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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. I'm in Nashville for the National Conference of State Legislatures 2019 Legislative Summit, where I've had barbecue for every meal. I'm operating on Central Time, so your newsletter is coming a little later than usual. Drop me a line if you're here in Tennessee: smurray@politico.com.
HOW OTHER STATES HANDLE SPORTS BETTING — As Massachusetts mulls over plans to embrace sports gambling, a group of lawmakers and staffers from across the country huddled at the National Conference of State Legislatures Legislative Summit in Nashville on Tuesday to discuss how best to regulate the new industry. Sports betting isn't exactly a windfall to states that host it, lawmakers cautioned, but it can provide a legitimate revenue stream.
Bay State lawmakers have filed a number of sports betting bills this session, after a 2018 Supreme Court decision overturned a law that banned sports betting. Since then, 10 states have welcomed the new industry with a wide-ranging set of regulations and tax rates.
A proposal from Gov. Charlie Baker would tax sports betting at 10 percent for in-person bets, and 12.5 percent for online wagers. That would put the Massachusetts tax rate far below Pennsylvania, which taxes sports betting at 34 percent, and just above Nevada, which uses a 6.75 percent tax rate.
Nevada collected around $20 million in tax revenues in the first 12 months of legal sports betting, according to Nevada state Attorney General Aaron Ford. He said sports betting isn't quite the "cash cow" that some anticipated, but that tax revenues can provide a boost.
"It is a cow. It's just a skim cow," Ford said. New Jersey has outpaced Nevada, raising around $23 million since it launched sports betting in June 2018. Baker's administration estimates his plan could raise around $35 million.
Lawmakers in Nashville also emphasized the need to allow online sports betting, which can be done from a smartphone. West Virginia state Rep. Shawn Fluharty said it'd be "legislative malpractice" for states to bar sports betting on mobile devices and only allow betting to happen in casinos. One of the largest companies that hosts mobile sports betting is Boston-based DraftKings, which opened a new headquarters in the Back Bay several months ago.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Sen. Ed Markey and Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian hold a press conference in Billerica on supporting opioid addiction treatment for people involved in the justice system. Rep. Bill Keating hosts an event in Waquoit.
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POLITICO AT #TRIBFEST19 — We are excited to partner with The Texas Tribune Festival to bring some of the top journalists from our newsroom to downtown Austin on September 28 for the premier gathering of policymakers and citizens engaged in the most pressing issues of our time. From fixing America's broken politics to understanding how immigration and border policies are shaping the 2020 landscape, join us for big-thinking conversations with top leaders and experts in the field. Learn more about the festival HERE. Interested in sponsorship opportunities? Email Us
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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— "While Washington stalls, activists see optimism in gun control efforts at the state level," by Victoria McGrane, Boston Globe: "Gun-control advocates have scored major victories in red states as well as blue ones in recent years, bolstering their optimism even as they acknowledge that odds remain long that Washington will respond with federal legislation to the twin massacres in El Paso and Dayton, Ohio. ... While Congress has not passed meaningful gun-control legislation in decades, achievements in more than 40 states reflect the strength of a movement that is able to go toe-to-toe with the historically powerful National Rifle Association and other gun rights groups, activists contend."
— "FRUSTRATIONS SIMMER FOR DEM CHAIRS SEEKING ACCESS TO RMV DOCUMENTS," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Lawmakers investigating the Registry of Motor Vehicles scandal are growing increasingly frustrated with Gov. Charlie Baker's transportation department, warning in a Tuesday letter that they are "losing confidence in the Administration's willingness to cooperate fully" and hinting they may soon seek subpoena power to acquire relevant records. In a terse letter to Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, Rep. William Straus and Sen. Joseph Boncore expressed "overall frustration and deep concern" that their requests for documents, particularly internal communications among RMV employees, have not been fully addressed."
— "STATE ORDERS PROGRESSIVE GROUP TO SET UP PAC," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "The grassroots organizing group Progressive Massachusetts was forced this month by campaign finance regulators to set up a political action committee, but avoided further disciplinary action or disclosure requirements after being faulted for acting like a PAC without registering. The decision from Office of Campaign and Political Finance Director Michael Sullivan was laid out in a July 18 letter to Progressive Mass President Susan Davidoff. Sullivan said OCPF was acting in response to a complaint. Sullivan said he believed Progressive Massachusetts's failure to register as a PAC was the result of a "misunderstanding of the campaign finance law." OCPF said Progressive Mass not only sent out emails to its members and others to increase participation and donations to the organization, but also solicited donations by referencing the group's intention to support progressive candidates."
— "Your Car Talks To The Manufacturer. Advocates Want It To Talk to You, Too," by Adrian Ma, WBUR: " If your car is less than a decade old, chances are it's equipped with "telematics" — basically, computers that let the manufacturer wirelessly track a car's performance and send notifications when something needs fixing. In some cases, these notifications may even recommend a nearby dealership to make those repairs. "Toyota, Honda, BMW, Audi ... they're all talking to the car," said Barry Steinberg, who runs several auto shops in Massachusetts under the name Direct Tire & Auto Service. Steinberg worries that when manufacturers can nudge drivers toward dealer-based repair shops, it puts independent shops like his at a disadvantage."
— "Report Flags Impediments To MBTA Improvements," by Chris Lisinski,State House News Service: "Restrictive procurement requirements and a lack of high-level staffing for capital projects hamstring the MBTA's ability to deliver much-needed improvements, according to a new report. Researchers with the Pioneer Institute examined the T's spending practices over the past decade-plus and ongoing work to upgrade the Red and Orange Lines. In a Tuesday report, they concluded that, without additional hiring and changes to make awarding contracts easier, the T will struggle to reach its modernization and ridership goals."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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— "MBTA Green Line train derails in Newton," by Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: "A derailment was reported on the D branch of the Green Line in Newton Wednesday morning, according to the MBTA website. MBTA officials said shuttle buses will be replacing Green Line D branch service between Riverside and Newton Highlands due to the derailed train at Riverside. "Expect delays as buses are dispatched," MBTA officials wrote. MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo said the inbound train that derailed east of Riverside Station shortly after 6 a.m. had one passenger on board."
— "FBI and ADL offer $35,000 reward for information on arsons at Boston area Jewish community centers," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "The FBI and Anti-Defamation League are offering a combined $35,000 award for information leading to the arrest of a suspected arsonist police say started fires at area Jewish community centers in May, the bureau announced Tuesday. The FBI also released new videos of the suspect walking to and from the Chabad Centers in Arlington and Needham — where the three fires were set. The FBI is offering $20,000 and the ADL is offering $15,000."
— "Business activists push city to offer more contracts to minority firms," by Kellen Browning, Boston Globe: "A coalition of activists is ramping up pressure on Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh to award more public contracts to women- or minority-owned businesses after the city acknowledged in May that it sent only a tiny amount of its business to those firms. In a letter to Walsh and Boston city councilors Tuesday, organizations including the Lawyers for Civil Rights, the Massachusetts Minority Contractors Association, and the Greater Boston Latino Network said that it is "alarmingly clear that [the] disparity in city contracting has affected Boston's diverse business community for far too long." "The amount of wealth being lost each year in communities of color as a result is astounding," the coalition wrote."
— "Have Tom and Gisele listed their Brookline estate for sale?" by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: "For about an hour on Tuesday morning, the Brookline estate of Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen and her husband, New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, was listed for sale on housing site Zillow for $39.5 million. But then the Zillow listing was updated to say the home "is not currently for sale or rent." However, the listing is still active on a number of other sites, including Compass and Estately. It's not clear why the posting was retracted from Zillow. The home could have sold in the hour or so the Zillow posting went live — or the posting could have been requested to be taken down."
— "Philadelphia murder suspect arrested in Cambridge after Harvard Square search," by John R. Ellement, Martin Finucane and Diamond Naga Siu, Boston Globe: "Police arrested a Philadelphia murder suspect in a building in bustling Harvard Square on Tuesday, after a tense search during which residents were ordered to shelter in place. Thirty-one-year-old Sohan Panjrolia, a former Harvard student, was being sought by Philadelphia police in the murder of his father over the weekend. Panjrolia was spotted in Harvard Square Tuesday afternoon and was taken into custody without incident near the Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop inside The Garage mall building on John F. Kennedy Street, Cambridge police spokesman Jeremy Warnick said."
— "'It's not supposed to be there': A utility pole is blocking a new Somerville bike lane," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "From glass shards to car doors, cyclists encounter a range of objects and obstacles in their path when commuting along a designated bike lane. But a towering utility pole that's smack-dab in the middle of a painted section of a new cycle track? For many traveling through Somerville on two wheels, that's a new one. "It's kind of weird," said Ian Woloschin, a Somerville resident and bike commuter who encountered the pole in question recently. "It's utterly ridiculous." Woloschin took a photograph on Sunday of the wooden utility pole, which is located directly in the path of the green-striped Beacon Street bike lane, near the Park Street intersection. He shared the picture to a Facebook group for local cyclists."
— IT IS OBVIOUSLY MASSHOLE: "'Massachusettsan?' Bay Staters and Massholes are perplexed by this word for Mass. natives," by Christopher Gavin, Boston.com: " "If you hail from Massachusetts, you may consider yourself a few things. A Bay Stater. A Bostonian, perhaps. Maybe even a Masshole. But what about a "Massachusettsan?" The term, while rarely uttered in New England, is apparently the demonym of choice by the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO), the agency tasked with producing publications for Congress and other federal departments. The obscure word appears as the official one to identify Massachusetts natives in the GPO's longstanding style guide. While it's been in the manual for decades, talk over the government's preferred word choice recently broke out on Twitter after Natalie Jackson, research director for the nonprofit Public Religion Research Institute, posted a snippet of the style guide."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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— "Congressman Keating may face Dem primary challenge," by Ted Nesi, WPRI: "Democratic Congressman Bill Keating could face a primary next year from the northern edge of his district. Norwell Selectman Joe Rull, a veteran of Boston city politics, confirmed Tuesday he is actively considering a 2020 run for the 9th Congressional District seat held by Keating, who was first elected in 2010. "It's too early to decide, but I'm definitely thinking about it," Rull told WPRI 12. "I care deeply about the constituents. ... It's just right now I don't know if this is the right time. It's very early on." He said he disaffiliated from the Democratic Party during the last election cycle but would run in the party's Sept. 15 primary if he jumps into the race."
— "Ed Markey's primary challenger calls for the repeal of the Second Amendment," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "In the wake of the two mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio, over the weekend, Sen. Ed Markey reiterated his calls for the Senate to pass "common-sense" legislation to address gun violence, such as universal background checks and bans on military-style weapons and high-capacity magazines. One of his Democratic primary challengers, Shannon Liss-Riordan, thinks Congress should go further — and repeal the Second Amendment."
CHARLIE BAKER'S FOOD FIGHT IN TAUNTON!
— "No shoo-in in Taunton," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "IT MAY HAVE looked like a bipartisan cakewalk at first, but by Tuesday afternoon the race for mayor of Taunton became a full-on food fight with four candidates running for the newly opened seat. With a little more than a day before nominating signatures were due, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, on Monday announced the appointment of Taunton Mayor Tom Hoye, a Democrat, to the position of Bristol County register of probate. Rep. Shaunna O'Connell, a Taunton Republican, leapt at the soon-to-be-vacated mayoralty, declaring her candidacy within an hour of the governor's announcement, according to the State House News Service. Later that day, city residents received a robo-call from O'Connell asking them to sign her nomination papers, according to Sen. Marc Pacheco, a Taunton Democrat, who believes Baker orchestrated things to give O'Connell an advantage."
EXCERPT:
With a little more than a day before nominating signatures were due, Gov. Charlie Baker, a Republican, on Monday announced the appointment of Taunton Mayor Tom Hoye, a Democrat, to the position of Bristol County register of probate.
Rep. Shaunna O’Connell, a Taunton Republican, leapt at the soon-to-be-vacated mayoralty, declaring her candidacy within an hour of the governor’s announcement, according to the State House News Service.
“I don’t believe that for one second,” said Pacheco, who said he found out about Hoye’s appointment Sunday night even though he’s plugged-in to city politics. “I clearly believe that there was an attempt to remove the voters from the selection of the person that would hold the seat and the office of the mayor.”
Pacheco said that O’Connell’s robo-call asked people to sign her nomination papers, and an earlier version of this story repeated that claim, but Robichaud said it is not true and included the script of the call, which does not ask for signatures.
Four other candidates followed O’Connell into the fray, according to Taunton City Hall, and three turned in papers: City Councilor Estele Borges, a Democrat, independent Peter Bzdula, and Mark Baptiste, whose party registration information was not available from City Hall on Tuesday. Democrat Jonathan Gray pulled papers, but didn’t turn them in.
First elected in the Tea Party wave of 2010, O’Connell has been part of a restive group within the House Republican minority, but the number of rabble-rousers has dwindled this session. Lyons was part of that faction, as was Geoff Diehl, who made an unsuccessful run for US Senate last year and whose campaign Robichaud managed.
— "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse Endorsed by Justice Democrats in MA-01 Primary Challenge," from the Morse campaign: "Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse has received the endorsement of Justice Democrats, a national organization dedicated to electing progressive Democrats to Congress. In 2018, Justice Democrats provided a critical endorsement to now-Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley in her primary challenge, and also helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in New York's 14th Congressional District."
— "Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz endorses Kenzie Bok for Boston City Council," from the Bok campaign: "State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz (D - 2nd Suffolk) today endorsed Kenzie Bok for the District 8 seat on the Boston City Council. Chang-Diaz's senate district includes the vibrant neighborhood of Mission Hill, which will be represented by the District 8 city councilor."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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— "For Red Line commutes, a roll of the dice and branch determine timing," by Kellen Browning, Alison Kuznitz, Diamond Naga Siu and Saurabh Datar, Boston Globe: "This is what rapid transit should be: a 20-minute ride during the morning rush, six miles and eight stops from Alewife to downtown Boston. By the end, the train is uncomfortably crowded, but moving briskly between stations without interruption. But the other end of the line is often a different story. Braintree and Ashmont riders don't know from one day to the next, or even from hour to hour, whether the commute will be quick and uneventful, or a long ordeal with lengthy stops along the way. Passengers often receive no indication of how long the wait will last and don't know how late they will be for work."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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— "Jury Enters Deliberations In Boston Calling Extortion Trial," by Jerome Campbell, WBUR: "A federal jury entered deliberations Tuesday afternoon after attorneys gave closing statements in a federal extortion trial involving two Boston City Hall aides. The two men are accused of pressuring Boston Calling festival operators to hire union labor. In closing arguments, prosecutors earlier Tuesday told jurors Kenneth Brissette and Timothy Sullivan broke the law by pushing for union labor with the organizers of the annual music festival previously held at Boston City Hall Plaza. They argued the requests were viewed as a political favor to Mayor Marty Walsh. The government referred to testimony from the president of the labor union International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Colleen Glynn. She said in court she talked to the aides about getting a contract for the festival."
— "Dartmouth College settles sex harassment suit for $14 million," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Dartmouth College has settled a class-action sexual harassment lawsuit brought by current and former students who alleged that they were preyed upon by three former psychology professors. Dartmouth settled the lawsuit for $14 million and agreed to make changes to prevent future problems, the New Hampshire college and the attorney for the women announced Tuesday. The nine women who brought the lawsuit said they were "satisfied" with the agreement."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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— "Ayanna Pressley Is the Squad's Free Agent," by Joanna Weiss, POLITICO Magazine: "Pressley, 45, might be part of the Squad, and an unfailing public cheerleader for its participants, but in many ways she's doesn't fit the profile. While the Squad has made headlines for its forceful progressivism, Pressley has never quite matched the image of the brash outsider, pushing against the establishment with bare knuckles and take-no-prisoners rhetoric. Instead, her history in Boston—from her stints as a staffer for solidly mainstream Democrats to her eight years on the Boston City Council—has been a case study of pushing for change from within the system. At a time when fissures in the Democratic Party make national news, her approach in Boston City Hall actually points a way forward for Democrats who want to cast themselves as the party of change—and the party that gets things done."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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— "Seth Moulton Vows To Stay In Presidential Race," by Bianca Vázquez Toness, WGBH News: "U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is still running for president, but you wouldn't know it by watching the Democrats debate. Moulton, a former marine who served four tours in Iraq, failed to qualify for the first two Democratic presidential candidate debates in June and July, but has vowed to stay in the race. "I'm not a quitter," Moulton told reporters Tuesday at a district visit to Andover. "I don't think the summer debates matter that much." In a wide-ranging conversation about his campaign and platform, the three-term congressman criticized Senate leader Mitch McConnell for blocking legislation that would require background checks for gun buyers, among other gun control bills."
— "Looking at the lobster double-squeeze," by Sean Horgan, Gloucester Daily Times: "The forklifts didn't stop for U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton on Tuesday afternoon when the congressman visited a Gloucester lobster wholesaler to talk about the challenges facing the Massachusetts lobster industry. But that didn't seem to deter the congressman. As Moulton toured the tank room and docks at the Cape Ann Lobstermen co-op in East Gloucester with co-owner Tessa Browne, the blur of activity continued, the constant beep-beep of forklifts serving as the soundtrack to the discussion on the double-squeeze facing the industry — expanded Chinese and European tariffs internationally and new protections for the North Atlantic right whales here at home.
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "WEED WHACKERS," — Globe: "Gun-control activists see momentum in states," "In poll, it's Biden, Sanders, Warren in N.H.," "FROM HEART OF BLACK AMERICA, A VOICE FOR THE VOICELESS."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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— MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE: "Biden, Sanders, and Warren top post-debate survey of N.H. Democrats," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "The first poll of likely New Hampshire Democrats since last week's debates shows that penetrating the top-tier of three candidates might be tougher than ever in the state's first-in-the-nation primary. With six months until the anticipated February 2020 contest, a Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll released Tuesday found former vice president Joe Biden the leader among likely Democratic primary voters with 21 percent. In second, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont had 17 percent, and, in third, Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts had 14 percent."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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— "Mass. Sheriff Touts Success Of Involuntary Treatment Program Amid Scrutiny Of Section 35," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: "With legislative and legal battles looming over forced addiction treatment in Massachusetts, Hampden County Sheriff Nicholas Cocchi gathered supporters Monday to mark one year since his program at the Ludlow jail began. Among those supporters were many of the lawmakers who will ultimately decide if his program continues. Cocchi said he's monitored many of the men who've been sent to his program under the state law called "Section 35." The controversial law allows family members, doctors and law enforcement officials to force people into addiction treatment through a court order."
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Artificial intelligence. Facial recognition. Lightning fast networks. Rapid technological change is transforming the consumer experience, upending entire industries, and challenging the way lawmakers craft policy. How are some of the world's leading companies innovating to avoid extinction? Tune into POLITICO's "Global Translations" podcast to hear from Stephen Bird, the CEO of Citi's Global Consumer Bank and Thomas Kurian, CEO of Google Cloud, in a special branded episode by Citi. Subscribe and listen now: Apple Podcasts -Spotify - Stitcher |
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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—OMG: "Methuen mistaken ID resolved," by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: " The two youngest city councilors, James McCarty, 26, and Ryan Hamilton, 21, have been mixed up by fellow councilors in meetings — typically just a quick stutter over the first couple letters of their names. However, a larger case of mistaken identity between them has led to harsh accusations. Thursday evening, McCarty received a note from Mayor James Jajuga accusing him and two men of breaking into City Clerk Jack Wilson's office July 29 while Wilson was away on vacation. The letter also included a list of criticisms of McCarty during his 19 months in office. After denying his involvement, McCarty received another note from Jajuga the following day in which the mayor apologized and explained that a mistake had been made. The correspondences were copied to Wilson, council Chairwoman Jennifer Kannan and city Solicitor Richard D'Agostino."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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— "Boston Globe Staff Staged a Walkout to Call for a 'Fair Contract,'" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Frustrated by stalled contract negotiations and "draconian proposals" from their employer, staff members at the Boston Globe walked out of work in a lunchtime protest on Tuesday. The Boston Newspaper Guild, which represents some 300 Globies on both the business and editorial side, says disputes remain unresolved over salary, vacation days, overtime, and seniority. The staffers' most recent contract expired late last year."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former special counsel Robert Mueller, who is 75; Scott Stossel , national editor of The Atlantic; former Boston's Office of Women's Advancement executive director and current Harvard Kennedy School of Government masters candidate Megan Costello, Aissa Renee Canchola and Lyndsey Wajert, a recent Boston University School of Law grad.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Royals beat the Red Sox, 6-2.
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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