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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
WHAT BOOKER WANTS TO DO ABOUT GUNS — Massachusetts has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but individual states and cities are limited in the ways they can prevent gun violence, Sen. Cory Booker said while detailing his gun reform plan last week.
I spoke one-on-one with Booker, the Democrat running for president and a senator from New Jersey, about how he thinks Boston could benefit from his plan for gun reform. The city has seen well over a dozen shootings over the last two weeks, which Booker says highlights the need for new federal gun laws.
"You have cities and states with really strong gun laws that unfortunately suffer from the fact that we have a federal patchwork of laws," Booker told me over the phone on Friday. "In Boston, for example, upwards of 70 percent of the guns being used in violent crime there are being smuggled in from outside of the state."
"You cannot solve this problem on a state level alone. You need federal gun safety policy ," Booker continued. "The next president and the next Congress could solve the gun violence epidemic in our country."
Booker's plan includes a federal gun licensing program for all gun owners, universal background checks and an assault weapons ban. Booker had planned to promote his proposal at a press conference in Boston on Friday, but scrapped the plans due to weather and travel and held a press call with reporters instead.
Looking at the recent shootings that shook the city, Booker said he has deep respect for and feels a "kinship" toward Boston Mayor Marty Walsh, as the former mayor of Newark, New Jersey. Walsh and Booker haven't spoken, but the mayor told the Boston Herald that Booker didn't step on his toes by talking about his plan here.
"As a former mayor who fought really hard and had some success setting records for periods without a murder and drops in murder under my leadership, I know all the tools you need as a mayor are not within your power to achieve," Booker said.
And by pointing to the Bay State to highlight his gun plan , Booker was stepping onto the home turf of two other presidential candidates — Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Seth Moulton. I asked Booker what he thinks about their positions on gun reform, and he challenged all candidates to endorse the proposals he's brought forward or release some of their own.
"I'm focused on my vision, and frankly, we know that we have the boldest gun safety plan in this entire campaign, and it is the kind of plan I hope all candidates, no matter where they're from, will step up and embrace. These are all evidence-based strategies of things that we know work."
Booker said he has recently texted back-and-forth with Rep. Ayanna Pressley about his gun reform proposal and recent violence in the city. Pressley has been vocal about the recent shootings, and along with Sen. Ed Markey and Rep. Joe Kennedy III, has proposed federal grants for states that adopt gun laws like the ones we have in Massachusetts. Booker told me he has not asked for an endorsement from Pressley or Walsh.
After we spoke on Friday , Booker spent the weekend on the road in New Hampshire, campaigning out of an RV. The New Jersey lawmaker made an early bet on the Granite State, snapping selfies, opening offices and staffing up in the very beginning of the race. I asked Booker when he expects that investment to translate in polling — surveys of New Hampshire primary voters show Booker in the single digits.
"We're still seven months out," Booker said. "Knowing that these numbers have not been predictive in the past, we're focused on the things we know make a difference in winning New Hampshire, and that means building an organization, critical endorsements in the state, doing the kind of campaigning people expect - being there in living rooms, being there in town halls."
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 huddle with Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo for a weekly leadership meeting. Baker and Polito celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Ice Bucket Challenge with the ALS Association, and then highlight the DCR Summer Nights Program. Rep. Joe Kennedy III speaks at the ATU Can-Am Conference in Boston. Funeral services are held for the late Brockton Mayor Bill Carpenter.
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TECHNOLOGICAL DISRUPTION - WHO WILL WRITE THE RULES?Chapter two of POLITICO's Global Translations" podcast, presented by Citi, is now live. Explore the emergence of 5G technology with host Luiza Savage, understand its role as the foundation for the future of artificial intelligence, and learn who will write the rules in the race to dominate technological advancement. Listen Now.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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WHERE WERE CHARLIE BAKER'S POLITICAL HACKS FOR FAILING TO INFORM OF THEIR NEEDS? CHARLIE BAKER NEEDS TO RIDE THE MBTA TO UNDERSTAND. STATIONS ARE DIRTY, CARS ARE DIRTY AND IN ILL REPAIR, TRAINS ARE OVERCROWDED AND MUCH ELSE. WHAT HAS CHARLIE BAKER IMPROVED? NOTHING! CHARLIE BAKER FAIL!
- "Sometimes a Mr. Fix-it needs to get under the hood," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "IT MUST HAVE BEEN A SIGHT. Gov. Charlie Baker, who has steadfastly refused to ride the MBTA as governor, was nevertheless there on a Red Line passenger platform about a week after the June 11 derailment and crash that has precipitated a summer full of delays. The governor wasn't at JFK/UMass to catch a train, but to talk to the engineers and others tasked with restoring normal service to the T's busiest subway line, and to lay eyes on the wreckage. There were no television cameras or news photographers there to memorialize the visit, which took place in the waning twilight of a warm overcast evening. It wasn't on his public schedule, and he only disclosed it somewhat clumsily roughly a week later. In some ways it was vintage Baker."
- "RMV Failed To Warn Other States About Driver Violations In Mass." by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "The Registry of Motor Vehicles has not only been failing to review out-of-state driver violations, but has often failed to warn other states about infractions in Massachusetts, officials said Friday as they announced that license suspensions stemming from a mishandled notification backlog had nearly doubled in the course of a week. Workers finished processing tens of thousands of notices from other states about Massachusetts drivers that sat overlooked in a Quincy storage room or in Concord archives, resulting in suspensions issued to 1,607 drivers — about 760 more than the last status update issued one week ago."
- "Gov. Charlie Baker returns pro-union bill to Legislature unsigned," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "Citing concerns over employee privacy, Gov. Charlie Baker returned to the Legislature unsigned a bill that would expand the power of public-sector unions. "I fully support your decision to join a union, but I believe it should be your choice, not a state law, to disclose personal information," Baker, a Republican, wrote in an email to executive branch employees. The Democratic-led Legislature passed the bill in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Janus vs. AFSCME, which ruled that government workers cannot be forced to pay union dues."
- "A Lowell teen took her own life after getting bullied; Lawmakers haven't addressed it," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald:"No legislator has filed a bill to change the state's anti-bullying law in the wake of the death of a 16-year-old Lowell girl, who took her own life last year after she was relentlessly bullied in middle and high school. Elected officials vowed to take action after the Boston Herald and Lowell Sun six months ago reported on Anna Aslanian's tragic death — but the Lowell State House delegation and other lawmakers have failed to re-examine the anti-bullying policy in schools. Advocates say the state law is weak and needs beefing up to protect victims. So far, however, nothing has been done to address it."
- "Vineyard Wind Dealt Setbacks By Local, U.S. Regulators," The Associated Press: "The company hoping to build a planned wind farm off Massachusetts is appealing to the state after the project hit snags with local and federal regulators. The Edgartown Conservation Commission on Martha's Vineyard voted this week to deny Vineyard Wind's application to lay transmission cables that would pass about a mile east of Edgartown. Separately, the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has delayed issuing a final environmental impact statement that would help clear the way for construction of the 84-turbine, 800-megawatt wind farm."
- "Plastic bag ban changes criticized," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "Advocates of a statewide ban on plastic shopping bags are among those urging lawmakers to toss the latest attempt at legislation in the trash. A bipartisan proposal, backed by nearly 100 lawmakers, called for phasing out plastic bags used by convenience stores and supermarkets and allowing retailers to charge a 10-cent fee for biodegradable and reusable bags, as well as recycled paper bags. But the Legislature's Joint Committee on Natural Resources, Environment and Agriculture, deliberating behind closed doors, stripped the fee and added a "preemption" clause that would effectively override nearly 100 local plastic bag bans, some of them voter-approved. It also would allow stores to offer thicker plastic bags as alternatives."
- "Bill would ease rules on selling used cars subject to recall," The Associated Press: "A bill that would ease restrictions on the sale of used cars that have been subject to a recall but have not been repaired is set to come up at a public hearing at the Massachusetts Statehouse. Supporters of the bill, including used car dealers, have argued that they should be able to sell the cars as long as they disclose all pending recall notices. They say requiring the cars be repaired to meet the requirements of the recall could slow sales. The bill is opposed by consumer advocacy groups, including the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, which argue that the bill would put consumers in danger."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- MASSACHUSETTS CONNECTION: "How Massachusetts made the Apollo 11 moon landing possible," by Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe: "With its rich tradition of aerospace research, Massachusetts seemed almost predestined to play an outsize role in the space race. "There became a technology movement in Massachusetts dealing with aviation, rockets, and computers," said historian Douglas Brinkley, author of "American Moonshot," a recent book on the space race. "And the Grand Central Station of all this was MIT." But the state's prominent role in the space race was also partly due to politics. "The president was from Massachusetts, and they needed a major contract here," said David Mindell, an MIT professor, founder of a robotics company, and author of a book on Apollo. Indeed, the first major federal contract for work on Apollo was issued to the Instrumentation Lab in August 1961, a $4 million deal to build the ship's guidance system."
- "After a vigil, Boston immigration advocates come together to plan," by Aimee Ortiz, Boston Globe: "Hours after they attended a vigil to draw attention to migrants being housed in unsanitary camps at the US-Mexican border, immigration advocates and activists filled a sunlit Cathedral of Saint Paul in Boston on Saturday to strategize about how best to help the local immigrant community. The diverse crowd learned about a range of national and state issues, including temporary protected status, or TPS, of immigrants to bills pending in the state Legislature, during the session organized by Boston Lights for Liberty, an advocacy group. In small group settings, people learned how to organize demonstrations and other community actions to help immigrants cope with unyielding fear and grief about the prospect of seeing loved ones deported in raids scheduled to be carried out by federal authorities Sunday in 10 US cities."
- "Red Sox announce 37-year Boston police veteran as new security director," by Sophia Eppolito, Boston Globe: "After 37 years with the Boston Police Department, former superintendent Colm Lydon will be joining the Red Sox as the organization's next director of security and emergency services, the club is set to announce Monday. Lydon retired in June from his position as superintendent of the department's Bureau of Intelligence and Analysis. In that role, the Jamaica Plain native supervised the Boston Regional Intelligence Center, which collects, analyzes, and shares data with law enforcement partners at the local, state, and federal level."
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| DAY IN COURT |
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- "Three years later, roller-coaster City Hall extortion case is going to trial," by Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe: "It's been a roller coaster of a case, starting with a 2016 indictment that shook City Hall and Mayor Martin J. Walsh's administration. Two of Walsh's top aides were accused in federal court of extortion, for allegedly forcing a concert promoter to hire union stagehands or risk losing lucrative permits. In the following years, legal battles led to the indictment being dismissed — allowing the administration to breathe easier and the aides to return to work. But an appeals court then decided to put the case back before a jury. Now, more than three years after City Hall aides Ken Brissette and Tim Sullivan were indicted, they are set for a high-profile trial next week that could close out a series of questions that has stalked the Walsh administration and leave an imprint on the former labor leader-turned-mayor's public advocacy for unions."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "2020 Dems love the progressive fire but fear the flame," by Natasha Korecki and Holly Otterbein, POLITICO: " More progressives gathered here over the weekend for the annual Netroots Nation convention than at any time in the event's 13-year history. Yet all but one of the top-tier candidates running for president, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, were nowhere to be found. While it might have seemed like a missed opportunity, given the state of the roiling progressive grass roots — with the movement's confrontational tactics and insistence on down-the-line, issue-by-issue adherence to liberal orthodoxy — the campaigns concluded that the safer play was to send their regrets."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- "Young Voter Money 2020: Democratic presidential candidate Seth Moulton on how he can improve your finances," by Brandon Duffy and Joseph Magliocco, CNBC: "Not every candidate running for the Democratic Party nomination in the 2020 presidential election makes the debate stage and many good policy ideas miss out on the daily cable news spin cycle — but it is not for a lack of trying. CNBC.com is interviewing presidential candidates this summer to gain insight on their vision and how it can impact the economic outlook for 37% of the 2020 electorate: Millennials and Gen Z."
- "Look Out, Mayor Pete, Sounds Like Seth Moulton Thinks You're a Nerd," by Alyssa Vaughn, Boston Magazine: "He may not have made it to the debate stage, but Seth Moulton would like you to know that he is definitely still cooler than someone who did—namely, his former Harvard classmate Pete Buttigieg. In an interview with Politico published Thursday, the Massachusetts Democrat talked Trump voters, taxes, that debate he had to watch from his couch, and the good ol' days in Harvard Yard."
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| FROM THE DELEGATION |
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- "U.S. Sen. Ed Markey sees 'heartbreaking' conditions at Texas border facilities," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican:"At the Weslaco Border Patrol Station along the Texas border on Friday, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, D-Massachusetts, saw sick children sleeping on the floors. The children, from babies on up, had chicken pox, flu and other illness. They had no toothbrushes or showers and no change of clothes. They were given a moist towelette to wash themselves. Some were with their parents; others were not. "It was heartbreaking and enraging to see the conditions within which they were being kept," Markey said in a telephone interview from Texas."
- "McGovern on border crisis: 'We need to fix this," by Dusty Christensen, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "As anger continues to mount on the left over the Trump administration's detention of migrants in squalid conditions, U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern just returned from a visit to one of those detention centers. McGovern, D-Worcester, was part of a delegation of federal lawmakers who toured the facilities on Saturday, including the same border patrol station and migrant "processing center" in McAllen, Texas, that Vice President Mike Pence had visited the day before. "I wanted to see for myself what was happening, and what I saw was horrible," McGovern said."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Trump tells Dem congresswomen: Go back where you came from," by Bianca Quilantan and David Cohen, POLITICO:"President Donald Trump, jumping into the middle of a feud among House Democrats, called out progressive congresswomen in xenophobic terms on Sunday, saying, "Why don't they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came." While he didn't mention them by name in his series of tweets, Trump was presumably targeting some of the caucus's best-known freshman women of color: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.) and Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.)."
- "Ayanna Pressley hits back at Trump: 'This is what racism looks like,'" by Gal Tziperman Lotan, Boston Globe: "Democratic leaders from across the country reacted with outrage after President Trump said Sunday that four progressive freshmen congresswomen who have been at odds with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should return to the countries where they "originally came from." Trump did not name the congresswomen but was apparently referring to a group that includes Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, along with Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, and Rashida Tlaib of Michigan. The lawmakers — three of whom were born in the United States — have clashed with Democratic House leadership over how to protect migrants on America's southern border."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "A TWEET TOO FAR," — Globe: "Trump to lawmakers: 'You can't leave fast enough,'" Tech titans could feel Cicilline's legal sting." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Vigil outside county jail protests treatment of migrants," by Zack DeLuca, Greenfield Recorder: "As part of a national movement, hundreds of local residents gathered outside the Franklin County House of Correction's gates Friday afternoon in protest of the Immigrant and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.). The Greenfield rally was organized in part by the Pioneer Valley Workers Center and held in conjunction with the advocacy group Lights for Liberty's nationwide call to action. Elsewhere, more than 500 groups held similar events on Friday including rallies in Homestead, FL and El Paso, TX, according to a press statement from the center."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "In search of a 'second city' for New England startups," by Scott Kirsner, Boston Globe: "When it comes to startup activity, Boston is booming: The research firm Startup Genome put the city in fifth place globally this year, behind Beijing and just ahead of Tel Aviv. Not bad. But Boston is also expensive, and the commutes can be intolerable. I'd love to see a "second city" emerge in New England as an alternative place for businesses to form, get funding, hire, and grow. There are a lot of viable candidates, from Northampton to Portland to Providence to Manchester, N.H. But none of those cities seem to be chasing the opportunity."
- "Polar Beverages CEO to become part owner of Worcester Red Sox," by Cyrus Moulton, Telegram & Gazette: "The name of his company will be on the ballpark. Now Ralph Crowley's name will be on the list of owners. Mr. Crowley, CEO of Polar Beverages, will become a part owner of the Pawtucket, soon-to-be-Worcester, Red Sox, Pawtucket Red Sox Principal Owner and Chairman Larry Lucchino announced Thursday at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Polar Park. Mr. Lucchino made the announcement after asking the partners in the Pawtucket Red Sox to stand during the ceremony Thursday."
- "Top regulator upholds air permit for planned Weymouth compressor station," by Jessica Trufant, Patriot Ledger: "Twenty-nine of the state's 40 senators sent a two-and-a-half page letter to Suuberg calling on the agency to reject all permits because of what they described as the unprecedented nature of the proposed site in an industrialized, populated area. The lawmakers also said the compressor station undercuts the Senate's commitment to combating climate change. Mayor Robert Hedlund said in a statement that town officials "are extremely disappointed with the decision, but we are not surprised given how this process has been conducted thus far." "To date, that process both at the state and federal level has not been fair to the Town of Weymouth, its residents, and all residents of the South Shore," he said. "This entire process has demonstrated that our regulatory entities seem to be beholden to industry interests." Hedlund said the one positive thing that has come out of the appeal is that the state agreed to put an air-monitoring station in Weymouth.
- HUGE SHARK: "Video shows huge shark swimming off coast of Martha's Vineyard," by Emily Sweeney, Boston Globe: "Amanda Currell was on a boat 40 miles southeast of Martha's Vineyard when a large shark showed up and made its presence known. "It seemed like it was sizing us up," said Currell, 25. Currell was aboard the vessel with her father, JB Currell, and their friends, Tommy Brownell and Doug Shipley, when the shark swam by and caught the moment on video."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "19 academics send open letter to McGrory over contentious story: "A group of 19 Boston-area university and law school faculty members sent an open letter to The Boston Globe in response to what they call "misleading reporting" about Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins's efforts to create a more fair justice system in Boston. The open letter, penned by academics from Harvard, Northeastern University, Boston College, and Boston University, highlights how the Globe article did not provide 'context that enables an objective, informative discussion.'"
WEEKEND WEDDING - "Olivia Whalen, Brian Wynne"- N.Y. Times:"Ms. Whalen, 29, is the assistant director for admissions and recruitment at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. She received a master's degree in liberal arts from Harvard in May. ... Mr. Wynne, 29, is a political adviser to Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts, a Republican; the groom works in Boston and managed the governor's re-election campaign in 2018." With a pic.NYT.
MAZEL! to Boston Globe reporter Felicia Gans and Boston Herald reporter Rick Sobey, who were engaged over the weekend. Tweet, and another tweet.
HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY - to Reily Connaughton, Amanda Hunter, research and communications director at the Barbara Lee Family Foundation, and Laurily Epstein, who all celebrated Sunday.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to former Attorney General Martha Coakley, who is 66, Stefanie Coxe, and Dr. David Lippman, who turns 74. (h/t son Daniel)
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? No! The Dodgers beat the Red Sox 7-4.
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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