POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Recovery in the SENATE — Red flag amendment’s NRA ties — LYNCH floats independent UMass Boston
Recovery in the SENATE — Red flag amendment’s NRA ties — LYNCH floats independent UMass Boston
05/16/2018 07:23 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
SENATE RECOVERY CONTINUES — The state Senate, still picking up the pieces after the sexual harassment scandal surrounding former Senate President Stan Rosenberg's husband Bryon Hefner, is now moving to strengthen its own policies around the issue.
This comes after a report issued by a special Senate committee reviewing sexual harassment policies and procedures recommending that the Senate begin by creating protections for interns and clear reporting guidelines for lobbyists who may have concerns around an incident — including treating interns as employees to ensure the Senate's anti-harassment policy applies to them as well. It also calls on the Senate to formalize its current practice of prohibiting non-disclosure agreements, step up its anti-harassment training to take place annually, and to develop an online training portal for employees and members.
The report itself is intended to help soothe concerns of a hostile work environment in the Senate, like what was outlined in the scathing Senate Ethics Committee report into Rosenberg's conduct, which in part led to Rosenberg's departure from the body.
Meanwhile, the Globe's Josh Miller traveled to Rosenberg's former western Mass. district to find a lingering resistance to Rosenberg's departure among his voters — and support for Rosenberg's not-yet-over political career despite Rosenberg's stated lack of interest.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY — Graduation season is in full swing as Gov. Charlie Baker delivers the commencement address at Mount Wachusett Community College tonight — Solar workers rally on the State House steps at 10 a.m. to call on lawmakers to act in support of the solar industry — Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson participates in a panel on sheriffs who participate in ICE's illegal immigration enforcement program at the Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.
** Bay State Wind - the Clear Choice for Massachusetts: Bay State Wind's global expertise is keeping us at the forefront of the permitting process. We have proactively gathered the data needed for comprehensive permitting applications, with eight assessment surveys completed and more to come. Bay State Wind has the credibility to deliver. More at baystatewind.com **
DATELINE BEACON HILL —
- "Healey allows sale of Mount Ida but will also investigate," by Joshua Miller, Boston Globe: "Attorney General Maura Healey said Tuesday she is allowing the $75 million sale of Mount Ida College to the University of Massachusetts Amherst to move forward on narrow legal grounds because Mount Ida says it would have been forced to file for bankruptcy Wednesday if the sale did not proceed. Healey determined that if the sale did not take place, the consequences to Mount Ida students, faculty, and staff would have been even worse than if it did."
- "GOP 'red flag' amendment came from NRA playbook," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "The sponsor of a "red flag" gun bill expected to be considered this month by the House expects some tweaks to be made to the legislation before the vote, but not on the scale being pushed by one House Republican. Rep. Joseph McKenna last week urged the House Ways and Means Committee to consider changing the focus of the bill from gun access to mental health."
- "'Build, baby, build' motto catching on in Mass.," by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "Baker administration officials on Monday saluted 67 cities and towns as new "housing choices" communities, promising support and funding to the communities, which Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said are "part of the solution" to the state's housing supply problem. With the state's economic growth already feeling some drag due to workforce constraints, the Baker administration has set a goal of creating 135,000 new housing units by 2025."
- "Female, male or 'X': Haddad looks to make 3rd gender option on licenses, IDs," by Michael Holtzman, Herald News: "A Massachusetts House bill filed by state Sen. Patricia Haddad offer a third gender designation on licenses and identification cards. The measure received Senate concurrence Monday."
- "Tarr files bills to lower income, sales taxes," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Senators filed 1,196 amendments to the fiscal 2019 budget bill the branch will debate next week, including tax amendments from Minority Leader Bruce Tarr that would lower both the income and sales tax rates to 5 percent. The tax-lowering amendments are unlikely to pass a branch controlled by Democrats whose leader, Senate President Harriette Chandler, has said she does not envision the Senate backing a sales tax reduction."
ON THE STUMP —
- "GOP Senate hopefuls, in Worcester, press the case against Warren, differ on Trump enthusiasm," by Mark Sullivan, Telegram & Gazette Staff: " Would Massachusetts' Republican U.S. Senate hopefuls vote for Donald Trump were the presidential election held today?
- John Kingston declined to say if he would vote for the president
- State Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, offered a resounding yes.
- Beth Lindstrom was more reserved in her support for President Trump."
- "Sen. Eric Lesser to introduce Massachusetts lieutenant governor candidate Quentin Palfrey at Democratic State Convention," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "State Sen. Eric Lesser, D-Longmeadow, will introduce Quentin Palfrey, the Democratic candidate for lieutenant governor, at the Democratic State Convention. This will be the first time Lesser is publicly endorsing Palfrey."
THE WARREN REPORT —
- "Democrats are running hard -- away from the Trump circus," by Dan Merica and Gregory Krieg, CNN: "Democrats at a liberal confab in Washington, DC, on Tuesday mostly ignored the elephant down the street, while those who did mention President Donald Trump warned that addressing him personally -- at the expense of pressing economic concerns -- could cost the party with voters this year and in 2020 ... In her speech at a conference organized by the liberal organization Center for American Progress on Tuesday, Sen. Elizabeth Warren -- a darling of the progressive left and potential 2020 primary candidate -- warned against focusing too directly on the man in the White House and not enough on the circumstances that placed him there."
- "Elizabeth Warren questions AT&T, Novartis on reported payments to Donald Trump's attorney Michael Cohen," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Massachusetts, called on AT&T and Novartis officials this week to provide lawmakers with various information following reports that the two companies sent payments to President Donald Trump's personal attorney while having pending business before the administration. Arguing that the reported payments -- if accurate -- spark questions about possible corruption, the Massachusetts Democrat asked the companies to detail all the amounts and dates of any such transactions ..."
THE KENNEDY COMPOUND —
- "Top Dem presidential hopefuls audition for 2020," by Edward-Isaac Dovere, POLITICO: "Squint, and it looked like Iowa, December 2019 — except the setting was a hotel basement ballroom in downtown D.C. on Tuesday, with the 2020 Democratic field doing its first dry run. Massachusetts Rep. Joe Kennedy gave an impassioned speech about health care as a metaphor for the country failing to live up to its obligations."
WOOD WAR — Herald: "HOLDING COURT" — Globe: "For sports gambling, the door is open," "On CEO pay, a startling calculation," "IN ERA OF GUN PROTESTS, 'SENIOR SOAK' IS STILL A HIT," "Iconic, creative chronicler of America's idiosyncrasies,"
THE LOCAL ANGLE —
- "Maybe UMass Boston should be 'independent' of system, Lynch says," by Jennifer Smith, Dorchester Reporter: "US Rep. Stephen Lynch, newly sworn-in state Sen. Nick Collins, state Rep. Dan Hunt, and City Councillors Annissa Essaibi-George and Frank Baker went on a walk-through of UMass Boston facilities on Monday. The university is a critical educational institution for Boston, they all said afterward, while noting that they are deeply concerned about the institution's active efforts to sell or lease the former Bayside Exposition Center site, appoint a new chancellor, and deal with a fierce reaction to the sense that UMass is prioritizing other campuses."
- "Retail shops likely not ready to sell marijuana in Massachusetts July 1," by Eli Sherman, Wicked Local: "Although commercial sales of marijuana will be allowed beginning July 1, most Massachusetts residents will find it difficult to find a retail shop open for business that day. That's in part because, as of May 8, nearly two-thirds of the 351 Massachusetts cities and towns had either banned or implemented a moratorium on the local retail sales of adult-use marijuana, also known as recreational marijuana, according to data compiled by GateHouse Media, the Massachusetts Municipal Association and the Attorney General's Office."
- "Councilors propose ordinance limiting public marijuana use," by Rick Sobey, Lowell Sun: "Smoking marijuana in public is illegal in Massachusetts, but city officials want to 'give police some teeth' with added local regulations. Under a proposed Lowell ordinance, those who consume marijuana in public would be fined $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense, $300 for the third offense and for subsequent offenses."
New features? How does that resolve poor performance? How does this resolve traffic gridlock?
Charlie Baker FAIL!
- "What's shiny, smooth, and has that new car smell?," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "It's been nearly 40 years since the Orange Line has seen new subway cars, but that changed on Tuesday when a set of four cars made a special appearance on the test track at Wellington Station in Medford. Gov. Charlie Baker, who is up for reelection this year, basked in the glow of the cars as T officials pointed out all the new features - wider doors, digital displays, flip-up seats, and more room."
- "Keytar Bear in hibernation after breaking foot," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "The bruin busker that delights locals and tourists alike on the streets of Boston has sustained an injury that has kept him from accepting at least one gig. Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce officials had hoped to get the ursine busker to entertain the crowd at the group's annual meeting Tuesday night, but the masked musician apparently broke his foot and will have to sit out the event."
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and No! The Celtics survived a monster game from LeBron, beating the Cavaliers 107-94. But Red Sox lost to the A's 5-3.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY — to press secretary for state Senate President Harriette Chandler Kevin Connor and Matthew Arsenault of the Baker-Polito team, who both celebrated on Tuesday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Lowell Sun scribe Alana Melanson and Christian Scorzoni, attorney at Travaglini, Eisenberg & Kiley.
ICYMI - FOR THE LATEST HORSE RACE PODCAST EPISODE: The home stretch of the ballot question saga comes down to a Supreme Judicial Court decision. State House News reporter Andy Metzger explains why we're in limbo and what to make of Governor Baker's "Grand Bargain." ... Then we hear from Western Massachusetts correspondent Rich Parr, who due to Stan Rosenberg's resignation now lives in a district with no state representation. Plus our resident state senate bureau chief Ben Downing discusses the current state of the body. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud
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** A message from Bay State Wind: Bay State Wind's global expertise is keeping us at the forefront of the permitting process. With eight geophysical, geotechnical, visual, benthic and avian assessment surveys completed to date in our lease area and along our proposed cable route, and the largest geophysical and geotechnical survey campaign in Ørsted's history starting this month, we are proactively gathering the data necessary for a complete and sufficient Construction and Operations Plan. Bay State Wind was the first to receive BOEM approval for our Site Assessment Plan and the only project to be designated under the Department of Interior's Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (FAST-41) program. We have the credibility to deliver on-time development and construction. Bay State Wind is the clear choice for Massachusetts. More at baystatewind.com **
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