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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. It's good to be back! I'm on my way to Nashville for the National Conference of State Legislatures 2019 Legislative Summit. Drop me a line if you're there: smurray@politico.com.
IS DAN KOH AROUND THE CORNER? — Rep. Lori Trahan can't seem to shake Dan Koh. Her former rival for the 3rd District nomination recently broke his silence after a tense recount during the 2018 primary, and now Trahan seems to be looking over her shoulder for a challenge next year.
Tension between Trahan and Koh has been brewing for a few weeks. The morning of former special counsel Robert Mueller's hearing before congress, Koh called for Trahan to support impeaching President Donald Trump via an op-ed in The Lowell Sun. Trahan had previously said lawmakers should hear from Mueller before making a call on impeachment. When Trahan called for Trump's impeachment after hearing Mueller testify, it looked as though Koh forced her hand.
Trahan dispelled that notion when she was asked whether Koh, now an Andover selectmen, played a role in her decision, during an appearance on Keller @ Large that aired Sunday morning.
"No more than all of the other constituents who called my office expressing their concern," Trahan said. "It wasn't a change of mind. We always had impeachment on the table, and I think as the administration continued to obstruct the investigative and the oversight hearings, not complying with the subpoenas, that was moving us in that direction."
But while Trahan brushed off Koh's criticism on television, she's taking him seriously and gearing up for a potential challenge. Trahan sent a fundraising email to supporters last week saying it's "pretty clear" a former opponent is running against her. To be fair, there aren't many other town selectmen publicly calling for the president's impeachment.
"It's never lost on me that I have to put myself in a position where I need to re-apply for this job and make my case to voters every two years," Trahan wrote last week. "In fact, I was reminded of this when one former primary opponent made it pretty clear last week that he is running against me."
For his part, Koh has said it's too early to tell whether he'll run against Trahan in a primary in 2020. But Trahan only beat Koh by around 150 votes in a crowded election last cycle, and her campaign is under scrutiny for a campaign finance issue, which could take a year, or even longer, for the FEC to resolve. Trahan's campaign has previously called that complaint, filed by a Washington-based watchdog group, "completely without merit."
As it stands, Trahan is one of the few members of the delegation who don't have a primary challenger in Massachusetts. Sen. Ed Markey and Reps. Richie Neal, Stephen Lynch, Joe Kennedy III and Seth Moulton all have primaries. That's a departure for a state that used to be criticized for its lack of electoral action — and it's only August.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends National Night Out. The Hampden County Sheriff's Department marks treatment of more than 860 men at the Stonybrook Stabilization and Treatment Center. The Department of Higher Education holds a hearing.
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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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— "Gov. allows all legislative earmarks," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Gov. Charlie Baker has wielded his veto pen every year since taking office in 2015, in part, to fulfill his campaign pledges to reduce government spending and weed earmarks from the state budget. But this week, in an unprecedented move, the second-term Republican governor signed a $43.3 billion budget bloated with tens of millions of dollars worth of earmarks — without vetoing any spending measures. Lawmakers padded the budget with funding for pet projects and programs in their districts during protracted deliberations, which helped drive up the cost of the final spending plan by $600 million ."
— "RMV scandal: What we know about the failures within the registry before New Hampshire crash that killed 7," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "The horrific crash in New Hampshire that left seven motorcyclists dead and families heartbroken had a ripple effect across state lines into Massachusetts and grew into a scandal over failures at the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Authorities in Massachusetts wanted to know how and why 23-year-old West Springfield resident Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, the man accused of killing the motorcycle riders, was still behind the wheel. Zhukovskyy had a driving under the influence arrest one month prior in Connecticut. His license was never suspended on that charge. RMV officials said his out-of-state violation was one of thousands left unprocessed."
— "Justice reinvestment gets seed funding in budget," by Ben Forman, CommonWealth Magazine: "AS MASSACHUSETTS IMPLEMENTS last year's sweeping criminal justice reform package, we must stay focused on justice reinvestment—the effort to squeeze more public safety from limited resources by reducing prison terms and redirecting the savings to behavioral health treatment, education, training, and reentry services. The state budget signed last week by Gov. Charlie Baker includes promising new provisions suggesting that state leaders are treating the 2018 bill as a solid foundation for additional reforms, not the last word on the issue."
— "Sorry diners: No state tax holiday for restaurants," The Associated Press: "If you plan on dining out during the state's sales tax holiday later this month, you'll still have to pay the 6.25 percent Massachusetts meals tax. That's no different from the way it's worked during prior tax holidays, but for a time it wasn't clear if restaurants might be included during the two-day hiatus consumers enjoy from paying sales taxes. A 2018 law establishing the tax holiday as a permanent annual fixture did not, as written, specifically exempt meals purchased at restaurants, as had been the case when it was decided year-to-year whether to hold the holiday. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker asked the Legislature to restore the meals exemption, which lawmakers did on Wednesday."
— "BAKER VETOES JANUS BILL OVER CELLPHONE PRIVACY CONCERNS," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed a bill Friday that would allow unions to charge non-union employees fees for representing them in certain labor disputes, challenging the House and Senate to override him in order to restore a key source of funding for public sector unions. Baker supports allowing unions to charge non-members for representation in grievance and arbitration hearings, though not collective bargaining, but said the bill goes too far to invade the privacy of workers who opt against joining a union."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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— "In wake of shootings, fears that 'it is not safe to be Latino,'" by John Hilliard and Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "As hundreds of parishioners were gathering for Mass Sunday at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Church in East Boston, many dressed in blue and white to honor El Salvador's patron saint, the Rev. Americo Santos said he worries for their safety. Santos grappled with how to protect them, he said, should similar violence strike close to home. "We don't know in this church if someone will appear," Santos said in an interview before Mass. "We trust that Jesus will protect us." During the Mass, they prayed for the victims of the weekend's two mass shootings in El Paso and in Dayton, Ohio, that claimed a total of 29 lives. Authorities believe the Texas suspect published a manifesto before the shooting that targeted Hispanic immigrants. Investigators did not give a motive in the Ohio murders."
— "T Says Damage From June Derailment Will Be Fixed By October," The Associated Press: "Transit officials say it will likely be October before all repairs are completed to signals that were damaged when a Red Line train derailed in Boston. A spokesman for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority tells The Boston Globe that the T is targeting October for having all the signals operating automatically. That's later than original timelines that had the work being completed as early as Labor Day."
— "Hometown advantage? Not for Boston's ad agencies," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Like other chief marketing officers in the Boston area, Don Lane faces an important question: whether to buy local. Advertising, that is. As the new chief marketing officer at the Saucony shoe company in Waltham, Lane may be looking for a new ad agency later this year. ... Time was, Boston companies usually hired Boston advertising agencies. But now, if Lane stays in his backyard, he'd be bucking an industry trend. Being local is no longer an advantage for an ad agency; proximity and geography barely seem to matter anymore."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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— "What To Know About A Major Hearing In AG Healey's Lawsuit Against Purdue Pharma," by Deborah Becker, WBUR: " A judge is weighing a motion to dismiss Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey's lawsuit against Purdue Pharma, the maker of the powerful prescription opioid drug OxyContin. At a lengthy hearing Friday in Suffolk Superior Court in Boston, both sides argued over whether the trial should go forward. Healey's suit alleges Purdue aggressively — and deceptively — marketed its opioid pain pills, even though the company knew they were addictive."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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— "Sanders defends Warren against Cheney over nuclear strike policy," by Matthew Choi, POLITICO: "Sen. Bernie Sanders defended his 2020 Democratic presidential opponent Elizabeth Warren on Friday after Rep. Liz Cheney went after her for advocating a no-first-strike nuclear policy. During the Democratic primary debate Tuesday, Warren pushed for the United States to adopt a policy of never using a nuclear weapon unless another country uses one first — a policy CNN moderator Jake Tapper noted President Barack Obama had considered but declined. Warren said the policy would help minimize misunderstandings by foreign adversaries of U.S. intentions, preventing an accidental catastrophe."
— "Elizabeth Warren: Trump should not 'wink and nod and smile' about white supremacy," by Paul LeBlanc, CNN: "Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren on Sunday said President Donald Trump should not "wink and nod and smile" about white supremacy in the wake of two mass shootings in the US in the span of 13 hours -- one massacre that involved a white supremacist suspect. "White supremacy is a domestic terrorism threat in the same way that foreign terrorism threatens our people," the Massachusetts Democrat told CNN's Don Lemon on "CNN Tonight." 'And it is the responsibility of the President of the United States to help fight back against that. Not to wink and nod and smile at it and let it get stronger in this country.'"
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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— "Ayanna Pressley 'absolutely' believes Trump is a racist, but says her focus is policy, not rhetoric," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "US Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley believes President Trump is a racist and has been one for decades, but the Dorchester Democrat is focused not on what the former reality TV star believes but on the very real effects of his policies in people's lives. That's what Pressley told co-hosts Ed Harding and Janet Wu on WCBV-TV's pre-recorded "On the Record" Sunday morning, as the three engaged in a wide-ranging interview that touched on topics from the president's attacks on "the Squad," to the 2020 race, to Pressley's efforts to eliminate the federal death penalty. "Do you believe the president's a racist?" Harding asked less than three minutes into the televised interview."
— "After Deadly Shootings, Mass. Congressional Delegation Calls For Stricter Gun Control," by Laney Ruckstuhl, WBUR:"Members of Massachusetts' all-Democratic Congressional delegation are urging lawmakers to pass stricter gun control legislation after two mass shootings in less than 24 hours left at least 29 people dead. Several lawmakers tweeted in support of communities reeling from the two shootings over the weekend. A gunman in El Paso, Texas killed 20 people and injured as least 26 others on Saturday morning, officials say. A second mass shooting left at least nine people dead and 27 more injured in Dayton, Ohio early Sunday morning."
— "U.S. Rep. Stephen Lynch: Trump must end hateful rhetoric," by Andrew Martinez, Boston Herald: "U.S. Rep Stephen Lynch on Sunday said President Trump's rhetoric on illegal immigrants may "feed a certain attitude" in the wake of a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, the feds are treating as a potential hate crime. Lynch, speaking in South Boston after a recent trip to the El Paso border with a congressional delegation, said the president's demonization of illegal immigrants, including calling them "rapists and murderers" has not been helpful."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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— "Saoirse Kennedy Hill funeral set for Monday morning," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Saoirse Kennedy Hill, the 22-year-old granddaughter of the late Robert F. Kennedy, will be remembered Monday morning in a funeral Mass on Cape Cod, according to a family spokesman. Kennedy Hill, a Boston College student, was found unresponsive at the Kennedy compound in Hyannis Port on Thursday afternoon and later pronounced dead at Cape Cod Hospital. Her funeral Mass will take place at 11 a.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church in the Barnstable village of Centerville, according to a statement released Sunday by Brian Wright O'Connor, a spokesman for former congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II. A private burial service will follow the Mass."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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— "Commissioner abstains on most pot license votes," by Jack Sullivan, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE for the state's five-member Cannabis Control Commission is, arguably, its mandate to vote on granting recreational marijuana licenses, without which there can be no growing, manufacturing, or, most importantly, sales. But Commissioner Shaleen Title has not cast a vote on the vast majority of final licenses issued by the board, the last procedural step before a recreational facility can begin operations. Title, who has been vocal in her criticism of host community agreements she claims violate the adult use law which she helped draw up, has abstained or recused herself from nearly 80 percent of the 77 roll calls the commission has taken on issuing final licenses."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "AMERICA MOURNS" — Globe: "THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BECOME."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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— "The Trans-Commonwealth RR: Newton Service So Close... & yet So Far Away," by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight: "The same highway and rail line that divide Boston also splits Newton. In the capital city, the corridor separates neighborhoods from each other. Here, it pierces several of this city's villages. Frothing traffic spills out into veins of streets, branching outward from the Turnpike. The Worcester Line tracks and dismal stations along I-90 provide little relief. Substandard commuter rail bleeds into housing, environmental, accessibility and quality of life. Advocates have demanded upgrades for years and municipal candidates have begun to take heed. Yet, this length of track is only part of the larger ex-Boston & Albany Railroad. Investment is in demand throughout its length. If realized, it could transform Massachusetts, but perhaps only if the route is considered a coherent whole."
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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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— "Prosecutors will resume use of breath tests," by Julie Manganis, Eagle-Tribune: "After more than four years, prosecutors in Essex County will resume using the results of Breathalyzer tests in court after the state lab that oversees the devices announced they had obtained national accreditation and a judge allowed their use, a spokeswoman for the Essex District Attorney confirmed this week. The use of the tests was suspended in 2015 after it was discovered that a new batch of machines, the Draeger Alcotest 9510, purchased in 2011, had not been properly calibrated to meet a stricter standard in Massachusetts."
TRANSITIONS — Eric William Dyer joins Casner & Edwards as an associate in the firm's nonprofit organizations group.
MAZEL! to Ball Consulting Group, which celebrates 15 years in the biz.
SPOTTED: At a summer retreat on Cape Cod over the weekend hosted by Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito for donors who have given or committed to raise $10,000 in 2019:Lauren Baker, Steve Rodalakis, state Rep. Brad Jones, state Rep. Will Crocker, Kirsten Hughes, Roger Marino, Joe O'Donnell, Keiko Orrall, Norman Orrall, Bill Carey, Chris Lane, Barry Sloane, George Regan, Ed Cash, Norfolk County Sheriff Jerry McDermott, Mike Cimino, Tony Ravosa, Al Minahan, Matt Keswick, Dan Shores, Amy Carnevale, Perri Petricca, John Cook, Mike Morris, Dave Shapiro, Josh Harrell, Ed Sullivan, Tim Kelley, Judy Crocker, Jerry Feldman, Larry Army, Vinny O'Rorke, Jan Feldman, Kathy Campanella, Dick Campbell, Frank Shea,Tom Arcadipane, Mary Burns. Pic.
WEEKEND WEDDING — "Crosby Burns, Jonathan Herczeg" - N.Y. Times: " Crosby Hamilton Burns and Jonathan Arthur Dale Herczeg were married Aug. 3 at Snake River Ranch in Wilson, Wyo. EB Kelly, a friend of the couple who became a Universal Life minister for the event, officiated. Mr. Burns (left), 32, is to begin working, in September, as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in San Francisco. He was until February, working in Boston as the chief strategy officer for the Massachusetts Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. ... Mr. Herczeg, 38, is a senior regulatory counsel at Uber in San Francisco. He graduated from Yale and received a law degree magna cum laude from N.Y.U." Link.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY — to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, who celebrated Saturday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to former ambassador and MA-03 candidate Rufus Gifford, who is 45; Christina Pacheco, deputy state director for Sen. Ed Markey; and Jim Puzzanghera, Boston Globe D.C. bureau chief.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Yankees beat the Red Sox, 7-4, to finish off a four-game sweep in the Bronx.
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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