Franklin, State House, and Beyond

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After nearly a decade of chairing the state's health care system regulatory oversight body, Thursday is the last day of Dr. Stuart Altman's tenure as chairman of the Health Policy Commission Board.

FRANKLIN WEEK AHEAD

Tuesday, July 19

Charles River Pollution Control agenda

3:00pm

School Committee Agenda

6:00pm

Wednesday, July 19

EDC Meeting

5:45pm

Town Council Meeting

7:00pm

Thursday, July 20

Conservation Commission Meeting

7:00pm

STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND

.The universe of major bills that appear on a glide path toward Gov. Charlie Baker is coming into clearer focus each day, and perhaps the biggest of those bills is poised to land on his desk Monday, when Baker plans to be in Colorado meeting with Republican governors. House and Senate Democrats have again made Massachusetts the last state with an annual budget in place, but signaled Thursday that they have an agreement and just need a little more time to finalize details and will have a fiscal 2023 budget ready for votes on Monday, when both branches have scheduled formal sessions. A sweeping abortion rights bill was assigned Thursday to a conference committee and once the Senate passes its version of an omnibus economic development bill - their proposal is coming out on Monday - that legislation will also be routed to conference. A glut of conference committees have already been created, with House and Senate members just waiting for some of them to reach agreements on issues like sports betting, climate and energy policies, mental health care and cannabis industry operations. But with just two weeks before formal sessions end for the year, it's time to fret for proponents of other measures like sex education legislation, a sexting and revenge porn bill, checks on hospital expansions, and assorted prescription drug policy measures. Each of those topics has gotten through one branch but not the other. It's also the time of session where the parasite effect kicks in. Proponents of online Lottery wagering were able to convince the House this week to attach their proposal to the economic development bill, which should hit the Senate floor soon. And senators stuck a mandate for free or reduced MBTA fares for low-income riders to their infrastructure bill. Unable to move their ideas as standalone bills, supporters of other proposals are also desperately angling to glom their measures on to larger bills that they believe will reach the governor's desk. The strategy puts more chips on the table ahead of the wheeling and dealing among senior House and Senate Democrats who can trade priorities in late-session dealmaking. When the dust settles in early August, supporters of bills that come up short can point to whatever momentum they were able to achieve to position themselves in the 2023-2024 session, when many Democrats are convinced that one of their own -- Attorney General Maura Healey -- will hold the governorship and bring a new ideology to the governor's office on issues like abortion rights and gun control, for instance. As the News Service continues its gavel-to-gavel coverage of the session, keep an eye on which major bills legislative leaders choose to move next week since those may be the proposals where they are expecting vetoes or amendments from the governor and they need to leave themselves time to respond before the curtain closes on formal sessions for 2022.

Sunday, July 17, 2022

DRISCOLL ON 4: Lieutenant governor candidate Kim Driscoll, the mayor of Salem, talks with Jon Keller about the LG's role, housing, education, and her endorsement of gubernatorial candidate Maura Healey. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)

FISCAL 2023 BUDGET ACCORD: With votes planned for Monday, many are expecting the final details of a conference committee fiscal 2023 annual budget to emerge sometime Sunday. Legislative leaders gave no indication Friday about the timing of the budget release or planned for communicating what's in the bill, which could differ markedly from the proposals that cleared each branch once negotiators weave in revenues that were not forecast when they wrote their spending plans.

LOTTERY WEEK: Massachusetts Lottery, in collaboration with lotteries across the U.S. and Canada, kicks off the observance of National Lottery Week from July 17-23. The Mass. Lottery started Lottery Week in 2018 and it became a national week of acknowledgement of lotteries' work and impact on communities in 2019. The Lottery is running a series of promotions during the week and will use its social media channels to highlight themes, like helping cities and towns. "As we celebrate our 50th anniversary this year, National Lottery Week is a great opportunity to express our appreciation for our customers, retailers and communities, all of whom share in our success," Mass. Lottery Interim Executive Director Mark William Bracken said. (Sunday)

BAKER TO ASPEN: Gov. Charlie Baker travels from Las Vegas to Aspen, Colorado, where he will attend a meeting of the Republican Governors Association. (Sunday)

Monday, July 18, 2022

STATE HOUSE CAFE IS BACK: The fourth-floor State House Cafeteria is back open Monday, following a soft opening last Friday. A convenient stop for building employees and visitors, and often a gathering place for informal chats or a staging area for activists, the cafe was shuttered for much of the pandemic. Menu is limited this week as deliveries are still arriving, but iced and hot coffee is flowing and Chef Dave is dreaming up some culinary creations. (Monday, 8 a.m., Room 440)

CONSUMER PROTECTION TESTIMONY: The Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure accepts written testimony on six bill (H 4992, H 4993, H 4957, H 495, H 4923, H 4913), including two liquor license requests in Williamstown. One of Rep. William Galvin's bills would prohibit a purchaser of a motor vehicle from securing financing from a source other than the motor vehicle dealer, and Rep. Sally Kerans has a bill related to the inspection and certification of modular homes. More Info (Monday, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.)

LEADERS MEET BY PHONE: Gov. Charlie Baker speaks on the phone with House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka and other legislative officials for an adapted semi-regular leadership meeting, an increasingly rare event. Baker is in Colorado but will participate by phone. (Monday, 10 a.m.)

MBTA OVERSIGHT HEARING: In the aftermath of a scathing report from the Federal Transit Administration about MBTA safety, the Joint Committee on Transportation holds an oversight hearing to "examine issues related to deficiencies in safety management practices at the MBTA." Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler and MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak are expected to testify as the initial witnesses in the committee's examination of "deficiencies in safety management practices at the MBTA," chairmen Rep. William Straus and Sen. Brendan Crighton said. Gov. Baker, who made the T a focus of the early years of his administration after taking office during the snowy winter of 2015, will be meeting with Republican governors in Colorado during the hearing. The Transportation Committee said Friday morning that it got the first round of documents it requested from MassDOT and the MBTA late Thursday. The hearing will be livestreamed with in-person participation taking place in the State House's Gardner Auditorium. More Info (Monday, 10 a.m., Gardner Auditorium)

HOUSE FORMAL: House meets in a formal session with roll call votes starting at 1 p.m. Ways and Means Committee chairmen Rep. Michlewitz and Sen. Rodrigues announced Thursday that the budget conference committee struck an agreement to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the nearly $50 billion fiscal year 2023 state budget (H 4701 / S 2915), and said the plan was for the two branches to pass the compromise budget Monday. The branches adopted budgets with similar spending levels -- $49.76 billion in the House and $49.92 billion in the Senate -- but the two bills took different approaches to that spending and each branch included its own suite of policy proposals. The House will get the compromise budget first and the Senate is also meeting in a formal session Monday, so there's a good chance the branches pass the budget bill back and forth throughout the day. Fiscal year 2023 began July 1 and Massachusetts is operating with a temporary budget until a permanent one is finalized. (Monday, 11 a.m., House Chamber and Livestream)

SENATE DEMS CAUCUS: Ahead of a formal session that is expected to feature an up-or-down vote on a compromise fiscal year 2023 state budget, the Senate's 37 Democrats plan to meet for a virtual caucus. (Monday, 12 p.m.)

SENATE FORMAL: Senate meets in a formal session with the expectation that the overdue fiscal year 2023 budget will be ready for an up-or-down vote. The budget conference committee announced Thursday that it struck an agreement to resolve the differences between the House and Senate versions of the nearly $50 billion budget (H 4701 / S 2915), and said the plan was for the two branches to pass the compromise budget Monday. The branches adopted budgets with similar spending levels -- $49.76 billion in the House and $49.92 billion in the Senate -- but the two bills took different approaches to that spending and each branch included its own suite of policy proposals. The conference budget will have to pass the House first and it's likely that the branches will spend time Monday handing the budget back-and-forth to pass it, put an emergency preamble on it and then formally send it to Gov. Baker's desk. Baker's 10-day review window would end around July 28, depending upon when it actually reaches his desk. Legislators are leaving themselves only a short window just before the July 31 end of formal sessions to override any potential vetoes or to address gubernatorial amendments while weighing a crush of other business. (Monday, 1 p.m., Senate Chamber and Livestream)

MARKEY DEMANDS EXPANSION: U.S. Sen. Ed Markey joins a handful of U.S. representatives and advocates to demand an expansion of the U.S. Supreme Court.

LABOR COMMITTEE TESTIMONY: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development is accepting written testimony online until 5 p.m. on Tuesday on a bill filed by Rep. Chan, (H 4912) to provide collective bargaining rights to employees of the mosquito control projects and mosquito control districts. More Info (Monday)

BOND SALE TO COVER UI: The state plans to issue $2.7 billion in special obligation revenue bonds to repay outstanding federal advances for unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic and make a deposit in the unemployment insurance trust fund to keep rates on employers down as the state looks to replenish the UI fund that was depleted during the pandemic. The sale stems from a 2021 law to stabilize the unemployment insurance system. Massachusetts received $2.268 billion in federal advances following the spike in unemployment in 2020 that resulted from the business restrictions put in place after the initial onset of COVID-10. Lawmakers applied $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to repay the federal advance, and roughly $1.768 billion remains outstanding. The balance of the bond sale proceeds will go to the UI trust fund to "help the Commonwealth to better manage the state unemployment tax rates for employers and finance unemployment insurance benefits to reduce economic hardship for those who have lost their jobs," Treasurer Deb Goldberg and other officials said. (Monday)

BAKER AT RGA: Gov. Charlie Baker is in Aspen, Colorado, for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association, a group dedicated to electing and reelecting GOP governors. (Monday)

NATURAL HAIRSTYLES BILL COULD GET TO GUV: The Senate needs to take one final vote to send legislation prohibiting discrimination against natural and protective hairstyles to Gov. Baker's desk, an action that could come as soon as Monday. After the bill languished in limbo for several months, both branches agreed Thursday on an updated version (H 5028) and the House enacted it. The new text would prohibit schools and school athletic organizations from limiting student participation based on "a hairstyle that is historically associated with race," and it would also define protective hairstyle as including braids, locks, twists, Bantu knots and hair coverings. When the Senate unanimously approved an earlier version of the bill in March, Sen. Lydia Edwards -- who is Black -- said it "is finally a statement that Black women have needed to hear for so long." (Monday)

SENATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILL: Senate Democrats plan on Monday to release their version of an economic development bill, after the House this week approved a $4.2 billion proposal that uses state bonding, budget surplus funds, and American Rescue Plan Act funds. The bill will likely clear the Senate later in the week.

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

BACK TO TAXACHUSETTS? Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios and senior fellow Charles Chieppo lead a discussion about their new book "Back to Taxachusetts?" The book summarizes 24 studies conducted by the institute that attempt to document what they believe will be the negative consequences of a ballot question backed by the Legislature to amend the Constitution and add a surtax of 4 percent on all annual household income over $1 million. The discussion is expected to focus on evidence used by Stergios and Chieppo to argue that the tax will cause homeowners, retirees and small business owners to leave Massachusetts, having a negative impact on the economy. The virtual event is hosted by the Massachusetts High Technology Council. A question-and-answer session will follow the presentation and all attendees will receive a complimentary copy of the book. (Tuesday, 8 a.m., Register)

MBTA BOARD MEETS: MBTA Board of Directors meets virtually one day after the agency's general manager and the state transportation secretary participate in a legislative oversight hearing examining problems at the T. Agenda topics include an update on the Federal Transit Administration's safety management inspection, discussion of fare-free bus routes, and a collective bargaining agreement authorization. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

SEAL AND MOTTO COMMISSION: A special commission investigating the official state seal and motto convenes its monthly standing meeting. The panel will hear reports from its public consultation and research and design subcommittees and a report from chairs on state symbols. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Access Info TBD)

SUBBASWAMY SUCCESSOR SEARCH: The 20-member search committee tasked by the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees with finding the next chancellor of the flagship campus in Amherst holds its first meeting. Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy announced last month that he plans to retire at the end of June 2023 and the board has launched a nationwide search for his successor. UMass said the search process will start with the collection of input from various interested parties "in the coming months." The search group will develop a pool of candidates to submit to UMass President Marty Meehan, who will make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. Trustee Victor Woolridge, a UMass Amherst alumnus and current chair of the UMass Building Authority, will chair the search committee. Search firm Isaacson Miller has been hired to assist with the recruitment process, UMass said. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Agenda and Access)

MBTA BUS REDESIGN OPEN HOUSE: MBTA staff host an open house event in Boston to receive feedback on a proposed new bus network map. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington St., Roxbury | More Info)

LABOR COMMITTEE TESTIMONY: The Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development is accepting written testimony online until 5 p.m. on a bill filed by Rep. Chan, (H 4912) to provide collective bargaining rights to employees of the mosquito control projects and mosquito control districts. More Info (Tuesday, 5 p.m.)

BAKER AT RGA: Gov. Charlie Baker is in Aspen, Colorado, for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association, a group dedicated to electing and reeelecting GOP governors (Tuesday)

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

NECEC APPEALS HEARING: Maine's Board of Environmental Protection meets to consider appeals of permits issued to construct the New England Clean Energy Connect project, a transmission corridor that Massachusetts had hoped could deliver hydroelectric power from Quebec. Maine voters last year retroactively rejected the project and a judge ruled that the new law essentially prohibiting the project could take effect, over the legal objections of developers. The energy infrastructure project was to play a critical part in Massachusetts' climate and energy portfolio. Baker said last year that he was talking about a "plan b" with project developers, but has not publicly identified that plan since. The board will consider whether to allow a hearing on two appeals to the state's issuance of permits for the $1 billion corridor project, but there is also a parallel court proceeding that could ultimately determine the fate of the project. The board is meeting over two days -- if it votes not to hold a hearing on the appeals, the board will continue to day two and consider "a possible vote and decision on the merits of the consolidated appeals," the Maine Department of Environmental Protection said. Agenda and Access (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Augusta Civic Center, 76 Community Drive, Augusta, Maine)

MASSDOT BOARD MEETING: Department of Transportation Board of Directors meets virtually. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - PAROLE BOARD: Governor's Council holds public hearing on whether to reappoint Parole Board member Colette Santa. Santa was nominated for a second term by Gov. Baker on May 25. Prior to her term on the board, Santa worked for the board as its chief of transitional services and was a deputy superintendent in the Massachusetts Department of Correction. Much of her earlier career was in Puerto Rico's correctional system. Her council interview, initially scheduled for July 6, has been twice postponed. Council sources say witnesses are expected to testify in opposition. Councilor DePalo chairs the hearing. (Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

SENATE DEMS CAUCUS: On a day with no sessions planned, the Senate's Democrats will meet for a hybrid caucus. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Senate Reading Room and virtual)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL: Governor's Council meets and could vote on whether to confirm two of Gov. Baker's nominees: Superior Court candidate Claudine Cloutier and District Court candidate Jason Yu-Ting Chan. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - DISTRICT COURT: Governor's Council holds public hearing on Gov. Baker's District Court judicial nominee Christopher Henry, who previously led the state office that regulates ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft. Henry has spent the past two years as general counsel at the state Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, following six years at the Department of Public Utilities where he rose to the position of chief of staff. Henry wrote in his resume that as director of the DPU's Transportation Network Company (TNC) Division, he promulgated and implemented regulations "which set out the most thorough TNC driver background check process of any state in the country." He also worked as division counsel to DPU's Transportation Oversight Division. As a Suffolk County prosecutor from 2011 to 2014, he prosecuted felony and misdemeanor cases in Chelsea District Court and Boston Municipal Court with an average caseload above 200, was assigned as Chelsea's Safe Neighborhood Initiative prosecutor, and supervised the Mental Health Session at Boston Municipal Court, according to his resume. He graduated Suffolk Law in 2010. If confirmed, Henry would fill the vacancy left by the late Judge Gregory Flynn, who retired as first justice of Waltham District Court in December 2021 and died in January. Councilor Devaney chairs the hearing. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

HIGHER EDU COMMISSIONER SEARCH: The advisory council searching for the state's next higher education commissioner meets. A previously-presented timeline of the commissioner search suggested that July 28 could be set as a soft application deadline, and officials said the Board of Higher Education could vote on an appointment the week of August 29, with the new commissioner beginning in early October. Commissioner Carlos Santiago announced in January that he would step down. While he originally said he intended to leave at the end of June, Board of Higher Education Chairman Chris Gabrieli has said Santiago "is amenable to providing us service for as long as we seek it, through at least the end of the year." (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Zoom)

GREENWAY RIBBON-CUTTING: Elected and administration officials attend a ribbon-cutting ceremony for North Meadow on the Greenway, the newest park space added to the Rose Kennedy Greenway. Speakers include Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler, North End Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, Boston City Council President Ed Flynn, and City of Boston Chief of Planning Arthur Jemison. (Wednesday, 3 p.m., North Meadow on the Greenway, between North Washington Street, Anthony "Rip" Valenti Way and Beverly Street, Boston)

GOP GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE: Republican candidates for governor Geoff Diehl and Chris Doughty will square off in their first, and maybe only, debate of the primary when they appear together on conservative talk show host and Boston Herald columnist Howie Carr's radio show. Doughty agreed to appear with Diehl on Carr's show with the host as moderator despite Carr's stated support for Diehl. The Wrentham businessman, however, has conditioned his participation in another WRKO debate with host Jeff Kuhner on Diehl agreeing to a live televised debate hosted by NECN or another station. Diehl has not accepted NECN's offer to debate on television, and his campaign has said he would only agree to the two radio debates. Kuhner has formally endorsed Diehl for governor and made appearances with him on the campaign trail. The Carr debate is being sponsored by the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, and can be heard statewide on stations that carry Carr's syndicated show or watched online. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., WRKO-680)

BAKER RETURNS: Gov. Charlie Baker plans to return to Massachusetts in the evening after a five-day trip with First Lady Lauren Baker first to Las Vegas and then to Aspen, Colorado, for a meeting of the Republican Governors Association. (Wednesday)

FINANCE DEADLINE FOR LEGISLATIVE CANDIDATES: House and Senate candidates must identify donors during the period spanning April through June and file quarterly deposit reports by a Wednesday deadline.

Thursday, July 21, 2022

SENATE FORMAL: Senate meets in a formal session. Though President Spilka's office did not indicate a topic of Thursday's formal, senators could take up the economic development bill that leadership intends to unveil Monday. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Senate Chamber)

MANCHESTER RAIL TRAIL MEETING: MassDOT staff host a virtual public meeting to present the design for the Manchester Rail Trail project in Lawrence, which seeks to redevelop the rail corridor into a shared-use path. (Thursday, 7 p.m., More Info)

Friday, July 22, 2022

STRETCH CODE HEARING: Department of Energy Resources holds the first of three planned public hearings to accept comments on its draft language for state building code changes that it hopes will encourage builders to shift away from fossil fuel heating in favor of electrification. The Baker administration expects that its stretch energy code and specialized municipal opt-in code will save an estimated 500,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2030 with "no-to-minimal costs" to new construction, and $21 billion in construction and operating lifecycle costs. Updating the existing stretch code and creating a new net-zero specialized stretch code for cities and towns to adopt is one of the more technical but meaningful steps Massachusetts is planning to take to be net-zero by the middle of the century, but some Democrats and many advocates have said the Baker administration's plans do not go far enough. More Info (Friday, 9:30 a.m., Division of Fisheries and Wildlife field headquarters, 1 Rabbit Hill Road, Westborough)

JUNE JOBLESS RATE: Preliminary June unemployment rate and jobs data are due to be released, as well as revised May data. The unemployment rate dropped to 3.9 percent in May as Massachusetts employers added 5,500 jobs. Massachusetts has added nearly 615,000 jobs since the depths of the pandemic in April 2020, but total employment still trails pre-pandemic levels. (Friday)

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