**Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance** POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: GOP's primary concern — Harassment claims 'skyrocket' — Gaming the downtown parking system
*****Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance******
MORE WILL BE SAID ABOUT THIS GROUP THAT IS BLASTING VOTERS WITH OUTRIGHT LIES AT WORST OR MISINFORMATION AT BEST.
WHY THE OUT-OF-STATE POSTMARK ON THOSE GLOSSY MAILINGS?
DON'T BELIEVE THEM!
02/20/2018 07:19 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)
THE GOP'S PRIMARY CONCERN - The state Republican party tonight will consider getting involved in the gubernatorial primary as Worcester's Scott Lively wages a longshot bid against Gov. Charlie Baker. Lively, a controversial anti-gay pastor and activist, has people concerned - like state House Minority Leader Brad Jones - who is calling on MassGOP to boost Baker with their resources like field organization, phone banks, and other voter contact tools during the primary. Normally, the party stays neutral through the primary process.
After learning last week the party is already helping Baker collect signatures to get onto the ballot, Lively then called on MassGOP to gather for him 10,000 certified nomination signatures or to cover the $25,000 convention fee. Jones equates the request to extortion against the party.
"It sickens me to think that we would be extorted into putting our Party's resources - and, more importantly, the credibility of our institution, our elected officials, and our candidates - behind someone who appeared in a state-owned Russian TV propaganda video, claims that the Holocaust was perpetrated by homosexuals, and is credited with inspiring Ugandan laws that made homosexuality a crime punishable by death,'' Jones wrote in an email to MassGOP Executive Committee members, as first reported by the Boston Globe.
While the decision would be a rare one for the party, it's not unprecedented. The MassGOP made a similar decision in the race to replace state Sen. Bob Hedlund in 2016, endorsing Patrick O'Connor over Marshfield lawyer Stephen Gill.
The party says its executive committee plans to meet and discuss the proposal later today, where if two-thirds of the committee approves it, they can authorize the party to only assist Baker in the primary.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - Sen. Ed Markey holds a press conference calling for gun safety following the Parkland shooting that killed 17 - The Cannabis Control Commission meets for an update on its technology procurement - The deadline to submit nomination papers to run in the special election to replace state Sen. Linda Dorcena Forry are due today. The current field includes state Rep. Evandro Carvalho and state Rep. Nick Collins.
DATELINE BEACON HILL -
- "Massachusetts bill takes aim at non-disclosure agreements, 'silencing tactics'," by Chris Cassidy, Boston Herald:"Agreements that waive employees' rights to file lawsuits alleging discrimination and harassment - or to speak out against their accusers - would be prohibited under a bill on Beacon Hill, as new evidence shows they may be discouraging victims from coming forward. [state Rep. Diana DiZoglio's (D-Methuen)] bill would bar nondisclosure agreements and forced arbitration agreements related to claims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation."
- "There is no longer a single black senator in the Massachusetts Senate; How did this happen?" by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "The stories and headlines about Dorcena Forry's departure also note that she was, until the end of January, the only black state senator in Massachusetts. Now there are none. The Bay State's political ranks currently include one black mayor and five black members of the 160-person state House of Representatives."
- "Keller @ Large: Former State Senator Talks Politics, Culture And Diversity," by Jon Keller, WBZ CBS Boston: "Former State Senator Linda Dorcena Forry joined Jon Keller for an exit interview as she begins life in the private sector after 22 years of working for the public."
- "Mass. Gov. Charlie Baker pays up on Super Bowl bet," by Jan Murphy, PennLive.com: "Boxes of Legal's Seafood clam chowder, Ocean Spray Craisins, Smolak Farms apple cider donuts; Hollis Hills Farms' apple pie, chicken pot pie and maple syrup; Grillo's Pickles; and Koffee Kup Bakery cupcakes and lemon squares arrived on Thursday. [Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf], who instituted a gift ban immediately after taking office, later that day handed over the iconic Massachusetts treats to Downtown Daily Bread, a soup kitchen and shelter in downtown Harrisburg."
DATELINE DC -
- "Senator Markey vows to force Senate debate on gun control," by John Hilliard, Boston Globe: "'We are going to have to force a historic debate on gun control on the floor of the United States Senate this year,' said Markey, who spoke before hundreds packed into the auditorium in the [Framingham] Memorial Building for a town hall meeting Sunday afternoon. Markey called gun violence a public health issue, saying there was a correlation between gun control and the reduction of number of people harmed by guns."
THE KENNEDY COMPOUND -
- "Is this Kennedy bold enough for the next generation?," by Joan Vennochi, Boston Globe: "He's smart, thoughtful, earnest, self-deprecating, and compassionate - and seems like a great family man. But is [ Joseph Kennedy III] the Democrat who can win the future? Or do these times call for someone tougher, bolder, and edgier?"
WARREN REPORT -
- "Elizabeth Warren on her journey from low-information voter," by Ryan Grim, The Intercept: "Warren said that when she went into her bankruptcy work, she was to the right of her collaborators. '... We start digging into the data and reading the files and recording the numbers and analyzing what's going on, and the world slowly starts to shift for me, and I start to see these families as like mine - hard-working people who have built something, people who have done everything they were supposed to do the way they were supposed to do it,' she said."
- "Jennifer Lawrence takes jab at President Donald Trump's 'Pocahontas' nickname for Elizabeth Warren," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "Lawrence, when asked which political figure she'd like to portray, told ITK that she could take on the role of Warren as Pocahontas - a reference to the nickname Trump has used to raise questions about the senator's Native American ancestry claims. Lawrence's quip came just days after Warren took aim at Trump's 'Pocahontas' nickname for her while speaking to the National Congress of American Indians."
ON THE STUMP -
- "Dominoes set to fall if Senate seat opens," by staff, Lowell Sun: "Two city councilors who aren't best buddies could be squaring off in a humdinger of a state Senate primary if 1st Middlesex District Sen. Eileen Donoghue becomes city manager. In true Lowell style, ever since Murphy's announcement, the focus has been on Donoghue and who will try to take her seat. Almost immediately, all fingers pointed to Councilors Rodney Elliott and Edward Kennedy."
- "SundayNotebook: Once again, Higgins the target of a mailer," by the Sentinel & Enterprise: "Once Again state Rep. Natalie Higgins has found herself the target of a mailer from the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. The mailer claimed the freshman Democrat was 'leading the charge' in making Massachusetts a sanctuary state by co-sponsoring a bill currently in the legislature. In a statement this week, Higgins called the mailer a 'dishonest scare tactic' ..."
TSONGAS ARENA -
- "Ryan touts work ethic, roots in 3rd District run (VIDEO)," by Chris Lisinski, Lowell Sun: "Terry Ryan knows he appears to be an underdog compared to other candidates in the 3rd Congressional District race. Ryan does not expect to raise $1 million, a figure one opponent has already surpassed, and he admitted that he is not as strong a public speaker as others. But Ryan believes his local roots and broad commitment to work hard and reach compromises will be enough to secure the nomination."
- "4 Asian-American Politicians You Need to Know About," by Nadya Okamoto, Teen Vogue: "The 31-time marathoner and former chief of staff for both Boston mayor Martin J. Walsh and for Arianna Huffington when she was editor in chief of the Huffington Post, is running for Congress in Massachusetts's 3rd district. As the descendant of Lebanese and Korean immigrants, [Dan] Koh is running on a platform to preserve the American Dream."
- WOOD WAR - Herald: "DON'T TURN AWAY," "SOX FIND THE KEY." - Globe: "TO THESE WOMEN, AMAZON DELIVERS FEAR," "Partners to fire 100, send jobs to India," "Trump signals shift on gun laws," "Crisis revealed, one autopsy after another," "High-tech lobstering pitched to save whales."
THE LOCAL ANGLE -
- "Workers' sex-harass claims skyrocketing," by Chris Cassidy, Boston Herald: "Sexual harassment complaints in Massachusetts are skyrocketing - up 400 percent so far this month alone compared to 2017 - as the state's anti-discrimination agency braces for an unprecedented year of investigations and requests for workplace training in the #MeToo era. '"This is just the beginning - we're going to see months and months of higher numbers compared to years past,' said Sunila Thomas George, the chairwoman of the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination."
- "Discount perk in state-owned Boston garage goes off the rails," by Mike Beaudet, WCVB 5: "The 20-year-old agreement between the state and the City of Boston clearly spells out the eligibility requirements for the cut-rate monthly passes in the Haymarket garage. 5 Investigates found more than 40 percent of the people enjoying the lucrative parking perk are either questionable or don't qualify at all."
- "I-Team: Drivers Cheat The System, Misuse Handicap Placards To Park For Free In Boston," by Ryan Kath, WBZ CBS Boston:"Anyone who lives or works in downtown Boston knows that parking isn't cheap. However, the WBZ I-Team repeatedly observed how some drivers are cheating the system to avoid the cost: Using someone else's handicap placard to park for free at meters all day."
- "Mass. rally seeks change - in law or in Congress," by Kathleen McKiernan, Boston Herald: "More than a hundred protesters gathered in Lexington's Emery Park yesterday to demand action on gun control in the wake of a horrific school shooting in Southern Florida.The rally, organized by Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, was one of many nationwide yesterday in the hopes of spurring Congress to enact more gun control measures and support mental health services after police say a 19-year-old armed with an assault rifle gunned down 17 people Wednesday at a Parkland, Fla., high school."
- "Middlesex among top counties nationwide for drug overdose deaths," by Anne-Gerard Flynn, MassLive.com: "Middlesex County ranks ninth on a nationwide list of overdose deaths per 100,000 residents among 44 counties with populations over 1 million."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to WBZ's Tiffany Chan.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Auditor Suzanne Bump and Joe Caiazzo, former Bernie Sanders for Massachusetts communications and political director, who celebrated on Sunday, and Monday birthday-ers Melody Miller, Rep. Joe Kennedy alum; Bonnie McGilpin, director of communications at Boston Planning and Development Agency; and Matt Kitsos, Massachusetts Health Policy Commission press secretary.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? YES! The Bruins beat the Flames 2-1, in OT.
ICYMI - THE LATEST HORSE RACE PODCAST EPISODE: This week it's all about challenges: special guest Lawrence Friedman, professor of law at the New England Law Boston explains the details of the supreme judicial court case regarding the so-called millionaire's tax, Steve breaks down his latest WBUR poll on the primary race between Mike Capuano and challenger Ayanna Pressley, and Setti Warren shares delegates with his fellow gubernatorial challengers in Newton. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud
Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you're promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com.
FOR MORE political and policy news from Massachusetts, check out: http://politi.co/1qNSlWx
SUBSCRIBE to the Playbook family: POLITICO Playbook http://politi.co/2lQswbh ... New York Playbook http://politi.co/1ON8bqW ... Florida Playbook http://politi.co/1OypFe9 ... New Jersey Playbook http://politi.co/1HLKltF ... Massachusetts Playbook http://politi.co/1Nhtq5v ... Illinois Playbook http://politi.co/1N7u5sb ... California Playbook http://politi.co/2bLvcPl ... Brussels Playbook http://politi.co/1FZeLcw ... London Playbook http://politi.co/2xfDPuK ... All our political and policy tipsheets http://politi.co/1M75UbX
POLITICO, LLC 1000 Wilson Blvd. Arlington, VA, 22209, USA
Comments
Post a Comment