POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook ROSENBERG's return — NATIONAL GRID drops rate hike — Poll: BIDEN, OPRAH top WARREN in 2020
01/12/2018 07:18 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Rebecca Morin (rmorin@politico.com; @RebeccaMorin_)
TGIF, MASSACHUSETTS. PROGRAMMING NOTE - Due to the holiday, I'm off on Monday and so is the Playbook. Looking forward to returning to your inbox Tuesday.
ROSENBERG'S RETURN - Stan Rosenberg, who hopes to return to the state Senate presidency once an investigation related to his partner Bryon Hefner, is complete, returned to the Senate itself yesterday for the first time since scandal broke loose in early December.
In the view of the press, public, and members of the legislature, the now rank-and-file senator received hugs and well-wishes from state House Speaker Robert DeLeo, other high-ranking House members, and senators alike (including those vying to replace him, like Sal DiDomenico and Linda Dorcena Forry).
While allies believe the Amherst Democrat has a path back to the presidency, Rosenberg told reportersyesterday that he hasn't exactly whipped votes: "I have not discussed anything with regard to what's going to happen once the investigation is complete with my colleagues."
Meanwhile, Rosenberg says senators have been instructed to "minimize contact" with Rosenberg as the Senate Ethics Committee digs into allegations of misconduct.
Rosenberg has also separated from Hefner, seen as a necessary step in order to secure support from other senators should Rosenberg seek to return to the top post. The separation was first reported by the Boston Globe. Hefner is currently in treatment for alcohol dependency after news broke in November of multiple allegations of sexual harassment against him by individuals with business before the Senate. There is an independent criminal investigation underway, and the FBI is reportedly looking into allegations as well.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - Gov. Charlie Baker, Secretary of Health and Human Services Marylou Sudders, AG Maura Healey, and CVS Health Executive Vice President Tom Moriarty head to Medford to make an announcement regarding the expansion of the CVS Health Medication Disposal Program in Massachusetts - State Sen. Pat Jehlen and state Rep. Mike Connolly take an open-press tour of a medical marijuana facility in Somerville -Rep. Joe Kennedy III is a scheduled guest on WBUR's Radio Boston program at 3 p.m. on 90.9 FM
** A message from New England Clean Power Link: Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, renewable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. More **
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "WBUR Poll: 21 Percent Of Mass. Voters Say They've Been Sexually Harassed At Work," by Fred Thys, WBUR: "One in five Massachusetts voters - a total of 21 percent - report having received an "unwanted sexual advance or other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature at work," according to a new WBUR poll (topline, crosstabs) out Thursday. Among the female respondents, however, the number is much higher, with 33 percent of women voters reporting they've been sexually harassed."
- "Baker On Opioids: 'Still Far Too Many Overdoses,'" by WGBH: "WGBH News hosted a special discussion about the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts, examining past efforts to combat the crisis and initiatives moving forward. The conversation with Gov. Charlie Baker and Mass. Health and Human Services Secretary Marylou Sudders included a discussion about involuntary hospitalization; strategies to support people in the long-term after initial treatment; and new training requirements for doctors and other medical professionals. Baker also talked about new legislative efforts that would help collect more data around what treatment efforts, looking closely at what works and what doesn't."
CHARLIE BAKER FINALLY WAKES UP!
- "Baker warns Keolis as commuter rail falters: 'They need to up their game,'" by Matt Stout, Boston Herald: "Gov. Charlie Baker today ramped up pressure on Keolis, the MBTA's private commuter rail operator, saying the company has to 'up their game' after delays and cancellations in recent days, following last week's snowstorm and extended cold snap. Baker, speaking to reporters at an event in Beverly, lauded the work of the MBTA's bus and subway crews, saying they did good work amid the wintry one-two punch of last Thursday's snowstorm and the bitter cold that followed."
TRUMPACHUSETTS -
- "National Grid reduces Massachusetts rate hike request, cites GOP tax bill," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "National Grid will seek a smaller rate hike in Massachusetts than it originally requested, the utility company said Thursday, citing the benefit of the recent federal tax reform bill. The company announced that it will reduce its proposed rate hike for Bay Staters by $36 million -- from a total increase of $87 million to $51 million --due to unexpected savings the company is now expecting to see as a result of the federal corporate tax rate dropping from 35 percent to 21 percent ."
THE WARREN REPORT -
- "Oprah Winfrey is less popular among Democrats than Joe Biden, poll says," by Ben Jacobs, the Guardian: "Oprah Winfrey is less popular among Democrats than Joe Biden, a new poll looking ahead to the 2020 election reveals. And the TV star - whose speech at the Golden Globes led to fevered speculation she would run for president - would be beaten by both Biden and Bernie Sanders in a four-way Democratic primary that also included Elizabeth Warren, the RABA Research survey says."
- "Elizabeth Warren Wants Companies That Expose Your Data To Hackers To Pay Up," by Hayley Miller, Huffpost: "Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Mark Warner (D-Va.) introduced a Senate bill Wednesday focused on boosting cybersecurity infrastructure at companies like Equifax by holding them accountable for data breaches. The Data Breach Prevention and Compensation Act was inspired by Equifax's massive data breach last summer, when hackers obtained personal details about 143 million Americans, including names, addresses and Social Security numbers, from the credit reporting agency."
ON THE STUMP -
- "Could This Man Be Your Next Governor?" by Saul Elbein, Boston Magazine: "On a warm Labor Day afternoon, Newton Mayor Setti Warren-youthful, good-looking, earnest-is delivering a speech to an audience of 200 people wearing pussyhats and "Make America Not Racist" shirts, all jammed together on a manicured Newton lawn. "This is a generational moment," he shouts above the clinking of ice cubes. "I believe economic inequality is the greatest issue of our time." Then he begins rattling off a list of policies that sound like a Massachusetts progressive's letter to Santa: single-payer healthcare; bullet trains across the state; free, lifelong public college-all of it paid for by taxes on the rich. With each beat, the crowd seems to get more excited, more hopeful. When the speech is over, a young man with his hair in a bun walks up to Warren, eyes shining: 'Man,' he gushes, 'I fuckin' love hearing you talk.'"
- "Setti Warren just got endorsed by another former New England governor," by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Setti Warren is adding another former governor to his ranks of supporters. But it's not one from Massachusetts. In a statement Wednesday, former Vermont Gov. Peter Shumlin endorsed the former Newton mayor in the Democratic primary race to challenge Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker."
- "Maura Healey's pollster is working for a gubernatorial candidate (Hint: It's not her)," by Joshua Miller, Boston Globe: "Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jay Gonzalez has hired well-known Democratic pollster Chris Anderson to conduct survey research for his campaign. Anderson - whose firm, Anderson Robbins Research, works for clients such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts, is the Democratic pollster for Fox News, and conducted surveys for the successful 2016 Massachusetts marijuana legalization ballot question - also happens to be the pollster for Attorney General Maura T. Healey ."
TSONGAS ARENA -
- "L'Italien: I'd back Trump's wall to save Dreamers," by Rick Sobey, Lowell Sun: "Congressional candidate Barbara L'Italien envisions sitting around a table in Washingon, D.C., hammering out deals. If L'Italien had this opportunity the other day, when country leaders discussed immigration, the Democrat would have emphasized her opposition to building a border wall along the Mexican border."
WOOD WAR - Herald: "TRUMP'S TRASH TALK," "THE SPACE CASE" - Globe: "Doctor's crude photo roils colleagues," "Is your W-4 correct? You'll have to check," "Meltdown looms," "Boston may drop middle schools," "Q&A helps explain flu dangers."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "BPS plan would eliminate middle schools," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "Superintendent Tommy Chang is renewing his push to reduce the variety of schools across the city, a move that could eliminate Boston's six remaining middle schools as elementary and high schools absorb the middle grades."
- "Walsh: Space saver violence, threats won't be tolerated," by WCVB: "Boston Mayor Marty Walsh is now walking back a threat to end parking space savers in Boston amid violence and threats over parking spaces. Since last week's snow storm, there have been repeated incidents in several neighborhoods of cars being vandalized by angry residents upset that someone has taken the parking space they shoveled."
- "Boston EMS Reports Opioid Overdose Deaths Were Way Up In 2017," by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: "In Massachusetts, where at least five men and women are dying from an opioid overdose every day, everyone tied to the epidemic is desperate for signs of hope. They got some late last year, when state data showed an estimated 10 percent decrease in overdose deaths for the first nine months of 2017, compared with the same period in 2016. But data, and conversations with doctors, suggest the opioid epidemic is getting worse, not better - at least in the state's largest city."
- "This Teen Has Reviewed Hundreds Of MBTA Stations And Lines," by Jack Lepiarz and Yasmin Amer, WBUR: "We're lucky to have all sorts of experts in the Boston area, but it's not every day you meet one who's still a teenager. One caught our attention when we came upon his blog -- 'Miles on the MBTA.' It's all about - you guessed it - the T."
- "Somerville Is Getting an Ax-Throwing Bar Because of Course It Is," by Rachel Leah Blumenthal, Eater Boston: "Soon, your next corporate outing or date could include both alcohol and axes. What could go wrong? Urban Axes - a Philadelphia-based growing chain of recreational ax-throwing facilities that also happen to serve beer and wine or allow BYOB, depending on the location - is expanding to Somerville's Union Square in summer 2018, according to a BizBash preview of the '10 most anticipated Boston venues for meetings and events' in 2018."
MEDIA MATTERS - "Herald publisher won't apologize for walking away with millions," by Kevin Cullen, Boston Globe: "It was the perfect Boston Herald story: Greedy entrepreneur runs business into the ground, walks away to his myriad mansions with pockets lined with millions while working stiffs are left holding the bag. Remarkably, that story, which ran in Wednesday's Herald pretty much straight, without typical tabloid excess, was about the publisher of the Boston Herald, Pat Purcell."
SPOTTED: U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand Scott Brown and Colin Reed last night at spin class at the Gold's Gym in Rosslyn. Brown leaves D.C. today for a trip to New Hampshire -- pic http://bit.ly/2FusbRC
MAZEL! - to the College Republican National Committee's Ben Rajadurai, named legislative and budget director for state Sen. Dean Tran.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - To Barnstable, Dukes, and Nantucket Rep. Tim Madden, who celebrates Saturday. Saugus Rep. Don Wong and Stow Rep. Kate Hogan celebrate on Monday.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! - The Celtics topped the 76ers 114-103.
FRESH OUT OF THE GATE - THE FIRST HORSE RACE EPISODE OF 2018: We're back in the saddle with the Massachusetts campaigns podcast hosted by yours truly and MassINC Polling Group's Steve Koczela. It's a new year and a new season, and we're out the gate with the first WBUR poll of the year. We've got the zesty details on Baker, Warren and Trump, plus a status report on 2018's major races already underway. AND for those loyal trivia fans, we're rocking an MBTA theme. Send your answer on a BigNToasted sandwich for bragging rights. Subscribe and listen to our past episodes on iTunes and Sound Cloud
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** A message from New England Clean Power Link : Poised to supply Massachusetts with 1,000 MW of clean, sustainable power, the New England Clean Power Link is ready to roll. The only project with a Presidential Permit, full site control and full host state support, the innovative buried project will help Massachusetts meet its legislative requirements for lower carbon emissions. The entire line will travel underground and underwater, and is expected to deliver low-cost electricity to the Commonwealth over the next 40 years. Massachusetts can expect to reap $19.9 billion in benefits over the next 20 years alone, while ratepayers can expect to save $655 million a year in energy costs. Most importantly, the project is 100% privately financed and comes with a fixed-price bid, protecting taxpayers and ratepayers alike from any cost overruns. The project's developers have also established a $20 million fund to assist low-income ratepayers in western Massachusetts. More **
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