POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: WARREN’s bipartisan pot protection — SENATE takes up ‘red flag’ bill today — BROWNSBERGER backs L’ITALIEN
WARREN’s bipartisan pot protection — SENATE takes up ‘red flag’ bill today — BROWNSBERGER backs L’ITALIEN
06/07/2018 07:28 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)
PUTTING THE "POT" IN BIPARTISANSHIP — Sen. Elizabeth Warren unveils a high-profile, bipartisan bill in Washington today that's designed to protect legalized state marijuana industries from federal government meddling.
Warren's Republican cosponsor is Colorado's Sen. Cory Gardner, who's familiar with the issue — Colorado was one of the first states to legalize marijuana for recreational use. While Warren and Gardner are on opposite sides of the aisle, they're on the same side in wanting to protect their states' lucrative legalized marijuana industries. Gardner did not sign on to Warren's bipartisan letter in January asking AG Jeff Sessions to protect states' existing marijuana laws, but Gardner did say that Sessions had " trampled on the will of the voters" by rescinding the Obama-era marijuana policy that allowed states to have legalized marijuana while it remained federally verboten.
The stakes are high for both Warren and Gardner's constituencies. Colorado so far has brought in $4.8 billion in tax revenue from its marijuana legalization since January 2014. Massachusetts is on the verge of opening its first marijuana dispensaries this summer as state regulators work to begin issuing licenses so dispensaries can begin to open on July 1.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.
TODAY - The Senate meets in formal session as it takes up the "red flag" gun measure recently passed in the House. Look for state Senate President Harriette Chandler to support some amendments proposed for the bill including some from Senate Republicans - The International Mayors Climate Summit takes place at Boston University, with opening remarks by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and remarks from figures including former Secretary of State John Kerry and former EPA administrator Gina McCarthy - The ACLU of Massachusetts ' "What a Difference a DA Makes" campaign hosts a Suffolk County District Attorney candidate debate at Hibernian Hall in Roxbury, moderated by WGBH's Callie Crossley.
THE TSONGAS ARENA —
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK - State Senator Will Brownsberger Endorses L'Italien for Congress, from the L'Italien campaign : "State Senator Will Brownsberger today announced his support for his colleague State Senator Barbara L'Italien in her run for Congress. 'Barbara L'Italien is the real deal. She takes a people-first approach, caring deeply about social justice, economic justice, and criminal justice reform. She always stands up for people and for fairness. I have now served for over ten years in the legislature with her and she has proven again and again that she is a person of courage, passion and integrity,' said Senator Brownsberger. ... Brownsberger is following up on his endorsement with a fundraiser this Saturday for L'Italien and three other women candidates he has endorsed: District Attorney Marian Ryan, Suffolk County District Attorney candidate Rachael Rollins, and State Representative candidate Anne Landry."
ON THE STUMP —
- "Some voters see gender bias in write-in campaigns challenging Chelsea Kline for State Senate," by Dave Eisenstadter, The Valley Advocate: "The five write-in candidates in the race to replace longtime state Sen. Stanley Rosenberg, of Amherst, are coming under scrutiny for their late entry into the race, with some calling their challenge to progressive Chelsea Kline — the only candidate to have her name on the ballot — sexist. Four of the five write-in candidates are men — Ryan O'Donnell and Steven Connor, of Northampton; David Murphy, of Newton; and David Morin, of Amherst. Jo Comerford, of Northampton, is the only woman to launch a write-in campaign."
- "Diehl touts plan for opioids, borrowing bits from Baker," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "State Rep. Geoff Diehl, one of three Republicans running for the U.S. Senate, went to Lawrence on Tuesday to detail his approach to combat opioid addiction, releasing a plan that blends treatment for addicts with tough sentencing for drug traffickers. Diehl, who won his party's endorsement for Senate in April, blamed incumbent U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren for doing too little to lead on the issue of opioid addiction. Instead, he pitched a plan of his own that borrows from some of the policies already put in place by Gov. Charlie Baker here in Massachusetts."
- "Former GOP US Senate hopeful Heidi Wellman joins Scott Lively's campaign," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "Although Heidi Wellman failed to garner enough support for her U.S. Senate bid to make Massachusetts' September primary ballot, the Marlborough Republican is not done campaigning for the 2018 election just yet. Wellman, who left the U.S. Senate race in April, announced this week that she has taken over as the communications director for Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott Lively's campaign."
DATELINE BEACON HILL —
- "Mount Ida students should be reimbursed after college's abrupt closure, Massachusetts lawmakers say," by Gintautas Dumcius, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts lawmakers plan to recommend that the now-closed Mount Ida College reimburse its former students, who were left in the lurch after the abrupt shutdown of the small private institution. The full set of recommendations hasn't been released yet, but WGBH News reports that the state Senate's audit and oversight committee is expected to call for Mount Ida to use the money the college has left after paying its debts to help students pay off their own debts and expenses."
- "Robert DeLeo calls for review of Judge Timothy Feeley's sentencing of drug dealer," by Brian Dowling, Boston Herald: "House Speaker Robert A. DeLeo says he's 'deeply troubled' by a Salem Superior Court judge who told a heroin dealer if he were a 'citizen' he would be sent off to jail. It's the latest criticism of Judge Timothy Q. Feeley's decision last month to sentence Manuel Soto-Vittini to two years' probation for dealing 40 bags of heroin."
TRUMPACHUSETTS —
- "From statewide contests to local races, all politics are about Trump," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Donald J. Trump has never campaigned in Hatfield. But in the race for the First Hampshire District's state representative seat, where the East-West railway and dairy farming are campaign fodder, so is Trump. For local and statewide campaigns normally walled off from Washington, Trump has loomed large across the ballot in Massachusetts this year, permeating the dialogue and campaign messaging in races that are usually dominated by local, not federal, issues."
THE WARREN REPORT —
- "Elizabeth Warren: Trump's regulatory cuts are a 'big, greasy baloney sandwich,'" by Lauren Gambino, The Guardian: "Elizabeth Warren has declared war on the Trump administration's own 'war on regulations.' In a speech in Washington on Tuesday, the Massachusetts senator and potential 2020 challenger to Donald Trump delivered a liberal rejoinder to the president's aggressive deregulatory agenda, which she said was really just evidence of a determination to 'let the rich guys do whatever they want.'"
- THE KENNEDY COMPOUND —
- "More than 100 members of Congress call on Jim Mattis to overturn transgender troop ban," by Tom Vanden Brook, USA Today: "More than 100 members of Congress signed a letter Tuesday calling on Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to reverse the Pentagon's ban on most transgender people from military service, citing medical studies that show no need to exclude them. The letter, authored by Rep. Joe Kennedy III, D-Mass., takes aim at the Pentagon study that recommended transgender people be allowed to serve only under limited circumstances. Kennedy and his colleagues accused the Pentagon of 'cherry-picking' outdated studies to reach its conclusion."
- "Democrats test messages and leaders for next chapter at RFK memorial," by Annie Linskey, Boston Globe: "National figures past and present tried to fashion Robert F. Kennedy's words for today's politics Wednesday during a commemoration of the 50th anniversary of his death at Arlington National Cemetery. After listening to 10 people read quotes from RFK's famous speeches, including [Parkland student Emma] Gonzalez and civil rights icon Representative John Lewis, [former President Bill] Clinton ruminated on his poetic words."
- WOOD WAR — Herald: "NOTE WORTHY," "SET LOOSE" — Globe: "Trump is the talk of many local campaigns," "Hospitals struggle with 'alert fatigue,'" "Treating drug addiction with drugs," "As Bush leaves, athenahealth looks at options," "Getting a new Real ID turns out to be a real pain in the ... birthday."
THE LOCAL ANGLE —
- "Boston Grapples With Faneuil Hall, Named for a Slaveholder," by Katharine Q. Seelye, New York Times: "The national wave of renamings of statues, monuments and parks that recall the days of slavery is lapping at Faneuil Hall, the historic Georgian brick meetinghouse in downtown Boston that is synonymous with revolutionary fervor and among the country's most visited tourist attractions. Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass and John F. Kennedy have all spoken from its stage, and political rallies, debates and civic events still take place within its walls, making Faneuil Hall — pronounced "FAN-yul" — a living monument."
- "As Boston hosts mayors, Walsh to push for renewable energy plan," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "At the start of a series of conferences involving mayors from across the country, Mayor Martin J. Walsh plans to announce Thursday an effort to team up with cities from Orlando to Los Angeles to collectively buy renewable energy, hoping a collaboration of cities will increase their buying power to cut down on costs and spur incentives to create green energy. Walsh plans to make the announcement at his welcome address at Boston's first International Mayors Climate Summit at Boston University, a daylong series of workshops on ways communities can team up to combat climate change."
- "As Mayoral Summit Starts, Activists Urge Marty Walsh To Do More On Climate Change," by Adam Reilly, WGBH News: "It's a big week for Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. He's hosting the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Boston over the weekend, and on Thursday, leading what's being dubbed an international climate-change summit for mayors at Boston University. But as Walsh gets a platform to discuss an issue he's identified as crucial for Boston's future, some local activists are urging him to act far more decisively."
- "Child rapist on verge of being released now facing charges of indecent exposure," by Travis Andersen and Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: "Convicted child rapist Wayne W. Chapman, who was on the verge of being released after 40 years in state custody, is now facing sexual misconduct charges for alleged acts as an inmate at a state prison in Shirley. Chapman, 70, is charged with indecent exposure and lewd behavior, alleged acts that occurred Sunday and Monday, the Department of Correction said in a statement Wednesday."
- "100 Western Massachusetts residents displaced by Hurricane Maria head to Capitol Hill to push for long-term housing fix," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "Families who remain in Western Massachusetts hotels nearly nine months after Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, headed to Washington D.C. early Wednesday to press federal lawmakers for help in finding long-term housing. About 100 Western Massachusetts residents displaced by the September 2017 storm boarded D.C.-bound buses outside the Clarion Hotel in West Springfield for what organizers cast as a last-ditch effort to push for housing solutions before evacuees loseFederal Emergency Management Agency temporary shelter benefits."
- "Newseum announces plans for gay rights exhibit," by Lou Chibbaro Jr., Washington Blade: "The Newseum, the D.C.-based museum that focuses on the U.S. press and First Amendment related issues, announced on Tuesday that it plans to open a 'groundbreaking"' LGBT exhibit early next year called 'Rise Up: Stonewall and the Gay Rights Movement ... other issues covered are the AIDS epidemic; U.S. Rep. Barney Frank's coming out in 1987; the repeal of 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell;' and the fight for marriage equality, the statement says."
- "Driscoll leaves Times for Steamship Authority post," by Cape Cod Times: "Cape Cod Times business reporter Sean F. Driscoll is taking the newly created position of communications director with the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Steamship Authority. The position was created to ensure 'the ferry service has an integrated internal and external communication program,' according to an announcement released by the Steamship Authority about the hire."
- "Lenox official sends 'cease-and-desist' letter to residential property owners in short-term rental flap," by Clarence Fanto, Berkshire Eagle: "The town's building commissioner has sent a 'cease-and-desist' letter to dozens of residential property owners who offer short-term rentals, touching off a legal battle in the popular tourist community. The letters were sent to at least 56 residential property owners who offer lodging for fewer than 30 days through Airbnb, VRBO and other online sites."
- "Globe challenges Sargent to show evidence," by Jack Sullivan, CommonWealth Magazine: "Lawyers for the Boston Globe said they are trying to determine whether allegations against editor Brian McGrory of sending inappropriate and sexually suggestive text messages are true, but cannot complete their investigation without help from his accuser, former Boston.com editor Hilary Sargent. The filing in Suffolk Superior Court came in response to a reply from Sargent seeking to dismiss the request for an injunction to compel her to cooperate."
- "Charter Spectrum to pull WCVB Channel 5 from Berkshire County cable TV lineup; lawmakers urge residents to push back," by Mary C. Serreze, MassLive.com: "Lawmakers from Berkshire County are asking their constituents to stand up against Charter Communications as yet another Massachusetts news and sports station is pulled from the 'Spectrum' cable TV lineup. A petition asking Charter to restore the stations is being circulated by Sen. Adam Hinds (D-Pittsfield), Rep. John Barret (D-Adams), Paul Mark (D-Peru), Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfield), and Rep. Smitty Pignatelli (D-Pittsfield). "
WEEKEND WEDDING - Aleca Hughes, who works at Catalant Technologies, Inc. on Saturday married Tyler McPherson, of Tight Line Construction, in a wedding on Martha's Vineyard. Pics http://bit.ly/2LkpPH5 ... http://bit.ly/2kMxGCb ... http://bit.ly/2HiXPRF
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Boston Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Cambridge Rep. Tim Toomey, and Berkshires photog Kevin Sprague.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! — The Red Sox blasted the Tigers 7-1.
FRESH OUT OF THE GATE - THE HORSE RACE PODCAST: There were some unexpected twists at the Democratic Convention last weekend. MassLive's Gintautas Dumcius joins us to discuss the upset in the Secretary of State's race, and State House News Service reporter Katie Lannan breaks down the top-ticket governor's race. Then, Steve highlights parts of the latest WBUR poll, and answers audience questions. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud
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