify on East-West rail at a Tuesday hearing about Lesser's bill for a feasibility study for the transit proposal, according to his office. The bus will depart from the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield at 7:30 Tuesday morning.
- "New tests bring worse scores for Mass. students," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "Significantly fewer students at each grade level scored in the top two categories in English and math last spring than their predecessors did in 2014, the last time all public schools in Massachusetts administered the old MCAS, the Globe review found."
- "Report: Top U.S. companies, including several based in Massachusetts, keeping $2.6 trillion in offshore tax havens," by Shira Schoenberg, Masslive.com: "Close to three-quarters of Fortune 500 companies have money in offshore tax havens, according to a report released Tuesday by consumer groups. These companies have $2.6 trillion in offshore profits that are not being taxed in the U.S., according to the report. The report, published by the consumer-oriented U.S. PIRG Education Fund and the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, is particularly relevant as President Donald Trump is pushing a 'territorial' tax plan in which the U.S. would no longer tax most worldwide income."
TRUMPACHUSETTS -
- "Silverglate: How Robert Mueller Tried To Entrap Me," by Harvey Silverglate, WGBH: "Given the rampant media partisanship since the election, one would think that [Robert] Mueller's appointment would lend credibility to the hunt for violations of law by candidate, now President Trump and his minions. But I have known Mueller during key moments of his career as a federal prosecutor. My experience has taught me to approach whatever he does in the Trump investigation with a requisite degree of skepticism or, at the very least, extreme caution."
- "Efforts to pry loose Trump tax returns hit a wall," by POLITICO's David Siders: "The veto was not unexpected, and lawmakers from Hawaii to New Hampshire and Massachusetts were preparing to redouble their efforts later this year or in 2018. But despite a barrage of proposals at the federal and state level, Trump's tax returns remain out of view."
ON THE STUMP -
FOR YOUR DANCE CARD - Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is headed to Somerville on Monday morning to stump for Our Revolution-endorsed candidates for city council, school board, and the board of aldermen.
- "GOP hopeful for AG touts gun owners' rights," by the Boston Herald staff: "Republican Jay McMahon is running for state attorney general, vowing to protect First and Second Amendment rights against government encroachment. He spoke with Boston Herald Radio host Joe Battenfeld yesterday."
- "Gov. Baker endorses Toohey in advance of special election," by Peter Francis, Eagle-Tribune: "The most prominent Republican in Massachusetts has spoken. Gov. Charlie Baker is officially on board with School Committeeman Shaun Toohey's campaign to succeed State Rep. Brian Dempsey in the special election for the 3rd Essex District of the Mass. House of Representatives."
TSONGAS ARENA -
NEW THIS MORNING - Steve Kerrigan is officially a Democratic contender for the Tsongas seat, according to his campaign. The 2014 Democratic LG nominee and Mass Military Heroes Fund president officially filed his statement of candidacy with the FEC yesterday. He's emailing a formal announcement video and message to supporters today to then kick off a two-day slate of visits with voters including stops at four different diners and a coffee shop and a tavern around the district.
- "Lawmaker calls on Koh to return donation from Jared Kushner's brother," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "One Democratic state senator who is exploring a run for the state's 3rd congressional district seat is calling on a potential primary opponent to return a political donation from the brother of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law and senior adviser to President Trump. On Tuesday, Barbara L'Italien called on Democratic congressional candidate Daniel A. Koh to 'immediately reject' a $2,700 donation from Joshua Kushner."
- "Westford's Ryan running for Congress," by Rick Sobey, Lowell Sun: "Terence 'Terry' Ryan, the chairman of the School Committee, announced on Facebook Monday morning he is running for Congress representing the 3rd Congressional District. 'I am happy to announce that I am running for U.S. Congress to represent Massachusetts' 3rd Congressional District,' Ryan wrote."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "PURE AGONY" - Globe: "Mass. offering Amazon options," "Probe launched into VA hospital death," "Senators strike deal on health care subsidies," "A SHOCKING START FOR CELTICS," "Students perform far worse on redesigned MCAS test," "To the grieving left behind, a president's words matter."
TURNING DOLLARS INTO SENSE - POLITICO's new Money podcast brings you to the intersection of Washington and Wall Street with the most influential minds on the economy. Every Wednesday, Ben White will help you understand the economic and financial policies that move markets. While money never sleeps, you have to - so let Ben keep you up to speed and turn dollars into sense. The first POLITICO Money podcast features Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. Click HERE to subscribe.
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "Worcester proposes Route 20 sites for Amazon's coveted HQ2," by Nick Kotsopoulos, Worcester Telegram: "The city is proposing nearly 100 acres along Route 20 as the potential site where Amazon should build its second headquarters, dubbed HQ2. As part of a proposal sent Tuesday to the online giant, the city said it is also prepared to offer Amazon a number of incentives to come to Worcester, including up to $500 million in local real estate tax savings, a 100-percent personal property tax exemption over 20 years, an investment tax credit through the state, and research and development tax credits ."
- "Actor Stephen Baldwin makes stop in Fitchburg," by the Worcester Telegram: "Actor Stephen Baldwin was at Fitchburg Municipal Airport Tuesday, stopping in the city for for filming of a segment of his show, 'The GAP: Great American Pilgrimage.' The youngest of the Baldwin brothers spent time with Mayor Stephen L. DiNatale."
- "UMass Medical School shares $7.5M HIV grant," by Lisa Eckelbecker, Worcester Telegram: "A California biotechnology company has awarded $7.5 million to researchers at five institutions, including the University of Massachusetts Medical School in Worcester, for work aimed at curing HIV. Gilead Sciences Inc. of Foster City did not disclose how much of the money would go to Dr. Abraham L. Brass, an assistant professor of microbiology and physiological systems at UMass whose laboratory studies the interactions between viruses and hosts."
- "Wynn casino rising beside Mystic River," by Mark Arsenault, Boston Globe: "Roughly 20 months before it is scheduled to open, the Wynn Resorts casino on the Mystic River is beginning to round into shape. It no longer takes much imagination to understand the layout, and to appreciate the massive scope of the place."
- "Six Worcester officers to help with Puerto Rico recovery," by Worcester Telegram: "Worcester Police Officer Danny Diaz is packing a few extras with his own gear when he heads out to help in Puerto Rico: D batteries and a flashlight, special requests from his 74-year-old father who lives on the island. One of 6 Worcester officers headed out to help those who survived hurricane Maria, he's not exactly sure what his job will be but he's ready for whatever comes his way and expects to work hard."
- "Celebrity-named seal pups rehabilitated, set free on beach," by the Associated Press: "Two celebrity-named harbor seal pups rescued in Maine earlier this year have been rehabilitated and set free on a Massachusetts beach. 'Giseal Bündchen' and 'Sealonardo DiCaprio' were released Tuesday on Scusset Beach on Cape Cod by workers at the nonprofit National Marine Life Center. Video shows the seals make their way toward the water after being set free from their cages."
MAZEL! - to Susan T. Rivers, who has joined Boston Community Capital as Chief Communications Officer
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Canton state Rep. William Galvin.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! - The Celtics lost to the Cavaliers 102-99.
FOR YOUR #MAPOLI LISTENING PLEASURE - The latest installment of The Horse Race, the new podcast about Massachusetts' most exciting races from yours truly and MassINC Polling Group's Steve Koczela. We "reined in" our horse racing puns this week to bring you a closer look at the warm fuzzies Democrats are sending Governor Charlie Baker, the new Morning Consult Trump approval poll, and who the latest contenders are in the MA-3, aka the Tsongas Arena. BUT FIRST - There's a special election in Gillette Stadium Land! Subscribe and listen now on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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.
FOR MORE political and policy news from Massachusetts, check out: http://politi.co/1qNSlWx
SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/2lQswbh ... New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW ... Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9 ... New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF ... Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v ... Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb ... California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl ... Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw ... London Playbook http://politi.co/2xfDPuK ... All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX
** 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 **
POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA
No comments:
Post a Comment