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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
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, emailsmurray@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 starting Aug. 5. If you'll be there, drop me a line: smurray@politico.com.
INCHING TOWARD IMPEACHMENT — The prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump is getting harder to ignore, even as lawmakers acknowledge it as a suicide mission. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Katherine Clark joined the chorus of elected officials calling for Trump's ouster yesterday, saying the principle outweighs the political cost of what impeachment proceedings might entail.
If lawmakers began impeachment proceedings, it would start in the House. So it's a big deal that Clark, the second-highest ranking woman in the chamber, is breaking with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and calling for impeachment. Clark was elected vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus after the 2018 midterm, and said yesterday that holding the president accountable is a "patriotic duty."
"An impeachment inquiry is a process, not an outcome, but I fear there is no amount of wrongdoing that we could uncover that would convince Senate Republicans to hold the president accountable," Clark said in a statement last night. "Regardless of the outcome, I believe we have a patriotic duty to uncover the facts for the American people and uphold the rule of law."
And Markey called for impeaching President Donald Trump on the Senate floor earlier in the day, saying it is the right thing to do regardless of whether it fails in the Republican-controlled body. The move also handicapped his two primary opponents, Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton, who have used their calls for impeachment as a sticking point against Markey.
"I have no illusions about where an impeachment inquiry will lead. My Republican colleagues have thus far shown themselves unwilling to hold this President accountable. They believe that everything is, quote, all over," Markey said on the floor. "But the evidence in the Mueller report and the Special Counsel's testimony yesterday explaining it, defending it, and reaffirming it compel us to do what is right, and what is necessary. And that is to exercise our authority and begin an impeachment proceeding against Donald Trump."
The only remaining members of the state's congressional delegation who have not backed impeachment are Reps. Richard Neal, Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating. Impeachment supporters are Markey, Clark, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Reps. Joe Kennedy III, Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton, Jim McGovern, and shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller testified Wednesday, Lori Trahan.
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 opening night of the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival. Sen. Ed Markey, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, state Rep. Sarah Peake, state Rep. Tim Whelan and state Rep. William Crocker tour areas damaged by tornadoes on Cape Cod. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gets an update from public officials in Harwich in the wake of tornado damage. 2016 Green Party candidate Jill Stein speaks at the party's annual meeting in Salem.
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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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- "Massachusetts Senate passes bill to ban child marriage," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a bill banning marriage for anyone under age 18. "It really gives people sociologically and socioeconomically and public health-wise a much better chance of living a full life, a healthy life, and probably a more prosperous life," said Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, the prime sponsor of the bill, S.2294, in an interview before the vote. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, 39-0. It will now go to the House for consideration. The bill would prohibit a minister or magistrate from solemnizing a marriage of anyone under age 18. A clerk or registrar would be required to see proof of age before issuing a marriage certificate."
- "Baker encourages RMV officials to testify at legislative hearing," by Matt Murphy and Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Registry of Motor Vehicles employees who declined to appear Monday before a legislative oversight hearing are now being "encouraged" by the administration to cooperate when the hearing reconvenes next week. Transportation Committee cochairmen Representative William Straus, a Democrat from Mattapoisettt, and Senator Joe Boncore, a Democrat from Winthrop, plan to resume their hearing Tuesday as they look into the RMV's failure to process thousands of out-of-state driving violation notices. Governor Charlie Baker said Thursday his administration has had "a lot of conversations" with legislative leaders over the past few days about the decision by witnesses whose testimony was requested by the committee to skip the hearing. Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack also said Monday that her testimony would be limited, citing an outside investigation being conducted by a consultant paid by the administration."
- "Mass. Schools Get More Money In The Latest Budget. A Lot More Is Likely On The Way," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "With the arrival of a budget compromise on Sunday, Massachusetts' public schools can likely look forward to an unusually generous bump in state aid next year. Still, it's likely just a prelude to a bigger — and more contentious — overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education, as lawmakers try to reconcile several different visions of reform. It's been almost four years since a state commission found that the state was dramatically under-funding schools, especially in low-income communities. Some estimate the shortfall to be as much as $2 billion per year."
- "UMass tuition hike is likely for the fall, Meehan says," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "It looks like a 2.5 percent tuition increase is likely for University of Massachusetts students this fall, system president Marty Meehan said Thursday. The $43.1 billion state budget that the Legislature sent to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk includes $558 million in aid to UMass, which has 75,000 students. Despite the last-minute addition of $317 million in spending above and beyond spending levels approved this spring by the House and Senate, UMass was unable to secure about $10 million in additional funds that could have led to a tuition freeze for the coming academic year. "It looks like it would be about a two and a half percent increase," Meehan told two reporters after telling House Bonding Committee members about capital spending plans and a $3.3 billion deferred maintenance backlog."
- "Gov. Charlie Baker proposes tax break for companies that allow telecommuting," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing a new tax break for companies that allow their employees to telecommute. Baker made the proposal Thursday as part of a much larger $18 billion transportation bond bill. The tax break would provide a $2,000 per employee tax credit to companies that let their workers work remotely. The goal would be to divert commuters off of the state's increasingly congested roadways at rush hour. The state would cap the total cost of the tax break at $50 million a year. Today, Baker said Massachusetts "seems to be a laggard" in the number of people telecommuting compared to other states that are geographically and demographically similar."
- "Supervised drug use proponents trudge onward," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "MARYLOU SUDDERS, the governor's secretary of health and human services, led a state commission that concluded supervised drug consumption sites would be useful tools for Massachusetts because they prevent overdose deaths and stem the spread of disease. But it's never been clear how far she would go to launch the sites, given that US Attorney Andrew Lelling says he would prosecute anyone who set one up. On Wednesday, testifying before the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee, Sudders laid out some of the legal barriers along the way, spelling out her expectation of what would need to happen first before one could open."
- "A budget item that keeps ballooning," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "IN 1973, in the wake of two horrific fires in Boston and Chelsea, the Legislature approved an assessment on property and casualty insurance companies to pay for firefighter training. The assessment to fund the Department of Fire Services started small, at $100,000, then grew slowly - to $750,000 in the 1980s, $5 million in the 1990s, and $9 million in the early 2000s. Then, as lawmakers expanded the scope of fire services and began slipping more and more local earmarks into the line item, it started growing faster - to $21 million in 2011 and $27 million in 2019. This year lawmakers - and Gov. Charlie Baker - are taking spending on fire services to a whole new level. They are tapping the insurance industry for $31 million and they are consolidating $1.7 million of earmarks for a potpourri of local fire projects in a new and entirely separate line item paid for by taxpayers. At nearly $33 million, the overall spending level is up 22 percent from last year."
- "Push on Beacon Hill for 100% renewable energy by 2045," by Chris Van Buskirk, Telegram & Gazette: State Rep. Sean Garballey, D-Arlington, believes President Donald Trump has done everything in his power to reverse years of collaboration between states and the federal government on addressing climate change The passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2008, Mr. Garballey said, was a tremendous step at the time for setting clear goals on renewable energy in Massachusetts. However, the representative said the current administration has made it difficult to address the issue."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Mass. AG Healey Is Investigating Andover-Based Pharmacy's Opioid Prescriptions," by Christine Willmsen, WBUR: "The Massachusetts attorney general is investigating an Andover-based pharmacy for potentially improperly prescribing opioids to customers. Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) is a home delivery pharmacy that works with attorneys on worker's compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits across the country. Federal data show IWP received more than 34 million opioid pain pills from 2006 to 2012. Because the pharmacy dispenses prescriptions nationwide, it's unclear how many were sent to Massachusetts residents' homes. Attorney General Maura Healey's civil investigation was already underway before the federal data became public last week, states an office spokesperson."
- "For biotech industry, a milestone: Vertex names woman as president, CEO," by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: "Score one for gender diversity in the male-dominated biotech industry. Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Thursday that its chief medical officer, Reshma Kewalramani, will take over as president and chief executive in April, succeeding Jeffrey Leiden, who has run the Boston company for seven years and will continue as executive chairman. Kewalramani, 46, will be the first female CEO at a top-tier US biotech company, a watershed moment for Vertex — it's the state's second-largest biotech by stock market value, after Biogen — and the industry, which has struggled to diversify its ranks."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Boston Calling promoter describes encountering a knotty permit process until agreeing to hire union workers," by Maria Cramer, Boston Globe: "The Boston Calling festival appeared to go smoothly that May weekend in 2014. Tens of thousands of fans packed City Hall Plaza to watch musical acts including The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Jack Johnson. The concert's promoter, Crash Line Productions, had gotten its permits from the city fairly easily, and the newly elected mayor, Martin J. Walsh, had even agreed to loosen alcohol restrictions so concertgoers could walk around freely with their libations, rather than stand under designated tents called "beer pens." Crash Line was looking forward to another successful festival in September of that year. But shortly after the May concert, Brian Appel, one of the company's founders, got a call from Kenneth Brissette, the city's newly installed director of tourism, arts, and special events."
- "In Tsarnaev case, death sentence policy change will have little short-term effect, attorneys say," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "While the federal government said Thursday it will resume executing death-row inmates, that policy change will have little effect on convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's case in the short-term, according to local attorneys and legal scholars. Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in 2015 for detonating a bomb amid Marathon spectators, becoming the first terrorist condemned to death by a jury in the post-9/11 US. But when that happened, the Justice Department was operating under a de facto moratorium on executions because of a review of federal death penalty policy. That review has been completed, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday, and it has cleared the way for executions to resume."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren Has a Radical Plan to Beat Trump at His Own Game," by Joshua Green, Bloomberg: "One way to understand her urgency is as the result of a radicalizing moment: Trump's victory. Four years ago there was talk of a Warren presidential campaign, but she decided not to run, wagering that the best shot to enact her agenda was by working through a powerful Democrat she believed could win—Hillary Clinton. People close to her say Trump's surprise election left her shocked and filled with regret. "If you went back to 2014 and told Elizabeth that Donald Trump would be elected president as a right-wing populist," a close adviser told me, "there's no question she would have run for president." It's one of very few topics that leaves Warren short of words. Sitting on her sofa, she rebuffed any attempt to get her to revisit her thinking and what she'd have done differently. "I can't," she said. "I just can't." Friends say what's driving her now is a desire to correct that mistake and a conviction that Trump's election showed voters want change on a scale most Democrats don't comprehend."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "Kennedy Warns Democrats Not To Lose Focus After Mueller Hearing," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "Congressman Joe Kennedy III said former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony in front of Congress yesterday was devastating. "You heard him say in excruciating detail that a foreign government attacked our democracy," Kennedy said during an interview with Boston Public Radio. "That they did so to favor one presidential candidate — Donald Trump — that the president's campaign operatives expected that assistance would help their campaign. That after that happened they tried to cover it up, and they lied about it." Despite widespread debate over how well Mueller performed and the effectiveness of his often laconic answers to questions, Kennedy said the discussion shouldn't focus on Mueller."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "To fix transit, Baker aims to get business world on board," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Solving our transportation mess will inevitably require help from the private sector. State government won't be able to do it alone. Now, the Baker administration is proposing ways that could make so-called public-private partnerships happen more quickly, more easily, and more frequently. Governor Charlie Baker submitted a bond bill to the Legislature Thursday that would authorize $18 billion in transportation spending over 10 years. The package includes the usual Christmas list. Here's a sampling of the items Baker wants under his tree: road improvements near the Cape Cod Canal bridges, more money for long-awaited projects such as the South Coast rail extension and the South Station expansion, and improved rail service from Worcester to Springfield."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Ambition Served Moulton Well In Combat, But Not Always In Politics," by Fred Thys, WBUR: " On his second combat tour in Iraq, 2nd Lt. Seth Moulton led his platoon in one of the most grueling battles of the war, at a cemetery in Najaf. "It was intense," says Nick Henry, who served as a lance corporal under Moulton. "The thing we dealt with in the cemetery was a lot like Vietnam, almost. The insurgency would dig into the cemetery and they would pop out of little tunnels and holes. We would fight through them and then they would end up popping out of tunnels behind us, and we'd have to back up and re-clear, and basically it was 360 all the time." Moulton served four tours of combat in Iraq. He's called it the most influential experience of his life, one he refers to often in his presidential run."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "DANGER ABOVE" — Globe: "Woman badly hurt when railing ralls from roof," "Baker proposes $18b transit fix." |
| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "The next Joe Crowley? Not us, these high-profile Democrats say," by Stephanie Akin, Roll Call: "Democrats in Congress who have been living for months with the threat of primary challenges are getting their first sense of actual danger, with a string of progressive candidates announcing campaigns in recent weeks against some of the most entrenched and high-profile members. Targets include House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal, who has represented Western Massachusetts since 1989. His challenger, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, launched a much-anticipated campaign Monday. Neal is just the latest big-name incumbent from a deep-blue district to be targeted by progressive groups this cycle, as Democrats grapple with the twin tasks of opposing President Donald Trump and quelling internal calls for the party's establishment to cede power to a younger, more diverse generation of leaders."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Here's the story of the Great Western Mass. Yak Escape of 2019," by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: "The Great Yak Escape and the subsequent Yak Attack and Yak Corral of 2019 unfolded across a few miles of previously idyllic woodland in Western Massachusetts. By week's end, three yaks would be detained in a shed in West Springfield; a 74-year-old alpaca expert would be combing his fence for breaks; and a German shepherd named Sarah would be trying her best to return to normalcy, pushing memories of the attack from her canine mind. But the tale begins much earlier."
- "Michael J. Kittredge II, founder of Yankee Candle, dies at 67," by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: "Michael J. "Mike" Kittredge II, the founder of the Yankee Candle Company, passed away Wednesday. He was 67 years old. Kittredge began making candles 50 years ago in the garage of his childhood home in South Hadley, making his first candle out of melted crayons as a gift for his mother. The candle company grew to become one of the largest employers in Western Massachusetts, with about 1,400 employees in the region, including at the offices and flagship store in South Deerfield, the Whately factory and a facility in East Longmeadow."
- "Amherst mulls lowering voting age," by Scott Merzabach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Allowing residents under 18 and noncitizens to vote in local elections will be a significant challenge to implement in Amherst, according to the town's attorney. Lauren Goldberg of KP Law, in a July 17 letter to Town Manager Paul Bockelman, wrote that changing rules regarding who is eligible to vote, even if only for matters affecting town affairs, would depend on approval from the state Legislature. Bockelman said he solicited the legal opinion because of a section of the charter that requires an investigation by Dec. 31 into possibly lowering the voting age and determining whether an avenue exists to allow noncitizens to vote. The charter was adopted in March 2018."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Gov. Baker sends National Guard to help with tornado recovery," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "Ann and Sandy Hamilton watched from their yard Thursday afternoon as National Guard troops swept down Swan River Road with chainsaws and dump trucks, clearing tree branches and leaf litter from Tuesday's tornado. Most of the 21 guardsmen assigned to the Swan River Road cleanup are from the 102nd Civil Engineering Squadron with the Massachusetts Air National Guard unit at Otis Air National Guard Base. Many of them are tradesmen whose day jobs involve plumbing, building and the operation of heavy equipment. The troops were mobilized when Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the call-up of 500 guardsmen to assist in the Cape's cleanup efforts in Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich and Chatham, the hardest hit communities. The deployment adds to the 221 Department of Correction employees and 88 inmates helping clear roads and debris."
- "Gloucester lifeguards stage sick-out," by Ray Lamont, Gloucester Daily Times: "The firing of two veteran lifeguards who were illegally jumping off the Good Harbor Beach footbridge last weekend sparked a "sick-out" among other Gloucester lifeguards. Their chairs at Good Harbor, Wingaersheek and other beaches were empty Thursday. But the city is keeping all of its beaches open, staffing them with EMTs in place of the regular part-time guards, even if it means a higher cost, Chief Administrative Officer James Destino said Thursday."
SPOTTED: Eating pizza with state Sen. Sal DiDomenico last night ... Valentino Capobianco, Meg Kilcoyne, Chris Smith Frank Munro, Brittany Gavrilles, Maia Raynor, Jon Thibault, Cody Cass Steve Mendoza, Phil Geoffrey, Pete Rondeau and Rob Cohen. Pic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to NAIOP Massachusetts CEO Tamara Small(h/t Anastasia Nicolaou), and Hadley Holmes .
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Mass Audubon's Mike Cusher, who celebrates Saturday; and former Daily Hampshire Gazette opinion editor Stanley Moulton, who celebrates Sunday.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Red Sox beat the Yankees 19-3.
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