Franklin, State House, and Beyond

Former Gov. Jane Swift (right) on Thursday named auditor candidate Anthony Amore (left) as the only Republican she would endorse in a statewide contest this fall, calling him "the most qualified and the most independent voice" in the race. [Chris Lisinski/SHNS]

FRANKLIN WEEK AHEAD

Monday, Sept 12.

Planning Board Meeting

5:14pm

Franklin Agricultural Comm. Agenda

7:00pm

Tuesday, Sept. 13

COA Meeting

10:00am

OPEB Trust Meeting

10:00am

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust

10:00am

Space Needs & Faciliteis Assessment Sub Committee Agenda

6:00pm

Design Review Commission Meeting

7:00pm

Wednesday, Sept. 14.

Metacomet Emergency Communications Center Agenda

9:00am

Charles River Pollution Control Agenda

3:00pm

Thursday, Sept. 15

Conservation Commission Meeting

7:00pm

STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND

Statewide Republican candidates, often notably without the support of elected GOP officials, this week begin the difficult work of trying to gain traction in a state where their party is on the verge of falling into obscurity. One-on-one matchups have been established for five of the six statewide offices on the ballot, but in scores of down-ballot contests Democrats are running unopposed and set up to serve as cogs in what could be a one-party state come January. The state's most popular Republican, Gov. Charlie Baker, has been a mainstay of statewide politics for many cycles but is staying on the sidelines this year, and moderate Republicans appear to be at risk of further losing their grasp on the handles of power. Former Rep. Geoff Diehl trailed Attorney General Maura Healey by 18 points in an early post-primary poll this week, but is bullish about poll results indicating he may be able to capitalize on unenrolled voters who make up the largest chunk of the electorate. On Beacon Hill, Democrats could be poised to strengthen their hand in the coming elections by delivering in full or in part on a $4 billion economic development bill that was cruising toward final passage in late July before the brakes were applied as lawmakers were blindsided by $3 billion in statutorily required, one-time tax relief stemming from an historic state tax revenue surplus. There's emerging bipartisan consensus that the Chapter 62F tax relief will be delivered, and Auditor Suzanne Bump could certify the final figure in the coming days. Democratic legislative leaders need to decide how much of the $4 billion bill, which they framed as critical to numerous sectors of the economy, to advance. And keep your eye on the House Ways and Means Committee, where chairman Rep. Aaron Michlewitz is working on a redraft of a $1.6 billion spending bill filed by Gov. Baker to close the books on fiscal 2022. The suite of decisions on the 62F tax relief, the fiscal 2022 closeout budget, and the economic development bill, which uses surplus revenues and American Rescue Plan Act funds, are all intertwined as policy and politics collide in election season.

Storylines in Progress

... MBTA officials are two-thirds of the way through their historic Orange Line closure and said Friday that crews have completed about 66 percent of the planned work. The next 10 days of work are critical to a safer and more reliable train service, and will coincide with a legislative oversight hearing that could feature testimony from federal regulators whose safety inspection has already triggered major changes in T operations ... President Biden visits Boston on Monday to deliver a speech about efforts to fight cancer and develop cures. The president will also deliver remarks about the new federal infrastructure law, which Massachusetts is aiming to leverage with its own $11.4 billion infrastructure law finalized last month ... Amid talk of a possible recession, rising interest rates and a cooling housing market, state officials on Friday release updated numbers on a sector of the economy that has been holding up well: the labor market. The state's low unemployment rate masks another problem though -- employers struggling to find workers ...

Sunday, Sept. 11, 2022

SEPT. 11 MEMORIAL: Gov. Charlie Baker is the keynote speaker as House Speaker Ronald Mariano hosts the families and friends of The Massachusetts 9/11 Fund for the annual commemoration honoring the memories of loved ones who died 21 years ago in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito will present the Madeline Amy Sweeney Award for Civilian Bravery. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., House Chamber | Livestream)

PRIMARY ANALYSIS ON 4: MASSterList columnist and WBZ political analyst Jon Keller breaks down Tuesday's primary election results, joined by guests Sen. Edwards of East Boston and Lisa Kashinsky of Politico. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)

DIEHL ON 5: Gubernatorial candidate Geoff Diehl is the guest on "On The Record" with Janet Wu and Sharman Sacchetti, followed by a roundtable discussion with analysts Mary Anne Marsh and Rob Gray. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)

SEPT. 11 MEMORIAL SERVICE: Gov. Charlie Baker is among those who will participate as Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund, Project 351 and Home Base host the annual 9/11 memorial project. Volunteers this year will build 750 care packages to be sent to deployed military personnel and veterans in need. Sen. Ed Markey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu also participate. Care package assembly starts at 11 a.m. and a speaking program takes place at 1 p.m. (Sunday, 11 a.m., Mother's Walk, Rose Kennedy Greenway between High and India streets, Boston)

ANTHONY AMORE'S SUNDAY: Republican candidate for auditor Anthony Amore attends the Melrose Victorian Fair at 11:45 a.m. (City Hall, 562 Main St.) and then stops by the Peabody International Festival at 1 p.m. (Italian American Citizens Club, 7 Blaney Ave.). (Sunday, 11:45 a.m., Multiple Locations)

FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL: Massachusetts Fallen Firefighters Memorial hosts its annual remembrance of firefighters who have lost their lives. A procession from Boston Common begins at 1:30 p.m. and the 2 p.m. ceremony honors firefighters from Billerica, Everett, Gloucester, Medford, Peabody, Scituate, Stoughton, Wakefield and the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts Executive Board. Treasurer Deborah Goldberg is expected to attend. (Sunday, 2 p.m., Ashburton Park, Boston)

Monday, Sept. 12, 2022

TUNNEL REOPENS: Sumner Tunnel, which carries thousands of motorists westbound from East Boston and Logan International Airport to downtown Boston and Interstate 93, reopens after a weekend closure. MassDOT is closing the 87-year-old tunnel to traffic for a total of 36 weekends as part of a $160 million project to perform major maintenance and rehabilitation work. (Monday, 5 a.m.)

SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT: Supreme Judicial Court hears two cases related to "various issues arising out of murder conviction" -- Commonwealth vs. Franklin Kapaia, and Commonwealth vs. Bampumim S. Teixeira. Teixeira was convicted in 2019 of the murders of two doctors at their South Boston home. He was removed from the courtroom earlier that day after threatening the wife of the prosecutor in the case, Assistant District Attorney John Pappas, who was confirmed this year as a Superior Court judge. (Monday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, Pemberton Square, Boston | Livestream)

GAMING COMMISSION - RACING: Mass. Gaming Commission holds a meeting focused on racing matters and an executive session. The commission will review and could vote on revisions made to a proposed new racing license application that could clear the way for a track developer to seek approval for live horse races (and with them, the ability to simulcast races from elsewhere and eventually seek a sports betting license) even before a track is built. Commissioners will also go into executive session to discuss a variety of legal matters. (Monday, 9:30 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

QUEEN ELIZABETH CONDOLENCES: British Consulate opens a condolence book for the late Queen Elizabeth II at Old North Church. While Old North is a symbol of the outbreak of revolution in Massachusetts which led to the American colonies' break from England, the queen worshiped in this church during her July 1976 visit to Boston. Condolence book will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. (Monday, 10 a.m., 193 Salem St., North End)

CONVENTION CENTER AUTHORITY: Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's Executive Committee meets to discuss master planning and to vote on the approval of a collective bargaining agreement with the 32BJ Union. (Monday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

CANNABIS MARKET PARTICIPATION: Market Participation Subcommittee of the Cannabis Advisory Board meets to discuss its meeting frequency and strategy, to talk about potential topics or priorities for future meetings, and to take input from members of the public. (Monday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

HEALTH CARE REGS: Bureau of Healthcare Safety and Quality, which is organized under the Department of Public Health, holds hearing via conference call on proposed regulatory amendments (801 CMR 4.02) to "lower program fees for Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) Programs and MIH with Emergency Department Avoidance (EDA) Programs." (Monday, 10 a.m., Dial (888) 390-5007, Passcode 2601865, Press *1 To Testify)

PRIMARY ELECTION DEBRIEF: Priorities For Progress holds a virtual debriefing on the Massachusetts primary elections with Danielle Allen, a Harvard professor and former candidate for governor; Will Keyser, political communications veteran and president of Keyser Public Strategies; and Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC Polling Group. (Monday, 11 a.m., Register)

HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate each plan to hold an informal session. (Monday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers | House Stream, Senate Stream)

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT TRUST: Treasurer Deborah Goldberg chairs a meeting of the Economic Empowerment Trust board. For access info, call 617-367-9333 ext. 613. (Monday, 12 p.m.)

EAST BOSTON FERRY: The MBTA begins a new ferry service between East Boston at Lewis Mall and Long Wharf in downtown Boston, reviving the program after success last spring. The MBTA offered the ferry service in the spring of 2022 as an alternative to shuttle buses when the Blue Line was down for tunnel maintenance. Approximately 1,750 daily riders rode the ferry during the diversion, prompting the legislature to fund a demonstration project in this year's state budget. The MBTA will analyze the project's ridership data to make decisions about the ferry service moving forward. "We're pleased to introduce that service," General Manager Steve Poftak said at a press event Friday. "It was one of the surprises of the Blue Line surge, the level of popularity with very little advance notice and very little promotion. I think we topped out at about 2,000 passengers on its best day." (Monday)

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Public Service begins to accept written testimony on H 5217 retirement classification of certain employees of the town of Belmont and H 5232 directing the Northampton Retirement Board to grant creditable service to William Dwight. Testimony will be accepted until 5 p.m. Tuesday. (Monday, More Info)

FOXBOROUGH RAIL SERVICE: MBTA starts a one-year pilot of weekday commuter rail service between South Station in Boston and Foxborough Station. The T had canceled the pilot in early 2020 due to the pandemic. The service launching Monday features 11 inbound and 10 outbound weekday trains between Foxborough and Boston on the Fairmount and Franklin commuter rail lines. More Info (Monday)

BIDEN IN MASSACHUSETTS: President Joe Biden is expected to make a speech in Massachusetts "on the unprecedented investments in his Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that are building a better America," the White House said. Details had not been announced as of Friday morning, but the presidential infrastructure speech -- which is certain to attract a who's-who of Massachusetts politicians and candidates of all stripes -- is planned to take place before Biden goes to the JFK Library to give a speech on the federal government's "moonshot" effort to combat cancer. (Monday)

BIDEN CANCER MOONSHOT: President Joe Biden will lay out his vision for a "moonshot" effort to end cancer as we know it at the John F. Kennedy Library on the 60th anniversary of President Kennedy's "moonshot speech" on the U.S. space program. Like most Americans, Biden has watched as cancer killed a loved one and as vice president he began an effort to marshal the resources and might of the federal government to turbocharge the search for a cure for the disease. An average of 37,499 Massachusetts residents were diagnosed with a cancer each year from 2013 through 2017 and an average of 12,803 Bay Staters died of cancer each year in that span, according to the most recent state cancer incidence report. The goals of Biden's cancer moonshot are to cut the cancer death rate in half over the next 25 years and to "improve the experience" of people living with cancer and their families, the White House said. White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre said that Biden's speech in Boston "will lay out that vision and provide an update on steps the Biden-Harris administration is taking to achieve this generation’s moonshot -- not only to end cancer as we know it, but to change people's lives, improving their health, and decreasing the burden of the disease." (Monday, Time TBA, JFK Library, Columbia Point, Dorchester)

Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022

MARINE FISHERIES REGS: Division of Marine Fisheries holds a virtual hearing on proposed draft regulations (322 CMR 6.03) to "set the 2022 recreational fishing limits for Gulf of Maine cod and haddock consistent with proposed federal rules" and emergency regulations (322 CMR 6.02) which "implemented recreational fishing limits for Southern New England cod." (Tuesday, 8 a.m., Register Here)

AUCHINCLOSS AT NEW ENGLAND COUNCIL: Congressman Jake Auchincloss addresses business leaders at the latest "Capitol Hill Report" breakfast hosted by the New England Council. Media are asked to RSVP by email to eheisig@newenglandcouncil.com. (Tuesday, 8:30 a.m., The Hampshire House, 84 Beacon St., Boston)

CANNABIS COMMISSION MEDIATION: Regulators and staff at the Cannabis Control Commission meet for an executive session related to the ongoing mediation regarding its governance. When the CCC voted in April to begin the mediation process, then-Chairman Steven Hoffman said that the CCC had spent its initial years "flying a plane while we're building it" and that it was time for the commission to more formally delineate the powers of the commissioners and those of the staff. The CCC is now chaired by former state Treasurer Shannon O'Brien. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

LOW PLATE LOTTERY DRAWING: Registry of Motor Vehicles holds its annual low-number license plate lottery drawing to pick the 196 people who will be able to get low-number plates like F7, 36, 78K, X44, 1S and 6666. The RMV said it got 21,663 applications for the plates. There is no fee to apply but there is a cost associated with transferring the winner's existing plate. By law, winners must be announced by Sept. 15. Winners have until the end of the year to swap their plates. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Livestream)

LGBT AGING: Massachusetts Commission on LGBT Aging holds its quarterly meeting. The agenda includes a budget update, a discussion of the monkeypox outbreak and a presentation on inclusive housing options. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

SEAL AND MOTTO - PUBLIC CONSULTATION: The behind-schedule Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth holds a meeting of its Subcommittee on Public Consultation. The agenda includes a guest speaker who will discuss getting local input about changing the state flag and a vote to recommend the commission convene public input sessions in November. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

WEYMOUTH FOOD PANTRY: Rep. James Murphy and Sen. Patrick O'Connor will celebrate the expansion of a partnership between the Weymouth Food Pantry and DoorDash's meal donation initiative, Project DASH, to increase food access on the South Shore. To date, the food pantry and Project DASH have collaborated to deliver almost 500 meal deliveries to homebound Weymouth residents. At Tuesday's event, a DoorDash delivery driver will make the first ceremonial delivery of the newly expanded program, with Rep. Murphy and Sen. O'Connor present to deliver remarks and celebrate. Rep. Murphy is expected to speak about food insecurity in the region.(Tuesday, 11 a.m., Weymouth Food Pantry, 40 East Reservoir Park Dr., Rockland)

UMASS DARTMOUTH LAB OPENING: Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito attends and speaks at the grand opening of the UMass Dartmouth Biodegradability Laboratory located in the School for Marine Science and Engineering in New Bedford. Tours of the lab will follow the speaking program. The event is not open to the public, but media can contact rmerrill1@umassd.edu for more info. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., SMAST East Lobby, 836 South Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford)

SEAL AND MOTTO - KEY TERMS: The behind-schedule Special Commission Relative to the Seal and Motto of the Commonwealth holds a meeting of its History and Usages Subcommittee . The agenda includes a guest speaker who will "present on term 'Commonwealth' as a potential key term for a new motto" and a vote to recommend key terms to the full commission. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Agenda and Access Info)

RESPONSIBLE GAMING ROUNDTABLE: Mass. Gaming Commission is expected to hold a roundtable discussion about sports betting with responsible gaming stakeholders. Researchers from the Social and Economic Impacts of Gambling in Massachusetts (SEIGMA) project at UMass Amherst this week told the commission that an estimated 13 to 20 percent (and rising) of the Massachusetts population bets on sports and that "[p]roblem and at-risk gambling is significantly higher among sports bettors, including in Massachusetts," though it was not clear that sports betting itself is a riskier activity than other gambling. As it has begun to implement the new legal sports betting law, the Gaming Commission has already held one roundtable with its existing licensees and plans a future meeting with potential mobile-only operators. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Agenda and Access Info)

Wednesday, Sept. 14, 2022

MBTA PLANNING AND WORKFORCE SUBCOMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Planning, Workforce Development and Compensation Subcommittee meets virtually to receive a human resources update and hold an executive session about collective bargaining. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

DA JAIL TOUR: Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan and new assistant district attorneys visit the Middlesex Jail & House of Correction "to ensure Middlesex prosecutors visit the correctional facilities in which individuals prosecuted by the office are placed." (Wednesday, 9 a.m., 269 Treble Cove Road, Billerica)

PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL: Public Health Council meets to vote on regulations related to the licensure of substance use treatment programs, license suitability requirements for long-term care facilities, and the control of radiation. Public Health Commissioner Margret Cooke gives an update that will likely touch upon a variety of topics like COVID-19, monkeypox, and West Nile virus and EEE. The council will also get presentations on flu vaccination at health care facilities since 2019 and health care-related infections at acute care hospitals. A determination of need request from New England Surgery Center, LLC for a significant change amendment to an approved project is also up for a vote. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - HOUSING MAGISTRATE: Governor's Council interviews Alex Valderrama, Gov. Baker's pick for clerk magistrate of the Eastern Division Housing Court. Valderrama has worked in the Eastern Housing Court since 2018 as chief housing specialist, according to his resume, a job that includes supervising six specialists, conducting mediations, training staff, and "dissolv[ing] tensions with irate court users." He previously worked in the Boston Housing Court as a housing specialist from 1999 to 2018, and worked four years in the '90s as a property manager for the Boston Housing Authority at Alice Taylor Apartments in Roxbury. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

MBTA OVERSIGHT HEARING: Officials from the Federal Transit Administration and the state Department of Public Utilities, MBTA Board of Directors Chair Betsy Taylor, and frontline workers have been invited to appear as witnesses as the Joint Committee on Transportation holds its second oversight hearing on the "issues related to deficiencies in safety management practices at the MBTA." Last week, after a months-long investigation into high-profile safety failures at the T, the FTA released a detailed report ordering immediate fixes at the T and DPU. "The combination of overworked staff and aging assets has resulted in the organization being overwhelmed, chronic fatigue for key positions in the agency, lack of resources for training and supervision, and leadership priorities that emphasize meeting capital project demands above passenger operations, preventive maintenance, and even safety," the FTA wrote of the T. At the committee's first oversight hearing in July, lawmakers pressed MBTA General Manager Steve Poftak and Transportation Secretary Jamey Tesler on the costs associated with interim FTA findings and the T's often opaque communications. This month, House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz said he expects the FTA safety investigation of the MBTA to require the state to spend somewhere "in the billions of dollars range." (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Hearing Room A-1 | Livestream)

SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT: Supreme Judicial Court Justice Wendlandt presides over a master's hearing in the case Graham & Others v. District Attorney For Hampden County. Hearing is also scheduled to take place Thursday. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Courtroom 2, Pemberton Square, Boston)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - PROBATE COURT: Governor's Council holds public hearing on the nomination of western Massachusetts attorney Diana Velez Harris to a Probate and Family Court judgeship. A 2002 New England School of Law graduate, Harris is a shareholder at Johnson, Sclafani & Moriarty in West Springfield, where she concentrates in divorce and family law, civil litigation, Housing Court, and mediation, according to her resume. She was previously a shareholder from 2011 to 2016 at Marien & Hodge in Springfield, and worked as an associate at Cooley, Shrair in Springfield from 2006 to 2011. She has taught family law courses as an adjunct at Elms College in Chicopee and at Holyoke Community College. If confirmed, Harris would fill the judicial vacancy left by the January retirement of Trial Court Chief Justice Paula Carey. (Wednesday, 10:30 a.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

MUNICIPAL FINANCE OVERSIGHT: Municipal Finance Oversight Board meets via conference call, with Auditor Bump as chair. Board plans to consider a request from the City of New Bedford for $36.8 million in state qualified bonds to cover various projects, including hurricane barrier improvements, acquisition and renovation related to the public schools central kitchen, and improvements to Turners Pond Dam and Sassaquin Pond. Agenda also includes general discussion of "long-range municipal fiscal stability." (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Dial (571) 317-3112, Access Code 523-087-245)

CULTURAL GRANTS: Mass Cultural Council celebrates dozens of cultural organizations in Western Massachusetts that have been awarded grants from this year's Cultural Facilities Funds. Grant winners include the Becket Arts Center in North Becket to add heating and cooling upgrades to the art center's home in its historic building, Double Edge Theatre Productions in Ashfield for renovations to the theater, and the Sterling & Francine Clark Art Institute in Williamstown to replace sections of the roof of its research center, among others. Award recipients will be joined by Mass Cultural Council Executive Director Michael Bobbitt, MassDevelopment President and CEO Daniel Rivera, Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Keiko Matsudo Orrall, and several state and regional elected officials. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Bombyx Center for Arts & Equity, 130 Pine Street, Northampton)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL: Governor's Council meets, and could vote on whether to confirm Worcester-area attorney Lawrence Army for a seat on the Probate and Family Court bench. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - WALTHAM MAGISTRATE: Governor's Council holds hearing on Gov. Baker's selection of Trial Court employee Elizabeth Cerda to receive a lifetime appointment as clerk magistrate of Waltham District Court. Cerda received her undergraduate degree from Universidad de Alcala de Henares in Madrid, Spain in 1994, and her resume says she is "bilingual and bicultural" in Spanish and English. Cerda has worked for the Trial Court since 2007, first as coordinator of intergovernmental relations, then as a special projects coordinator, and since 2019 as senior manager for access to justice. She spent eight years as a corporate associate at Boston law firm LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene and MacRae, clerked in the Superior Court from 1998 to 1999, and worked in the early '90s as a Spanish interpreter, legal translator, and English as a Second Language (ESL) adult education professor. She was an English teacher in Madrid from 1985 to 1993, earned her law degree from Suffolk in 1998, and received a "Pocket MBA for Lawyers" from Boston University in 2006. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)

MWRA BOARD: Mass. Water Resources Authority Board of Directors meets virtually and is planning to get a drought and reservoir status report, to get an update on the Metropolitan Water Tunnel Program, and to go into an executive session to talk about watershed land acquisition and a lawsuit. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Agenda and Access Info)

WORLDBOSTON CONSULS RECEPTION: WorldBoston hosts its 13th annual Consuls Reception, featuring keynote speaker Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. The Consuls Reception draws members of the Consular Corps from around the world, with the mission of celebrating international engagement and global cooperation. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Bruce C. Bolling Municipal Building, 2300 Washington Street., Roxbury)

SANTIAGO FUNDRAISER: Rep. Jon Santiago holds a political fundraiser. Suggested donations range from $50 for seniors or young professionals to $1,000 to be considered a host. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., SoWa Power Station Mezzanine, 550 Harrison Ave., Boston)

FIERCE URGENCY NOW!: Dozens of events will take place across Boston for The Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce's 5th annual Fierce Urgency Now! Festival from Wednesday through Saturday. The festival, hosted by City Awake, has a packed schedule every day to help connect young professionals of color across the city. A variety of organizations such as the Cannabis Control Commission and Afrimerican Culture Initiative Inc. will hold seminars and events on everything from strategies for building startup companies and creating your personal brand, to a "Backyard Bash" on the Boston Common. (Scheduling and Ticket Info)

Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022

MBTA AUDIT AND FINANCE SUBCOMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Audit and Finance Subcommittee meets virtually. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

GAMING REGS HEARING: Mass. Gaming Commission holds a public hearing on proposed regulation amendments related to access to commission records (rescinding the regulation), definitions (removing ones that are no longer used) and qualifier proceedings (correcting a citation). (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., More Info and Access)

LOTTERY CASHING LIMIT: State Lottery Commission holds remote public hearing on proposed regulatory amendments dealing with the cashing limit at Lottery regional offices and customer service centers (961 CMR 2.38). "The amendments will allow prize winners to claim up to and including $103,000.00 within their geographic region," according to the hearing notice. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Dial (972) 301-8269, Conference ID 186-394-969#)

CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION: Former state Treasurer Shannon O'Brien is expected to chair her first public meeting of the Cannabis Control Commission, having been tapped for the role by current Treasurer Deborah Goldberg earlier this month. A Democrat, O'Brien served as state treasurer from 1999 until 2003 and was the Democratic Party's nominee for governor in 2002 (she lost the general election to Mitt Romney). The commission's agenda is likely to include dozens of license renewals, provisions license applications, and final license applications. (Thursday, 10 a.m., More Info TBA)

CONVENTION CENTER AUTHORITY BOARD: Massachusetts Convention Center Authority Board meets. (Thursday, 10 a.m.)

HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate are each expected to hold an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers)

MBTA SAFETY, HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT SUBCOMMITTEE: MBTA Board of Directors Safety, Health and Environment Subcommittee meets virtually. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

GAMING REVENUE: Gaming Commission is due to report on gross gaming revenue and the state's corresponding take from August gambling. Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor together raked in nearly $100 million in gross gaming revenue in July with more than $27.6 million due to the state. Since June 2015, Massachusetts has collected more than $1.155 billion from casino-style gambling. (Thursday)

GAMING COMMISSION - SPORTS BETTING: Mass. Gaming Commission holds its second public meeting of the week, this one expected to focus mostly on sports betting implementation. The agenda is expected to include a discussion of the new sports betting law's allowance for a temporary licensure process, a second review of draft regulations around house rules that commissioners this week felt needed more work and a discussion of an interim policy related to how the commission will license the members of sports betting operators' executive staff. (Thursday, More Info TBA)

Friday, Sept. 16, 2022

SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT: Chief Justice Budd presides over a Supreme Judicial Court master's hearing in a case of around two dozen John Does vs. the Sex Offender Registry Board. (Friday, 10 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Courtroom 1, Pemberton Square, Boston)

RACIAL WEALTH GAP: Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce hosts the fourth free, virtual event of its series, The Racial Wealth Gap. The event will focus on strategies for building housing equity in Massachusetts. Professor of urban history, public policy and planning at MIT, Dr. Karilyn Crockett, executive director of MassHousing, Chrystal Kornegay, and executive director of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, John Smith are scheduled to speak. (Friday, 11:30 a.m., Register Online

AUGUST JOBLESS RATE: Preliminary August unemployment rate and jobs data are due to be released, as well as revised July information. In July, Massachusetts employers added 13,500 jobs and the statewide unemployment rate dropped by two-tenths of a percentage point to 3.5 percent. Massachusetts is still trying to get back to its pre-pandemic jobs count -- having lost 689,100 by April 2020, Bay State employers have since added back about 629,100 jobs. (Friday)