POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: TRUMP's take on WARREN proposal – TRANSPORTATION boss on the move – HACKER saw Commonwealth Corp. payroll

TRUMP's take on WARREN proposal – TRANSPORTATION boss on the move – HACKER saw Commonwealth Corp. payroll

Mar 20, 2019 View in browser   BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TRUMP'S TAKE ON 'STRANGE' DEM IDEAS — Should we ditch the Electoral College? Sen. Elizabeth Warren thinks so. Lower the voting age to 16? Count Rep. Ayanna Pressley in. What about court packing? Rep. Seth Moulton says it ought to be on the table. President Donald Trump knocked all three ideas that have been floated by the state's high-profile Democrats in a late night tweet around midnight. "The Democrats are getting very "strange." They now want to change the voting age to 16, abolish the Electoral College, and Increase significantly the number of Supreme Court Justices," Trump said in a tweet. "Actually, you've got to win it at the Ballot Box!" Warren called for getting rid of the Electoral College during a televised town hall Monday. And yesterday, she launched a full-on offensive, gathering signatures on a petition to abolish the Electoral College via her email and text message lists. And judging by his tweets, it's pretty clear Trump is paying attention to Warren's proposal. "Campaigning for the Popular Vote is much easier & different than campaigning for the Electoral College. It's like training for the 100 yard dash vs. a marathon," Trump wrote on Twitter around 10 p.m. last night. "The brilliance of the Electoral College is that you must go to many States to win." But here's the thing: Trump used to see things differently. "I used to like the idea of the Popular Vote, but now realize the Electoral College is far better for the U.S.A.," he said last night. Around this time last year, Trump advocated for doing away with the Electoral College. He said it was "rather have a popular election," during an interview in April 2018. Why the turnaround? The president didn't explain further last night, but it's no secret Trump is eager to take shots at Warren's 2020 prospects and he openly says he wants the chance to run against her. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito chairs a meeting of the Governor's Council. Tom Steyer's Need to Impeach campaign delivers 95,000 impeachment petition signatures to Rep. Richard Neal's Springfield office. State Rep. Carlos Gonzalez, chair of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, acknowledges changes to the Department of Correction prison visitation policy. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends the 2019 Boston Marathon banner unveiling and visits the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology.   MICHIGAN OR UVA? UNC OR DUKE? VILLANOVA OR KENTUCKY? Pick the winner in the Playbook Pool College Basketball Bracket Challenge! Track who's up and who's down throughout the tournament and compete against friends, top political insiders and VIPs to win bragging rights and great prizes. Fill in your bracket by noon on Thursday, March 21, to compete and win. Click HERE to get in the game!     DATELINE BEACON HILL - "Peyser: Safety money aimed to strengthen 'school cultures,'" by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "The $30 million in school safety money Gov. Charlie Baker included in his budget proposal includes funds dedicated to physical upgrades like locks and cameras as well as other measures "designed to strengthen the school cultures in which students are spending their time," Education Secretary James Peyser told lawmakers." - "LEGISLATION EYED TO FORCE GENDER PARITY ON BOARDS," by Kaitlyn Budion, State House News Service:"Legislators and advocates called Tuesday for gender parity on public boards and commissions, and Speaker Pro Tempore Patricia Haddad said legislators have a "strong obligation" to improve the situation. Haddad and Sen. Jason Lewis spoke at an event with the Eos Foundation, which released a report about the gender representation on 50 public boards and commissions. Lewis and Haddad have sponsored an act to ensure gender parity on public boards and commissions." - "New England Patriots players will lobby for Massachusetts education funding bill," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Three players for the New England Patriots will be at the Massachusetts Statehouse Friday to advocate on behalf of a bill that would increase funding for public education. Devin McCourty, Duron Harmon and Jason McCourty will speak at a legislative hearing in support of the PROMISE Act. The three Patriots are members of the Players Coalition, an independent nonprofit founded by NFL players in 2017 to address social injustice and racial inequality. The players advocate for policies related to criminal justice reform, policing, education and economic advancement in low-income communities." - "Ed funding debate takes Pioneer detour," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE DEBATE OVER increased state funding for education took a detour last week as the Pioneer Institute and its critics tangled over a reform proposal designed to give the state more leverage at the local school level. It started on March 10, when Charles Chieppo and Jamie Gass of the Pioneer Institute proposed in a CommonWealth op-ed that the state should invest more in K-12 education but that the additional aid should come with the power to appoint a proportional number of local school committee members. If a community gets 50 percent of its school funding from the state, then the state should get to appoint 50 percent of the school committee members." - "Hacker accessed employee tax forms at quasi-public Massachusetts agency," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "A hacker infiltrated a quasi-public Massachusetts state agency and accessed payroll data for 164 current and former state employees. The breach at Commonwealth Corporation was made public Tuesday in an audit by state auditor Suzanne Bump." - "Mass Cultural Council skips talk of belt-tightening at budget meeting," by Lisa Kashinsky and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald:"The Massachusetts Cultural Council reports it is "in good shape" with its budget — especially with casino cash about to flow into its coffers — but any belt-tightening wasn't on the agenda at Tuesday's fiscal update in Waltham. Board members discussed the arts council's finances while noshing on grilled Tuscan chicken sandwiches and sipping on Perrier at a meeting in the function room of the Rose Art Museum on the Brandeis University campus. The council wasn't charged for use of the room — but it will be billed for the food, a university spokesman said." - "Baker opposes Mass. deal to bypass Electoral College," by Sean Philip Cotter and Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker says he opposes the pact Massachusetts joined that would effectively bypass the constitutionally mandated Electoral College system of weighting presidential votes — as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren joins a Democratic call to abolish the institution. "My biggest problem with going to a majority vote is you basically put the election in the hands of a whole bunch of big states and everybody else doesn't matter anymore," Baker told the Herald." FROM THE HUB - "Colin Rose Is Taking on Equity in Boston's Public School System," by Linda K. Wertheimer, Boston Magazine: "The way the principal at Dorchester's Dever Elementary School created order out of classroom chaos may have made perfect sense to some: students walking down the hall, single-file, in one direction on a yellow line and the other way on a blue one. But Colin Rose, an assistant superintendent in charge of reducing racial inequities in Boston Public Schools, cringed as he watched the children during a 2017 visit. He flashed back to his first job out of college, teaching literacy skills to inmates in Boston's Suffolk County House of Correction at South Bay. When the prisoners left class and returned to their cells, they were forced to walk on lines painted on the floor while corrections officers watched. Like the inmates, the students at the Dever were mostly black and Latino." - "Andrea Campbell: New Budget Will Include Resources For Safer Streets," by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: "Boston City Council President Andrea Campbell said she's hoping to invest more financial resources into traffic safety, an issue that has become a major talking point across the city. Campbell said a council hearing last week was a wake up call: To make Boston's street's safer, it will take more than the slower speed limits proposed by Mayor Marty Walsh." - "Anger grows over design of green line stations that limit access and add distance for disabled," by Marc Levy, Cambridge Day: "State transportation officials are likely to get an earful at an open house Wednesday meant to explain what's happening with the green line extension, as residents and officials don't like what they already know. At Monday's meeting of the City Council, residents and officials rallied behind an order by councillor E. Denise Simmons to rework plans for a Union Square stop, where the design will make it harder to board for riders coming from Cambridge or for people with disabilities or mobility issues. Councillors called the situation "deplorable" and raised the prospect of a lawsuit." - "MTA raises legal concerns about New Bedford charter deal," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "A BID BY NEW BEDFORD OFFICIALS to peaceably resolve a dispute with a local charter school hit a potential roadblock on Tuesday, as the Massachusetts Teachers Association said a key element of the deal is illegal. The deal calls for the Alma del Mar Charter School to add 450 seats in New Bedford rather than the 1,188 it had originally sought. In return, the city agreed to turn over to the charter school a shuttered school building, the former Horatio A. Kempton Elementary School, at no cost. The arrangement, brokered by state Education Commissioner Jeff Riley, is seen as a possible way around divisive charter expansion battles." - "Austin hires assistant city managers for mobility, safety," by Daniel Salazar, Austin Business Journal: "There's someone new at Austin City Hall focused on one of the region's biggest challenges: mobility. Gina Fiandaca has been hired as Austin's assistant city manager in charge of departments and projects focused on mobility, according to a March 19 announcement. That role will preside over the city's Public Works, Transportation, Aviation and Fleet departments — an expansive purview that touches road maintenance, parking, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, scooters and other issues tied to how Austinites and visitors get around the city. Fiandaca has been commissioner of Boston's transportation department since 2015. She helped lead the department pursuing "Go Boston 2030," the Massachusetts capital's long-range transportation plan. She is a lifelong resident of East Boston." - "Ticket quotas are illegal, legal expert says after prosecutors in Mass. State Police OT probe say troopers had to issue specific number of citations," by Scott J. Croteau, Springfield Republican:"Ticket and citation quotas are illegal in Massachusetts, a Boston-based attorney said, citing a Massachusetts Appeals Court decision and state law. The discussion of quotas being issued by police was rushed to the forefront after federal prosecutors claimed Massachusetts State Police troopers working a specialized patrol - one that was part of widespread abuse within the department - were expected to issue a minimum number of citations per each overtime shift." DAY IN COURT - "Prosecutors offer deal to drop charges against Robert Kraft, other defendants," by Travis Andersen and Lucy Morgan, Boston Globe: "Florida prosecutors have offered to drop misdemeanor prostitution solicitation charges against two dozen defendants including Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft, if they agree to conditions including an admission that authorities had enough evidence of their guilt, authorities said. Kraft, according to a person familiar with the Kraft legal strategy, would also be required to appear in a Palm Beach courthouse to publicly resolve the case against him, something that is contrary to the usual practice for misdemeanor cases in the Palm Beach courthouse." - RELATED: "Anti-human-trafficking activists want Robert Kraft banished from NFL." Link. WARREN REPORT - "Warren's crackdown on Big Tech has a history," by Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts US Senator Elizabeth Warren is supposed to represent the hard left of the Democratic Party. But her call for tough antitrust sanctions against Internet giants Facebook, Google, and Amazon is far from radical. If anything, it fits within a historic cycle of tech-industry innovation, followed by aggressivefederal regulation. And through it all, the US tech sector has risen to global dominance." - "Elizabeth Warren takes her policy-packed campaign to Deep South," by Liz Goodwin and Jess Bidgood, Boston Globe: " Joseph Henderson, 60, was taking in some sun outside a faded white house on Monday morning when an unusual thing happened. A presidential candidate walked right up to his porch to say hello. "My name's Elizabeth Warren and I'm running for president," the senator from Massachusetts, flanked by about a dozen reporters and photographers, announced. As has become her calling card as a candidate, Warren dispensed with the pleasantries and cut straight to the policy." TRUMPACHUSETTS - "Markey Rips Trump Admin's Title X Change As 'Disastrous,'" by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, medical experts and pro-choice advocates slammed the Trump administration's proposed changes to the Title X program on Tuesday, arguing that withholding federal funds from centers that provide or refer abortion services "would turn back the clock" on women's rights and reproductive health. The Title X program offers federal grants to support family-planning services for low-income patients across the country. However, a new rule floated last year and finalized this month by President Donald Trump would cut off those funds for any provider that performs abortions or makes abortion referrals." THE CLARK CAUCUS - "How to fix Congress — according to Congress," by Lee Drutman, Vox: "Last week, members of Congress took turns telling a special committee of Congress what was wrong with Congress. The hearing went on for hours. Thirty-two House members spoke before the new House Select Committee on the Modernization of Congress, and another three submitted written testimony. Some came with ideas out of left field. But almost all members came with a seriousness of purpose that should inspire the committee and remind it that it has some serious and important work to do." MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS - "SOMERVILLE LICENSING COMMISSION WAIVES APPLICATION FEES FOR CANNABIS DISPENSARIES," by Chris Faraone, DigBoston: "The recreational cannabis licensing process is a lot like the products that stores will soon offer in Mass when they finally open. There are similarities from town to town and shop to shop, especially when viewed from afar, but look closely and you'll find multiple different shades of a colorful and complex system. In the years since voters came out in support of recreational weed, several city councils and boards of selectmen have been criticized by everyone from business interests to activists for their greed and opacity." EYE ON 2020 - "The Democrats' choice problem: Which candidate can beat Trump in 2020?" by Neil Swidey, Boston Globe: "THERE WAS A STRAIN OF WISTFULNESS woven through the obituaries for Mario Cuomo after he died on the first day of 2015. The tributes for the New York governor and stirring orator who was the dream presidential candidate for many Democrats in 1988 and 1992 were weighed down by a sense of what could have been, if only he had run. In the waning days of 1991, the indecisive governor nicknamed "Hamlet on the Hudson" went so far as to keep a plane idling at the Albany airport, ready to deposit him in New Hampshire before the filing deadline for the first-in-the-nation primary." MOULTON MATTERS - "More potential 2020 presidential candidates visit SC to consider joining crowded field," by Jamie Lovegrove, Post and Courier: "Even with the 2020 Democratic presidential primary field already overflowing with candidates, more prospects are coming to South Carolina to test the waters as they continue to consider their own potential campaigns. The latest would-be contenders to visit the critical early primary state Tuesday were U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts and former Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe, both of whom said they are actively exploring the possibility of joining the pack." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "STACKING UP THE STARS," — Globe: "So far, legalizing marijuana isn't paying off for Mass." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia: Opponents kicked off school committee board are 'cry babies,'" by Jacqueline Tempera, MassLive.com: "Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia II - fresh off his shocking re-election - called two opponents he removed from a school committee board "cry babies." In an interview with WPRO radio's Dan Yorke Friday Correia said that Paul Coogan, who came in second place in the special election, should have expected "political hardball" after he lost the race." - "In rural Berlin, an ongoing mixed-use development is creating a community within the community," by Aviva Luttrell, MassLive.com: "A few decades ago, you couldn't find much in Berlin. The sleepy Massachusetts town, tucked away along Interstate 495, was filled with orchards, farmland, rolling hills and woods. But in the years since, the edges of town have become increasingly suburban. The construction of the Solomon Pond Mall in 1996 brought more commerce to the area, and development pressures have moved west from Boston, bringing more activity beyond the I-495 belt." TRANSITIONS - David Bond joins the Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund as director of federal government affairs. He worked as deputy chief of staff and legislative director for Rep. Katherine Clark. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Abigail Webber, regional director for Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who celebrated yesterday. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Bruins beat the Islanders 5-0. 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 Stephanie Murray @StephMurr_Jour   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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MASSterList: Heroux gone | 'Sewer Socialism' | JOB BOARD MONDAY

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This email may be cut off by your email provider. To see today's full MASSterList, click "View entire message" at the bottom, or view the online version here. By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 11/20/2017 Heroux gone | 'Sewer Socialism' | JOB BOARD MONDAY

Happening Today

Online learning announcement, T fare system, birth-control bill signing and more … -- Gov. Charlie Baker has ordered flags to half-staff at all state buildings from sunrise till sunset in honor of SPC Donny Nguyen of Quincy, who died Nov. 13 at Fort Campbell, Ky.   -- Ruderman Family Foundation hosts its second Inclusion Summit for the disabled, with U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire, U.S. Reps. Jim Langevin of Rhode Island and Gregg Harper of Mississippi, Boston City Council President Michelle Wu and former Malawi president Dr. Joyce Banda among the conference's speakers, Boston Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center, 1 Seaport Lane, Boston. -- Gov. Charlie Baker attends the Governor's Convening for Digital Innovation and Lifelong Learning and makes an announcement regarding online learning opportunities, MIT Samberg Conference Center, Chang Building (E52), 50 Memorial Drive, Cambridge, 8:30 a.m. -- Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry hosts a ceremony to kick off the 17th annual Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month with speakers including Reps. Evandro Carvalho and Harold Naughton, Grand Staircase, 10 a.m. -- U.S. Richard Neal, Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno and others announce the agreement for a new Union Station tenant, Union Station Grand Concourse, 55 Frank B. Murray Street, Springfield, 11 a.m. -- MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board meets to discuss winning design/build bid for the Green Line Extension, discussion and possible action on a contract for the next generation fare collection sysem, a commuter rail update, late night service, and advertising policy, Transportation Board Room, 10 Park Plaza - 2nd floor, Boston, 12 p.m. -- Gov. Charlie Baker discusses political and policy issues on ‘Boston Public Radio,’ WGBH-FM 89.7, 12 p.m. -- The Salvation Army Massachusetts Division kicks off its annual holiday Red Kettle campaign to support families in need, Downtown Crossing, Boston, 12 p.m. -- Cannabis Advisory Board's Public Health Subcommittee meets, 250 Washington Street,  2nd Floor, Public Health Council Room, Boston, 2 p.m. -- Gov. Charlie Baker joins House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg for their semi-regular, closed-door leadership meeting, Senate President's Office, 2 p.m. -- Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center president Travis McCready, and MassDevelopment president Lauren Liss attend a pro-biotech-industry event hosted by AbbVie, AbbVie Bioresearch Center, 100 Research Dr., Worcester, 2 p.m. -- Gov. Charlie Baker plans to sign the contraceptive-coverage bill recently passed by lawmakers, with Senate President Stan Rosenberg, House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo, Attorney General Maura Healey, Sen. Harriette Chandler, Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts president Dr. Jennifer Childs-Roshak, Blue Cross Blue Shields president Andrew Dreyfus, State House Library, 3:15 p.m. -- First Lady Lauren Baker and Marquis Flowers of the New England Patriots will donate 50 Thanksgiving turkeys on behalf of the Wonderfund to foster families involved with the Department of Children and Families, 1 Washington St., Taunton, 4 p.m. -- Gov. Charlie Baker participates in the ceremonial swearing-in of Appeals Court Justice Joseph Ditkoff, John Adams Courthouse, 1 Pemberton Square, Boston, 4:30 p.m. -- Massachusetts Department of Transportation and the MBTA hold a public meeting on a study of a possible future extension of the Green Line to Mystic Valley Parkway in Medford, Tufts University, Breed Memorial Hall, 51 Winthrop St., Medford, 6 p.m. -- South Coast Rail officials meet with the Middleboro and Lakeville Boards of Selectmen to discuss a proposed station in Middleboro, 14 Nickerson Ave., Middleboro, 7:15 p.m. -- U.S. Rep Stephen Lynch is an in-studio guest on ‘NightSide,’ WBZ NewsRadio 1030, 8 p.m.

Today's News Baker: ‘You should never do a favor for a local big shot’ Reacting to the controversy over the scrubbing of a police arrest report involving the daughter of a district judge, Gov. Charlie Baker said over the weekend that police officials shouldn’t be giving special treatment to anyone. “You should never do a favor for a local big shot. Period. Ever," Baker said on CBS Boston’s Keller at Large on Sunday, as reported by Scott Croteau at MassLive. "No exceptions." The governor, whose administration has been rocked by Trooper-gate and the resignations of two top State Police officials, added: "They (State Police) need to put a much more explicit set of protocols in place with respect in how they handle issues associated with editing arrest reports." If the “never do a favor for a local big shot” vow were applied to other non-State Police matters, it would turn Beacon Hill upside down. But the governor clearly tied it to police matters. CBS Boston Reports: Heroux stepping down from House The pressure finally got to him. The Sun Chronicle’s Jim Hand is reporting that state Rep. Paul Heroux is indeed stepping down from his House seat, after being elected mayor of Attleboro and then boasting immediately after the election that he would keep both his state and city posts. The Sun Chronicle’s report came after SHNS’s Matt Murphy (pay wall) first reported that Heroux had reversed course on Friday and informed Speaker Robert DeLeo that he intended to resign his House seat after coming under heavy criticism for his two-jobs gambit. Winning Green Line extension bid comes in $237M below estimates We can’t recall the last time something like this happened on a big-ticket transportation contract. From Jack Sullivan at CommonWealth: “The MBTA chose a joint venture led by a Dallas-area contractor that said it would build the long-delayed seven-stop Green Line extension into Somerville and Medford for hundreds of millions less than officials estimated. The winning bid by GLX Constructors, a group of four construction and engineering firms led by Fluor of Irving, Texas, was $1.08 billion, including $127.5 million in contingency funds for unexpected costs. The bid was about $236.9 million below the T’s hard-ceiling estimate.” CommonWealth Next up for the T: A new $723M fare system The MBTA is definitely throwing around big bucks these days. Next up today is a $723 million contract for a new fare collection system, reports the Globe’s Adam Vaccaro and the Herald’s Jordan Graham. As previously reported, the Charlie Card is gone, the victim of smart-phone technology, but the “Charlie” brand will survive. ‘Disruptions and delays have roiled the system this year …’ The MBTA has had its share of service woes of late, brought on by years of mismanagement and system-wide dysfunction, but it pales against what’s happening in New York, as the NYT reports. The NY transit system’s financial hole is staggering. NYT

‘Sewer Socialism’ No, the headline is not some right-wing slam of Somerville’s new board of aldermen dominated by a Bernie-inspired “Our Revolution-Democratic Socialists alliance.” Instead, Benjamin Bradlow writes at CommonWealth magazine that the left-leaning board now finds itself having to grapple with a lot of nitty-gritty issues tied to city development. CommonWealth

Sen. L’Italien is going for it in crowded Third race State Sen. Barbara L’Italien, an Andover Democrat, has become the latest Dem to run for the Third Congressional seat to be vacated by retiring U.S. Rep. Niki Tsgongas. She announced her candidacy in a YouTube message (you have to wait till the 9:00 minute mark for the announcement) and already has a Barbara for Congress web page, asking for financial support. One of her first priorities as a candidate: Secure the coveted backing of Emily’s List, as Christian Wade at the Eagle Tribune reports. She has competition for that backing, as Wade notes.

Congressional race a gold mine for Dem consultants Oh, what a tangled web they’ve weaved, of alliances and former alliances, as Dem political consultants flood the Third Congressional District’s crowded Democratic primary field. The Globe’s Jim O’Sullivan has a good run-down on all the tangled connections. FYI: O’Sullivan also reports on U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s recent staff changes as she gears up for 2018. Boston Globe

Flores announces challenge to Sen. Julian Cyr On the Cape, they’re off and running. Barnstable Town Councilor John Flores says he will run against state Sen. Julian Cyr in next year’s state elections, Geoff Spillane of the Cape Cod Times reports. Flores, a Republican, launched his campaign with a bus tour over the weekend and already began calling out Cyr—a Democrat in his first term— for his votes in favor of the $18 million pay-raise package for lawmakers last year.  Cape Cod Times

Little-known legislative fund used for hush-hush legal matters The payouts aren’t anything like the $15 million Congress has quietly dished out to sexual harassment victims. But Beacon Hill has been using taxpayer funds to cover everything from “human resource related matters” to disputes over the records related to former Sen. Brian A. Joyce, reports the Herald’s Hillary Chabot. No money has been used in the past five years for cases involving accusations of sexual harassment, officials stress. Boston Herald

Once more, politics is clouding the issue of sexual harassment’ Speaking of sexual harassment: The NYT’s Maureen Dowd has a great column that absolutely pummels the pious, pompous and preposterous posturing on the right and left when it comes to sexual harassment in general and the Clintons, past and present, in particular. ... Oh, look, the NYT’s Ross Douthat has changed his views of the Monica Lewinsky/impeachment scandal – two decades after it happened and when nothing can be done about it now. The piece is merely a mirror image of those on the left now bowing their heads in alleged humility over the same matter -- two decades after it happened and when nothing can be done about it now. NYT

AG Healey: Governor not subject to public records law From Colman Herman at CommonWealth magazine: “Attorney General Maura Healey ruled Friday that the office of the governor is not subject to the Massachusetts public records law, confirming the long-standing position of Gov. Charlie Baker and his predecessors. ‘We conclude that documents in the possession of the governor or the governor’s office are not records that must be disclosed under the Public Records Law,’ assistant attorney general Jonathan Sclarsic wrote.” CommonWealth

Meanwhile, lawmakers have yet to hold a meeting on whether public-records law applies to Beacon Hill For some reason, we get the impression this isn’t a popular issue on Beacon Hill. From Laura Crimaldi at the Globe: “A legislative report due at the end of the year on whether the state’s new public records law should also be applied to the Legislature, the governor’s office, and the judiciary is unlikely to get done. Why? The group of lawmakers charged with preparing the report has never met.” Boston Globe

Right-versus-left rallies on Common largely calm, unnoticed and denuded of political meaning by media Except for three arrests, a right-wing rally that was confronted by left-wing counterprotesters was largely calm and went unnoticed over the weekend in Boston, with the media mostly burying the story, unlike a similar rally and huge counterdemonstration over the summer. Before moving on, check out this Boston Globe story on the rally, a piece almost completely denuded of standard political descriptions of the “protesters” and “counterprotesters,” unless a description fell within a quote, such as those screaming “Commie scum!” or “No Trump, no KKK, no fascist USA!” etc. Very odd. The Herald coverage wasn’t much better. The Associated Press at WBUR was a little more forthright about the hard-to-miss political battle lines involved.  Fyi: The Globe’s Matt Viser didn’t pull any punches in describing good old “Nazi Bob,” who participated in this past summer’s right-wing rally in Charlotte and how his role later played in York, PA.

Stage is set for a busy 2018 on Beacon Hill WGBH’s Mike Deehan sums up last week’s State House action and writes that lawmakers ultimately “set the stage for an even busier 2018, when lawmakers will have to resolve the MassHealth budget crunch, consider Baker's request for more authority to combat opiate addiction and hammer out a final compromise on criminal justice - all amid the trappings of a gubernatorial and legislative re-election year.” WGBH

Baker sounds like he has problems with lawmakers’ bilingual education bill Gov. Charlie Baker isn’t saying whether he’ll sign or veto the bilingual education bill passed last week by the Democratic-controlled Legislature, but he doesn’t sound thrilled about the legislation, as reported by the Associated Press at both WHDH and the Herald. “The most important element in this for us is for many — for tens of thousands of kids — the current program we have in place in Massachusetts is working extraordinarily well. For a bunch of other kids, clearly we have work to do,” Baker said, adding he wants students to learn English “as quickly as is reasonably possible."

Amid chorus of ‘no’s,’ some towns are starting to embrace legal weed A small but growing number of communities—including some in which voters rejected Question 4 last November—are pushing back against proposed bans on recreational marijuana shops, Bob Salsberg of the Associated Press reports, via the Cape Cod Times. Cape Cod Times

Two words: No plastic A growing number of MetroWest communities – and cities and towns across the entire state – are banning plastic supermarket bags. Brian Benson at the MetroWest Daily News has a local update on the no-plastic-bags movement. Fyi: The statewide count of non-plastic communities is now approaching 60. MetroWest Daily News

Scott Brown on N.Z. gig: ‘Best job I ever had’ Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown is having the time of his life as the new U.S. ambassador in New Zealand, despite some early bumps in the diplomatic road and occasional tensions with local non-Trump fans, reports the Globe’s Joshua Miller, who we’re sure was forced – forced! – by his newsroom overlords to make the trip to Wellington, N.Z. to cover the ambassador. Boston Globe

Report: Wellesley, Amherst, Tufts among elite schools stashing funds in offshore accounts The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists has published a list, via the leaked ‘Paradise Papers,’ of universities and colleges that have funds stashed in offshore accounts, including many Massachusetts institutions, such as Wellesley, Amherst, Williams, Tufts, BU, Northeastern, Babson, Bentley, Smith College etc. See link below for full list. Lucas Robek at MassLive zeroes in on mostly central and western Massachusetts colleges. He also notes that many of the local accounts are tied to a reinsurance company in Bermuda, which may or may not diminish the significance of the offshore accounts. We’re not sure. ICIJ

Lawmakers’ Israel trip called conflict of interest by pro-Palestinian groups From Christian Wade at the Eagle-Tribune: “A group of lawmakers are visiting Israel next month on a trip financed by groups trying to block a growing movement to boycott that country, raising questions about a potential conflict of interest. The eight-day trip, paid for by the Jewish Community Relations Council, will include visits to Israeli communities and Palestinian territories, as well as an itinerary filled with meetings with government officials, academics, journalists, security officials and others. But pro-Palestinian groups and others say the visit will offer a one-sided view of the Middle East conflict.” Eagle Tribune

GE sued for role in Fukushima nuclear disaster As if tumbling stock prices, layoffs and a corporate overhaul aren't enough, GE is now facing a federal lawsuit filed on behalf of businesses and individuals impacted by the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster in Japan, Jon Chesto of the Globe reports. GE says the cause of the disaster has already been determined to be the massive tsunami that struck the site of the plant a number of years back. Meanwhile, GE CEO John Flannery is feeling optimistic—or at least trying to project optimism, choosing the recent dramatic fall in GE’s shares to buy more than $1 million worth of company stock, Greg Ryan reports in the Boston Business Journal.

Today's Headlines Metro In Boston, one campaign remains undecided - Boston Globe After series of setbacks, Boston’s first cat cafe opens - Boston Herald Massachusetts Group wants state to share poaching records - MetroWest Daily News Bill seeks $15M for UMass Lowell building renovations - Lowell Sun How Brockton beat the state to the bilingual punch - Brockton Enterprise Attleboro woman to make history in city with swearing-in on Tuesday - Sun Chronicle Nation How politics and bad decisions starved NYC’s subways - New York Times Business is booming and corporate owners are pushing the GOP for tax reductions - Washington Post

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