News: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: MARKEY bill would EXPAND SUPREME COURT — JACKSON reunites with birth mother

Thursday, April 15, 2021

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: MARKEY bill would EXPAND SUPREME COURT — JACKSON reunites with birth mother — BOSTON voters open to RENT CONTROL

Apr 15, 2021

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MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.

MARKEY MAKES HIS CASE — Remember those couple of weeks at the end of the 2020 election when Joe Biden was getting pressed about court-packing over and over? A group of Democratic lawmakers is gearing up to push the president on that issue again.

Sen. Ed Markey will introduce a bill today to add four justices to the Supreme Court, bringing the total to 13. Markey will roll out the new legislation at a press conference in front of the Supreme Court with New York Reps. Jerrold Nadler and Mondaire Jones, and Georgia Rep. Hank Johnson.

The issue of adding seats to the court came to the fore after the death of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in September. With just a few weeks left in his term, former president Donald Trump made his third appointment to the nation's highest court — Justice Amy Coney Barrett — tilting the court toward conservatives and enraging liberals.

Supreme Court angst continues to afflict Democrats in Washington, who fear they could find themselves in a similar predicament in the future. Justice Stephen Breyer is 82, and Democrats don't exactly hold the Senate — which approves judicial nominations — by a wide margin.

Markey's solution, which he first called for after Ginsburg's death, is to add justices to re-balance the conservative-majority court. When the Malden Democrat called for packing the court last fall, some in Biden's campaign were reportedly annoyed because it was so close to the election.

Markey is not the only Massachusetts progressive pushing Biden these days. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is moving ahead on her push for Biden to cancel up to $50,000 in student debt per borrower, though the president has been skeptical. Similar to how the Biden directed officials to study his powers on student loans, the president has appointed a commission to study Supreme Court reforms.

RECOVERY LAB: The latest issue of Recovery Lab, POLITICO's new project surfacing the smartest ideas for speeding recovery from the pandemic, launches today with a focus on Education . The Covid-19 pandemic has forever changed teaching and learning in America… and it has also changed how we think about schools. Employers quickly learned how much they and their employees rely on schools to provide childcare. Communities learned just how dependent their families were on other supports provided through schools, such as healthy meals and medical checkups. And if the learning loss that occurred this year persists, it will become a long-term drag on those students' lives and incomes. Read all the stories here.

Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Get in touch: smurray@politico.com.

TODAY — Rep. Seth Moulton is a guest on WBUR. Rep. Ayanna Pressley and Boston City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo join a virtual event in support of Puerto Rico's self-determination with former San Juan mayor Carmen Yulin Cruz Soto, state Rep. Jon Santiago and state Sen. Adam Gomez. Boston Acting Mayor Kim Janey commemorates One Boston Day with stops at the William E. Carter School, Engine 7 and Engine 33 fire stations, the Boston Marathon Memorial and City Hall.

A message from Uber Driver Stories:

Meet Jesus. A US Army veteran and single father, Jesus's number one priority will always be his 14-year-old daughter. Having the flexibility to work his own hours allows Jesus to be the dad he wants to be. Watch his story in his own words below.

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THE LATEST NUMBERS

– "Massachusetts releases more data on COVID infections among children as overall active cases decline for second straight day," by Tanner Stening, MassLive.com: "Active COVID infections in Massachusetts declined for the second straight day on Wednesday, from 35,857 on Tuesday to 35,786, according to the latest data from the Department of Public Health. State health officials confirmed another 2,004 new COVID-19 cases on Wednesday."

DATELINE BEACON HILL

– "House budget boosts spending, keeps fed funds in reserve," by Shira Schoenberg, CommonWealth Magazine: "Happy days are here again. That may not be the case for most Massachusetts residents, still in the grip of the COVID pandemic, but it appears to be the case for state budget writers – at least for now. The House Ways and Means Committee budget proposal released Wednesday would spend $47.649 billion in fiscal 2022 – or $1.8 billion more than what Gov. Charlie Baker proposed, and a 2.6 percent increase over this year's budget."

– "Tax breaks not on House budget chief's radar," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The House's top budget official said his spending plan for fiscal 2022 doesn't address outdated or ineffective tax breaks highlighted in a recent commission report and he doesn't plan to push for separate legislation to deal with them."

– "Solvency fund problem, which drove employer contribution spikes, was 'dropped on our laps,' Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano says," by Steph Solis, MassLive.com: "Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano said he was caught off guard by the solvency fund calculations that sent employer contributions for unemployment insurance skyrocketing. Now as business leaders push for a fix to the unemployment insurance rate increases, tied to COVID-related jobless claims, he said legislative leaders are trying to get a grasp on the full impact on Massachusetts employers."

– "House budget calls for publicizing 2017 law," by Bruce Mohl, CommonWealth Magazine: "The House budget proposal includes an outside section requiring the state's commissioner of public health to launch a public information campaign promoting the availability of 12-month prescriptions for birth control."

VAX-ACHUSETTS

– "Baker: J&J Pause Won't Slow Massachusetts' Vaccination Effort," by Mike Deehan, GBH News: "Gov. Charlie Baker does not expect the pause placed on the Johnson & Johnson vaccine by federal regulators to disrupt the state's vaccination plans."

– "Residents of these 20 communities will be able to participate in 'Red Sox Week' at the Hynes Convention Center," by Amanda Kaufman, Boston Globe: "Residents of twenty communities in Massachusetts that are most disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 will be able to participate in "Red Sox Week," an initiative Governor Charlie Baker announced Wednesday to encourage residents of those cities and towns to get their COVID-19 shots."

FROM THE HUB

– "Asian American families overwhelmingly reject full-time return to BPS classrooms this month," by James Vaznis and Deanna Pan, Boston Globe: "As Boston prepares to reopen elementary and middle schools full time, Asian American families are choosing to keep their children learning from home at rates higher than any other racial group, amid fears about both the pandemic and a growing tide of racism targeting their community."

– "You may not know the name of this hotel yet, but soon it will be a standout in the Boston skyline," by Christopher Muther, Boston Globe: "How did Raffles, a Singapore-based luxury hotel chain, come to choose Boston as the city where it will open its first North American property? For the sake of time, let's just say we can thank late Boston mayor Tom Menino for setting the process in motion."

– "Kim Janey focuses on getting police off of medical leave to meet overtime cut goal," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "A key to acting Mayor Kim Janey's plan to cut down on police overtime spending is to beef up the 'medical triage unit' that helps the 200-plus cops on medical leave get back on the street."

– "Food Insecurity Rates Remain High In Massachusetts Because Of The Pandemic," by Arun Rath and Amanda Beland, GBH News: "As the pandemic continues on, the number of families lacking access to healthy food is increasing. According to the organization Project Bread, the number of families who are food insecure in the state has doubled. For Black and Latino residents, that rate is higher."

– "Tito Jackson reunites with his birth mother, Rachel Twymon," by Meghan E. Irons, Boston Globe: "After Tito Jackson lost the Boston mayor's race in 2017, he began to take stock of his life and heritage. He'd long been open about his adoption, but all he knew, based on some basic information he'd received years ago from the adoption agency, was that his birth mother was just 13 years old when she had him, and that she had been sexually assaulted by two men."

– "WBUR Poll Finds 8 In 10 Bostonians Say Racism Is A Significant Problem," by Simón Rios, WBUR: "The vast majority of Boston voters believe racism is a serious issue facing the city, according to a new WBUR poll."

– "WBUR Poll: Rent Control Supported By Most Boston Voters," by Simón Rios, WBUR: "More than three-quarters of Boston voters support rent control to rein in soaring housing costs, according to a new WBUR poll."

– "Boston Public Library set to eliminate late fines and the equity imbalance they create, Janey says," by Charlie McKenna, Boston Globe: "The Boston Public Library, pending approval from its board of trustees, will permanently eliminate late fines for all patrons beginning in July, Acting Mayor Kim Janey announced Wednesday. The decision to axe the fines comes in part as a result of $125,000 set aside for 'revenue relief' in Janey's proposed 2021 budget for the city."

– "Report: Pandemic Has Had High Economic Impact On Mothers," by Esteban Bustillos, GBH News: "The pandemic drove the gender gaps in employment and labor participation up by two percentage points, according to a new report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston. While women without children have made up some of those losses since the summer months, there is still a larger gap for mothers."

– "Civic group launches new pilot program for Asian-owned businesses," by Isabel Contreras, Boston Business Journal: "A business training project, led by the Asian American Civic Association, is targeting the needs of the Asian community by offering entrepreneurial tools to 11 business owners. The Asian Business Training and Mentorship Program, which launched Wednesday, will run until early September and pair participants with Boston business leaders for individual mentorship."

THE RACE FOR CITY HALL

– "Are Bostonians Wedded To The Idea That The Mayor Should Be Born Here?" by Adam Reilly, GBH News: "When acting mayor Kim Janey was ceremonially sworn in on March 24 — a move that signaled her intention to seek the job permanently — she referenced her family's long history in Boston."

– "Trailing Boston mayoral candidates need to get creative, consider TV commercials after poll, experts say," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "The first poll in the Boston mayoral race since the field filled out shows acting Mayor Kim Janey and City Councilor Michelle Wu leading the pack — and observers say this should be a wake-up call to the trailing candidates."

– "Michelle Wu pledges to create 'children's cabinet,' 'personal navigator' for Boston Public Schools students if elected mayor," by Sean Philip Cotter, Boston Herald: "Mayoral candidate Michelle Wu would seek to create a "children's cabinet" to work on youth issues and a "family corps" of guidance councilors in Boston Public Schools that would follow students throughout their time in the system."

DAY IN COURT

– "Two former state troopers repay $110,000 in overtime fraud case," by Jeremy C. Fox, Boston Globe: "Two former State Police troopers caught up in the department's overtime fraud scandal have repaid the state a combined $110,000 for hours they allegedly did not work, officials said Wednesday."

DATELINE D.C.

– "Amazon Vote Won't Deter Union Goals, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh Says," by Amara Omeokwe, The Wall Street Journal: "Amazon . com Inc. and other large companies should expect to see future labor-organizing efforts despite the rejection of a union at the e-commerce firm's Bessemer, Ala., warehouse, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh said."

KENNEDY COMPOUND

– "Former congressman joins board of enVerid Systems, Boston Globe: "Westwood-based clean-tech firm enVerid Systems has tapped former congressman Joe Kennedy III to join its five-member board of directors."

IT'S NOT EASY BEING GREEN

– "Massachusetts just passed a landmark climate bill. Here's why Ben Downing thinks it doesn't go far enough." by Nik DeCosta-Klipa, Boston.com: "Ben Downing knows conversations about addressing climate change can at times be dense and, in his words, 'really dour.' But for Massachusetts, he argues the topic should be exciting."

MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS

– "Cannabis conflict: Hempest's move into recreational marijuana causes trouble for co-owner's family," by Greta Jochem, Daily Hampshire Gazette: "When Hempest co-owner Jonathan Napoli got state approval a few months back to begin selling recreational marijuana at his Conz Street store, he figured it would be a simple transition. For years the shop had sold products made from cannabis plants, including hemp products. But after receiving the OK to proceed from the state Cannabis Control Commission, Napoli ran into a problem with the dispensary just a few blocks down the street."

ABOVE THE FOLD

— Herald: "THE WINNER: IDK," — Globe: "Pause to continue on use of J&J shot," "Yearning for decades, Jackson and a mother long in pain reunite."

FROM THE 413

– "Public invited to pay respects at Adams funeral procession for Billy Evans," The Berkshire Eagle: "Members of the community can gather at 1 p.m. Thursday on Park Street to watch the funeral procession for U.S. Capitol Police Officer William 'Billy' Evans. From there, residents will be able to see the procession pass on its way to Bellevue Cemetery, where Evans' father, Howard Evans, is buried."

THE LOCAL ANGLE

– "Quincy city councilors call for halt to compressor operations, vow to keep fighting," by Mary Whitfill, The Patriot Ledger: "City councilors and Quincy officials this week reaffirmed their commitment to protect the interests of residents and slammed operators of a new natural gas compressor station operating on the banks of the Fore River in Weymouth."

– "Cities, towns look to continue remote access to meetings," by Dustin Luca, The Salem News: "Cities and towns across the state are discussing the future of public meetings after a year of convening remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since March 2020, groups from high school student government to the state Legislature have met via teleconferencing and video webinar platforms like Zoom and Google Meet."

– "'All anyone wants is to be accepted:' Fairhaven elects first openly transgender official," by Daniel Schemer, SouthCoast Today: "Ronnie Manzone set a milestone in this year's town election by becoming Fairhaven's first elected openly transgender official."

– "Chris Wallace on ear plugs, his Globe years, and that time he went to Russia right after a tough Putin interview," by Juliet Pennington, Boston Globe: "In the more than 17 years that veteran broadcast journalist Chris Wallace has hosted 'Fox News Sunday' (which marks its 25th anniversary on April 28), he has reported on a variety of topics spanning four US presidential administrations."

HAPPY BIRTHDAY – to Asher MacDonald and Andrés Garcia.

NEW EPISODE: MAYORALS FOR SPRING? GROUNDBREAKING – On this week's Horse Race podcast, hosts Jennifer Smith, Steve Koczela and Stephanie Murray discuss new polling in the race for mayor of Boston, and the debate over a logo with Native American imagery in Wakefield. Subscribe and listen on iTunes and Sound Cloud.

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A message from Uber Driver Stories:

After 9 years in the Army, and missing the birth of his daughter because he was stationed overseas, Jesus decided to make changes in his life.

Jesus chooses the flexibility of Uber because it lets him be there for his daughter—which has become even more important now that she's in distance learning due to the pandemic.

"It's tough being a single parent," Jesus says. "Without Uber, I wouldn't have been able to bond with my daughter because I wasn't able to spend time with her."

"Flexibility is important to me because I'm able to spend those magical moments with my daughter. Those moments are irreplaceable."

To see more stories like Jesus's, click here.

*Driver earnings may vary depending on location, demand, hours, drivers, and other variables.

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