Happening Today
Final day of legislative session, ‘Yes on 3’ and more
— The House and Senate plan formal sessions that are expected to run well into the night, as lawmakers try to finish business before formal sessions end at midnight on Tuesday.
— The Pension Reserves Investment Management Board Investment Committee meets, with Treasurer Deborah Goldberg attending, 84 State St. – 2nd floor, Boston, 9:30 a.m.
— Business leaders come together to endorse the ‘Yes on 3’ ballot question campaign to uphold the state’s transgender nondiscrimination law, with Jim Rooney, president of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, and Bob Rivers, CEO of Eastern Bank, attending, Eastern Bank Corporate Headquarters, 2nd floor, 265 Franklin Street, Boston, 10 a.m.
— The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will host a class from the Naval Command College for a tour of the Wind Technology Testing Center, Wind Technology Testing Center, 80 Terminal Street, Charlestown, 3 p.m.
— Veterans for Peace holds a rally to ‘demand that the United States government and the Raytheon company end their direct involvement in the Saudi war on Yemen,’ entrance to South Station, 5 p.m.
For more calendar listings, check out State House News Service’s Daily Advances (pay wall – free trial subscriptions available) and MassterList’s Beacon Hill Town Square below.
Today’s Stories
After lawmakers pass Airbnb bill, Baker mulls adding tax-exemption amendment
From SHNS’s Matt Murphy at WWLP: “Gov. Charlie Baker is considering returning the bill sent to him Monday by the Legislature taxing and regulating short-term housing rentals with an amendment to exempt from taxation owners that rent out their homes or apartments for less than two weeks a year, according sources familiar with ongoing talks.”
Meanwhile, Airbnb is not happy at all with a provision in the bill that calls for establishment of new host registries that the firm says raises serious privacy concerns, Kelly O’Brien reports at the BBJ. Shira Schoenberg at MassLive has more on yesterday’s legislative vote and the bill in general.
Compromise reached on clean-energy bill
From Matt Stout and Jon Chesto at the Globe: “Electricity suppliers would be required to accelerate how much renewable energy they buy over a decadelong period under a compromise bill unveiled by Massachusetts lawmakers Monday, one of several measures that could reach Governor Charlie Baker’s desk before the formal legislative session wraps up on Beacon Hill. … But (the compromise) also doesn’t include some closely watched provisions backed by environmentalists and approved by the Senate, most notably a measure that would eliminate state-imposed caps on net metering credits, which was stripped from the final version.”
SHNS’s Colin Young at CommonWealth magazine reports that the Sierra Club is unhappy with the bill’s “baby steps” on renewables.
Blandford’s four-member police force to town: Take these jobs and shove it
Citing cruisers that barely run, radios that don’t work and other safety concerns, the entire four-member police force in Blandford, population 1,200 in western Massachusetts, has resigned, leaving only a Facebook post on what residents can do in future emergencies. Ryan Trowbridge at Western Mass News and Jeanette DeForge at MassLive and Aimee Ortiz at the Globe have the details on the rather dramatic and drastic action. State Police are stepping in to provide coverage, the town says.
Is there a secret non-compete deal in the works?
SHNS’s Michael Norton reports on the somewhat cryptic remarks last week by Judiciary Committee Chairman Will Brownsberger that suggest a “fundamental agreement” may be in place for a compromise on non-compete employee agreements in MassachusettsWith only about 15 hours left in the session, we’ll soon see if it’s true. Stay tuned.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Lawmakers override Baker’s budget vetoes, taking special care on one line item in particular
Gov. Charlie Baker’s $50 million in budget vetoes are getting the late-session override treatment from lawmakers – and CommonWealth magazine’s Bruce Mohl is intrigued by one line item in particular, for the Department of Fire Services, that’s stuffed with all sorts of home-district goodies worth millions of dollars.
Man who caused crash that killed new father faced charges tied to 2015 murder
Is this a tipping point in the debate over detaining dangerous suspects through bail or other means before they, you know, kill someone like a cop, an elderly lady or a Marine combat vet returning home from a hospital after visiting his wife and newborn daughter? If not, it’s close to it.
From Globe’s John Ellement: “The Fall River man who caused a deadly head-on crash that killed a Cape Cod father on Saturday was released on personal recognizance last month on drunk driving charges in Barnstable County despite also facing charges related to a 2015 Fall River murder, records show.”
From Herald’s Brooks Sutherland: “The Fall River man who fled from police, killing himself, his passenger and a Marine combat veteran in a head-on crash, was free thanks to a judge’s decision to cut his bail from $35,000 to $1,000 in an armed robbery case last September — and the family of slain new dad Kevin Quinn is slamming the courts.”
It’s not just about low bail and personal recognizance rulings. (See the ‘Before the law hath …’ post below.) It has much more to do with justice-delayed-justice-denied issues, as well as, in other similar cases, mental-health treatment-denied issues. Then again, there may be those who think it’s OK for a guy to roam free for three years while facing serious charges related to a murder.
GOP lawmakers fail in late-session push to debate impeachment of judge
Speaking of controversial judicial rulings: Republican lawmakers made a brief and unsuccessful bid to force debate yesterday over their push to impeach Superior Court Judge Timothy Feeley for his decision two months ago to let a convicted heroin dealer off with probation, according to published reports. Christian Wade at the Eagle-Tribune has more on the Republican lawmakers’ last-ditch attempt during the final hours of the session to have Feeley tossed from the bench.
‘Before the law hath sentenced him thereto …’
Amid all furor over detaining (or not detaining) criminal suspects and cons, Eli Sherman at Wicked Local takes a look at the history of the state’s bail system. It’s a good explainer piece that goes all the way back to 1641, when the oldest compilation of Massachusetts colonial law, The Body of Liberties, was first penned.
Something’s going on at Boston Public Library: Three put on leave, ongoing investigation, lot of no comments
Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, as the say. From the Herald’s Sean Philip Carter: “Three Boston Public Library facilities managers are on unpaid leave as BPL investigates their actions — but the library, only a few years removed from major controversy, is remaining a closed book on what happened.” The referenced major controversy had to do with the handling of the BPL’s special collections and artwork, including a 1504 engraving by Albrecht Durer and a 1634 Rembrandt etching that briefly disappeared.
Healey and Ocasio-Cortez ride to Pressley’s rescue
This is one of those endorsements that matter, pumping up staffers and perhaps influencing undecided voters in the waning weeks of a tightening race etc. From Spencer Buell at Boston Magazine: “Once thought of as kind of a long shot, Ayanna Pressley’s bid for long-term incumbent Michael Capuano’s seat in is looking pretty formidable right about now. Maura Healey, Massachusetts’ influential Attorney General, announced Monday morning that she is backing Pressley in the primary.”
The Globe’s Joan Vennochi says the endorsement is “another sign that the old-guard white male establishment that has controlled the Democratic power structure since forever is finally starting to crack.” The Herald’s Michael Graham agrees that the times are indeed a changin’ for Capuano.
The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld reports that socialist darling Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez may soon be hitting the campaign trail for Pressley – and that may actually be good news for Capuano. He explains.
Rufus Gifford: The blow-in candidate of all blow-in candidates
From the Herald’s Jaclyn Cashman: “There have been a lot of blow-in accusations tossed around in the race to replace U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas in the Merrimack Valley’s 3rd Congressional District, but Rufus Gifford’s Nantucket-centric run could be the Louis Vuitton of carpetbag candidacies. On Sunday, Gifford will host a fundraiser at his parents’ $8 million home on Nantucket. It’s the same location he listed as his home address until he decided to move to Concord.”
With a GOP primary coming up, Baker is busy wooing voters in … Democratic Lawrence?
Maybe his campaign’s internal polling is showing he’s indeed trouncing conservative rival Scott Lively in the GOP primary. It better be accurate. Because the Eagle-Tribune’s Keith Eddings reports that Gov. Charlie Baker is spending a lot of time wooing Democratic voters in Lawrence, filming campaign commercials in the city and visiting there quite often since 2014.
Rep. DuBois borrows a tactic from Trump, accuses Enterprise of ‘FAKE news’ that turns out to be true
State Rep. Michelle DuBois, a Brockton Democrat, took to the Enterprise’s Facebook page to accuse the paper of running “fake news” for referring to a city employee, who’s involved in a hot-button racial controversy, as a “parking control officer.” The paper double checked and found that, yes, the employee really is a “parking control officer.” Not surprisingly, DuBois’s post has since disappeared from the site. Joe Pelletier at the Enterprise has the details.
Ah, the life of a Facebook community host – deleting vulgar posts, kicking out obnoxious members
Speaking of Facebook, Brian Lee at the Telegram takes a look at two community Facebook hosts (i.e. editors) who spend an awful lot of time dealing with angry and unruly members – and that’s with political discussions already banned on their sites .
Defying council, Greenfield mayor says he’s staying – and that’s that
Greenfield Mayor William Martin says he’s not going to resign in the wake of a city council vote of no confidence in his leadership, Dan Desrochers reports in the Daily Hampshire Gazette. The council last week voted to ask for Martin’s resignation, saying he has engaged in bullying and intimidation and criticizing his decision to abruptly terminate the contract of the city’s finance director.
For second time, Fall River mayor leaves country without notifying City Council
Members of the Fall River City Council, meanwhile, appear to be losing patience with Mayor Jasiel Correia II, who Jo C. Goode of the Fall River Herald News reports has left the city for a second time in three months without alerting the officials who would serve as acting mayor in his absence. The city recently changed its charter to put city council leaders in charge when the mayor is away, but Correia, who has spent about half of the past 12 weeks out of the country, apparently is no fan of the charter change.
Looks like Neal and Amatul-Wadud will be debating in the First Congressional race
These ought to be interesting, and closely watched, political events, assuming they happen. From Shannon Young at MassLive: “U.S. Rep. Richard Neal, D-Springfield, said Monday that he looks forward to the possibility of debating Democratic opponent Tahirah Amatul-Wadud ahead of Massachusetts’ Sept. 4 primary. Neal, who has represented Western Massachusetts in Washington for nearly 30 years, told reporters following a Springfield event that his campaign is negotiating terms for at least two televised debates with his opponent.”
He built a better rat trap (so to speak) — and then along came the EPA
This is one of those stories that leaves you shaking your head at both government and corporations – and how their bureaucratic and monopolistic instincts get in the way of even the most simplistic innovations of citizens, such as John Stellberger’s use of dry ice to humanely and effectively kill urban rats in Boston. Isaiah Thompson at WGBH has the sorry details.
Cambridge orders Bird to remove scooters till it gets permits
From Callum Borchers at WBUR: “The city of Cambridge on Monday ordered Bird Rides Inc. to remove its rentable electric scooters from public streets until it reaches a permit deal with the city. But the California-based company did not immediately agree to comply, setting up a possible legal battle.”
Lancaster race-track proposal gets out-of-the-gate pushback at hearing
They’re off and complaining in Lancaster. A developer’s plan for a thoroughbred horse racetrack in twon made its public-hearing debut last night — and proponents heard some significant pushback from residents concerned about traffic and the long-term financial viability of the plan, Peter Jasinski reports in the Lowell Sun. The would-be developers told residents that they stand ready to invest as much as $40 million in the project — and swear they would not seek permission from the state to add slot machines or other forms of gambling.
Healey joins suit to stop release of 3D-printer gun plans
Attorney General Maura Healey has joined a federal lawsuit seeking to block the release of plans that would enable three-dimensional printers to produce guns that can avoid detection by some traditional security screening methods, reports Aimee Ortiz at the Globe.
NECCO workers file suit over sudden shutdown of Revere plant
From Universal Hub’s Adam Gaffin: “Workers at the suddenly shuttered NECCO plant in Revere say the company’s new owner violated federal law when it closed the place last week without warning. In a lawsuit filed in US District Court, the workers cited the federal Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, which requires a 60-day notice of any plant closings and ‘mass layoff’ of 100 or more workers. NECCO employed more than 100 workers, the suit says.”
Lawmakers send automatic voter registration bill to governor’s desk
As expected, the Legislature yesterday passed the automatic voter registration bill, which now sits on Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk. Shira Schoenberg at MassLIve has more.
Rosenberg’s return to the public eye, Part II: He’s in LA, all right
The Globe’s Matt Stout confirms that former Senate President Stan Rosenberg, who resigned from the legislature earlier this spring amid intense controversy over his husband’s sexual antics on Beacon Hill, is indeed taking to the legislative stage again – in Los Angeles. He has the details on Rosenberg’s attendance at the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Coffee with the BBJ Editor & Publisher
Join Boston Business Journal Editor Doug Banks and Publisher Carolyn M. Jones for coffee at our office. You’ll get the chance to network with business professionals from various industries & introduce yourself and/or your business to our team.
Candidate’s Forum: 7th & 8th Congressional + 11th & 15th Suffolk Representative
Please join Boston’s Ward 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, and 19 Democratic Committees for a joint forum with the candidates running for the 7th and 8th Congressional Districts and the 11th and 15th Suffolks Representatives.
Boston’s Ward Committees (Wards 8,9,10,11,12, and 19)
Scale Up
Join the Boston Business Journal and BostInno for Scale Up: Boston sponsored by CDW.
Boston Business Journal and BostInno
2018 Summer Institute in Global Leadership: Advanced Public Speaking
Advanced Institutes bring together older students who are passionate about global issues and are in, or aspire to be in, leadership roles that demand advance communication skills. This week, students will work together to develop public speaking skills through the format of Model UN crisis simulations. There will be a particular focus on presentation tips and tricks and extemporaneous speaking.
United Nations Association of Greater Boston
2018 #FlipMyFunnel B2B Marketing and Sales Conference
Each year, more than 1,000 B2B marketing and sales professionals gather together to learn about the latest in B2B marketing and sales, network with one another and explore the latest technologies to power their programs.
NAIOP 8th Annual Harbor Cruise
Mix business with pleasure on the decks of the NAIOP Harbor Cruise, featuring networking, an 80’s theme party, and cocktails. Connect with friends and colleagues while enjoying a 360-degree view of Boston’s ever-changing waterfront.
The Business of Sports
Join us for our very first Business of Sports discussion!
Malden Democratic City Committee Annual Summer BBQ
We hope you’ll join us for our summer BBQ! This annual event is always a lot of fun and a great chance to catch up with old friends while supporting MDCC.
Malden Democratic City Committee
Today’s Headlines
Metro
GE reportedly looking to sell parts of software business – Boston Business Journal
3 BPL workers on leave amid probe – Boston Herald
Massachusetts
Manchester attic home to ‘lost’ Navajo treaty – Gloucester Times
Worcester sues pharmaceutical makers and distributors over opioid epidemic – Telegram & Gazette
Attleboro mayor clears air on smoking ban – Sun Chronicle
Methuen council approves $4 million borrowing petition – Eagle-Tribune
Nation
Trump Administration Mulls a Unilateral Tax Cut for the Wealthy – New York Times
Tom Steyer’s $110 million plan to redefine the Democrats – Politico
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