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Presented by JUUL Labs
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
INSIDE THE ROOSEVELT DINNER — Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez was the headliner at the Massachusetts Democratic Party's annual Roosevelt Dinner last night. Perez laid out his mission to knock President Donald Trump out of the White House and give 2020 candidates a "fair shake" on the debate stage.
The dinner is the state party's biggest fundraiser of the year. Attendees at the Fairmont Copley Plaza event included Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Ayanna Pressley, Rep. Joe Kennedy III and retired Rep. Niki Tsongas. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and former Sen. Paul Kirk Jr. were honored with awards.
Perez had his sights set on 2020 during his keynote speech, according to audio shared with POLITICO. And Perez distanced the party's priorities from socialism, even as popular Democrats on the party's left flank embrace socialist ideas. Perez pushed back on criticism that programs like Social Security, the Affordable Care Act and the Fair Labor Standards Act are socialist policies.
"You know what those things are? Those are what make capitalism work," Perez said. "When we have moral capitalism, when we have inclusive capitalism, that's America at its best, folks." That might sound familiar — Kennedy, who co-chaired the dinner, laid out a vision for " moral capitalism" earlier this year.
Earlier in the day, the DNC announced stricter qualifications for candidates to make the debate stage in the fall. And while Sen. Elizabeth Warren already crossed that higher bar, Rep. Seth Moulton is already working overtime just to meet the current qualifications for next month's debate. The decision to double both the polling and donor thresholds for the September and October debates left other campaigns frustrated yesterday.
"I firmly believe if you want to be president of the United States in 2020 you must build relationships with the grassroots," Perez said, defending the decision to increase the fundraising threshold from 65,000 to 130,000 donors.
Perez also got local, saying he recently reread a history of the anti-immigrant Know-Nothing Party, which had a stronghold in Massachusetts in the mid-1800s. Perez said he feels like the country is in a similar political phase as the Know-Nothings or the McCarthy Era.
"You know what all of those eras have in common? They came to an end," Perez said. "America is the Dominican immigrant up in Lowell. America is Ayanna Pressley. America is Michelle Wu. Winning these elections, showing us the future."
BLOOMBERG TEAMING UP WITH HARVARD BIZ — Billionaire and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to hold a conference on investing in the age of climate change with Harvard Business School, he said in his Class Day address to the school yesterday.
"Investors are demanding that businesses disclose the climate risks they face - because it affects their bottom line. I've helped spearhead a push for more transparency," Bloomberg said. "And next year here at HBS, we will bring government and business leaders together to discuss how we can harness the power of the market to protect the environment."
Bloomberg is chair of the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures and United Nations special envoy for climate action. He weighed a run for president in 2020, but decided against getting in the race.
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, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, state Sen. Michael Moore and state Rep. Mary Keefe promote the administration's housing legislation in Worcester. Baker attends a Center of Hope and Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce gathering. Polito chairs an engagement session of the Economic Development Planning Council at Clark University, and holds a roundtable on the Safe and Successful Youth Initiative in Worcester.
Rep. Katherine Clark receives an award at the Environmental League of Massachusetts Earth Night event. Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference in Chelsea. Need to Impeach supporters drop off impeachment petitions at Rep. Richard Neal's Springfield office. State Rep. Danielle Gregoire and American Heart Association volunteers advocate for a ban on flavored tobacco products at the State House. Rep. Jim McGovern meets with middle school students in Shrewsbury and with the Algonquin Regional High School Democrats Club in Northborough.
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A message from JUUL Labs:
Youth vaping is a problem. We're taking action. No youth or non-nicotine user should ever try JUUL products. We've taken a series of actions to greatly reduce youth use of tobacco products, including our own. Learn more about our youth prevention efforts: JUUL.com/youth-prevention
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Delaware North, chaired by Bruins owner, wants in on professional sports betting," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe:"Delaware North, the multibillion-dollar hospitality company whose chairman, Jeremy Jacobs, owns the Boston Bruins and TD Garden, wants to offer sports betting in Massachusetts, should state lawmakers legalize it. The company's interest, detailed Wednesday at a legislative committee hearing, injects a major player into the still-simmering debate over whether and how the state should allow betting. It also immediately sparked questions about whether Jacobs's involvement as a professional team owner — and chairman of the NHL's governing board — would pose a conflict in the emerging industry ."
- "Here's how the $35.5 million Wynn Resorts is paying to Massachusetts regulators is being spent," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The $35 million fine against Wynn Resorts was the largest in gaming history, and the $500,000 fine against CEO Matt Maddox came with mandated leadership training that shocked the gaming industry. When Wynn Resorts paid the fines on Tuesday, some asked what happens to the massive payment to Massachusetts regulators. "Questions, however, have been asked about how the fines will be processed," said Cathy Judd-Stein, chairwoman of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, at Wednesday's meeting. "They are handled similarly to gross gaming revenue, and the allocations of funds is determined by the gaming law." Under state law, 25 percent of a Category 1 casino's gross gaming revenue is deposited into the gaming revenue fund, which then is sent to multiple state funds."
- "Energy Company Behind Weymouth Compressor Says New Air Quality Data Shouldn't Affect Permits," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Attorneys for Enbridge, an energy company looking to build a natural gas compressor station in Weymouth, rebutted arguments that new air-quality data should force reconsideration of the permitting process, writing in new filings that opponents of the facility "failed to show a meaningful difference" in the additional materials. Residents who challenged the validity of the permit alongside the communities of Weymouth, Braintree, Quincy and Hingham wrote last week that the 759 pages of test results suddenly introduced before the final day of the appeal hearing show the presence of at least one carcinogen above the state's allowable ambient limit. As a result, they said, the state should vacate the air quality permit or at least allow for the health impact assessment that greenlit the process to be redone."
- "UMass should be audited for money mess, Pioneer Institute says," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The Pioneer Institute is calling for the "impartial and independent" state comptroller's office to audit the University of Massachusetts system in the wake of the think tank's blistering report that blasted UMass President Martin Meehan and the board of trustees for cash woes at the Boston campus. The Pioneer executive director on Wednesday emailed UMass, asking university officials to meet with the institute and the comptroller to launch an audit for the UMass system, as Pioneer proposed in the "Fiscal Crisis at UMass Boston" report."
- "How Massachusetts Prisoners (Recently) Lost the Right To Vote," by Edgar B. Herwick, WGBH News: "Only two states allow felons to vote while in prison. It wasn't long ago that Massachusetts did too. Massachusetts inmates had the right to vote until 2000, when a ballot question passed in the state that made voting from prison illegal. Now, a grassroots campaign is trying to restore the right to vote to prisoners here via another ballot question. The question of whether convicted felons should have voting rights has become a hot-button topic in the lead-up to the 2020 election. Nearly two-thirds of Democratic and Democratic-leaning voters consider restoring voting rights to felons important or very important, according to recent polling from CNN."
- "Senate kills proposal calling for more transparency on state-issued credit cards," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "A proposal to give the auditor access to state-issued credit card records and keep employees accountable was shot down in the Senate budget debate process last week at the hand of the Ways and Means chairman, who said the measure was "duplicative." "I think it's interesting because even if that's true, why would you still vote against it," Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance spokesman Paul Craney said. "That's what I don't understand." When Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) presented the amendment Thursday, he said it was "critical to accountability," specifically for state-issued credit cards for state employees."
- "State watchdog gets third pay raise in three years," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "For the third time in as many years, a state board has awarded Inspector General Glenn A. Cunha a pay hike, pushing his salary to more than $185,000, the maximum allowed under state law. Cunha, first appointed in 2012 to head the independent watchdog agency, will start collecting his $4,000 increase on July 1. Taking into account past pay hikes, Cunha will make nearly $50,000, or 37 percent, more in July than he did six years ago. The Inspector General Council — a low-profile, eight-person board that includes the attorney general, state auditor, and state comptroller — unanimously approved the most recent raise earlier this month."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Black Leaders, Rollins Discuss The Reformer DA's Leniency Plan For Non-Violent Offenses," by Jerome Campbell, WBUR:"Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins on Wednesday defended her plan to not prosecute low-level offenses from some her strongest campaign supporters: black community leaders and pastors. Nearly 30 community leaders from Dorchester, Roxbury and Mattapan talked with Rollins about her policies at the Ella J. Baker House in Dorchester, expressing concerns that her policy promotes a lack of accountability for criminal activity. "To all of you, accountability equals incarceration," Rollins said to community members at the meeting. 'What I'm saying is there are 15 more steps between incarceration where we can hold people accountable.'"
- "More pot shops on horizon for Boston as council mulls oversight," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Three more pot shops are looking to get the green light in Boston as an ordinance meant to increase transparency and help minorities moves forward. One prospective pot purveyor looking to sell marijuana from 355-359 Congress St., in the Seaport above Lucky's bar is holding a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at 75 Northern Ave. No cannabis retailer has opened up yet in Boston, though the city has inked 11 host-community agreements signed with marijuana stores, of which two are medical only. The proposed one on Congress — which is not yet the subject of a signed agreement — would be the first in South Boston or its Seaport."
- "Will The Sun Set On Boston's Beer Gardens?" by Adam Reilly, WGBH News: "It's a gorgeous spring evening in Allston, and the Aeronaut Beer Garden on Western Avenue is slowly filling up with patrons eager to drink in the sun — and some very tasty beverages. Now in its fourth year, Aeronaut Allston has become a local rite of spring and summer, along with similar spots run by breweries like Trillium and Night Shift. But this year, as the fleeting beer garden season gets underway, the future looks murky. "If we were limited 14 days in a four-month season, it would make this not a viable thing to do," said Ronn Friedlander, the co-founder of Somerville-based Aeronaut Brewing Co."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "McGovern Responds To Mueller: 'We Have To Do What's Right,'" The Scrum, WGBH News: "Just a few hours after special counsel Robert Mueller broke his silence — pushing back at AG Bill Barr's characterization of the Mueller Report, and pointedly reminding Congress that it does, in fact, have the authority to impeach President Donald Trump — Rep. Jim McGovern joined Peter Kadzis and Adam Reilly. His takeaway on Mueller's comments? It's time to stop worrying about how impeachment might play at the polls, and for the House Judiciary Committee to open a formal inquiry into whether impeachment is warranted."
- "Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley Calls For Impeachment," by Jamie Bologna and Kimberly Atkins, WBUR. Link.
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Mass. State Police OT case: Former Lt. David Wilson wants to serve one day in custody, feds say supervisor created phony tickets, skipped shifts," by Scott J. Croteau, Springfield Republican: "Former Massachusetts State Police Lt. David Wilson, one of several troopers charged in the overtime scandal case, claimed he was out conducting enforcement on the Mass. Pike, but his radio data showed during some shifts his cruiser was on for just a minute, federal records said. The information was contained in the government's sentencing memorandum in Wilson's case. The paperwork was filed this week. Wilson, 58, of Charlton, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of embezzlement from an agency receiving federal funds. His sentencing in a Boston federal court is scheduled for June 4."
- "Trooper in OT scandal says many of his colleagues also committed fraud, bosses knew about it," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "A former State Police trooper facing sentencing for his role in the overtime fraud scandal told a federal judge this week that almost every member of his troop used the same scheme with the knowledge of their superior officers, but "only a handful of us were singled out for federal prosecution." The statements mark the latest revelation about the alleged breadth of the questionable payroll practices. Other troopers ensnared in the scandal and their lawyers have described the theft as both coordinated and systemic. A federal judge this month said the scandal appeared to amount to a conspiracy."
- "Bans on cellphones in state courthouses create 'unacceptable hardships,' report finds; Massachusetts Trial Court reconsidering policies," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts Trial Court will reevaluate and potentially rescind some of its bans on cellphones in state courthouses, in light of a new report by a court-appointed commission. The report writes that although there are security concerns with using cellphones in courthouses, banning their use disadvantages self-represented litigants who need their phones to access information. The bans also make it hard for anyone entering a courthouse that does not provide storage."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren puts a giant tech breakup billboard in San Francisco's face," by Makena Kelly and Nick Statt, The Verge:"Presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) put up a billboard in the heart of Silicon Valley pressing for big tech companies like Facebook, Amazon, and Google to be broken up. The billboard is located at 4th and Townsend, right next to the city's primary Caltrain stop, where a substantial chunk of South Bay technology workers arrive each morning."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "Al Gore Tells Harvard Graduating Seniors Their Alma Mater Should Divest From Fossil Fuels," by Chaiel Schaffel and Craig LeMoult, WGBH News: "Former Vice President Al Gore criticized Harvard University, his alma mater, on Wednesday for its failure to divest from the fossil fuel industry. "Why would Harvard University continue to support with its finances an industry like this, that is in the process of threatening the future of humanity?" he said to graduating seniors during the university's Class Day ceremony. Gore framed climate change as "a moral issue," comparable to the university's investments in apartheid South Africa in the 1980s."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Seth Moulton may be one of a few candidates who don't make the first debates. Will it matter?" by James Pindell, Boston Globe:"There are two Democratic presidential candidates from Massachusetts — but it's looking increasingly likely that only one will make the party's first round of debates next month. Senator Elizabeth Warren, Cambridge Democrat, long ago met the criteria for one of 20 slots on stage for the first two debates in late June. Representative Seth Moulton, of Salem, has until June 12 to meet certain criteria — and even if he does reach those qualifications, it's possible he still won't be on the stage. If that's the case, Moulton would be one of just a few Democrats in the 24-candidate field not to make the debates — although it's unclear just how damaging it would be for his campaign."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "OT AGONY," "CUE THE CHAOS!" — Globe: "Mueller offers no clearance for Trump;" "Healey sues vaping firm, says it sold to minors" |
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "How the Merrimack Valley won, despite losing Amazon's HQ2 contest," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "When three Merrimack Valley municipalities teamed up in 2017 to try to lure Amazon's second headquarters to an old telecom plant in North Andover, the odds of success looked long. And they were. The region didn't make Amazon's short list for its so-called HQ2, let alone win the thing, which will be located just outside of Washington, D.C. But now it looks like the e-commerce giant will also be coming in a big way to North Andover. The company is poised to open a massive distribution center at Osgood Landing, a sprawling facility along the Merrimack River near Interstate 495 that once was an AT&T manufacturing plant. It could employ 1,500 people, developers say, and serve as a northern counterpart to Amazon's equally huge fulfillment center in Fall River."
- "City agrees to change election system," by Elizabeth Dobbins, The Lowell Sun: "City Council and School Committee elections this fall will be the last under the current at-large system, according to a settlement agreement filed in federal court Wednesday. An agreement between the city and 11 Latino and Asian-American residents who brought the lawsuit does not determine a new electoral system. Instead it lays out four alternatives. The City Council will select one of these options following input from the public, according to the court document. Under the current system, which was adopted in 1957, the nine highest vote-getters city-wide win City Council seats. This system had been criticized for allowing white residents to vote as a bloc, ensuring white candidates are elected."
- "Tensions rise at Barnstable commissioners meeting about shark attacks," by Alexi Cohan, Boston Herald: "Tensions flared at a Barnstable County Commissioners meeting Wednesday as residents begged for an end to deadly shark attacks and researchers pushed back against a proposal to use an acoustic sound barrier to keep hungry sharks away from beaches. Tech-savvy Cape Cod residents Kevin McCarthy and Willy Planinshek came up with the idea to use an acoustic deterrent device — an electronic anti-shark system — to push seals out from the shore, which in turn would keep sharks away from swimmers."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "GATEHOUSE STRIKES AGAIN: WORCESTER MAGAZINE ON THE ROPES," by Jason Pramas, DigBoston: Over the holiday weekend, my wife and I had occasion to take the commuter rail out to Dedham to a family gathering in memory of loved ones who have left us. As we walked the mile to my cousin's place—through middle-class suburban streets nearly bereft of foot traffic (and, in some places, sidewalks)—I looked at the many houses we passed. And thought about the fact that, despite their generally tidy exteriors and the lush greenery all around them, we were walking through a "news desert" in formation. News desert is an expression I've used much in the last year and refers to a municipality that no longer has enough professionally staffed local news outlets to properly cover the happenings within its borders."
- "BU Agrees To Share Control Of WBUR With Station Board," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: "Boston University is agreeing to share control of WBUR with a station board whose members have, until now, been advisers and donors with no decision-making power. The deal outlined Wednesday would give a new executive committee the authority to hire and fire the station's general manager and oversee its finances. The committee, however, would report directly to BU's president."
TRANSITIONS - Stephen Kerrigan was appointed president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center. Kerrigan succeeds Antonia G. McGuire, who is retiring, and will begin his new role on July 2.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Rep. Michael Rodrigues, WBUR's Kimberly Atkins, Joe Williams and Wes Ritchie of Blue Barn Strategies.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Blues beat the Bruins 3-2.
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 JUUL Labs:
We're combating the problem of underage vaping by: Advocating for raising the legal age to purchase our products to 21+ nationwide. Stopping the sale of non-tobacco and non-menthol based flavored JUULpods to traditional retail stores. Enhancing our online age verification process. Strengthening our retail compliance program with over 2,000 secret shopper visits per month. Shutting down our Facebook and Instagram accounts and working to remove inappropriate social media content generated by others on those platforms. And investing in new technologies to further prevent youth use. JUUL.com/youth-prevention |
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