POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: HOUSE to take on outdated abortion law — ROSENBERG, HEFNER attorneys want accuser’s name public — Western Mass towns join opioids lawsuit

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HOUSE to take on outdated abortion law — ROSENBERG, HEFNER attorneys want accuser’s name public — Western Mass towns join opioids lawsuit


07/12/2018 07:26 AM EDT
By Lauren Dezenski (ldezenski@politico.com; @LaurenDezenski) with Brent D. Griffiths (bgriffiths@politico.com; @BrentGriffiths)
GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

HOUSE WILL ACT ON STATE'S OUTDATED ABORTION LAW — While the national focus is on what President Donald Trump's Supreme Court pick means for the fate of abortion rights and Roe v. Wade, the Massachusetts House will vote to abolish a law on the state books that could be used to criminalize abortion if enforced.

House Speaker Robert DeLeo says the vote to repeal the law will happen before the end of the formal legislative session, which is 19 days away. DeLeo's blessing essentially guarantees the bill's passage once it's taken up for a vote. The state law, which is currently moot under Roe v. Wade but still on the books, creates a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for "procuring a miscarriage."

DeLeo's decision (and subsequent announcement) came after pressure from NARAL Pro Choice Massachusetts and Planned Parenthood of Massachusetts and a meeting between the groups and the speaker on Wednesday morning. While pressure has ramped up after Justice Kennedy's retirement announcement from the Supreme Court, advocates have been pressing the House to repeal the state's abortion law since January, when the Senate voted to scrap the law. NARAL says it has worked closely with House leadership since then, specifically with Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Haddadand Majority Whip Byron Rushing.

Don't expect much opposition from pro-abortion rights Gov. Charlie Baker when, not if, this passes the House, and heads to his desk. As his office put it, "Governor Baker supports full access to women's health care and family planning services, and while the Massachusetts Constitution provides greater protection for a woman's right to choose than what exists at the federal level, the Baker-Polito Administration opposes any measures to erode these protections here in the Commonwealth."

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: ldezenski@politico.com.

TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker is in Lowell alongside University of Massachusetts President Marty Meehan, Lowell Mayor William Samaras and individuals from the Commonwealth's advanced manufacturing sector at a ribbon cutting ceremony for the UMass Lowell Fabric Discovery Center — The House and Senate meet in formal session — The Cannabis Control Commission meets.

DATELINE BEACON HILL —
- "Mass. Legislature could strengthen Charlie Baker's hand with budget delay," by Joshua Miller and Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "... The logjam — which representatives privately blame on the Senate, and senators privately blame on the House — could strengthen the hand of Baker, a Republican in the midst of a reelection campaign. If he runs out the clock, it would allow him to veto certain policy items in the budget without giving the Democratic-controlled Legislature time to override them before the end of the formal legislative session on July 31."

- "Attorneys for Stan Rosenberg, Bryon Hefner ask judge to reveal accuser's name," by Shira Schoenberg, MassLive.com: "Attorneys for former Senate President Stan Rosenberg and his husband, Bryon Hefner, argued in court Wednesday that allowing one of Hefner's alleged victims to shield his identity does not allow for a level playing field. John Doe is a legislative aide who accused Hefner of sexually assaulting him three separate times in 2015 and 2016. Doe says Rosenberg knew about Hefner's behavior and still gave Hefner access to his political contacts."

- "DeLeo: 'Very Difficult' To Pass Immigrant Enforcement Bill In House," by Matt Murphy, State House News Service: "Despite sympathy among the 117 House Democrats for immigrant families being separated along the southern border, House Speaker Robert DeLeo reemphasized Wednesday that it would still prove 'difficult' for him pass legislation through the chamber aimed at curtailing the reach of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Massachusetts. DeLeo, a moderate Democrat from Winthrop, acknowledged that the issue has sparked great interest and debate on Beacon Hill this year."


-"Baker's plan to cut State Police OT spending faces major hurdles," by Matt Rocheleau, Boston Globe: "In early May, the governor and the head of the State Police promised a crackdown on overtime spending within the law enforcement agency, including a decrease of up to 40 percent in one of its most costly units. But a Globe review of internal documents, past cost-control efforts, and the composition of Troop F suggests that hitting the high end of that projection is unlikely, if not impossible."

-"What's Behind The Beacon Hill Battle Over School Funding," by Max Larkin, WBUR: "House lawmakers have passed a measure that would make major changes to public education funding, but some school advocates say the measure falls short -- particularly compared to the Senate version. It's the latest chapter in a three-year fight over funding shortfalls and a decades-old formula that determines how much money schools should spend and how much the state should kick in to help."

- "Mass. lawmakers using Canada's positive results to push for safe injection sites," by Stephanie Coueignoux, Boston 25 News: "A group of state lawmakers are pushing for a controversial pilot program aimed at addressing the opioid crisis. The program would open safe spaces for people to inject drugs -- called 'supervised injection sites.'"

- "Our Opinion: Legislature's inexcusable July bottleneck of laws," by The Berkshire Eagle: "Bay State residents treat their legislators well. Each one of them pulls down an average of approximately $64,000 per year, which can be augmented by up to $35,000 for those in leadership positions. For all this outlay, it would be reasonable for taxpayers to expect their representatives to deliberate, compromise, horse-trade and do whatever is necessary to produce quality legislative work on deadline. Yet, as of last Thursday, when the governor of South Carolina signed his state's budget, Massachusetts became the last state in the union with no permanent budget in place for fiscal year 2019."

DATELINE DC —
- "Government Contractors Asked About The Religion Of Immigrant Women Trying To Reunite With Their Kids, Lawyers Say," by Lissandra Villa, Buzzfeed News: "Federal contractors working to reunite families separated at the border asked about the religious affiliation of at least two immigrant women seeking to get their children back, according to court documents and an attorney involved in one of the interviews. Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, who has been working with both mothers to reunite them with their children, told BuzzFeed News Friday that both women had been asked 'what is your religion,' c alling the question 'outrageous.'"

- "Mass. senators support right whale bill," by Mary Ann Bragg, Cape Cod Times: "Sens. Edward Markey and Elizabeth Warren will co-sponsor the SAVE Right Whales Act, filed June 7 by four other Atlantic Coast senators. The legislation would allocate $5 million annually in grants through 2028 for conservation programs, and the development of new technology or other methods to reduce harm to right whales from fishing gear entanglements and ship collisions."

- "Congressional Corner With Richard Neal," by Alan Chartock, WAMC: "The Democratic Party is going through some changes. In [Wednesday's] Congressional Corner, Massachusetts Congressman Richard Neal speaks with WAMC's Alan Chartock."

ON THE STUMP —
- "Candidates face off in JP Progressives debate," by Catherine Mcgloin, The Bay State Banner: "State Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez faced challenger Nika Elugardo as the two candidates in this year's 15th Suffolk District primary debated important issues facing voters, including jobs, education and the environment Monday night. It became clear that the large crowd, comprised of Sanchez's base supporters and progressives looking to challenge the Legislature's leadership, would not all fit inside the 140-seater venue, and some residents were turned away."

THE WARREN REPORT —
- "US Sen. Elizabeth Warren offers bill to cap prescription drug copays," by Shannon Young, MassLive.com: "With an estimated quarter of Americans struggling to afford rising prescription drug costs, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Democrats announced legislation Wednesday that seeks to place a monthly cap on out-of-pocket payments. The bill, known as the 'Capping Prescription Costs Act of 2018,' would limit copayment amounts for prescription drugs to $250 per month for individuals and $500 per month for families. The limit would apply to both group health plans and individual market plans. "

THE LOCAL ANGLE —
- "Special investigation: Living on scraps," by Cole Rosengren, Dig Boston: "Boston is aiming to achieve 'zero waste,' which some say can create more living-wage jobs. Is part of this lofty goal rooted in the region's dirtiest hypocrisy?"

- "A Good Superintendent Could Be Hard To Find," by Bianca Vázquez Toness, WGBH: "Boston Public Schools needs to find a new permanent superintendent after Tommy Chang's abrupt departure last month. Observers predict there will be plenty of people interested in the job, since it is a high-profile gig. But, [Michael Casserly, the executive director of the Council of the Great City Schools] added, there aren't many 'really highly-skilled people around' who can successfully run a district like Boston."

- "Lowell officials want Domino's Pizza to help pay to fix the city's potholes," by Steve Annear, Boston Globe:"In a tweet from the official City of Lowell account Tuesday night, residents were asked to cast a vote in Domino's Pizza's online 'Paving for Pizza' campaign, a gimmicky funding initiative in which the restaurant gives money to select municipalities so that workers can patch some craters in the road. While the backlash wasn't severe — the tweet was only shared five times — some of those following the city's account questioned why officials couldn't just do the job themselves, ' instead of begging others to do it.'"

- "Belchertown, Ludlow, Ware, and South Hadley join lawsuit against drug companies accused of fueling opioid crisis," by Lucas Ropek, MassLive.com: "Communities throughout the state have joined in a federal lawsuit filed with the support of the Massachusetts Opioid Litigation Attorneys -- a cadre of law firms whose stated goal is to recover damages for municipalities hit hardest by the opioid crisis. The communities' decision comes shortly after Western Mass communities like Williamsburg, Clarksburg, and Sheffield also filed suit."

- "MGM Springfield to hold grand opening parade featuring Budweiser Clydesdales, 'surprise entertainment' on Aug. 24," by Jim Kinney, MassLive.com: "The Aug. 24 grand opening of MGM Springfield -- a moment years in the making for the city-- will come with the sound of horses' hooves. MGM announced Wednesday that it plans a procession from a 10:30 a.m. ceremony at State and Main Streets downtown to the entrance to its property a few blocks south."

- "What To Do With Casanova's Europe In The Age Of #MeToo?," by Andrea Shea, WBUR: "With the #MeToo movement gaining momentum last fall, the [Museums of Fine Arts in Boston] team realized they had a problem. A show fueled by the passions of a serial seducer — better known for his trysts than his travel writing — felt insensitive, possibly offensive. Rather than shying away from the issues raised by [Giacomo] Casanova's legacy, [MFA deputy director Katie] Getchell said the MFA decided to try to tackle the topic head on."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY— to Charlestown state Rep. Dan Ryan.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Red Sox beat the Rangers 4-2, sweeping the series.
ICYMI - THE LATEST EPISODE OF THE HORSE RACE: State Senate President Harriette Chandler joins us for a special extended edition of The Horse Race. We ask her about the Grand Bargain, legislation vs. ballot questions, the fallout from Stan Rosenberg, and what she has learned in her time at the top. Then WBUR's Shannon Dooling discusses what the immigration debate means for Massachusetts. Plus, what the NY-14 result means for the Pressley-Capuano matchup. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud

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