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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's Opening Day at Fenway Park!
BAKER SAYS YES AND NO — Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill banning conversion therapy yesterday, making Massachusetts the 16th state in the country to outlaw the practice of trying to change the sexuality or gender identity of minors. In the same afternoon, the governor's office announced he vetoed a bill that would raise the so-called welfare cap on kids.
It's Baker's third time sending the cap on kids bill back to the legislature. In his letter to lawmakers, Baker called on the body to enact broader welfare reforms in addition to lifting the cap. But this time, lawmakers seem poised to override his decision. The legislature passed the welfare legislation with wide support last week.
"We in the Massachusetts Legislature ... will be back this time to Lift the Cap for good," bill sponsor state Rep. Marjorie Decker said in a tweet yesterday afternoon, calling for an override. And she wasn't the only lawmaker to sound off online. "Mmmm....ready for my first veto override vote," state Rep. Maria Robinson tweeted.
The Republican governor has received an unusual amount of public pushback from Democrats over the last several days — political disagreements are usually handled behind closed doors on Beacon Hill. Baker's administration clashed with Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins over the weekend, and he's come under fire for this welfare cap veto and two other funding decisions.
SEE ARTICLES BELOW REGARDING A PROGRESIVE DA IN PHILADELPHIA, LARRY KRASNER.
The Baker administration and the state's congressional delegation are in a disagreement over the state's usage of federal funds for low-income kids, the Boston Globe reports. And House Speaker Robert DeLeo is calling on the governor to release a full $30 million in state home heating aid by the end of the fiscal year, rather than follow the Baker administration's plan to deliver $11 million now, and distribute the rest in fiscal 2020, the State House News Service reports.
WE'RE NUMBER ONE — Transportation for Massachusetts is calling on Boston to fix its worst-in-the-nation traffic ranking. The coalition, geared toward improving transportation in the state, interviewed a number of commuters about the city's traffic woes for a video released today. Link.
HAPPENING TODAY — POLITICO PLAYBOOK authors JAKE SHERMAN and ANNA PALMER's new book "The Hill to Die On" is in stores everywhere today. Order the book
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends a Boston affordable housing conference, makes a Massworks announcement in Mattapan and attends Red Sox opening day. The Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government holds a hearing. State Senate President Karen Spilka speaks at a 495/MetroWest lobby day. Walsh attends WBUR's CitySpace Homelessness in Boston event.Rep. Katherine Clark and Sen. Patty Murray hold a press conference to introduce the BE HEARD in the Workplace Act. The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development hears testimony. The Joint Committee on Education holds a hearing.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "MILLENIAL LEGISLATORS BOND AROUND PUSH FOR RENEWABLES," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service:"With seawall breaches, beach erosion and other weather-driven emergencies, Scituate "has become the poster child of climate change" over the last few years, according to Sen. Patrick O'Connor, who represents that town and seven other coastal communities. "We need to act as quickly as we possibly can to stop the effects of climate change that are going on inside all of our communities," O'Connor, a 34-year-old Weymouth Republican, said at a Millennials for 100% Renewable Energy lobby day Monday."
- "Baker is on unfamiliar ground in spat with Rollins," by Matt Stout and Maria Cramer, Boston Globe: "In four-plus years in office, Governor Charlie Baker has successfully navigated Massachusetts politics by preaching his "tough on the issues, soft on the people" mantra that hinges on policy, not picking fights. But suddenly, the Republican who has built a reputation for working with Democrats is embroiled in an unusual high-profile spat with one, plunking Baker in the type of fight he's long sought to avoid."
- "Who is Thomas Turco?" by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe:"Thomas A. Turco III appeared upbeat when Governor Charlie Baker last December tapped him to for the Cabinet-level job as state public safety secretary, with a portfolio that included oversight of the State Police, state prisons, parole board, sex offender board, and medical examiner. It was a promotion for Turco who had held the top job at the Department of Correction for about three years, but was now going to directly advise Baker on a sprawling set of issues. He did not boast of any fierce law-and-order policy at the DOC under his leadership, and he offered a welcoming hand to the political forces he would be dealing with in his new job."
- SEE YA: "Wynn Resorts security chief gone after spying admission," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE FORMER FBI AGENT who headed up Wynn Resorts' security operation no longer has a job at the international casino business four days after telling regulators he spied on employees and the ex-wife of the company's founder. The casino company, which plans to open an Everett resort in June, has been under scrutiny since a January 2018 Wall Street Journal story reported on multiple allegations of sexual harassment and worse against founder Steve Wynn, who resigned soon after the story was published."
- INJECTION SITE BACKERS NOT GIVING UP ON BAKER," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "Having seen his influence in helping to pass two major laws addressing the opioid epidemic, activists who support supervised drug injection sites are keeping the pressure on Gov. Charlie Baker, hoping to convince him to join their push. "More are dying every day, we need action right away," activists, including people who have lost loved ones to overdoses, chanted outside the governor's office Monday afternoon."
- "Massachusetts state employee pay: Here are 100 highest paid," MassLive.com. Link.
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Massport landing spot for city, state employees," by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Former City Hall staffers and people with ties to Beacon Hill have landed at Massport, where they enjoy six-figure pay and everyone was awarded a raise this year. "Massport is nirvana for public employees looking for a big pay boost, and it shouldn't be," said former state inspector general Greg Sullivan, now with the Pioneer Institute. "They should be hiring the most experienced airport managers in the country." The late Mayor Thomas M. Menino's former chief speechwriter, Reed A. Passafaro, was just given a mammoth raise — from $103,500 to $190,000, salary records obtained by the Herald show. The bump comes as after he was named acting chief of staff at Massport."
- "Cambridge Streets To Be Renamed After 2 African-American Women With Ties To The City And Suffrage Movement," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "The Cambridge City Council on Monday voted to rename two streets to honor prominent African-American women with ties to Cambridge who were involved in the suffrage movement. The council voted 8-0-1 to rename North Street as Jacobs Street to honor abolitionist, author, women's rights advocate and educator Harriet Jacobs, who lived on Story Street in Cambridge from about 1868 until her 1897 death and is buried in Mt. Auburn Cemetery."
- "'We owe much to the Sackler family': How gifts to a top medical school advanced the interests of Purdue Pharma," by Andrew Joseph, STAT News: "The Sackler family built and controls the privately held Purdue Pharma, the maker of opioid painkillers including OxyContin. A STAT review of court documents, two decades of academic papers, tax forms, and funding disclosures suggests that the family and company money that went to Tufts helped to advance their interests, generating goodwill for members of the family who were praised for their philanthropy and amplifying arguments about opioids that dovetailed with their business aims."
- "A South End development project begins — in Roxbury," by MIlton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: " When the proposed redevelopment of the Alexandra Hotel popped up on city planning agendas last fall, it was designated as a South End project that could revitalize an important corridor along Washington Street. One problem: The hotel is located in Roxbury. The city recognized the error in February, six months after it was first proposed, and alerted neighborhood leaders — a key step inviting residents to have a say in a project and its potential benefits. But Roxbury residents said that did not give them enough time to review the project — which is at the border with the South End — before it was approved in early March."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Healey asks judge to block Trump's wall funding," by Christian M. Wade, Gloucester Daily Times: "Attorney General Maura Healey is seeking to block President Donald Trump from redirecting $1.6 billion in federal funds to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border. On Friday, the Democrat joined a coalition of 20 state attorneys general in asking a federal judge in California to block Trump's executive order diverting the money. Healey said Massachusetts stands to lose money it would have gotten from the federal Treasury Forfeiture Fund, one of the sources Trump is tapping to pay for a border wall."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren bets that slew of policy ideas will win over Trump-weary voters," by Annie Linskey, Washington Post:"Warren, alone among the Democratic candidates, is betting voters, exhausted by an emotional, blustery president often seemingly uninterested in specifics, want someone whose strength is a mastery of detail and a meticulous road map for pitchfork-style change. While other Democratic hopefuls have offered isolated plans, Warren's stand out for their number — and their sweeping aim of overhauling basic aspects of American life. The risk is that these detailed initiatives may excite activists but not voters, fill the op-ed pages but not the front pages, and leave Warren with an effort that resembles a policy roadshow rather than a political campaign."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Worcester man jailed 20 years for crack to be released to ICE under reform law signed by President Donald Trump," by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: "A former Worcester man serving a 20-year sentence for dealing crack cocaine is among the first federal inmates from Massachusetts to have his sentence reduced as a result of criminal justice reform signed into law last year by President Donald J. Trump. Victor Albino, who was sentenced in 2004, had his punishment reduced to time served on Monday, records show, and will be released to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement pursuant to a detainer."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "The fight for Trump's tax returns is just getting started," by Emily Stewart, Vox: "House Democrats have asked the IRS to hand over President Donald Trump's tax returns by Wednesday. The White House has signaled it has no intention of complying with the request, meaning the battle over the issue is far from over. Rep. Richard Neal (D-MA), who chairs the House Ways and Means Committee, put in a formal request to IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig on April 3 asking for the president's tax returns from 2013 to 2018. He invoked an obscure 1920s law that authorizes the Ways and Means Committee to get from the Treasury Department the tax return information of any taxpayer."
- "Here's why Chris Evans was meeting with Ed Markey and other members of Congress on Capitol Hill," Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Chris Evans didn't meet with Ed Markey earlier this year solely to celebrate the New England Patriots' Super Bowl win. The "Captain America" actor and Sudbury native is working with the Massachusetts senator and other members of Congress on A Starting Point, a new website that aims to "demystify politics" by directly showcasing both Democratic and Republican lawmakers succinctly giving their position on "dozens" of different political issues."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Boston bracing for black market pot," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The black market for illegal pot sales will come under more scrutiny once Boston begins to open dozens of legal weed shops, Mayor Martin Walsh said. "Obviously it's something we'll look at. ... We'll be monitoring that as we move forward and seeing how we can address it," Walsh said Monday. "It's very difficult for us to address it today because we don't have the size and scale of recreational marijuana shops in Boston yet," he added. "We will. It's coming here, but until that happens it's hard to answer that question." The Herald reported Monday that both Massachusetts police and cannabis advocates say the combination of high prices and low supply in the state's few retail stores is fueling sales on the black market."
- "In Massachusetts, people of color are the first to get arrested for marijuana — and the last to be licensed," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "Say you're an entrepreneur from a neighborhood ravaged by marijuana arrests. You hear that Massachusetts wants to help people like you join the legal cannabis industry. Go online to the Cannabis Control Commission's website, and you'll see: "Sorry, The Economic Empowerment Priority Review Program has ended!" If you weren't one of the 123 people who knew to apply during a two-week period last April, that window has now closed. And approval was no meaningless label — the certification allows entrepreneurs to skip the line of companies ahead of them once they apply for a state cannabis license, potentially saving time and money."
- P.S. If you use medical marijuana or CBD (or if you're a health professional who has worked with it), we want to hear from you. Tell us your story and a reporter might reach out.
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "More talk of new revenues as T approves budget," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MBTA OVERSIGHT BOARD unanimously approved a $2.1 billion budget for fiscal 2020 on Monday, but only after two members and the head of the transit authority's advisory board highlighted what they said was a need for more revenues. Paul Regan, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, got the revenue discussion rolling by calling for a 1 percent increase in the deeds excise tax. He said the increase, which is higher than what Gov. Charlie Baker has proposed, would provide enough money to funnel $140 million annually to the MBTA and $60 million to regional transit authorities."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "Poll: Biden tops Democratic field after rough week," by Steven Shepard, POLITICO: "The spate of negative stories about Joe Biden's interactions with women hasn't upended the former vice president's standing as presumptive 2020 Democratic front-runner, according to the first national poll of the presidential field conducted since the controversy erupted. In a survey from Morning Consult, Biden was still at the top of the list of candidates with the support of 32 percent of voters who say they intend to participate in a Democratic primary or caucus next year. He is 9 points ahead of the next closest contender: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), at 23 percent."
- "'Shape your future': Berkshire leaders seek to make every effort count for 2020 census," by Dick Lindsay, The Berkshire Eagle: "With legislative representation and federal funding at stake, Berkshire residents need to stand up and be counted next year. Local, state and federal officials at City Hall delivered that important message on Monday to county inhabitants — be included in the 2020 U.S. Census. "The goal is simple; count everyone once, only once and in the right place," said Georgia Lowe, representing the U.S. Census Bureau regional office."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "TAKE TWO: GUILTY," — Globe: "Actress, 13 others plead guilty," "Baker on unfamiliar ground." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Springfield improperly obtained, then destroyed phone records of officers allegedly involved in 2015 Nathan Bill's beating and never sought them again," by Dan Glaun, MassLive.com: "The City of Springfield acquired records in 2016 showing that a dozen members of the Springfield Police Department had texted or called each other at the time of an alleged off-duty beating that has led to indictments against 14 officers. But the records were destroyed after a police union complaint because they were improperly obtained by a city attorney, MassLive has learned."
- "After Hampshire College President Departs, Fundraising Group Receives More Donations," by Alden Bourne, NEPR: "A group trying to raise money to keep Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, open and independent says it's seen a jump in contribution activity since the school's president resigned. Last Friday, Hampshire announced President Miriam Nelson was leaving, that one of the school's founders would take her place, and that the board of trustees had voted to fundraise to keep Hampshire independent."
- "Baystate Health: Info of 12,000 patients compromised in phishing attack," by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican:"Baystate Health is warning that personal information belonging to about 12,000 patients was left vulnerable to theft following an email phishing attack. The information compromised in the hack includes patient names, dates of birth, health information (such as, diagnoses, treatment information, and medications), and in some instances, health insurance information, and a limited number of Medicare numbers and Social Security numbers."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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NOTE CHARLIE BAKER'S SILENCE
- "Sen. Markey unveils federal pipeline safety legislation named after Leonel Rondon, killed in Valley gas disaster," by Zoe Matthews, Eagle-Tribune: "U.S. Sen. Edward Markey has unveiled new federal pipeline safety legislation named after Leonel Rondon, the 18-year-old Lawrence man killed during the Merrimack Valley gas disaster last September. The legislation, called the Leonel Rondon Pipeline Safety Act, calls for tighter regulations and stricter penalties on natural gas companies across the country, in the wake of the Sept. 13 over-pressurization incident that rocked Lawrence, Andover and North Andover."
*****LOCAL CABLE ACCESS PROGRAMS PROVIDE A PIPELINE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT - LEARN WHAT YOU CAN AND SPEAK OUT ****
- "Local cable-access TV stations brace for FCC-proposed funding cuts," by Elise Takahama, The Lowell Sun: "Local cable access television stations are growing more and more anxious by the day, following a proposed funding change by the Federal Communications Commission that could mean the end of dozens of public programs. Last fall, the FCC proposed a plan that could slash funding for local cable television, potentially forcing them to cut programs, lay off staff or go out of business completely. The new plan would allow big cable companies, such as Comcast or Verizon, to assign values to public, educational and governmental access channels, or PEG channels, and deduct that amount from the funding they give to local television, according to an FCC statement."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "Boston private equity firm acquires The Onion, ex-Gawker sites," by Greg Ryan, Boston Business Journal: "Boston-based Great Hill Partners has purchased the Gizmodo Media Group, which includes popular websites like Deadspin and Jezebel, and the satirical news site The Onion, from Univision Communications Inc. for an undisclosed sum. The private equity firm has owned other media brands and companies, including Ziff Davis and IGN, both of which focus on technology and gaming. The site Gizmodo, just one of the properties in Gizmodo Media Group's portfolio, shares a similar focus, as does sister site Kotaku."
TRANSITIONS - former Democrat for governor Jay Gonzalez joins Hinckley Allen to lead the firm's work with public sector clients.
- Rachel Kyte was named dean of The Fletcher School at Tufts University.
- Garrett Dash Nelson joins the The Norman B. Leventhal Map & Education Center at the Boston Public Library as curator of maps and director of geographic scholarship.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Rep. Dan Cullinane of Dorchester.
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.
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