More Women Are Being Denied Care Because of Abortion Bans Joyce Vance Aug 14 Since the Supreme Court reversed Roe v. Wade, voters in six states have had the opportunity to vote on constitutional amendments regarding abortion. Every time the issue has been on the ballot, voters have turned out to support abortion rights. In California, Michigan, Ohio, and Vermont, voters approved measures that amended the state constitution to protect reproductive rights. In Kentucky and Kansas, voters rejected measures designed to strictly limit access to abortion. In the years since Roe was reversed, Americans have come to understand that abortion is health care. And that American women suffer when it is denied to them. In January of this year, we learned about Brittany Watts, an Ohio woman who was denied an abortion and charged with abuse of a corpse, a felony, after she miscarried alone and at home. Nicole Miller, an Idaho woman, had to fly to Utah earlier this year as a failing pregnancy caused her to bleed profusely. But, not enough for doctors in Boise to terminate the pregnancy that was endangering her life. A doctor refused to perform the emergency surgery, telling her that he wasn’t willing to risk his medical career for her. She was able to get a lifesaving abortion out of state, but as more bans go into place, the Guttmacher Institute reports more women are having to travel—and travel further—to obtain needed care. The expense and logistics of arranging travel become a barrier, and more women are exposed to needless suffering and trauma in the name of “pro-life” policies. Yesterday in Texas, two women filed administrative complaints against hospitals, alleging they were denied emergency care for ectopic pregnancies, which put their lives at risk in violation of federal law. Kyleigh Thurman, a Texas woman, alleges she was initially discharged from the hospital and subsequently denied care days later for an ectopic pregnancy. She was finally treated after her ob-gyn pleaded with the hospital staff, but the delay caused her fallopian tube to rupture, she said. According to the complaint, the hospital treated her only after her ob-gyn “pleaded” with staff to provide the necessary care. “For weeks, I was in and out of emergency rooms trying to get the abortion that I needed to save my future fertility and life,” she said. Kelsie Norris-De La Cruz alleges she was discharged from a Texas hospital without treatment for an ectopic pregnancy. Just hours later she had to be rushed into emergency surgery at a different facility. Medical experts have opined the Texas abortion ban played a role in her denial of care. The law in question is the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA). It prohibits hospitals from “patient dumping,” and the Biden Administration argued that meant hospital emergency rooms were obligated to provide lifesaving care, including abortion, to save a patient’s life. The Supreme Court ended up ducking the issue, deciding that certiorari in the case, Moyle v. United States, had been “improvidently granted,” meaning it shouldn’t have agreed to hear the case, and sending the case back to the Court of Appeals. That leaves doctors in limbo, not knowing if action would be taken against them in the future for providing patients with care now, while the lower courts consider the matter further. Texas law permits abortion procedures in the case of nonviable tubal pregnancies. But as Thurman’s lawyers explained in her complaint, “Ms. Thurman’s experience is not isolated. Since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, there have been numerous reports of delays and denials of pregnancy-related care in emergency rooms in states with abortion bans, even for care that is legal under state law. This is because of the extreme penalties for physicians who violate state abortion bans. In Texas, a physician who provides a prohibited abortion faces up to life in prison, loss of medical license, and at least $100,000 in fines.” But the two women’s proceedings are administrative in nature, not lawsuits filed in federal court. That doesn’t mean the issue of whether EMTALA requires a state to permit doctors to perform an emergency abortion, even if it violates state law, won’t reach the Supreme Court next term. The Justice Department petitioned the Supreme Court to hear a case out of the Fifth Circuit, Becerra v. Texas, where Texas is located, that raises the same issue. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar is asking the Court to decide “[w]hether the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, 42 U.S.C. 1395dd, preempts state law in the narrow but important circumstance where terminating a pregnancy is required to stabilize an emergency medical condition that would otherwise threaten serious harm to the pregnant woman’s health but the State prohibits an emergency-room physician from providing that care.” The problem has obvious political dimensions. There was speculation that one reason the Supreme Court might have dismissed Moyle was to avoid another disaster on abortion, this one in an election year. Their dismissal of the case left a lower court decision that permitted women to continue obtaining emergency abortions in place. Beyond abortion, even access to birth control is under attack. Some Republicans, as well as the authors of Project 2025, argue for enforcement of the Comstock Act and other measures that could jeopardize the use of contraception, a right Americans have now taken for granted for decades. As many as 11 states may have abortion-related measures on the ballot this year: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, Missouri, Nevada, New York, and South Dakota will have measures on the ballot providing at least some guarantee of abortion rights. The period of time during which pregnant people can obtain the procedure varies. In Arkansas, advocates are appealing a decision by the Secretary of State that would prevent a measure to protect abortion rights from appearing on the ballot. In Montana and Nebraska, measures that would protect abortion have been submitted for approval Missouri is the most recent addition to the list of states where an abortion measure will be on the ballot. Currently, there is a ban in place. The proposed law would provide broad protections. Kansas was the first state where abortion made it to the ballot following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs. Two years ago, voters in what people had come to consider a safely conservative state turned out in droves to defeat a measure that would have outlawed abortion. So, does putting abortion on the ballot in Missouri put the state in play this election cycle? Donald Trump won Missouri handily both times he was on the ballot, beating Joe Biden by over 15% in 2020. In the 2022 midterms, the Republican candidate for Senate, Eric Schmitt, beat the Democrat by over 12 points. It would take a strong reversal—and strong turnout—to create an upset in Missouri. It’s impossible to predict how the issue will impact both the presidential election and elections for senators and representatives in states like Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Montana, along with Missouri and the others. But Democratic candidates are feeling hopeful that it will benefit them. Republicans are playing with fire, especially since recent statistics show that an overwhelming percentage of Americans, about 63%, think abortion should always or almost always be available. If more of them turn out and vote, election outcomes in jurisdictions that traditionally vote Republican could be impacted. As more stories mount about women who are suffering needlessly, even losing their ability to have children in the future because they are denied access to reproductive health care, more people are likely to be highly motivated to support measures on the ballot that protect pregnant women. Elections are always about turnout, and the abortion issue is going to turn out voters in November, possibly in record numbers. Campaigning in New Jersey in May, Donald Trump told the crowd, “I want to thank the six Supreme Court justices, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett for having the wisdom and courage to end Roe v. Wade.” Even though he’s tried to distance himself more recently, there’s no avoiding the conclusion that Republicans are the dog that, having chased the car, have finally caught it but don’t know quite what to do with it. We’re in this together, Joyce

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook:

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY OUT WITH THE OLD, IN WITH THE WU — Mayor Michelle Wu has named new leaders for Boston’s big three jobs, struck a deal with the city’s largest union, averted a state takeover of the public school district and got a nearly $4 billion budget approved by the City Council along with $367 million in APRA funding — all in the past three weeks. If that wasn’t keeping her busy enough, Wu is endorsing Maura Healey for governor today and will attend a canvass kickoff with the attorney general at 11 a.m. Saturday in Boston, one of 19 such events Healey’s team is holding across the state this weekend. “I’m looking forward to working alongside Maura to make housing more affordable, improve our public transit system, invest in public education and deliver on a Boston Green New Deal,” Wu said in a statement shared first with Playbook. To help accomplish those aims at the city level, Wu has now named new police, fire and schools chiefs. And over her eight months in office she has installed a new leader for the beleaguered Boston Planning and Development Agency and rejiggered existing high-level positions in the city’s financial and economic development offices, among other personnel changes. Michael Cox, left, who has been named as the next Boston police commissioner, shakes hands while greeting people as Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, right, looks on as they arrives at a news conference, Wednesday, July 13, 2022, in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. | AP Photo/Steven Senne The result is a diverse Cabinet set up to help Wu advance her progressive vision while keeping basic city functions humming. It also means, with her own people in place, that Wu now owns Boston’s problems as much as its successes. Wu’s appointees need to tackle some pretty pressing challenges, and fast. The city has just over a month to meet the first batch of deadlines in the Boston Public Schools improvement plan Wu inked with the state last month to avert a district takeover, though doing so falls to an interim superintendent since incoming Superintendent Mary Skipper won’t start until the new school year. That’s on top of improving trust and transparency in the BPD and diversifying both the police force and the fire department, to name a few things. While Wu inherited many of the issues she’s facing, the mayor and her new team are the ones responsible for fixing them. And how the people she’s selected to lead the charge for change perform will directly reflect on her administration. “My start was unusual in a number of different ways,” Wu said after unveiling her new top cop, Michael Cox, on Wednesday. “But I have worked as quickly as possible to build our team while moving priorities and embracing that ownership and accountability from the very beginning.” GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Today’s Playbook is brought to you by Maine lobster. TODAY — Wu speaks at the Greater Boston Labor Council Roundtable at 9 a.m., attends a BFD swearing-in ceremony at 10:30 a.m. and a Highland Park Conservation District celebration at 4 p.m. First lady Jill Biden, Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Labor Secretary Marty Walsh are among those attending the American Federation of Teachers national convention at the BCEC. THIS WEEKEND — LG hopeful and Salem Mayor Kim Driscoll is on WBZ’s “Keller @ Large” at 8:30 a.m. Sunday. Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden is on WCVB’s “On the Record” at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tips? Scoops? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com   HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule “ask me anything” conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court’s decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE.     THE LATEST NUMBERS — “18 new monkeypox cases confirmed in Massachusetts, public health officials say,” by Tréa Lavery, MassLive: “Eighteen new cases of monkeypox have been diagnosed in adult men in Massachusetts in the past week, bringing the total number of cases to 49 since May 18, the state Department of Public Health said Thursday.” — “Massachusetts reports 7,096 new COVID cases, virus hospitalizations go up,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “State health officials on Thursday reported that more than 7,000 residents tested positive for COVID over the last six days, as virus infections and hospitalizations rise amid the extremely contagious BA.5 variant. The daily average of 1,183 COVID cases is up from the daily rate of 969 infections during the previous week.” DATELINE BEACON HILL — BETTER LATE THAN NEVER: “Negotiators reach agreement ‘in principle’ on state budget,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “Two weeks into the fiscal year, legislative budget writers have reached an agreement on the fiscal 2023 state budget. … It will be a quick turnaround for lawmakers to release the budget Friday or over the weekend for consideration on Monday. But the Legislature has a strong incentive to get the document to Gov. Charlie Baker quickly. Baker, a Republican, has 10 days to consider the bill, and he has line item veto power. Formal sessions end July 31, so if the budget arrives on Baker’s desk after July 21, lawmakers could run out of time to override any gubernatorial vetoes. Pennsylvania wrapped up its budget process on Wednesday, making Massachusetts the last state in the country to pass a state budget.” — DATELINE, VACATIONLAND: As lawmakers back in Massachusetts called a conference committee to reconcile the differences between their abortion-protection plans, Playbook asked Gov. Charlie Baker , who was in Maine for the National Governors Association summer meeting, whether he would veto a bill expanding access to the procedure after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases of “severe” fetal anomalies, not just lethal ones. The issue has emerged as a major sticking point between the House and the Senate, with key senators believing Baker would reject such language after vetoing a provision expanding later-in-pregnancy abortion access in the 2020 ROE Act. “We certainly have concerns which we’ve expressed before around some of those issues,” Baker said, vaguely. “But we are a very pro-choice administration and we believe that the federal decision around Roe v. Wade requires a response,” the Republican governor added in a nod to the executive order he issued the day of the Dobbs decision. “There's a lot that's in both the House and the Senate bills, and my hope is that they find a way to reach an agreement and get something to my desk that deals with many of the very real issues that have been created as a result of the Roe v. Wade decision." — “Mass. House approves wide-ranging economic development bill that offers tax relief, health care investments, earmarks,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “The Massachusetts House Thursday night passed a massive, wide-ranging economic development bill that infuses $4.2 billion into the state economy in the form of tax relief, investments in health care and environmental programs, and support to businesses, as well as a slew of policy changes and earmarks for local projects and programming. … Lawmakers tucked policy changes into the legislation too, creating a controversial $5 million annual live theater tax credit, a major expansion of the Housing Development Incentive Program, a feasibility study on the future of the Hynes Convention Center that would delay Baker’s push to redevelop the prime Back Bay real estate, and, notably, authorizing the Massachusetts Lottery to sell products online.” — “Senate President Karen Spilka attributes staffer unionization drive delay to ongoing legal review with days remaining in the legislative session,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “Senate President Karen Spilka, relishing her chamber’s unanimous vote Wednesday to strengthen abortion rights and access in Massachusetts, declined to confirm whether another time-sensitive push on Beacon Hill — a Senate employee unionization effort spanning more than three months — could see action before formal sessions conclude at the end of July. Spilka chalked up the delay to the Senate Counsel’s ongoing review of the collective bargaining request, as officials grapple with murky state law, in addition to political will, to gauge whether staffers can unionize or if a legislative tweak is necessary to proceed.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA cites progress in dealing with FTA safety directives,” by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: “MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak said the agency is making solid progress in dealing with the four safety directives issued by the Federal Transit Administration, but he cautioned that reduced subway service levels are likely to remain in place until Labor Day and may even be extended depending on hiring at the operations control center. The T said corrective action plans have been submitted for two of the directives already, a third is due Friday, and the fourth is due next Wednesday.” — “East-West rail: Massachusetts Senate allocates $275 million in infrastructure bill for planning, design costs,” by Alison Kuznitz, MassLive: “The East-West commuter rail project edged closer to shovel-ready status — and is no longer a ‘pie in the sky’ vision, as state Sen. Eric Lesser phrased it — as the Massachusetts Senate committed $275 million to design, engineering and construction expenses, among other investments, within an amendment to a hefty infrastructure bond bill passed Thursday. … Lesser filed a successful bill amendment that boosted East-West rail funding from $250 million to $275 million within the more than $10 billion infrastructure bond bill.” YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: The Greater Boston Building Trades Unions have endorsed NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan for secretary of state.   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     BIDEN TIME — FLOTUS FLIES IN: First lady Jill Biden visited veterans with Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Sen. Ed Markey in Boston, called for a ban on assault weapons at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser in Andover and somehow managed to get U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts Rachael Rollins in hot water with the Boston Herald on the first day of her three-day swing through Massachusetts, per the three-reporter team at the Herald who called up Harvey Silverglate to say Rollins showed “questionable judgment” by attending the political fundraiser. Biden speaks at the American Federation of Teachers national convention this morning at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. She then joins Labor Secretary Marty Walsh to highlight a job training program before jetting off to Nantucket, where she’ll attend another DNC fundraiser on Saturday hosted by Frank Herron and Sandra Urie, per an invite obtained by Playbook. FROM THE 413 — “Center plans to give W.E.B. Du Bois and other Black Berkshirites the credit they’re due,” by Tiana Woodard, Boston Globe: “The Clinton AME Zion Church served as a gathering place and spiritual home for Black Berkshirites for nearly 130 years, a refuge from discrimination, its pulpit a platform for pastors’ antilynching campaigns, and its basement hall a venue for social events. A National Register of Historic Places landmark, the church closed in 2014 and fell into disrepair. But now, its former members and other supporters have come up with an ambitious plan to give it new life as a heritage and cultural center honoring both local Black history and the church’s most famous congregant, the civil rights activist and intellectual W.E.B. Du Bois.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “‘Antisemitic’ Boston Mapping Project now hosted on Icelandic server; Anti-Defamation League asks for Icelandic government to help remove it,” by Will Katcher, MassLive: “Mapping Project — an illustrated web of purported connections between Massachusetts groups and the state of Israel — has faced widespread denunciation by critics who said it represented a dangerous, antisemitic mapping of the state’s Jewish community that could leave organizations vulnerable to attack. Now, a leading anti-hate organization — the Anti-Defamation League — wants the Mapping Project removed from its internet server, and it wants help from the government of Iceland in doing so.” — “Milton Public Schools superintendent arrested in May in connection with domestic incident,” by Travis Andersen, Christopher Huffaker and Nick Stoico, Boston Globe: “Milton Public Schools Superintendent James F. Jette was arrested in May on a misdemeanor domestic assault charge after allegedly shoving his partner against a wall and putting his hand on her neck during an argument over a broken plant pot, according to legal filings.” — “Riley steps down as food program director after sex allegations; diocese report says pastor not at fault,” by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: “The Diocese of Worcester released a report Thursday into allegations that William Riley, the director of the St. John Food for the Poor Program, coerced vulnerable soup kitchen patrons into sex. Riley has resigned. The heavily redacted report found claims against the Rev. John Madden, pastor of St. John Parish, ‘were not warranted.’” — “Slain wife of former North Attleboro man featured in Congressional probe of Jan. 6,” by Tom Reilly, The Sun Chronicle: “Congressional hearings on the deadly riot at the U.S. Capitol a year and a half ago have brought the name of the wife of a former local man back in the news. Ashli Babbit, an Air Force veteran, was killed when a mob of supporters of President Donald Trump — who were trying to disrupt the certification of President Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory on Jan. 6, 2021 — tried to break through a door to a secure area in the Capitol.” MEANWHILE IN MAINE — "Governors avoid hot button issues, focus on common concerns in Maine meeting," by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald: "Governors from both parties meeting in Maine for roundtable talks about issues pertinent to every state left issues like abortion and guns alone. 'The governors, generally speaking, get along. We always have,' Gov. Charlie Baker told reporters Thursday in Portland." MEDIA MATTERS — “Investigative reporter Kathy Curran announces departure from WCVB,” by Dialynn Dwyer, Boston.com. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Nahid Bhadelia is now senior policy adviser for global Covid response on the White House Covid-19 response team, per Boston University’s The Brink. She’s on sabbatical from her role as a BU School of Medicine associate professor of infectious diseases. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Ariel Zirulnick, David Lippman (h/t son Daniel), Jon Hurst, Stefanie Coxe and Allison Godburn. HAPPY BIRTHWEEKEND — to Maddie Conway and Daily Hampshire Gazette alum Sarah Crosby, who celebrate Saturday; and to Sunday birthday-ers Assistant House Speaker Rep. Katherine Clark and to Clark alum Lauren Pardi, John Milligan, Alicia Amato (Furnary), WaPo’s Katie Zezima, R. Kevin Ryan, COS for Rep. Stephen Lynch; Christine Haughney Dare-Bryan, Chanel Prunier , former Republican National Committeewoman; Brendan Beroff, Jacob Watts and John Dacey. NEW HORSE RACE ALERT: STATE SINGALONG — Hosts Jennifer Smith and Steve Koczela run down the seven official state songs; Lenny Gomulka, writer and performer of "Say Hello to Someone From Massachusetts" shares how it came to be the official state polka and Joyce Linehan helps unravel the saga of the unofficial state rock song. 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.   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Dems’ abortion access divide

 

View in browser   BY LISA KASHINSKY STICKING POINT — One of the first governors to issue an executive order upholding abortion rights post-Roe could now be the biggest obstacle to state lawmakers expanding access to the procedure. The Senate will debate abortion legislation today that excludes two key provisions of the House bill passed in late June, most notably one permitting abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy in cases of “severe” fetal anomalies, not just lethal ones. Senators are facing competing pressures over that wording. A disabilities advocacy group, which generally supports the abortion protections under consideration, is concerned that including “severe” fetal anomalies could affect babies “who may be born with disabilities” such as Down syndrome “but whose life is not at risk,” according to an email The Arc of Massachusetts sent to lawmakers obtained by Playbook. But abortion-rights advocates say clarifying the language in the 2020 ROE Act about when the procedure can be performed later in pregnancy is critical. They cite the case of Kate Dineen — who, at 33 weeks pregnant, had to travel to Maryland for an abortion after her son suffered a catastrophic stroke — as an example of why the update is necessary. Nearly two dozen doctors also sent representatives a letter earlier this month saying they’re “hampered by the wording of the current statute.” Now, in an unusually public display of political pressure between chambers, state Rep. Kate Hogan, currently the second-highest-ranking House member, has rallied nearly 100 of her Democratic colleagues to sign onto a letter urging Senate President Karen Spilka to adopt the House’s language. But state Sen. Cindy Friedman sees GOP Gov. Charlie Baker as a barrier. Friedman, a Democrat who’s been shepherding abortion legislation through her chamber, told Playbook she’d be “kind of stupid” to think Baker, who vetoed the ROE Act over issues with two sections including one “expanding the availability of later-term abortions,” would approve a provision extending that access. “We need to get done what we know we can get done at this moment,” Friedman said of abortion protections, adding that other measures can and should be revisited. Time isn't on lawmakers' side in the event of a veto. While the House passed its bill with a veto-proof majority, legislators would have just days to override a possible rejection from the governor before the end of session on July 31. Baker’s office didn’t respond to a request for comment. Some senators want to chance it. Arguing there's no telling what Baker will do, state Sen. Becca Rausch filed a measure attempting to clarify the ROE Act language as one of 31 amendments up for debate today. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Mayor Michelle Wu will unveil Boston's new police commissioner this morning, the latest in a string of major personnel announcements as the not-so-new mayor continues to reshape city government in her image. TODAY — Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito presides over a Governor’s Council meeting at noon at the State House. Wu attends an East Boston coffee hour at 9:30 a.m. and then hosts a press conference to announce the new BPD commissioner at 11 a.m. at Gertrude Howes Playground. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh participates in the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s “Investing in the Workforce” panel at 2 p.m. Tips? Scoops? Bets on when we'll get a budget? Email me: lkashinsky@politico.com.   HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ROE BEING OVERTURNED? JOIN WOMEN RULE ON 7/21: Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade , abortion policy is in the hands of the states and, ultimately, voters. Join POLITICO national political correspondent Elena Schneider for a Women Rule “ask me anything” conversation featuring a panel of reporters from our politics and health care teams who will answer your questions about how the court’s decision could play out in different states, its impact on the midterms and what it means for reproductive rights in the U.S. going forward. SUBMIT YOUR QUESTIONS AND REGISTER HERE.     DATELINE BEACON HILL — STRENGTH IN NUMBERS: Senate staffers pushing to unionize have sent a new letter to Senate President Karen Spilka urging her to recognize their union, provide them a complete Senate staff list and give them an update on Senate counsel’s review of their requests. It’s been more than three months since staffers first alerted Spilka to their union drive. This latest letter — which staffers have requested a response to by Friday — was signed by 477 supporters from all 40 Senate districts. — “Most Massachusetts police officers denied recertification did not complete training program, state’s police licensing commission says,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “The seven police officers denied recertification at the end of last month were primarily individuals who did not complete a program allowing them to bridge gaps between prior training and requirements needed to renew their law enforcement license, the head of Massachusetts’ police licensing commission said Tuesday morning.” — More: “Massachusetts’ police licensing commission is still deciding what information about officers, agencies will be made public,” by Chris Van Buskirk, MassLive: “The state’s police licensing commission is eyeing new policies that would regulate how it handles public records requests seeking information about law enforcement officers after staff said they received a surge of inquiries following the most recent recertification process.” — “Money for crime victim services in budget limbo,” by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: “As state lawmakers continue negotiating a final fiscal 2023 budget nearly two weeks into the fiscal year, the limbo facing victims’ rights organization is one example of the real world impact caused by a late state budget. While the organizations may – or may not – ultimately get their money, advocates say the process adds unnecessary stress to an already stretched industry.” — “Lawmaker puts wording into economic bill that would end lawsuit accusing a Boston nonprofit of predatory lending,” by Andrea Estes, Boston Globe: “A little-noticed amendment to a House bill would effectively end a two-year-old lawsuit alleging that a Boston nonprofit engaged in predatory lending after promising to help struggling homeowners stay in their homes, according to lawyers for the plaintiffs.” VAX-ACHUSETTS — “BA.5 variant spiking across Massachusetts, New England: ‘Critical to stay up to date with COVID-19 vaccines,’ Fauci says,” by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: “The omicron BA.5 variant is quickly gaining steam across the region, as the extremely contagious subvariant is now responsible for close to 60% of new virus cases in New England. The quickly spreading variant is more transmissible and can better escape immunity, including from prior omicron infections — meaning it could cause infections to rise in the coming weeks, Biden White House health officials cautioned on Tuesday.” FROM THE HUB — “Boston police union slams city, police leadership for officers working 24-hour shifts,” by Flint McColgan, Boston Herald: “A union representing city cops has lambasted the leadership of both the City of Boston and its police department for allegedly ordering some police officers to work 24-hour shifts during recent major events in the city.” — “An accord in Allston: Harvard and neighbors reach deal that will greenlight big development,” by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: “Harvard University has reached a deal with representatives of the Allston community that will allow the university to finally move forward with the first phase of its ambitious development plans in the neighborhood. … Now, with Harvard agreeing to create more affordable housing, the BPDA’s staff is advancing the project by recommending board approval at its monthly meeting Thursday night. No date has yet been announced to start construction.” — "’They took our hard-earned money’: North End restaurant owners question how outdoor dining fees are being spent,” by Tiffany Chan, WBZ: “Table Restaurant owner Jen Royle is $7,500 short. That's how much she, and other North End restaurant owners, paid to extend outdoor dining onto Hanover Street in Boston. … The city promised the money would be spent on increased police patrols and cleaner streets. … Despite the City of Boston tweeting a series of photos of a city worker power washing sidewalks with the caption #NorthEnd, another restaurant owner in the neighborhood said not much has changed since the program started 10 weeks ago.” DAY IN COURT — “Federal judge tosses 11 of 14 claims in lawsuit brought by former Boston police commissioner,” by Danny McDonald, Boston Globe: “A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed 11 of 14 claims brought against the city by former Boston police commissioner Dennis White in litigation that focused on the city’s decision to fire White when former domestic abuse allegations against him resurfaced. Judge Leo T. Sorokin tossed allegations that the city and Boston’s former acting mayor, Kim Janey, had violated the Massachusetts Civil Rights Act, as well as another state law that governs the removal of a Boston police commissioner, and breached an implied contract. His order allowed due process, defamation, and right to privacy claims to proceed in the case. Sorokin previously found that White failed to support his claims that his termination was discriminatory.” — “State’s high court orders a re-do of downtown harbor plan,” by Tim Logan, Boston Globe: “ The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously agreed with Suffolk Superior Court judge Brian Davis’ decision last April that state officials have long approved municipal harbor plans in an improper fashion — by simply having the state environmental secretary sign off on them instead of full review by the Department of Environmental Protection, as is spelled out in state law.” YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS — “‘The education governor’: Healey touts big teacher’s union endorsement,” by Samantha J. Gross, Boston Globe: “In one of her first public appearances after she became the presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, Attorney General Maura Healey rallied one of the largest labor unions in the state — the Massachusetts Teachers Association — in an education-focused visit to Worcester. Healey, who promised she would be ‘the education governor’ pushed her public education priorities Tuesday, where she visited with union leaders as well as vocational education leaders at Worcester Technical High School.” — ENDORSEMENT ALERT: The 23,000-member American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts is also endorsing Maura Healey for governor, with President Beth Kontos saying the attorney general is “offering real solutions to close the opportunity gaps in our schools, and to make Massachusetts more affordable so that educators can afford to live and raise our families here.” Healey will also speak at the national group’s convention in Boston this weekend. — “Lawmakers, unions are making choices in 5th Suffolk race,” by Gintautas Dumcius, Dorchester Reporter: “Local lawmakers and unions are taking sides in the race to replace state Rep. Liz Miranda, whose House seat, anchored in Dorchester and Roxbury, is open due to her run for a state Senate seat. In the contest for her 5th Suffolk House seat, the two main candidates have also received encouragement from the current and former mayors of Boston.” PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES — “MBTA riders, transit advocates rally for low-income fares,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “Transit advocates, MBTA riders and workers are making one final push for a low-income fare program to be passed through the Legislature by the end of the month, when the formal session ends. State Sen. Lydia Edwards, Rep. Adrian Madaro, and Carmen’s Union Local 589 President Jim Evers joined fellow low-income fare supporters at a Public Transit Public Good-organized Tuesday afternoon rally in front of the State House.” — WATCH: Sen. Elizabeth Warren grill FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez on the MBTA’s safety issues.   INTRODUCING POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY.     FROM THE 413 — “Western Mass. legislators slam Eversource pipeline through Longmeadow, Springfield as dangerous,” by Patrick Johnson, Springfield Republican: “Six state legislators from Greater Springfield have come out in opposition to a controversial Eversource natural gas pipeline planned for a five-mile route through parts of Longmeadow and Springfield. They join the Longmeadow Select Board in opposition. Members of the Springfield City Council will vote Monday on a resolution opposing the pipeline.” — “Commission calls for $60 million in funding to support rural school districts,” by Matt Martinez, Berkshire Eagle: “The Special Commission on Rural School Districts voted to recommend at least $60 million in appropriations to rural schools to address issues with transportation, declining enrollment and costs related to school choice and special education. The recommendation, made at the commission's final meeting, would be a significant increase from the $4 million of rural school aid allocated in the General Appropriations Act for the fiscal year that ended June 30.” THE LOCAL ANGLE — “Nursing shortage at hospitals leads to multimillion-dollar costs,” by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Globe: “A widespread shortage of nurses at Massachusetts hospitals is only getting more extreme, with an estimated 5,000 vacancies across the state and institutions hemorrhaging cash as they are forced to hire temporary staff at much higher rates. In June, the Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association conducted a survey of 36 of the state’s 61 acute care hospitals. According to findings released this week, the vacancy rate for nurse positions has more than doubled since before the pandemic, growing from 6.4 percent in 2019 to 13.6 percent in 2022.” — “In wake of report showing Worcester police issued more citations, arrests to Black, Hispanic community, city wants regular reports,” by Kiernan Dunlop, MassLive: “Data that revealed Black and Hispanic drivers in Worcester are more likely to receive a citation than their white counterparts has prompted the Worcester Human Rights Commission to request more data surrounding motor vehicle stops in the city.” — “The drought in Massachusetts is getting worse,” by Miriam Wasser, WBUR: “The ongoing drought in Massachusetts is getting worse. That’s the big takeaway from a meeting this week of the state’s Drought Management Task Force.” — “To 'inspire a generation': Quincy announces launch of Adams family nonprofit, center,” by Mary Whitfill, Patriot Ledger: “To honor the legacies of two U.S. presidents. To create ‘incredible opportunities for civic engagement.’ To ‘inspire a generation.’ These are the goals of the newly established Adams Presidential Center, a nonprofit organization based in Quincy that will ultimately share the history of the Adams family, highlight its contributions to the nation's founding and connect the nearly 250-year-old legacy to the modern age.” MEANWHILE IN RHODE ISLAND — “White nationalists increase attempts to recruit in New England,” by Amanda Milkovits, Boston Globe: “In Rhode Island, leaflets dropped near churches and schools are part of an uptick in activity among groups tied to a recent white supremacist march in Boston and the 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.” — "RI State Senator Tiara Mack 'won't allow' shame for twerking video," by Paris Alston, GBH News. MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE — GRANITE STATE OF MIND: The United States has more than 3,000 counties. But with its population increasingly sorting into solidly blue or comfortably red territory, the number of truly contested regions is just a tiny fraction of that total. POLITICO is taking a look at 20 of the most important counties that will determine whether Republicans or Democrats rule the House and Senate in 2023, and New Hampshire's Rockingham County is one of them. The county profiles were reported and written by journalists who participated in the POLITICO Journalism Institute, a training program designed to advance newsroom diversity. HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH TRANSITIONS — Former Sen. Mo Cowan is now chairman of nonprofit MassChallenge’s board of directors. The new role comes in addition to Cowan serving as chief legal and external affairs officer for health insurance startup Devoted Health. “I feel privileged to take on this role at such an exciting time when MassChallenge’s mission to support entrepreneurs is more important than ever,” Cowan said in a statement. — Priscilla Casper has been named nightly co-anchor for NBC10 Boston. Colton Bradford is joining the weekday evening team as co-anchor. — Providence Journal managing editor Michael McDermott has been named executive editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette. HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Amanda Hunter, executive director of the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, and Barry Posen. 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.   Follow us on Twitter Lisa Kashinsky @lisakashinsky   Subscribe to the POLITICO Playbook family Playbook  |  Playbook PM  |  California Playbook  |  Florida Playbook  |  Illinois Playbook  |  Massachusetts Playbook  |  New Jersey Playbook  |  New York Playbook  |  Ottawa Playbook  |  Brussels Playbook  |  London Playbook View all our politics and policy newsletters FOLLOW US

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