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Presented by the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
NEW: COMMISERATE ON YOUR COMMUTE — Half of registered voters in Massachusetts with commutes over 45 minutes have recently considered changing jobs to get a better commute, and 30 percent have considered leaving the area altogether, according to a new MassINC transportation poll released today.
Two-thirds of voters agree "action is urgently needed" to improve the state's transportation system, and 80 percent support raising new money to invest in that system, according to the poll of 1,200 voters March 15 to March 25.
SANDERS' CAMBRIDGE SWING — Sen. Bernie Sanders brought his 2020 campaign to Cambridge yesterday, telling supporters that he's confident he can win in Massachusetts. But two other Bay State Democrats are aiming to use their home field advantage to win on Super Tuesday — and one lives right down the street from where Sanders held his event.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders found a lot of common ground during a televised town hall event earlier this week. But Sanders sought to put a little daylight between them yesterday. Asked how he'd address climate change if elected president, Sanders distanced himself from the Ivy Leaguers in the race.
"Not being a Harvard intellectual , I don't use this word too often. We are dealing with an existential crisis," Sanders told a group packed into Harvard Square's Club Passim yesterday afternoon. Warren was a Harvard professor and lives in Cambridge, and newly 2020 candidate Rep. Seth Moulton has three Harvard degrees.
Sanders moved to lock up some support among state lawmakers on his Boston swing. Sanders and progressive state Sen. Jamie Eldridge ate lunch at Carrie Nation yesterday with a group of Beacon Hill lawmakers who endorsed the Vermont senator in 2016.
"While I have not yet decided who I will endorse for president, the hour-long conversation we had with Senator Sanders reminded me not only about why I endorsed him in 2016, but also how the 'fringe' issues that he championed in 2016 ($15 minimum wage, #MedicareForAll, free college) are now positions that most Democratic candidates for national office are taking," Eldridge wrote in a Facebook post.
On top of that, Sanders threw some of his weight behind rent control, a hot issue among Beacon Hill and Boston elected officials. "We have to give communities around the country a lot of tools to deal with gentrification and deal with skyrocketing rents," Sanders said. "Which means making sure communities, if they choose to do that, can pass rent control legislation." Massachusetts voters ditched rent control in 1994, but the policy proposal has been making a comeback.
BAKER AND HOGAN TALK 2020 — Speaking of lunch, the 2020 election came up when Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan and Gov. Charlie Baker met for lunch on Monday, ahead of Hogan's speech at Politics & Eggs in Manchester, N.H. Hogan, who is weighing a challenge to Trump in the 2020 Republican primary, said he's unafraid to stand up to the president but is in no rush to jump into the race.
"We just had lunch. He gave me good advice. We're good friends," Hogan told reporters after the speech. "I don't want to discuss an exact private conversation with him." But asked whether they talked about the 2020 presidential race, Hogan said "a little bit."
Like Baker, Hogan has been critical of some Trump administration policies and did not vote for Trump in 2016. Both governors, who face considerable Democratic legislative majorities, have kept the national party at arms' length, calling instead for bipartisanship and a no-drama approach to governing.
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 the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce Beacon Hill Summit and the launch of the MassDigitalHealth Sandbox Program. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka, Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddadand state Rep. Natalie Higgins to participate in Denim Day recognizing Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Rep. Ayanna Pressleyvisits AbilityOne in Cambridge. Rep. Lori Trahan speaks at the New England Council's higher education policy conference.
Polito chairs a meeting of the Governor's Council. Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu is a guest on WGBH's "Morning Edition." Alejandra St. Guillen kicks off her campaign for Boston city council alongside Wu. Rep. Richard Neal visits Warren and Dudley. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announces the next phase of the Boston Public Schools My Way Cafe program. Rep. Seth Moulton speaks at Politics & Eggs in Bedford, N.H. The House debates the fiscal 2020 budget. Walsh is a guest on Nightside with Dan Rea. Sen. Elizabeth Warrencampaigns in Texas.
Rasky Partners, Inc., and the Boston Center for Adult Education host a panel discussion titled "Handicapping the 2020 Election" with former Senate President Therese Murray, Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group, NH1 political reporter Paul Steinhauser andLarry Rasky, CEO of Rasky Partners.
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A message from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School:
Harvard's John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics is the premier arena for political speech and debate. Upcoming Speakers: Thursday, April 25 at 6PM with Dr. Peter Navarro and Kennedy School Dean Doug Elmendorf; Monday, April 29 at 6PM with Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Ash Carter. https://iop.harvard.edu/forum/upcoming |
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Rooney looking for 3 Rs in tax discussions," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "A KEY MASSACHUSETTS business leader says there is an openness to raising taxes and fees this year, but only if certain conditions are met. "The sentiment in the business community is that there be three Rs - revenue, reform, and results," said James Rooney, the president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce. "We don't want to get into conversations - and I'll use the millionaire's tax as an example - in which it's just an infusion of cash with nothing attached - no reforms, no results, just more money for governance. That's an emerging philosophy within the business community - that regardless of whether it's that proposal or a user-based fee like a gas tax type of thing, if we're going to support it, we want the other two Rs." Rooney is a member of a 21-member revenue working group announced by Senate President Karen Spilka on Tuesday, charged with recommending ways to reform and simplify the state tax code to reflect the changing economy."
- "STATE TO EXPLORE CONSEQUENCES OF INVALIDATED MCAS QUESTION," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service:"State education officials plan to bring in outside researchers to analyze this year's MCAS test results for any "unintended consequences" of a question on the 2016 novel "The Underground Railroad" that sparked student concerns and calls for the test as a whole to be disregarded. Five groups -- the Mass. Teachers Association, the Boston Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts, the Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance and the New England Area Conference of the NAACP -- this month called on the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to invalidate this year's English language arts exam."
- "State warns Hellenic College Holy Cross about grave financial challenges," by Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: "Another small private college in New England is in trouble. Hellenic College Holy Cross, a Greek Orthodox school in Brookline, received a stern warning from the state last month about grave financial concerns, and on Tuesday it was publicly put on notice by regional accreditors about the same problems. The college has been running an operating deficit for nearly eight years, has borrowed money from its endowment, and suffers from declining enrollment and poor planning, the state's letter said."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "The Powers That Will Be," by David S. Bernstein, Boston Magazine. Link.
- "Political challenges await next BPS superintendent," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Whichever candidate is selected will face a system at a crossroads. By many metrics, including standardized test scores, graduation rates and college completion rates, Boston's schools perform better than those in any major city in the United States. At the same time, the city's schools struggle with a daunting gap between the outcomes of the predominantly low-income Latino and black students who make up a majority of those in the system and the more middle-class white minority in the system."
- "Boston Superintendent Interviews: Cassellius Says She's 'Minnesota Nice' With 'Really Thick Skin,'" by Max Larkin, WBUR:"It's day two of the final phase of the search for the new superintendent of Boston Public Schools. Today, the floor belonged to Dr. Brenda Cassellius, a 51-year-old career educator and administrator. Cassellius was Minnesota's commissioner of education until last January, when Mark Dayton, the governor who appointed her, stepped down. She said she's chosen to pursue this job because she's been looking for "a district that's ready to move the agenda for vulnerable kids" — and Boston could be that district."
- "Meet the Cambridge mother-daughter pair who pushed for a women's suffrage monument," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: "A couple of years ago, the distance of a long shot bid became much shorter once a letter reached Sofia Bernstein's Cambridge mailbox. While Washington, D.C., is a few hundred miles down the coast, Sofia's voice had been heard there. "My mom pretty much thought nothing would ever happen," Sofia, now 14, recently recalled of her letter to then-President Barack Obama in 2014. Perplexed, she wrote to him after school one day, explaining how a class project on famous men and women throughout American history revealed to her a glaring absence of women on the country's dollars and coins."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Mass. State Police overtime scandal: Federal prosecutors say second quota system was in place," by Scott J. Croteau, Springfield Republican: "Federal investigators already said Massachusetts State Police troopers snared in an overtime abuse case had ticket quotas for one specialized patrol, but those authorities doubled down on those allegations in a recent court filing by saying a second quota system existed. In a sentencing memorandum filed in the case against retired Trooper Daren DeJong, federal prosecutors discussed previously reported alleged ticket quotas during AIRE patrols, one of the specialized patrols authorities said was abused by troopers in the overtime scandal that resulted in 46 troopers under investigation."
- "For first time, state's highest court extends right to privacy to cellphone location data," by John R. Ellement and Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "The state's highest court for the first time on Tuesday extended the right to privacy to encompass cellphone location data, but preserved the right of law enforcement to "ping" cellphones in emergencies, such as a search for an armed murder suspect. In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Judicial Court held that state constitutional protections against unwarranted and excessive government intrusion into personal lives must keep pace with technological innovations."
- "Wave of Boy Scout sex abuse cases includes at least 20 victims in Mass." David Crary, Associated Press: "The lawyers' ads on the internet aggressively seeking clients to file sexual abuse lawsuits give a taste of what lies ahead this year for the Boy Scouts of America: potentially the most fateful chapter in its 109-year history. Sexual abuse settlements have already strained the Boy Scouts' finances to the point where the organization is exploring ''all available options,'' including Chapter 11 bankruptcy. But now the financial threats have intensified."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren, the Long-Distance Runner of the 2020 Race," by Bob Moser, The New Republic: "Amid all the chatter about whether the old white dudes of 2020—Bernie Sanders, Donald Trump, and Wafflin' Joe Biden—are too long in the tooth to be running for president, it's been remarkable, and revealing, how rarely you hear that question asked about Elizabeth Warren. Age doesn't really factor into assessments of the Massachusetts senator, who turns 70 in June (though gender does—read on). You can't chalk this up to her newly revealed Game of Thrones fandom, nor to the more pertinent fact that she has so much antic energy that you could easily imagine this woman crossing the finish line at the Boston Marathon and then, without being winded in the least, rolling out a brilliantly devious new plan for defanging the plutocrats of Silicon Valley."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Two Democrats, both from Mass. and both rising in the party, show impeachment differences," by Adrian Walker, Boston Globe: "The most intriguing political conflict of the moment is playing out in real time, right in our own congressional delegation. Representatives Katherine Clark and Ayanna Pressley, both rising stars in the Democratic Party, have decidedly different opinions on whether the House should launch impeachment proceedings against President Trump. How those differences play out — Clark is generally cautious about proceedings and Pressley is all in — will determine the state of politics for the next two years, and, quite possibly, who wins the White House in 2020."
- "Stephen Lynch Confident Bill Galvin Will Protect Mass. From Election Interference In 2020," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "One issue that has come to light following the release of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election is a lengthy description of how Russian operatives targeted local boards of elections, secretaries of state and private companies charged with administering software related to electronic polling and voter registration software in an effort to destabilize the election. Speaking with Boston Public Radio on Tuesday, Rep. Stephen Lynch said that he's concerned with the large scale hacking operation, and while he is confident in Massachusetts Secretary of State Bill Galvin's ability to protect the state from interference, he's not as sure about the rest of the nation."
- "GROUNDSWELL BUILDING AROUND BILL TARGETING ROBOCALL 'PLAGUE,'" by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "U.S. Sen. Edward Markey thinks he has a plan to bring the people of a politically divided nation together in opposition to a common enemy: robocalls. "There is one thing that unites everyone in the United States. They hate these robocalls that come into their homes every single day," Markey said at a press conference in Boston on Tuesday."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "ACLU of Massachusetts sues Department of Homeland Security for Trump administration's border security plan," by Dan Glaun, MassLive.com: "The ACLU of Massachusetts and the government transparency nonprofit American Oversight are suing the Department of Homeland Security to force disclosure of a plan designed to lay out details of the administration's border security initiatives -- including the series of physical barriers that President Donald Trump has dubbed "the wall." The 2018 appropriations bill for DHS included a requirement that the Homeland Security secretary submit a "risk-based plan for improving security along the borders of the United States, including the use of personnel, fencing, other forms of tactical infrastructure" to Congress within 180 days of its passage."
- "IRS blows deadline to hand over Trump tax returns," by Aaron Lorenzo, POLITICO: "Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin left little doubt Tuesday that the administration will reject a congressional request for President Donald Trump's tax returns by a self-imposed May 6 target for a "final decision," setting the stage for a legal battle that will test the limits of congressional oversight. In a 10-page letter to House Ways and Means Chairman Richard Neal (D-Mass.), who formally requested Trump's returns on April 3, Mnuchin questioned Neal's motives and laid out "some of the legal concerns" the administration has with the request."
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| 2020 WATCH |
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- "Bill Weld on Nixon, Mueller and How He Plans to Beat Trump in the Primary," by Jeremy W. Peters, New York Times: "William F. Weld and President Trump not only seem to be from different political parties — they seem at times like they are from different planets. Mr. Weld, the former Massachusetts governor who is challenging Mr. Trump for the Republican nomination in 2020, is betting that there are still enough Republicans and independents who find the president so objectionable that they can be moved do what voters rarely do: defeat the sitting president in a primary."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "On Day 1, Moulton takes a quiet approach to presidential campaign," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "If there is one way that Representative Seth Moulton of Salem has immediately differentiated himself from the 18 other Democrats seeking the 2020 presidential campaign so far, it's the laid-back way he is campaigning. Most candidates have made a traditional campaign announcement in front of supporters in their home state before holding large, high-energy rallies in early presidential primary states like Iowa and New Hampshire."
- "Belsito prepares to take on Moulton as a Dem," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "JAMIE ZAHLAWAY BELSITO volunteered on Republican Richard Tisei's campaign for Congress in 2014 against Seth Moulton, but now she's taking her own shot at the North Shore congressman as a Democrat. "As the national conversation became centered on hatred and division, I proudly and purposefully became a registered Democrat," Belsito said in an emailed response to questions, citing President Donald Trump's ban on transgender members of the military and cuts to reproductive health care among the reasons for joining the party."
- "Seth Moulton enters 2020 Democratic field," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "His spokesman confirmed Monday that Moulton planned to seek reelection to his district if he does not win the nomination for president. It appears that he might have a challenge for his House seat in either case. Jamie Zahlaway Belsito, of Topsfield, has filed paperwork to run for the seat — either to challenge Moulton or run for the open seat should he not seek reelection. Add to that state Representative Lori Ehrlich, a Marblehead Democrat, who told the Globe that Moulton's national ambitions is a reason she is actively thinking about running for Sixth District, whether Moulton seeks reelection or not."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "NO, CANADA!" — Globe: "Islamic State says it's behind bombings," "Personal approach gives hope in opioids battle." |
| BEHIND THE TOFU CURTAIN |
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- "Pink Floyd's Roger Waters, activist Linda Sarsour to talk Israel, Palestine at UMass Amherst," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: ""Israel, Free Speech, and the Battle for Palestinian Human Rights" is the topic of an upcoming event at the University of Massachusetts Amherst that is already drawing its own controversy, including opposition from Anti-Defamation League, or ADL, whose mission is to fight anti-Semitism. The panel, titled "Not Backing Down," is being put on by the Media Education Foundation and will feature prominent figures who have spoken out against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and blockade of Gaza. Some of the speakers have been labeled as "anti-Semites." Among the speakers: Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, an outspoken advocate for Palestinian rights who supports a cultural boycott of Israel as part of the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement, or BDS; Palestinian-American political activist Linda Sarsour, the co-chair of the Women's March."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "In Quincy, a glimmer of hope amid opioid crisis," by Brian MacQuarrie, Boston Globe: "The day after her son overdosed on a near-fatal mix of heroin and fentanyl, there was a knock on the door. Two plainclothes police officers and two health workers had arrived unannounced, in the dark of the evening, and the distraught woman could only imagine what they wanted. They wanted to help. "It was a miracle," recalled the mother of five, who asked not to be identified. "I was trying to save my son's life, and I was desperate." Fifteen months later, her son Shawn, 27, remains drug-free, the longest such stretch in a torturous decade of opioid abuse. She credits that cold call, a cornerstone of Quincy's nationally recognized campaign to reduce overdose deaths, with rescuing her child."
- "Baker helps plant tree at North Quincy High," by Audrey Cooney, Patriot Ledger: "Gov. Charlie Baker helped plant three new trees at North Quincy High School on Tuesday afternoon, part of his administration's initiative to plant 10,000 trees per year in cities across the state. "We look forward to planning 10,000 more, and 10,000 after that, and 10,000 after that," he told a group of about three dozen students from the school."
- "Lawsuit claims UMass Dartmouth launched 'witch hunt' over student's past felony," Jennette Barnes, SouthCoast Today: "A new lawsuit against UMass Dartmouth claims a graduate student at the School for Marine Science and Technology was sanctioned and pushed out of his program because he had a previous felony conviction, even though he says he disclosed it when he applied. A letter filed with the lawsuit, however, accuses the man of being aggressive and making people at SMAST feel uncomfortable."
- "Move to revise state seal gains Cape support," by Taylor Stening, Cape Cod Times: "A statewide movement to back legislation aimed at overhauling the state flag and seal has gained traction on the Cape and Islands, with nearly a half-dozen towns slated to take up resolutions supporting the effort at their spring town meetings. Eastham, Orleans, Brewster, Harwich and Chatham have petitioned articles on their town meeting warrants asking the towns to pass resolutions supporting legislation introduced on Beacon Hill that looks to investigate features of the state seal that may be "unwittingly harmful to or misunderstood by the citizens of the commonwealth," according to a bill sponsored by state Reps. Lindsay N. Sabadosa and Nika C. Elugardo."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- The Boston Globe has a new website design. Link.
TRANSITIONS - Anastasia Nicolaou joins NAIOP Massachusetts, The Commercial Real Estate Development Association, as government affairs associate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to MassLive's Matt Vautour, state Rep. Paul Brodeur, Larry Carpman, president of Carpman Communications, former Romney for President Director of Advance Charlie Pearce,former WHDH GM Chris Wayland, and Mass. Sierra Club organizer Jacob Stern.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 5-1. The Tigers beat the Red Sox 4-2.
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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A message from the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School:
The John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at the Institute of Politics is Harvard University's premier arena for political speech, discussion and debate. The forum hosts heads of state, leaders in politics, government, business, labor and the media, and is free and open to the public. Join us for the following upcoming events: Ricardo is Dead. Long Live Fair, Balanced, and Reciprocal TradeThursday, April 25 - 6:00pm A presentation on U.S. trade policy by Dr. Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, moderated by Harvard Kennedy School Dean Doug Elmendorf. A Conversation with Senator Bob Corker: Reflections on a Life of LeadershipMonday, April 29 - 6:00pm The Hon. Bob Corker (R-TN), former U.S. Senator from Tennessee, discusses his public service and lessons in leadership with former Secretary of Defense and current Director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, Ash Carter. https://iop.harvard.edu/forum/upcoming |
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