GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
PROTEST MOVEMENT CREATES NEW FOCUS IN SENATE RACE — As protests against racism and police brutality continue across the country, a heightened focus on those issues has created a new landscape for Democratic campaigns.
In the Senate primary race, the campaigns of both Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III have grappled with issues of race in recent days.
Markey's campaign came under fire for liking a meme on his Twitter account that promoted a racist trope over the weekend. Markey's digital communications director apologized Saturday for liking the post, which included a photo of a group of Black men accompanied by text that promoted Markey's reelection. Markey's aides often engage online with supporters who create memes promoting the Malden Democrat.
"I am so sorry and am taking action to learn, listen, and hold myself to personal and professional account," Paul Bologna, the digital director, wrote in a tweet.
Kennedy's press secretary, Brian Phillips Jr., suggested Markey should have done more to address the tweet.
"Want to know what #WhitePrivilege looks like? This guy still has a job after promoting a racist trope from a US Senator’s account," Phillips tweeted on Monday. "But, that’s just one Black man’s opinion."
The Twitter flare up came a few days Kennedy announced he had disaffiliated from his college fraternity last year, the Kappa Alpha chapter at Stanford University. The fraternity's national organization has referred to Confederate general Robert E. Lee as its "spiritual founder."
The congressman said his chapter was diverse and "had little relationship" with the national organization, but that the national Kappa Alpha was "deeply problematic" and he should have left the group sooner. Kennedy and a group of friends, in a video, said they broke ties with the fraternity last summer after members of another school's Kappa Alpha chapter were photographed with guns in front of an Emmett Till memorial.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: MA-4 CANDIDATES ROLL OUT POLICY PLANS — Three congressional campaigns are rolling out new policy proposals today. Jesse Mermell, Alan Khazei and Dave Cavell, all Democrats running to replace Rep. Joe Kennedy III, are tackling health care, racism and education.
Mermell is rolling out two proposals: A Covid-19 recovery plan, and another plan to overhaul the "broken health care system" in the United States.
To address the pandemic, Mermell is calling for more testing, personal protective equipment and contact tracing to combat the coronavirus, along with a national paid leave program and new vote-by-mail guidelines. On the health care front, Mermell is calling for the passage of Medicare for All, reducing prescription drug prices and ending the opioid epidemic, among other proposals. Mermell was an aide in the Gov. Deval Patrick administration and is the former president of the Alliance for Business Leadership.
For his part, Khazei is proposing a congressional "American Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission" to "facilitate a national conversation" on systemic racism in the United States and develop recommendations for reform. The commission would be supported with $50 million in funding and tasked with holding hearings in Washington, D.C. and other cities. Khazei is the co-founder of City Year.
And Cavell, a former White House aide, is calling for "comprehensive Covid-19 relief" for students and teachers in his new education plan , along with free pre-k for every child in the United States. Cavell also proposes scaling back charter schools, tuition-free public college and a national plan for teaching Black history and civics education.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Attorney General Maura Healey is a guest on WGBH. Rep. Joe Kennedy III hosts a fundraiser with California Rep. Katie Porter. Kennedy hosts a livestream with activist Sheika Babin to discuss Pride Month and the Black Lives Matter movement. State Sen. Cindy Creem and state Rep. Liz Miranda are guests on JALSA’s “Schmoozefest” livestream.
JOIN TOMORROW AT 4:45 p.m. EDT/1:45 p.m. PDT – CALIFORNIA PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH SAN FRANCISCO MAYOR LONDON BREED: California is gradually re-opening as retail stores, restaurants and churches join other entities in welcoming eager patrons. Join California Playbook authors Carla Marinucci and Jeremy White for a virtual interview with San Francisco Mayor London Breed to discuss the city’s economic comeback, proposals for police reform and funding reallocation. REGISTER HERE.
 | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
– “Massachusetts reports 17 new coronavirus deaths, 149 new cases as restaurants resume indoor dining,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials said another 17 residents of died of coronavirus. The death toll now stands at 7,874, according to the Department of Public Health. Officials also confirmed another 149 cases of COVID-19, including 13 probable. That’s based on 6,730 molecular tests and 326 antibody tests reported on Monday.”
| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
– “Protesters Reject Gov. Baker’s Policing Plan: 'Nobody Should Have To Pay You To Not Be Racist,'” by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: “Several hundred protesters marched from the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury to the Massachusetts State House Monday, demanding that Governor Charlie Baker reallocate funding to community-led initiatives instead. The protest came on the heels of a bill filed by Baker last week that would award bonuses up to $5,000 for officers who choose to undergo racial sensitivity training.”
– “Baker has spent $350m on personal protection equipment,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Legislative budget writers on Monday released a $1.1 billion supplemental budget bill, giving perhaps the clearest picture yet of the extraordinary amount of money government is spending on the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Charlie Baker in May had requested $1 billion for a COVID-19 reserve to cover the expenses that the state already incurred, an authorization he said will allow the state to request reimbursement from the federal government.”
– “Juneteenth proposal added to Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker’s supplemental budget as amendment,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Days after legislators filed a bill to make Juneteenth an official state holiday, Rep. Bud Williams may have bolstered the proposal’s chances of becoming law before the end of the legislative session. The Springfield Democrat tacked it onto the governor’s supplemental budget bill as an amendment and got House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s backing.”
– “Mass. Has Lowest COVID-19 Transmission Rate In The Country, According To Website That Tracks Virus' Spread,” State House News Service: “Massachusetts now has the lowest COVID-19 transmission rate of any state in the country, according to a website that has been compiling state data and tracking transmission trends.”
– “Lawmakers move to pass one-month budget,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Lawmakers are making quick work of an interim budget filed by Gov. Charlie Baker that will fund state government through the end of July. Baker filed the $5.25 billion budget on Friday, 11 days before the June 30 end of the fiscal year. The House Ways and Means Committee voted to release the budget with no changes Monday morning, and the House and Senate quickly approved it.”
– “Healey criticizes Baker administration for lack of transparency on problems with unemployment aid,” by Sean P. Murphy, Boston Globe: “Attorney General Maura Healey on Monday blasted the Baker administration for not sharing with the public more details about how many people are going weeks without badly needed unemployment benefits as a result of a nationwide fraud scheme. That scheme prompted the state Department of Unemployment Assistance last month to interrupt weekly payments to some claimants and to block the initial filings of others as it investigated.”
– “Massachusetts municipal leaders push state for more school funding amid coronavirus financial woes,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Leaders of Gateway Cities who once expected a ‘game changing’ influx in state education funding this year fear the well will dry up due to the financial hit of the coronavirus pandemic — prompting a plea to state officials to prioritize school aid in some of the commonwealth’s poorest communities.”
| FROM THE HUB |
– “Boston councilors may reject Walsh’s budget over police cuts,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Councilors are considering rejecting Mayor Martin Walsh’s revised budget — putting the city on track for a provisional budget that the administration warns would mean layoffs — as they continue pushing for broader reforms and deeper cuts to the police department.”
– “Black students, alumni go public with painful stories of racism at prestigious prep schools,” by Dasia Moore, Boston Globe: “Echoes of the nationwide reckoning on racism can now be heard among current students and recent graduates of the country’s most elite prep schools. Students and alumni of color have launched dozens of social media accounts in recent weeks, creating forums to reveal often painful accounts of their experiences at the prestigious, predominantly white high schools. The pages are an online counterpart to the demonstrations against racism and police brutality that have filled streets across the country.”
– “As Mass. Enters The Next Step In Reopening, Some Businesses Are Booked. Others Are Left Behind,” by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: “The next step of Massachusetts' reopening plan during the coronavirus pandemic goes into effect Monday, allowing restaurants to resume indoor dining, offices to operate at 50 percent capacity and some personal services, including nail and tanning salons, tattoo parlors and personal training, to reopen.”
– “Minority coalition urges Mass. business leaders to commit $1 billion to fighting racial inequity,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “A coalition led by the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts has laid down an ambitious challenge for the Massachusetts business community: Commit up to $1 billion to a fund for reducing racial inequities over the next decade. The ‘reconstruction and rehabilitation fund’ is one of many public- and private-sector initiatives the business group unveiled on Monday to address systemic racial inequality in the state’s economy.”
– “Child Care Reopens, But Many Ask For State Aid After 'Financially Devastating' Closure,” by Carrie Jung, WBUR: “Surviving the pandemic closures has been hard for a lot of child care providers. ‘It was financially devastating,’ said Emma LaVecchia is the co-founder of Pine Village Preschool, which runs 10 daycare centers in the Boston metro area. To make it through, her company had to furlough most of the staff and ask for rent forgiveness.”
– “UMass Boston announces plan to teach classes remotely this fall,” by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: “Due to coronavirus concerns, in-person classes will not be back in session this fall at the third largest state university in Massachusetts. Katherine Newman, the interim chancellor of UMass Boston, announced Monday that the university will move forward with plans to maintain remote learning through the upcoming semester, with the exception of certain science and nursing programs that require the use of campus labs.”
– “Mass Audubon lays off 34 employees after coronavirus causes budget problems,” by Jeanette DeForge, Springfield Republican: “Faced with declining revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, Mass Audubon has laid off 34 staff members and 60 others are facing reduced hours or extended furloughs. The nonprofit organization which operates more than 60 wildlife sanctuaries and nature centers on a total of 38,000 acres of land across the state is expecting to see a $6.5 million decline in revenue.”
| PRIMARY SOURCES |
– “Mass. firefighters’ union backs Grossman for Kennedy seat,” by Ted Nesi, WPRI: “Democratic congressional hopeful Becky Grossman has landed the endorsement of the state firefighters’ union, as the candidates vying to succeed Joe Kennedy III battle to lock down support from organized labor. Grossman, a Newton city councilor, ‘stands out in a crowded field of candidates for her unwavering and genuine support of firefighters and their families,’ Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts president Rich MacKinnon Jr. said in a statement.”
| PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES |
– “Pollack outlines yet another ‘throat’ option,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack on Monday proposed a modified rebuild of the existing Massachusetts Turnpike and other transportation infrastructure in the narrow 204-foot space between Boston University and the Charles River as a way of avoiding any incursion into the Charles River and speeding up construction of a new I-90 Allston interchange.”
| DAY IN COURT |
– “Report: Transit officer resigns after allegedly using excessive force against Black man at Forest Hills,” by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “A Black man was allegedly dragged off a bus in late April by an MBTA Transit Police officer who pressed his face into the ground while kneeling on him, and that officer has since resigned, while his supervisor was placed on administrative leave, according to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.”
– “DA Rachael Rollins rolls out furloughs as feds eye end to bailout,” by Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: “Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins stunned her staff Monday by announcing they will need to take furloughs in July, just as the federal government begins to phase out coronavirus bailouts. The move comes as the state is struggling with tax revenue shortfalls and the courts — both state and local — have slowed to a crawl due to complications of COVID-19.”
– “SJC: People found dangerous can be held in jail for longer despite coronavirus,” by John R. Ellement, Boston Globe: “Hundreds of pretrial detainees considered so dangerous to the public or their alleged victims that they must be jailed before trial can be held considerably longer because of court delays caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Monday. The state’s highest court found that the detainees’ right to a speedy trial is not violated by court closures due to the pandemic.”
| FROM THE DELEGATION |
– “Neal optimistic about big, Democrat-led spending bills,” by Jack Lyons, The Berkshire Eagle: “U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, expressed confidence in his party's efforts to invest in infrastructure and to provide pandemic relief, despite Republican aversion to large spending bills amid the economic downturn. Neal's comments followed rollout last week of the ‘Moving Forward Act,’ an infrastructure plan by Democrats that would allocate $1.5 trillion to improve highways, railroads, broadband, renewable energy and the Postal Service, among other items.”
| ABOVE THE FOLD |
— Herald: “FEVER BREAKS,” — Globe: “From august halls of prep schools, stories of racism," "Concerns follow US spikes," "A STEP IN RIGHT DIRECTION.”
| FROM THE 413 |
– “Families, veterans advocates call for Soldiers’ Home improvements,” by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “A coalition of veterans, their families and local advocates is calling on the state to fund its portion of a renovation and expansion project the Soldiers’ Home that has already been approved for federal money. The campaign is planning a ‘stand out’ in Holyoke at 4 p.m. Tuesday to pressure Gov. Charlie Baker.”
– “Springfield won’t open cooling centers due to coronavirus; infections continue decline,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “City officials said Monday that new coronavirus cases and hospitalizations continue to decline in Springfield, but repercussions of the pandemic now include the city not being able to open cooling centers during the heat wave.”
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
– “Oxford Gym Racks up $8,000 in Fines as Owner Refuses to Shut Down,” by Tessa Yannone, Boston Magazine: “On May 18, David Blondin, owner of the Oxford gym Prime Fitness and Nutrition, decided he’d had enough and reopened his gym for business, despite the state-wide shutdown of fitness studios. In Governor Charlie Baker’s reopening plan, gyms and fitness studios won’t be allowed to open until Phase 3, with the earliest date likely to be June 29. Under already unsteady economic circumstances, according to many fitness studio owners, that could mean the end for their businesses. And Blondin has now made clear that he’ll do whatever it takes to continue to operate his business.”
– “Some fear coronavirus surge with influx of summer visitors,” by Cynthia McCormick, Cape Cod Times: “Tourists are surging back to Cape Cod and with them come money, beach toys, traffic — and the coronavirus? According to Dr. Vanessa Kerry, director of Harvard Medical School’s Program in Global Public Policy and Social Change, an uptick in cases is possible with more people on the move during the summer months.”
TRANSITIONS – Rep. Katherine Clark has been named as a member of the Democratic National Committee’s Platform Drafting Committee, chair Tom Perez announced on Monday. The 15-member committee manages the process for developing the Democratic Party’s national platform.
– Nicolas Suarez joins Sen. Ed Markey’s campaign as a field organizer.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Samuel O. Thier.
NEW EPISODE: MIRANDA RIGHTS – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray speak with state Rep. Liz Miranda about a new bill that would give more guidelines to police. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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JOIN TOMORROW 1 p.m. EDT - THE SPEED OF SCIENCE POST-COVID-19: What does the future of science in a post-Covid-19 world look like? What lessons can we learn to accelerate medical research outside of the coronavirus? How can newly developed drugs and vaccines be distributed equitably? What can we do to minimize misinformation from flawed or inaccurate scientific studies published during a public health emergency? Join Patrick Steel, CEO of POLITICO, and Alexander Hardy, CEO of Genentech, for this critical and timely discussion. REGISTER HERE.
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