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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
BAKER SETS AGENDA FOR TERM 2 — Gov. Charlie Baker has unveiled a wide-ranging legislative agenda over the past several weeks, culminating in a seven-year plan to spend an additional $1 billion in education funding that was the focus of his fiscal 2020 budget proposal yesterday.
Baker's push for education funding reform has raised the profile of an already popular effort to update the way the state calculates public school funding costs. The governor's education plan aims to address a 2015 Foundation Budget Review Commission report that found the state was underfunding public education by more than $1 billion in four key areas: health care, special education, low-income students and English language learners.
It remains to be seen whether education funding will look more like Baker's proposal or state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz's Education PROMISE Act filed earlier this month — if lawmakers can hammer out a solution to the funding gap this session. The largest point of agreement: Baker and just about everyone else say the overhaul should get done in 2019.
But education is only one part of Baker's plans for this session, and he's laid out a broad agenda to set the tone of his second term. Baker's budget for the coming fiscal year eyes new revenue sources — meaning some new or higher taxes. He suggested an increase in the excise tax on real estate transfers so the state can direct millions toward climate change that he previewed last week, and he proposed a tax yesterday on opioid manufacturers to help fund the state's response to the opioid crisis.
Baker also filed an impaired driving bill yesterday that would make penalties for driving under the influence of marijuana more similar to drunk driving. The bill would implement recommendations from the Cannabis Control Commission, Baker's office says, as consumers spend millions at newly-opened recreational marijuana stores across the state.
A day earlier, the governor filed a sweeping "road safety" bill that would ban the use of handheld devices while driving, allow police to stop drivers for not wearing a seat belt, expand the use of ignition interlocks for drunk drivers, and address regulating electric scooters like Bird and Lime. And on Friday, Baker previewed a Medicare eligibility expansion for low-income seniors included in the budget. Baker's first filing this session was a bill to expand the use of dangerousness hearings for people accused of crimes who have a history of violence. The legislation came after several police officers were killed by people with past criminal histories in the state.
Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.
TODAY — Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito hold a ceremonial bill signing with House Speaker Robert DeLeo, state Sen. Jason Lewis and state Rep. Ruth Balser for "An Act providing for equitable coverage in disability policies." Secretary of Education James Peyser speaks at the Rennie Center's State of Education event.
The Mass Power Forward coalition holds a clean energy lobby day at the State House. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission meets. State Sen. Adam Hinds holds a forum in North Adams. State Sen. Harriette Chandler, state Rep. Andy Vargas and state Rep. Dylan Fernandes hold an event in support of a bill that would give towns the choice to allow teens as young as 16 to vote in municipal elections.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Gov. Charlie Baker proposes spending $1.1 billion more on K-12 public education," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing a major overhaul of the state's education funding formula, which would increase spending on K-12 education by an additional $1.1 billion by the time it is fully implemented. The Legislature has already made updating the education funding formula a priority, and with new strong support from the governor, the state could be poised to embark on the biggest change to education funding since the formula was first established in 1993."
- "Baker takes new tack on taxes," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, normally a skeptic when it comes to tax hikes, sprinkled new taxes and new tax revenue throughout the annual budget proposal he filed on Wednesday. A proposed increase in the tax on real estate sales would fund programs to help the state protect property from the ravages of climate change. The state's cigarette excise tax would be extended to the liquids used in e-cigarettes. And a new tax would be assessed on opioid manufacturers who sell their products in Massachusetts, generating revenue for state programs to deal with opioid abuse."
- "Chelsea Police Chief Weighs In Gov. Baker's Marijuana OUI Bill," by Jack Lepiarz and Lynn Jolicoeu, WBUR: "The science of how to determine whether a driver is impaired by marijuana isn't settled. But, Gov. Charlie Baker filed a bill Wednesday designed to stop people from driving while under the influence of cannabis. It includes testing that is still being developed for the marijuana compound THC in the driver's system. The legislation is based on recommendations made by a special sub-group of the Cannabis Control Commission that studied the issue."
- "Beacon Hill evaluates: Are women paid less than men?" by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "A new state law ensuring that men and women are paid the same for equal work is placing the same level of scrutiny on the lawmakers who passed it as on the businesses they are regulating. The Massachusetts House and Senate are both in the process of evaluating the pay structures of their staff to ensure gender equity."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Pressley's victory could prompt wave of candidates to run for City Council," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "It's only been a couple weeks since Ayanna Pressley was sworn into office at the US House. And her successor, Althea Garrison, had barely settled into her seat on the City Council earlier this month before her colleague, Tim McCarthy, announced he wouldn't seek another term. Cue the candidate floodgates. In the 2018 midterm elections, an array of underdogs — especially women and people of color — famously mounted a number of victorious campaigns for Congress. Back in Boston, political analysts predict that trend could continue in the city's 2019 contests, when the 13 City Council seats stand to attract a host of new faces, many of whom are unafraid to challenge incumbents."
- "Here's how investigators tracked down the Charlestown abduction suspect, and rescued Olivia Ambrose," by Evan Allen, Laura Crimaldi and Maria Cramer, Boston Globe: "The Boston police detectives banged again on the apartment door, certain that the kidnapped young woman was inside, and again they got no answer. They summoned a maintenance worker with keys, but the man they believed was holding the woman had installed an extra lock. The detectives couldn't wait. They had no idea what the man was capable of. They decided to drill their way in. As the top lock gave way, they heard the clicking of the other locks, opening from the inside. When they burst into that Charlestown apartment on Tuesday, there was 23-year-old Olivia Ambrose, sobbing, horrified, but — incredibly — alive."
- "For black gun advocates in purple Mass, criticism comes in red, white, and blue," by Chris Faraone, DigBoston: "Based in Swansea, his Salomon Firearms Training offers classes in hand-to-hand combat in addition to firearms training and courses for self-defense instructors. SFT provides security contracting and armed escorts, and also conducts free trainings in Dorchester and South Boston for residents who wouldn't otherwise have access to firearms training and education. For Salomon, this is a way of life as well as a source of income. At the same time, since there are guns involved, his practices and beliefs are inherently political, and therefore have attracted some detractors— from all sides of the spectrum."
- "Mayors return from Canada impressed with safe injection sites," by Felice J. Freyer, Boston Globe: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh declared himself 'very impressed' by what he witnessed during last week's visit to so-called safe injection sites in Montreal and Toronto — but he stopped just short of endorsing the idea for Boston. Walsh and staff visited several centers where people inject illicit drugs obtained elsewhere, while being monitored by trained professionals who can rescue them from overdoses."
- "City gets good grade for commitment to preschool," by James Vaznis, Boston Globe: "For many Boston families it is one of the biggest perks of living in the city — free public preschool — and a national report released Wednesday made clear how fortunate families are to have access to it. Boston was one of just five cities to receive the highest rating, a gold medal, for its commitment to providing a quality preschool experience to at least 30 percent of its 4-year-olds, according to the report by the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University and City Health."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "In South Carolina, Elizabeth Warren Says She's Spent Her Life Figuring Out Why Things Are Harder For Black Americans," by Ryan C. Brooks, BuzzFeed News: "In a packed gymnasium at Columbia College on her first trip to South Carolina since announcing her presidential exploratory committee, Sen. Elizabeth Warren tailored her pitch to talk about the economic plight of black families in America's economy. Making her first speech in the state, whose primary electorate in next year's Democratic primary will be largely black, Warren told the crowd that she's spent her adult life working to answer the question, 'Why has the path gotten so rocky for working people in America?,' and why are things 'particularly rocky for African-Americans?'"
- "Elizabeth Warren's book, The Two-Income Trap, explained," by Matthew Yglesias, Vox: "Many presidential candidates write books. Most are invariably forgettable — the product of the same collaborative writing process that produces a 'major address' but without the excitement of live performance, an audience, or a charismatic performer. Elizabeth Warren is different. She's written extensively — as a prominent legal scholar focused on bankruptcy — long before she entered politics. She lays out ideas that she hoped would provoke or persuade rather than win elections."
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| 2020 WATCH |
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- "Why are so many Democrats announcing presidential campaigns now? Three reasons," by James Pindell, Boston Globe: "Yes, it's still 2019. But you would be forgiven if, after looking at the barrage of presidential candidates, you thought it was 2020. The parade of prospects started on New Year's Eve, when US Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts announced the formation of her presidential exploratory committee. Four days later she was in Iowa, holding her first campaign event. Since then, about two Democrats have announced each week that they're taking steps to pursue a White House run. It's enough to give political junkies whiplash. Why the rush? Here are three reasons why the 2020 presidential race came on fast and strong this year."
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| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
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- "Democratic Rep. Katherine Clark Discusses Government Shutdown," NPR: "NPR's Mary Louise speaks with Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who is vice chair of the House Democratic Caucus, about the partial government shutdown."
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| KENNEDY COMPOUND |
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- "D.C. Is Still Divided Over the Shutdown. But Celebrity Chef José Andrés Briefly Bridged the Gap," by Ryan Teague Beckwith, Time Magazine: "Washington remains divided along partisan lines on the partial government shutdown, but celebrity chef José Andrés briefly brought both sides together at a soup kitchen for furloughed workers. Democratic Rep. Joe Kennedy III of Massachusetts and Republican Rep. Will Hurd of Texas worked together at Andrés' nonprofit #ChefsForFeds initiative to feed federal workers not receiving a paycheck during the shutdown."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "The Five Top Democratic Primary Targets," by Josh Kraushaar, National Journal: "House Democrats are facing the prospect of a divisive year ahead, working to avoid messy primaries that lay bare the deepening ideological divisions within the party. Outside progressive groups, emboldened by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's stunning upset over Speaker-in-waiting Joseph Crowley, are preparing to target members who occasionally veer from left-wing orthodoxy. And after a midterm election when outspoken progressive candidates fared poorly in swing districts, leading operatives within the movement now recognize that the more effective way to push the party leftward is through primaries in otherwise safe seats."
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| IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN |
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- "'Green energy blues' in a town that sought to do something about climate change," by David Abel, Boston Globe: "For nearly a decade, the giant blades have loomed over this seaside town, stirring hope and fear in the salty air. To proponents, the twin wind turbines proved that residents could act on their ideals, producing their own clean energy and relying less on fossil fuels. To critics, they were mechanical monstrosities, blinking eyesores whirring at such a frequency that some neighbors said they became ill."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "TOO LATE FOR TEARS," Globe: "Pelosi denies Trump on State of the Union," "Baker asks for shift in funding for schools." |
| ALL ABOARD |
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- "T4MA awards grants to support Transportation Justice and the Transportation and Climate Initiative," from Transportation for Massachusetts: "Transportation for Massachusetts announced the awarding of $120,000 in funding to 10 organizations focused on transportation justice and the Transportation and Climate Initiative across Massachusetts, as well as in Vermont and Maryland. The grants will help move transportation equity initiatives from concept to practice and promote transportation justice."
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| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Mass. senator's plan: Go west to work, and we'll pay you," by Jon Chesto, Boston Globe: "It's time to get creative if we want to address the inequity that divides the state's two economies: Greater Boston, and nearly everywhere else. Does paying people to move to Western Massachusetts count? We might soon find out. Senator Eric Lesser has filed a bill that would essentially do just that. He wants to reimburse people who move to the state's four westernmost counties and work from their homes or coworking spaces. To be eligible for up to $10,000 for relocation and setup expenses, they would need to be employed by a business outside of the region."
- "Rosenberg campaign spends nearly $150K on legal fees," by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "A significant portion of the $234,991 in campaign money spent by former Senate President Stanley Rosenberg in 2018 went to legal fees, according to a year-end campaign finance report filed this week. The report, provided to the Office of Campaign and Political Finance, shows that Rosenberg, who left office in May, spent $148,730 on legal fees, including $72,575 after his resignation in May 2018."
- "Quadruple Exits Upend Committee under Scrutiny," by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass Politics & Insight: "Not a week after a special Longmeadow Town Meeting petitioned Beacon Hill to allow recalls for town offices, four members of the School Committee resigned. The petition seemed to be part of backlash to the resigned members' vote to effectively terminate Superintendent Marty O'Shea at the end of this school year ."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Columbia Gas will pay for extra Lawrence firefighters," by Jill Harmacinski, Eagle-Tribune: "Courtesy of Columbia Gas, the city will have an extra crew of firefighters on duty for at least the first two months of this year. The natural gas provider has agreed to pay for an extra, three-person engine company of firefighters for January and February 2019, Fire Chief Brian Moriarty announced Wednesday. At the close of 2018, Moriarty asked Columbia Gas to pay for extra firefighters due to increased calls the department was receiving about gas odors, gas leaks and carbon monoxide issues since the Merrimack Valley gas disaster on Sept. 13, 2018."
TRANSITIONS - Tech firm Catalant is opening a new location in Rochester, New York.
SPOTTED - at a Beacon Hill politics chess tournament at the Omni Parker House last night ... Steve Koczela, Jay Ash, Rachel Dec, Gintautas Dumcius, Andy Metzger, Maeve Duggan, Stefanie Coxe, Jodi Reed, Kevin Gilnack, Matt Giancola, Brad Wyatt, Preston Epps, Paolo DiFabio, Ben Muschol, Christian Greve, Garrett Quinn, Joe Gravellese.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to state Sen. Brendan Crighton's chief of staff DJ Napolitano, Sam Hockenbury and Andrew Friendly.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Cavaliers 123-103.
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