 | ||
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. TGIF! BAKER'S BROAD POWER ON BEACON HILL— Gov. Charlie Baker's influence in Massachusetts government will become even broader by the end of the year. After the unexpected death of Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Ralph Gants, it's likely that Baker will soon be in a position to select the entire bench of the Supreme Judicial Court. The last governor to appoint the entire court was John Hancock, according to the Boston Globe, who was the first and third governor of the Bay State. Baker has already named five justices to the seven-member court during his time as governor. Baker will fill Gants' seat on the court, and another spot on the bench when Justice Barbara Lenk retires later this year. The Governor's Council approves Baker's appointments to the court. Naming the entire SJC would be a long-lasting example of Baker's power as governor, as justices are not required to retire until they are 70. Baker's youngest appointment, Justice Kimberly Budd, will be 70 in 2036. This comes as the court is deciding whether Baker's other big area of influence — executive orders — are legal. The governor has issued dozens of executive orders to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic, having to do with travel restrictions, facial coverings, flu shots and a host of other issues. Eighty-one percent of Massachusetts residents approve of how Baker has handled coronavirus, according to a poll conducted in June. The Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments last week in the lawsuit brought by business owners and others. The issue is not whether Baker's decisions were good or bad, but whether he should have relied on the Civil Defense Act for his authority. Justices seemed wary of upending Baker's Covid-19 response, according to CommonWealth Magazine. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Rep. Jim McGovern holds a press conference in Worcester with state Sen. Harriette Chandler. Rep. Richard Neal speaks to the Greater Westfield Chamber of Commerce, and holds a U.S. Census event in Chicopee. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and Dr. Karilyn Crockett kick off a virtual NAACP Boston roundtable. Walsh joins a Facebook Live hosted by the American Association of Suicidology on behalf of Democratic nominee Joe Biden’s campaign. Sen. Ed Markey campaigns in Boston, Weymouth, Springfield, Ludlow and Worcester. | ||
KEEP UP WITH THE WORLD FROM HOME: Our Global Translations newsletter, presented by Bank of America, layers international news, trends, and decisions that you may have missed with contextual analysis from the world's sharpest minds. For news, insight, and a unique perspective that you cannot find anywhere else, SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | ||
| ||
– “Massachusetts reports 15 new COVID deaths, 419 new coronavirus cases on Thursday,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “State health officials announced another 15 new coronavirus deaths on Thursday, bringing the statewide death count to 9,051 since the start of the pandemic. Officials also confirmed another 419 cases of COVID-19, for a total now of at least 124,139 in Massachusetts.” | ||
| ||
– “Baker Boosts Flu Awareness By Getting, Well, A Flu Shot,” by Mike Deehan, GBH News: “Gov. Charlie Baker received a flu shot Thursday from a CVS pharmacy in Roslindale, part of his efforts to get as many Massachusetts residents immunized against influenza while the state still struggles with the COVID-19 pandemic. ‘As we continue to fight COVID-19, it's critical that we do everything we can to minimize the impact of the flu and other respiratory illnesses. This will keep people healthy and help maintain capacity in hospitals and other health care facilities in case there is another surge associated with COVID-19,’ Baker said after receiving the shot.” – “Revised medical parole rules draw fire,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “A second attempt by the Department of Correction to develop medical parole regulations is running into blowback from lawmakers and advocates who say the Baker administration is continuing to block efforts to release medically incapacitated prisoners.” – “DeLeo hopeful that bill to support campus sexual violence survivors can move forward this year,” by Charlie Wolfson, Boston Globe: “In 2014, John Gabrieli and some of his fellow college students founded the Every Voice Coalition and drafted the Every Voice bill, which would require colleges and universities to provide support for survivors of sexual violence on campuses. More than five years later, Gabrieli and other activists are still hoping to see it become law in Massachusetts.” – “Union-backed group loses tax exempt status,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune: “An advocacy group involved in the fight over school reopenings and education reform has had its federal tax exempt status revoked for failure to file financial statements dating back years. The Massachusetts Education Justice Alliance was stripped of its tax-exempt status last month for not filing Form 990s and other financial disclosures, dating back to 2018, according to Internal Revenue Service records.” – “Advocates say the fight is not over for immigrants in Mass. with temporary protected status,” by Dasia Moore, Boston Globe: “Massachusetts advocacy groups said they are disappointed, but not defeated, following a ruling by a federal appeals court that allows the Trump administration to move forward with ending protections for some immigrants.” – “Boston leads effort protesting naturalization fee hike,” by Sarah Betancourt, CommonWealth Magazine: “The city of Boston filed an amicus brief Thursday on behalf of 34 cities, counties, and municipal agencies asking a federal court to stop a new rule from going into effect that would nearly double the cost to apply for citizenship. Beginning October 2, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) is increasing its fee to apply for naturalization from $725 to $1,200 — and eliminating the fee waiver for almost all low-income residents.” – “Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey vows to combat election interference after President Donald Trump says he’ll send law enforcement to polling places,” by Jackson Cote, MassLive.com: “After President Donald Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity last month he would send law enforcement to polling places to monitor for voter fraud, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey offered a reminder to residents this week that state and federal laws have long protected against voter intimidation.” – “State Senate budget chief anticipating $5 billion drop in tax collections in fiscal 2021,” by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: “Despite signs that the state's finances have not completely cratered during the pandemic, the Senate's top budget official said this week he anticipates tax collections in fiscal 2021 to be down $5 billion from last year, and said lawmakers will need to dip ‘deeply’ into the state's $3.5 billion ‘rainy day’ fund unless new federal aid arrives from Washington.” | ||
| ||
– “COVID And Housing Costs Top Voter Concerns In GBH News Boston Mayoral Poll,” by Saraya Wintersmith, GBH News: “As Boston prepares for the 2021 mayoral election, a new GBH News poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group shows that the COVID-19 pandemic far outstrips any issue on the minds of registered voters, relegating crime, public safety, police conduct, and race relations to a third tier of worry.” – “Hundreds of Boston students who need laptops have not received them, advocates say,” by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: “Hundreds of students who have requested laptops since last spring from Boston Public Schools have yet to receive them, according to the advocacy group Lawyers for Civil Rights. The organization said Thursday that it requested the district’s public records on Chromebook distribution after being contacted by desperate families of students struggling without laptops.” – “Walsh: Trump Admin Policy That Would Raise Citizenship Application Fees 'Betrayal' Of US Values,” by Isaiah Thompson, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said Thursday that the city of Boston has joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration over new policies that would impose new and heftier fees on immigrants seeking to gain U.S. citizenship. Earlier in the day, Walsh said, the city filed an amicus brief supporting Project Citizen, a nonprofit organization that advocates for immigrant access to citizenship, in suing the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.” – “BPS Has A New Policy Governing Student Information Sharing. Some Educators Say It Doesn't Go Far Enough,” by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: “Boston Public Schools have a new policy around sharing student information with the Boston Police Department. The school committee unanimously approved the new guidelines Wednesday night, even though many advocates and teachers still express concerns.” – “COVID-19 vaccine unlikely to be a silver bullet,” by Sarah Betancourt and Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “For months, a quarantine-weary, virus-ridden nation has been waiting for a COVID-19 vaccine. It’s become the endgame, the antidote to all the death and economic destruction the virus has caused. Massachusetts’s final reopening stage, referred to as the ‘new normal,’ is predicated on having an effective treatment or vaccine. But experts are beginning to rein in the sky-high expectations.” – “We Have A Year Of Data, But Still Don't Know Impact Of Police In Mass. Schools,” by Shannon Dooling, WBUR: “As the country grapples with police reform, many juvenile justice advocates in Massachusetts are questioning whether officers belong in schools. We know people of color disproportionately come into contact with the criminal justice system at a young age and for minor offenses, and some argue school police may play a role in the criminalization of students.” – “Boston Among Bottom 70 American Cities For Racial Inclusion, Study Finds,” by Simón Rios, WBUR: “The racial poverty gap progressively widened in Boston since 1990, bucking a trend in the opposite direction of other U.S. cities, according to new research from the nonprofit Urban Institute. The study looked at how equitable the economy is for all city residents — as well as how the economic indicators break down along racial lines.” – “Northeastern University will credit 11 students, dismissed after gathering at Boston hotel, with tuition expenses for spring semester,” by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: “Northeastern University says it will credit the 11 freshmen who were dismissed following a gathering at the Westin Hotel for the tuition costs incurred as part of their dismissal. The students were found to be in violation of Northeastern’s code of conduct and COVID-19 health protocols amid the coronavirus pandemic, the university said previously.” – “Colleges race to close gaps in coronavirus tracing systems,” by Kay Lazar, Deirdre Fernandes and Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: “State officials say the campuses must swiftly snuff out virus hot spots if Massachusetts is to avoid a resurgence of the virus this fall. Earlier this week, the Baker administration said it will take the lead in tracking down infected students, faculty, and staff at Boston College amid a spike in cases and growing skepticism about that school’s testing regimen. Other colleges are facing their own challenges, though not as serious as the problems that confronted BC.” | ||
| ||
– “Grappling with ‘driving while black,’ SJC offers help,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “The Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday issued a ruling that will make it easier for defendants to prove they are the victim of illegal racial profiling when pulled over during a traffic stop. The decision, hailed as a major victory for advocates for racial justice, came on the same day the court released an opinion building on a landmark 2016 decision in which the SJC held that flight is not evidence of guilt when a black man flees police because he may have reason to believe he is being racially profiled.” – “Some jury trials to begin in Massachusetts in October under ‘Phase I’ reopening during COVID-19 pandemic,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court on Thursday issued its newest ruling to guide the state’s courts into resuming jury trials amid the coronavirus pandemic. A limited number of six-person jury trials will begin on Oct. 23, according to a spokeswoman for the state’s high court.” | ||
| ||
– “Students without internet at home are getting left behind, says Sen. Ed Markey, urging FCC to boost connectivity,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Sen. Ed Markey and a coalition of more than three dozen Democratic senators urged the Federal Communications Commission on Thursday to boost internet connectivity for students whose homes have turned into classrooms during the COVID-19 pandemic.” | ||
| ||
– “Ayanna Pressley, Katherine Clark urge Charlie Baker in letter to address racial disparities in school discipline,” by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com: “Massachusetts Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Katherine Clark are urging urgent action at both the state and federal level to address the racial inequities and disparities in school discipline, sending letters Thursday to both Gov. Charlie Baker and U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos to press for action and answers.” | ||
| ||
– “Lawsuit could disrupt real estate market in 2 Cape Cod towns,” by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: “An impending lawsuit by an environmental advocacy organization could wreak havoc on the real estate market in the towns of Barnstable and Mashpee. The Conservation Law Foundation has notified the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and the towns of Barnstable and Mashpee of its intent to file a lawsuit to stop septic systems from pumping nitrogen and phosphorous pollution into local waterways.” | ||
| ||
— Herald: “COVID D-FENSE,” — Globe: “A DISASTROUS YEAR," "SJC takes on racial profiling by police," "Moderna expects vaccine results in Nov.” | ||
| ||
– “Springfield police announce progress in rollout of body cameras, online complaint system for excessive force allegations,” by Peter Goonan, Springfield Republican: “Two months after the release of a U.S. Department of Justice report that sharply criticized the Springfield Police Department’s narcotics unit, city officials said Thursday that progress is being made in the city, including outfitting more officers with body cameras and improving the citizen complaint process.” | ||
| ||
– “A Massachusetts teenager tested positive for covid-19. His parents sent him to school anyway.” by Jaclyn Peiser, The Washington Post: “Six students tested positive for covid-19 days before Attleboro High School in Massachusetts reopened its doors for the first day of school this week. Only five of them stayed home, the city’s mayor told WJAR.” – “‘People are getting tired of it’: Worcester city manager Edward Augustus Jr. links increase of COVID-19 cases to family gatherings without masks, social distancing,” by Michael Bonner, MassLive.com: “City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. pointed to a general fatigue related to wearing masks and social distancing as the cause of coronavirus cases in Worcester increasing in six of the last eight weeks. On Wednesday, Worcester was designated as a high-risk community by the state .” – “Attleboro area firefighters on team helping in fire-ravaged Oregon,” by David Linton, Sun Chronicle: “Area firefighters are part of the Massachusetts Task Force 1 urban search and rescue team now in Oregon to help deal with the ongoing wildfires disaster. Lt. Scott McGuire and John Cooper of the North Attleboro department, Gerry McNamara of the Mansfield department and Cory Shepardson of the Foxboro department are among 25 members of the team.” – “Back the Blue, Black Lives Matter supporters fill Scituate Rotary in separate standouts,” by Anastasia E. Lennon, The Patriot Ledger: “More than 50 people gathered around the Greenbush Rotary Wednesday afternoon through rush hour — half to support the Back the Blue campaign and President Donald Trump and the other half to support the Black Lives Matter movement.” | ||
| ||
– “In new model for media, Globe signs subscription and events deal with Biogen,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “The Boston Globe has signed a six-figure deal with Biogen that provides digital subscriptions to all of the Cambridge-based biotech company’s roughly 4,000 Massachusetts employees. As part of the deal, the Globe will host two town-hall style discussions around topics of Biogen’s choosing.” TRANSITIONS – Matthew A. Morris joins Sherin and Lodgen LLP as a partner in the firm’s corporate department. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to former Rep. John Tierney, Daily Hampshire Gazette alum Emily Cutts, Jen Migliore, Kathryn Burton, Corey Lewandowski, who is 47; and Mark Walsh. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND – to Saturday birthday-ers Dorey Scheimer, Rachel McNeill, Kennedy alum Brian Phillips and John Hawthorne. And to Sunday birthday-ers Boston City Councilor Matt O’Malley, former congressional candidate Dr. Robbie Goldstein and Vanessa Kirsch. NEW EPISODE: READY MAYOR ONE – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray break down new polling in the Boston 2021 mayoral race, chat with Katie Lannan of the State House News Service about the Legislature’s fall plans, and Matt Szafranski of Western Mass Politics & Insight discusses politics in the 413. 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. | ||
CAN HEALTH APPS IMPACT THE ELECTION ? Amid persistent concerns about how the pandemic could impact voter turnout, many are overlooking one scenario – digital manipulation via health apps. Some security researchers warn that in the wrong hands, these apps could keep voters home on Election Day. How significant of a threat is this? Get insight into this and the politics, policies, and technologies driving significant change on voters' most personal issues: their health. SUBSCRIBE TO FUTURE PULSE NOW. | ||
Follow us on Twitter
| ||
Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook | Playbook PM | California Playbook | Florida Playbook | Illinois Playbook | Massachusetts Playbook | New Jersey Playbook | New York Playbook | Brussels Playbook | London Playbook |
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.