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"My team and l are excited to host regional in-district Town Halls this Fall. During these events, I will provide legislative and other updates from Beacon Hill and chat about constituents' questions, comments, and ideas. Residents from any part of the district are invited to attend whichever Town Hall is most convenient for them. We'll be joined by our partners in the House of Representatives and local government. Hope to see you there!" -- Senator Becca Rausch
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
Mon. Oct. 16
Franklin Housing Authority Meeting
4:30pm
Becca Rausch at Senior Center
6:00 pm
6:30pm
7:00pm
Tues.Oct 17
FREE Conversations with Candidates Night at Elks Club Pond St
6:00 pm
Davis Thayer Building Reuse Advisory Committee Meeting
7:00pm
Weds. Oct 18
Economic Development Subcommittee Meeting
5:30pm
7:00pm
Thurs. Oct 19
Senior Coffee Hour w/ State & Local Officials
8:30am
Conservation Commission Meeting
7:00pm
Friday, Oct 20
Davis-Thayer Open House
2:00pm
Saturday, Oct 21
Franklin Fire Open House - Saturday October 21st
10:00am to 2:00pm
10:00am
STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND
House Democrats plan to vote on a controversial bill overhauling the state's firearms laws on Wednesday, 13 days after they unveiled a redrafted version of the measure and eight days after it received its first -- and only -- public hearing. The proposal that Speaker Ron Mariano's team will put on the floor is expected to emerge from the House Ways and Means Committee, leapfrogging the usual joint committee process. This week, the committee got a possible vehicle for gun law changes when the Joint Committee on the Judiciary advanced legislation aimed at cracking down on revenge porn, creating new protections for people facing abuse and exploitation, and crafting new educational programs to teach minors about the consequences of sexting. The new bill (H 4115) represents another pass at prohibiting dissemination of explicit images without a subject's consent, something that reform supporters have said is clearly illegal in 48 states but not Massachusetts, after the Senate last year failed to steer an earlier version across the finish line. House Democrats have not said what legislative vehicle they'll use to bring the gun reforms (HD 4607) forward, but attaching them to the updated revenge porn bill -- whose predecessor won unanimous House approval last year -- could change the calculus for representatives on the fence about how to vote, or at least inflict a Machiavellian headache on gun bill opponents. Then again, the House Ways and Means Committee could always use the remnants of a supplemental budget as a springboard, a fairly common step when either branch wants to move quickly without following the traditional joint committee process.
The wait continues for lawmakers to take up a spending bill necessary to close the books on fiscal year 2023, which Gov. Maura Healey has proposed packing with a funding injection for the shelter system amid an overwhelming spike in demand. The latest count estimated nearly 7,500 families enrolled in the state's emergency assistance shelter system, a figure that will almost certainly have increased by the time Monday rolls around given the current pace of growth. "We have a lot of communities who have stepped up, but at some point we're going to run out of rooms and I think that's very, very soon," Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll said Thursday. "Unfortunately, we just don't have the capacity." Healey, meanwhile, has promised that a housing bond bill is imminent, which would back up her creation of a standalone housing secretariat with tangible policy proposals aimed at addressing the lack of affordable, available housing across Massachusetts.
Marijuana regulators on Monday are set to discuss whether to select an "acting executive director" amid the ongoing leadership upheaval at the Cannabis Control Commission. Tuesday promises to bring crowds of early education and care reform supporters to the State House for an Education Committee hearing about bill that would pledge enormous state dollars to reducing the cost of child care for Bay State families, a topic that policymakers have cited as a priority for action this session. The House has its "potential" formal session penciled in for Wednesday, which might feature action on the gun bill Democrats are working to muscle through, or perhaps on the revenge porn ban. Regardless of whether that comes to fruition, the Senate plans its own formal session Thursday. Democrats in that chamber have kept the agenda vague, though action appears likely to finalize a long-in-the-making proposal that would eliminate communication costs for incarcerated individuals and their families. And one of the most heated debates on Beacon Hill will reopen Friday, when the Public Health Committee opens a hearing on medical aid in dying legislation.
Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023
TRAHAN WITH KELLER: U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan is Jon Keller's guest on Sunday's "Keller at Large" segment. The congresswoman will discuss the leaderless House as Republicans search among their ranks for the next speaker, the threat of a government shutdown and the political fallout from the war in Israel. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)
"ON THE RECORD" WITH MARIANO: House Speaker Mariano is the featured guest on WCVB's political talk show, "On The Record," with co-hosts Ben Simmoneau and Sharman Sacchetti. Mariano has pledged to bring a revised gun control bill to the House for a vote by the end of the month and this week pushed back against opposition to that bill from Massachusetts police chiefs. Mary Anne Marsh and Rob Gray will bat around political issues on the roundtable panel. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)
AUCHINCLOSS @ ISSUE: U.S. Rep. Jake Auchincloss talks about the war between Israel and Hamas and his reaction to Harvard University and the way campus groups responded to last weekend's terrorist attacks on NBC10's @ Issue. Program also features a discussion on Hispanic Heritage Month and inclusion with Boston Globe columnist Marcela Garcia and Boston Chief of Equity & Inclusion Mariangely Solis Cervera. (Sunday, 11:30 a.m., WBTS-TV Ch. 10)
WHITE CANE AWARENESS DAY: Gov. Healey proclaimed Sunday as White Cane Awareness Day, "celebrating the independence and mobility of the approximately 30,000 residents of the Commonwealth who are blind and visually impaired, while raising public awareness of critical measures that everyone in Massachusetts can take to help ensure the safety of our blind and visually impaired neighbors," according to the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind. (Sunday)
Monday, Oct. 16, 2023
STEM WEEK KICK-OFF: Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, Labor and Workforce Secretary Lauren Jones, Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega, Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein and Deputy Climate Chief Jonathan Schrag are among those who will kick-off STEM Week and check out a young scientist exhibit. (Monday, 8:30 a.m., Boston University Center for Computing & Data Sciences, 17th floor, 665 Commonwealth Ave., Boston)
GEOTHERMAL PROJECT TOUR: U.S. Reps. Katherine Clark and Jake Auchincloss visit Eversource's geothermal pilot project in Framingham to tour the facility and discuss the pilot's promise of using clean energy to heat and cool local homes and businesses. (Monday, 9:30 a.m., Eversource Geothermal Construction Site, 19 Flagg Dr., Framingham)
TOURISM, ARTS, CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT: Joint Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development holds a hybrid public hearing on 11 bills dealing with tourism marketing, statewide laureates and special events. Proposals look to create a poet laureate position to help Bay Staters gain a "greater appreciation of the reading and writing of poetry"; a musician laureate who would write and perform music to mark important events, such as state anniversaries; and a choreographer laureate who would choreograph performances for state events and "seek to encourage participation in the arts, elevate the dance legacy and current dance communities in the commonwealth." Another bill would create a tourism marketing fund to boost that sector. Also on the agenda are bills to examine the diversity of artistic representation at the State House, as well as to establish a restoration and management commission for the State House. (Monday, 10 a.m, Room A-1 | Agenda and Livestream)
CANNABIS COMMISSION: Cannabis Control Commission meets to discuss and possibly vote on a delivery license type and to talk more about the plan for cannabis cafes. On Thursday, Commissioner Nurys Camargo detailed a trip to the Bay Area, where she and CCC staffers got an idea of what Massachusetts can expect as it gets marijuana "social consumption" sites off the ground. "There's a misconception right now that social consumption only means a bar or a lounge. However, visiting so many business types in California helped our group to better understand the possibilities and to really imagine the full potential of this license type in Massachusetts," she said. The agenda also calls for an "Acting Executive Director Discussion." Leadership of the CCC has been cloudy since July when Chairwoman Shannon O'Brien announced that Executive Director Shawn Collins would be taking parental leave and then leaving the CCC by the end of this year. Collins has taken parental leave but told the News Service last month that he had no firm plans to leave the CCC. Since then, O'Brien has been suspended as chair by Treasurer Deb Goldberg. At recent CCC meetings, CCC communications director Cedric Sinclair and others have filled in for Collins. (Monday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access)
NU SCIENCE BUILDING: Gov. Healey, Boston Mayor Wu, Sens. Warren and Markey, U.S. Reps. McGovern, Pressley, and Lynch, and Northeastern President Joseph Aoun are among the speakers as Northeastern University opens its newest science building, the EXP Complex on Columbus Avenue. Sethuraman Panchanathan, director of the U.S. National Science Foundation, will give the keynote. The university said the complex features a makerspace, research labs, and "other leading-edge facilities that will advance the boundaries of discovery and innovation." (Monday, 10 a.m., Northeastern EXP, 815 Columbus Ave., Boston | Register)
TRAHAN IN HUDSON: U.S. Rep. Trahan, Speaker Pro Tempore Hogan, Hudson DPW Director Eric Ryder, Hudson Select Board Chair Scott Duplisea, and other officials will highlight $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for Hudson to strengthen water drainage infrastructure. (Monday, 10 a.m., Town Hall, 78 Main St., Hudson)
HOUSE: House holds an informal session. (Monday, 11 a.m., House Chamber | Livestream)
SENATE: Senate meets in an informal session. (Monday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber | Livestream)
INCARCERATION SYMPOSIUM: Prisoners' Legal Services hosts a symposium on "deconstructing mass incarceration" to discuss unlawful convictions, disparity in sentences and racial discrimination in corrections. (Monday, 11 a.m., Shelburne Center, 2730 Washington St., Roxbury)
CONSUMER PROTECTION, PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE: Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure holds hybrid public hearing on late-filed proposals, including bills dealing with liquor licenses in Westford, Natick and Williamstown. Other bills would expand licensure opportunities for school counselors, as well as for individuals who have a criminal record. Also on the agenda is a bill meant to boost transparency for ticket pricing among entertainment venues, ticket resellers and other platforms; those entities would need to disclose the total cost of a ticket, including ancillary fees and service charges. (Monday, 1 p.m., Room B-1 | Agenda and Livestream)
CHILDREN, FAMILIES AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES: Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities holds hybrid public hearing on about a dozen bills tied to foster care, caregivers and personal care attendants. Advocates from the Disability Law Center plan to testify for legislation (S 103 / H 207) that would broaden the scope of adult services from the Department of Developmental Services to include adults with a range of developmental disabilities such as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, epilepsy, cerebral palsy. As the law stands now, according to the center, DDS services are only provided to a narrow group of adults with disabilities, primarily those with an intellectual disability or autism. Unaccompanied homeless youth between the ages of 15 and 18 would gain the ability to consent to shelter and support services under another bill; the current age of consent is 18. Other proposals would expand eligibility for Bay Staters to access PCA services to help with daily living activities, allow spouses to serve as paid caregivers through a MassHealth program for home-based care, provide foster parents with certain collective bargaining rights as public employees, and expand repair protections for wheelchair users. (Monday, 1 p.m., Room B-2 | Agenda and Livestream)
WORCESTER MAYOR DEBATE: GBH News hosts the first debate of the Worcester mayoral race. Worcester reporter Sam Turken moderates an open-format debate among the five candidates: incumbent Mayor Joseph Petty, Vice Mayor Donna Colorio, City Councilor Khrystian King, activist Guillermo Creamer Jr. and activist William Coleman. (Monday, 6 p.m. | Livestream on GBH News website and YouTube channel)
RED-BLUE CONNECTOR: The MBTA hosts an in-person meeting with an overview of the preliminary engineering and upcoming state and federal environmental reviews for the Red-Blue Line connector project. The project would connect the Red and Blue lines by extending the Blue Line beyond its current terminus at Bowdoin station through a new tunnel under Cambridge Street to the Charles/MGH station on the Red Line. "That would change traffic for the entire region, if not the state, if those two [subway lines] are finally talking to each other," Sen. Lydia Edward told WCVB's "On The Record" program this month. The information shared Monday will also be shared at a Thursday meeting in East Boston. (Monday, 6 p.m., Paul S. Russell, MD Museum at MGH, 2 North Grove St., Boston)
SPIRIT OF JOY! EXHIBIT: Artist John Caron Jr.'s exhibit "Spirit of Joy!" is on display on the 4th floor of the State House. A release from the artist says the exhibit features "Prisma color abstract paintings." (Monday through Friday, Oct. 27)
Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2023
CLARK AT NEC: Congresswoman Clark, the U.S. House's minority whip, speaks to Massachusetts business leaders at a "Capitol Hill Report" event hosted by the New England Council. Press should email eheisig@newenglandcouncil.com to RSVP. (Tuesday, 9 a.m., Boston Park Plaza Hotel, Georgian Room, 50 Park Plaza, Boston)
PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE: Disability and line of duty benefits are on the agenda at a Joint Committee on Public Service hearing. Many of the bills deal with overhauling benefits for public sector employees, particularly those in law enforcement and public safety, who are injured or killed on the job, including from causes such as COVID-19. (Tuesday, 10 a..m., Room B-2 | Agenda and Access Info)
INNOVATION CHALLENGE: Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, and Labor and Workforce Secretary Lauren Jones participate in the MassMakes Innovation Challenge at the Basketball Hall of Fame as part of STEM Week. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1000 Hall of Fame Ave., Springfield)
HEALTH CARE FINANCING: Joint Committee on Health Care Financing holds a hybrid public hearing to weigh MassHealth-related bills. Legislation on the agenda seeks to expand MassHealth coverage to services such as tobacco cessation programs, and several bills would update how the state's combined Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program covers behavioral health, violence prevention, and adult day health services. MassHealth is the largest piece of the annual state budget, covering roughly $20 billion of the $56 billion the state expects to spend this year, and the state is several months into a year-long campaign to redetermine eligibility for all 2.4 million members. Association for Behavioral Healthcare members plan to testify in support of increasing reimbursement rates for mental health providers. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Room A-1 | Agenda and Access Info)
MASSACHUSETTS MARKETING PARTNERSHIP: The Massachusetts Marketing Partnership Board holds a hybrid public meeting. Chair Sarah Stanton, the undersecretary of economic strategies, is slated to deliver remarks. The agenda includes updates from the Office of Travel and Tourism, the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment, Massport, and the Massachusetts Convention Center and Authority. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism, 136 Blackstone St., Boston | Agenda and Livestream)
FINANCIAL SERVICES COMMITTEE: Lawmakers weigh proposals related to women's health insurance at a Joint Committee on Financial Services hearing. Bills on the agenda deal with health insurance coverage of common maternal and women's health care, such as breast cancer screenings, lactation and fertility services, and doula services. Gaps in maternal health services have emerged as a growing issue, fueled by the closure of a maternity ward in Leominster and research showing a sharp increase in the rate of people experiencing pregnancy or delivery complications. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Room A-2 and Virtual | Agenda and Access Info)
APP DRIVERS RALLY: App-based drivers rally in support of legislation that would allow Uber and Lyft workers to form a union and collectively bargain over their wages, benefits and working conditions. The Local 32BJ-based group of drivers support the Rep. Frank Moran and Sen. Jason Lewis bill (H 1099 / S 666) bill, which they say "would be the first law in the nation to provide rideshare drivers a direct path to unionization, as well as bring in urgently needed job protections and a guaranteed minimum rate of pay ... Under the bill, drivers are also guaranteed a minimum rate of pay and the right to the state-sanctioned protections of unemployment insurance, discrimination protection, paid sick leave, workers’ compensation, and paid family leave -- none of which drivers can access currently. " The question of how to reshape the rights and benefits for on-demand drivers on apps has been the subject of years of debate. 32BJ SEIU is also supporting a potential ballot initiative to allow drivers to unionize. An industry-backed group opposes the unions' solution, and is pushing a ballot initiative that would define app-based drivers as independent contractors under state law while extending them some new benefits, like an earnings floor 20 percent higher than minimum wage (Tuesday, 10:45 a.m., Grand Staircase)
MUNICIPALITIES & REGIONAL GOV'T COMMITTEE: About 30 home rule petitions and mostly local bills are before the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. Boston, Cohasset, Wellesley, Nantucket, Swansea, Bolton, Merrimac, Stoneham, Southwick, Swampscott, and Barnstable all have interest in at least one bill on the docket. Other bills deal with pedestrian and parking safety, parking permit fees and maximum tow rates. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Hearing Room B-1 | Agenda and Access)
EDUCATION COMMITTEE: Education Committee dives into the topic of early education and care, a stated priority this session of Democrats who run the legislative and executive branches. The agenda includes a bill dubbed the Common Start bill (H 489 / S 301), which a new UMass Boston report found would save the average family eligible for expanded financial aid $13,260 per year at a $1.7 billion cost to the state and its taxpayers. Lawmakers have agreed on some reforms through the state budgeting process, including expanded grants for early education and care providers, but many families continue to struggle with some of the highest child care prices in the nation and a lack of affordable slots. The Senate last session advanced a major reform bill that never emerged for a vote in the House. Senate President Spilka has signaled she wants to take another pass at the topic this term. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Gardner Auditorium | Agenda and Access Info)
AUGUSTUS WITH NAIOP: Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities Edward Augustus speaks to the statewide commercial real estate community at an event hosted by NAIOP. NAIOP CEO Tamara Small will moderate a Q&A. Augustus spoke earlier this month to Associated Industries of Massachusetts and said the Healey administration's forthcoming housing bond bill will feature more than 20 policy changes designed to drive up housing production. (Tuesday, 11:30 a.m., Foley Hoag, 155 Seaport Blvd., Boston | Register)
HOUSE DEMS CAUCUS: House Democrats meet in a private caucus one day before the chamber takes up a controversial gun reform bill. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Room A-1)
COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING: Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Commissioner of Public Health Robbie Goldstein celebrate scholarships for community college nursing students as part of STEM Week. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Holyoke Community College, Center for Health Education & Simulation, 404 Jarvis Ave., Holyoke)
MUNICIPAL LEADERSHIP WEBINAR: Massachusetts Municipal Association launches a three-part Virtual Municipal Leadership Academy. The first session is about "communication foundations" for municipal officials. (Tuesday, 12:30 p.m. | More Info and Registration)
TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Transportation takes testimony on bills related to bicycles and pedestrians, motorcycles, railroads, school buses, speed limits, and vehicle operational safety. Topics up for discussion include new penalties for people who lead police on high-speed pursuits, prohibiting vehicles traveling on a spare tire from using the left lane, expanding bicycle and/or bus lanes, authorizing cities and towns to install automated road safety camera systems on school buses, and requiring that cars sold in Massachusetts starting in 2026 have adaptive beam headlight technology. On one of his final days in office this January, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law new requirements aimed at protecting pedestrians, bicyclists and other vulnerable road users from threats posed by motor vehicles, including a standard requirement that a driver leave at least four feet of distance when passing such a person. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Hearing Room A-1 | Agenda and Access)
REVOLUTIONARY WAR ANNIVERSARY: The American Revolution 250th Anniversary Commission meets to hear updates from Massachusetts Office of Travel and Tourism Executive Director Kate Fox and Revolution 250's Jonathan Lane. Catherine Allgor from the Mass. Historical Society will make a presentation. December marks the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party, and there is less than two years until the Sestercentennial of the Battle of Lexington -- the first shots in the War for Independence. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Agenda and Access)
Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023
BIOMANUFACTURING OPENING: Elected officials join biotechnology and biomedical industry leaders to celebrate the opening of the Mass. Biomedical Initiatives' Pilot Biomanufacturing Center. Organizers say Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, Reps. Mahoney and O'Day, Worcester City Manager Eric Batista and Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty plan to attend. (Wednesday, 9:30 a.m., 17 Briden St., Worcester)
HOUSE FORMAL - GUN BILL: House meets in a formal session, where Democrats will seek approval of a gun reform bill (HD 4607) that has drawn vocal opposition from gun owners and praise from firearm safety groups. The bill is expected to move to the floor from the House Ways and Means Committee, circumventing the traditional joint committee process. Roll calls will begin at 1 p.m. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
MASSDOT BOARD: Department of Transportation Board of Directors meets in person. Discussion topics include federal grants, passenger rail and maintenance work on Interstate 90. The meeting will be livestreamed online. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., 10 Park Plaza, Boston | Agenda and Livestream)
MASS. WATER RESOURCES AUTHORITY: Mass. Water Resources Authority Board meets. The agenda includes an update on system expansion efforts. "Over the last 18 months, MWRA has received an increase in inquiries regarding new connections to MWRA's Water System. These requests are attributable to three factors: MWRA recently completed three water system expansion feasibility studies; MWRA’s Board of Directors waived the water system entrance fee for up to 20 million gallons per day (mgd) of water for new communities meeting certain criteria; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) proposed a draft National Primary Drinking Water Regulation to establish new Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCLs) for six Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)," Executive Director Fred Laskey wrote in a memo included in the meeting materials. Towns that have recently inquired with the MWRA include Avon, Billerica, Hingham, Hopkinton, Natick, Walpole, Wayland, Weymouth and more. (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Deer Island Reception/Training Building, Favaloro Meeting Room, 33 Tafts Ave., Boston | Virtual)
TUFTS LAUNCHES FOOD IS MEDICINE INSTITUTE: Tufts University's Food is Medicine Institute launches, featuring recorded remarks from U.S. Sen. Markey, U.S. Rep. McGovern, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist. Tufts officials said the new institute aims to "serve as a catalyst to drive change, improve health, reduce health disparities, and create a more equitable and resilient healthcare system that recognizes the power of nourishing food." (Wednesday, 1 p.m., Register)
GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL - DUNCAN HEARING: Governor's Council holds a hearing on Springfield attorney Tracy Duncan's nomination to the Superior Court bench. Duncan has experience in criminal defense, care and protection, juvenile delinquency and landlord/tenant law. (Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., Council Chamber | Livestream)
STEM INTERNSHIP: Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Labor and Workforce Secretary Lauren Jones make an announcement related to STEM internships as part of STEM Week. (Wednesday, 2:30 p.m., Dassault Systemes North American Headquarters, 175 Wyman St., Waltham | Register)
AGRICULTURE TESTIMONY: Joint Committee on Agriculture accepts testimony on a Sen. Cyr bill addressing regulation of nutrient management and fertilizer on Nantucket and a Sen. O'Connor bill to create a Lobstering Closure Mitigation Fund. The fund would provide financial assistance to lobstermen to mitigate the financial impacts of fishing area closures due to the protection of endangered marine species. (Wednesday, Accepting testimony through 5 p.m., More Info)
NORTHAMPTON BRIDGE REPLACEMENT: MassDOT staff host a virtual public hearing to discuss a proposed bridge replacement on Old Springfield Road over the Mill River in Northampton. (Wednesday, 7 p.m., Zoom)
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023
MHA CONFERENCE: Massachusetts Health & Hospital Administration holds a summit on health care safety and violence prevention. The in-person event will cover models for crisis response teams, considerations for patients with special needs and strategies for employee protection from physical and psychological harm. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., MHA Conference Center, 500 District Ave., Burlington)
MUNICIPAL MANAGEMENT BOOT CAMP: Massachusetts Municipal Management Association hosts its annual boot camp, designed for new administrators and assistants, plus department heads and staffers who intend to move into a town manager or administrator position. MMMA President Steve Bartha and Adam Chapdelaine, executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, are slated to give remarks. Sessions will address the "basics of municipal management" -- such as how to work with select boards, residents and media -- as well as multi-generational office dynamics and interview skills. Town administrators and officials from Carlisle, Danvers, Franklin, Medfield, North Andover, Stow, Westborough, Reading, Brookline, Sandwich, Tyngsborough, Bridgewater, Wellesley, Topsfield, Weston and Auburn are slated to speak at the sessions. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Sharon Community Center, 219 Massapoag Ave., Sharon | More Info and Registration)
DA RYAN WORKSHOP: District Attorney Marian Ryan hosts a workshop for law enforcement and school administrators about responding to swatting calls on school campuses. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Reach out to Sarah.Lamson@mass.gov for access)
NONPROFIT NETWORK CONFERENCE: Massachusetts Nonprofit Network hosts its annual conference, which will kick off with a keynote panel titled, "Promoting Inclusion and Combating Hate: What Nonprofits Can Do." Panelists are Josh Kraft, president of the New England Patriots Foundation; Tanya Neslusan, executive director of MassEquality; Vanessa Otero, executive director of the Healing Racism Institute; and Tuyet Tran, executive director of the Southeast Asian Coalition of Central Massachusetts. Orlando Watkins, vice president and chief program officer at The Boston Foundation, moderates. (Thursday, 9:15 a.m, DCU Center, 50 Foster St., Worcester | Register)
INNOVATION CAREER PATHWAYS: Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler and Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education Jeffrey Riley make an announcement related to innovation career pathways as part of STEM Week. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m., Revere CityLabs High School, 15 Everard St., Revere)
MTF MIGRATION WEBINAR: Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation hosts a free webinar exploring national migration trends and what they mean for Massachusetts. The event will include a presentation from Asia Biernacka-Lievestro from the Pew Charitable Trusts' Fiscal 50 Project followed by a panel discussion featuring Bunker Hill Community College President Pam Eddinger, Tech Foundry CEO Tricia Canavan and Boston Indicators Executive Director Luc Schuster. MTF said in a May presentation that Massachusetts reached its highest outmigration in 30 years last year with an estimated 110,900 people leaving from April 2020 to July 2022. And while Massachusetts has long relied on international immigration to compensate, MTF said that immigration was not enough to overcome domestic outmigration in 2022. The trend of people leaving Massachusetts has come under renewed scrutiny as part of the debate around the state's competitive standing. "I think it certainly should send some signals to policymakers and to everyone here in Massachusetts that a lot of the success that the state has had over the last few decades is something that we’re not necessarily entitled to," MTF President Doug Howgate said of outmigration on GBH Radio earlier this year. "We need to think about how different long-standing demographic trends, pandemic-induced demographic trends and policy decisions, how they're affecting location decisions and what we can do about it." (Thursday, 10 a.m., Zoom)
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECH: Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies holds a hybrid public hearing on 12 bills dealing with diversity, inclusion and innovation. A chairman Sen. Finegold bill would regulate how technology companies can collect and use residents' personal information. The bill (S 227) would make it easier for people to opt out of the sale of their data, establishes heightened protections for especially sensitive information (such as health or geolocation data), and grants the attorney general's office regulatory and enforcement authority. It is modeled on similar laws passed in Connecticut, California, Colorado and Virginia, and is similar to a bill reported favorably by the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity last session, according to Finegold's office. Other proposals seek to provide startup resources for minority entrepreneurs, support rural job creation and business expansion, and create an office of micro and minority-owned businesses. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Room A-1 | Agenda and Livestream)
SEWAGE OVERFLOWS IN RIVERS: Virtual briefing on ending sewage overflows in Boston-area rivers is held by the Massachusetts Rivers Alliance, Save the Alewife Brook, Charles River Watershed Association and Mystic River Watershed Association. "This summer, intense, historic rainfall led to record-breaking amounts of sewage being released into our rivers, threatening both public health and ecosystem health," organizers said. The briefing includes a discussion about the state's Sewage Notification System, which outlines a reporting mechanism for discharges and overflows, as well as about legislation (H 886) that looks to crack down on untreated sewer overflows. The proposal, which calls for a "minimum removal of solids and treatments to deactivate bacteria," is slated for a hearing before the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources later this month. (Thursday, 10 a.m. | Registration)
HOUSE POTENTIAL FORMAL: House Speaker Mariano's office advised members of a potential formal session, one day after the chamber meets in a formal session with plans to take up a controversial gun reform bill (HD 4607). (Thursday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
SENATE DEMOCRATS CAUCUS: Senate Democrats meet privately for a caucus. There are 36 Democrats currently serving in the 40-seat Senate. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate President's Office)
PHARMACY ADVOCACY DAY: Pharmacists and pharmacy students participate in a lobby day to tell lawmakers and staffers about the issues that matter to their profession. According to the Massachusetts Pharmacists Association, those issues include ensuring that pharmacy practice requirements are current, improving patient access/health promotion, pharmacy benefit manager reform and mail order prescriptions and maximum allowable cost (MAC) drugs. There's an ongoing battle on Beacon Hill about whether legislative intervention is required to help bring down prescription drug costs, which have risen at a faster clip than other cost centers in health care. Sen. Jamie Eldridge and Rep. Alan Silvia are expected to participate. The event is hosted by the Mass. Pharmacist Coalition. (Thursday, 12 p.m., Zoom)
SENATE FORMAL SESSION: The Senate meets for a formal session. Among the legislation that could come before senators for a vote is the reenactment of an outside section to the fiscal year 2024 budget to provide unlimited free phone calls to incarcerated individuals effective immediately. (Thursday, 1 p.m., Senate Chamber)
TECHNOLOGY AND CYBERSECURITY: Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity holds a hybrid public hearing on six bills dealing with data use and privacy. Two proposals look to protect personal biometric data -- which can include fingerprints, voiceprint, scan or hands or faces. Bills from Sen. Montigny and Rep. Fernandes would require that companies get consent before they can collect this data from individuals. Other bills have to do with internet privacy rights for children, and other broad internet security measures. (Thursday, 1 p.m, Gardner Auditorium | Agenda and Livestream)
NORTHERN RAIL MEETING: A working group tasked with studying passenger rail options linking Boston with Greenfield and North Adams meets virtually. (Thursday, 1 p.m., Zoom)
MBTA RIDER ACCESS: Riders' Transportation Access Group holds an advisory meeting. The group is a customer organization that advises the MBTA on transportation issues affecting older adults and people with disabilities. (Thursday, 3 p.m., Zoom)
CIVIL LEGAL AID AWARDS: Equal Justice Coalition gives Beacon of Justice awards to lawmakers "who have demonstrated exceptional leadership in expanding access to civil legal services for people with low incomes." Honorees include Rep. Barber, Sen. Comerford, Rep. Day, Sen. Friedman, Rep. Balser, Sen. Creem and Sen. Eldridge.(Thursday, 3:30 p.m., Room 428)
WORLDBOSTON CONSULS RECEPTION: Former EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy is the keynote speaker at WorldBoston's 14th annual Consuls Reception. (Thursday, 5 p.m., Harborview Room, Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, 600 Atlantic Ave., Boston | Register)
RED-BLUE LINE CONNECTOR: The MBTA hosts an in-person meeting with an overview of the preliminary engineering and upcoming state and federal environmental reviews for the Red-Blue Line connector project. The project would connect the Red and Blue lines by extending the Blue Line beyond its terminus at Bowdoin station through a new tunnel under Cambridge Street to the Charles/MGH station on the Red Line. "That would change traffic for the entire region, if not the state, if those two [subway lines] are finally talking to each other," Sen. Lydia Edward told WCVB's "On The Record" program this month. The same information will be shared Thursday in East Boston as was presented at a Monday meeting in the West End. (Thursday, 6 p.m., East Boston Branch of the Boston Public Library, 365 Breman St., Boston)
Friday, Oct. 20, 2023
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Public Health holds a hybrid public hearing on medical aid in dying bills designed to allow terminally ill patients who have a life expectancy of six months or less to take self-administered medication to "bring about a peaceful death." Under the bills sponsored by Rep. O'Day and Philips and Sen. Comerford (H 2246 / S 1331), patients must make two separate requests for the medication -- including a written request that's witnessed by two people -- and their mental capacity to seek the medication must be evaluated by a physician or licensed mental health care professional. Health care providers and patient advocates would not be disciplined or face civil or criminal charges when supporting a patient's rights to access the medication, according to the legislation. House and Senate Democrats have yet to bring forward the legislation, which has been filed every session since 2008, for a vote. In 2012, voters narrowly rejected a statewide ballot question that would have authorized licensed physicians to prescribe the life-ending medication. As attorney general, Gov. Healey expressed her support for physician-assisted dying. (Friday, 9 a.m., Gardner Auditorium | Agenda and Livestream)
SURGERY CENTER FEES: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a virtual public hearing on updated rates for services at freestanding ambulatory surgery centers, which provide outpatient, same-day care that doesn't require hospitalization or overnight services. EOHHS says the changes could cost around $1.1 million and are meant to ensure payments are "reasonable" and can cover the facilities' operating costs. Written testimony will be accepted through 5 p.m. (Friday, 9 a.m. | More Info and Zoom)
DIALYSIS TREATMENTS, SUPPLIES: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a virtual public hearing on an updated bundled rate for dialysis procedures. Other regulatory changes would expand coverage of certain drugs, as well as treatment for acute kidney injury at renal dialysis clinics. The proposals are expected to cost $2 million, though no new costs are anticipated for small business and "any impact on small business providers will vary based on the volume of services provided," according to EOHHS. Written testimony will be accepted through 5 p.m. (Friday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Zoom)
NURSING FACILITY PAYMENTS: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a virtual public hearing on updated nursing facility standards payment rates, which implement changes from the fiscal 2024 budget. One regulation deals with expanding the number of facilities eligible for add-on rates as they care for MassHealth members diagnosed with substance use disorders. (Friday, 1 p.m. | More Info and Zoom)
SPILKA STROKE CARE AWARD: Senate President Spilka receives the 2023 American Stroke Association Community Conscience Award from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and the Northeast Cerebrovascular Consortium. She will deliver brief remarks. (Friday, 3:30 p.m., Virtual | Interested media may contact gray.milkowski@masenate.gov for details)
