| | |  | BY STEPHANIE MURRAY | GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Happy Monday! HEALEY 'SO WORRIED' FOR NOVEMBER — Attorney General Maura Healey painted a dire picture of what's in store for the November election during an appearance on a political show yesterday morning. "I am so worried about the election, to be honest. We need to do everything we can to ensure that everyone has the right to vote and that their vote be counted. I don't care what party you're in. This is not a partisan issue, this is an American issue," Healey said during an appearance on WCVB's "On the Record" which aired on Sunday. "What we've seen from Donald Trump is efforts to undermine just that." Healey is raising the alarm about President Donald Trump's comments regarding vote by mail. Trump appeared to encourage voters in North Carolina to cast ballots twice, in the mail and in person, in a recent interview. Attempting to vote twice is illegal under federal law, and the president's own allies have raised concerns about his rhetoric on mail-in voting. Asked whether she'd be interested in a spot on the shortlist for attorney general if Democratic nominee Joe Biden wins in November, Healey did not take the bait. "I cannot think beyond November. This election is so important and the work we need to do to make sure the vote is protected in New England, in New Hampshire, up in Maine," Healey said. "This election is it. As I talk to my colleagues, particularly in battleground states around the country, I know that the focus needs to be right now on doing everything we can to secure free and fair elections. That's what I'm going to continue to talk about, and hope, pray that we have a new administration so that we can be in a better place going forward as a country." States across the country have expanded mail-in voting due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the shift could delay the presidential election results by a few days. In Massachusetts, most contests were decided well before midnight in the Sept. 1 primary, which drew a record 1.7 million voters. But in the tight 4th District congressional race, it took several days before Newton City Councilor Jake Auchincloss was declared the winner of the primary. One ballot-counting issue came in Franklin, where the town clerk resigned on Friday night. State officials had found a stack of uncounted ballots in that town days after the primary, which were later counted. Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com. TODAY — Republican Senate candidate Kevin O’Connor holds a Malden press conference to press Sen. Ed Markey to agree to more debates. | |
| | JOIN TOMORROW – A PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW WITH BIDEN CAMPAIGN MANAGER JEN O'MALLEY DILLON: Join Playbook co-authors Anna Palmer and Jake Sherman for a virtual interview with Joe Biden's campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon, to discuss how her team is adapting to this new election landscape, whether Bob Woodward's new bombshell book will have lasting impact on the campaign, and the Biden campaign's assessment of the state of play in the top battleground states. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | |  | THE LATEST NUMBERS |
| – “Massachusetts COVID death toll tops 9,000 as state reports 267 new COVID cases, 14 more coronavirus deaths on Sunday,” by Benjamin Kail, MassLive.com: “Massachusetts officials reported Sunday that the statewide COVID-19 death toll has now reached more than 9,000 since the pandemic began. The state Department of Public Health reported 267 new cases of COVID-19 and confirmed 14 more people have died from illness linked to the virus as of Sunday.” | | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| – “Black Business Group Pressures Baker For Meeting On Minority-Business Contracts,” by Chris Burrell, GBH News: “The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts is demanding a meeting with Gov. Charlie Baker, top cabinet officials and some legislators, saying that the state is still not doing enough to help businesses run by minorities. Segun Idowu, the executive director of BECMA, wrote Baker on Tuesday, after the GBH News Center for Investigative Reporting published an article showing the state is inflating its data on how much it spends with minority-owned businesses.” – “Why Massachusetts has the highest unemployment rate in the country,” by Shirley Leung and Larry Edelman, Boston Globe: “If you want to understand why Massachusetts has the highest unemployment rate in the country, a good place to start is dress shirts. Christa Hagearty, owner of Dependable Cleaners, once considered laundering men’s and women’s work shirts as ‘recession proof.’ But that hasn’t held up in the era of coronavirus and video conferencing.” – “Voters urged to keep eye out for vote-by-mail applications,” The Associated Press: “Voters who have not already submitted vote-by-mail applications for the November election should keep an eye on their mailboxes in the coming days. The state is mailing vote-by-mail applications to all registered voters who have not already submitted an application for a ballot. Voters who have already applied for a November ballot don't need to re-apply, according to Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin, who oversees elections in Massachusetts.” – “With dangerous truckers, most states fail to act quickly on warnings,” by Matt Rocheleau and Vernal Coleman, Boston Globe: “More than half of all states consistently break federal rules that mandate they quickly warn each other about troubled truck drivers, many of whom should be immediately pulled from the road, records show. State motor vehicle agencies are required to notify other jurisdictions within 10 days when one of the nation’s 3.5 million commercially licensed drivers receives a suspension or conviction.” | | FROM THE HUB |
| – “Walsh Plans To Implement 'A Lot' Of Police Task Force Recommendations,” by Zoe Mathews, GBH News: “Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he plans to implement ‘a lot’ of the recommendations issued this week in a draft report from the Boston Police Task Force, commissioned to recommend reforms to the Boston Police Department. On Boston Public Radio Friday, Walsh commended the task force, which has recommended establishing a new, more powerful civilian review body with subpoena powers and the ability to independently investigate allegations of police misconduct.” – “Somerville Delays Plan To Open First Supervised Drug Use Clinic In Massachusetts,” by Martha Bebinger, WBUR: “The city of Somerville says COVID has delayed efforts to establish the first medically supervised site for drug use in Massachusetts. Somerville had pledged to open a so-called supervised consumption site by the end of 2020 but is revising that to mid-2021. U.S. Attorneys in Massachusetts and out of Washington, D.C., say any such operation would be violating federal laws and anyone involved with the use of illegal drugs would be prosecuted.” – “Should you send your child back to school? The expert consensus leans toward ‘yes,’ with caveats,” by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: “As many schools begin opening this week, parents around the state are confronting a decision that few expected to face and most find agonizing: Is it safe to send children back into the classroom? Amid ever-changing data about the still mysterious coronavirus, the decision becomes achingly personal, informed by a family’s tolerance for risk, faith in the school system, and such circumstances as whether a vulnerable person lives in the home.” – “Don't Shout Yet: Drug To Regenerate Hearing Shows Early But Muted Promise In New Trial,” by Angus Chen, WBUR: “A lifetime of jet engines, firecrackers, and concerts can wreak some mayhem on your hearing. Over the years, everyone loses some sensory hair cells in the inner ears, the cells that allow you to detect sound. Once your sense of hearing is damaged, it never recovers.” – “As pandemic wears on, despair at epicenter of addiction crisis deepens,” by David Abel, Boston Globe: “The corridor around Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard at the edge of Roxbury and the South End — one of Boston’s roughest areas, known widely as Methadone Mile — has deteriorated during the pandemic. It has become more crowded with people who are homeless and those suffering from addiction; also more violent, grimy, and forbidding, a procession of despair and disability, a place where too many live, suffer, and die.” | | PRIMARY SOURCES |
| – “Franklin Town Clerk Resigns After 'Challenging Election Cycle,'” by Amy Gorel, WBUR: “The town clerk in Franklin is resigning after a difficult primary. Teresa Burr, who has served as the town clerk for the past five years, said in her resignation letter that her final day will be Sept. 18. ‘I am resigning to re-establish confidence with the voters of this community in their elections,’ Burr wrote in a letter to the town council Friday.” | | THE SENATE SHOWDOWN |
| – “Kevin O’Connor looks to turn Ed Markey’s signature Green New Deal against him,” by Lisa Kashinsky, Boston Herald: “The environmental resolution Markey introduced with New York U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in February 2019, which thrust him to the forefront of the national conversation on climate change and endeared him to legions of young, progressive activists, has quickly emerged as the main flashpoint between the liberal senator and his GOP challenger ahead of the Nov. 3 election.” | | BALLOT WARS |
| – “Ranked-choice voting would transform Massachusetts elections. But is it constitutional?” by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: “A November ballot question proposing that residents rank their preferred candidates for office would inherently alter Massachusetts elections. Less clear: whether it’s constitutional. As the policy merits of ranked-choice voting loom large ahead of the fall vote, the proposal to restructure how residents pick many of their elected officials would all but undoubtedly invite legal challenges should it clear the ballot box, attorneys and legal scholars say.” | | DAY IN COURT |
| – “Mass. High Court Considers If Baker Overstepped Authority In Pandemic,” by Steve Brown, WBUR: “The Supreme Judicial Court is considering a legal challenge to Gov. Charlie Baker's executive orders that shut down many businesses because of the coronavirus pandemic. The court heard the case Friday morning, six months into the state of emergency. An attorney representing business owners and religious leaders told justices on the state's highest court Friday morning that Baker has ‘turned the government upside down’ with his pandemic response.” | | THE PRESSLEY PARTY |
| – “Rep. Ayanna Pressley Calls On CDC To Declare Racism A Public Health Crisis,” by Joe Mathieu, GBH News: “Rep. Ayanna Pressley has teamed up with Sen. Elizabeth Warren and California Rep. Barbara Lee to create The Anti-Racism and Public Health Act, which calls on the Centers for Disease Control to conduct research on the health effects of structural racism. It also calls on the federal government to declare racism a public health crisis, as many state and local governments have already done.” | | IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
| – “Emergency Shutdown At Weymouth Compressor Station After Unplanned Gas Release,” by Barbara Moran and Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “A gasket failure at an unfinished natural gas compressor station in Weymouth led to an unplanned gas release Friday morning, causing workers to trigger an emergency shutdown. Enbridge, the company overseeing the project, reported the gas venting in a letter to the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP).” | | MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS |
| – “CCC Hiring for New Eyes and Ears on Beacon Hill,” by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: “The Cannabis Control Commission will soon have a new liaison to policymakers on Beacon Hill and local leaders in communities around the state. Commissioners on Thursday approved the job description for a new director of government affairs and policy, and it’s a slightly different role than the one former government affairs director David Lakemen recently left to return to his home state of Illinois.” | | ABOVE THE FOLD |
| — Herald: “ONE AND 1," "BC OUTBREAK,” — Globe : “Return to school gets nod from specialists," "States slow to share warnings on truckers.” | | FROM THE 413 |
| – “Mayor Tyer's husband sues election rival over vote-tampering allegation,” by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: “The husband of Pittsfield Mayor Linda M. Tyer believes her rival in the 2019 election should pay for suggesting he tampered with ballots, an allegation investigated and found baseless by the state Elections Division. In a lawsuit filed Sept. 8 in Berkshire Superior Court, Barry Clairmont claims Melissa Mazzeo, Tyer's opponent in the Nov. 5, 2019, election, engaged in defamation and should be ordered to compensate him for causing damage to his reputation as a certified public accountant.” – “Plight of Holyoke Soldiers’ Home residents, families becomes political flashpoint in state Senate race,” by Stephanie Barry, Springfield Republican: “John Cain, Republican challenger for the 2nd Hampden-Hampshire District Senate seat, is targeting incumbent state Sen. John Velis, D-Westfield, over his response to the pandemic health crisis at the Soldiers' Home in Holyoke, calling for his ouster from the legislative oversight committee assembled to examine the fallout.” – “Black Lives Matter mural spreads across Springfield’s Court Square,” by Dave Canton, Springfield Republican: “Traffic through Court Square is being blocked until Monday morning as artists and volunteers create a street mural saying Black Lives Matter in Springfield. Organized by City Councilor at Large Tracye Whitfield, the mural leaves no confusion about what it means.” | | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| – “Trauma remains for victims of Columbia Gas explosions two years later,” by Nick Stoico, Boston Globe: “Vivian Nunez says a sense of panic runs through her body when she hears the pipes rumble behind the wall of her South Lawrence home. Other times, it’s the smell of burning food or the low growl of her boiler switching on in winter that sends Nunez back in time to Sept. 13, 2018.” – “'Red' city mayors urge responsibility,” by Breanna Edelstein, Eagle-Tribune: “State officials this week announced a spike in Methuen’s coronavirus case count, prompting Mayor Neil Perry to call on the community to work harder to stop the spread. State data released Wednesday shows the number of communities at high risk for COVID-19 infections increased slightly in the past week. Methuen and Lawrence were named among 13 communities — up from eight the previous week.” – “Lincoln-Sudbury High pivots to remote start, after crowded student party,” WCVB: “The principal of Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School has informed families that the school year will start remotely after dozens of students recently partied together. Bella Wong, who is also the superintendent of the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School District, said that she learned that a crowded student party involving alcohol and a ‘complete lack’ of COVID-19 safety precautions was held Friday night.” – “Newton mayor relays concerns about rising COVID-19 cases to Boston College officials,” by Laura Krantz, Boston Globe: In the midst of a growing outbreak of COVID-19 cases at Boston College, Newton Mayor Ruthanne Fuller called on the institution Saturday to increase testing and reduce the number of students on campus. Fuller, along with the city’s top health official, also asked that Newton assume oversight of a portion of the college’s contact tracing program and asked BC not to open any additional quarantine or isolation facilities off campus in the city.” REMEMBERING MARTY DUNN … via the Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Friends and local officials on Sunday remembered the life of politician and attorney Martin ‘Marty’ Dunn, who was celebrated for his impact on Holyoke and a propensity for helping others. Dunn, 64, who died Friday, first held elected office in Holyoke as an alderman, later serving two terms as mayor beginning in 1987. In 1991, he resigned from the post and successfully ran for a seat in the Massachusetts Senate.” Link. HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Julia Murray and Alex Pratt. NEW EPISODE: THE HORSE RACE OF THE APOCALYPSE – On this week’s Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray break down what could be in store for Boston’s 2021 mayoral race, and talk about the MassGOP candidates running for Congress. 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. | | | | | | |
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