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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
NEW THIS MORNING: BOSTON RANKS #1 FOR CLEAN ENERGY — Boston is the country's top-rated city for clean energy, according to a scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today. The organization is a nonprofit focused on advancing energy efficiency policies and programs, and will announce its findings during a webinar later this morning.
The report ranks 75 large cities on 50 metrics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy equity. Boston received high marks for its transportation policies, energy and water utilities, building policies and local government operations.
The council projects that Boston will meet its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030, based on 2005 levels. Boston received top marks for its local government operations — the city set LEED requirements for new public buildings, has retrofitted 14 municipal buildings over the last five years, and converted 75 percent of streetlights to LED lights, according to the report.
Other cities highlighted by the scorecard are Austin, Chicago, New York City, Providence, Washington, D.C. and Worcester. The council suggests Boston improve its community-wide initiatives, and does not project the city will reach its goal of reducing "community-wide" greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in 2030, though it will make progress toward that marker.
The report comes as transportation advocates call for more funding to improve and expand the MBTA, and new policies to ease traffic congestion and carbon emissions. According to this report, Boston is one of only six cities to report measurable progress toward greenhouse gas reduction goals for transportation through its GoBoston 2030 plan. Additionally, "relative to systems in other cities, the transit system is well-funded and accessible" in Boston, the scorecard found. Today's webinar will include Christopher Cook, chief of environment, energy, and open space for the City of Boston.
PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'm taking some time off! Massachusetts Playbook will not publish next week, starting July 29. I'll be back in your inbox Monday, Aug. 5. To reach me in the meantime, email smurray@politico.com or check Rye Beach.
AND ANOTHER PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'll be at the National Conference of State Legislatures 2019 Legislative Summit in Nashville from Aug. 5 to Aug. 8. If you'll be there, drop me a line: smurray@politico.com.
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, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak announce a new transportation bond bill. Attorney General Maura Healey visits Community Boating Center Inc and the South Shore YMCA's Camp Quirk. The Senate meets in formal session. Rep. Seth Moulton is a guest on "Radio Boston."
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TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION - WHO WILL WRITE THE RULES?Chapter two of POLITICO's Global Translations" podcast, presented by Citi, is now live. Explore the emergence of 5G technology with host Luiza Savage, understand its role as the foundation for the future of artificial intelligence, and learn who will write the rules in the race to dominate technological advancement. Listen Now.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "House passes Speaker Robert DeLeo's $1.3 billion 'Greenworks' bill to fund local sustainability projects," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "The Massachusetts House crossed one of Speaker Robert DeLeo's priority bills off its list Wednesday with the unanimous passage of a bill to establish a new grant program to help cities and towns confront climate change impacts and to borrow more than $1 billion to pay for it. The bill,H 3987, would create the GreenWorks infrastructure program under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to help communities address things like the threat of rising seas and floodwaters, and the damage that's already been done. The bill authorizes the state to borrow $1.3 billion and to dole out $100 million for GreenWorks each year for a decade."
- "Gov. Charlie Baker to seek federal disaster declaration for Cape Cod after tornadoes," WCVB: "Gov. Charlie Baker says he will seek a federal disaster declaration to support cleanup and recovery efforts on Cape Cod after two tornadoes and high winds caused extensive damage and knocked out power to tens of thousands. The National Weather Service says one tornado touched down in Kalmus, a village in Barnstable, at 11:57 a.m. and lifted in South Yarmouth 10 minutes later. Then another tornado touched down in Harwich at 12:10 p.m. and lifted five minutes later. One tornado ripped off a hotel roof and toppled trees during the peak of tourist season."
- "Lawmakers call Pollack back next week on RMV," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "SETTING THE STAGE for another confrontation with the Baker administration, leaders of the Transportation Committee on Wednesday scheduled a hearing next week in their ongoing probe of the massive procedural failure connected to a fatal crash in New Hampshire last month. Unless something has changed since Monday, that schedule doesn't mesh with Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack's insistence on keeping certain information about dysfunction at the Registry of Motor Vehicle's out of the public view until an investigation commissioned by her office is complete. In their letter, the committee's co-chairs, Rep. William Straus of Mattapoisett and Sen. Joseph Boncore of Winthrop, requested the appearance of witnesses who were no-shows Monday as well as documents that Pollack has yet to send them."
- "Lawmakers hike assessment on utilities 50%" by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "THOUGH LAWMAKERS LEFT a handful of proposed taxes on the cutting room floor when they compromised on a budget, the fiscal year 2020 spending plan being reviewed by Gov. Charlie Baker includes a 50 percent increase in the annual assessment imposed upon gas and electric utility companies. The assessment of a percentage of each utility company's Massachusetts revenue is meant to be a reimbursement of the cost of overseeing and regulating the gas and electric industries. The budget awaiting Baker's action would raise the maximum rate of that assessment from 0.2 percent of revenue to 0.3 percent of revenue ."
- "State seeks to reduce wait time for new doctors to be allowed to practice," by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal:"Currently, new doctors in Massachusetts must wait as long as a year before they can start practicing medicine, a delay that state regulators would like to shorten to broaden physician access and help reduce health care costs. The state's Health Policy Commission said in a meeting Wednesday that it wants to reduce what it calls "administrative complexity," or behind-the-scenes issues that health care systems, insurers and regulators face that add unnecessary costs and difficulty to how health care is delivered. One of those issues revolves around credentialing — the steps a physician who just graduated from medical school, or else just moved to the state, must take to be able to be reimbursed by insurers."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Religious Exemptions To Vaccines In Kindergarten Reach An All-Time High In Mass." by Molly Boigon, WGBH News: "Just like other parents, Mahala Clivaz of Lexington has to shake off summer vacation and get her kids ready for school each September. But for years, Clivaz's back-to-school routine involved more than buying notebooks and pencils for her 10-year-old son, Hugh, who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was six. Cancer treatment decimated his immune system, making Hugh vulnerable to infection from other kids, including those who are not vaccinated. In Massachusetts, parents can seek two paths to avoid vaccinating their kids. One is a medical exemption for children who face health risks like allergic reactions, which requires documentation from a physician. The other is a religious exemption, which allows parents to refuse vaccines in line with religious beliefs. To get a religious exemption, all a parent or guardian has to do is state "in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs," according to state law."
- "Boston hospital reports disciplining of renowned child abuse skeptic," by David Armstrong, ProPublica: "Boston Medical Center has notified the Massachusetts medical board that it has restricted the work of a world-renowned endocrinologist criticized for espousing controversial theories as an expert witness for people accused of child abuse. The action against Dr. Michael Holick is cited on his profile page on the board's website. It is intended to alert members of the public who visit the site that the hospital, where Holick practices, has restricted his rights or privileges. ProPublica and The New Yorker reported last September that Holick had testified in hundreds of child abuse cases worldwide and almost always blamed broken bones and other injuries on a rare genetic disorder. At the time, Boston Medical Center said that it had barred Holick from treating or evaluating children under age 13 beginning in May 2017. But Holick continued evaluating children in suspected abuse cases as part of an approved research project, and it now turns out that the discipline was not reported to the board until this past February."
- "Mass. Nursing Homes Get $50 Million Lifeline, But More Closures Are Expected," by Adrian Ma, WBUR: "Massachusetts lawmakers are extending a financial lifeline to the state's nursing home industry, which has seen a string of providers shutter in recent months. On Monday, both houses of the state Legislature passed a budget with $415.4 million in Medicaid funding for nursing homes — a $50 million increase from the previous year's budget. But there's a problem: The difference between what the state's Medicaid program, MassHealth, pays nursing home operators, and what nursing homes actually spend on care is around $362 million, according to the Massachusetts Senior Care Association (MSCA), an industry group which represents hundreds of nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other facilities."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Trahan calls for Trump impeachment proceedings," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan on Wednesday joined other members of the state's congressional delegation in calling for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Trahan, who had been reluctant to support a formal inquiry, said it was former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, as well as mounting evidence that the Republican president may have broken the law, that changed her mind."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "Democrats do little to sway NAACP crowd, but former Gov. Bill Weld does," by Jasmin Lee and Olivia Simone, Detroit Free Press: "Ten Democratic presidential hopefuls took the stage Wednesday at the NAACP's candidate forum in Detroit looking to separate themselves from the pack in a crowded field — and among a key constituency, African Americans. But those in attendance said that while some of the candidates were impressive, they did little — if anything — to sway those who already were leaning towards a particular candidate, or to convince the voters who haven't decided who among the two dozen announced candidates they will vote for in 2020. But several were surprised by the only Republican presidential candidate to take part in the forum, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "As Prosecutors Build Case In Boston Calling Trial, Defense Offers Different View Of Defendants," by Kenneth Brissette, WGBH News: "On Wednesday, prosecutors continued to present their case against Kenneth Brissette and Timothy Sullivan, both senior appointees of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and who stand accused of extorting the Boston Calling music festival into hiring union labor. Brissette and Sullivan are charged with conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion for allegedly illegally pressuring Boston Calling into hiring members of IATSE Local 11, a local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or stagehands union. Witnesses included two individuals who had worked with the television show Top Chef in 2014, when the show filming in Boston — only to be picketed and allegedly harassed by angry members of the Teamsters union."
- "Mass. Judge Accused Of Helping Immigrant Evade ICE Arrest Rejects Plea Deal," by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "A suspended Newton district court judge accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest has rejected a plea deal from the government, according to new filings in Boston federal court. Judge Shelley Joseph was charged by federal prosecutors with obstruction of justice in April. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling's office offered plea deals to both Joseph and retired court officer Wesley MacGregor, who was also charged in the case. The pair are accused of helping a man previously identified as Jose Medina Perez slip out a back door of the Newton District Court, where an immigration officer was waiting to arrest him. "Through counsel, the government has extended plea offers to the defendants. Defendant Joseph rejected the offer extended to her," a joint memo filed Tuesday said."
- "Not guilty pleas entered in theft from Boston Center for Adult Education," by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "Bit by bit, check after check, $1.7 million vanished from the Boston Center for Adult Education over eight years. More than $565,000 went to the executive director's partner, for marketing services that did not exist, prosecutors say. Almost $900,000 in checks allegedly were written by the comptroller to himself, and more than $300,000 to groups for his personal benefit, including a youth baseball team in Saugus that he managed. It was a brazen job, prosecutors say, carried out by a pair of executives at the Bay Village nonprofit who allegedly falsified financial entries and lied to the board of directors, leaving them in the dark."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "Ayanna Pressley and Elizabeth Warren want the government to clear your paycheck faster," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com:"For American workers living paycheck-to-paycheck, waiting for those checks to clear can be a problem. The Federal Reserve can take up to five days to clear a deposited check. And when bills like rent and childcare are due, some families are forced to turn to payday lenders or incur overdraft fees, as they wait for their paychecks to actually become available in their bank account for withdrawal. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren want to change that."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Seth Moulton tackles Alexa data collection with new bill," by Makena Kelly, The Verge: "Today, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton is expected to introduce a bill that would limit how smart device manufacturers like Amazon and Google can collect your data. The Automatic Listening and Exploitation Act, or the ALEXA Act for short, would empower the Federal Trade Commission to seek immediate penalties if a smart device is found to have recorded user conversations without the device's wake word being triggered. For Google's home devices, for instance, that would mean recording a conversation without being prompted by "Hey, Google." Moulton's bill also addresses smart doorbells and their video capabilities."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Lynn marijuana company CEO 'speechless' after storefront vandalized with anti-Semitic, racist symbolism," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Jordan Avery was at a loss for words Monday when he walked into his rented storefront and found it vandalized with anti-Semitic language and racist symbolism. The place was a mess, Avery said. The floor was littered with an unknown white powder, and empty bottles of alcohol were lined up on the ground. But even worse was the rope hanging from the ceiling, tied in a knot resembling a noose. A long knife hung from the rope, and anti-Semitic rhetoric was written on the walls: "[Expletive] the Jews" and "Jesus Failed." "I was speechless," he said. "I was in there for less than a minute. I was so upset; I didn't want to keep looking around." Avery, who was born and raised in Lynn, is African-American and has plans to convert to Judaism."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "Lawmakers revive Blue Line extension idea," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Stop me if you've heard this one before: State officials will soon be studying the possibility of extending the Blue Line to Lynn. House and Senate leaders mandated this report by baking it into the new state budget that they approved on Monday. The legislation requires Governor Charlie Baker's transportation department to evaluate the feasibility of extending the MBTA's Blue Line service, or some other form of rapid transit, from the Wonderland Station in Revere to Lynn's downtown train station by next April (assuming Baker doesn't veto the measure)."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "DISCOMBOBULATED," — Globe: "From Mueller: a warning but no bombshells," "EPA workers call limits on working from home unfair." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "As Hampshire Council of Governments unwinds, complexities remain," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "In March, the chairman of the Hampshire Council of Governments came before the executive committee of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust with what some have characterized as a strange proposal. In his speech to the executive committee, Rus Peotter said that the council of governments — known as HCG — would agree to completely separate itself from the trust, but only on the condition that the trust assume $2.2 million of the council's pension and benefit liabilities, according to the minutes of the meeting. If that didn't happen, Peotter said, HCG could fall into state receivership, thus putting the whole insurance trust under state control, according to the minutes."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Tornadoes! Sharks! Brutal heat! It's Hell Week on Cape Cod," by Beth Teitell, Boston Globe: "We can probably all agree that nothing says "Yippee! I'm on vacation!" like time spent dealing with Eversource. Such has been the pleasure of Conor Roddy, 25, who's in Harwich with his family, a vacation tradition that this year coincided with what can rightly be called Hell Week on Cape Cod. Just to review what the folks doing the traditional Saturday-to-Saturday Cape rental have been through: The weekend was brutally hot. Then it rained. Then came the tornadoes — and the destruction they caused, leaving roads blocked, restaurants shuttered, shows stopped mid-stream, and the Barnstable County Fair temporarily canceled. Oh, right, and the sharks."
- "State program targets economic development in downtown Fall River," by Peter Jasinski, Fall River Herald: "For the next two years, the city will benefit from an economic development coordinator specifically tasked with downtown revitalization. Jim McKeag, who worked in a similar consulting capacity for New Bedford, has started working in Fall River as part of the MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative. The state-sponsored program seeks to spur economic development in specific geographic areas of participating communities. Fall River has chosen to focus on a downtown area that runs along South Main Street and borders Pocasset Street to the north, Morgan Street to the south, Second Street to the east and Milliken Boulevard to the west. The former Durfee Tech building at 64 Durfee St. is included in the revitalization district."
- "Attleboro area lawmakers get local priorities included in state budget," by Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle: "A new state budget approved by the Legislature this week includes $43.1 billion in spending, but to local lawmakers it is often the little things that matter most. And this year those little things added up to a lot as increased state revenue allowed for a free flow of amendments and earmarks that contributed to a $1.6 billion increase in spending. "Every member got everything they wanted. It was very, very unusual," state Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, said Wednesday. In tougher fiscal times, she said, lawmakers really have to fight to get amendments added to the budget for their district, but not this year. The budget passed 158-0 in the House and 39-1 in the Senate. The spending includes larger than usual increases in state aid to cities, towns and school departments."
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: PRIMARY SOURCES — I was a guest on this week's Horse Race podcast talking all about the primary challengers going up against incumbent lawmakers in 2020. Can Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse take on House Ways and Means chair Richard Neal? And what's Steve Pemberton's pitch for running against Sen. Ed Markey? Make sure you give it a listen. Link.
TRANSITIONS - former Third District candidate Alexandra Chandler joins Protect Democracy as a policy advocate.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Shrewsbury state Rep. Hannah Kane, theBoston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter, who turns 28; Robert Zoellick, former World Bank president, who is 66; WGBH producer Amanda McGowan, and Boston Globe reporter Milton Valencia.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Rays beat the Red Sox 3-2.
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