| | | | |  | | By Kelly Garrity and Lisa Kashinsky | SULLIVAN: ALLOW BOSTON TO REINTRODUCE ITSELF — The NAACP's national convention kicks off in Boston today after years of pandemic delays. And with it, NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan says, comes an opportunity for the city to shed its historically racist reputation. “It's really important for Bostonians and for folks across Massachusetts to understand just how important this convention can be in helping to reintroduce Boston and Massachusetts to the rest of the nation,” Sullivan told Playbook. The last time Boston held the national NAACP convention was in 1982. The busing riots of the mid-1970s were barely in the rearview mirror and racial violence was roiling the city. Four decades later, Sullivan said "there are many people who have been working very hard to not just change that perception, but to really change that reality for Black people and people of color who live here." The city’s rebrand isn’t the only item on the agenda this week. NAACP members are grappling with the Supreme Court’s decision to curtail race-based admissions programs at colleges and universities and with Republican-led attempts to restrict teaching Black history in schools. And with an eye on the 2024 election, NAACP leaders will host a “Civic Engagement Bootcamp” focused on increasing Black voter turnout and combating disinformation and voter-suppression efforts, Dominik Whitehead, the NAACP’s vice president of campaigns, told Playbook. Playbook chatted with Sullivan about what's in store for the week. Our conversation has been edited and condensed:
|  NAACP Boston President Tanisha Sullivan | AP | Delegates will vote on policy priorities during the convention. What issues are at the top of the list? TS: Voting rights will continue to be a cornerstone of our work, with a belief that we need more people registered to vote, and exercising the right to vote, so that we can ensure that we have policymakers in place that will advance inclusive policies. Additionally, in this moment, affirmative action policy is something we must be intentional about. And environmental justice is a big issue for us. What conversations will members have about the Supreme Court’s decision to limit college affirmative action programs? TS: That decision was a setback for our nation. But this doesn’t mean that affirmative action is completely off the table. The Supreme Court did not strike down affirmative action. The Supreme Court struck down the use of affirmative action policies in higher-education admissions. This presents us with an opportunity to think more strategically about how these policies should be designed going forward. What are you most looking forward to this week? TS: The conversation on Sunday with [NAACP] President Derrick Johnson and Henry Louis Gates, Meek Mill and Robert Kraft about anti-semitism and anti-Blackness. What we have found here in Boston, between the Black civil rights community and the Jewish community, is that we are truly stronger together. I'm hopeful that the conversation on Sunday will really lift up some of those themes. GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS. Jaylen Brown is staying in Boston. After weeks of will-he-won’t-he speculation, the Celtics star signed a five-year, $304 million deal with the team. Maybe Massachusetts' millionaires tax doesn’t matter so much, not when you’ve got the most lucrative contract in NBA history. TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll hold a press conference on digital accessibility at 10:30 a.m. at the State House. Driscoll speaks at the NAACP ACT-SO Opening Event at 6 p.m. at the BCEC. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announces SPACE grant recipients at 9:30 a.m. downtown and hosts an accessibility event at 12:15 p.m. at City Hall. Tips? Scoops? Going to the NAACP convention? Email us: kgarrity@politico.com and lkashinsky@politico.com.
| | | | SUBSCRIBE TO POWER SWITCH: The energy landscape is profoundly transforming. Power Switch is a daily newsletter that unlocks the most important stories driving the energy sector and the political forces shaping critical decisions about your energy future, from production to storage, distribution to consumption. Don’t miss out on Power Switch, your guide to the politics of energy transformation in America and around the world. SUBSCRIBE TODAY. | | | | | |  | DATELINE BEACON HILL | | — DIZOGLIO DIGS IN: Auditor Diana DiZoglio is calling a press conference at 1 p.m. to outline “next steps” in her attempt to audit the Legislature. DiZoglio previously told Playbook she was consulting with the attorney general’s office about legal options to compel lawmakers to comply with her review. That includes taking them to court, which she’s threatened several times and is now expected to do. But it’s not that simple: DiZoglio would need sign-off from the attorney general’s office in order to sue the Legislature, which would put Andrea Campbell in an awkward spot. Check back tomorrow for more. — FIREARMS BILL FALLOUT: Hours after House Speaker Ron Mariano punted sweeping firearms legislation to the fall, National Association for Gun Rights President Dudley Brown said the delay “just gives us more time to rally our members in opposition.” — MORE: “Creem: Senate ‘Intending To Do Something’ Of Its Own On Gun Laws,” by Alison Kuznitz, State House News Service (paywall): “[T]he Senate is now considering its own strategy to potentially produce a comprehensive bill or combine some of the many proposals awaiting a committee hearing.” — “Massachusetts casinos fined for allowing illegal sports bets in February,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Gaming regulators fined the three casinos in Massachusetts with in-person sportsbooks a total of $50,000 Tuesday for illegally allowing patrons to place wagers earlier this year on sporting events involving in-state collegiate teams.” — “State lawmakers hear directly from inmates on parole reforms,” by Kinga Borondy, Telegram & Gazette: “State lawmakers heard virtual testimony from more than two dozen incarcerated persons from facilities across the state Tuesday after opening the floor to inmates and allowing them to speak in favor of criminal justice reforms pending before the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. Committee chairman Sen. Jamie Eldridge, D-Acton, noted that the incarcerated persons were able to testify this way in this legislative session due to the intervention of Gov. Maura Healey.” — MORE: “Sheriffs say moratorium will impact jail upgrades, security,” by Christian M. Wade, Eagle-Tribune. — “Bill would make kids without legal immigration status eligible for MassHealth,” by Katie Lannan, GBH News.
| | FROM THE HUB | | — A FINE STATE OF AFFAIRS: Tania Fernandes Anderson is now the second Boston city councilor in as many months to admit to violating the state’s conflict of interest law and agree to pay a pricey penalty for the transgression. Fernandes Anderson faces a $5,000 fine for hiring and then giving raises to her sister and son, the state Ethics Commission said Tuesday. “The minute I knew, I corrected it,” Fernandes Anderson told the Boston Globe’s Sean Cotter, who wrote that the councilor said she would “happily hire” her family members again if it were allowed. Ricardo Arroyo agreed last month to pay a $3,000 fine for representing his brother in a sexual harassment lawsuit involving a city employee while also serving as a city councilor. — “North End restaurant’s license to serve liquor, food suspended following owner’s arrest on criminal charges,” by Sean Cotter, Boston Globe.
| | | | JOIN 7/27 FOR A TALK ON WOMEN LEADERS IN THE NEW WORKPLACE: In the wake of the pandemic, U.S. lawmakers saw a unique opportunity to address the current childcare system, which has become increasingly unaffordable for millions of Americans, but the initial proposals went nowhere. With the launch of the Congressional Bipartisan Affordable Childcare Caucus in May, there may be a path to make childcare more affordable. Join Women Rule on July 27 to dive into this timely topic and more with featured speakers Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) and Reshma Saujani, Founder & CEO of Moms First and Founder of Girls Who Code. REGISTER HERE. | | | | | | | THE RACE FOR CITY HALL | | — DURKAN WINS D8 SPECIAL: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu has a new ally on the City Council. Sharon Durkan won the special election to fill the District 8 seat that opened up after Wu tapped Kenzie Bok to run the Boston Housing Authority, according to unofficial tallies from the city. Durkan was a former fundraiser for Wu and had the support of a host of prominent elected officials, such as her former boss Sen. Ed Markey, and several city councilors including President Ed Flynn. But Durkan isn’t done running yet. She’ll have to beat Montez Haywood again in November to keep her new seat. More from the Boston Herald’s Gayla Cawley. — DSA’S PICKS: In its first round of endorsements this year, Boston Democratic Socialists of America is backing Willie Burnley Jr. for reelection to the Somerville City Council, Joel Richards for Boston’s District 3 city councilor and Kendra Lara for reelection in Boston's District 6. The endorsement of Lara, who also had the group’s backing in her 2021 council run, comes as she faces several charges in connection with a car crash late last month. Lara pleaded not guilty during her arraignment, has apologized to her constituents and vowed to continue running for reelection. Boston DSA voted to endorse Lara at the end of June, before the crash, the group said. “Boston DSA members look forward to speaking with voters on the incredible job Kendra Lara has done representing her community,” Evan George, co-chair of the Boston DSA’s Electoral Working Group, said in an email. He applauded Lara’s housing development work and called her a “fearless champion for youth jobs.”
| | | MIGRANTS IN MASSACHUSETTS | | | — “Surge in homeless families has Marlborough officials worried about impact on schools,” by Jesse Collings, MetroWest Daily News: “An increase in the number of Haitian migrants staying in Marlborough has led to concerns about the city’s capacity to handle the surge of new families, particularly those with school-aged children. Mayor Arthur Vigeant was told last week that the city will soon have 30 new families moving into the Holiday Inn on Lakeview Avenue, bringing the total number of migrant families there to 63, with plans for all 170 rooms to likely be filled similarly.”
| | FROM THE 413 | | — “Personal care workers call on Gov. Healey to raise their wages,” by Jonah Snowden, Springfield Republican: “Members of a union representing personal care attendants want Gov. Maura T. Healey to fulfill a pledge to raise their pay. … The PCAs said their reason for protesting, as contract talks continue, is to bring attention to Healey’s promise to raise wages and provide benefits for the 60,000 members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE | | — “US Department of Education opens investigation into Harvard’s legacy and donor admissions process,” by Hilary Burns, Boston Globe: “The US Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has officially opened an investigation into Harvard University’s use of donor and legacy preferences in its admissions process, following a federal civil rights complaint filed earlier this month just days after the Supreme Court struck down race-based affirmative action in higher education." — “‘We hit the biggest guy in the room’,” by Will Sennott, New Bedford Light: “How Kevin Rose halted offshore wind operations in New Bedford, won a new contract, and restored confidence in the local longshoremen’s union.”
| | | MEANWHILE IN NEW HAMPSHIRE | | | — HERE WE GO AGAIN: Newly minted gubernatorial hopeful and former Sen. Kelly Ayotte is the latest Republican running in New Hampshire to blame Lawrence (and Lowell) for contributing to the opioid crisis ravaging both sides of the state line. Lawrence City Council President Marc Laplante responded to Ayotte's attempt to score political points by inviting her to view the city’s drug-enforcement efforts. “Rather than take umbrage to the negative comment regarding my city, I would like my city to further partner with your state officials to reduce both the supply and demand for fentanyl and other harmful drugs,” Laplante, a Republican, said in a statement.
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