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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF!
PROGRAMMING NOTE: Massachusetts Playbook will be in the hands of my excellent colleague Shannon Young next week. Shannon covers state government for POLITICO's New York team, but Playbook readers will also recognize her byline from her time covering Massachusetts politics at MassLive.com. You can reach Shannon at syoung@politico.com.
INSIDE PATRICK'S NEW HAMPSHIRE BUS TOUR — Deval Patrick will embark on day two of his bus tour around New Hampshire today. While the senators running for president are stuck in Washington for President Donald Trump's impeachment trial, and the other candidates are trying to close the deal in Iowa, the former governor has the Granite State largely to himself.
Patrick will attend a talk at Franklin Pierce University in Rindge this afternoon, followed by a foreign policy forum with the World Affairs Council of New Hampshire at Southern New Hampshire University in Manchester.
Patrick has invited reporters on the bus with him for an on-the-record, all-access ride across the state this week. I spoke with Patrick yesterday about his presidential campaign's final push in New Hampshire.
The primary is coming quickly — there are only 11 days until voters head to the polls — and his campaign is polling in the single digits. But Patrick brushed off the polling and said voters are just starting to tune in.
"The only poll that matters is the one on election day when voters cast their vote. Why it is we keep benchmarking as much as we do, particularly after 2016," Patrick told me during a drive from Portsmouth to Londonderry. "This was my experience when I was running for governor both times. The pollsters don't capture what we're trying to do and the relationships we're trying to build."
Patrick emphasized what he sees as "false choices" in politics during his time on the trail yesterday, saying "you don't have to hate Republicans to be a good Democrat" or "hate business to be a social justice warrior." To that end, former governor said he's spoken with independent voters who previously voted for Republicans but plan to cast ballots for him. New Hampshire doesn't have a closed primary system, meaning Democrats and independent voters can request a Democratic ballot on primary day.
"I'm not checking people's profile , I'm really appealing to their patriotism. I'm asking them to engage in their own civic and political future and to believe that we actually can repair the breach and move ourselves forward as a country because I've seen it and I've done it in more settings to greater effect than anybody else in the race," Patrick said.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: SUNDAY SHOW PREVIEW — Before she sat down to tape an episode of WCVB's "On the Record," congressional candidate Jesse Mermell, one of the seven candidates running for Rep. Joe Kennedy III's open House seat, received a call from a well-known friend.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley called Mermell in the green room to tease her about the show's tricky pop quiz section, Mermell and host Janet Wu will reveal during the episode. Pressley endorsed Mermell in the fall, and has taken the pop quiz herself as an "On the Record" guest. Mermell got all four questions correct on the show, which airs Sunday morning.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: CAVELL'S CASH ON HAND — Dave Cavell, a Brookline Democrat running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III, will report $173,000 in cash on hand to the FEC today. His report includes a few well-known donors, according to his campaign.
Cavell received contributions from actor Bryan Cranston and Raphael Bob-Waksburg, creator of the Netflix series "BoJack Horseman." Cavell raised a total $201,000, which was previously reported by the Boston Globe.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at a Boston Arts Academy Foundation award reception at Roxbury Community College.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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— "In 'drastic' change, Baker wants birth, death records secret in most cases," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker is seeking to dramatically restrict who has access to Massachusetts birth records, death certificates, and marriage notices under a proposal that, if adopted, would exempt many of the documents from public view for a virtual lifetime. Copies of the documents, known as vital records, can currently be viewed or purchased by the public, with few exemptions, at local town or city halls and the state's records registry, making Massachusetts one of the country's most transparent states in terms of access to birth or death certificates."
— "Baker Would Veto Gas Tax Hike 'If That's All It Was,'" by Michael P. Norton, State House News Service: "As Gov. Charlie Baker tries to hold together a regional compact to reduce emissions from 50 million vehicles, it appears Democratic legislative leaders may need to assemble a two thirds majority in both branches if they plan to push through a gas tax increase as a cornerstone of their still-developing transportation investment bill. The 11-state Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI) could cause gas prices to rise by 5 to 17 cents per gallon, but Baker feels the regional approach is the best way to cut transportation emissions."
— "'He has left his mark forever': Mass. Senate honors memory of Pete Frates, who inspired Ice Bucket Challenge while battling ALS," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Pete Frates, the Beverly man who inspired the viral Ice Bucket Challenge, may be gone, but the impact of his advocacy lives on, Sen. Joan Lovely told his parents Thursday morning. "We just lost Pete just a month ago to this horrible disease," said Lovely, a Salem Democrat. "He has left his mark forever." Lovely presented John and Nancy Frates with a resolution honoring their late son, who died in December after a seven-year battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. She presented the resolution at the start of the Senate session."
— "Is Massachusetts failing its brightest kids?" by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "The education reform agenda has largely been driven by a sense of urgency that schools have failed to make sure all children are gaining the skills to graduate prepared for success in college or a career. But with all of that focus on the achievement gap and those students struggling to reach a basic level of proficiency, some say the state has been ignoring, if not exactly leaving behind, another group of students: high achievers."
— "Sealed criminal records still showing at FBI," by Christian M. Wade, Newburyport Daily News: "Tens of thousands of people have sealed criminal records under a 2-year-old state law that allows them to wipe clean some prior arrests and convictions, but the records are still turning up in federal background checks widely used by schools, banks, hospitals and casinos. The 2018 law, part of a criminal justice bill signed by Gov. Charlie Baker, shortened the waiting period for people found guilty of misdemeanors to ask that a case be sealed from five years to three."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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— "Never elected, but a City Hall star," by Thomas Farragher, Boston Globe: "There will be a new sign hanging over the dank parking garage beneath Boston City Hall Plaza on Friday and it will carry the name of Jimmy Donnelly, who across his 42 years has quietly collected friends like precious stones. And if you think parking garages don't make much news, think again. This one is worthy of headlines. Why? Because this may be the only parking garage in America named after its former attendant, now diagnosed with a ferocious and terminal disease."
— "Boston Zoning Board nominees donated to Walsh," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The two people up for open seats on the troubled Zoning Board of Appeal both have given money to Mayor Martin Walsh's campaigns. Konstantinos Ligris, a South Boston real estate attorney at his Ligris & Associates, has given Walsh $1,000, the statutory maximum for local donations, in each of the past two years. He also gave $500 in 2015, meaning he gave Walsh a total of $2,500. Dorchester resident Eric Robinson, a principal at Rode Architects, has given Walsh $1,100."
— "Concerns raised in Mass. life sciences sector about US crackdown on China," by Jonathan Saltzman and Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts scientists are criticizing the Trump administration's crackdown on suspected espionage and theft of research by China in the wake of federal charges against a Harvard University professor and two researchers at other institutions. While emphasizing they had no independent knowledge of the charges filed Tuesday, some scientists said they feared that the Justice Department is using a broad brush to investigate people with links to China. They worried that the hard-line approach will deter foreign scientists from working in the United States."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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— "Absentee Ballots Available For March 3 Presidential Primary," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "Presidential primary absentee ballots are becoming available Thursday across the state. Secretary of State William Galvin announced Thursday that absentee ballots are now available in every city and town for the March 3 presidential primary. Voters can complete the ballots in person at their local election offices or can submit an application to have an absentee ballot mailed to them. Voters qualify for absentee ballots if they will be away from their home precinct on the date of the election or if they are unable to reach the polling place due to disability or religious belief."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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— "Bail Set At $1M For Harvard Professor Accused Of Lying About Ties To China," by Kirk Carapezza, WGBH News: "A judge set bail for the head of Harvard's chemistry department, who was arrested earlier this week for allegedly lying about his ties to China, at $1 million on Thursday after the professor appeared in federal court. Acclaimed scientist Charles Lieber, who prosecutors allege lied about his acceptance of more than $1 million in research funding from the Chinese government, has five days to post the bail and has been ordered by Magistrate Judge Marianne Bowler not to travel outside of Massachusetts."
— "A juror can be blind and still serve justice, the state's highest court rules," by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: "A judge was right to let a blind man sit on the jury that convicted a Roxbury man for sucker-punching an acquaintance at an adult basketball league meeting, the state's highest court ruled Thursday. The fact that the blind man — known only as Juror Number 6 ― could not see two photographs depicting the facial damage suffered by the victim during the assault did not disqualify him from performing his civic duty. And, more importantly, it did not violate Lawrence L. Heywood's constitutional right to a fair trial before an impartial jury, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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— "Trump impeachment trial lawyer Patrick Philbin has Mass. ties," by Martin Finucane and Jeremiah Manion, Boston Globe: "Patrick Philbin, a lawyer who is defending President Trump at his impeachment trial and getting lots of exposure on national TV as the trial heads toward its climax, has ties to the Boston area. Philbin was a 1985 National Merit Scholarship winner from Roxbury Latin School, according to the Globe archives. He is also a Harvard Law graduate. "Patrick was an excellent student at Roxbury Latin—his class's valedictorian—and he was deeply involved in a range of school activities during his time here," Mike Pojman, Roxbury Latin's assistant headmaster, said in an e-mail."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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— "O'Malley wants to talk recycling," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "Boston City Councilor Matt O'Malley, one of the council's most vocal advocates for environmental protection and climate resiliency, wants to talk recycling. In an impassioned speech from council chambers Wednesday, O'Malley, from Jamaica Plain, called for a citywide conversation on the city's recycling strategies and ways to reduce solid waste, pointing out that it now costs taxpayers millions of dollars to recycle, when the practice was a revenue generator just a few years ago."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "ORANGE BOWL," "THE LITTLEST FIGHTERS," "GLOBAL HEALTH EMERGENCY," — Globe: "Democrats' push for witnesses likely to fail," "Racism spreads with virus."
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| EYE ON 2020 |
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— "Iowa Democrats fear losing first-in-the-nation status," by David Siders, Laura Barrón-López and Maya King, POLITICO: "During a recent swing through South Carolina, Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), who serves as national co-chair of Elizabeth Warren's campaign, told POLITICO that the order of the primary states should "absolutely" change because it favors white and male candidates. The call for a change diverged from Warren, who has said she's "just a player in the game." Rachael Rollins, a district attorney in Massachusetts and fellow Warren surrogate, called Iowa and New Hampshire "two of the least diverse places on the planet Earth" when speaking to an auditorium in South Carolina last week filled with primarily black women."
— "Who's Winning the Endorsement Popularity Contest?" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Next Monday, after roughly three years of preamble, the Democratic primaries will finally start in earnest as folks huddle up in midwestern school gyms for the Iowa Caucuses. The arrival of this storied electoral rite means it's also time for another arcane, sacred tradition: counting endorsements and then arguing over whether they matter."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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— "Springfield Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood seeks apology from City Council President Justin Hurst," by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: "Police Commissioner Cheryl Clapprood has called for an apology from City Council President Justin Hurst, saying that he made comments about not trusting police during a committee meeting this week, according to some people in attendance. The comments allegedly came during a Council Public Safety Committee meeting on Wednesday, which was called to discuss a council proposal for a moratorium on the city using facial recognition technology."
— "Patrick Beaudry of Holyoke announces run for 5th Hampden District seat," by Elizabeth Román, Springfield Republican: "Two days after state Rep. Aaron Vega said he will not seek reelection, Holyoke native Patrick Beaudry said he will run for the seat in the 5th Hampden District of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. "I'm jumping into this race for state representative because I know firsthand exactly what kind of impact state government can make on everyday Holyokers," said Beaudry, who oversees policy, communications and public engagement at the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission in Springfield."
— "John Cain, State Rep. John Velis To Square Off In Mass. State Senate Special Election," by Adam Frenier, NEPR: "The field is set for a special election to fill a Massachusetts state Senate seat formerly held by now-Westfield Mayor Don Humason. Westfield State Representative John Velis is the lone Democrat in the running, while business owner John Cain of Southwick is the only Republican. Both will run unopposed in the March 3 primary. Velis said already being on Beacon Hill gives him a leg up if he's elected to the state Senate. "If anybody tells you experience doesn't matter, they're just living under a rock, because it does," Velis said."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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— "State To Install Permanent Air Monitoring Station In Weymouth," by Barbara Moran, WBUR: "State regulators will install a permanent air monitoring station in Weymouth to detect changes in air quality related to a natural gas compressor station under construction nearby. The monitoring station will collect data on nitrogen dioxide, fine particulate matter, ozone, and volatile organic compounds "consistent with EPA monitoring regulations and guidance," the State Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) said in a statement. The station will also record wind speed, temperature and direction."
— "The MBTA built solar panels in Hingham over a year ago. They're still not generating electricity." by Amy McKeever, Patriot Ledger: "More than a year after crews finished solar panels over the West Hingham and Nantasket Junction commuter rail parking lots, the hulking structures are still not generating any electricity. Paul Heanue, general manager for the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant, said he is waiting for the solar panels to be turned on so the utility can begin to buy electricity from True Green Capital Management, the private firm operating the panels, which were completed in October 2018."
— "The town of Princeton now has high-speed internet; 36 towns remain as Gov. Charlie Baker promises service statewide," by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: "Adam King, a senior at Wachusett Regional High School, remembers sitting outside the Princeton Public Library, hoping to connect to the wifi signal in the parking lot. The town's fire chief, John Bennett, recalls people crowded into the only pizza shop in town -- not just for the pizza pies, but to grab a slice of high-speed internet. No more. As of last year, the rural Worcester County town of 3,454 people now has high-speed internet -- something taken for granted throughout most of the state."
HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Steven Boozang, Eli Nachmany, Bob Norris and Andrew Smith.
HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND - to Eric Haynes, former Boston City Councilor Tim McCarthy, Alexa Kissinger, Kerry Akashian and Patricia LeBoeuf, who celebrate Saturday, and to Sunday birthday-er Elizabeth Warren Nashua organizer Cassidy Ballard
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 119-104.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: DO MORE WITH LESSER - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray talk with state Sen. Eric Lesser about his push for East-West rail. Boston Marathon Bombing survivors Patrick Downes and Jessica Kenskey talk about why they've endorsed Sen. Elizabeth Warren for president. 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.
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