GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday!
POLICE REFORM HELD UP IN SENATE — All eyes will be on Beacon Hill today, where Senate lawmakers will again try to debate a sweeping police reform bill.
Senate lawmakers unveiled the bill last week amid protests against racism and police brutality, and announced plans to pass it before the legislative session ends on July 31. But the bill has hit a few roadblocks. One point of tension is how the legislation deals with qualified immunity, the judicial doctrine that protects police officers from being sued in their personal capacity.
The bill was brought to a halt by Republican state Sen. Ryan Fattman three days in a row — Thursday, Friday and Saturday — using the Senate's procedural rules amid concerns that the bill was moving too quickly. And ahead of today's session, prominent lawmakers and police groups spent the weekend weighing in.
Rep. Ayanna Pressley, who is leading a push to end qualified immunity on the federal level, urged lawmakers to keep the qualified immunity language in the bill, and not to be "intimidated by scare tactics and misinformation from the police union and other special interest groups." As it stands, the state Senate bill does not go as far as to eliminate qualified immunity, but would limit it.
"Massachusetts has the chance to help lead the nation on qualified immunity," said Sen. Ed Markey, who filed a bill to eliminate qualified immunity with Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. Rep. Joe Kennedy III also weighed in, saying: "We need to reform the way we police in America. That includes ending qualified immunity."
Opponents of the bill made their own push, urging the state Senate to abandon the qualified immunity language in the bill at a press conference with members of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers and the Latino Law Enforcement Group of Boston. The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association praised Fattman on Twitter, saying his speech in the Senate “had police officers in tears.”
The push to pass a police reform package comes after months of protest in the wake of George Floyd's death in Minneapolis. And it also comes as time is running out on Beacon Hill — if lawmakers don't opt to extend the two-year session due to the pandemic, it will end in less than three weeks. The Boston City Council was in a similar situation last month, where councilors took a tense vote to approve the city's annual budget amid calls to cut police funding.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: KENNEDY BACKERS: 'WHY TACKLE AN INCUMBENT?' — Rep. Joe Kennedy III is sharpening his argument for generational change in his primary battle against Sen. Ed Markey with a new video this morning. The minute-long spot features young elected officials from across the state and pitches Kennedy as a symbol of "the passion of the rising generation."
"Why tackle an incumbent?" Springfield City Councilor Justin Hurst asks in the video. The minute-long spot also features state Rep. Jon Santiago, Everett City Councilor Gerly Adrien, Greenfield City Councilor Ashli Stempel, Berkshire District Attorney Andrea Harrington, Brookline Select Board member Raul Fernandez and Chelsea City Councilor Judith Garicia, an adviser on the Kennedy campaign.
"He speaks to the urgency, the frustration and the passion of the rising generation," the Kennedy supporters say. "He gets that voters nowadays expect more from people in Washington." In the Democratic primary, age is a significant difference between the two lawmakers. Markey, who just turned 74, was elected to the House four years before Kennedy was born in 1980. The video.
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TODAY — Rep. Stephen Lynch speaks to the New England Council. Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Rep. Seth Moulton join a virtual discussion with the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Advocacy Coalition. Attorney General Maura Healey rallies against student deportations at the State House.
HAPPENING TOMORROW 9 a.m. EDT - A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH AUSTIN MAYOR STEVE ADLER : As coronavirus cases continue to spike in Texas, the city of Austin is preparing to turn the downtown convention center into a field hospital. Join Playbook authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for a virtual interview with Austin Mayor Steve Adler that will reveal how he’s navigating the rapid jump in the number of cases, how cities are working with state and local governments during the pandemic, and how a city known for its restaurants, bars and concerts is planning for what's to come. REGISTER HERE.
 | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
– “Massachusetts reports 15 new coronavirus deaths and 172 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts health officials on Sunday reported 172 more people were confirmed as positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus, and that another 15 have died from illness related to the virus.”
| DATELINE BEACON HILL |
– “Leaders of Black and Latino police groups oppose limiting officers’ qualified immunity,” by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: “The leaders of two organizations for Black and Latino police officers spoke out Sunday against proposed legislation that would limit qualified immunity for law enforcement officers. The sweeping law enforcement bill, now in the state Senate, is overall ‘fairly good,’ said Eddy Chrispin, a Boston police sergeant and president of the Massachusetts Association of Minority Law Enforcement Officers. But at a press conference on the State House steps late Sunday, Chrispin said he worried about limiting qualified immunity.”
– “In tug-of-war over social distancing, schools torn between difficult trade-offs,” by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: “When Governor Charlie Baker released guidelines for reopening schools, one measure seemed to come out of left field: In an effort to get as many students as possible back into their classrooms this fall, he would allow schools to practice only 3 feet of social distancing instead of the standard 6 feet, sparking a passionate debate across the state.”
– “Efforts to expand Massachusetts coronavirus testing hit snags,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Efforts to expand coronavirus testing in the Bay State are hitting snags, from outcry over the lack of testing sites in Western Massachusetts to labs that aren’t getting enough supplies to meet increasing demand. Gov. Charlie Baker’s plan to ‘stop the spread’ by boosting testing in Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Marlborough and New Bedford — communities where positivity rates far exceed the state’s average and where testing has dropped off — is being criticized by officials west of Interstate 495 who say their high-risk communities are being cut out.”
– “COVID database filled with holes despite law,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Passing a law is one thing. Implementing it is another. On June 7, Gov. Charlie Baker signed a law requiring the Department of Public Health to publish more transparent data about the coronavirus outbreak. The law required DPH to provide more racial and occupational data about caseloads, and to give more detail about outbreaks in long-term care facilities for the elderly.”
| FROM THE HUB |
– “Boston moves into Phase 3 of reopening plan on Monday amid coronavirus pandemic,” by Scott J. Croteau, MassLive.com: “The city of Boston, on Monday, will move into the third phase of the reopening plan amid the coronavirus pandemic, one week after Massachusetts began Phase 3. In a press conference Friday, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh said the city continued to monitor coronavirus statistics and noted there has been a decline in new COVID-19 cases over recent weeks in Boston.”
– “Landlords and commercial tenants negotiate delicate deals with high stakes,” by Tim Logan and Janelle Nanos, Boston Globe: “It’s a tale of two cafes, and a story that’s playing out all over town. Nir Caspi owns Cafe Landwer, with locations in Cleveland Circle and Audubon Circle. Both opened in the last three years on the ground floors of new residential buildings. Both were doing well serving fine coffee, kebabs, and Israeli breakfast specialties before COVID-19, Caspi said, but business has suffered since the virus brought the economy to a crashing halt. He is confident one will survive. The other has been in limbo.”
– “Boston NAACP Petition Urges BPS To Suspend Admission Testing For Exam Schools,” by Tori Bedford, WGBH News: “The Boston branch of the NAACP launched a petition Friday to suspend admissions testing for Boston’s exam schools — the latest move in a years-long battle over racial disparities at Boston Latin School, Boston Latin Academy and the John D. O’Bryant School of Mathematics and Sciences.”
– “In Arlington near Boston, Black voices challenge a white suburban school district to do better,” by Jenna Russell, Boston Globe: “He had never shared the story outside his family, holding his frustration close. But after Minneapolis police pressed the life out of George Floyd, J. Mike Remy felt compelled to end his silence. So one night in late May as protests filled the streets, Remy turned his cellphone camera on himself.”
– “Virgin Mary statue set on fire outside Boston church,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “A statue of the Virgin Mary was set ablaze outside a Boston church Saturday night, said police who are investigating the arson incident. Officers at 10 p.m. responded to a call for a fire in the area of 284 Bowdoin St. in Dorchester. On arrival at St.Peter’s Parish, officers saw that a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary had been set on fire.”
– “What is a homeless encampment? Don’t ask Mass. cities,” by Anoushka Dalmia, Noemi Arellano Summer and Maggie Mulvihill, Boston Globe: “When homeless people in Boston set up campsites to shelter themselves, how is the city supposed to respond? Eight months after the mayor’s office released its first draft protocol on dealing with encampments, the policy has yet to be finalized, setting the city up for potential legal risks and leaving unsheltered homeless people on edge about when and how they might be forced to move.”
– “Faneuil Hall merchants demand more rent relief,” by Colman M. Herman, CommonWealth Magazine: “Merchants at Faneuil Hall Marketplace, devastated by months with no income during the coronavirus shutdown and now seeing only a trickle of business return after their July 1 reopening, are lashing out at their New York landlord, saying many of them won’t survive without greater rent relief.”
– “Encore casino reopens Sunday morning to masked gamblers,” by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: “Encore Boston Harbor, which had been shuttered since March when the state ordered business closures because of the coronavirus pandemic, reopened Sunday morning to a steady trickle of guests, excited to don masks and slather on hand sanitizer for a chance to get back on the floor.”
| PRIMARY SOURCES |
– FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: “Over 150 Health Professionals Endorse Dr. Natalia Linos For Congress,” from the Linos campaign: “While U.S. coronavirus cases surge, over 150 health care professionals endorse Dr. Natalia Linos to represent Massachusetts’ District 4 in Congress, building on significant momentum for her candidacy. As the federal government continues to fail in its COVID-19 response, discrediting scientists and devaluing front-line workers, health professionals are uniting in their support for Dr. Linos’ platform for science-based leadership.”
– “Decision on ballot eligibility for Republican challenger to Keating expected Monday,” by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: “The state’s highest court is expected to issue a ruling on Monday regarding the ballot eligibility of Plymouth Republican Helen Brady, who is challenging U.S. Rep. William Keating. Her attorney, Christopher Kenney, urged the Supreme Judicial Court on Friday to intervene and overturn a ruling from the quasi-judicial State Ballot Law Commission, which late last month ordered Brady’s name not to be printed on ballots after finding that her campaign did not follow technical guidelines laid out by the court for collecting electronic signatures amid the coronavirus.”
| THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
– “Ayanna Pressley to Betsy DeVos on schools reopening: ‘I wouldn’t trust you to care for a house plant, let alone my child,’” by Arianna MacNeill, Boston.com: “In criticizing U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s demand that all schools reopen this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley said, ‘you have no plan.’ ‘Teachers, kids and parents are fearing for their lives,’ she wrote on Twitter Sunday afternoon.”
| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
– “Kennedy endorses moving NOAA science center to New Bedford,” by Tim Dunn, SouthCoast Today: “Congressman Joe Kennedy III brought his senatorial campaign to the Whaling City Friday afternoon, touting a plan at the center of his campaign for post-COVID-19 economic recovery. The focus of the stop: The Blue Economy, and more specifically, bringing NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center from Woods Hole to New Bedford.”
| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
– “As woods give way to solar farms, state to issue controversial rules that could harm solar industry,” by David Abel, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts has been a national leader in solar power and now boasts more of the renewable energy than most other states. But it has come at a cost to forests and woodlands, and environmental advocates — not a group ordinarily prone to voicing doubts about renewable sources — say misguided state incentives have encouraged building solar farms on undeveloped land.”
| ABOVE THE FOLD |
— Herald: “VANDALS TORCH VIRGIN MARY," "LEFT OUT,” — Globe: “EU swiftly rebounds; US wobbles," "DeVos pushes on school openings," "With Phase 3 starting in the city, safety's the word.”
| FROM THE 413 |
– “‘A deep-rooted problem’: Springfield state legislators renew call for civilian oversight, equitable discipline of police after feds find excessive force,” by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: “Three Springfield Democratic state legislators questioned the firing of a city police detective over a Black Lives Matter social media post after a federal study highlighted excessive, unconstitutional use of force by narcotics officers in the department.”
– “Berkshire legislators on board with 'directional' thinking for rail service,” by Danny Jin, The Berkshire Eagle: “As an opportunity emerges for a long-awaited statewide rail project, proponents say getting it right hinges upon an understanding of what's at stake. Rail service from Pittsfield to Boston, lawmakers say, would connect Western Massachusetts with economic opportunities in the east, while giving those in the east access to affordable housing and a Western Massachusetts lifestyle.”
– “Pandemic forced local government online — and it could be for good, officials say,” by Michael Connors, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “As they continue to work through it all, some local leaders are assessing the ways in which the pandemic may have forced them to permanently change how they operate — with many saying the public health crisis accelerated government’s shift to providing a greater online presence to citizens.”
– “‘It’s the biggest challenge our industry has ever faced’: MGM Springfield reopens casino, looks to renegotiate deal with city,” by Jim Kinney, Springfield Republican: “The casino reopens Monday following a four-month shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic, and before that a year and a half of not living up to gambling revenue expectations. MGM Springfield is preparing to open to the public Monday after weekend previews for members of its M life Rewards program. Only about a third of the casino’s amenities and none of its hotel rooms will be open, at least at first.”
| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
– “Cape Codders ‘speak up’ about their experiences as people of color,” by Beth Treffeisen, Cape Cod Times: “About 150 people gathered on the Hyannis Village Green to listen to stories and songs about what it is like to be a person of color on Cape Cod. ‘Enough is enough,’ Tamora Israel said, reading a poem she wrote, ‘Black is Beautiful. Brothers and sisters, it is time to stand up, suit up and run for office,’ she said.”
– “Why do area police departments lack body cams? The cost,” by Brad Petrishen, Telegram & Gazette: “Very few Central Massachusetts police departments are using body cameras, with cost being the number one hurdle cited by local chiefs, many of whom are interested in bringing them online. Departments in Leicester, West Brookfield and Petersham are the only towns the Telegram & Gazette could identify as using body cameras in an email survey of local chiefs last week.”
– “Plimoth Plantation to change its name,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “Plimoth Plantation will change its name to better incorporate the history of the Native Americans who have long lived in the region. A new moniker that will be ‘inclusive of the Indigenous history that is part of our educational mission’ will be unveiled later this year, the living history museum said.”
HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Amanda Hunter, research and comms director at the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, who turns 41.
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