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GOOD MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.
NEW: PRESSLEY'S 'PUSHOUT' BILL — Rep. Ayanna Pressley is rolling out a new bill today aimed at ending discipline policies that discriminate against students of color and push them out of school at higher rates than white students. Pressley will hold a press conference in Washington, D.C. later this morning to announce the bill with co-sponsor Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar and social justice scholar Monique Morris, the author of "Pushout: The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools."
The new bill stems from Pressley's resolution to overhaul the criminal legal system, which she released in November. "The People's Justice Guarantee" calls for ending school discipline policies that disproportionately impact students of color, among other things.
"Education is the equalizer and families are the stabilizer, but too many black and brown families have been destabilized by violence, abuse, poverty and discrimination," Pressley said in a statement. "Not only are our girls carrying trauma from their personal lives when they enter school, but for far too many schools have become a place that criminalizes and harms girls of color."
Black girls are often suspended or expelled from school due to discriminatory dress code and hair policies, according to Pressley's office, and for reasons that stem from social and economic inequalities like poverty, trauma and hunger that impact how students behave.
Black girls are seven times more likely to be suspended from school and four times more likely to be arrested at school compared to white girls, according to research from the National Black Women's Justice Institute . Even in preschool, black girls make up more than half of all out of school suspensions, despite making up only 20 percent of girls in that group. Additionally, LGBTQ students of color are twice as likely to be suspended as their white peers.
To curb the suspensions and expulsions, Pressley's bill proposes $2.5 billion in new federal grants for states and schools that ban discriminatory school discipline policies. Grant recipients would be required to ban most suspensions and expulsions for students in pre-k through fifth grade, and ban those punishments for "minor infractions" like grooming and appearance policies, lateness and frequent absences.
States and schools would also be required to ban school-based police and any partnerships with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE that "contribute to the school-to-deportation pipeline" and "criminalize normal childlike behavior." The bill also proposes requiring the Department of Education to collect civil rights data on a yearly basis, and the establishment of a federal task force to end school push out and study its impact on girls of color.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: ADVOCATES EYE SPRING 2020 FOR CLIMATE BILL — The nonprofit ClimateXChange and the Climate Action Business Association will use a hearing before the Joint Committee on Transportation today to launch a new campaign to get a climate bill passed on Beacon Hill in the spring.
Climate activists have criticized the legislature for moving too slowly on environmental issues in recent weeks. Before Thanksgiving, a number of climate-minded groups held a press conference and laid out legislative priorities for the rest of the session.
ClimateXChange and CABA will testify today and call for lawmakers to get moving on a climate bill this spring. The nonprofits will identify a number of bills they say will help reduce emissions, including carbon pricing legislation, and a push to replace fossil fuels with clean energy like wind and solar.
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 the Pri-Med East conference. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito and Brockton Mayor Moises Rodrigues attend a ribbon cutting and make a MassWorks announcement in Brockton. Baker and state Rep. Susan Gifford make a MassWorks announcement in Carver.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Attorney General Maura Healey speak at the Democratic National Committee's fourth IWillVote fundraising gala in Boston. Boston Mayor Marty Walsh speaks at the groundbreaking for the Boston University Center of Computing and Data Sciences. Walsh presents the Boston Common tree lighting ceremony and attends the Commonwealth Avenue Mall tree lighting. Rep. Katherine Clark and other House Democrats hold a press conference in Washington, D.C. to mark "90 days after HUD blew through statutory deadline for aid notice, singling out Puerto Rico."
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 | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
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- SHOT: "Mass. banned vape sales more than two months ago. And now business in N.H. and Maine is booming," by Naomi Martin, Boston Globe: "The cars with Massachusetts license plates pull into gas stations and vape shops here steadily every day, the people inside them ready to stock up on electronic cigarettes they can't buy at home. Along the border in New Hampshire and Maine, sales of nicotine and cannabis vaping products have boomed since Sept. 24, when Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker banned both amid an outbreak of vaping-related lung injuries."
- CHASER: "Flavored tobacco ban expected to cost state $93 million," by Shira Schoenberg, Springfield Republican: "A ban on the sale of flavored tobacco products, even combined with a new 75% excise tax on e-cigarettes, is expected to cost the state $93 million in fiscal 2021, according to figures from the Department of Revenue. Gov. Charlie Baker last week signed a bill that will ban the sale of all flavored tobacco products — including mint and menthol cigarettes — beginning June 1, 2020. Lawmakers did not present a fiscal impact of the policy, but the new figures indicate that the loss to the state from cigarette and sales taxes will outweigh the new tax on e-cigarettes."
- "Former Merit Rating Board Director Thomas Bowes called employees 'poor white trash,' audit notes say," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Transportation employees interviewed about the unprocessed out-of-state violations in the wake of a deadly New Hampshire crash gave mixed reviews about how much blame Thomas Bowes, the ousted director of the Merit Rating Board, should shoulder for the Registry of Motor Vehicle's backlog. But one of Bowes' critics said he not only lacked the knowledge and accountability to lead the Merit Rating Board, but that he made inappropriate comments toward employees."
- "Bills seek to change nonmedical vaccination exemptions for school children," by Anastasia E. Lennon, Patriot Ledger: "A game of Legos, toddlers' cries and giggles, and framed photos of children filled the Statehouse Tuesday afternoon as lawmakers considered bills that seek to change or eliminate nonmedical exemptions for vaccinating schoolchildren. One of the bills, sponsored by Rep. Andres Vargas, D-Haverhill, calls for the end of a state law that allows a child to attend school or day care without immunizations if the parent or guardian cites religious beliefs. Current law allows religious exemptions unless there is an emergency or epidemic declared by the Department of Public Health."
- "Baker, Polito honor Gold Star families in Christmas tree ceremony at State House," by Alyssa Lukpat, Boston Globe: "Governor Charlie Baker, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, and other officials joined Gold Star families from across Massachusetts at the State House on Wednesday to dedicate a Christmas tree in honor of those who died while serving in the military. Families decorated the tree in the State House's Memorial Hall with ornaments and photos honoring the fallen service members. "This is a time for renewal and commitment and turning the page,'' Baker told the families."
- "Comptroller, Baker diverge on budget needs," by Andy Metzger, CommonWealth Magazine: "STATE COMPTROLLER ANDREW MAYLOR on Wednesday identified only six budget accounts from the last fiscal year where shortfalls exist, interpreting a legislative request for a barebones fiscal 2019 closeout bill far more narrowly than the Baker administration. With the House and Senate at odds on a budget closeout bill for a fiscal year that ended five months ago, House Speaker Robert DeLeo asked for a breakdown of the accounts in deficit that need funding to balance out for the year. He has suggested other discretionary spending and policy matters could be handled by the Legislature at another time."
- "Rep. William Straus On Baker Administration's Claims About The RMV: 'The Information Was In Front Of Them,'" by Eliza Dewey, WGBH News: "The fallout from the state Registry of Motor Vehicle's handling of out-of-state driving infractions continues, as Massachusetts state legislators dig into the full Grant Thornton investigation documents handed over to them last week. Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack has stated that the full extent of the problems in the agency were not communicated to her. But Rep. William Straus, co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation, said on Greater Boston Wednesday that such a claim was not exculpatory."
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| FROM THE HUB |
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- "Despite fabricating degree, top official in medical examiner's office promoted back into management," by Matt Stout, Boston Globe: "A top official in the state medical examiner's office, who was demoted last year amid revelations she claimed to have a psychology degree she never earned, has been promoted to a management role overseeing staff across the state for the agency, and at a higher salary than before she was downgraded. Lisa Riccobene — a handpicked top aide to Dr. Mindy Hull, the state's chief medical examiner — was last month named the agency's chief administrative officer. She supervises support staff in all of the agency's facilities, including its Boston headquarters."
- "Report: Dorchester leads city in homeless prevention funds," by Katie Trojano, Dorchester Reporter: "Dorchester, the city's largest neighborhood in terms of geography and population, also has more families in need of emergency housing assistance than any other community in Boston. In releasing its annual findings of housing stability on Tuesday morning, Metro Housing Boston noted a key finding: A total of 1,710 households citywide received Residential Assistance for Families in Transition (RAFT) funds in FY 2019. Of those households, 599 were in Dorchester, receiving a total of $1.5 million, the most of any neighborhood. RAFT is a homelessness prevention program for families with very low incomes experiencing a housing crisis."
- "These 13 Mass. colleges now have annual sticker price of more than $70K," by Hilary Burns, Boston Business Journal: "As early college acceptance letters start arriving in mailboxes, future students and parents alike may be experiencing sticker shock moreso than in prior years. That's because the number of schools in the state with an annual cost of more than $70,000 more than doubled in the 2018-2019 school year compared to the previous one. Total costs at 13 Massachusetts colleges and universities exceeded that milestone for the 2018-2019 school year. Out of those 13, Amherst College is the most expensive Massachusetts school, with a price tag of $73,966 for the 2018-2019 school year, followed by Tufts University at $73,500 per year."
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| PRIMARY SOURCES |
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- "Baker Backs Tarr Plan To Pair Senate and Prez Primaries," by Chris Lisinski, State House News Service: "The confrontation over when to schedule a special election for an open Senate seat spilled outside the Senate chamber walls Wednesday when Gov. Charlie Baker endorsed the Republican leader's plan to avoid a general election on the same day as the presidential primary and Secretary of State William Galvin accused the minority party of attempting "voter suppression." For the third straight day, Democratic and Republican Senate leaders were unable to broker an agreement over when voters will choose a new senator in the Plymouth and Barnstable District to replace Viriato deMacedo, a Republican who resigned at the end of November."
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| ALL ABOARD |
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- "Keolis spending big bucks lobbying state," by Christian M. Wade, The Salem News: "The French company that operates the MBTA's commuter rail is spending big bucks on lobbying as state officials consider extending its contract another two years. Keolis Commuter Rail Services has dropped more than $1.3 million lobbying Beacon Hill since January 2014, when the company was awarded a $2.68 billion contract to operate the system, according to disclosures filed with Secretary of State William Galvin's office. Keolis' lobbying expenses average about $240,000 a year, according to the filings."
- "Spotlight congestion investigation was McGrory's idea," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "BRIAN MCGRORY, the editor of the Boston Globe, said it was his idea for the newspaper's Spotlight Team to launch an investigation of congestion in and around Boston and what to do about it. Speaking at a Faneuil Hall event focused on the Spotlight Team's three-part series, McGrory said he was worn out commuting into Boston by car from a western suburb and wanted to know why congestion, as well as his commute, seemed to be getting worse. About six months after the Spotlight Team began its work, McGrory said Patricia Wen, the editor of the team, came to see him. She gave him an update on the team's research, and said the data indicated the best course of action for him was to start coming into Boston on the commuter rail system."
- "Baker: Orange Line woes 'unfortunate,'" by Mary Markos, Boston Herald: "Three Orange Line trains experienced mechanical problems Wednesday, just a day after the subway broke down in the middle of a snowstorm and brand-new cars were pulled from service. The incidents were "unfortunate," Gov. Charlie Baker said, "but at the same time, need to be fixed." The root cause of Wednesday's mechanical problems and Tuesday's breakdown on the newly rehabbed downtown stretch of the Orange Line "remain under investigation," according to MBTA spokesman Joe Pesaturo."
- "T control board meeting less than law requires," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "OVER THE LAST SIX MONTHS, the MBTA's Fiscal and Management Control Board has been holding fewer meetings than the law requires. The state law creating the control board requires it to meet "not less than 3 times a month," but since July the board has met three times in a month only once. Overall, the T is on track to meet 33 times this year, three less than the law requires."
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| WARREN REPORT |
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- "Elizabeth Warren drafting legislation to reverse 'mega-mergers,'" by Eric Newcomer and Joshua Brustein, Bloomberg: "Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is drafting a bill that would call on regulators to retroactively review about two decades of "mega mergers" and ban such deals going forward. Warren's staff recently circulated a proposal for sweeping anti-monopoly legislation, which would deliver on a presidential campaign promise to check the power of Big Tech and other industries. Although the Trump administration is currently exploring their own antitrust probes, the proposal is likely to face resistance from lawmakers."
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| MOULTON MATTERS |
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- FIRST IN PLAYBOOK: "Moulton Earns Support of Brady United, Leading and Oldest National Gun Violence Prevention Organization," from the Moulton campaign: "Brady United endorsed U.S. Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) for his work in Congress to protect Americans from gun violence. 'I've carried guns. Guns have saved my life. But the weapons I carried in combat have no place in our communities. We deserve better than a government full of people who see mass shooting after shooting and fail to find the moral courage to protect us from gun violence,' Moulton said."
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| TRUMPACHUSETTS |
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- "Sheriff's e-mails show level of White House loyalty," by Yvonne Abraham, Boston Globe: "Naturally, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson has been named honorary chair of President Trump's reelection campaign in Massachusetts. Hodgson is free, and profuse, with his praise of the president, who shares his hard-line views on immigrants and delights in the kind of cruelty inflicted on inmates under Hodgson's watch. The sheriff is often at the White House, bestowing accolades upon Trump, his friendly uniform decorating the president's public pronouncements."
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| ABOVE THE FOLD |
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— Herald: "GOLD STAR CHRISTMAS," — Globe: "With Baker's ban, vape sales boom in N.H., Maine," "Democrats' scholars see clear line to impeachment," "Museum of Science picks new leader." |
| FROM THE 413 |
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- "The home of the largest barn swallow colony in Massachusetts will be demolished over safety concerns," by Douglas Hook, MassLive.com: "The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made their final decision to demolish the Bri-Mar Stable that has been the focus of protests by activist group Save Our Swallows because the barn is home to what is believed to be the largest barn swallow colony in the state. The stable at the Fort River Division of the Silvio O. Conte National Wildlife Refuge in Hadley has been up for consideration for demolition because it has been labeled as surplus property and would cost too much to repair."
- "UMass accounting professor removed from classes until end of semester for 'offensive' extra credit videos," by Cassandra McGrath, Chris McLaughlin, and Irina Costache, Daily Collegian: "Catherine West Lowry, also known by "Cat" or "Cathy," has worked for the University of Massachusetts since 2006 and is a well-known professor synonymous with the UMass accounting department. Controversy arose late this semester following Lowry's screening of two past examples of successful extra credit videos made for her class by former students, which were recently shown to her current fall 2019 class. The videos, one of which was made in 2009, were seen as "offensive" by some students, according to UMass News & Media Relations."
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| THE LOCAL ANGLE |
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- "Worcester school's Thanksgiving program rapped as 'insensitive,'" by Scott O'Connell, Telegram & Gazette: "A tribal chief, a city councilor and a School Committee member have criticized a local school's plans last week to have staff come dressed as pilgrims and Wampanoag people to a Thanksgiving celebration. But Superintendent Maureen Binienda defended the Goddard School of Science & Technology and its event, saying nobody wore costumes after all and that it was a respectful, positive celebration of the holiday."
TRANSITIONS - Tim Ritchie will join the Museum of Science as president in February. Ritchie was president of The Tech Interactive in Silicon Valley. Link.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY - to Simon Jerome and Greg Timilty of BlueFin Research Partners.
DID THE HOME TEAM WIN? Yes! The Celtics beat the Heat 112-93.
FOR YOUR COMMUTE: THE FOURTH AWAKENS - On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss the ongoing spat between Senate candidates Sen. Ed Markey, Rep. Joe Kennedy III and Shannon Liss Rior-dan over taking a People's Pledge. Congressional candidate Jesse Mermell talks about why she is running to replace Kennedy, her time as president of the Alliance for Business Leadership and her role in former Gov. Deval Patrick's administration. Another candidate, Ihssane Leckey, talks about her vision for the 4th Congressional District, her time as a Wall Street regulator and whether the district is ready for a Democratic socialist as a representative. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.
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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