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Presented by NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts
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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
2020 WATCH — Topsfield Democrat Jamie Zahlaway Belsito is exploring a run for Rep. Seth Moulton's 6th District congressional seat in 2020, as the incumbent lawmaker mulls a run for president.
"You know that I love Massachusetts and national politics," Belsito, a maternal health advocate, said in an email to friends and acquaintances that was obtained by POLITICO. "I love it so much that I am going to lean in and run for Congress in 2020." She has filed with the Federal Election Commission and set up an Act Blue page for donations.
Belsito pitches herself as the "product of hard work and public schools" who was born and raised in the 6th District. Belsito was raised in Reading, and says her father was a union floor layer in Wakefield, where she was born.
Belsito worked as a legislative analyst in Washington, D.C. before moving to Brooklyn. She moved back to Massachusetts in the early 2000s. Belsito was appointed a trustee of her alma mater, Salem State University, and also a commissioner for the state Ellen Story Postpartum Commission.
"I've been able to run national policy movements from the kitchen of my house around maternal wellness, treatment and access that has impacted mothers and new families all throughout our district to the national front," Belito said in the email. "This exposure, in conjunction with my immigration policy background, echoed to me how much help we need at the national and local level."
And speaking of the 2020 primary, state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz isn't planning on running for Sen. Ed Markey's seat, despite rumors to the contrary.
"I have not looked at running for US Senate. I'm all-in on working for landmark education funding reform right now," Chang-Díaz told me in an email. "It's a pet peeve of mine when women categorically take themselves out of the running for higher office, so I won't do that. But I love my job. The stakes here are enormous for the progressive agenda and my district, and I think I'm making a difference. So I'm planning on running for re-election in 2020."
MASS. REACTS TO MUELLER — The release of a redacted version of special counsel Robert Mueller's report on Russian interference in the 2016 election was a watershed moment for national politics. Here's how it played among Massachusetts elected officials. The short version: Lots of shock, disturbance and calls for Mueller to come before Congress ASAP.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren: "It's a disgrace to see an Attorney General acting as if he's the personal attorney and publicist for the President of the United States."
Former Gov. Bill Weld: "Confidence in our leaders and in our institutions is at the heart of our democracy. That confidence has been shaken. It is essential that Special Counsel Bob Mueller come before Congress and address the validity of his report that has been redacted and released."
Sen. Ed Markey: "The Special Counsel's report, even in its redacted form, paints a picture of deeply disturbing conduct by the President and members of his 2016 campaign that warrants Congressional action."
Rep. Richard Neal: "Although the details of the report are shocking, much of it still remains redacted and many questions remain. Special Counsel Mueller's fact-gathering has concluded. It is now Congress' responsibility to review and assess the evidence."
Rep. Jim McGovern: "I am outraged and deeply disturbed by the unprecedented pattern of criminality, corruption, and deception described in Special Counsel Mueller's report. ... Congress must get the full, unredacted report and all underlying information to do our job and hold this administration accountable."
Rep. Stephen Lynch: "Today, AG Barr acted as the president's defense attorney instead of Attorney General of the United States. It is now up to Congress to do its job."
Rep. Seth Moulton: "This report is completely clear on one thing: Russia intervened in our election to help Donald Trump. Presidents on both sides of the aisle have been standing up to Russia for 50 years. But Putin knew Trump would be different. We all have a right to know why."
Rep. Ayanna Pressley: "It's time for Mueller to testify."
Rep. Lori Trahan: "The only way to begin restoring public trust in the handling of the Special Counsel's investigation is for Special Counsel Mueller himself to provide public testimony in the House and Senate as soon as possible."
Massachusetts Democrats Executive Director Veronica Martinez:Released a statement in the form of an image that appeared blacked-out in some spots in reference to redactions in the Mueller report.
MassGOP chair Jim Lyons: "I'm done talking about the Mueller report. The Democrats can talk all they want. The bottom line is that there was no collusion with Russia. The only presidential campaign we know to have colluded with foreign operatives is the same one Americans rejected in 2016."
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Massachusetts Senior Action Council meets with Rep. Ayanna Pressley. Rep. Stephen Lynch talks about the Mueller report on WGBH's "Morning Edition." Pressley is a guest on "Boston Public Radio." "Basic Black" host Callie Crossley speaks with Massachusetts Cannabis Advisory's Kim Napoli about the cannabis industry in Massachusetts.
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A message from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts:
Abortion is key to equality. All people deserve care without shame, stigma, or unjust barriers. The ROE Act affirms the fundamental belief that living a safe and healthy life is a basic right. Abortion opponents are misrepresenting efforts to protect abortion access, using inflammatory, insulating language to score political points. Learn more |
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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— "GENDER-NEUTRAL ID BILL ON SENATE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "The Senate plans next week to take up legislation that has become a signature priority for Senate President Karen Spilka, a bill that would allow an adult to change state identification records to reflect a gender of "X." The so-called "Gender X" bill would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to make a third, gender-neutral option available to applicants for a license or learner's permit and would allow anyone over 18, an emancipated minor or the parents of a minor to request a change in the sex listed on someone's birth certificate to male, female or X."
— "Bills bar non-consensual pelvic exams under anesthesia," by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: "AS INCREDIBLE as it may sound, Massachusetts lawmakers say the state needs a law barring physicians, medical students, and health care providers from performing pelvic examinations on anesthetized or unconscious female patients without first obtaining written consent. "I want to make sure that such exams are never conducted without consent," said Rep. Denise Provost of Somerville, who described non-consensual pelvic exams as a "creepy practice." What's prompting the legislation (Rep. Mindy Domb of Amherst and Sen. Jo Comerford of Northampton have filed similar bills) is concern that pelvic exams are being conducted at teaching hospitals as part of student training, often without explicit patient consent."
— "No problem with state spending on early education, say federal regulators," by Kay Lazar, Boston Globe: "Federal regulators have concluded that Massachusetts broke no rules over the past year in its use of millions of federal dollars to expand early education to thousands of low-income children. The state's congressional delegation last month raised questions about the state's spending, saying the state may have improperly used $14 million. Congress last year significantly increased funding for low-income child care programs, boosting the annual amount Massachusetts receives from roughly $110 million to $140 million."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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— "Fate uncertain, Wynn doles out $1m to 10 groups," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "WYNN RESORTS doled out nearly $1 million in donations to nine Massachusetts nonprofits and the city of Everett over the last two weeks despite uncertainty about whether the company will be allowed to retain its casino license. Since the close of three days of hearings by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission on April 4, the casino company said it has approved $950,000 in donations to 10 organizations. A spokesman for Wynn Resorts said the decision to give out the donations was made by CEO Matt Maddox, who faced tough questioning during the three days of Gaming Commission hearings, which focused on the sexual misconduct of Steve Wynn and the company's response to it."
— "Two District Attorneys Launch Cold Case Initiatives," by Phillip Martin, WGBH News: "In separate developments in recent weeks, Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins and Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan both said they are setting up cold case units in their respective jurisdictions. Rollins and Ryan have launched these units in an attempt to get to the bottom of multiple real-life murder mysteries — there are nearly 1,000 unsolved homicide cases in Suffolk and more than 120 in Middlesex."
— "Homing in on new Boston superintendent," "THREE FINALISTS HAVE BEEN NAMED in the search for a new Boston school superintendent, but it's hard not to wonder whether home field advantage will be what matters in the end. Look no further than the front page of today's Boston Herald, where Boston Latin graduate and local school leader Oscar Santos gazes earnestly at readers next to a headline reading, "Our Saving Grace." Flip inside and there's a piece making the case for Santos — authored by Santos — under the headline in the print edition, 'Boston's own makes super case.'"
— "Activists slam Trump's budget during Tax Day rally in Uphams Corner," by Yukun Zhang, Dorchester Reporter: "U.S. Representative Ayanna Pressley and State Senator Jamie Eldridge joined a coalition of activists who called for less military spending and more funding for education, health care and affordable housing at a 'Tax Day Rally' held in Dorchester on Wed., April 17. About 80 people gathered in front of Uphams Corner Health Center on a sunny afternoon for the rally, sponsored by Dorchester People for Peace and other organizations. Legislators and members of civic organizations spoke to a crowd holding signs, cheering and recording with smartphones."
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| ON THE STUMP |
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— "Biden: Time to 'take back' the country," by Stephanie Murray, POLITICO: "Joe Biden said on Thursday that it was time to "take back" the country and treat the middle class with respect, as the former vice president warms up for a likely 2020 presidential run. "I'm getting so sick and tired of the way everybody's being treated," Biden told a crowd of striking union workers here. "We will take back this country. ... I mean it. Don't give up. Keep it going." Biden made the remarks at a union rally in Boston's Dorchester neighborhood, where some of the 31,000 union workers for the New England-based Stop & Shop supermarket chain walked off the job last week after contract negotiations fell apart."
— "Weld wastes no time with digital, radio ad promoting candidacy, hitting Trump," by John DiStaso, WMUR: "Former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, who formally announced his candidacy for president on Tuesday, is wasting no time hitting the airwaves and social media platforms with ads promoting his bid and criticizing President Donald Trump. WMUR has learned the Republican challenger is spending $20,000 on a digital and radio buy that will begin Monday and continue for 30 days."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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— "Warren Campaign Carries Big Payroll; Plus, Female Staffers Setting Salary Highs," by David S. Bernstein, WGBH News:"Elizabeth Warren has been on a hiring spree. In the three months since launching her presidential campaign fresh with the new year, the Massachusetts senator has put 160 people onto her payroll — nearly two a day through the end of March. That puts her well ahead of her rivals in staffing. It's an advantage that also brings challenges. Some personnel came over from her Senate and political operations, including campaign manager Roger Lau, chief of staff Dan Geldon, senior advisor for planning Kaaren Hinck, communications director Kristen Orthman, and digital director Lauren Miller."
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A message from NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts:
We all deserve the freedom to control our bodies, our families, and our futures. Abortion is fundamental to our equality. But even in Massachusetts, people seeking abortion care face unjust barriers every day. The ROE Act affirms the fundamental belief that living a safe and healthy life is a basic right - as is the freedom to define our own path. Abortion opponents have been misrepresenting efforts to protect access to abortion care, using inflammatory and insulating language to score political points. With Roe v. Wade under threat like never before, our state has a duty to lead the way in protecting access to abortion care. Together, we can ensure that all people have access to abortion care without shame, stigma, or barriers. Massachusetts must lead by passing the ROE Act! Learn more |
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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— "After 100 days, Pressley is continuing to 'lean in,'" by Jennifer Smith, Dorchester Reporter: "Ayanna Pressley's first 100 days as a US congresswoman have come fast and furious, with an already full to-do list expanding unpredictably across the national political landscape. After she was swept into federal office in dramatic fashion just in time to slam up against a government shutdown, the former Boston city councillor filed her first bill as part of an effort to protect government contract workers who were not guaranteed back pay during the shutdown."
— "Richard Neal Says He Supports the Striking Stop & Shop Workers," by Naomi LaChance, Sludge: "Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal has joined other Democratic lawmakers to express support for the 31,000 Stop & Shop workers who are on strike at 240 stores in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. But it's clear he hasn't fully listened to their requests. Unlike Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, and Massachusetts Sen. Ed Markey, Neal has not expressed support for Medicare for All legislation, an initiative that would address the health care concerns expressed by the striking Stop & Shop workers by taking the company out of the equation."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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— "Harvard Book Store already printing and selling copies of Mueller report," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe: "If scrolling through the 448 pages of Special Counsel Robert Mueller's report on your smartphone or computer screen isn't quite your cup of tea, the folks at Harvard Book Store said Thursday that they're printing hard copies of the document — and they plan on doing it "all night if we have to." "We've seen before that many readers prefer a print edition, to make notes, underline passages, bookmark pages," Harvard Book Store owner Jeff Mayersohn said in a statement Thursday, hours after a redacted version of Mueller's long-awaited document was made public."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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— "Green New Deal: Climate justice is a human right say activists in Dorchester," by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com:"More than 1,000 climate activists met at the Strand Theatre in Dorchester Thursday night urging Congress to take bold and ambitious action with the Green New Deal before it is too late. "The only dangerous and reckless thing is to not act all," Rep. Ayanna Pressley said to a packed theater Thursday night. Pressley, along with Sen. Ed Markey, Boston City Councilor Michelle Wu, and other advocates spoke in support of the legislation."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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— "State legislative education co-chairs hear appeal for Holyoke middle schools plan," by Dennis Hohenberger, MassLive.com:"State Rep. Alice Peisch and Sen. Jason Lewis, who co-chair the legislature's Committee on Education, visited city schools and met with local officials on Thursday. Finding ways to pay for two proposed middle schools topped the agenda during a lunchtime meeting at Peck School. Stephen Zrike, the state-appointed receiver overseeing Holyoke schools, said he wanted Peisch and Lewis to understand the "Holyoke story," including successes and the challenges that lie ahead."
TRANSITIONS — David M. Friedman of Rackemann, Sawyer & Brewster was been appointed to Lawyers Clearinghouse's 2019 Leadership Committee.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ron Kaufman, senior adviser in the public policy and regulation practice at Dentons, and the Daily Hampshire Gazette's Kyle Grabowski.
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