 |
|
|
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: KHAZEI GETS A CONGRESSIONAL BOOST — Maryland Rep. Jamie Raskin is wading into the race to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III. Raskin will endorse City Year founder Alan Khazei today. This marks the progressive lawmaker's first congressional endorsement of the 2020 cycle.
Raskin and Khazei met at Harvard University , and the Maryland lawmaker was there when Khazei came up with the idea for City Year with co-founder Michael Brown. Raskin said Khazei will be an "excellent successor" to Kennedy and former Congressman Barney Frank. The Khazei campaign says it has signed up 400 "Khazei Corps" volunteers so far.
Raskin is not the first House member to endorse in the 4th District congressional race. Rep. Ayanna Pressley endorsed Democratic hopeful Jesse Mermell in October. Newton City Councilors Becky Grossman and Jake Auchincloss, lawyer Dave Cavell and former Wall Street regulator Ihssane Leckey have released a number of state and local endorsements, too.
Khazei's new endorsement comes as the field of candidates running for Kennedy's House seat got a little big larger this week. Brookline lawyer Ben Sigel announced his campaign on Tuesday, and plans to hold a listening tour across the district's 34 towns by Feb. 9. That brings the field to seven candidates, and five of them live in Brookline.
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 makes an announcement at Hattie Kelton Apartments in Jamaica Plain. Baker is a guest on WGBH's "Boston Public Radio." Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito celebrate the launch of the Career Tech Initiative in Andover. Senate President Karen Spilka is a guest on WGBH's "Morning Edition."
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is in Washington, D.C. for the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting. Walsh speaks on a panel hosted by Keolis at the French Ambassador's Residence. Former Gov. Deval Patrick is in New Hampshire to meet with Fidelity employees in Merrimack, and the Coos County Democrats in Berlin. Rep. Richard Neal attends a ribbon cutting in Springfield.
|
 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
|
- "Baker calls for Uber, Lyft fee hike, more MBTA funds in budget proposal," by Matt Stout and Adam Vaccaro, Boston Globe: "Facing a growing clamor to boost public transit funding, Governor Charlie Baker on Wednesday unveiled a $44.6 billion budget plan that would raise the fees imposed on Uber and Lyft rides by $100 million, and funnel the new cash into the MBTA and municipal coffers. The ride-hailing proposal, which needs legislative approval, opened a new front in the debate over public transportation financing on Beacon Hill, where Baker has generally resisted calls to raise taxes to better fund the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority."
- "Mass. Senate Plans To Release Comprehensive Climate Change Bill," by Bruce Gellerman, WBUR: "Leaders in the State Senate are set to release details Thursday of a long-awaited, comprehensive climate change bill. Senate President Karen Spilka announced the bill with a social media video that was short on specifics, but credited the activism of young people for urging politicians "to take bold action on climate change right here in Massachusetts." The unveiling comes two days after Governor Charlie Baker's State of the Commonwealth address, when he said he wants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by mid century."
- "Baker proposes all-new MBTA Board," by Shira Schoenberg and Bruce Mohl, Springfield Republican: "GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is proposing to replace the existing five-member Fiscal and Management Control Board with a new seven-member board that would include the secretary of transportation and a representative of the municipalities that contribute revenue to the T. The governor is also proposing that the new MBTA board meet just 12 times a year, far less than the 36 required under current law."
- "More firearms seized under 'red flag' law," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "Police have seized weapons belonging to at least 20 people deemed to be a threat to themselves or others under the state's "red flag" law, according to newly released data. The law, passed in the wake of school shootings and signed by Gov. Charlie Baker in July 2018, allows police, friends or relatives of a legal gun owner to seek a so-called "extreme risk protection order" if they believe that person poses a risk to themselves or others."
- "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's budget proposes $92.3M funding increase for early child care providers, childcare vouchers," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker's budget for fiscal 2021 includes a proposed $92.3 million funding boost for early childcare providers and childcare voucher programs. Nearly half of the funding increase would go toward childcare vouchers set aside for the Department of Children and Families and subsidized vouchers for families receiving assistance from the Department of Transitional Assistance, according to the Department of Early Education and Care."
- "Lawmakers seek safeguards on Pilgrim decommissioning," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Lawmakers are seeking additional influence over the decommissioning of the recently shuttered Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station, but a representative for the company conducting the work argued Wednesday that those attempts may be unconstitutional. Tom Joyce, a lobbyist for Holtec Decommissioning International, said that bills imposing higher cleanup standards or reforming how decommissioning is funded would exceed the state's authority and infringe on the jurisdiction of the federal Nuclear Regulatory Commission."
- "Massachusetts auditor's report shows fraudulent claims for public assistance total nearly $12 million," by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: "A report issued Wednesday by the office of Massachusetts Auditor Suzanne M. Bump says investigators in her office found that various "bad actors" defrauded state public-assistance programs by nearly $12 million last year. The report, prepared by the auditor's Bureau of Special Investigation, completed 5,787 investigations in the area of the departments of Transitional Assistance, Early Education and Care, and MassHealth, and found 1,077 instances where people defrauded the state of a total of $11.96 million. The average amount wrongly paid out was $11,106."
|
| FROM THE HUB |
|
- "The number of million-dollar earners in Mass. is soaring — here's where they live," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "The number of million-dollar earners among us continues to proliferate. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue's latest report on million-dollar earners shows 18,205 tax filings were submitted by residents statewide reporting an adjusted gross income of more than $1 million during the 2017 tax year, the most recent year for which data is available. (And yes, that's referring to the number of people with income that exceeded $1 million in that year, not assets.)"
- "Developer unveils his 600-foot-tall vision for Boston's waterfront," by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: "After years of vague discussions about the size and shape of a skyscraper he wants to build on Boston's waterfront, developer Don Chiofaro is laying his cards on the table. The veteran developer on Wednesday filed detailed plans with the city for his long-envisioned tower alongside Central Wharf, which would put office space and apartments in a 600-foot high-rise where the hulking Boston Harbor Garage now sits. The $1.2 billion project is still probably at least 19 months from groundbreaking, but Wednesday's filing marked the start of a formal city review for a building that has been debated for, well, what seems like forever."
|
| DAY IN COURT |
|
- "3 more online e-cigarette retailers temporarily banned from selling flavored vapes in Massachusetts," by Anne-Gerard Flynn, Springfield Republican: "Suffolk Superior Court Judge Linda Giles has granted a motion from the Office of State Attorney General Maura Healey for a preliminary injunction to bar three online e-cigarette retailers from selling their flavored tobacco products to state residents while a lawsuit that Healey filed in December against eight such companies proceeds through the courts. The lawsuit alleges the eight violated a state law that went into effect in November banning the sale of such products in the commonwealth and failed to protect against delivery of their products to minors.
- "Michelle Carter to be released from jail on Thursday," by Emily Sweeney, John R. Ellement and Travis Andersen, Boston Globe: "Michelle Carter is scheduled to be released from jail Thursday, according to the Bristol County sheriff's office. Carter, 23, is being held at the Women's Center at the Bristol County House of Correction in Dartmouth. She's been there since February, "except for a month during the summer in which she was transferred to a different location but was still in custody of the Bristol County Sheriff's Office," said Jonathan Darling, a spokesman for the sheriff's office."
|
| WARREN REPORT |
|
- "Warren slams Bloomberg for his news organization not covering Democrats," by Sasha Pezenik, ABC: "In a lengthy Twitter thread, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren slammed Mike Bloomberg for his eponymous news organization's decision not to investigate Bloomberg -- or any other Democrats -- during his 2020 campaign. Warren called on the billionaire former New York City mayor to divest from the company and accused him of hobbling the press. Warren pointed to ABC News' reporting from Tuesday, outlining a new FEC complaint that Bloomberg's 2001 mayoral opponent, Mark Green, plans to file against his former rival."
|
| PATRICK PRIMARY |
|
- "Back in Dorchester, Patrick cracks jokes with old friends and urges them to help his presidential campaign," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Taking a brief break from the whirlwind of his presidential campaign, former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick returned home to Boston to address a group of longtime friends and political allies Wednesday night. He cracked jokes, urged them to volunteer, and repeatedly rebutted the refrain that he entered the 2020 Democratic presidential race too late to win."
- "Deval Patrick, back in former Chicago neighborhood, studies up on economic barriers," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "When Deval Patrick was a child, people stepped inside the Currency Exchange, on the poor side of Washington Park, because they didn't have bank accounts. They paid fees to cash paychecks. They pushed money over a counter to cover utility bills. On Wednesday, the former Massachusetts governor returned to this place in his old neighborhood, now called Peach's at Currency Exchange Cafe."
- "Is Deval Patrick running for vice president?" by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: "With Deval Patrick's foundering presidential bid barely a blip in the polls, political operatives say it looks like the former Massachusetts governor's real target could be a step or two below the Oval Office. "This is a relevancy run for president," said Republican strategist Patrick Griffin. "It reminds them that he's still there, for a Cabinet position, being on the short-list for vice president." Patrick dismissed the notion when questioned by a Herald reporter Wednesday."
|
| THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
|
- "Ayanna Pressley announced she had alopecia, and bald women everywhere exhaled," by Elizabeth Wellington, Philadelphia Inquirer: "When a dermatologist informed Nakea Fuller that her once-thick, shoulder-length hair — which, because of a form of alopecia, was thinning and falling out in patches — was never going to grow back, she went home and shaved it off that very night. All of it. Last week Fuller and many other women who suffer from the autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss watched U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley's emotional video on the Root about the condition that's left her bald. Some cried, some nodded in understanding. And all of them felt relieved. Here was someone giving a public voice to an often-private suffering."
|
| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
|
- "Net-zero target called most aggressive in world," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "GOV. CHARLIE BAKER'S top energy aide said his proposal for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 puts Massachusetts among a very small group of states and countries attempting to limit the impact of climate change. Kathleen Theoharides, the governor's secretary of energy and environmental affairs, said Massachusetts is joining Hawaii, New York, and California, along with a number of countries, pursuing net-zero emissions by 2050. "This is the most aggressive goal that exists in the world," she said."
- "Poll shows Massachusetts majority oppose cost of TCI," by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "A new statewide poll shows that the majority of Massachusetts residents are circumstantially opposed to the Transportation Climate Initiative, a regional agreement that would raise gas prices in an effort to reduce carbon emissions. The poll, released Wednesday by the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, found that just over 61 percent of people said they strongly or somewhat oppose Massachusetts joining TCI if neighboring states decide not to join ."
|
| MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE |
|
- "Sanders Widens Lead In N.H. In New WBUR Poll," by Anthony Brooks, WBUR: "With the New Hampshire presidential primary less than three weeks away, a new WBUR poll suggests Bernie Sanders might be peaking at just the right time. The survey of more than 426 likely Democratic primary voters finds Sanders in the lead, running well ahead of his three closest competitors: Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, and Elizabeth Warren. This has been a good period for Sanders, who's been raising more money than anyone else in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination."
|
| ABOVE THE FOLD |
|
— Herald: "STRIPPED DOWN SENTENCE," "WALK THAT WAY," — Globe: "Schiff accuses Trump of trying 'to cheat,'" "HEALTH CRISIS WORSENS," "Baker seeks fee hike for Uber, Lyft." |
| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
|
|
|
| EYE ON 2020 |
|
- Meehan: 2020 doesn't feel like just another year," by UMass President Marty Meehan, CommonWealth Magazine: "A NEW YEAR HAS DAWNED and for me, and I think for many, 2020 doesn't feel like "just another year." It seems like a time when daunting challenges swirl all around us. In Washington, the president has been impeached and partisan animosity has soared to new heights. Around the world - from Australia's fires to floods in India that killed 1,900 people to hurricanes that rage with new ferocity — our environment is expressing dramatic distress. And poverty, conflict, and inequality continue to haunt us at home and abroad. In times like this, I think it's good to have heroes."
|
| FROM THE 413 |
|
- "Springfield-Boston rail service? Lawmaker's message is that it's long overdue," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "When Governor Charlie Baker visits Springfield Friday, US Representative Richard Neal will join him to celebrate the last piece of the long-awaited Union Station renovation: a new elevator to the train platform. But Neal doesn't want to stop there. The Springfield Democrat plans to give Baker an earful about another pet project that hasn't even left the station yet: frequent train service to Boston."
- "Franklin County school districts grapple with fallout from Superintendent Michael Buoniconti's affair with employee," by Jim Russell, Springfield Republican: "Two Franklin County school boards that share one superintendent — Michael Buoniconti, who recently acknowledged an affair with an employee — have not agreed on whether he should stay or go. Buoniconti is on paid leave following a closed-door meeting last week with the Mohawk Trail Regional School Committee where the two sides agreed to negotiate a severance agreement. But he is technically still working for the Hawlemont School Committee, which is scheduled to discuss the matter Jan. 27 in executive session."
|
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
|
- "The Short, Wild Ride of Correia the Kid," by Chris Sweeney, Boston Magazine: "It's a soggy autumn afternoon in Fall River, and I'm riding shotgun with the city's baby-faced mayor when he says he wants to take me to a playground. But not just any playground—this one looks brand-spanking new and is done up in New England Patriots colors. "This is crazy, but Bob Kraft called my personal cell phone," Jasiel Correia recalls, still sounding giddy about the experience. "He said, 'We really like what you've been doing down there, we appreciate all the fans down there, and we want to give you a playground.'" Correia lingers for a while, admiring the jungle gym and slides, reveling in the memory of being the object of admiration to such a powerful man."
FOR YOUR RADAR — Dunkin' is hiring a lobbyist with the promise of an "endless supply of coffee and donuts." Link.
TRANSITIONS - Finnegan announces seven attorneys promoted to partnership across the firm's Boston, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Palo Alto and Reston offices. The new partners include Cory C. Bell, Pier D. DeRoo, Cora R. Holt, Benjamin R. Schlesinger, Jeffrey D. Smyth, Daniel C. Tucker and M. David Weingarten.
- Boston Symphony Orchestra president and CEO Mark Volpe plans to retire next year . Link.
- Joe Chafins joins Sen. Ed Markey's campaign as a field organizer.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Kristen Lepore, chief of staff to Gov. Charlie Baker; and the Harvard Institute of Politics' Amy Howell.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Grizzlies 119-95.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: WHATEVER FLOATS YOUR VOTE - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray talk about the recent Democratic presidential debate, and where things stand in Iowa for the 2020 hopefuls. Liberty Square Group founder Scott Ferson joins to talk about the Welcome Party, a group that's reaching out to independent voters in New Hampshire. Later, Evan Fulchuk of Voter Choice Massachusetts talks about ranked choice voting and how it could impact the Bay State. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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.
|
|
|
| |
Follow us on Twitter
|
| |
Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family
|
FOLLOW US
|
| |
No comments:
Post a Comment