Happening Today
Housing Choice, MBTA-DOT meeting, and more
— Gov. Charlie Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Quincy Mayor Tom Koch, Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Mike Kennealy and others gather for an event highlighting the administration’s Housing Choice legislation, Quincy City Hall, 1305 Hancock Street, Quincy, 9 a.m.
— Attorney General Maura Healey provides opening remarks at the office’s annual ‘People’s Law Firm Outreach Day,’ New Bedford Free Public Library, 613 Pleasant St., New Bedford, 10 a.m.
— MBTA Fiscal and Management Control Board and the Department of Transportation Board meet in both individual and joint sessions, Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston, 11 a.m.
— The Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee meets to review Sen. Mark Montigny’s bill to regulate the bodyworks field, with Middlesex County District Attorney Marian Ryan expected to testify in support, Gardner Auditorium, 11 a.m.
— Six labor unions representing more than 220,000 Massachusetts workers plan to hold an event to publicly endorse the ROE Act, Room 437, 11 a.m.
— Gov. Charlie Baker meets privately with Senate President Karen Spilka, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr and House Minority Leader Brad Jones., Senate president’s office, 2 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
Dedham’s one-day teachers strike is over, after tentative deal reached
The first teachers’ strike in Massachusetts in 12 years is over after only one school day, as teachers and school officials in Dedham reached a tentative contract deal over the weekend, according to the Dedham Transcript and WBUR’s Fausto Menard. Dedham kids are expected back in school this morning.
Btw: Bernie Sanders and Joseph Kennedy were among those expressing support for the teachers during their brief one-day strike on Friday, reports Christina Prignano at the Globe.
Don’t look now: Harvard grad students authorize strike
Yet another potential education strike on the horizon. From the Harvard Crimson: “Harvard’s graduate student union passed its strike authorization vote Friday by an overwhelming majority — with more than 90 percent of voters in support — granting its bargaining committee the power to call a strike when it deems necessary. Cheers erupted around 10:20 p.m. Friday in Emerson 210, where union members spent more than five hours counting the ballots.”
According to a report at WBUR, the Harvard Graduate Students Union represents close to 5,000 teaching and research assistants.
Baker concedes legal defeat, resubmits vape ban regulation
Now that didn’t hurt too much, did it? SHNS’s Matt Murphy (pay wall) and the Globe’s Dan Adams report that the Baker administration, reacting to two recent judicial setbacks, took steps on Friday to keep its retail ban on all vaping products in place by officially getting approval from the Public Health Council, as a superior court judge has said was required. The bottom: The vape ban remains.
The other ban: Hemp farmers say they face ruin due to state edict
Don’t forget there’s another ban out there, indirectly related to Gov. Charlie Baker’s vaping-products ban: The state’s crackdown on CBD products, specifically edible CBD products. It’s really hurting state hemp farmers, reports the Globe’s Dan Adams.
Warren’s ‘unforced error’
The Globe’s David Scharfenberg and the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld have pieces on U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s Medicare for All tax-revenue predicament. Scharfenberg says she’s definitely in a bind, but it’s a bind she can escape. Battenfeld says the bind is entirely the result of an ‘unforced error’ and he has his own escape-hatch suggestion: “The flip flop.”
A friendly sit-down in South Carolina?
Prompted by questions from Suffolk District Attorney Rachael Rollins, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren is expressing an openness to the idea of safe-injection sites for drug addicts, as she indicated in a wide ranging “sit-down” talk with Rollins in … South Carolina? The Herald’s Andrew Martinez has more on the early-primary-state chit-chat.
One thing in Warren’s favor: Biden’s ‘Zombie campaign’
U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren may be on the defensive over her Medicare for All problems. But they’re a walk in the park compared to the woes of Joe Biden. From New York Magazine: The Zombie Campaign U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren may be on the defensive over her Medicare for All problems. But they’re a walk in the park compared to Joe Biden’s woes. From New York Magazine: “The Zombie Campaign – Joe Biden is the least formidable front-runner ever. Will it matter?” And from the New York Times: “‘We’re Asking You to Dig Deep’: Biden Seeks to Steady Finances as Allies Fret.”
Pete Buttigieg is trying to step into the breach as the next Great Moderate Hope, as the Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky reports. But then there’s this from the NYT: “As Pete Buttigieg Courts Black Voters, His Sexuality Is a Hurdle for Some.”
Mitt Romney: No longer a ‘loser for life’
Both the New York Times and the Washington Post have pieces on the ongoing battle between President Trump and Mitt Romney, the Republican U.S. senator from Utah and the former Massachusetts governor who, until recently, looked like he was destined to be remembered as the “loser for life,” for, well, losing the presidential race in 2012.
For Republicans: To back or not to back Trump?
The Herald’s Lisa Kashinsky reports on how President Trump’s ground troops in New Hampshire are gearing up for battle, including handing out free cheeseburgers outside an Elizabeth Warren event in the Granite State. But the Globe’s Jeff Jacoby wonders if Republicans are merely committing political suicide by rallying around a president whose tenure in office has been marked by repeated and dramatic GOP setbacks at the national and state levels.
Sanchez taking job at Rasky Partners
Former state Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, once chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee before he was ousted from office last year, is taking a post at Rasky Partners, the communications and lobbying firm that also employs, among others, former Senate President Therese Murray, reports SHNS’s Michael Norton.
SHNS (pay wall — free trial subscription available)
Old North Church’s history is more than just one if by land, two if by sea
The Globe’s Brian MacQuarrie reports that leaders of Boston’s Old North Church have recently discovered there’s more to the church’s history than Paul Revere’s famous midnight ride in 1775, two wit: Its ties to Colonial-era slave smuggling and the building of its steeple.
Koh can learn a thing or two from John Kerry
Political columnist Peter Lucas at the Herald has some career advice for Dan Koh, who’s eyeing a possible Third Congressional District rematch against U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan: Take it easy. Be patient. After all, John Kerry didn’t win his first election either.
BPD officer bounced from post after cooperating a little too closely with ICE
The Boston Police Department’s liaison officer to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been removed from his role after revelations that he was getting a little too cooperative in tipping off the feds about undocumented immigrants. Shannon Dooling and Quincy Walters at WBUR have the reaction of Mayor Marty Walsh and other ‘happy hunting’ details, as does the Globe’s Milton Valencia.
Still balking: Kennedy not yet committed to climate-change debate
U.S. Sen. Ed Markey’s office has announced that a climate-change debate in the U.S. Senate race will be held on Nov. 10 – but U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III, Markey’s chief rival, is still balking at the details, preferring to hold the debate next year, reports Benjamin Kail at MassLive.
Fyi: Kennedy and Markey did share a stage over the weekend in Lynn, where both candidates made their cases in front of the Democratic City Committee. For the record, Gayla Cawley at the Lynn Item reports Markey seemed to be the crowd favorite.
Changing the political climate: Markey refunds $47K to fossil-fuel donors
Speaking of climate change, Benjamin Kail at MassLive also reports that U.S. Sen. Ed Markey is planning to refund $47,000 in campaign contributions from fossil fuel-connected executives and lobbyists, who Markey previously pledged not to take money from in the campaign.
Missing person alert: Calling State Police Col. Gilpin …
As expected, state trooper Andrew Patterson on Friday was suspended without pay for allegedly exposing himself (and masturbating) in front of a woman and kids before punching out the woman’s boyfriend at a Gillette Stadium concert earlier this year (NBC News) – and the Herald’s Wendy Murphy and the paper’s editorial board are wondering why State Police Col. Kerry Gilpin, head of the embattled agency, continues to remain silent amid all the controversies swirling around State Police.
Maybe a June primary is the answer?
The Globe’s Matt Stout reviews all the grousing surrounding the move by lawmakers for a pre-Labor Day primary election this year in Massachusetts – and the call by some to permanently move the primary to an earlier date, perhaps in June, instead of early September.
Healey, Pressley and others step up support for Roe Act
The Globe’s Stephanie Ebbert reports that Attorney General Maura Healey, U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley, and Boston City Councilors Michelle Wu and Lydia Edwards are featured in a new social-media campaign in support of the proposed Roe Act, the abortion-rights bill that “House members have resisted as extreme” and proponents believe is needed. Fyi: The ads are running in MassterList, among other social media sites. Fyi, II: Unions are holding a press conference today in support of the Roe Act. See our Happening Today section above.
Preservation tax credits: To tear down buildings?
This is a novel use of preservation tax credits. The Beverly City Council will take up a resolution tonight condemning the business practices of a development team that scored $2 million worth of preservation tax credits for buildings they now plan to raze, Eric Convey reports at the Salem News. The move comes just weeks before the city’s planning board prepares to take up the Depot Square II project next month.
Is Brockton – and its lawmakers – ready for rent control?
Did you know that close to 700 residents each year are arriving in Brockton from Boston, apparently in search of lower-cost housing? Those and other market forces are driving up rents in the City of Champions – and spurring increased talk of rent control, reports Ben Berke at the Enterprise. But the city’s lawmakers say the real solution is fixing up existing dilapidated housing units in Brockton.
Charles J. Ogletree Jr., a great man finally silenced
The Globe’s Jenna Russell has a sad story on Charles J. Ogletree Jr., who not long ago was a man with a “dazzling, dominating legal mind, a theorist and scholar internationally revered for his brilliance and compassion. He inspired generations of students as a Harvard Law School professor, including the young Barack and Michelle Obama.” He is now battling Alzheimer’s – and Alzheimer’s is winning.
TransitMatters: Our more-bang-for-the-buck regional rail plan
At CommonWealth magazine, James Aloisi and Josh Fairchild of Transit Matters outline their plan for a complete reset of the state’s approach to rail service: “Dollar for dollar, our plan for investment in a modern, electrified system with the type of trains we recommend will allow the MBTA to provide more than twice the level of train service to at least twice the number of passengers, whose trips can be expected to be about one-third faster than current trips.”
Sad sign of the times: Jewish groups ramp up security
From Rick Sobey at the Herald: “Greater Boston synagogues have boosted security and congregants are more on alert, area Jewish leaders told the Herald on the anniversary of the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history. The shooting last Oct. 27 killed 11 worshippers and wounded seven at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh.”
Unwind: Falmouth voters asked to foot $2.5M bill to take down shuttered turbines
The saga continues. Falmouth officials will ask voters to pony up $2.5 million at town meeting next month to dismantle and store two wind turbines a judge has ordered halted while the town tries to figure out what to do with them, Christine Legere reports at the Cape Cod Times.
Who pays? Bulletproof vests become flashpoint in New Bedford police contract clash
The head of the New Bedford Police union says the city dropped the ball by not securing a grant to pay for bulletproof vests for officers and is pushing back on the city’s argument that cops should foot the bill themselves out of their annual clothing allowance, Jennette Barnes reports at the Standard-Times.
Zero sum game? Amazon drops Braintree plan, maybe because of Revere
Never mind. Braintree Mayor Joseph Sullivan says a heavily debated plan to establish an Amazon distribution center there has been shelved, possibly because of the recently announced move by Amazon to take up space in the old Necco factory in Revere. Fred Hanson at the Patriot Ledger reads the tea leaves.
Launch Your Clinical Program in Australia: The Many Upsides of Going Down Under
Nucleus Network to Highlight Benefits of Conducting Early-Stage Clinical Trials in Australia during MassBio Event
Open House: Boston Common Master Plan
The Boston Parks and Recreation Department & the Friends of the Public Garden invite you to the first Boston Common Master Plan Open House on Oct. 29th between 5:30 & 8pm at the Bordy Theater, 216 Tremont Street. A short speaking program will begin at 6:30pm. The public will have the opportunity to provide meaningful feedback, which is incredibly important in shaping the future of the Common.
Boston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of the Public Garden
WorldBoston 10th Annual Consuls Reception
The Consuls Reception convenes the 60-member local Consular Corps and some 200 leaders from business, government, academia, and the arts for a lively evening of networking, hors d’oeuvres, and drinks – all against the sparkling backdrop of Boston Harbor by night. Ambassador Susan E. Rice, the former National Security Advisor and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, will provide remarks.
EdVestors’ 14th Annual School on the Move Prize Ceremony
EdVestors to present prestigious $100,000 School on the Move Prize. Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh, BPS Superintendent Cassellius to attend Oct. 31st ceremony that will recognize three finalist Boston schools for outstanding progress toward improving performance and announce the winner of the coveted award.
Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Resiliency Planning & Investment in Boston II
This event will bring together some of the Boston area’s key infrastructure providers to discuss progress made in climate-resilient planning, design, and implementation—and the work that still lies ahead. The panel will aim to explore strategies for supporting coordinated, regional efforts to improve resiliency in the face of growing climate impacts.
Today’s Headlines
Metro
Subway-like service to Brockton under study but could cost billions – Brockton Enterprise
BPL wipes out late fines for kids to boost their library use – Universal Hub
Massachusetts
Stockbridge grapples with balancing economic development, preservation – Berkshire Eagle
Two more factories in downtown Attleboro proposed to house apartments – Sun Chronicle
Lowell asks voters to accept Community Preservation Act – Lowell Sun
Nation
Biden: I know I’m the frontrunner in 2020 race – The Hill
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