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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Valentine's Day!
COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENT DAY? — Today might be the day. Both House and Senate Democrats plan to huddle in caucus today, the State House News Service reports. It's a likely sign committee assignments are finally here.
Along with the usual start-of-session shifting around, there are big roles to fill on Beacon Hill. The Joint Committee on Ways and Means — which handles the blueprint for the state budget — does not have a chair in the House or the Senate.
Just before the start of this session, there was some outsized energy around changing the way Beacon Hill does business. First-year lawmakers state Sen. Becca Rausch and state Rep. Maria Robinson touted a transparency pledge, for example, to push for roll call votes. And just before the end of last session, former lobbyist Phillip Sego made waves when he ripped House leadership for its legislative process.
It remains to be seen whether anything will really change in the legislature. Little changed when the House debated its rules, though the Senate made some changes , like banning the use of nondisclosure agreements. But House lawmakers are falling in line as they await committee assignments. More than five dozen Democrats changed their vote last month after House Speaker Robert DeLeo changed his during a roll call, CommonWealth magazine points out.
Procedure aside, you can watch for a shift in how new lawmakers influence committee hearings once assignments are done. There are more women on Beacon Hill than ever before, meaning committees will be staffed with a wider range of perspectives compared to years past.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY - Acting Gov. Karyn Polito joins an Eastham Municipal Harbor Plan meeting and attends a ribbon-cutting for the Yarmouth Police Department's Sgt. Sean Gannon Training Complex. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaks with CNN's Symone D. Sanders at the Harvard Kennedy School Institute of Politics.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the Chelsea Boys and Girls Club Breakfast Series, a groundbreaking in South Boston and the Age Strong Black History Month Celebration. The UMass Board of Trustees meets. Rep. Katherine Clark is a guest on WGBH's Morning Edition.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Local pols say Baker ed plan not enough," by Elise Takahama, The Lowell Sun: "Education activists agree Massachusetts public schools are hurting for attention, and although Gov. Charlie Baker attempted to bring certain issues to light with his new education reform plan, local lawmakers say it's not enough. The plan that Baker recently unveiled in his fiscal 2020 budget proposal would pour an additional $1.1 billion into K-12 systems over seven years, allowing schools to dedicate more resources and staff to low-income communities, special education, English language learners and employee health care. But local legislators aren't satisfied, arguing that seven years is far too long for students to wait to see benefits."
- "TIPPED WORKERS DESCRIBE HARASSMENT ON JOB," by Kaitlyn Budion, State House News Service: "Contributing to a national day of action, restaurant industry workers told personal stories Wednesday and framed the issue of tipped worker wages as a matter of women's rights. Legislators and representatives from the Restaurant Opportunities Center (ROC) gathered in the State House to advocate for tipped workers to make the same minimum wage as other workers. Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier and Sen. Patricia Jehlen touted their bill filed as part of the ' One Fair Wage' movement.
- NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY: "The Great Massachusetts Beer Garden Backlash Has Arrived," by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Everyone loves a good beer garden. When it comes to combining the trends in after-hours imbibing, they're right in the sweet spot: sought-after brews, fresh air, food truck dining, and Instagram-friendly ambiance. But according to a new report in the Boston Globe, their days may be numbered if a new restaurant industry-backed bill filed at the Massachusetts State House gains traction."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "With UMass set to name Bayside developer, professors plan protest," by Catherine Carlock and Gintautas Dumcius, Boston Business Journal: "The University of Massachusetts board of trustees and members overseeing the system's building authority are scheduled to vote Thursday morning on a winning bid to develop the 20-acre Bayside Expo Center site. By some estimates, that land could host up to 2.5 million square feet of new mixed-use development and sell for more than $200 million. But professors, who say the lease or sale of Bayside could do 'long-term harm to the future of UMass Boston,' could throw a wrench into the process."
- "A year after a police shooting, a family waits for answers," by Shelley Murphy, Boston Globe: "A year ago, a Reading police officer fired two bullets into Alan Greenough's chest as he stood in a parking lot next to his Main Street apartment, fatally piercing his heart. An SUV with two bullet holes in the passenger door remains parked outside the building, a stark reminder of a shooting that has been shrouded in secrecy. Hours after the shooting, the Middlesex district attorney's office said it took place after police had been called to Greenough's apartment twice in two days to investigate reports that he had assaulted 'a household member.' Authorities have provided no additional information since then, including autopsy results, and have refused to identify the officer involved."
- "Opioid overdose deaths in Mass. fell again in 2018," by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "The number of people in Massachusetts who died from opioid-related overdoses declined by 4 percent in 2018, the second consecutive year to show a drop-off, according to data released by state health officials Wednesday. The Department of Public Health's latest quarterly overdose report, the first to show counts from all of 2018, suggest that efforts to confront the crisis are starting to bend the proverbial curve. But the death rate remains staggeringly high, with nearly 2,000 lives lost in 2018, more than double the number just five years earlier."
- "Boston mayor: Traffic congestion report misleading," by Brooks Sutherland, Boston Herald: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh pushed back on a recent traffic report that claimed Boston had the worst congestion in 2018 — writing in an online post Tuesday that a study calculating drive times tells less than 'half the story.' Walsh's post was in response to the INRIX report Monday that contended an average driver in the city lost $2,291 while waiting in increasingly gridlocked traffic and waited 164 hours stuck at a standstill last year."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Family of woman killed by flying manhole cover sues state, contractors," by Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "The family of a woman killed by a flying manhole cover on the Southeast Expressway in 2016 has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the state Department of Transportation and two private contractors. Relatives of Caitlin M. Clavette filed their suit in Suffolk Superior Court on Monday."
- "Massachusetts SJC: Jurors can bring personal beliefs into the courtroom," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "A black man is charged with drug dealing. A prospective juror believes the justice system is rigged against black men. Should the juror be allowed to serve? Yes, according to the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, which released a decision Wednesday establishing that jurors are not asked to leave their world views at the door to the jury room."
- "Harvard, Students For Fair Admissions Meet Again For Final Hearing In Discrimination Case," by Esteban Bustillos, WGBH News: "In a bit of an uncommon move, lawyers for the plaintiffs, defendants and amici curiae in the case where Harvard University is defending itself against allegations of discrimination against Asian-American applicants met for a final hearing months after the initial trial adjourned. The trial is over a lawsuit brought by a group called Students for Fair Admissions that claims Harvard discriminates against Asian-American applicants and gives them lower scores on personal ratings."
- "Suspended Mass. State Police Trooper Heath McAuliffe agrees to plead guilty to embezzlement in overtime scandal," by Scott J. Croteau, Springfield Republican: "Another Massachusetts State Police trooper accused of stealing overtime money by skipping specialized patrol shifts and writing fake tickets to hide his actions agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzlement. The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Wednesday that 40-year-old Heath McAuliffe of Hopkinton, agreed to plead guilty to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds."
- "Woman who accused Va. lieutenant governor will meet with Suffolk DA," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Vanessa Tyson, who has accused Virginia's lieutenant governor of sexually assaulting her at the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, will meet with the Suffolk district attorney's office to detail her allegations, according to her attorney. Debra S. Katz, an attorney representing Tyson, said in a statement that she spoke with Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins Wednesday afternoon and told her Tyson will meet with the district attorney's staff and law enforcement."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "Developers must answer the call for diversity and inclusion," by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Brian Golden, Boston Globe:"We've used our building boom to share more opportunity. But we also know that the real estate development world itself is not accessible for all. We believe that government must set an example for the private sector to follow. That's why the City of Boston and the Boston Planning & Development Agency are leading the way to a more inclusive real estate industry — and asking developers to do more as well."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Warren names 2020 campaign manager," by Natasha Korecki, POLITICO: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) has tapped Roger Lau to lead her 2020 presidential bid, according to her campaign, placing a veteran staffer with national campaign experience as well as deep knowledge of New Hampshire in the role of campaign manager. Lau, who worked on election efforts for Hillary Clinton and John Kerry, has served as a steady and intense presence in Warren's buildup to the campaign, often caught in live shots during events and traveling with Warren to early states, including Iowa."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "For Markey, push for Green New Deal puts him in GOP crosshairs," by Michael Levenson, Boston Globe: "Did Senator Edward J. Markey make a huge political mistake by sponsoring the Green New Deal with Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez? Senator Mitch McConnell clearly thinks so. McConnell, the Republican leader from Kentucky, opposes the sweeping plan to remake the American economy with a federal jobs guarantee and an aggressive, 10-year campaign to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions."
- "Ed Markey says Republicans 'mock flatulence to deflect from facts' on climate change," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com:"Sen. Ed Markey says that Republicans' mocking response to the Green New Deal framework that he and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently introduced is nothing new — particularly when it comes to flatulence. Yes, flatulence."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Bourne meeting on ICE program draws crowd," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "From a group wearing 'I love ICE' badges to a contingent from the Cape Cod Democratic Socialists of America, both sides of the immigration debate were well-represented at Wednesday's meeting of the Barnstable County Sheriff's Office 287(g) Steering Committee. A standing-room-only crowd of more than 200 packed into the Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Center to review the year-old partnership between the local sheriff's office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "NO SLAM GRONK!" "IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN," —Globe: "Judge cites doubts in Harvard bias case," "In police shooting, answers few."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Market Basket speaks on racist assault reported at Brockton store," by Marc Larocque, Brockton Enterprise: "A Brockton woman said she was on the receiving end of a racist tirade from another customer at a Market Basket store in the city on Feb. 1, when she was called the N-word, rammed with a shopping cart, told to 'go back to Africa,' and had her car vandalized. Market Basket responded on Tuesday with comments reacting to the story, stating that the business acted appropriately to help the victim, and worked promptly to provide information to police identifying the suspect."
- "As state opioid-related deaths drop, lives still 'being devastated' in Berkshires," by Haven Orecchio-Egresitz, The Berkshire Eagle: While opioid-related deaths in the state have declined for two years in a row, drug use still is devastating families throughout Berkshire County, addiction specialists warn. Opioid-related deaths in Massachusetts dropped 4 percent — or by 82 people — in 2018, according to a Department of Public Health report released Wednesday. There was a 2 percent decline from 2016 to 2017, when the epidemic was at its peak. Still, fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid that the Drug Enforcement Administration says is 80 to 100 times stronger than morphine, was found in nine out of every 10 of last year's deaths and is on the upswing statewide, according to the report."
AND SOME VALENTINE'S DAY READING:
- "The Top 10 Worst Breakups in Boston," by Lisa Weidenfeld, Boston Magazine: "Some people are spending their Valentine's Day curled up in front of a cozy fireplace with their sweetheart, reading sonnets or whatever romantic people do. This post is not for them. This post is for anyone who wants to dwell in the depths of Boston's perpetual angst about anyone who ever leaves us for greener pastures. Why would anyone ever want to leave this bastion of miserable weather, aloof residents, and utterly baffling roadways? That's what we thought."
- "This is not a corny Valentine's Day story: Secrets of a long and happy marriage," by Cleo Gorman, Hampshire Life: "For two hippies — 'together only as long as it felt right' — 50 years in a long-term, primary relationship is quite astonishing to think about, filled with history and memories. What a journey it's been, of adventure, travel, love, blessings and pain; and it all began in 1968 at Wurzweiler School of Social Work, at Yeshiva University in Manhattan, when Ron taught Israeli dance."
TRANSITIONS - Ways and Means Committee Chairman Rep. Richard Neal was named chairman of the Joint Committee on Taxation.
SPOTTED: Sen. Mitt Romney at a Team Mitt reception in Washington, D.C. last night with former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis and former Homeland Security official Ed Cash. Pic.
REMEMBERING DAVE VIGNEAULT ... per his obit: "Former state Rep. David Vigneault, 82, died Wednesday, and was remembered by friends as a modest but passionate fighter for political causes and candidates and an advocate for civil rights since the 1960s. Vigneault served in the Massachusetts House from 1961-73 and remained active in politics through the rest of his life." Link.
REMEMBERING PAUL TSONGAS ... the late Massachusetts Sen. Paul Tsongas would have turned 78 today.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Rep. Richard Neal, who turns 7-0 today, and Diana Felber.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Pistons 118-110.
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