Happening Today
Sports gambling, Moulton kick off, and more
— Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies meets to take invite-only testimony on the idea of legalizing sports gambling in Massachusetts, Gardner Auditorium, 10 a.m.
— Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities holds a hearing on 14 bills, many related to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind and human service workers, Room B-1, 10 a.m.
— Committee on Health Care Financing meets to take testimony on a slew of bills related to health resource planning and delivery system oversight, with Auditor Suzanne Bump expected to testify in support of a bill that would require that a registered nurse holds a permanent seat on the Health Policy Commission’s oversight board, Hearing Room A-1, 10:30 a.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Martin Walsh and Boston Archbishop Sean Patrick O’Malley will celebrate a ribbon-cutting marking the opening of The Union, a 46-unit housing complex at the site of the former Boston Young Men’s Christian Union, lot behind 48 Boylston St., Boston, 2 p.m.
— U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton of Salem, who is seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2020, will kick off a series of town hall-style forums focused on veterans and mental health, Lynn Museum, 590 Washington St., Lynn, 7 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
Casinos and DraftKings: Let us rule the sports-betting market
MassLive’s Dan Glaun and the Globe’s Andy Rosen report that an unusual alliance is forming on sports gambling in Massachusetts: In a letter to lawmakers, the state’s three casinos are now saying that they and fantasy sports firms (i.e. Boston’s DraftKings) should together handle the digital sports books if sports betting is legalized in Massachusetts. As Rosen notes, casinos have previously resisted an alliance with fantasy sports firms – and their banding together may head off a major private-sector fight on Beacon Hill over who wins the sports-gambling spoils.
The AP’s Steve LeBlanc at the Boston Herald, meanwhile, has a good summary on all the sports-gambling legislation that will be reviewed at State House hearings this week, starting today.
The greatest challenge facing the Wampanoags? Perhaps themselves
Speaking of gambling, the Mashpee Wampanoag tribe’s reservation land is in jeopardy and its plans for a casino in southeastern Massachusetts are up in the air. To top it all off, the tribe is beset by internal politics and infighting. Tanner Stening at the Cape Cod Times reports on the latest effort to oust tribal chairman Cedric Cromwell.
Meanwhile, the Globe’s Brian MacQuarrie has an update on the Wampanoag’s various external and internal woes of late.
‘Races within the race’
The New York Times has a good piece on the crowded Democratic contest for president – and how it’s broken down into a series of “races within the race.” One of those races within the race: Elizabeth Warren versus Bernie Sanders over the party’s progressive block.
Meanwhile, Aaron Blake at the Washington Post takes a look at what it would take for each and every Dem candidate to win the party’s nomination. For Warren, it comes down to (drumroll please) overtaking Sanders. As for U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, his only chance is convincing Democrats that they “need to hand things off to the next generation and that he is the one to lead the transition.” In other words: He needs a miracle.
In other presidential-race news, Christian Wade at the Gloucester Times reports on how New Hampshire voters are trying to sort out who they’ll support in the crowded race.
Meanwhile, Moulton’s race against time
Hurry up! The first debate of the 2020 Democratic presidential primary is now less than a month away and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton is currently one of five candidates who has yet to earn a spot on the stage due to his low polling and fundraising numbers, Tal Axelrod reports at The Hill. Some observers believe failing to make the cut would be a death knell for Moulton and others’ campaigns.
DeLeo to unveil $1.3B ‘Greenworks’ program
From the Globe’s Jon Chesto: “House Speaker Robert DeLeo this week is unveiling his latest salvo in the effort to offset climate change: a $1.3 billion energy and resiliency bill that would create a new grant program for cities and towns. The grant program, called GreenWorks, would be funded by $1 billion in bonds and paid out over a decade.”
Praying for the suspect accused of vandalizing the Vietnam War memorial?
Joseph Zinck, president of the Dorchester Vietnam Memorial Committee, is praising police for the quick apprehension of a suspect thought to have vandalized the Vietnam War memorial in Dorchester just prior to the Memorial Day weekend. But he’s also asking for members of his group to pray for the suspect, who may be mentally ill. “We can replant trees, repaint flagpoles, fix things that get broken, but I think it’s just important that we pray for the guy and hope that he gets the help that he needs,” Zinck said, as John Hilliard reports at the Globe.
File under: “Dignity and class.” Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub has more.
Most Massachusetts communities seeing population growth
Heading into next year’s full census count, this is interesting: The AP at Western Mass News reports that 82 percent of the state’s towns and cities saw population growth over the past year, with big gains (either in numbers or percentage growth) in Boston, Cambridge, Framingham, Sudbury, Sharon and Stoneham. Communities in western Massachusetts and on Cape Cod, though, saw population declines.
UMass vs Beacon Hill showdown: Can’t they just get along?
The Herald’s Joe Battenfeld writes that the budget standoff between UMass president Marty Meehan and state lawmakers means only one thing: “Students will be the losers.” Battenfeld suggests a grand compromise to resolve the dispute. Hint: It involves UMass administrators and Beacon Hill pet projects. As a result, we have our doubts about whether such a compromise is achievable.
Amid federal probe, Baker defends state prison system
Gov. Charlie Baker is defending the state’s prison system amid news that federal prosecutors within the civil-rights division are investigating the treatment of inmates in state custody, reports the Globe’s Matt Stout. “The department has complied with every ruling, every decision, and every order that’s been issued with respect to the way it operates. And we’ll continue to do so,” Baker said.
Former Rep. Curran eyes a political comeback – on the Springfield city council
Former state Rep. Sean Curran, a Democrat who didn’t seek re-election in 2014, is among the 42 residents who have pulled papers to possibly run for either mayor or the city council in Springfield. In Curran’s case, he’s apparently eyeing the city council. Peter Goonan at MassLive has the details.
‘Radical reforms are necessary at the Steamship Authority’
In a Globe opinion piece, Bill Hallstein, cofounder of Southeast Massachusetts Regional Transportation, says it’s time for lawmakers to make major changes at the struggling Steamship Authority. “The overburdened system is clearly at a tipping point,” he writes. “Radical reforms are necessary at the Steamship Authority, and that will require a fresh, independent look by the state at its operations, board structure, oversight responsibilities, and revenues.”
Curtis Blake, Friendly’s Ice Cream co-founder, RIP
From Dave Canton at MassLive: “Friendly’s Ice Cream co-founder Curtis Blake has died. He was 102. … Blake and his older brother, S. Prestley Blake, borrowed $547 from their parents and opened the first Friendly Ice Cream store at 161 Boston Road in Springfield in 1935. The brothers were 18 and 20 years old.”
Amazingly, S. Prestley “Pres” Blake is still alive, at the age of 104, and he recalls his brother and the early days of Friendly’s Ice Cream, as Jim Kinney reportsat MassLive.
No regrets: Jewish teens help save drowning man with swastika tattoo
NBC Boston reports that a group of Jewish teenagers is being credited with alerting police about a body partially submerged in Chestnut Hill Reservoir, prompting the rescue of the man by a Boston College police officer. But the responding officer noticed something curious on the man’s body: A swastika tattoo. Through the police, the teens say they have no regrets about helping the man and only requested he be informed that it was “four young Jewish boys that helped save his life.”
You know it’s summer when … the media hauls out the shark-attack stories
Memorial Day is the unofficial launch of the summer season. And it’s also the unofficial launch of the media’s summer shark coverage. From Lisa Creamer t WBUR: “Callboxes And Hemorrhage Kits: What Outer Cape Cod Towns Are Buying To Address Shark Safety.” And from Joe Dwinell at the Herald (which had a two-page spread this morning on those menacing beasts of the sea): “Virtual shark net pitched to keep Cape Cod beaches safe.”
The school-aide formula debate: Can lawmakers overcome political divides?
The Globe’s Victoria McGranetakes a look at the school-aid formula debate on Beacon Hill – and whether it’s possible to craft a compromise before the end of the session. There’s indeed a lot of political pitfall out there, as McGrane notes.
Electric trolley buses vs. battery electric buses: No contest
The folks at TransitMatters write at CommonWealth magazine that old-fashioned electric trolley buses – the ones powered by overhead wires along routes – are a much better option than new-fangled battery-powered buses when it comes to reducing carbon emissions from the MBTA’s fleet of transit buses. They make a lot of great points. Check it out.
At this lone stop, it’s easy: Use your E-ZPass to pay for gas
Noah Bombard at MassLive reports on the lone site in Massachusetts, at the Alltown Mobil in Westoborough, where drivers can use their E-ZPass transponders to pay for their gas. If the experiment works, expect to see a lot more filling stations using the E-ZPass payment system in Massachusetts.
Friendly fire: Shrewsbury candidate gets caught in GOP rift
No harm, no foul? A member of the Shrewsbury Housing Authority says he was caught up in the “schism” in the state’s Republican party when the GOP endorsed one of his challengers even though he had already earned the endorsement of Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. Mark Sullivan reports that Paul Campaniello — who won re-election in the end — felt the party’s backing his opponent was a “poke in the eye” and a reminder that the GOP is increasingly divided between those who back Gov. Charlie Baker and President Trump.
So who are the 1.8M people on Medicaid in Massachusetts?
The Blue Cross Blue Shield foundation recentlyreleased a new report on the state’s Medicaid program, known as MassHealth, and the Globe’s Priyanka Dayal McCluskey has a good summary of the study’s findings, include how more than one quarter of the state’s population is now covered by Medicaid and 85 percent of them have incomes of about $16,000 or less per individual, or $28,000 or less for a family of three.
Guards acquitted in Bridgewater State death get six-figure back pay
From MassLive’s Shira Schoenberg: “Three guards who were acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Bridgewater State Hospital patient Joshua Messier have returned to work at the Department of Correction — each with six-figure payments for the wages they lost while they were out of work.” Their back pay ranged from $225,160 to $312,780.
Judge flunks students’ lawsuit over Mount Ida closure
From Adam Gaffin at Universal Hub: “Students at Mount Ida College may have been caught by surprise when the school suddenly shut last year, but they shouldn’t have been and officials at the Newton school did nothing legally wrong in closing the school and selling its campus to UMass Amherst, a federal judge ruled (Friday) in dismissing a suit by three students who sought damages for the sudden change in their educational careers.”
In Lynn, concerns raised as Union Hospital prepares to close
Uh-oh. Union Hospital in Lynn is still a year away from closing its doors to make room for a new medical campus but emergency officials say the impending loss of the city’s only emergency department is already impacting response times, Gayla Cawley reports at the Lynn Item. As Union shuts its operating rooms and other facilities, more Lynn ambulances are being diverted over the border to Salem Hospital, which adds to the time ambulances take to make runs and could eventually overcrowd that facility.
NAIOP/SIOR Mid-Year Market Roundup
Please join NAIOP and SIOR for one of the industry’s premier market forecasts. Explore the drivers and market fundamentals behind the statistics, including trends, new growth areas and a general outlook for the future.
NAIOP Massachusetts & SIOR New England
Old North Speaker Series: James Farrell – The Child Independence is Born
Did the Revolution begin with the writs of assistance trial? To answer that question, we will review the purpose and function of writs of assistance within the political, legal, and economic environment of colonial Massachusetts, and discuss the constitutional dispute over writs of assistance in the 1761 trial.
NAIOP Bus Tour – The Science of Success: Today’s Development DNA
Jump on board the NAIOP Bus Tour to observe, identify and analyze some of the most exciting office, multifamily, lab and mixed-use developments in Waltham, Watertown, Newton and Needham!
Let’s have Breakfast with Mayor Marty Walsh
Join Mayor Marty Walsh in supporting Operation ABLE, which provides training and employment services for job seekers.
Pipeline Partnerships: Early Entry into Talent Development
Pipeline Partnerships: Early Entry into Talent Development. This event is an opportunity to learn about innovative ways businesses, schools and nonprofit partners are working together to educate and prepare a skilled future workforce. Featured Speaker is Rosalin Acosta, Massachusetts Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development.
MSDC Advocacy Day
Please join the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC) in celebrating the lives of individuals with Down syndrome and learn about critical policies and funding that will help them to lead meaningful, fulfilling lives at the 6th annual MDSC Advocacy Day on Thursday, June 6 from 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. in front of the Grand Staircase in the Massachusetts State House.
Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC)
Today’s Headlines
Metro
At least 3 city council seats will be uncontested in fall – Boston Globe
State gambling regulators put out bid for Wynn monitor – Boston Business Journal
Massachusetts
As state eyes pot cafe pilot, North Adams could be a participant – Berkshire Eagle
Shrewsbury teachers get green light on crowdfunding – Telegram & Gazette
Cape senators secure funding for their districts – Cape Cod Times
Nation
Nevada emerges as wildcard in Democratic 2020 race – The Hill
A Senator wants to have a greater impact. So he’s leaving the Senate – New York Times
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