POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: CLARK and MARKEY call for IMPEACHMENT — RMV in HOT SEAT next week — The Western Mass YAK ATTACK

CLARK and MARKEY call for IMPEACHMENT — RMV in HOT SEAT next week — The Western Mass YAK ATTACK  

Jul 26, 2019 View in browser   BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'm taking some time off! Massachusetts Playbook will not publish next week, starting July 29. I'll be back in your inbox Monday, Aug. 5. To reach me in the meantime, emailsmurray@politico.com or check Rye Beach. AND ANOTHER PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'll be at the National Conference of State Legislatures 2019 Legislative Summit in Nashville starting Aug. 5. If you'll be there, drop me a line: smurray@politico.com. INCHING TOWARD IMPEACHMENT — The prospect of impeaching President Donald Trump is getting harder to ignore, even as lawmakers acknowledge it as a suicide mission. Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Katherine Clark joined the chorus of elected officials calling for Trump's ouster yesterday, saying the principle outweighs the political cost of what impeachment proceedings might entail. If lawmakers began impeachment proceedings, it would start in the House. So it's a big deal that Clark, the second-highest ranking woman in the chamber, is breaking with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and calling for impeachment. Clark was elected vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus after the 2018 midterm, and said yesterday that holding the president accountable is a "patriotic duty." "An impeachment inquiry is a process, not an outcome, but I fear there is no amount of wrongdoing that we could uncover that would convince Senate Republicans to hold the president accountable," Clark said in a statement last night. "Regardless of the outcome, I believe we have a patriotic duty to uncover the facts for the American people and uphold the rule of law." And Markey called for impeaching President Donald Trump on the Senate floor earlier in the day, saying it is the right thing to do regardless of whether it fails in the Republican-controlled body. The move also handicapped his two primary opponents, Shannon Liss-Riordan and Steve Pemberton, who have used their calls for impeachment as a sticking point against Markey. "I have no illusions about where an impeachment inquiry will lead. My Republican colleagues have thus far shown themselves unwilling to hold this President accountable. They believe that everything is, quote, all over," Markey said on the floor. "But the evidence in the Mueller report and the Special Counsel's testimony yesterday explaining it, defending it, and reaffirming it compel us to do what is right, and what is necessary. And that is to exercise our authority and begin an impeachment proceeding against Donald Trump." The only remaining members of the state's congressional delegation who have not backed impeachment are Reps. Richard Neal, Stephen Lynch and Bill Keating. Impeachment supporters are Markey, Clark, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, and Reps. Joe Kennedy III, Ayanna Pressley, Seth Moulton, Jim McGovern, and shortly after special counsel Robert Mueller testified Wednesday, Lori Trahan. 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 attends the opening night of the Revere Beach International Sand Sculpting Festival. Sen. Ed Markey, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, state Rep. Sarah Peake, state Rep. Tim Whelan and state Rep. William Crocker tour areas damaged by tornadoes on Cape Cod. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito gets an update from public officials in Harwich in the wake of tornado damage. 2016 Green Party candidate Jill Stein speaks at the party's annual meeting in Salem.   TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION - WHO WILL WRITE THE RULES?Chapter two of POLITICO's Global Translations" podcast, presented by Citi, is now live. Explore the emergence of 5G technology with host Luiza Savage, understand its role as the foundation for the future of artificial intelligence, and learn who will write the rules in the race to dominate technological advancement. Listen Now.     DATELINE BEACON HILL - "Massachusetts Senate passes bill to ban child marriage," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts Senate on Thursday passed a bill banning marriage for anyone under age 18. "It really gives people sociologically and socioeconomically and public health-wise a much better chance of living a full life, a healthy life, and probably a more prosperous life," said Sen. Harriette Chandler, D-Worcester, the prime sponsor of the bill, S.2294, in an interview before the vote. The bill passed the Senate unanimously, 39-0. It will now go to the House for consideration. The bill would prohibit a minister or magistrate from solemnizing a marriage of anyone under age 18. A clerk or registrar would be required to see proof of age before issuing a marriage certificate." - "Baker encourages RMV officials to testify at legislative hearing," by Matt Murphy and Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Registry of Motor Vehicles employees who declined to appear Monday before a legislative oversight hearing are now being "encouraged" by the administration to cooperate when the hearing reconvenes next week. Transportation Committee cochairmen Representative William Straus, a Democrat from Mattapoisettt, and Senator Joe Boncore, a Democrat from Winthrop, plan to resume their hearing Tuesday as they look into the RMV's failure to process thousands of out-of-state driving violation notices. Governor Charlie Baker said Thursday his administration has had "a lot of conversations" with legislative leaders over the past few days about the decision by witnesses whose testimony was requested by the committee to skip the hearing. Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack also said Monday that her testimony would be limited, citing an outside investigation being conducted by a consultant paid by the administration." - "Mass. Schools Get More Money In The Latest Budget. A Lot More Is Likely On The Way," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "With the arrival of a budget compromise on Sunday, Massachusetts' public schools can likely look forward to an unusually generous bump in state aid next year. Still, it's likely just a prelude to a bigger — and more contentious — overhaul of the way the state funds K-12 education, as lawmakers try to reconcile several different visions of reform. It's been almost four years since a state commission found that the state was dramatically under-funding schools, especially in low-income communities. Some estimate the shortfall to be as much as $2 billion per year." - "UMass tuition hike is likely for the fall, Meehan says," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "It looks like a 2.5 percent tuition increase is likely for University of Massachusetts students this fall, system president Marty Meehan said Thursday. The $43.1 billion state budget that the Legislature sent to Gov. Charlie Baker's desk includes $558 million in aid to UMass, which has 75,000 students. Despite the last-minute addition of $317 million in spending above and beyond spending levels approved this spring by the House and Senate, UMass was unable to secure about $10 million in additional funds that could have led to a tuition freeze for the coming academic year. "It looks like it would be about a two and a half percent increase," Meehan told two reporters after telling House Bonding Committee members about capital spending plans and a $3.3 billion deferred maintenance backlog." - "Gov. Charlie Baker proposes tax break for companies that allow telecommuting," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing a new tax break for companies that allow their employees to telecommute. Baker made the proposal Thursday as part of a much larger $18 billion transportation bond bill. The tax break would provide a $2,000 per employee tax credit to companies that let their workers work remotely. The goal would be to divert commuters off of the state's increasingly congested roadways at rush hour. The state would cap the total cost of the tax break at $50 million a year. Today, Baker said Massachusetts "seems to be a laggard" in the number of people telecommuting compared to other states that are geographically and demographically similar." - "Supervised drug use proponents trudge onward," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "MARYLOU SUDDERS, the governor's secretary of health and human services, led a state commission that concluded supervised drug consumption sites would be useful tools for Massachusetts because they prevent overdose deaths and stem the spread of disease. But it's never been clear how far she would go to launch the sites, given that US Attorney Andrew Lelling says he would prosecute anyone who set one up. On Wednesday, testifying before the Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery Committee, Sudders laid out some of the legal barriers along the way, spelling out her expectation of what would need to happen first before one could open." - "A budget item that keeps ballooning," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "IN 1973, in the wake of two horrific fires in Boston and Chelsea, the Legislature approved an assessment on property and casualty insurance companies to pay for firefighter training. The assessment to fund the Department of Fire Services started small, at $100,000, then grew slowly - to $750,000 in the 1980s, $5 million in the 1990s, and $9 million in the early 2000s. Then, as lawmakers expanded the scope of fire services and began slipping more and more local earmarks into the line item, it started growing faster - to $21 million in 2011 and $27 million in 2019. This year lawmakers - and Gov. Charlie Baker - are taking spending on fire services to a whole new level. They are tapping the insurance industry for $31 million and they are consolidating $1.7 million of earmarks for a potpourri of local fire projects in a new and entirely separate line item paid for by taxpayers. At nearly $33 million, the overall spending level is up 22 percent from last year." - "Push on Beacon Hill for 100% renewable energy by 2045," by Chris Van Buskirk, Telegram & Gazette: State Rep. Sean Garballey, D-Arlington, believes President Donald Trump has done everything in his power to reverse years of collaboration between states and the federal government on addressing climate change The passage of the Global Warming Solutions Act in 2008, Mr. Garballey said, was a tremendous step at the time for setting clear goals on renewable energy in Massachusetts. However, the representative said the current administration has made it difficult to address the issue." FROM THE HUB - "Mass. AG Healey Is Investigating Andover-Based Pharmacy's Opioid Prescriptions," by Christine Willmsen, WBUR: "The Massachusetts attorney general is investigating an Andover-based pharmacy for potentially improperly prescribing opioids to customers. Injured Workers Pharmacy (IWP) is a home delivery pharmacy that works with attorneys on worker's compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits across the country. Federal data show IWP received more than 34 million opioid pain pills from 2006 to 2012. Because the pharmacy dispenses prescriptions nationwide, it's unclear how many were sent to Massachusetts residents' homes. Attorney General Maura Healey's civil investigation was already underway before the federal data became public last week, states an office spokesperson." - "For biotech industry, a milestone: Vertex names woman as president, CEO," by Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: "Score one for gender diversity in the male-dominated biotech industry. Vertex Pharmaceuticals said Thursday that its chief medical officer, Reshma Kewalramani, will take over as president and chief executive in April, succeeding Jeffrey Leiden, who has run the Boston company for seven years and will continue as executive chairman. Kewalramani, 46, will be the first female CEO at a top-tier US biotech company, a watershed moment for Vertex — it's the state's second-largest biotech by stock market value, after Biogen — and the industry, which has struggled to diversify its ranks." DAY IN COURT - "Boston Calling promoter describes encountering a knotty permit process until agreeing to hire union workers," by Maria Cramer, Boston Globe: "The Boston Calling festival appeared to go smoothly that May weekend in 2014. Tens of thousands of fans packed City Hall Plaza to watch musical acts including The Decemberists, Modest Mouse, and Jack Johnson. The concert's promoter, Crash Line Productions, had gotten its permits from the city fairly easily, and the newly elected mayor, Martin J. Walsh, had even agreed to loosen alcohol restrictions so concertgoers could walk around freely with their libations, rather than stand under designated tents called "beer pens." Crash Line was looking forward to another successful festival in September of that year. But shortly after the May concert, Brian Appel, one of the company's founders, got a call from Kenneth Brissette, the city's newly installed director of tourism, arts, and special events." - "In Tsarnaev case, death sentence policy change will have little short-term effect, attorneys say," by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: "While the federal government said Thursday it will resume executing death-row inmates, that policy change will have little effect on convicted Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's case in the short-term, according to local attorneys and legal scholars. Tsarnaev was sentenced to death in 2015 for detonating a bomb amid Marathon spectators, becoming the first terrorist condemned to death by a jury in the post-9/11 US. But when that happened, the Justice Department was operating under a de facto moratorium on executions because of a review of federal death penalty policy. That review has been completed, Attorney General William Barr said Thursday, and it has cleared the way for executions to resume." WARREN REPORT - "Elizabeth Warren Has a Radical Plan to Beat Trump at His Own Game," by Joshua Green, Bloomberg: "One way to understand her urgency is as the result of a radicalizing moment: Trump's victory. Four years ago there was talk of a Warren presidential campaign, but she decided not to run, wagering that the best shot to enact her agenda was by working through a powerful Democrat she believed could win—Hillary Clinton. People close to her say Trump's surprise election left her shocked and filled with regret. "If you went back to 2014 and told Elizabeth that Donald Trump would be elected president as a right-wing populist," a close adviser told me, "there's no question she would have run for president." It's one of very few topics that leaves Warren short of words. Sitting on her sofa, she rebuffed any attempt to get her to revisit her thinking and what she'd have done differently. "I can't," she said. "I just can't." Friends say what's driving her now is a desire to correct that mistake and a conviction that Trump's election showed voters want change on a scale most Democrats don't comprehend." KENNEDY COMPOUND - "Kennedy Warns Democrats Not To Lose Focus After Mueller Hearing," by Arjun Singh, WGBH News: "Congressman Joe Kennedy III said former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony in front of Congress yesterday was devastating. "You heard him say in excruciating detail that a foreign government attacked our democracy," Kennedy said during an interview with Boston Public Radio. "That they did so to favor one presidential candidate — Donald Trump — that the president's campaign operatives expected that assistance would help their campaign. That after that happened they tried to cover it up, and they lied about it." Despite widespread debate over how well Mueller performed and the effectiveness of his often laconic answers to questions, Kennedy said the discussion shouldn't focus on Mueller." ALL ABOARD - "To fix transit, Baker aims to get business world on board," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Solving our transportation mess will inevitably require help from the private sector. State government won't be able to do it alone. Now, the Baker administration is proposing ways that could make so-called public-private partnerships happen more quickly, more easily, and more frequently. Governor Charlie Baker submitted a bond bill to the Legislature Thursday that would authorize $18 billion in transportation spending over 10 years. The package includes the usual Christmas list. Here's a sampling of the items Baker wants under his tree: road improvements near the Cape Cod Canal bridges, more money for long-awaited projects such as the South Coast rail extension and the South Station expansion, and improved rail service from Worcester to Springfield." MOULTON MATTERS - "Ambition Served Moulton Well In Combat, But Not Always In Politics," by Fred Thys, WBUR: " On his second combat tour in Iraq, 2nd Lt. Seth Moulton led his platoon in one of the most grueling battles of the war, at a cemetery in Najaf. "It was intense," says Nick Henry, who served as a lance corporal under Moulton. "The thing we dealt with in the cemetery was a lot like Vietnam, almost. The insurgency would dig into the cemetery and they would pop out of little tunnels and holes. We would fight through them and then they would end up popping out of tunnels behind us, and we'd have to back up and re-clear, and basically it was 360 all the time." Moulton served four tours of combat in Iraq. He's called it the most influential experience of his life, one he refers to often in his presidential run." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "DANGER ABOVE" — Globe: "Woman badly hurt when railing ralls from roof," "Baker proposes $18b transit fix." EYE ON 2020 - "The next Joe Crowley? Not us, these high-profile Democrats say," by Stephanie Akin, Roll Call: "Democrats in Congress who have been living for months with the threat of primary challenges are getting their first sense of actual danger, with a string of progressive candidates announcing campaigns in recent weeks against some of the most entrenched and high-profile members. Targets include House Ways and Means Chairman Richard E. Neal, who has represented Western Massachusetts since 1989. His challenger, Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse, launched a much-anticipated campaign Monday. Neal is just the latest big-name incumbent from a deep-blue district to be targeted by progressive groups this cycle, as Democrats grapple with the twin tasks of opposing President Donald Trump and quelling internal calls for the party's establishment to cede power to a younger, more diverse generation of leaders." FROM THE 413 - "Here's the story of the Great Western Mass. Yak Escape of 2019," by Zoe Greenberg, Boston Globe: "The Great Yak Escape and the subsequent Yak Attack and Yak Corral of 2019 unfolded across a few miles of previously idyllic woodland in Western Massachusetts. By week's end, three yaks would be detained in a shed in West Springfield; a 74-year-old alpaca expert would be combing his fence for breaks; and a German shepherd named Sarah would be trying her best to return to normalcy, pushing memories of the attack from her canine mind. But the tale begins much earlier." - "Michael J. Kittredge II, founder of Yankee Candle, dies at 67," by Michelle Williams, MassLive.com: "Michael J. "Mike" Kittredge II, the founder of the Yankee Candle Company, passed away Wednesday. He was 67 years old. Kittredge began making candles 50 years ago in the garage of his childhood home in South Hadley, making his first candle out of melted crayons as a gift for his mother. The candle company grew to become one of the largest employers in Western Massachusetts, with about 1,400 employees in the region, including at the offices and flagship store in South Deerfield, the Whately factory and a facility in East Longmeadow." - "Amherst mulls lowering voting age," by Scott Merzabach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "Allowing residents under 18 and noncitizens to vote in local elections will be a significant challenge to implement in Amherst, according to the town's attorney. Lauren Goldberg of KP Law, in a July 17 letter to Town Manager Paul Bockelman, wrote that changing rules regarding who is eligible to vote, even if only for matters affecting town affairs, would depend on approval from the state Legislature. Bockelman said he solicited the legal opinion because of a section of the charter that requires an investigation by Dec. 31 into possibly lowering the voting age and determining whether an avenue exists to allow noncitizens to vote. The charter was adopted in March 2018." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Gov. Baker sends National Guard to help with tornado recovery," by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: "Ann and Sandy Hamilton watched from their yard Thursday afternoon as National Guard troops swept down Swan River Road with chainsaws and dump trucks, clearing tree branches and leaf litter from Tuesday's tornado. Most of the 21 guardsmen assigned to the Swan River Road cleanup are from the 102nd Civil Engineering Squadron with the Massachusetts Air National Guard unit at Otis Air National Guard Base. Many of them are tradesmen whose day jobs involve plumbing, building and the operation of heavy equipment. The troops were mobilized when Gov. Charlie Baker ordered the call-up of 500 guardsmen to assist in the Cape's cleanup efforts in Yarmouth, Dennis, Harwich and Chatham, the hardest hit communities. The deployment adds to the 221 Department of Correction employees and 88 inmates helping clear roads and debris." - "Gloucester lifeguards stage sick-out," by Ray Lamont, Gloucester Daily Times: "The firing of two veteran lifeguards who were illegally jumping off the Good Harbor Beach footbridge last weekend sparked a "sick-out" among other Gloucester lifeguards. Their chairs at Good Harbor, Wingaersheek and other beaches were empty Thursday. But the city is keeping all of its beaches open, staffing them with EMTs in place of the regular part-time guards, even if it means a higher cost, Chief Administrative Officer James Destino said Thursday." SPOTTED: Eating pizza with state Sen. Sal DiDomenico last night ... Valentino Capobianco, Meg Kilcoyne, Chris Smith Frank Munro, Brittany Gavrilles, Maia Raynor, Jon Thibault, Cody Cass Steve Mendoza, Phil Geoffrey, Pete Rondeau and Rob Cohen. Pic. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to NAIOP Massachusetts CEO Tamara Small(h/t Anastasia Nicolaou), and Hadley Holmes . HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Mass Audubon's Mike Cusher, who celebrates Saturday; and former Daily Hampshire Gazette opinion editor Stanley Moulton, who celebrates Sunday. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Red Sox beat the Yankees 19-3. 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.   What's REALLY Happening on Capitol Hill? Get in the game by reading the Huddle, POLITICO's fun and essential play-by-play guide to Congress. Melanie Zanona pulls back the curtain and takes you inside the backrooms on Capitol Hill to keep you apprised of the latest news and nuggets from the upper and lower chambers. Sign up today.       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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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Boston tops CLEAN ENERGY list — BAKER to debut TRANSPORTATION BILL — Details from TEAMSTERS case —CAPE COD CLEANUP

Boston tops CLEAN ENERGY list — BAKER to debut TRANSPORTATION BILL — Details from TEAMSTERS case —CAPE COD CLEANUP

Jul 25, 2019 View in browser   BY STEPHANIE MURRAY GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. NEW THIS MORNING: BOSTON RANKS #1 FOR CLEAN ENERGY — Boston is the country's top-rated city for clean energy, according to a scorecard released by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy today. The organization is a nonprofit focused on advancing energy efficiency policies and programs, and will announce its findings during a webinar later this morning. The report ranks 75 large cities on 50 metrics, including renewable energy, energy efficiency and energy equity. Boston received high marks for its transportation policies, energy and water utilities, building policies and local government operations. The council projects that Boston will meet its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by 2030, based on 2005 levels. Boston received top marks for its local government operations — the city set LEED requirements for new public buildings, has retrofitted 14 municipal buildings over the last five years, and converted 75 percent of streetlights to LED lights, according to the report. Other cities highlighted by the scorecard are Austin, Chicago, New York City, Providence, Washington, D.C. and Worcester. The council suggests Boston improve its community-wide initiatives, and does not project the city will reach its goal of reducing "community-wide" greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent in 2030, though it will make progress toward that marker. The report comes as transportation advocates call for more funding to improve and expand the MBTA, and new policies to ease traffic congestion and carbon emissions. According to this report, Boston is one of only six cities to report measurable progress toward greenhouse gas reduction goals for transportation through its GoBoston 2030 plan. Additionally, "relative to systems in other cities, the transit system is well-funded and accessible" in Boston, the scorecard found. Today's webinar will include Christopher Cook, chief of environment, energy, and open space for the City of Boston. PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'm taking some time off! Massachusetts Playbook will not publish next week, starting July 29. I'll be back in your inbox Monday, Aug. 5. To reach me in the meantime, email smurray@politico.com or check Rye Beach. AND ANOTHER PROGRAMMING NOTE — I'll be at the National Conference of State Legislatures 2019 Legislative Summit in Nashville from Aug. 5 to Aug. 8. If you'll be there, drop me a line: smurray@politico.com. 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, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs Kathleen Theoharides and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak announce a new transportation bond bill.  Attorney General Maura Healey visits Community Boating Center Inc and the South Shore YMCA's Camp Quirk. The Senate meets in formal session. Rep. Seth Moulton is a guest on "Radio Boston."   TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION - WHO WILL WRITE THE RULES?Chapter two of POLITICO's Global Translations" podcast, presented by Citi, is now live. Explore the emergence of 5G technology with host Luiza Savage, understand its role as the foundation for the future of artificial intelligence, and learn who will write the rules in the race to dominate technological advancement. Listen Now.     DATELINE BEACON HILL - "House passes Speaker Robert DeLeo's $1.3 billion 'Greenworks' bill to fund local sustainability projects," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "The Massachusetts House crossed one of Speaker Robert DeLeo's priority bills off its list Wednesday with the unanimous passage of a bill to establish a new grant program to help cities and towns confront climate change impacts and to borrow more than $1 billion to pay for it. The bill,H 3987, would create the GreenWorks infrastructure program under the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs to help communities address things like the threat of rising seas and floodwaters, and the damage that's already been done. The bill authorizes the state to borrow $1.3 billion and to dole out $100 million for GreenWorks each year for a decade." - "Gov. Charlie Baker to seek federal disaster declaration for Cape Cod after tornadoes," WCVB: "Gov. Charlie Baker says he will seek a federal disaster declaration to support cleanup and recovery efforts on Cape Cod after two tornadoes and high winds caused extensive damage and knocked out power to tens of thousands. The National Weather Service says one tornado touched down in Kalmus, a village in Barnstable, at 11:57 a.m. and lifted in South Yarmouth 10 minutes later. Then another tornado touched down in Harwich at 12:10 p.m. and lifted five minutes later. One tornado ripped off a hotel roof and toppled trees during the peak of tourist season." - "Lawmakers call Pollack back next week on RMV," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "SETTING THE STAGE for another confrontation with the Baker administration, leaders of the Transportation Committee on Wednesday scheduled a hearing next week in their ongoing probe of the massive procedural failure connected to a fatal crash in New Hampshire last month. Unless something has changed since Monday, that schedule doesn't mesh with Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack's insistence on keeping certain information about dysfunction at the Registry of Motor Vehicle's out of the public view until an investigation commissioned by her office is complete. In their letter, the committee's co-chairs, Rep. William Straus of Mattapoisett and Sen. Joseph Boncore of Winthrop, requested the appearance of witnesses who were no-shows Monday as well as documents that Pollack has yet to send them." - "Lawmakers hike assessment on utilities 50%" by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "THOUGH LAWMAKERS LEFT a handful of proposed taxes on the cutting room floor when they compromised on a budget, the fiscal year 2020 spending plan being reviewed by Gov. Charlie Baker includes a 50 percent increase in the annual assessment imposed upon gas and electric utility companies. The assessment of a percentage of each utility company's Massachusetts revenue is meant to be a reimbursement of the cost of overseeing and regulating the gas and electric industries. The budget awaiting Baker's action would raise the maximum rate of that assessment from 0.2 percent of revenue to 0.3 percent of revenue ." - "State seeks to reduce wait time for new doctors to be allowed to practice," by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal:"Currently, new doctors in Massachusetts must wait as long as a year before they can start practicing medicine, a delay that state regulators would like to shorten to broaden physician access and help reduce health care costs. The state's Health Policy Commission said in a meeting Wednesday that it wants to reduce what it calls "administrative complexity," or behind-the-scenes issues that health care systems, insurers and regulators face that add unnecessary costs and difficulty to how health care is delivered. One of those issues revolves around credentialing — the steps a physician who just graduated from medical school, or else just moved to the state, must take to be able to be reimbursed by insurers." FROM THE HUB - "Religious Exemptions To Vaccines In Kindergarten Reach An All-Time High In Mass." by Molly Boigon, WGBH News: "Just like other parents, Mahala Clivaz of Lexington has to shake off summer vacation and get her kids ready for school each September. But for years, Clivaz's back-to-school routine involved more than buying notebooks and pencils for her 10-year-old son, Hugh, who was diagnosed with Leukemia when he was six. Cancer treatment decimated his immune system, making Hugh vulnerable to infection from other kids, including those who are not vaccinated. In Massachusetts, parents can seek two paths to avoid vaccinating their kids. One is a medical exemption for children who face health risks like allergic reactions, which requires documentation from a physician. The other is a religious exemption, which allows parents to refuse vaccines in line with religious beliefs. To get a religious exemption, all a parent or guardian has to do is state "in writing that vaccination or immunization conflicts with his sincere religious beliefs," according to state law." - "Boston hospital reports disciplining of renowned child abuse skeptic," by David Armstrong, ProPublica: "Boston Medical Center has notified the Massachusetts medical board that it has restricted the work of a world-renowned endocrinologist criticized for espousing controversial theories as an expert witness for people accused of child abuse. The action against Dr. Michael Holick is cited on his profile page on the board's website. It is intended to alert members of the public who visit the site that the hospital, where Holick practices, has restricted his rights or privileges. ProPublica and The New Yorker reported last September that Holick had testified in hundreds of child abuse cases worldwide and almost always blamed broken bones and other injuries on a rare genetic disorder. At the time, Boston Medical Center said that it had barred Holick from treating or evaluating children under age 13 beginning in May 2017. But Holick continued evaluating children in suspected abuse cases as part of an approved research project, and it now turns out that the discipline was not reported to the board until this past February." - "Mass. Nursing Homes Get $50 Million Lifeline, But More Closures Are Expected," by Adrian Ma, WBUR: "Massachusetts lawmakers are extending a financial lifeline to the state's nursing home industry, which has seen a string of providers shutter in recent months. On Monday, both houses of the state Legislature passed a budget with $415.4 million in Medicaid funding for nursing homes — a $50 million increase from the previous year's budget. But there's a problem: The difference between what the state's Medicaid program, MassHealth, pays nursing home operators, and what nursing homes actually spend on care is around $362 million, according to the Massachusetts Senior Care Association (MSCA), an industry group which represents hundreds of nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other facilities." TRUMPACHUSETTS - "Trahan calls for Trump impeachment proceedings," by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: "U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan on Wednesday joined other members of the state's congressional delegation in calling for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Trahan, who had been reluctant to support a formal inquiry, said it was former special counsel Robert Mueller's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, as well as mounting evidence that the Republican president may have broken the law, that changed her mind." ON THE STUMP - "Democrats do little to sway NAACP crowd, but former Gov. Bill Weld does," by Jasmin Lee and Olivia Simone, Detroit Free Press: "Ten Democratic presidential hopefuls took the stage Wednesday at the NAACP's candidate forum in Detroit looking to separate themselves from the pack in a crowded field — and among a key constituency, African Americans. But those in attendance said that while some of the candidates were impressive, they did little — if anything — to sway those who already were leaning towards a particular candidate, or to convince the voters who haven't decided who among the two dozen announced candidates they will vote for in 2020. But several were surprised by the only Republican presidential candidate to take part in the forum, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld." DAY IN COURT - "As Prosecutors Build Case In Boston Calling Trial, Defense Offers Different View Of Defendants," by Kenneth Brissette, WGBH News: "On Wednesday, prosecutors continued to present their case against Kenneth Brissette and Timothy Sullivan, both senior appointees of Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and who stand accused of extorting the Boston Calling music festival into hiring union labor. Brissette and Sullivan are charged with conspiracy to commit extortion and extortion for allegedly illegally pressuring Boston Calling into hiring members of IATSE Local 11, a local chapter of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, or stagehands union. Witnesses included two individuals who had worked with the television show Top Chef in 2014, when the show filming in Boston — only to be picketed and allegedly harassed by angry members of the Teamsters union." - "Mass. Judge Accused Of Helping Immigrant Evade ICE Arrest Rejects Plea Deal," by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: "A suspended Newton district court judge accused of helping an undocumented immigrant evade arrest has rejected a plea deal from the government, according to new filings in Boston federal court. Judge Shelley Joseph was charged by federal prosecutors with obstruction of justice in April. U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling's office offered plea deals to both Joseph and retired court officer Wesley MacGregor, who was also charged in the case. The pair are accused of helping a man previously identified as Jose Medina Perez slip out a back door of the Newton District Court, where an immigration officer was waiting to arrest him. "Through counsel, the government has extended plea offers to the defendants. Defendant Joseph rejected the offer extended to her," a joint memo filed Tuesday said." - "Not guilty pleas entered in theft from Boston Center for Adult Education," by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "Bit by bit, check after check, $1.7 million vanished from the Boston Center for Adult Education over eight years. More than $565,000 went to the executive director's partner, for marketing services that did not exist, prosecutors say. Almost $900,000 in checks allegedly were written by the comptroller to himself, and more than $300,000 to groups for his personal benefit, including a youth baseball team in Saugus that he managed. It was a brazen job, prosecutors say, carried out by a pair of executives at the Bay Village nonprofit who allegedly falsified financial entries and lied to the board of directors, leaving them in the dark." FROM THE DELEGATION - "Ayanna Pressley and Elizabeth Warren want the government to clear your paycheck faster," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com:"For American workers living paycheck-to-paycheck, waiting for those checks to clear can be a problem. The Federal Reserve can take up to five days to clear a deposited check. And when bills like rent and childcare are due, some families are forced to turn to payday lenders or incur overdraft fees, as they wait for their paychecks to actually become available in their bank account for withdrawal. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Elizabeth Warren want to change that." MOULTON MATTERS - "Seth Moulton tackles Alexa data collection with new bill," by Makena Kelly, The Verge: "Today, 2020 Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton is expected to introduce a bill that would limit how smart device manufacturers like Amazon and Google can collect your data. The Automatic Listening and Exploitation Act, or the ALEXA Act for short, would empower the Federal Trade Commission to seek immediate penalties if a smart device is found to have recorded user conversations without the device's wake word being triggered. For Google's home devices, for instance, that would mean recording a conversation without being prompted by "Hey, Google." Moulton's bill also addresses smart doorbells and their video capabilities." MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS - "Lynn marijuana company CEO 'speechless' after storefront vandalized with anti-Semitic, racist symbolism," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Jordan Avery was at a loss for words Monday when he walked into his rented storefront and found it vandalized with anti-Semitic language and racist symbolism. The place was a mess, Avery said. The floor was littered with an unknown white powder, and empty bottles of alcohol were lined up on the ground. But even worse was the rope hanging from the ceiling, tied in a knot resembling a noose. A long knife hung from the rope, and anti-Semitic rhetoric was written on the walls: "[Expletive] the Jews" and "Jesus Failed." "I was speechless," he said. "I was in there for less than a minute. I was so upset; I didn't want to keep looking around." Avery, who was born and raised in Lynn, is African-American and has plans to convert to Judaism." ALL ABOARD - "Lawmakers revive Blue Line extension idea," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "Stop me if you've heard this one before: State officials will soon be studying the possibility of extending the Blue Line to Lynn. House and Senate leaders mandated this report by baking it into the new state budget that they approved on Monday. The legislation requires Governor Charlie Baker's transportation department to evaluate the feasibility of extending the MBTA's Blue Line service, or some other form of rapid transit, from the Wonderland Station in Revere to Lynn's downtown train station by next April (assuming Baker doesn't veto the measure)." ABOVE THE FOLD — Herald: "DISCOMBOBULATED," — Globe: "From Mueller: a warning but no bombshells," "EPA workers call limits on working from home unfair." FROM THE 413 - "As Hampshire Council of Governments unwinds, complexities remain," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "In March, the chairman of the Hampshire Council of Governments came before the executive committee of the Hampshire County Group Insurance Trust with what some have characterized as a strange proposal. In his speech to the executive committee, Rus Peotter said that the council of governments — known as HCG — would agree to completely separate itself from the trust, but only on the condition that the trust assume $2.2 million of the council's pension and benefit liabilities, according to the minutes of the meeting. If that didn't happen, Peotter said, HCG could fall into state receivership, thus putting the whole insurance trust under state control, according to the minutes." THE LOCAL ANGLE - "Tornadoes! Sharks! Brutal heat! It's Hell Week on Cape Cod," by Beth Teitell, Boston Globe: "We can probably all agree that nothing says "Yippee! I'm on vacation!" like time spent dealing with Eversource. Such has been the pleasure of Conor Roddy, 25, who's in Harwich with his family, a vacation tradition that this year coincided with what can rightly be called Hell Week on Cape Cod. Just to review what the folks doing the traditional Saturday-to-Saturday Cape rental have been through: The weekend was brutally hot. Then it rained. Then came the tornadoes — and the destruction they caused, leaving roads blocked, restaurants shuttered, shows stopped mid-stream, and the Barnstable County Fair temporarily canceled. Oh, right, and the sharks." - "State program targets economic development in downtown Fall River," by Peter Jasinski, Fall River Herald: "For the next two years, the city will benefit from an economic development coordinator specifically tasked with downtown revitalization. Jim McKeag, who worked in a similar consulting capacity for New Bedford, has started working in Fall River as part of the MassDevelopment Transformative Development Initiative. The state-sponsored program seeks to spur economic development in specific geographic areas of participating communities. Fall River has chosen to focus on a downtown area that runs along South Main Street and borders Pocasset Street to the north, Morgan Street to the south, Second Street to the east and Milliken Boulevard to the west. The former Durfee Tech building at 64 Durfee St. is included in the revitalization district." - "Attleboro area lawmakers get local priorities included in state budget," by Jim Hand, Sun Chronicle: "A new state budget approved by the Legislature this week includes $43.1 billion in spending, but to local lawmakers it is often the little things that matter most. And this year those little things added up to a lot as increased state revenue allowed for a free flow of amendments and earmarks that contributed to a $1.6 billion increase in spending. "Every member got everything they wanted. It was very, very unusual," state Rep. Betty Poirier, R-North Attleboro, said Wednesday. In tougher fiscal times, she said, lawmakers really have to fight to get amendments added to the budget for their district, but not this year. The budget passed 158-0 in the House and 39-1 in the Senate. The spending includes larger than usual increases in state aid to cities, towns and school departments." FOR YOUR COMMUTE: PRIMARY SOURCES — I was a guest on this week's Horse Race podcast talking all about the primary challengers going up against incumbent lawmakers in 2020. Can Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse take on House Ways and Means chair Richard Neal? And what's Steve Pemberton's pitch for running against Sen. Ed Markey? Make sure you give it a listen. Link. TRANSITIONS - former Third District candidate Alexandra Chandler joins Protect Democracy as a policy advocate. HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Shrewsbury state Rep. Hannah Kane, theBoston Herald's Sean Philip Cotter, who turns 28; Robert Zoellick, former World Bank president, who is 66; WGBH producer Amanda McGowan, and Boston Globe reporter Milton Valencia. DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Rays beat the Red Sox 3-2. 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.   What's REALLY Happening on Capitol Hill? Get in the game by reading the Huddle, POLITICO's fun and essential play-by-play guide to Congress. Melanie Zanona pulls back the curtain and takes you inside the backrooms on Capitol Hill to keep you apprised of the latest news and nuggets from the upper and lower chambers. Sign up today.       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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