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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
NEW OVERNIGHT: DEVAL PATRICK WON'T RUN IN 2020 —Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is calling close allies and telling them he won't run for president in 2020, sources close to the governor told my POLITICO colleagues Natasha Korecki, Kyle Cheney and me last night. Patrick informed staff and advisers of his decision Tuesday, the sources say, with an announcement to come as soon as this week.
A close ally of former President Barack Obama , Patrick rejoined the private sector at Bain Capital after his two terms in office. But he ramped up his political activity this fall in advance of a possible presidential bid, traveling to a handful of races across the country. Read more.
We're also told the Reason to Believe PAC just held a training session for its newest hires on Monday. The hires were told the PAC's mission is to partner with local progressive groups and individual stakeholders. Reason to Believe was launched in August by some of Patrick's closest advisers and billed as a way of "promoting Governor Patrick's positive vision for Democrats to rally around in 2018." The PAC backed 27 candidates in the November midterm elections and of them, 17 won their races.
THE DiMASI REDEMPTION TOUR — When outgoing lawmakers gathered in the House to say their farewells yesterday, a familiar but unexpected face was seated behind them: former Speaker and convicted felon Sal DiMasi.
DiMasi hasn't been seen much since his release from prison in 2016, but the former North End lawmaker appears to be on a sort of redemption tour — he was embraced by top officials yesterday and he's doing his first sit-down interview since his release with WGBH's Jim Braude today.
It's not clear why DiMasi is stepping back into the public eye this week, but it's likely we'll have more answers when his WGBH interview airs tonight.
DiMasi resigned from his Beacon Hill post under a cloud of ethics charges in 2009. Two years later, he was sentenced to eight years in jail on federal corruption charges. DiMasi was found guilty of using the power of his office to steer $17.5 million in state contracts to software firm Cognos in exchange for $65,000 in payments. Dramatic testimony from former Gov. Deval Patrick helped to put him behind bars.
Five years later, DiMasi was released early from federal prison in November 2016 due to his deteriorating health, including prostate cancer and tongue cancer that impacted his throat and ability to swallow, according to the Boston Globe. His case also spurred support for compassionate release legislation among his former Beacon Hill colleagues.
"Speaker DiMasi was a larger-than-life figure when he was at the State House. I think he's obviously had a lot of time to think about his life and what's transpired and there still are a lot of unanswered questions about his fall from power," political strategist and author Dave Wedge told me on Tuesday. "I'd like to hear what he has to say about the whole scandal, as well as what he learned from his prison experience."
DiMasi is remembered as one of the most significant players in the passage of Romneycare, and he was the third consecutive House Speaker to be convicted of a felony. Former Speaker Charles Flaherty, who pleaded guilty to a felony tax charge but did not serve prison time, was also in the House yesterday, according to the State House News Service.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - Gov. Charlie Baker attends a funeral service for former President George H.W. Bush in Washington. Lt. Gov. Karyn Politotravels to Quincy, Brockton and Bridgewater. Rep. Katherine Clarkholds a town hall in Medford. Congresswoman-elect Ayanna Pressley says goodbye to her colleagues on the Boston City Council.House and Senate Ways and Means committee members hold a consensus revenue hearing, Revenue Commissioner Christopher Harding and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg attend.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends a Christmas tree lighting hosted by Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion. State Sen. Eric Lesser speaks at a Providers' Council panel about challenges for those working in the human services sector. Mascots Wally the Green Monster, Pat Patriot, Blades the Bruin and Slyde the Fox take over the Salvation Army Red Kettle in Downtown Crossing. Newly-elected U.S. House members are at the Harvard Kennedy School for orientation.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "House pushes National Grid to cover locked-out workers' unemployment benefits with new bill," by Matt Stout and Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Beacon Hill turned up the heat Tuesday on National Grid over its prolonged standoff with 1,250 union employees, pushing legislation that would effectively require the utility to cover the cost of extended unemployment benefits for locked-out workers. House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo raised the threat Tuesday, saying the House would take up the bill in an informal session — the same day lawmakers held a lengthy, emotional hearing on a separate bill that would impose other restrictions on the company."
- "Baker's public safety secretary steps down," by Matt Stout and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Daniel Bennett, the veteran prosecutor who has overseen the embattled State Police and other agencies as Governor Charlie Baker's public safety secretary, is stepping down from his post, marking the first major departure from the governor's Cabinet since Baker won reelection last month. Bennett intends to resign effective Wednesday and is expected to join the private sector, an administration source confirmed. Thomas Turco, the state's current commissioner of the Department of Correction, will succeed him as secretary, the governor's office said in a statement Tuesday evening."
- "IN FAREWELLS, MOST BUT NOT ALL MEMORIES FOND ONES FOR DEPARTING HOUSE MEMBERS," by Katie Lannan and Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "A group of departing state representatives bid farewell to their colleagues Tuesday, delivering speeches that touched on their accomplishments, fond memories, and, in some instances, critiques of the centralization of power in the House over the years."
- "Drug cited in former state Sen. Brian Joyce's death," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Former state Sen. Brian Joyce died of acute pentobarbital intoxication, according to the Massachusetts medical examiner's office. The medical examiner listed the manner of his death as undetermined, meaning there was not enough evidence to determine if his death was from an accident, suicide, homicide or natural causes."
- "LOCKOUT BILL ADVANCES AS GAS WORKERS DESCRIBE STRUGGLES," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Days before Brian Harvey would find out that National Grid had locked him out of his job and canceled his health insurance, he and his wife Michelle found a lump on their youngest son's stomach. Within days, their son Winston, 20 months old at the time, would have surgery to remove a renal tumor, and then would be diagnosed with stage three cancer that required chemotherapy treatment. His parents had to figure out how they would afford to pay for it."
- "Political fire," by Judith B. Cameron, UMass Magazine:"Massachusetts State Representative Marjorie Decker, D-Cambridge, was expecting a routine day last November when she testified in support of a bill she filed that would take guns away from those in danger of hurting themselves or others. Compared to tough anti-gun laws passed by the legislature in 2014, this 'red flag' bill seemed uncontroversial. She left Beacon Hill for a lunch meeting with the Cambridge police commissioner and tended to other business. By the time she arrived at the home she shares with her husband and children on a tree-lined Cambridge street, her social media accounts were flooded with threats."
- "Number of uninsured children rising in Mass." by Christian M. Wade, The Daily News: "The number of children without health insurance is rising in Massachusetts for the first time in years, according to a report that blames divisive national politics for the reversal. An estimated 20,000 children in the state didn't have health insurance in 2017, an increase of about 5,000 children from the prior year, according to a new report from Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families. The surge knocked the state off its No. 1 ranking for the smallest portion of uninsured children."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Pressley, Ocasio-Cortez, and other rookie Democrats protest at Harvard," by Nestor Ramos, Boston Globe: "If you're going to be an outsider, sometimes you have to spend some time outside. And so, as an orientation program for new members of Congress was getting started inside Harvard's Kennedy School on Tuesday night, Lori Trahan was shivering in the freezing cold. Ayanna Pressley stuffed her hands into her pockets. Someone offered Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez a hat. Flanked by a crowd of demonstrators chanting in support of universal health care and legislation to combat climate change, the soon-to-be lawmakers briefly abandoned the biennial program for newly elected members of Congress that was going on inside."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Marty Walsh defends D.A. Rachael Rollins transition team," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh backed incoming D.A. Rachael Rollins' transition team — including a member who said he wants to redefine what it means to be a 'gangster' — saying what matters is keeping city streets safe. Rollins takes the helm as Suffolk District Attorney Jan. 2 and Walsh told the Herald yesterday he's giving her time to smooth out the changeover."
- "Judges to rule on Hobbs Act in Boston Calling case," by Laurel J. Sweet, Boston Herald: "Federal prosecutors today appealed to reinstate the extortion case against two city hall lieutenants of Mayor Martin J. Walsh and bring Kenneth Brissette and Timothy Sullivan to trial after the case against them was derailed last spring. Brissette, Walsh's tourism, sports and entertainment czar, and Sullivan, chief of staff of intergovernmental relations, were front and center at today's packed arguments before federal appellate judges Juan R. Torruella, William J. Kayatta Jr. and David J. Barron in Boston's Seaport District. At stake for Brissette and Sullivan: potential 20-year prison sentences if they're tried and convicted."
- "THE GUN VOTE: IS MASSART LISTENING TO STUDENTS WHO ARE SPEAKING OUT ABOUT ARMING OFFICERS ON CAMPUS?" by Amanda Lucidi, DigBoston: "While administrators say that potentially arming the force is an effort to improve safety on campus, not everybody is convinced. Students who are part of MassArt's POC community have especially expressed fears over the potential repercussions of arming MassArt police, citing experiences of being racially profiled as well as microaggressions as reasons that board members ought to vote against the measure. They also note a lack of de-escalation training on campus."
- "Two quintessential Boston bars have closed temporarily," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A pair of quintessential Boston bars have been closed temporarily, according to the investment group behind the establishments. The Tam, located at 222 Tremont St. in the city's Theatre District and Sullivan's Tap, located at 168 Canal St. in the city's West End, have been shuttered for the time being, but the plan is to re-open both bars 'as soon as possible,' confirmed Julius Sokol, a representative of Greater Boston Bar Co., in an e-mail ."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Mass. accountant among four charged in Panama Papers case," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "A Massachusetts accountant was one of four men charged Tuesday in a federal court in New York with conspiracy and tax fraud in the first US indictment connected to the so-called Panama Papers. Richard 'Dick' Gaffey, 74, of Medfield, was arrested in Boston on Tuesday, according to federal authorities. He was charged with one count each of conspiracy to commit tax evasion, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy and four counts of willful failure to file a Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts, according to a statement from the US Department of Justice."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Boston City Council questions Walsh administration over marijuana licensing," by Dan Adams, Boston Globe: "Responding to mounting criticism of Boston's system for licensing marijuana businesses, a top official in the mayor's administration said Tuesday the city should consider approving equal numbers of larger investor-backed cannabis firms and those owned by local residents, people of color, and women. The unexpected pronouncement by Martin J. Walsh's economic development chief, John Barros, came during a four-hour hearing at which Boston city councilors sharply questioned Walsh officials over their handling of the roll-out of recreational pot sales in the city."
- "Massachusetts marijuana: Sales hit $2.6 million in second week of open retail pot shops," by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "Seven days of legal sales of Massachusetts marijuana brought in $2.6 million, according to data released by state regulators. Customers spent $2.2 million in the first five days of retail sales, bringing the total spending to $4.8 million since stores opened on Nov. 20, according to the Cannabis Control Commission."
- "'One of the best days of my life': In wind and cold, Leicester marijuana shop continues to draw in crowds," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "At 87 years old, Sue Annis wasn't going to let a little thing like a long line scare her away from getting inside the pot shop. She had traveled at least an hour, motivated by the need to ease the pain in her hip. So she bundled up, armed herself with her cane and a smile, and joined the crowds waiting outside Cultivate last week. It was time to replenish her supply of CBD gummies."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren trails Joe Biden, Beto O'Rourke in potential 2020 Democratic primary race, poll finds," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican: " Although U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren easily won her 2018 re-election bid, a poll released this week suggests that the Massachusetts Democrat could face an uphill battle if she seeks the party's presidential nomination in 2020. The survey, which Harvard's Center for American Political Studies and The Harris Poll conducted late last month, found that just 4 percent of voters would support Warren in a hypothetical Democratic primary contest."
- Former Warren staffers leave NH Dems ... National Journal's Hanna Trudo on Twitter: "NEWS: Two former @SenWarren staffers who joined the New Hampshire State Democratic Party @NHDems this summer as political director and communications director (@AdrienneVia and @FarrellGabriell) have both left, per multiple sources familiar with the departures." Tweet.
- "Sen. Elizabeth Warren supports union efforts at Daily Hampshire Gazette, Valley Advocate, Amherst Bulletin," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Cambridge, announced Monday that she supports employees at the Daily Hampshire Gazette, Valley Advocate and Amherst Bulletin in their efforts to form a union."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "TALK TO GANGS," "TARIFF MAN'S BAD DAY," — Globe: "DeLeo presses National Grid on lockout," "Mueller urge light sentence for Flynn," "PURE GOLD." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "The shelters: when you don't want life on the street," by Joshua Solomon, Greenfield Recorder: "In the past decade, nearly a thousand people have come and gone through the state-funded 20-bed Wells Street shelter, which is intended for individual adults who present themselves sober in the evening needing a place to sleep overnight. The shelter started up in Montague City in 1993 and later was moved to Greenfield in 2012 so the homeless were closer to central services like free meals and counseling offered by anti-poverty agencies, the Salvation Army and churches. The shelter, which costs ServiceNet about $185,000 a year to run, allows for a maximum 90-day stay. The waiting list currently hovers around 20 to 30 people."
- "Disruptions irk riders on second day of BRTA strike," by Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, The Berkshire Eagle: "On the second day of a drivers strike, the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority ran a limited bus schedule Tuesday, and patience ran thin among riders who rely on the service. Around 10 a.m. at the Intermodal Transportation Center on Columbus Avenue, men and women trying to make their way to the Berkshire Crossing shopping center were finding it difficult."
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| NO PLACE LIKE THE CITY OF HOMES |
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- "'When it smells bad, sometimes it is bad': Springfield City Council 51% pay raise ripped by mayor, councilor," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "The City Council gave first-step approval to a $10,000 pay raise for councilors late Monday night, amounting to a 51 percent annual hike in salary, triggering sharp criticism from the mayor and some members who said it will 'stick it' to the taxpayers and leaves a foul odor."
TRANSITIONS - Thomas Turco was named the new secretary of public safety and security by Gov. Charlie Baker's administration. Turco is commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction, and will replace outgoing Secretary of Public Safety and Security Daniel Bennett.
- Boston Herald Editor in Chief Joe Sciacca will oversee seven Digital First Media daily newspapers.
- Elizabeth Dello Russo Becker is the new executive director of the Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Simon Jerome and Greg Timilty of BlueFin Research Partners.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Panthers beat the Bruins 5-0.
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