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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
STATE HOUSE LEADERS PICK SIDES — State House Speaker Robert DeLeo and state Senate President Karen Spilka reaffirmed support for Sen. Ed Markey yesterday, even as Rep. Joe Kennedy III moves toward a likely Senate bid.
"I stand by my endorsement of Sen. Markey," Spilka told reporters at the State House on Monday afternoon.
"I do, too," DeLeo added.
Spilka and DeLeo are among the more than 100 state lawmakers backing Markey for Senate in 2020. Though some Democrats caution against Democratic primaries, DeLeo said some competition in electoral politics is the "democratic way."
"I think that in our democracy, so to speak, anyone and everyone has a right to choose to run for whatever seat that they wish to do so, and that's the democratic way," DeLeo said yesterday.
Party insiders will likely ask themselves where their loyalties lie this weekend, too, when Democrats gather in Springfield for the state Democratic Convention. Even as Kennedy's plans are up in the air, the party is split. Some support Markey for his liberal record and climate advocacy, but others back a would-be Kennedy campaign that could pose a generational challenge.
It's not clear whether Kennedy will announce his decision on the Senate race before, during, or after the convention. But here's a clue: Kennedy does not plan to speak at the annual gathering.
Markey will deliver remarks, and his announced primary challengers Steve Pemberton and Shannon Liss-Riordan were also invited to speak. Kennedy will not address the convention because he is holding office hours in his district early in the day on Saturday. The 4th District lawmaker also opted not to speak at a Labor Day breakfast in Boston earlier this month, which he and Markey both attended.
Kennedy didn't say whether that means he will decide on a Senate run before the convention or not. "It is safe to say that I will make a decision about this as quickly as I possibly can .. after I've had the opportunity to weigh the considerations that I need to weigh," Kennedy told reporters last week while stumping for Sen. Elizabeth Warren in Manchester, N.H.
Later Saturday, Kennedy will speak on a panel at the convention on race and politics with Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, state Rep. Aaron Vega, Framingham Mayor Yvonne Spicer and activist Nazda Alam. The panel will "explore the historic and modern impact of racism on communities of color, white privilege, being an ally, and how we can collectively fight back against a president that promotes white supremacy."
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 speaks at the National Association of State Workforce Agencies 2019 Workforce Summit. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Francis "Fanny" Appleton Pedestrian Bridge on the Charles River Esplanade. Polito attends Biotech Week Boston Celebration of Diversity.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the Schwartz Center Compassion in Action Healthcare Conference, a Senior Party in the Park event in Roxbury, and the Northeastern Lightview Residence Hall opening. Walsh announces $2.2 million in funding for economic mobility organizations in Roxbury and attends the Turn-It-Around Teens BBQ for Recovery in Charlestown. Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington announces a new initiative for juvenile justice at a press conference in Pittsfield. Rep. Katherine Clark rallies in support of the BE HEARD Act in Washington, D.C.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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CHARLIE RODE THE MBTA!
EXCERPT:
Baker took control of the MBTA early in his administration, installing a new control board in July 2015, only a few months after severe winter storms ground service to a halt. Since then the Republican governor has struggled to improve reliability for transit riders, and endured criticism not just for its performance, but also for his refusal to step into the shoes of everyday riders.
“Governor, it’s time you overcame your inexplicable fear of the T and get on a train,” Massachusetts Democratic Party Chairman Gus Bickford thundered in a June press release, a day after a Red Line derailment that triggered months of subpar service on the T’s busiest line.
Democrats have held up signs at Baker’s public events calling on him to ride the T, while the governor has insisted that his job is to find ways to fix the service, not necessarily to use it for his own travel needs.
The governor’s roughly seven-mile journey on Monday defanged the attacks on him just as Beacon Hill is preparing for a big debate over creating new revenue streams for the MBTA and the rest of the state’s transportation systems.
- "Gov. Charlie Baker On Transportation, Housing And Education," by Joe Mathieu, WGBH News. Link.
- "Massachusetts 'gender X' bill up for debate," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Advocates for a bill to let people choose "X" as a gender on driver's licenses and birth certificates plan to show up in full force for a hearing this week on Beacon Hill, but opponents said they're gearing up to push back against the "radical left" legislation. Supporters backing the legislation said it would help people who are constantly misidentified. But opponents, such as Massachusetts Republican Party Chairman Jim Lyons, said the legislation brings public safety concerns — adding they hope it yet again stalls in the House of Representatives."
- "Audit: Transportation a barrier to food assistance benefits," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "TRANSPORTATION CHALLENGES are the biggest barrier Massachusetts residents face in applying for federal food assistance, according to a report released on Monday by state Auditor Suzanne Bump. Participation in the food assistance program, called the Special Supplemental Nutritional Program for Women, Infants, and Children, has fallen from 114,419 in 2016 to 108,593 at the end of 2018, a decline of 5 percent. The state audit suggested transportation hurdles may be contributing to the decline, although the Department of Public Health, which administers the so-called WIC program for the US Department of Agriculture, disputed that."
- "BAKER NAMES THREE PRIORITY BILLS FOR THE FALL," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "With the caveat that there are "a lot of other things too," Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday named three bills he hopes the Legislature will advance between now and Thanksgiving. After several weeks off, Baker met privately with Democratic legislative leaders Monday. Baker has put an array of bills before a Legislature that's taken a go-slow approach this session, and told reporters after Monday's meeting that he'd like to see action on his $18 billion multi-year transportation spending bill, his legislation to spur the production of new housing, and his so-called drugged driving bill.
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| WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
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- "What's at stake — and for whom — in the City Hall bribery case," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "In the bribery scandal that's roiling Boston City Hall, the shoes have been dropping so fast it can be hard to keep up. It's been barely 10 days since a little-known city staffer admitted to taking bribes to influence a vote on the city's Zoning Board of Appeal, but in that time a veteran developer has been linked to the scandal, a ZBA member has resigned, and one of Mayor Martin J. Walsh's closest aides has stepped down, temporarily, to avoid any potential conflicts with the city's investigation."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "A $50k bribe is small change in Boston's real estate boom," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "The indictment of a former Boston Planning and Development Agency worker for receiving a $50,000 bribe from a developer has focused attention on the city's Zoning Board of Appeal, the body that has final say over construction projects in Boston, but the case points to a much larger pattern of influence-peddling, most of which is legal under state law. John Lynch, a longtime city employee, allegedly took payment from a real estate developer to secure an extension on a South Boston project."
- "Boston gives kindergarteners $50 in savings accounts," The Associated Press: "Kindergarteners in Boston are getting a unique back-to-school gift: $50 deposited into their very own savings accounts. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh announced Monday that every kindergarten student in the city's public school system will get the savings accounts and cash starting this fall as part of the Boston Saves initiative. The effort also includes incentives for families to build the account for their child's future. Families can earn up to an extra $65 from the city during the first year through regular contributions."
- "Boston City Council to eye ban on masks after Straight Pride Parade arrests," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Antifa's trademark masks — used to shield the hard-left activists' identities at protests nationwide that sometimes turn violent — would be banned in Boston under an ordinance proposed by City Councilor Tim McCarthy that would make all face coverings at illegal at demonstrations. McCarthy will introduce a hearing order at Wednesday's council meeting to hold hearings before the Public Safety and Criminal Justice Committee he chairs in hopes of hammering out an ordinance change."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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- "Walsh endorses two for Boston City Council at-large seats," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "In a rare show of support for a candidate for City Council, Mayor Martin J. Walsh handed out two endorsements last week in the at-large race ahead of the Sept. 24 preliminary election. He's supporting an incumbent and a newcomer. Walsh endorsed Annissa Essaibi-George, an at-large councilor since 2015, as well as Alejandra St. Guillen, a first-time candidate who has won the support of progressive groups across the city. They are both battling with more than a dozen other candidates for one of the four at-large seats."
- "AFSCME Council 93 Endorses Ed Markey for Senate," from the Markey campaign: "The Ed Markey for Senate campaign is proud to announce the endorsement of AFSCME Council 93, which represents more than 35,0000 state, county, municipal and school district workers in Massachusetts. The AFSCME endorsement of Ed Markey's re-election to the United States Senate, the first major union endorsement of the 2020 race, comes after the recent endorsements of 350.org Massachusetts, the Sunrise movement, NARAL Pro-Choice America, and the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "DA Rollins handed a win in Straight Pride Parade feud with Boston judge," by Maria Cramer and John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "A Supreme Judicial Court justice handed Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins a major victory Monday, ruling that Boston Municipal Court Judge Richard Sinnott III had "no authority" to force Rollins to push ahead with the prosecution of a Straight Pride Parade protester. Justice Frank M. Gaziano, a former state and federal prosecutor, wrote that Sinnott's efforts to force Rollins to prosecute Roderick Webber infringed upon the separation of powers between the judiciary and the executive branch, in this case, a county prosecutor."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Bernie Sanders says he's not worried about splitting the progressive vote with Elizabeth Warren," by Hunter Walker, Yahoo News: "In an interview with Yahoo News last Thursday, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., brushed off the possibility that he and Sen. Elizabeth Warren could split the progressive vote, creating an easy path for former Vice President Joe Biden to win the Democratic presidential primary. As it stands now, polls show Sanders and Warren vying for second place behind Biden even though the combined bloc supporting the two progressives is larger than that of the ex-vice president."
- "Warren Has Lagged With Voters Of Color. But She Has Strong Support In Boston's Black Community," by Fred Thys, WBUR: "Elizabeth Warren was on stage in Houston in April when a woman asked her what she would do to address the fact that for black women, the risk of death due to pregnancy-related causes is three to four times higher than it is for white women. Warren pointed out that this holds true for well-educated and wealthy African-American women. "And the best studies that I've seen put it down to just one thing: prejudice, that doctors and nurses don't hear African-American women's medical issues the same way that they hear the same things from white women," she said."
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| MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
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- "Bribery case against Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia puts renewed scrutiny on Massachusetts marijuana laws," by Shira Schoenberg and Steph Solis, Springfield Republican and MassLive.com: "The allegations that Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia solicited bribes from marijuana businesses seeking to open in the city have caused renewed debate over whether changes are needed to the state's marijuana laws to minimize the potential for corruption. On Monday, Gov. Charlie Baker said the way the marijuana law was set up is "not that unusual" relative to how communities typically do permitting and zoning."
- "Another marijuana proposal awaits embattled Fall River mayor's approval," by Peter Jasinski, The Herald News: "As the city wrestles with allegations that Jasiel Correia extorted hundreds of thousands of dollars from marijuana businesses trying to open in Fall River, a new proposal is sitting on the mayor's desk waiting for approval. Regeneration LLC has proposed converting a mill building at 394 Kilburn St. into a facility that would cultivate cannabis, as well as produce and manufacture cannabis-based products. Tricia Fields, chief financial officer, said Monday that Regeneration LLC has worked to steer clear of any possible controversy during the application process."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "STILL HIS CITY," "UNMASK THEM." — Globe: "E-mails reveal closer Epstein, MIT ties," "SJC backs Rollins in dispute with judge," "GOD BLESS YOU ALL. GO SOX!" |
| EYE ON 2020 |
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- "'What Is Trump Afraid Of?': Weld Blasts Republican Leaders For Scrapping 3 State Primaries," by Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press: "Republican leaders in Nevada, South Carolina and Kansas have voted to scrap their presidential nominating contests in 2020, erecting more hurdles for the long-shot candidates challenging President Trump. "What is Donald Trump afraid of?" asked one of those rivals, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. Canceling primaries, caucuses and other voting is not unusual for the party of the White House incumbent seeking a second term. Doing so allows Trump to try to consolidate his support as Democrats work to winnow their large field of candidates."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Sabadosa to bring resolution on sexual harassment to party convention," by Bera Dunau, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "For state Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, her resolution on sexual harassment at the Statehouse, which will be introduced at the Democrats' state convention on Saturday, isn't about any one individual or particular event. "It's intended to target a culture," she said. Sabadosa, D-Northampton, is proposing the resolution along with state Sen. Rebecca Rausch, D-Needham. Titled "Addressing Sexual Harassment on Beacon Hill," it would have the party call on the Legislature to establish an independent commission to investigate sexual and identity-based harassment."
- "A Springfield Mayoralty Happening over & over Again—Now," by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight: "Term limits are undemocratic. Aside from the awesome power invested in the US President—particularly after the atom split—they usurp the will of the people. However, a fair counterargument may be humanitarian. Last week, when Domenic Sarno formally kicked off his reelection at the Elks on Tiffany Street, he seemed tired. The convincing exuberance of School Committee member LaTonia Monroe Naylor's remarks and frenetic introduction from Rep. Carlos Gonzalez could not conceal how muted the event felt. This job Sarno has always wanted has taken its toll."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Lawrence eliminates fares on 3 bus routes," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "IN A BID TO BOOST public transit ridership, Lawrence on Monday started allowing residents to ride three downtown bus routes for free. The city is providing $225,000 to the Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority to offset the fare losses from the bus routes for the next two years. The routes - 34, 37, and 85 - are three of the busiest in Lawrence, with stops including Lawrence General Hospital, the technical school, the senior center, the industrial park, and the Essex Street business district. The route of the 37 bus extends slightly into Andover, serving some hotels there."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "How an Élite University Research Center Concealed Its Relationship with Jeffrey Epstein," by Ronan Farrow, The New Yorker: "The M.I.T. Media Lab, which has been embroiled in a scandal over accepting donations from the financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, had a deeper fund-raising relationship with Epstein than it has previously acknowledged, and it attempted to conceal the extent of its contacts with him. Dozens of pages of e-mails and other documents obtained by The New Yorker reveal that, although Epstein was listed as "disqualified" in M.I.T.'s official donor database, the Media Lab continued to accept gifts from him, consulted him about the use of the funds, and, by marking his contributions as anonymous, avoided disclosing their full extent, both publicly and within the university."
- Tom Shattuck was named editor of The Lowell Sun and the Fitchburg Sentinel & Enterprise. Shattuck was previously editorial page editor and a columnist at the Boston Herald and executive producer of Boston Herald Radio. Link.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: "#MApoli Breakfast Club." On this week's Horse Race podcast, Labor Day is over and it's back to business in Massachusetts politics. A possible primary race between Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III is heating up, and Pat Reilly of Change Research joins the pod to discuss a recent survey that found Kennedy with a 17-point lead over Markey. In Beacon Hill news, state Sen. Brendan Crighton and Rep. Christine Barber break down their bill that would allow Massachusetts residents to obtain a drivers' license, regardless of immigration status. The legislation drew hundreds to a hearing at the State House. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to the Boston Globe's Martin Finucane.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Yankees beat the Red Sox 5-0.
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