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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
WARREN AND MOULTON HEAD TO NEVADA — Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Seth Moulton are both headed to Nevada this weekend, as Warren continues her 2020 campaign and Moulton mulls a run of his own.
It's not the first time the Massachusetts politicians have been in the same place. Last weekend, Warren and Moulton both visited another early presidential state — Iowa. This weekend in Nevada, Warren will be in Reno in the western part of the state, while Moulton will head to Las Vegas, the state's population hub. Moulton plans to decide whether he's running for president in the next few weeks.
Moulton will continue his veterans-focused tour of the early voting states. The 6th District Congressman will hold a breakfast meeting with the Nevada Democratic Veterans Caucus in Las Vegas, then he'll tour the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Military and Veterans Center and talk with students there. Later in the day, Moulton will visit the Veterans Village of Las Vegas. On Saturday, he'll give remarks to the Clark County Democrats.
Warren will hold an organizing event in Reno on Saturday morning. On Thursday, she released an op-ed in the Reno Gazette Journal detailing how her housing policy proposal would ease the housing crisis in that city. Warren previously traveled to Nevada in February.
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 and Secretary of Veterans' Services Francisco Ureña raise the Gold Star Wives flag at the State House. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Rep. Jim McGovern and state Sen. Michael Moore attend the inauguration of Becker College President Nancy Crimmin.
Boston Globe columnist Renée Graham, WGBH Senior Investigative Reporter Phillip Martin and Massachusetts Republican State Committeewoman Rachel Kemp talk about the 2020 presidential campaign on Callie Crossley's Basic Black. The Massachusetts Association of 766 Approved Private Schools hosts an "Invite Your Legislator to School" at the White Oak School in Westfield.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "You elected them to write new laws. They're letting corporations do it instead." USA Today and Arizona Republic:"Each year, state lawmakers across the U.S. introduce thousands of bills dreamed up and written by corporations, industry groups and think tanks. Disguised as the work of lawmakers, these so-called "model" bills get copied in one state Capitol after another, quietly advancing the agenda of the people who write them. A two-year investigation by USA TODAY, The Arizona Republic and the Center for Public Integrity reveals for the first time the extent to which special interests have infiltrated state legislatures using model legislation."
- "CONVERSION THERAPY, CAP ON KIDS BILLS REACH BAKER," by Chris Lisinski and Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "Bills banning the use of conversion therapy for minors and lifting the so-called welfare "cap on kids" are now in Gov. Charlie Baker's court. The House and Senate gave the bills final approval votes on Thursday, completing work on bills that came close to becoming state law last year. Both bills had already passed in March, and the House and Senate enacted them Thursday with emergency preambles designed to put the measures into effect as soon as possible. Baker previously said he would be "inclined to support" a conversion-therapy ban, but his stance on the welfare reform measure, which rolls back a 1990s law, is less clear."
- "Sen. President Spilka Expects 'Gender X' Bill Will Pass, 'The Governor Will Support It,'" by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: "Sen. President Karen Spilka says she's optimistic about a bill that would allow a third gender option on state ID cards, after speaking with Gov. Charlie Baker about the issue. "He's fine with it, we've talked about it," Spilka said in an interview with Boston Public Radio Thursday. "... I think at this point, the prospect is good." The bill is slated to go to a vote in the Senate within the next few weeks, with a renewed legislative push by Mass. lawmakers and El, a non-binary constituent and advocate for the bill's passage."
- "'Glitch' gets blame for missing financial reports," by Christian M. Wade: "Nearly 200 high-ranking state employees could be forced to file financial disclosures dating back years because of a computer system "glitch." The employees — who include state college presidents, department heads and commissioners, judges, probation officers, chiefs of staff and budget directors — must file annual statements listing their income, investments and any potential sources of financial conflicts because of their work in policy making positions within state government."
- "Mass. OKs Funds To Offset Planned Parenthood Losses," by Steve LeBlanc, Associated Press: "Massachusetts, led by a Republican governor, has become the first state to approve money to offset the potential loss of federal funding to women's reproductive health organizations since the Trump administration adopted a new rule in February meant to bar federally funded family planning clinics from making abortion referrals or sharing office space with abortion providers. The Massachusetts law sets aside $8 million in state dollars to close any gaps in federal Title X funding for health clinics that could lose funding by the proposed change — derided as a "gag rule" by critics."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "He bought the fencing coach's house. Then his son got into Harvard," by Joshua Miller, Boston Globe: "It was a modest house by this town's standards, a center-entrance colonial, three bedrooms and a two-car garage on a quarter-acre lot. The inside hadn't welcomed a renovator in many, many years, and the outside didn't wear its age particularly well. Its owner: Peter Brand, Harvard University's legendary fencing coach. Its assessed value: $549,300. So when the house sold to a wealthy Maryland businessman for close to a million dollars in May 2016, the town's top assessor was so dumbfounded that he wrote the following in his notes: "Makes no sense." Now it might."
- Top public safety official in Mass. warns Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins that her policies would put public at risk," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: "The state's top public safety official expressed concern over policies rolled out by Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins, including her intention not to prosecute most drug distribution charges and many misdemeanors. In a letter released to the State House New Service Thursday night, Executive Office of Public Safety and Security Secretary Thomas A. Turco warned that Rollins's recent policy memo could 'put at risk the Commonwealth's ongoing efforts to combat the ongoing crisis of the opioid epidemic.'"
- "Boston to assess higher parking, hotel fees," by Milton J. Valencia and Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh has proposed a rate hike to at least $2 an hour for all of the city's 8,000 parking meters, the first such increase in a decade as his administration seeks new ways to raise revenue while controlling a parking demand that has cluttered many of Boston's streets. Mayor Martin J. Walsh has proposed a rate hike to at least $2 an hour for all of the city's 8,000 parking meters, the first such increase in a decade as his administration seeks new ways to raise revenue while controlling a parking demand that has cluttered many of Boston's streets."
- "MBTA, Commuter Rail continue battle against uncollected fares," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Paying riders are crying no fair at the T and its Commuter Rail as the organizations continue to grapple with the issue of uncollected fares, vowing to fix the multimillion-dollar problem. "It was a free ride on Franklin train 702. Passes were not checked on car 719 since Norfolk. And Keolis is holding "Fare is Fair" at South Station? Why do I bother paying for a pass? Unacceptable!" one rider tweeted Thursday at Keolis Commuter Services, which runs the Commuter Rail."
- "When their day is done, Duck boats nestle in their big Dorchester home," by Yukun Zhang, Dorchester Reporter:"They've become symbols of spring and Boston sports glories. But when Boston's Duck boats are not on the road or on the Charles River, they spend their off-hours in a building near Fields Corner. "In the summer, when the doors are open, people will drive by and you can see them jam on the brakes, stop, back up, look into the garage, and be like, 'Oh my god, that's where they are," said Tony Cerulle, who has been director of vehicle maintenance with Boston Duck Tours for 24 years."
- "MIT Cuts Funding And Research Ties With China's Huawei And ZTE," by Callum Borchers, WBUR: "Four months after saying it had no "compelling case" to sever ties with Saudi Arabia, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology now says it will more closely scrutinize relationships with that country and two others, China and Russia. And in its first actions under the new review policy, MIT will cut funding and research connections with two Chinese technology firms, Huawei and ZTE."
THE CASINO SAGA
- "High stakes as Gaming Commission begins deliberations," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "AS IT BEGINS DELIBERATIONS on what to do with Wynn Resorts, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission can do pretty much whatever it wants. It can declare the company unsuitable and revoke its casino license. It can fine the company. It can declare individual executives unsuitable. Or it can do nothing."The law provides the commission with very broad authority," said Elaine Driscoll, the spokeswoman for the authority. Odds are the commission will take some action, particularly in the wake of a report by agency investigators that painted a very grim portrait of a company hiding the misdeeds of its founder and former CEO Steve Wynn and tough questioning of current CEO Matt Maddox and other executives over the last three days."
- "Elaine Wynn learns she was under surveillance in a Wynn Resorts undercover operation during Mass. Gaming Commission hearing," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The Massachusetts Gaming Commission said on Thursday that Elaine Wynn was surveilled in an undercover operation arranged by Wynn Resorts' head of security. That was news to Elaine Wynn, her attorney said. He said the developments in the report and at Thursday's hearing were disturbing. "My attorneys never like me to editorialize, but I will say that in the world that we live in, gossip is always around, and people would speculate," Elaine Wynn said when Massachusetts gaming commissioner Gayle Cameron asked if she ever recalled being surveilled."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "WARREN MIGHT BE LOSING BATTLE BETWEEN POLICY, SOUNDBITES," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Senate President Karen Spilka is backing her home state senator Elizabeth Warren for president, but the state Democratic leader said Thursday that Warren's policy-driven approach to her campaign may have something to do with her struggle to gain more early traction with voters. "It's unfortunate, but people are used to soundbites. She is policy wonk. I love it because I'm a policy wonk," Spilka said during an appearance on WGBH's Greater Boston Radio on Thursday. Warren in early polling has trailed others in the race like fellow Sens. Bernie Sanders and Kamala Harris and former Vice President Joe Biden, but has continued to roll out some of the most substantive policy proposals of any candidate, including plans to address housing and corruption and hold corporate executives accountable."
- "Warren says bill would protect legal pot states from federal interference," Boston Globe: "Will 2019 be the year that Congress blocks the federal government from enforcing prohibition in legal marijuana states? A bipartisan team of lawmakers in the House and Senate are optimistic that it will, and they introduced legislation on Thursday to accomplish that goal. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and David Joyce filed the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, appearing alongside cosponsors Representatives Barbara Lee and Joe Neguse at a press conference. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Gardner filed the Senate version of the bill."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- "Inside House Dems' move to seize Trump's tax returns," by Aaron Lorenzo and Heather Caygle, POLITICO: "Richard Neal is doing things his own way. The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee has for months rebuffed calls from his liberal colleagues to demand President Donald Trump's tax returns. And when Neal finally made the request — having it delivered in a letter handed off to the IRS commissioner late Wednesday — hardly anyone knew about it much ahead of time, even Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The move was typical of Neal — subtle, without fanfare and on his own timeline - and shows how the Massachusetts Democrat has approached his job as a powerful chairman in the Trump era. Whereas other high-profile committee heads charged with oversight of the administration seem to relish fighting Trump, Neal has taken a much more muted approach."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Hundreds rally for Mueller report release on Boston Common," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "Hundreds of demonstrators turned out to Boston Common late Thursday afternoon to call for the contents of the Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report to be released to the public. "We are here to stand up to Donald Trump," one of the event's organizers, Kim Spencer, told the crowd, to cheers. Spencer said that if Attorney General William Barr refuses to release the report, Congress should subpoena its contents or Mueller himself to help make the findings of his probe public."
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| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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PULSE CHECK: JOE KENNEDY ON DEFENDING MEDICAID IN THE TRUMP ERA — The Congressman joined POLITICO's PulseCheck podcast to discuss his push for more Medicaid funding and his questioning of Alex Azar over Medicaid work requirements, which went viral two weeks ago. Link.
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Commission wants more scrutiny of pot company ownership," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "State marijuana regulators vowed Thursday to closely scrutinize acquisitions and mergers in the cannabis industry to ensure larger companies do not gain control of more than the legal maximum of three pot retailers, a cap aimed at helping smaller local businesses compete. At a meeting of the Cannabis Control Commission, officials debated a process for reviewing proposed changes to the ownership of licensed cannabis firms, which must be approved by the agency. Seven applications for such changes are pending before the commission."
- 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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- "Pollack hedging on next commuter rail contract," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth: "TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Stephanie Pollack appears to be hedging a bit on whether the MBTA will have a new commuter rail contract in place by her self-imposed deadline of July 2022. Pollack made her original pledge in 2016, telling the House chair of the Legislature's Transportation Committee that the "MBTA does not intend for its commuter rail contract to extend beyond its remaining term, whether the next contract is with Keolis or a different provider." The eight-year contract with Keolis Commuter Services runs through the end of June 2022, but it allows for two, two-year extensions. Pollack said in 2016 that the contract would not be extended."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- YOLO: "Why not me? After Beto, House Dems pile into 2020 contest," by Sarah Ferris, Laura Barrón-López and John Bresnahan, POLITICO: "Democratic Reps. Tim Ryan, Eric Swalwell, Tulsi Gabbard and Seth Moulton aren't likely to be elected president in 2020. But faced with a stagnant leadership structure in the House and a political environment defined more by internet fame than legislative achievement, these Democratic lawmakers are weighing longshot bids for the White House or have already jumped into the race."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "De Blasio Wouldn't Say Who Was Hosting His Boston Fund-Raiser. We Found Out." by J. David Goodman, New York Times:"For Mayor Bill de Blasio, the quick fund-raising stop in Boston was the latest in a series of out-of-town trips aimed at raising cash and boosting his national profile as he toys with a 2020 presidential run. For the company hosting him, Suffolk Construction, the fund-raiser offered a chance to help Mr. de Blasio at a time when the business is aggressively trying to extend its footprint in the city."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "CRIME FIGHTING," — Globe: "A VERY GOOD DEAL FOR HARVARD COACH," "DA's overhaul plan draws criticism, |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Consultant's report says Springfield police should act more quickly in 'egregious' misconduct cases," by Dan Glaun, Springfield Republican: "A consultant hired by the City of Springfield is recommending changes to the Springfield Police Department's internal investigations and citizen complaint process, aimed at enhancing training and ensuring that policies meet standards set by the U.S. Department of Justice. In an executive summary released by the city Thursday, the Police Executive Research Forum proposed a series of reforms, including measures to improve the consistency of internal investigations, restructure the city's Community Police Hearing Board and enhance reviews of lethal force incidents."
- "Innovation celebration: Gov. Baker, local officials gather at UMass to tout new Physical Sciences Building," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "On Thursday, Gov. Charlie Baker made his way out to western Massachusetts for a ribbon cutting at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. It was more of a ribbon shredding, with Baker joined by other bigwigs, including state representatives Daniel Carey, Natalie Blais and Mindy Domb, and state Sen. Jo Comerford, as well as UMass Amherst Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy and UMass President Marty Meehan. Each got their own pair of scissors and their own segment of the ribbon to cut to celebrate the opening of the $101.8 million new Physical Sciences Building."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Marlborough: Mock bedroom trailer tips off parents to drug abuse," by Cesareo Contreras, MetroWest Daily News: "Juaire has since become a strong advocate for opioid addiction education and, through her organization, Team Sharing Grief Support, has made it her life's work to help support families dealing with the addiction of a loved one. Her story is similar to those of countless other parents whose children suffered from drug overdoses; many feel they are left in the dark until it's too late. It's hard for loved ones to catch early warning signs, because they don't know exactly what they should be looking for."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- Christopher Arena of GFTB Digital and the Allston Civic Association and Oscar Lopez Jr., legislative aide to Rep. Kevin Honan are starting a new Allston-focused podcast called Pod Save Rat City that launches this fall. Twitter.
SPOTTED: At the MassDems Millennials Banquet at China Pearl in Boston last night ... Massachusetts Democrats chair Gus Bickford, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Senate President Karen Spilka, Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Rep. Tram Nguyen, Rep. Adrian Madaro, Rep. Patrick Kearney, Rep. Tami Gouveia, Sen. Julian Cyr, Sen. Joe Boncore, Sen. Becca Rausch, Sen. Diana DiZoglio, Chelsea City Council President Damali Vidot, Quincy City Councilor Nina Liang. Twitter pic.
TRANSITIONS - Mihir Shah was appointed chief financial officer of Commonwealth Care Alliance, Inc.
- Eri Solomon joins the Jewish Alliance for Law & Social Action as a lead organizer.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - Rep. F. Jay Barrows of Mansfield, Rep. Michael Day of Stoneham, Lynn Sen. Brendan Crighton, Lizzy Guyton, comms director for Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, who is running her third Boston Marathon this year; Democrats for Education Reform's Liam Kerr, Aleca Hughes and Adham Sahloul.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to POLITICO's Daniel Lippman and Joe Nigro, who celebrate Sunday.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Bruins beat the Wild 3-0. The Athletics beat the Red Sox 7-3.
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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