People, Power, and Politics

Moments after he secured the job with unanimous support, the incoming chancellor for UMass Amherst set his sights on working together with other universities to build up "the competitiveness of the commonwealth." The University of Massachusetts system's trustees confirmed the selection of Javier Reyes as the next top leader at the flagship campus. UMass President Marty Meehan's recommended Reyes for the job on Wednesday. "This is a pretty historic selection, and since the release went out yesterday, I've heard nothing but a buzz and excitement from folks who have reached out across the state, from the campus to alumni," said UMass trustee Jose Delgado.—State House News Service

FRANKLIN

Tues. Feb. 21

COA Meeting (POSTPONED ONE WEEK)

10:00am

COA Meeting (POSTPONED ONE WEEK)

10:00am

Open Space and Recreation Plan Public Hearing 1

6:00pm to 8:00pm

Weds. Feb 22

Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting

6:00pm

Thurs, Feb 23

Open Space and Recreation Plan Meeting

6:00pm to 7:00pm

Conservation Commission Meeting

7:00pm

STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND

This [past] week's leadership and committee assignments clear a path for significantly more activity in the six-week-old session, but probably not until after school vacation week. Gov. Maura Healey has put three time-sensitive bills (H 47, H 51, H 52) before lawmakers -- each of which are candidates for early action this session -- and the formation of standing and joint committees will permit those bills and others to get public hearings and perhaps begin moving through the Legislature. Healey said this week that she's putting finishing touches on her fiscal 2024 budget bill and a tax package that is expected to provide targeted relief to certain populations. Those two bills are scheduled to land on March 1, after school vacation week, and will trigger budget hearings leading up to the House's consideration in April of a redrafted version of Healey's budget. The Senate's annual budget debate occurs in May. The Boston City Council will help fill the policy void next week with a hearing on a controversial effort, which would require clearance from Beacon Hill, to bring back rent control. Healey says solving the housing crisis is a priority, but has not signaled if she supports the idea offered by Mayor Michelle Wu. Steep rent increases are making life tough for tenants and making the state less attractive for employers, but there's no consensus on whether rent regulation is the best approach or whether other measures should be taken to boost housing supply. The virtual hearing will be held by the Government Operations Committee chaired by Hyde Park Councilor Ricardo Arroyo, who also represents Mattapan, Readville and Roslindale residents.

Committees Starting Up Operations

With committee rosters now filled out (Senate Democrats | House Democrats | House Republicans), the early-session organizational work is nearly complete. But before those committees can hit full stride, they have a bit more administrative business to attend to in addition to their members getting to know each other and, in some cases, the new chairpeople. Each joint standing committee has four weeks from its appointment to adopt a set of rules that will govern the committee's conduct for the session. The rules differ from committee to committee, but they generally all address the same things: how the chairs will schedule bills for hearings, who will chair those hearings, the manner in which testimony will be accepted, and how the committee will vote to report bills out to the House and/or Senate or discharge them to other committees. In most cases, the committee chairs are empowered to jointly assemble the hearing schedule, and joint rules call for each committee to submit to the clerks "a schedule for committee hearings to be held from the beginning of the first annual session through the fourth Wednesday in June in said session." Like committee rules themselves, those hearing schedules are supposed to be available to the public on the Legislature's website but not all committees follow through and submit a full schedule to the clerks. Committees can always put additional hearings on the calendar. The co-chairs are often given the power to "use their discretion in scheduling the order of bills to be heard," "group legislation by category," or to schedule hearings "according to subject matter," based on a review of the committee rules from last session on file with the House clerk's office (in some cases they are the same rules used the previous session). The ability to determine the order in which bills come before their committee gives co-chairs a bit of power over the agendas of the House and Senate since most legislation that comes up for a vote gets vetted first by at least one committee. The order in which a committee schedules its bills for hearings can sometimes offer insight into the priorities of the chairs or the legislative leaders who picked the chairs. After a committee has taken testimony on a bill, it generally has two options for reporting it out: the chairs can schedule an executive session of the committee or can decide instead to poll committee members, usually by email. The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security last session allowed the chairs to poll members "in concert with or in lieu of an executive session," and some committees allow for a poll if a member or members request one. Some committees write specific timelines for polls into their rules. The Joint Committee on Education required last session that polls "shall remain open for 24 hours or until such time as all members have responded to the poll" and the Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs required that members be notified 48 hours in advance of a poll. Other committees, like the Joint Committee on Transportation, require only that members have "a reasonable amount of time, as determined by the chairs" to vote in polls. Electronic polls have become the most common way for committees to advance legislation in recent years and few committees publicize them in the same way many used to with in-person executive sessions, which can leave those not on the inside in the dark. -- Colin A. Young

Sunday, Feb. 19, 2023

BICKFORD ON 4: State Democratic Party's outgoing chairman, Gus Bickford, talks with Jon Keller about the party's past and future, its inability to bring down former Gov. Baker, and potential renomination of Joseph Biden for president. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)

PRESSLEY ON 5: Congresswoman Pressley is the guest on a special Black History Month edition of "On The Record," talking about key issues for Black and Brown residents. Ed Harding and Jessica Brown host. A roundtable discussion follows with Boston Globe columnist Adrian Walker and political analyst Mary Anne Marsh. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)

Monday, Feb. 20, 2023

PRESIDENTS DAY FESTIVAL: "Washington's Birthday" under federal law, Monday marks the holiday popularly known as Presidents Day. At Columbia Point, the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum hosts a Presidents Day Festival featuring reenactors who portray Presidents John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Abraham Lincoln, and First Lady Abigail Adams. After listening to the historical figures, attendees can ask them in-character questions. And because 2023 will mark the 60th anniversary of the end of the Kennedy administration, the museum will showcase performances of Kennedy campaign songs and host tours that highlight the Bay Stater's 1961-1963 time in the White House. In addition to in-person attendance, a virtual streaming option is available. (Monday, 11 a.m., Kennedy Museum, Columbia Point, Boston | More Info)

Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023

SALEM TRIAL: Testimony begins in trial of two defendants charged with the July 4, 2020, murder of 35-year-old Noe Hernandez of Lynn. The case is prosecuted by the office of new Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker, a former state representative. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Courtroom J, Salem Superior Court, Salem)

SALEM HEARING: A status hearing is held in the case of an Alabama man charged with murder in connection with the 1988 death of Melissa Tremblay of Salem, N.H., whose body was found in Lawrence. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Courtroom K, Salem Superior Court, Salem)

IWO JIMA DAY: Marine Corps League hosts Iwo Jima Day ceremonies to honor veterans of the Pacific Theatre battle fought 78 years ago. This marks a return for the annual event, which was last hosted in 2020 prior to the pandemic. "There are only a few veterans of Iwo Jima still living. We request that you attend this event to honor them," John MacGillivray of the Marine Corps League wrote in a memo to lawmakers this month. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Memorial Hall)

HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate hold informal sessions to start the four-day week. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers | House Livestream | Senate Livestream)

Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2023

BOSTON RENT CONTROL HEARING: Boston City Council's Government Operations Committee, chaired by Councilor Arroyo of Hyde Park, holds online-only hearing on a proposed home rule petition "authorizing the City of Boston to implement rent stabilization and tenant eviction protection." Other members of the committee are Councilors Louijeune (vice chair), Worrell, Mejia, Bok, Coletta, and Flaherty. Hearing is facilitated over Zoom for anyone who wants to speak, but the committee will only make Zoom link available to people who email Christine O'Donnell at christine.odonnell@boston.gov. Written testimony can also be sent to O'Donnell or to ccc.go@boston.gov. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Livestreamed at boston.gov/city-council-tv, and on TV: Xfinity 8/RCN 82/Fios 964 | More Info)

FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND -- DAY ONE: Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Sen Ed Markey are among the speakers on day one of a two-day virtual conference on the White House's Floating Offshore Wind Shot, which seeks to cut the cost of floating offshore wind energy by more than 70 percent by 2035. The Department of Energy said the event will "underscore the vast potential of floating offshore wind to reliably power millions of American homes and businesses, lower energy costs, boost local economies and support President Biden's clean energy goals." Floating wind technology could be key to eventual offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine, an area that many advocates think could be primed to host some of the dozens of wind farms that will be needed to meet various state and federal procurement goals. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., More Info)

AAPI COMMISSION SWEARING-IN: Members of the Asian American and Pacific Islanders Commission will be sworn in. The event will feature remarks from Commissioner Saatvik Ahluwalia, Executive Director Padamsee Forbes and Treasurer Goldberg, who will inaugurate commissioners. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Nurses Hall | Agenda and Livestream)

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2023

CANNABIS COMMISSION: Mass. Cannabis Control Commission is expected to meet for what would be its second business meeting of the month. (Thursday, 10 a.m., More Info TBA)

STATE RETIREMENT BOARD: Massachusetts State Retirement Board holds its monthly meeting virtually. Treasurer Goldberg chairs. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Agenda | Email MSRBCommunications@tre.state.ma.us for access)

AFTER-SCHOOL LEARNING GRANTS: Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper joins city officials, neighborhood leaders and education professionals to announce $2 million in new after-school learning grants. The event will also feature a roundtable discussion about social emotional learning and quality enrichment. Attendees include Boston After School & Beyond Executive Director Chris Smith, Boston Senior Advisor for Youth and Schools Rebecca Grainger, Sportsmen's Tennis and Enrichment Center CEO Toni Wiley, ACEDONE Founder and Executive Director Abdul Hussein, Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center CEO Ben Hires, and Boxing Power and Fitness CEO Donald Houston. Four recipients of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's After School/Out-of-School Time Rebound grants will also participate. Press asked to RSVP to dguarino@melwoodglobal.com by 8 a.m. Thursday. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Sportsmen's Tennis & Enrichment Center, 950 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester)

GAMING COMMISSION: Mass. Gaming Commission plans to hear more about MGM Springfield's illegal acceptance of wagers on Harvard men's basketball games, discuss scheduling the review of Raynham Park's sports betting license, and potentially vote to finalize the temporary licensing process for the mobile betting operators expected to launch March 10. A slate of horse racing matters, including a discussion of unpaid winnings, are also on the agenda. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate likely hold informal sessions. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers)

FLOATING OFFSHORE WIND -- DAY TWO: Maine Gov. Janet Mills and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards are among the speakers at the second day of the federal government's floating offshore wind summit. Floating wind technology could be key to eventual offshore wind projects in the Gulf of Maine, an area that many advocates think could be primed to host some of the dozens of wind farms that will be needed to meet various state and federal procurement goals. (Thursday, 11 a.m., More Info)

MASS. FREIGHT PLAN: MassDOT's Freight Advisory Committee, which is overseeing analysis of next steps for rail, air, truck, maritime and freight transportation, convenes its second meeting virtually to discuss work completed since the first meeting. (Thursday, 11 a.m., More Info)

DA RYAN TRAINS TAKEDA: Middlesex County DA Ryan holds domestic violence awareness training for employees of Takeda Pharmaceutical's Lexington campus. Closed to press. (Thursday, 1 p.m., Virtual)

"SELMA" SCREENING IN CHICOPEE: City of Chicopee joins with Reps. Arriaga and Finn and Sen. Gomez to host a free film screening and discussion to commemorate Black History Month. Organizers will show "Selma," the 2014 film about the 1965 voting rights marches, followed by a Q&A with local activists and scholars. (Thursday, 4:45 p.m., Chicopee City Hall Auditorium, 274 Front St., Chicopee)

GLOUCESTER BRIDGE MEETING: MassDOT hosts a virtual public meeting to discuss the proposed reconstruction of the Western Avenue bridge over Blynman Canal in Gloucester. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., More Info)

BEACON HILL 101: ACLU of Massachusetts hosts a virtual session called "Massachusetts State Legislature 101: How does it all work anyway?" The hourlong info session will touch upon "the structure of our state legislature, what happens over the course of our 2 year legislative session, and different scenarios for a how a bill becomes law," organizers said. The event is hosted in collaboration with the Boston Public Library. (Thursday, 7 p.m., More Info)

Friday, Feb. 24, 2023

MBTA BOARD MEETING: MBTA Board of Directors meets virtually. (Friday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

MONETARY POLICY FORUM: Federal Reserve Bank of Boston President Susan Collins gives remarks via pre-recorded video as part of a panel discussion at the 2023 US Monetary Policy Forum in New York City, hosted by the Initiative on Global Markets of the University of Chicago's Booth School of Business. (Friday, 1:30 p.m., More Info)

STRETCH CODE COMMENTS: Deadline to submit public comments on the technical guidance that the Department of Energy Resources issued related to the implementation of updates to the existing stretch code and a new net-zero specialized stretch code that the state hopes will encourage builders to shift away from fossil fuel heating in favor of electrification. DOER released its final language for the new net-zero code required by the 2021 climate roadmap law in September and issued the guidance on Jan. 5. Comments can be sent by email to stretchcode@mass.gov with the words "technical guidance comments" in the subject line or by mail to Ian Finlayson, Department of Energy Resources, 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor, Boston, MA 02114. (Friday, 5 p.m., More Info)

Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023

PRESSLEY AT NAACP AWARDS: U.S. Rep. Pressley attends the 54th NAACP Image Awards in Los Angeles. The two-hour ceremony broadcasted on live television grants awards to people of color for performances in film, television, theater, music, podcasts and literature. Pressley was featured in Hulu's "The Hair Tales," where she discussed her struggles with hair loss, which has been nominated for the NAACP's Outstanding News/Information Image Award. (Saturday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m, Broadcasted on BET)