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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS
ED $$ BILL PASSES HOUSE — The House unanimously passed a $1.5 billion education funding bill last night, which brings the state a step closer to overhauling its education funding formula over the next seven years. Lawmakers have agreed the way the state funds education is outdated for almost half a decade, but deciding how to fix it hasn't been so easy.
The bill passed by the House last night is a compromise, which draws from several proposals including one from Gov. Charlie Baker and another proposed by state lawmakers. I sat down yesterday with those lawmakers who filed the Education PROMISE Act — state Sen. Sonia Chang-Díaz, and state Reps. Mary Keefe and Aaron Vega — to talk about how the compromise bill made it to the House floor yesterday.
At the end of the last two-year legislative session in 2018, lawmakers couldn't hammer out a compromise on education funding reform. The bill died, but Chang-Díaz, Keefe and Vega say it brought them together.
"Seeing how close we got in 2018 was a difference maker. Once you feel like it's within reach, everybody had the taste in their mouth, and it makes people — it changes people's confidence," Chang-Díaz said.
So while the Legislature took its time off, the three lawmakers from Boston, Worcester and Holyoke made a game plan for this session. Coming from different regions, they wanted the bill to have a statewide face, and a particular focus on how to fully fund education for the state's low-income students. That was an area of disagreement last time around.
"Every year, we see us debating in the budget process to get more money," Vega said. "But we actually wanted to say 'No, we want it codified into law that we're going to spend more money.'"
Last session, the education funding bill was only filed in the Senate. This time around, it was filed in both the Senate and the House, which Keefe said raised eyebrows on Beacon Hill.
"I think it was a little controversial. And there were questions from leadership, in particular, about what we had in mind and why we were doing it," Keefe said. "I think that it really caught people's attention, and maybe not a real positive way all the time."
But many of their demands were met - the compromise bill that made it through the House and Senate calls for that $1.5 billion suggested by the Education PROMISE Act.
"The major thing here is that there's so much agreement. That's kind of amazing," Chang-Díaz said, which is a far cry from how things ended in 2018. The next steps are for the House and Senate to settle differences between the bills that passed in each chamber. And if that happens, the bill will head to the governor's desk.
SENATE RACE NOTES — Sen. Ed Markey paid $40,000 to his former aide, Paul Tencher, when he parted ways with the campaign over the summer. Tencher was serving as Markey's campaign consultant when he came under fire for retweeting another Twitter user's post, which suggested Rep. Joe Kennedy III should focus on his family's mental health issues rather than enter the Senate race. The message came shortly after the death of 22-year-old Saoirse Kennedy Hill. Tencher and Markey both apologized for the post.
Markey's campaign made the payment to Trustom Strategy, LLC, which belongs to Tencher, two days after the Boston Globe reported he was parting ways with Markey's reelection campaign. Markey's campaign director John Walsh says it was a payment of Tencher's contract.
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 speaks at a Corridor 9/495 Regional Chamber of Commerce breakfast. Baker, Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont discuss regional policy issues in Providence. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Rep. Bill Keating launch the first-in-the-nation offshore wind crew transfer training facility at Massachusetts Maritime Academy.
Rep. Joe Kennedy III, state Treasurer Deb Goldberg, and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh attend the Kennedy Institute's annual dinner. Walsh presents an award to Boston Police Commissioner William Gross at the Mothers Against Violence national conference, Kennedy attends. Walsh presents an award to Boston's Chief Resilience Officer Lori Nelson at the Black Ministerial Alliance dinner and awards gala.
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- "Baker says vaping ban lawsuit poses 'bigger question' about his authority to issue public health emergencies," by Felicia Gans, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker faced questions Wednesday on Boston Public Radio about the merits of his four-month ban on all vaping products that has come under fire by consumers, regulators, industry experts, and much of the wider community. The ban, which Baker implemented late last month, is on shaky ground this week after a state judge ruled Monday that the governor's administration has until next week to properly re-file the ban as an emergency regulation, or nicotine vape sales will resume. The judge has not yet made a decision on cannabis vaping products."
- "Cyr: Developer behind bids to weaken Cape commission," by Geoff Spillane, Cape Cod Times: "Two central Massachusetts lawmakers have filed proposals to significantly limit operations of the Cape Cod Commission, bypassing most of the Cape's legislative delegation and igniting the political equivalent of a turf war. The amendments to Gov. Charlie Baker's supplemental budget legislation were filed on Beacon Hill within the past week by state Sen. Dean Tran, R-Fitchburg, in the Senate and state Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, D-Gardner, in the House. The proposed amendments advocate for eliminating the ability of towns in Barnstable County to make discretionary referrals for projects under 10,000 square feet to the Cape Cod Commission for review."
- "Speaker DeLeo, Gov. Baker refuse to divulge schedules, emails, minutes," by Joe Battenfeld, Hillary Chabot and Joe Dwinell, Boston Herald: "Massachusetts residents are out of luck if they want to know how Gov. Charlie Baker spends his workday, who House Speaker Robert DeLeo is emailing, and which legislative priorities are agreed upon during a semi-regular leadership huddle every Monday. The same public records exemption that allows lawmakers to spend freely on roast beef subs and craft furniture also shields them from detailing their daily schedules, providing copies of their emails or handing over notes from closed-door meetings."
- "Bill would give state more control over school vaccine exemptions," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "In the wake of the worst national measles outbreak in decades, Massachusetts lawmakers will consider a bill that would move authority for approving vaccine exemptions out of the hands of local schools and into the hands of state officials. The bill would create a standardized process for parents to exempt their children from vaccines, get doctors more involved in the process, and require the state to notify parents when their child is attending a program deemed "elevated risk" because of low vaccination rates."
- "College Closure, OCPF Bills on Senate's Radar," by Colin A. Young, State House News Service: "Senate President Karen Spilka loaded up the Senate's plate with a little of this and a little of that Wednesday morning, serving up a fall agenda she hopes the branch can digest before the legislative break that starts the week before Thanksgiving. If the Senate clears its plate in the next month, lawmakers could send Gov. Charlie Baker a handful of bills and start 2020 with a mostly clean slate and a clearer runway to consider significant issues like health care, the fiscal 2021 budget, and possibly transportation financing."
- "State senators developing their own health care legislation," by Jessica Bartlett, Boston Business Journal: "Days after Gov. Charlie Baker proposed a wide-ranging health care bill, the president of the Massachusetts Senate said lawmakers are working on their own health care legislation this session, one that may be proposed in parts to increase chances of success. In comments to the state's Health Policy Commission at the independent agency's annual hearing on health care spending, Senate President Karen Spilka said senators have been working on their own version for the last four months."
- "Frustration surfaces at Health Policy Commission," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "THERE WAS A LONG, awkward silence Wednesday when a power-packed panel of CEOs from the state's largest health care organizations was asked by a member of the Health Policy Commission for any promising trend they saw among a bevy of grim-looking health care statistics. Finally, Sandra Fenwick, the CEO of Boston Children's Hospital, spoke up. "I just think we need to keep at it," she said."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Boston housing chief: 'Thousands' of former Airbnbs to hit rental market in December," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Boston's housing chief expects "thousands" of apartments to suddenly hit the market in December when the short-term-rental regulations fully go into effect, forbidding people from listing investment properties on Airbnb. "We're hoping that the units returning to the market will be in the thousands," Boston housing Chief Sheila Dillon told the Herald, though she said it's still unclear quite how many apartments that will mean."
- "State creates vaping injury database," by George Barnes, Telegram & Gazette: "With the number of vaping-associated lung injury cases continuing to rise, the state Department of Public Health has created an online database of those cases that is updated every Wednesday by noon. The DPH has reported 17 new cases of vaping-associated lung injury to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, bring the total number of Massachusetts cases to 46. They include 16 that are confirmed and 30 probable. The cases were among 184 reported to the DPH by Massachusetts clinicians."
- "Race and politics mingle in Hyde Park," by Yawu Miller and Alexa Gagosz, Bay State Banner: "Bill and Norma St. Martin were some of the first to arrive to 753 South, the new Roslindale Square restaurant where District 5 candidate Maria Esdale Farrell would be hosting her meet-and-greet last Sunday afternoon. The couple, who reside in Hyde Park, settled in the back outdoor patio of the restaurant while others hung "Maria for Boston" campaign signs. The two were undecided on who they will cast their vote for Nov. 5."
- "Video: Boston City Councilor Tim McCarthy Brags about Winning against 'Women' and 'Minorities,'" by Spencer Buell, Boston Magazine: "Boston City Councilor Tim McCarthy was clearly in high spirits the night of September 24, in the hours following the preliminary city council elections. After an eight-way contest for his District 5 seat, the candidate he'd hoped would succeed him, Maria Esdale Farrell, had clinched the number two spot, meaning she would advance to the election in November. To get there, Farrell had campaigned against a diverse slate of black, Haitian, and Latino candidates, which observers had noted was reflective of the changing racial makeup of a district that includes Mattapan, Roslindale, and Hyde Park."
- "MAYOR CURTATONE'S COUSIN, A COP, WAS CAUGHT UP IN THE DRUG SCENE FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. PEOPLE IN POWER KNEW, BUT NOBODY DID ANYTHING ABOUT IT." by Joseph E. McCain, DigBoston: "For more than four years, I have weighed the decision of whether to publish this column. I hoped that someone else would tell their story first, as any number of Somerville officers or people who work in and around city government are also aware of the information detailed herein. Any one of them—any one of us— have the ability to come forward about abuses of power and privilege."
- "Cambridge, Somerville, Medford officials urge FAA, Massport to change flight paths," by Rick Sobey, Boston Herald: "Three Greater Boston cities inundated with Logan International Airport airplane noise are urging the Federal Aviation Administration and Massport to change flight paths. Leaders in Cambridge, Somerville and Medford on Wednesday called on the FAA and Massport to "more equitably" disperse aircraft that depart Runway 33 Left — the runway that in recent years has launched piercing jet engine noise over these cities."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "A pre-Labor Day primary next year? Joe Kennedy balks," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "Massachusetts lawmakers and the state's top elections official are pressing to move next year's state primary before Labor Day, stirring consternation within the political ranks, most notably from Representative Joseph P. Kennedy III, who charged that the earlier date will be an obstacle to voters."
- "Group that helped AOC endorses Ihssane Leckey for MA 4th," from the Leckey campaign: "Brand New Congress, one of the groups that helped catapult Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to victory in her insurgent campaign last year, endorsed Ihssane Leckey, Brand New Congress will help fundraise for Leckey, raise her profile nationally, and connect the campaign with other progressive candidates running across the country."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Is It Time for Charlie Baker to Leave the Republican Party?" by David Bernstein, Boston Magazine: "It's no secret that for the past decade, Charlie Baker has awkwardly attempted to coexist with the increasingly toxic Republican Party. From the Tea Party movement to President Trump, Baker has tried constraining the party when possible, co-opting it when convenient, and, most recently, distancing himself from it as necessary. So it is in the spirit of truth and transparency that I say: The moment has finally come for Baker to re-register as an unenrolled voter and officially leave the GOP."
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| DATELINE D.C. |
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- Rep. Ayanna Pressley presses Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg in hearing. YouTube link.
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| THE CLARK CAUCUS |
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- "Rep. Clark: They are focusing on process because they cannot excuse the conduct, MSNBC: "Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA), Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, joins Andrea Mitchell to discuss Ambassador Bill Taylor's closed door testimony, and react to an attempt by her Republican colleagues to disrupt the scheduled deposition from Pentagon official Laura Cooper." Link.
- "Be Heard bill protects civil rights in the workplace," by Katherine Clark, Boston Globe: "Two years ago, we experienced a cultural awakening with a simple hashtag, #MeToo. Survivors across the country and the globe told their stories of assault, harassment, and even rape. One at a time, tweet after tweet, story after story, survivors came forward. We had rage and sorrow reliving these assaults to our bodies and our dignity. We grieved for the humiliation and shame that held us back from coming forward and for the callous disregard, retaliation, or worse that too often met those who bravely spoke out."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "GONE IN A FLASH," "STATE SECRETS," — Globe: "Just a few days make a difference," "GOP lawmakers interrupt depositions," "Quid pro quo." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "Are Liberal Arts Colleges Doomed?" by Eliza Gray, Washington Post Magazine: "Two days before classes started at Hampshire College in September, the school's incoming first-year students — all 13 of them — attended a welcome reception in the campus's new R.W. Kern Center. A motley mix of plaids, khakis and combat boots, the group lined up to shake hands with the college president and receive small bells — symbols of the large brass bell they'll ring upon completing their "Division III," the epic independent project required to graduate. If, that is, Hampshire survives long enough for them to graduate."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Mysterious Lobster Deaths In Cape Cod Raise Climate Change Concern," by Craig LeMoult, WGBH News: "Last month, lobstermen in Cape Cod Bay hauled up something disturbing. In one section of the bay, all of their traps were full of dead lobsters. Research biologists went to work trying to solve the mystery, and what they found suggests we may see more of this as the climate changes. When the fishermen first started pulling up traps full of dead lobsters, their first call was to Beth Casoni of the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Association."
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| MEDIA MATTERS |
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- "Loopy coverage says more about media than Legislature," by Michael Jonas, CommonWealth Magazine: "THE STORYLINE OF loopy Massachusetts liberals going PC-crazy was apparently too good for right-leaning national outlets to resist. But they're hardly alone, as mainstream Massachusetts media also decided to turn a nothing-burger into a jaw-dropping example of layabout lawmakers frittering away their time on absurd efforts to police free speech."
TRANSITIONS - David Powsner joins the firm Davis Malm as a shareholder.
REMEMBERING MOSES SHUMOW ... via the Boston Globe: "An Emerson College journalism professor who died Tuesday after being struck by a commuter rail train in Beverly is being remembered by colleagues and students as an innovative storyteller who cared deeply about providing a platform for marginalized people." Link.
SPOTTED: at the Beacon Hill Politics Chess Tournament at Carrie Nation last night ... Owen Smith, Sam Garber, Hannah Chanantry, Kevin Gilnack, Preston Epps, Steve Koczela, Ryan Doucette, Ed Lyons, Brad Wyatt, Will Rasky, Aaron Van leesten, Paolo DiFabio, Juana Matias, Robb Stewart. Pic.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Rep. Seth Moulton, who is 41; former state Rep. Jim Cantwell, Ernie Corrigan of Corrigan Communications, Leigh Appleby and Michael Antonellis.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes and no! The Bruins beat the Maple Leafs 4-2. The 76ers beat the Celtics 107-93.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: Pollin', Pollin', Pollin' on the River - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jenn Smith and Steve Koczela talk about a recent Boston City Council debate, and dissect the numbers in a new WBUR poll conducted by MassINC. Later, Colin Young of the State House News Service breaks down Gov. Charlie Baker's new health care proposal. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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