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State senators are ready to vote on their “fun agenda,” a package of ideas some in the chamber say would liven up Massachusetts — happy hours and later last calls, cheaper resale concert tickets, a boost to outdoor recreation, and more international soccer.
House Speaker Ron Mariano’s list would be a bit different.
“A lot of bingo, and fortune-telling,” Mariano told reporters Wednesday, laughing when MASSterList asked what he’d put on his fun agenda.
The consensus was that the speaker was joking ("ribbing reporters" could maybe be another bullet-point on his own version of a fun agenda). And he's been known to trot out a soothsayer quip before: Knocking a late-moving Senate redraft of a substance use and addiction bill in July 2024, Mariano referenced a mentalist popular on late-night TV in the 1970s: "I'm not Kreskin. I can't vision this stuff and respond to it."
But put that aside for a moment. There is fortune-teller policy pending in the House that — like so many other under-the-radar bills — has been floating for months in a state of legislative limbo after winning an initial approval vote earlier in the session.
The House last August advanced a Rep. Susannah Whipps bill that would repeal a residency requirement for fortune tellers. Fortune tellers in Massachusetts are licensed by local officials, and state law requires them to live in the city or town where they practice for at least a year before applying for the license.
There have been bids to drop the residency requirement for decades, though they've yet to prove successful. In 2000, the bill sponsor was Sen. Stan Rosenberg, who'd become Senate president 15 years later. CommonWealth Beacon reported at the time that Rosenberg filed the bill when a Northampton psychic was denied a license because of the rule, and he speculated that the requirement had its roots in a suspicion of fortune tellers who traveled from town to town.
As for bingo, a Senate bill that would give an official green light to small-stakes wagering on bingo and card games at senior centers died in a committee’s study order last December. So it doesn’t look like any legislative action is in the cards on that one.
What’s on your fun agenda? Let me know at [email protected].
Healthcare workers continue to suffer assaults and other incidents of workplace violence. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Division of 1199SEIU, the Massachusetts Emergency Nursing Association and the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians have come together to support meaningful, measurable and enforceable legislation addressing workplace violence in our healthcare facilities. Pass H.4767 - Learn more.
HAPPENING TODAY
9:00 | MassHousing employees and SEIU Local 888 rally outside the headquarters of the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency, calling on the agency "to bargain fairly and open its books on how it treats its workforce." MassHousing is currently facing questions of alleged fraud and conflict of interest in its Gateway Cities program, after The Boston Globe published a Spotlight story alleging mismanagement in the program. "Workers say the two are connected," a release from the union said, with leadership focused "on their own interest not those of workers or the public" | 1 Beacon St., Boston
12:00 | Lt. Gov. Driscoll and Boston Mayor Wu speak at a rally hosted by Boston City Councilor At-Large Ruthzee Louijeune and community leaders calling for immediate action to protect Temporary Protected Status for Haitians | City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square, Boston
5:30 | Governor's Council holds a hearing on Gov. Healey's nomination of Lisa McCormack to the Probate and Family Court | Livestream
6:00 | MassDOT holds an in-person design public hearing to discuss the Sagamore Bridge Replacement Project in Bourne. MassDOT will also provide a "brief update" on the status of the Bourne Bridge project | Bourne High School, 75 Waterhouse Road, Bourne | More Info
6:00 | Department of Conservation and Recreation holds a "design development" public meeting on Leo M. Birmingham Park in Brighton | Zoom
6:30 | Massachusetts Republican State Committee meets. The agenda includes reports from the National Committeewoman Janet Fogarty and Committeeman Brad Wyatt, as well as addresses from candidates | Irish Cultural Center, 200 New Boston Dr., Canton
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Program Analyst, Massachusetts Housing Partnership |
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FROM BEACON HILL
INSURANCE HIKES: Double-digit health insurance premium increases are on track for nearly 700,000 Massachusetts residents who get their health insurance through the merged market. That's after state regulators rejected one carrier's steeper proposal and negotiated down several of the increases. | State House News Service
HOUSE ABORTION BILL: The Massachusetts House voted 119-33 to pass a bill loosening restrictions abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy. | WBUR
THE MIGHTY JUNGLE: Members of the state's Congressional delegation weigh in on a "jungle primary" ballot question that would shift Massachusetts to a system where all candidates run on one primary ballot and the top two vote-getters advance. One notable split: U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton supports it, while Sen. Ed Markey opposes. | Boston Globe
NEWS NEXT DOOR
CHIEF OUT: Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara says she's being forced out of the job and has filed a harassment complaint against town manager Thomas Calter. McNamara in 2022 brought attention to the death of Sandra Birchmore, who had participated in a police department youth program, by announcing internal affairs findings against three officers. An acting chief is now in place. | Boston 25 News
OPIOID MONEY: Cities and towns have spent only a fraction of the opioid settlement money they've received since 2023. In communities that have spent the funds, some of the uses include police van upgrades, vape detectors for school bathrooms and stadium lighting. | WCVB
COUNCIL HEALTH: Boston City Councilor Julia Mejia, who collapsed at a meeting earlier this month, says she has a heart condition. Another councilor, Henry Santana, was hospitalized after seeking care last week. | Boston Herald
LOTTO WINNERS AND LOSERS: Wellfleet officials have concerns about the formula the state uses to distribute lottery revenue as local aid, which they say doesn't meet the needs of seasonal communities. | WCAI
TENTH MIDDLESEX: Rep. John Lawn, a Watertown Democrat, and primary challenger Newton City Councilor Alison Leary sparred over each other's campaign finances, endorsements and housing policy in a heated candidate forum. | Newton Beacon
Colorectal cancer is largely treatable and preventable. Mass General Brigham is encouraging routine screening for patients over age 45 with a wide range of test options. Our providers treat every patient interaction as a chance to educate and offer screening.
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Public Affairs Manager, Bentley University
Director, Toxics Use Reduction Institute, UMass Lowell
Legislative Affairs Manager, MassHousing
Legislative Coordinator, Massachusetts Municipal Association
Managing Editor, CommonWealth Beacon
Chief Financial Officer, Barnstable County Sheriff’s Office
Court Administrator, MA Supreme Judicial Court
Executive Director, LivableStreets Alliance
Organizing Director, City Life/Vida Urbana
Senior Counsel – Workers’ Compensation and Employee Benefits, Massachusetts Water Resources Authority
Capital Projects & Procurement Manager, MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
