Happening Today
UMass trustees, O’Rourke at Tufts, and more
— University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees meets at the system’s Lowell campus, with four UMass Boston professors slated to address the board about the system’s expansion into Newton, UMass Lowell, University Crossing, Moloney Hall, 220 Pawtucket St., Lowell, 9 a.m.
— Supreme Judicial Court meets at the John Adams Courthouse, Courtroom One, Second Floor, Pemberton Square, Boston, 9 a.m.
— Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian and members of the Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association hold a press conference to discuss the formal launch of the expanded medication assisted treatment pilot program, Grand Staircase, 12 p.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker joins Holyoke Mayor Alex Morse for a groundbreaking ceremony for the Holyoke Farms affordable housing project, which will consist of 225 units of mixed income housing, 87 Farnum Drive, Holyoke, 1:30 p.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker joins Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Sen. James Welch and Rep. Bud Williams to participate in a site visit at the Mason Square Apartments, a 60-unit affordable rental community, 837 State Street, Springfield, 3 p.m.
— Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke hosts a town hall campaign event at Tufts University, 40 Talbet Ave., Medford, followed by a student “meet and greet” at the Backlash Beer Company, 152 Hampden St., Boston, at 5:30 p.m. and 7:15 p.m., respectively.
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
Note to readers …
Due to technical problems, MassterList’s delivery was delayed this morning. Our apologies. But we’re back up and so …
Rollins asks SJC to overrule judge’s Straight Pride decision
It was a wild legal and political day in Boston yesterday. First, the lawyer representing counter-protesters in the Straight Pride Parade controversy was hauled away in handcuffs after a courtroom showdown with a Boston judge – the same judge who refused to drop charges against Straight Pride counter-protesters. The Herald’s Stefan Geller has the details.
Now Suffolk DA Rachael Rollins is asking the state’s Supreme Judicial Court to overrule Judge Richard Sinnott’s refusal to dismiss charges against the lefty demonstrators who tangled with police at the righty Straight Pride Parade over the weekend, reports Steph Solis at MassLive and a three-reporter team at the Globe.
The Globe’s Yvonne Abraham is going after Sinnott in a column this morning, while a Herald editorial, without mentioning the judge’s decision, says it’s about time someone cracks down on “mob rule” in Boston.
The appointment that ‘stinks to high heaven’
What an interesting Governor’s Council meeting yesterday. First, from SHNS’s Katie Lannan (pay wall): “Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye faced tense questioning from the Governor’s Council on Wednesday over the manner in which Gov. Charlie Baker tapped him as interim register of probate in Bristol County, a process one councilor said ‘stinks to high heaven.’”
And who, for heaven’s sake, started the process? From CommonWealth’s Bruce Mohl: “Taunton Mayor Thomas Hoye Jr. revealed on Wednesday that it was Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito who first broached the idea of him becoming the register of probate in Bristol County, a move that opened the door for Republican Rep. Shaunna O’Connell to run for mayor.” The Herald’s Mary Markos has more on the affair.
It could happen: Letting voters decide whether Massachusetts should be a ‘sanctuary state’
Attorney General Maura Healey yesterday allowed a slew of proposed ballot questions to procedurally move forward for possible inclusion on the 2020 ballot – and there’s a lot of high-profile and controversial measures out there, including calls for ranked-choice voting, updating the state’s right-to-repair law, abortion restrictions etc. Benjamin Swasey at WBUR and Shira Schoenberg at MassLive have the ballot-question details.
The Globe’s Matt Stout focuses on what could be one of the most highly contested ballot proposals, i.e. an effective anti-sanctuary state measure that would “allow local police to detain certain undocumented immigrants wanted for deportation.” Stay tuned.
One more ballot question of note: A proposed crackdown on state workers’ unused sick time
Attention all state-government readers, from the BBJ’s Greg Ryan: “Some of the state’s top Republican officials are backing a proposed 2020 ballot initiative that would limit the amount of unused sick leave that state employees can build up and cash out when they leave their jobs. Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday certified that the proposal and 11 other ballot initiatives can move forward, finding they pass constitutional muster at this point in the process.”
‘Oh come on, give me a break’: Warren not wild about fighting climate change via bans on plastic straws and light bulbs
When it comes to fighting climate change, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren made clear last night that’s she’s thinking big, as in targeting three key industries for action, not necessarily going after plastic straws, light bulbs and cheeseburgers, the NYT reports.
Are Elugardo and DeLeo actually getting along?
She was a firebrand progressive who ousted a State House power broker a year ago – and most assumed she was on a political collision course with House Speaker Robert DeLeo when she was sworn in as a state representative earlier this year. But state Rep. Nika Elugardo is actually saying nice things about DeLeo, noting he’s been “trying to build consensus” and accepting the fact that progressives have the momentum on Beacon Hill, writes Andy Metzger at CommonWealth magazine.
Pressley, one year later: Trump tweets? What Trump tweets?
Speaking of anniversaries, the Globe’s Victoria McGrane catches up with U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, one year after her stunning primary upset of U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano and after months of enduring more than a few presidential tweets aimed at Pressley and her fellow “squad” members in Congress. To the best of her ability, Pressley says she’s trying to ignore the tweets and focus on the “everyday injustices” of the Trump administration.
Globe names former journalist and MIT lecturer as new editorial page editor
Ending a long search, the Globe has finally announced it has a new editorial page editor: Bina Venkataraman, a former Globe and NYT journalist, former senior adviser for climate change innovation in the Obama White House and a current MIT lecturer. The BBJ’s Don Seiffert has the details.
Ransomware attackers wanted $5.3 million from New Bedford
Turns out it was a ransomware attack that shut down the city of New Bedford’s computers and the attackers wanted $5.3 million to unfreeze the network, Jennette Barnes reports at the Standard-Times. After weeks of silence on the issue, Mayor Jon Mitchell said the city made a counter-offer of $400,000 — to be paid with insurance funds — but when that was rejected, the city moved to recover its data and reboot its computers on its own.
Sports hub? Worcester wants to talk with Celtics about hosting affiliate
You’ve been warned, Portland. Still flush with pride over landing the Red Sox’ AAA affiliate, Worcester now has its sights set on a Boston Celtics affiliate, Grant Welker reports at the Worcester Business Journal. City Councilor Sean Rose is pushing for the city to strike up a conversation with the NBA team’s ownership about possibly moving the Portland Red Claws to Worcester when the team’s current lease runs out in 2024.
It’s the antiquated Boston zoning board, stupid
In an editorial, the Globe notes that Boston’s Zoning Board of Appeals may be “ground zero” in the current federal bribery case and ongoing fed investigation. But the board has actually been “ripe for corruption” for a long time, due to antiquated zoning codes, and reforms are desperately needed, the Globe says.
Meanwhile, the Globe’s Joan Vennochi senses “déjà vu all over again” at City Hall, where once again a Republican-appointed U.S. Attorney is going after a Democratic mayor.
Is the sun setting on the state’s solar industry? Not quite but …
From SHNS’s Michael Norton: “Jobs in the solar energy industry in Massachusetts are declining despite efforts to ramp up renewable energy to meet legal climate change mandates, according to industry insiders who are calling for major changes in state laws to get the sector’s growth back on track.”
In opinion piece at the Berkshire Eagle, Mark Amato, president of the Massachusetts Farm Bureau, writes that agriculture and solar power would actually make a great match.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Founder of MIT Media Lab: I’d take Jeffrey Epstein’s money all over again
Clearly, apologies haven’t worked. So now he’s trying the non-apologetic approach. From the Globe’s Deirdre Fernandes: “The founder of MIT’s Media Lab has offered a full-throated defense of director Joi Ito, whose decision to accept money from the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein has roiled the research center. Nicholas Negroponte said that, at the time, he backed Ito’s decision to take the money, based on what he knew then about Epstein, and would do so still.”
What’s not in a name? That which we call Kennedy
The Globe’s Michael Levenson reports that the Kennedy name doesn’t mean as much as it used to for voters, especially young voters, and that may be bad news for U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III as he mulls taking on U.S. Sen. Ed Markey.
Packed house: Advocates push for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants
MassLive’s Steph Solis and SHNS’s Colin Young (pay wall) report that advocates for driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants packed a State House hearing yesterday, suggesting there’s a groundswell of support for the legislation now before lawmakers on Beacon Hill. But there’s still one problem: A likely gubernatorial veto if the legislation passes. Solis and Young have the details.
Wendell ‘Woody’ Woodman, RIP
Journalism has lost a legend: Wendell ‘Woody’ Woodman, 79, the “scourge of shady officials and the delight of Beacon Hill carousers.” SHNS’s Craig Sandler has the details on Woodman’s colorful career at the State House and his sad death late last month.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Jonathan Kraft named chair of Mass. General Hospital board of trustees
From Jessica Bartlett at the BBJ: “Jonathan Kraft has been named chair of the Massachusetts General Hospital Board of Trustees, the hospital announced on Wednesday. Kraft, president of The Kraft Group and son of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, has spent 10 years on the 18-member board of MGH, and will take over as chair of the trustees on Oct. 1.”
Costly commute: Commuter rail too expensive for many in Gateway Cities
They’re priced out. A new study commissioned by MassInc finds that the MBTA’s commuter rail is too costly for many residents of the city’s Gateway Cities, including those in New Bedford and Fall River soon to be served by the SouthCoast Rail extension, Zeninjor Enwemeka reports via WBUR. Based on median income, a Fall River resident could spend 15 percent of their annual salary just to get to and from Boston. Recommendations from the report include setting fares based on income and making off-peak travel cheaper.
Model UN Professional Development Workshop @ Democracy Center
Whether you’re an experienced MUN Advisor or brand new to Model UN, you’ll walk away from this workshop with time-saving tools, tactics, and strategies to help your students succeed in Model United Nations.
Best Delegate Model United Nations
Policy Breakfast Highlighting Fail First Reform in Massachusetts
Join us for a breakfast to learn about fail first policies impacting patients in Massachusetts. Delayed treatment can mean disease progression. That’s why “fail first” reform for patients with arthritis, cancer, Crohn’s and colitis, and other chronic diseases is so critical.
The Arthritis Foundation, CSRO, and the Mass Medical Society
Stone Social Impact Forum
Innovative education leader Geoffrey Canada, president and founder of Harlem Children’s Zone, is the inaugural speaker for the Stone Social Impact Forum, a new signature series highlighting civic change agents who advance social change and innovatively address areas of inequality in our society.
Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate
The Somerville Surge
Join NAIOP for a deep dive into the transformative projects underway in Somerville, including Assembly Row, Boynton Yards, Union Square and more.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Developer eyes six-story, 200-unit complex on Old Colony property – Dorchester Reporter
Knocking on doors, BPS superintendent stresses attendance – Boston Globe
Massachusetts
RMV crisis costs taxpayers half a million dollars–and counting – Boston Herald
Parent enters Lowell school committee race – Lowell Sun
Nation
San Francisco board passes resolution labeling NRA a domestic terrorist organization – The Hill
Trump might like Brexit less when he sees what it does to the economy – Washington Post
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