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Ahead of Memorial Day, more than 37,000 American flags are planted on Boston Common to honor fallen Massachusetts service members from the Revolutionary War to today. [Alison Kuznitz/SHNS
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
Mon. May 29
Memorial Day Parade: 10.30 Am, Starts at Dean College then proceeds to Union Street and St. Mary’s Cemeteries via School, West Central, and Beaver Streets and concludes at the Town Common.
Memorial Day Ceremony: Noon. Will be held on the Town Common by the War Memorial after the parade. Franklin Veterans who have passed since last Memorial Day as well as Franklin’s 45 Fallen Heroes who died in service to the nation will be recognized.
Weds. May 31
Norfolk County Regional Emergency Planning Comm.
10:30am
Nason Street Henri "Ski" Faenza Playground Rededication Ribbon Cutting
5:00pm
Friends of Franklin Library Meeting
7:00pm
Thurs. June 1
5:30pm
Open Space and Recreation Plan Meeting
6:00pm to 7:00pm
Conservation Commission Meeting
7:00pm
STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND
Two House special elections are set to wrap up on Tuesday, the governor's housing secretary starts work Thursday, and state leaders next week will also nervously be eying Washington to see if officials there can cut through the partisan divide and avoid a U.S debt default. It's five months into the session, but a pair of joint committees are just holding introductory meetings. Bills dealing with retail alcohol sales -- including happy hour -- are marked for a hearing on Wednesday. And state budget talks are about to rise to a higher level of secrecy. Conference committee is the next stop for competing House and Senate fiscal 2024 budget proposals. A final accord is likely to push annual state spending past the $56 billion mark, but there are scores of differences -- immigrant tuition, online Lottery, and income surtax spending approaches, to name just a few -- to settle before that deal is reached. House and Senate budget negotiators in Massachusetts routinely miss their July 1 deadline to produce the annual state budget, and this year's talks are complicated by the fact that the Senate set aside $575 million for "tax relief initiatives" in the budget it approved on Thursday, but still hasn't unveiled that package, which Senate budget chief Michael Rodrigues says will be a "slam dunk." If Congress and President Biden don't come up with a plan to raise the debt ceiling, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has warned of implications that could hit as early as Thursday, June 1. Fitch Ratings, one of the three major rating companies, put the United States on watch for a downgrade on Wednesday, warning that they would lower the country's rating as a borrower if the government misses its debt payment. "The Rating Watch Negative reflects increased political partisanship that is hindering reaching a resolution to raise or suspend the debt limit despite the fast-approaching x date (when the U.S. Treasury exhausts its cash position and capacity for extraordinary measures without incurring new debt)," the ratings agency said.
Sunday, May 28, 2023
LONGFELLOW CLOSURE: The Longfellow Bridge is temporarily closed for the Run to Remember Road Race from 7 a.m. until 10:30 a.m. Bicycle access will be allowed. (Sunday, 7 a.m., Longfellow Bridge)
HOWGATE ON 4: Mass. Taxpayers Foundation president Doug Howgate, a former aide to Senate President Spilka, talks with Jon Keller about the exodus of residents from the state, tax cuts, and the annual budget debate. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)
REP. FERNANDES ON 5: WCVB's "On the Record" airs an interview with four-term Rep. Fernandes of Falmouth. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV)
Monday, May 29, 2023
MEMORIAL DAY: State offices are closed in recognition of the Memorial Day holiday. (Monday)
Tuesday, May 30, 2023
SALEM MURDER TRIAL: Jury hears evidence in the trial of Brian Brito, 27, of Lynn, who is charged with murder, aggravated rape, armed robbery and kidnapping in the 2017 death of Mohammedreza "Sina" Zangiband, 24, of Salem, according to Essex DA Tucker's office. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Salem Superior Court, Courtroom J, 56 Federal St, Salem)
CANNABIS BRIEFING: Cannabis Control Commission hosts a briefing to share information with lawmakers about the industry. Commissioners and representatives from the commission's licensing, enforcement, testing, equity programming and community outreach, and government affairs and policy teams plan to share updates with legislators and staff. Government revenues derived from the legalization of marijuana and expanded gaming in Massachusetts have helped bolster local and state government coffers in recent years. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Room 428)
SEX EDUCATION LOBBY DAY: Healthy Youth Coalition and lawmakers host a lobby day to discuss the latest push behind long-stalled legislation reforming school sex education in Massachusetts, often referred to as the "Healthy Youth Act." The Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts will preview findings from "a national landscape analysis of states' support and ease of access to sex education that shows Massachusetts lagging behind other progressive states," according to an advisory. The legislation (H 544 / S 268) would require districts that offer sex education to provide medically accurate, age-appropriate materials that cover topics such as gender identity and sexual orientation, preventing dating violence, and consent. The Senate has approved some version of the proposal in four different sessions; top House Democrats have shown little interest in the bill. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)
HIGHER ED COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Higher Education holds its first public hearing of the session, on bills related to higher education institutions. Of the 17 bills on the agenda, testimony is expected on bills that would require public higher education institutions to provide free menstrual products in buildings on campus (H 1255), require schools to report on the safety and wellbeing of students who are studying abroad (S 820), restrict colleges and universities from withholding students' academic transcripts due to academic debt (H 1277), and look to ease the transfer of credits from community colleges to public colleges and universities (S 841). As lawmakers seek to expand access to community college this session, this bill would require that courses taken as major requirements at one public institution be accepted as major requirements at any other public university or college the student transfers to. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Room A-1 | Virtual)
GAMING COMMISSION MEETS: Mass. Gaming Commission meets remotely. Topics on the agenda include house rules for sports betting companies, a Department of Justice letter about the unregulated gambling market, and an update from the Investigations and Enforcement Bureau about "a sports wagering related suitability investigation." (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)
WILDLANDS REPORT: Researchers hold a media briefing on "Wildlands in New England: Past, Present and Future," a report that examines the forests, wetlands, meadows and other parcels of land permanently protected from development and active management in New England. It says wildlands "provide for climate mitigation, biodiversity preservation, and clean air and water for peoples' mental and physical well-being." Only 3.3 percent of New England is classified as wildlands. The report's authors call for tripling this land coverage. The report will include interactive maps that show each wildlands parcel in the six-state region. The primary authors are David Foster, director emeritus at Harvard Forest and president emeritus of Highstead; Elizabeth Thompson, a conservation ecologist and botanist from Vermont; and Jon Leibowitz, executive director at Northeast Wilderness Trust. (Tuesday, 11 a.m. | Zoom)
LYNCH AQUARIUM PRESSER: Congressman Lynch hosts a press conference at the New England Aquarium to discuss $2.4 million it received in community project funding as part of a federal appropriations package. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf, Boston)
LOTTO COMMISSION MEETS: Massachusetts State Lottery Commission meets remotely. The agenda calls for an update from the executive director, a vote on a $4.5 million contract for advertising services, a $40 million increase to contracts with several vendors, and a discussion about digitally created barcodes to place bets. (Tuesday, 11 a.m. | Agenda | Email jgoggin@masslottery.com or call (857) 208-8030 for access info)
HOUSE, SENATE MEET: House and Senate hold informal sessions. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers | House Livestream | Senate Livestream)
TRAHAN TALKS WATER FUNDING: Congresswoman Trahan joins state and local elected officials to announce the use of $1.5 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the Sligo water tank project. The project will make safety upgrades and repairs to the tank, first built in the 1960s, that stores 2 million gallons of drinking water for Marlborough residents. Reps. Gentile and Gregoire and Marlborough Mayor Arthur Vigeant join. (Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., Sligo Water Tank, 91 Arnold St., Marlborough)
BPS VALEDICTORIANS LUNCHEON: Boston Public Schools hosts its annual Valedictorian Luncheon at Fenway park to recognize the district's top 33 graduates for their accomplishments. Mayor Wu, BPS Superintendent Mary Skipper and members of the School Committee attend. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Fenway Park)
HOUSING COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Housing holds a listening session for government agencies and advocates to highlight their priorities for the five-month-old session. Despite the growing crisis of housing affordability and availability in the state, the committee has yet to begin holding public hearings on any of the bills in its custody. Representatives from Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, the Mass. chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, MassHousing, Mass. Housing Partnership, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Mass., Regional Housing Network of Mass., Mass. Housing and Shelter Alliance, Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Mass. Coalition for the Homeless and the Mass. Law Reform Institute are scheduled to speak.(Tuesday, 1 p.m., Room A-1 | Virtual)
CHELSEA VETERANS' HOME: Board of Trustees of the Chelsea Veterans' Home -- formerly the Chelsea Soldiers' Home -- meets. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Trustees Conference Room, QMLTC Building, 100 Summit Ave., Chelsea)
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE: Community Development and Small Business Committee meets in a hybrid informational hearing. The hearing will be the first of the 2023-2024 session for the joint panel, chaired by nine-term Rep. McMurtry of Dedham and first-term Sen. Payano of Lawrence. Lawmakers have not said who will testify at the open hearing, which they described as "a listening session for committee members and an opportunity for interested parties to introduce themselves to the committee." (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Room A-2 and Virtual | Agenda and Livestream)
RALLY AGAINST MATERNAL UNIT CLOSURE: Elected officials rally to oppose the proposed closure of the labor and delivery unit at UMass Memorial's Leominster campus. The office of Sen. Cronin, who represents the area, said the closure would be "disastrous for our region and needs to be stopped," warning that it would force marginalized families to give birth in Leominster's emergency department or travel to Gardner or Worcester. The Legislature's north central Mass. delegation -- Cronin and Reps. Higgins, Ferguson, Kilcoyne, Kushmerek, Scarsdale and Zlotnik -- said in a joint statement that "no other alternative will be acceptable" besides maintaining maternal health care services in the region. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., Intersection of Nelson Street and North Main Street, Leominster)
MASSDOT CIP MEETING - BOSTON: MassDOT host a virtual meeting to gather public comment on the draft five-year, $15.4 billion capital investment plan, which proposes spending on roads, rails, airports, buses, bridges and shared use paths between fiscal years 2024 and 2028. The Boston Region Metropolitan Planning Organization co-hosts the meeting. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., More Info)
HOUSE SPECIAL ELECTIONS: Special elections to fill the 9th Suffolk House seat and the 10th Suffolk House seat are scheduled. Democrats John Moran and Bill MacGregor are expected to fill the vacant seats to represent parts of Boston following primary wins in races that featured no Republican or independent candidates. Moran, a South End resident who ran uncontested and with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's endorsement, won the 9th Suffolk District seat primary with 1,751 votes -- or nearly 86 percent of all ballots cast. In the 10th Suffolk District primary, MacGregor, of West Roxbury, secured 3,098 votes, or about 46 percent of all ballots. MacGregor edged out two other candidates. Moran is set to replace Rep. Jon Santiago, who resigned in February to become secretary of the Executive Office of Veterans' Services, and MacGregor is poised to succeed Rep. Edward Coppinger, who left the House to join the Massachusetts Biotechnology Council. (Tuesday)
Wednesday, May 31, 2023
MASSBIO CONFERENCE: MassBio releases its "2023 Massachusetts Life Sciences Employment Outlook" report during its 8th annual Life Sciences Workforce Conference. The report will look at data on the status of the life sciences workforce. The conference will focus on discussing the challenges of the labor market, establishing best practices for diverse talent acquisition, and building partnerships between the industry and the education and public sectors. (Wednesday, 8:30 a.m., UMass Boston Campus Center, 100 William T Morrissey Blvd., Boston)
MAPC ANNUAL MEETING: The Metropolitan Area Planning Council hosts its annual meeting. Representatives from 101 cities and towns, as well as state officials, will gather for the in-person meeting for the first time in three years. Lt. Gov. Driscoll will be a guest speaker. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Artists For Humanity, 100 W 2nd St., Boston | Register)
OBSTETRICIANS, GYNECOLOGISTS ADVOCACY DAY: Massachusetts Section of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists holds an advocacy day to discuss legislative priorities, including bills from Rep. Sabadosa and Sen. Miranda (H 1240/S 782) requiring MassHealth to cover doula services and establishing a doula care commission. Other priority bills are from Reps. Sabadosa and Balser and Sen. Friedman (H 1137/ S 646) expanding insurance coverage of all pregnancy care, including abortion, prenatal care and postpartum care; as well as from Rep. Fluker Oakley and Sen. Miranda (H 1984/ S 1261) aimed at expanding the perinatal mental health workforce. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Room 428)
WOMEN'S COMMISSION: Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women hosts its annual advocacy day. The commission's legislative priorities include bills to better integrate midwifery care into the maternal health care system (S 1415), require access to contraceptives, counseling and abortion care for incarcerated individuals (H 2371), and allow candidates running for public office to use their campaign funds for child care needs (S 348 / H 590), among others. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., State House)
COMPTROLLER ADVISORY BOARD: Advisory Board to the Comptroller holds a virtual meeting. The board is expected to review a draft of the Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for fiscal year 2023, which is prepared by comptroller staff and audited by independent external auditors. The objective of the financial report is to provide a clear financial picture of state government as a single, unified entity, in a format that makes the report easily comparable to that of other states. It will show how the state is meeting its short-term obligations through "currently available resources" as well as a government-wide perspective, which combines all government and business-type activities in a statement of net position, including long-term assets such as capital assets and long-term liabilities such as debt, retiree pensions and health insurance benefits. (Wednesday, 12 p.m. | Zoom)
MHA WEBINAR: Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association holds a webinar on "Online Tracking Technologies: A Health Care Provider's Practical Discussion on Reducing Risk." (Wednesday, 12 p.m. | Zoom)
HOUSING COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Housing holds the second day of its listening session for government agencies and advocates to highlight their priorities for the five-month-old session. Despite the growing crisis of housing affordability and availability in the state, the committee has yet to begin holding public hearings on any of the bills in its custody. Representatives from Citizens' Housing and Planning Association, the Mass. chapter of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials, MassHousing, Mass. Housing Partnership, Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Mass., Regional Housing Network of Mass., Mass. Housing and Shelter Alliance, Greater Boston Real Estate Board, Mass. Coalition for the Homeless and the Mass. Law Reform Institute are scheduled to speak. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Room A-1 | Virtual)
HAPPY HOUR, ALCOHOL SALES HEARING: Bills dealing with the sale of alcohol go before the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure for a hybrid hearing. One proposal from Auburn Rep. Paul Frost (H 295) would permanently allow restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails to-go, enshrining a pandemic-era policy that lawmakers have repeatedly extended on a temporary basis. Sen. Julian Cyr of Truro is also making another push to revive happy hour, which has been banned in Massachusetts since 1984, via standalone legislation (S 157) that would allow cities and towns to opt into allowing discounted drink promotions. The Senate approved a similar measure as part of an economic development bill last year, but it did not survive negotiations with the House amid a veto threat from then-Gov. Baker. Tagenda also includes bills dealing with out-of-state identification for alcohol sales, notification about the alcohol by volume (ABV) in beer, and alcohol sales on holidays. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Room A-2 and Virtual | Agenda and Livestream)
MASSDOT CIP MEETING - SOUTHEAST: MassDOT host a virtual meeting to gather public comment on the draft five-year, $15.4 billion capital investment plan, which proposes spending on roads, rails, airports, buses, bridges and shared use paths between fiscal years 2024 and 2028. The Southeastern Massachusetts Metropolitan Planning Organization co-hosts the meeting. (Wednesday, 6 p.m., More Info)
Thursday, June 1, 2023
"FUTURE OF THE MBTA" FORUM: MBTA General Manager Phil Eng and MBTA Board of Directors Chair Thomas Glynn sit for a virtual forum about the future of the transit agency hosted by the MBTA Advisory Board, an independent group representing cities and towns that help fund T service. Advisory Board Executive Director Brian Kane moderates following opening remarks by Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch, who serves on both the MBTA's board and chairs the Advisory Board. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Zoom)
HOUSING RALLY: Homes for All Massachusetts joins other advocates to voice support for several pieces of rent control and foreclosure prevention legislation. Those include proposals from Reps. Rogers and Montaño and Sen. Jehlen (H 2103 / S 1299) that would repeal the ban on rent control and allow municipalities to pursue local rental ordinances, as well as from Reps. Barber and Capano and Sen. Gomez (H 942 / S 653) that would establish a foreclosure prevention program helping homeowners explore alternative options. Ahead of the rally, there will be a legislative briefing at 10 a.m. in Room 428. (Thursday, 11 a.m., State House steps)
HOUSE, SENATE SESSIONS: House and Senate plan to meet in informal sessions. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House and Senate Chambers)
ADDICTION SERVICES BRIEFING: Rep. Balser, Sen. Friedman and members of the Massachusetts Rights Coalition for Health host a hybrid legislative briefing on a bill addressing access to addiction services (S 1247 / H 1966). Organizers have invited attendees to learn about "ending the practice of incarcerating men who have not been charged with any crime but have been civilly committed for substance use disorder treatment under M.G.L. Chapter 123, Section 35 (also known as 'Section 35')." (Thursday, noon, Room A-2)
TEAM IMPACT GALA: Team IMPACT, which works to pair children facing serious illness and disability with college sports teams, hosts its 11th annual Game Day Gala. The event will feature a silent auction, speeches by families who have participated in the program, and other entertainment. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m., The TRACK at New Balance, 91 Guest St., Boston | More Info)
MASSDOT CIP - CAPE AND ISLANDS: MassDOT host a virtual meeting to gather public comment on the draft five-year, $15.4 billion capital investment plan, which proposes spending on roads, rails, airports, buses, bridges and shared use paths between fiscal years 2024 and 2028. The Cape Cod Commission co-hosts the meeting. (Thursday, 6 p.m., More Info)
MASS DEMS AWARDS: Attorney General Campbell and former Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Gus Bickford receive the Eleanor and President Franklin Roosevelt Awards at the 24th annual reception hosted by the Massachusetts Democratic Party. (Thursday, 6 p.m., Fairmont Copley Plaza Hotel, 138 St. James Ave., Boston)
HOUSING SECRETARY'S FIRST DAY: Former Sen. Edward Augustus starts work as Gov. Healey's secretary of housing and livable communities, heading up a new standalone housing secretariat that Healey created. Augustus, who previously served as Worcester city manager, will be handed the tall task of making progress on generating new housing development to close a statewide shortage fueling sky-high prices and outmigration. Some housing advocates lamented Augustus's selection -- in a letter to the Boston Globe, New Politics founder and executive director Emily Cherniack called it a "missed opportunity to appoint a person of color who has lived the experience of our state's housing inequities." The housing secretariat will work out of offices at 100 Cambridge St. in Boston, while the economic development secretariat from which it was split will remain at One Ashburton Place. (Thursday)
Friday, June 2, 2023
... No public events scheduled ..
