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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Did you get your Playbook Pool bracket in yet?
NEAL AT THE STATE HOUSE — Rep. Richard Neal is headed to the State House today for a roundtable on retirement security for American workers. Neal, who ascended to the top spot on the House Ways and Means committee after the 2018 midterm, holds the keys to issues like taxes and Social Security in Congress.
Neal will be joined by Putnam Investments President and CEO Robert Reynolds, Jessica Costantino from the Massachusetts branch of the AARP, and the MITAgeLab's Joe Coughlin, among others. It's an in-district work week for House lawmakers, which is why we've seen elected officials front and center at local events the last several days.
On his way in from Springfield, Neal might see a familiar face — his own. Billionaire Tom Steyer paid $10,000 for three billboards in Neal's district urging constituents to call the congressman and ask him to request President Donald Trump's tax returns.
The 14-by-48-foot billboards feature a black-and-white photo of Neal's face and a phone number to call. Two of the billboards face in opposite directions on the Mass Pike at Baskin Drive, and another is set up on I-91.
The billboard campaign is the latest move in Steyer's Need to Impeach playbook, which he's using to target several key House committee chairs who could jump start impeachment proceedings. Steyer has hired paid staff and gathered volunteers in Neal's district. The group held a town hall in Agawam last week, delivered a petition to Neal's Springfield office yesterday, dropped $100,000 on digital ads and just wrapped a $100,000 television ad buy launched earlier this year.
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 is a guest on "Boston Public Radio."Lt. Gov Karyn Polito, Senate President Karen Spilka and Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Haddad attend the Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus legislative breakfast. Students and activists visit the State House for a Public Higher Education Advocacy Day. State Sen. Joan Lovely and state Rep. Lori Ehrlich attend a briefing on a new report regarding lead in school drinking water.
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attends a Veterans Affairs Welcome Home Breakfast at UMass Boston. Polito, state Rep. Chris Markeyand state Rep. Chris Hendricks announce grants for housing authorities in New Bedford. Rep. Richard Neal holds a roundtable on retirement and pensions at the State House. State Sen. Jamie Eldridge and state Rep. Ruth Balser advocate for the Safe Communities Act by delivering hamantashan to elected officials with the Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action for Purim.
Rep. Katherine Clark hosts a women's empowerment town hall in Cambridge. Boston City Councilors Matt O'Malley and Michelle Wuhold a hearing on the feasibility of the future construction of net zero carbon municipal buildings.
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IT'S MARCH MADNESS: HAVE YOU FILLED OUT YOUR PLAYBOOK POOL BRACKET? Compete against your friends, Playbookers, top political insiders and VIPs to win great prizes, not to mention some legit bragging rights in our 3rd Annual Playbook Pool College Basketball Bracket Challenge! Submit your bracket before noon on Thursday, March 21. Governors, senators, House members and mayors, as well as some of the biggest names in politics and media, are already in the game, click HERE to take them on!
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Is the House tilting progressive?" by Katie Lannan, State House News Service: "With record membership, the House Progressive Caucus has picked its co-chairs for the 2019-2020 legislative session, re-electing one past leader and tapping a new one for the post. Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier of Pittsfield and Jack Patrick Lewis of Framingham will helm the 60-member caucus, the House Progressives announced Wednesday afternoon. Farley-Bouvier co-chaired the caucus last session with Byron Rushing, a longtime lawmaker who was ousted in last September's primary by fellow Boston Democrat Rep. Jon Santiago."
- "Abortion clinic cuts draw fire on Beacon Hill," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "State leaders and reproductive health care providers are blasting new rules that withhold federal money from health centers providing or referring patients to abortion services, arguing that the changes will hurt low-income women. Under the rules, which go into effect in May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' $260 million Title X grant program will stop funding providers such as Planned Parenthood that perform or promote abortion as a method of family planning."
- "State medical examiner's office in danger of losing accreditation, records show," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "The state's chief medical examiner's office is in danger of losing the accreditation it received just months ago, a potential black eye that its leader — fearful it could be made public — told officials should not be scrutinized by the media. In late January, the National Association of Medical Examiners told chief medical examiner Dr. Mindy J. Hull that her office will "most likely" lose its fully accredited status after it reported it was unable to complete 90 percent of its autopsy reports within 90 days — a key standard — during an annual review late last year."
- "Montigny: 'We must act now' on handheld cellphone ban while driving," Standard-Times: "Saying he's tired of excuses that have led to loss of lives, Sen. Mark Montigny said state lawmakers "must act now" to prohibit the use of handheld cellphones while driving. "As a vocal critic of the significant weaknesses in current law, it is very frustrating to watch the Senate repeatedly pass my legislation only to see it die year after year," said Montigny, D-New Bedford, in a news release Wednesday. "The only thing that has changed over the years is that people are engaging in more dangerous driving and more lives have been lost because of it. "There is no more excuse. We must act now," he said ."
- "Weston residents biggest political donors in Mass." by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE MOST GENEROUS political donors in Massachusetts state and municipal campaigns last year, perhaps unsurprisingly, tend to live in some of the wealthiest communities in the state. In its spring newsletter, the Office of Campaign and Political Finance put out a list of per-capita political spending from every city and town in the state ranked from most to least. It is the first year OCPF has put out this type of data, which does not cover candidates who file with town clerks for such local offices as select board and school committee."
- "New proposal for Massachusetts House caucus funding raises fears of legislative 'slush fund,'" by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "The Massachusetts House is considering setting up a system for its caucuses that one advocate called a legislative "slush fund" — allowing the groups to accept private donations that are not subject to state campaign finance limits or public disclosure laws regarding contributions. The purpose of the proposal is to establish a more formal registration system and funding mechanism for House caucuses, which today are loosely formed groups of legislators that deal with topics ranging from mental health to manufacturing."
- "Legislators say looser prison visitation rules will help inmates see their families," by Katie Lannan, State House News Service:"Recent changes to the visitor policy at state prisons will help inmates maintain the types of family and community ties that can aid their rehabilitation, members of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus said Wednesday. "Supporting loved ones who happen to be incarcerated is an investment, and oftentimes even more of an investment for low-income families and for families of color, and we are committed to creating an environment where those who are incarcerated can learn, grow and heal," Rep. Chynah Tyler, a Roxbury Democrat, said at a press conference the caucus held to tout the policy revisions ."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Mayor Walsh calls vandalism at city monuments an 'act of cowardice.'" by Travis Andersen, Emily Sweeney and Annika Hom, Boston Globe: "Mayor Martin J. Walsh on Wednesday strongly condemned the recent spate of vandalism of city monuments for war veterans and slain police officers, declaring that the crimes won't go unpunished. "It really is an act of cowardice," Walsh said. "Vandalizing World War II memorials, vandalizing police memorials, vandalizing even in Fall River with the cemetery, there's just no other way to describe it other than cowardice. Desecrating those memorials — those memorials stand for something." Walsh spoke to reporters after an event at the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology."
- "Mass. gaming commission says Wynn hearing could come in April," by Catherine Carlock, Boston Business Journal: "The Massachusetts Gaming Commission tentatively plans to schedule during the first week of April an adjudicatory hearing debating whether Wynn Resorts Ltd. is suitable to hold a Bay State gaming license. The hearing will determine whether Wynn Resorts' (Nasdaq: WYNN) 3 million-square-foot, $2.6 billion, 5,000-employee gaming resort in Everett can open as scheduled this June."
- "ACLU wants Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins to make good on her 'Decline to Prosecute' pledge," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com:"The American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts wants Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins to make good on her promise to not prosecute certain low-level crimes. Rollins made national headlines during the campaign for her pledge to not prosecute some 15 misdemeanors and low-level felonies, ranging from trespassing to receiving stolen property."
- "Boston Expands Free College Tuition Plan To A Private School In The South End," by Esteban Bustillos, WGBH News: "The Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology in Boston will become the first private college to participate in a city program that helps pay the tuition of low-income students this fall semester. Until now, the Tuition-Free Community College Plan has paid tuition and mandatory fees only at three community colleges in Boston or Wellesley. Students who want to enroll in the program must be Boston residents who have either graduated from a high school in the city, graduated as a Metco student, or passed a high school equivalency exam."
- "Walsh: 'Wrong time' to tinker with Electoral College," by Mary Markos and Brooks Sutherland, Boston Herald: "Mayor Martin Walsh said it's "the wrong time" to talk about the Electoral College as U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren makes a national push to eradicate it altogether. "What I mean by that is, you're in the midst of a presidential election, I don't think this is the right time to be having conversations whether or not the Electoral College should stand," Walsh said. "That conversation, I don't think it should be a presidential campaign election. ... I think we have to look and make sure that we have a balance of how the election works." Walsh added that he could understand Warren's concern, referencing the 2016 election in which Hillary Clinton received almost 2.9 million more votes than President Trump, according to CNN, and a similar situation between Al Gore and George W. Bush in 2000."
- "Boston Public Schools teachers and supporters rally for new contract," by Taylor Pettaway, Boston Herald: "Hundreds of parents, teachers, students and concerned citizens circled around the Boston Public School's district office to rally for teacher contract negotiations they say will help improve schools. "We need to speak the truth about our broken school system," said Rosalinda Mindence, a student support staff member at Boston Day and Evening Academy. "I see the day-to-day struggle our students go through and our teachers can't provide what they need, they don't have the resources. Do we call this equality and justice in education... how can we support students if we aren't supported or heard?" More than 7,500 BPS teachers have been working without a contract since August 2018."
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| WHAT CITY HALL IS READING |
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- "Josh Zakim to leave Boston City Council at end of term," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "Boston City Councilor Josh Zakim, who has represented the Back Bay and Beacon Hill neighborhoods with a focus on civil rights and expanding voter access, said Wednesday that he will not seek reelection this fall, opening the door for yet another new face on the council. Zakim, 35, who set his sights on statewide office last year in an unsuccessful run against Secretary of State William F. Galvin, told the Globe in an interview that he is looking to spend more time with his family: his wife, Grace, and their son, Leo, who turned 3 months old earlier this week."
- "Edwards keeps eye on Suffolk Downs," by Yawu Miller, Bay State Banner: "Suffolk Downs, a vast tract of vacant land in East Boston, could soon become Boston's newest neighborhood, with 10,000 units of housing planned — nearly four times the number of units in the South Boston Waterfront. While the Seaport District has been widely criticized for its expensive micro-units and lack of diversity — just 94 blacks live among the 3,443 residents counted in the neighborhood — the HYM Investment Group's plans for the Suffolk Downs site may not be much different. District 1 City Councilor Lydia Edwards said HYM Investments is planning a neighborhood with rents and condo prices that will exclude most current East Boston residents."
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| THE OPINION PAGES |
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- "AG Maura Healey defends Mount Ida decision," by Attorney General Maura Healey, Boston Globe: "Joan Vennochi mischaracterizes our investigation into Mount Ida. ("Maura Healey's dodge on Mt. Ida," Opinion, March 19). In the end, we made a decision, based on the law and the facts, not to sue a school that had already closed its doors for good. Bringing a claim against an essentially defunct and broke Mount Ida would waste taxpayer dollars and wouldn't provide meaningful relief to former Mount Ida students. Instead, we spent time and resources helping students transfer their credits and on ensuring that this never happens again."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Harvard sued over use of photograph of slave," by Deirdre Fernandes, Boston Globe: "A Connecticut woman is suing Harvard University for allegedly profiting from a photo of her family's patriarch, an African slave who was forced to pose naked in what historians believe is one of the oldest images of enslaved people in the United States. Tamara Lanier, a former chief probation officer in Norwich, said she has repeatedly asked Harvard since 2011 to stop using the daguerreotypes of a slave named Renty and his daughter, Delia. The photos were commissioned by a Harvard professor, Louis Agassiz , a biologist who used the images to bolster his argument of white superiority."
- "SJC ruling released 18 teen killers," by Christian M. Wade, Salem News: "Eighteen inmates serving life sentences for first-degree murders they committed as teenagers have been released over the past five years under a controversial state Supreme Judicial Court ruling. Sixty-three inmates in Massachusetts were affected by the December 2013 ruling that struck down life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of first-degree murder. Since then, the Parole Board has held hearings for at least 43 of the convicts seeking release under the high court's decision, according to state figures."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Why Elizabeth Warren Is Wrong About the Electoral College," by Rich Lowry, POLITICO Magazine: "Elizabeth Warren, the pointy end of the spear of Democratic radicalism, has called for the end of the Electoral College. "My view," she said at a CNN town hall, "is that every vote matters. And the way we can make that happen is that we can have national voting and that means get rid of the Electoral College." Her statement elicited the support of other 2020 candidates. The same people who complain daily about Donald Trump violating norms are now openly advocating eliminating the Electoral College and packing the Supreme Court."
- "Elizabeth Warren Is A Policy Heavyweight. The Media Is More Interested In Rockstars." by Andrea González-Ramírez, Refinery29: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren's policy positions are rooted in her clear-eyed understanding of how capitalism in its current form benefits some, but not all Americans. During her appearance at a CNN town hall Monday, her first major introduction to the national stage this election cycle, the Massachusetts senator embraced this ethos by speaking about her family's economic struggles throughout her childhood and how her mother's minimum wage job saved them from financial disaster."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Trump decides to avoid a Dukakis moment at Ohio tank plant," Associated Press: "President Trump, touring an Ohio Army tank plant Wednesday, says he wanted to get into one of the vehicles but was stopped by a memory of Michael Dukakis. Trump says Dukakis, the 1988 Democratic presidential candidate and former Massachusetts governor, 'tanked when he got into the tank.' He adds that Dukakis's helmet was 'bigger than he was' and that 'was not good.'"
- "Trump wants Patriots owner Robert Kraft at White House despite prostitution bust," by Gabby Orr, Eliana Johnson and Daniel Lippman, POLITICO: "New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who was caught up in a Florida prostitution sting last month, might appear at the White House before he appears in court. President Donald Trump wants Kraft to join his players at the White House this spring for a celebration of their February Super Bowl victory, a prospect that has White House aides worried that it could turn a feel-good photo op into an embarrassing media spectacle."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "T's privatized warehouse system falling short of promises," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "THREE YEARS AGO, the MBTA made the case for privatizing the transit authority's inventory management system by arguing that the existing staff-run operation had broken down on almost every level. One of the biggest problems was that parts could take around three days to arrive at work benches, far longer than the industry standard of 12 hours. The T also didn't have a very accurate measure of what exactly was in its stores. And inventory gathered dust sitting on warehouse shelves for two years, which is longer than the transit industry standard, T officials said. One T official estimated the agency was sitting on $22.7 million worth of inventory it didn't need."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Trump rips McCain on veterans: 'Didn't get the job done,'" by Jonathan Allen, NBC News: "President Donald Trump hit the late Sen. John McCain with a fresh attack Wednesday, hammering the former prisoner of war as weak on veterans issues — and griping about the Arizona Republican's funeral — during a speech at an Army tank plant in Lima, Ohio. "McCain didn't get the job done for our great vets at the VA and they knew it," Trump said, arguing that's why he won support from military veterans during the 2016 election after calling into question the longtime senator's service record."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "INSIDE A SICK MIND," — Globe: "MIT to use gift to study Down Syndrome," "Medical examiner's office again struggling." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Progressive Coalition urges US Rep. Richard Neal to attend Pittsfield town hall," by Shannon Young, Springfield Republican:"Weeks after pressing U.S. Rep. Richard Neal to meet with constituents at a Holyoke town hall, a newly formed coalition representing Western Massachusetts progressive groups called on the Springfield Democrat Wednesday to take part in another town hall-style event -- this time in Berkshire County. The CD-1 Progressive Coalition, which is comprised on groups from across Neal's expansive congressional district, invited the congressman to attend a Saturday forum at the Berkshire Museum in Pittsfield."
- "Groups ask Baker to back off wood-burning initiatives," by Larry Parnass, The Berkshire Eagle: "The state's effort to jump-start a local wood-fuels industry is misguided, a coalition of environmental groups and scientists said Wednesday, and contributes to climate change despite being represented as renewable energy. In a letter to Gov. Charlie Baker, the groups call for an end to financial incentives to commercial projects that encourage wood-burning to produce heat or electricity. One such program recently steered $1 million to a wood-chip processing endeavor run by Windsor resident Tim Crane."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Worcester awards $10.8 million Polar Park construction manager contract to Gilbane-Hunt, a Joint Venture," by Aviva Luttrell, MassLive.com: "The Worcester Redevelopment Authority has awarded a $10.8 million construction manager contract for Polar Park to Gilbane-Hunt, a Joint Venture. The City of Worcester Selection Committee for Polar Park evaluated five proposals from different companies and recommended Gilbane-Hunt, according to Michael Trainer, the city's chief development officer. The initial contract covers work for the stadium and a parking structure across the street, Traynor said."
- "Bracing for an influx, senior housing operators face rising costs and declining subsidies," by Robert Weisman, Boston Globe: "As snow melted outside the columned entrance to the Christopher Heights assisted living complex last week, Mary Massauro celebrated her 101st birthday with lobster pot pie, a blue balloon tied to her chair. Residents chatted in the dining room about family and politics. Down the hall, 92-year-old Dottie Creamer was enjoying a visit with her son. Creamer, who had lived alone before moving in last fall, said she felt like "a freight train that was out of control" after she stumbled and fell. "I was so fortunate to come here," she said."
- "'Pink wave' panel at Clark explores strides women are making in politics," by Steven H. Foskett Jr., Telegram & Gazette:"Women are getting into politics - and winning races - like never before. Just last year, a record 102 women were elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and 14 to the U.S. Senate, Clark University psychology professor Abbie Goldberg told a packed classroom gathered Wednesday at the Jefferson Academic Center for a forum on the "pink wave" now sweeping American politics. And it's not just candidates. Ms. Goldberg noted that this year that 40 percent of Democratic congressional campaign managers are women."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- Phil Redo, the general manager for radio and local news at WGBH, announced plans to retire. He'll continue through July 2020 as WGBH searches for his successor.
- Jim Puzzanghera will be the next D.C. bureau chief of the Boston Globe. He's a 13-year veteran of the L.A. Times. Link.
TRANSITIONS - Laura C. Ames joins Casner & Edwardsas an associate in the firm's Trusts & Estates Group.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Ryanne Olsen, executive director of Emerge Massachusetts and Shane Dunn, director of advancement strategy and regional development at Uncommon Schools Roxbury Prep.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The 76ers beat the Celtics 118-115.
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.
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