53° and Patchy rain nearby
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Members of the public can finally get a look at the $29,000 oil-on-canvas memorialization of Gov. Charlie Baker's eight years in the corner office. Baker's official portrait, unveiled at a private soiree Dec. 21 in the State House library, was up on the wall this past week in the lobby of the executive suite for all to see. With display space in the lobby reserved for the 12 most recent governors, that means 1950s Gov. Christian Herter has finally moved out of the suite, with Gov. Foster Furcolo on deck to head out whenever Gov. Maura Healey's picture goes on the wall. Gov. Deval Patrick slid down a space to make way for Baker to occupy a spot closest to the door.
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
Weds. Jan. 3
10:00am
Comprehensive Facilities Planning Sub-Committee Meeting
5:00pm
5:00pm
7:00pm
Thurs. Jan. 4
7:30pm
STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND
Wednesday marks the beginning of the second year of this two-year General Court, with Democrats again able to hold formal sessions following a seven-week stretch of informal sessions only. The Senate plans to jump back into larger-scale lawmaking with a formal session Thursday morning, though leaders have not yet announced what legislation will come to the floor. The vast majority of priorities outlined by top Democrats at the start of the 193rd General Court remain just that: problems that await legislative solutions. On topic after topic -- clean energy, early education, economic development, guns, health care and housing -- there's very little momentum. That's not expected to change next week, but a groundswell on those issues, and others, is likely to emerge in the coming months. Joint committees, after all, still have until Feb. 7 to make determinations on bills, most of which hold their place in the queue as the page flips from the first annual session to the second annual session. There are some notable exceptions to that joint "carryover" rule. Gov. Maura Healey's spending bills do not carry over, nor do any pending budget bill amendments. Also, budget vetoes do not carry over and will officially be considered completed business as of next week ... Updates are scheduled in the coming days on state tax collections and the status of its over-capacity emergency shelter system ... It's another week off for the Governor's Council, which will have a vote on Supreme Judicial Court nominee Elizabeth Dewar before it when the elected body meets next on Jan. 10 ... Municipal officials, including some new mayors, are scheduled to be sworn in at ceremonies around the state ... January is a month replete with important dates, starting with the start of presidential primary voting with the Iowa Republican Caucus (Jan. 15), the deadline to agree on a fiscal 2025 tax revenue estimate (Jan. 15), Gov. Healey's State of the State address (Jan. 17), the governor's fiscal 2025 budget bill filing (Jan. 24), and the due date for offshore wind project bids (Jan. 31).
Sunday, Dec. 31, 2023
LOOK BACK, LOOK AHEAD: State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski talks with Jon Keller about Gov. Healey's first year in office and major political issues on the horizon for 2024. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)
YEAR IN REVIEW: "On The Record" hosts Sharman Sacchetti and Ed Harding feature a "political year in review" episode this week, looking at top stories from 2023 and what lies ahead in the 2024 election cycle. Political analysts Rob Gray and Mary Anne Marsh join. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)
FIRST NIGHT BOSTON: Family-friendly activities for First Night Boston 2024 kick off at 11 a.m. Programs and musical performances are relocating from Copley Square to City Hall Plaza, with some activites slated inside City Hall. The Frog Pond Skating Spectacular is at 6 p.m., as well as the First Night Parade that starts at City Hall and ends at Boston Common. Fireworks are planned for 7 p.m. over Boston Common and at midnight over Boston Harbor. Local law enforcement officials say there are no credible threats for the event. (Sunday, 11 a.m., Boston | More Info)
ICE SCULPTURE STROLL: More than 30 sites along the Boston Harbor waterfront display ice sculptures in celebration of New Year's Eve. Participants include the New England Aquarium, which is displaying an ice sculpture of several California sea lions and a trainer. "The sculpture is an ode to the Aquarium's growing sea lion population, which welcomed Gio and Farley earlier this year," aquarium officials wrote, referencing the recent arrival of a pair of 15-year-old sea lions. (Sunday, 1 p.m., More Info)
FREE MBTA SERVICE: MBTA will offer free service on all modes, including on subway, bus and commuter rail, after 8 p.m. for New Year's Eve festivities. Subway service runs through about 3 a.m. and buses are on Sunday schedules. (Sunday, 8 p.m. | More Info)
Monday, Jan. 1, 2023
WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE: Mass. Lottery presents the winning numbers for its "Mass Millionaire Holiday Raffle" game in a live social media broadcast, making one player the first $1 million prize winner of 2024. Four $250,000 prizes and six $25,000 prizes will also be awarded. Tickets for the game, which works like a traditional raffle, cost $10 and are on sale through Dec. 31 or until all 550,000 available tickets sell out. Each ticket gets the player a unique seven-digit raffle number that will be entered into the pool to be chosen for any one of the 11 prizes to be announced in the first minutes of the new year. The odds of any given ticket winning will depend on the number of tickets ultimately sold and entered into the raffle. (Monday, 12:15 a.m., Facebook or YouTube)
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL: Boston City Council meets to swear in councilors and elect a new president. Four members of the 13-person council are not continuing into 2024: Councilors Frank Baker, Michael Flaherty, Kendra Lara and Ricardo Arroyo. Baker and Flaherty both decided not to seek reelection, and Lara and Arroyo lost primary races in September. Ben Weber will replace Lara to represent District 6 and Enrique Pepén takes Arroyo's seat representing District 5. Weber and Pepén were both backed by Mayor Michelle Wu. Baker, a longtime moderate councilor, endorsed John FitzGerald's successful campaign to take his District 3 seat. Progressive Wu ally Henry Santana was elected to the seat being vacated by Flaherty. The incoming and returning councilors will elect a new president at Monday's meeting as well. South Boston Councilor Ed Flynn was elected to lead the council in 2022. Ruthzee Louijeune, an at-large city councilor who got the most votes in this fall's municipal election, said in November that she had enough support from other councilors to be elected the body's president. "I am humbled that my colleagues believe in me to lead the Boston City Council in the next term," she said in a press release at the time. "We have a lot of work to do when it comes to meeting the basic needs of residents and it’s clear that is what our communities want us to focus on." Louijeune is entering her second term on the council. Auditor DiZoglio plans to attend the inauguration. (Monday, 12 p.m., City Council Chamber, Boston City Hall)
NEW BEDFORD INAUGURATION: Inauguration ceremony for Mayor Jon Mitchell and other elected officials in New Bedford. Gov. Maura Healey is scheduled to swear in Mitchell to his sixth four-year term, which will run through 2027. City Clerk Dennis Farais will administer the oath to members of the City Council, Board of Assessors and School Committee. (Monday, 7 p.m., Keith Middle School, 225 Hathaway Blvd., New Bedford)
REVERE INAUGURATION: Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe Jr. is sworn in to his first elected term. Keefe has served as acting mayor since Mayor Brian Arrigo's departure to head the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Auditor DiZoglio plans to attend. (Monday, 7 p.m., Susan B. Anthony Middle School, 107 Newhall St., Revere)
STATE PARK HIKES: Department of Conservation and Recreation holds its 33rd annual First Day Hike initiative. Guided hikes will be offered at 13 state parks, including Breakheart Reservation, Halibut Point State Park, Middlesex Fells Reservation, Walden Pond State Reservation, Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Blue Hills Reservation, Blackstone River and Canal Heritage State Park, Dunn State Park, Willard Brook State Forest, Wachusett Reservoir, Great Falls Discovery Center, Chester Blandford State Forest and Mount Greylock State Reservation. "One of the administration's many New Year's resolutions is to get more people outside and into Massachusetts natural resources. A First Day Hike will get us closer to that goal and residents more connected to our state park system," Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said in a statement. "By participating in this tradition, residents experience our parks' natural, cultural, and recreational resources while also witnessing the significance of these parks in ensuring the health of our environment." (Monday | More Info)
Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2023
ROAD CONSTRUCTION RESUMES: MassDOT resumes scheduled road and highway construction work after halting it for the holiday weekend. (Tuesday, 5 a.m.)
HAVERHILL INAUGURATION: Haverhill Mayor-elect Melinda Barrett swears her oath of office, taking over for the city's longest-serving mayor, James Fiorentini, who was first elected in 2003. Auditor DiZoglio plans to sing as part of the ceremony, according to her office. Lt. Gov. Driscoll and Congresswoman Trahan are also expected to attend, according to an invitation. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., City Hall, 4 Summer St., Haverhill)
GREENFIELD INAUGURATIONS: Greenfield celebrates the inauguration of Mayor Virginia "Ginny" Desorgher, and members of the City Council, Board of Assessors, School Committee, and other elected offices. Outgoing City Council President Daniel Guin provides opening remarks, Fr. Michael Pierz from Blessed Trinity Parish delivers the invocation, and Desorgher will give closing remarks after the oaths are administered. Desorgher, a former emergency room charge nurse, has lived in Greenfield for more than a decade and has served in various local roles in that time, including as chair of the city's Ways and Means Committee. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., John Zon Community Center, 35 Pleasant St., Greenfield | Facebook)
HOUSE AND SENATE - FIRST ANNUAL SESSION ENDS: Tuesday is the last day of the first annual session of the 2023-2024 General Court. Formal sessions may resume beginning on Wednesday, Jan. 3 and continuing through July 31, according to legislative rules. Both branches hold informal sessions at 11 a.m. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers)
COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Statutory Advisory Board meets virtually. Agenda includes a commissioner report and program updates. (Tuesday, 12 p.m. | Agenda and Livestream)
WORCESTER INAUGURATION: City of Worcester holds inaugural ceremonies for its City Council and School Committee members. Auditor DiZoglio plans to attend. (Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., South High School, 107 Apricot St., Worcester)
SHELTER REPORT: The Healey administration is required to submit its second biweekly report on the emergency shelter system to the House and Senate Ways and Means committee, as required by the supplemental budget that Gov. Maura Healey signed on Dec. 4. Officials must describe the volume of families in emergency shelters, where they're located throughout the state, spending on food and other services, and school district supplemental costs, among other details. The first report was submitted on Dec. 18, meaning the next 14-day requirement falls on Jan. 1, which is a state holiday. A Healey spokesperson said the administration is planning to submit the report Tuesday. (Tuesday)
Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2023
SECOND ANNUAL SESSION BEGINS: The first Wednesday of 2024 marks the start of the second annual session of the 193rd General Court. Formal House and Senate sessions may resume, under legislative rules, and continue through July 31.
SENATE: Senate meets in its first sitting of the second annual session. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)
HOUSE: House holds an informal session to kick off the second year of the legislative term. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
SENATE DEMS CAUCUS: Senate's 36 Democrats meet in a private caucus, a day ahead of a planned formal session. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Senate President's Office and Virtual)
FLAG FLYING WEBINAR: Massachusetts Municipal Association holds a webinar about municipal flag flying policies, as well as how to handle third-party requests to fly flags. It's led by attorney Mark Reich of KP Law. "The webinar will also address First Amendment concerns in the wake of increasing interest in this form of expression, flagpoles as locations for government speech and public forums, and a brief review of the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Shurtleff v. City of Boston," MMA said. The Supreme Court ruled last year that Boston violated the Constitution by rejecting Harold Shurtleff's application to fly a Christian flag. "The city's refusal to let Shurtleff and Camp Constitution fly their flag based on its religious viewpoint violated the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment," the Court said in its ruling. (Wednesday, 12 p.m. | Register)
METHUEN INAUGURATION: City of Methuen holds inaugural ceremonies. Auditor DiZoglio, of Methuen, plans to attend. (Wednesday, 5:30 p.m., Methuen Memorial Music Hall, 192 Broadway, Methuen)
Thursday, Jan. 4, 2023
LIBRARY BOARD: The Board of Library Commissioners holds its monthly public meeting. Agenda items include a report from chair Debby Conrad, as well as consideration of approval of municipalities meeting the requirements for fiscal year 2024 state aid for public libraries. Commissioners will also discuss their plan for budgeting and programs in fiscal year 2025. (Thursday, 10 a.m., MBLC Offices, 90 Canal St. Suite 500, Boston | Zoom, Meeting ID: 837 0960 7727/Passcode: January | Agenda)
SENATE: Senate plans to hold a formal session, according to President Spilka's office. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)
HOUSE: House plans to hold an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
VACCINE PURCHASING COUNCIL: Massachusetts Vaccine Purchasing Advisory Council meets. The council is tasked with helping to ensure "universal distribution" of as many childhood vaccines, recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, as possible by the Department of Public Health. For remote access information, contact cmcreynolds@mcaap.org. (Thursday, 4 p.m., Massachusetts Medical Society, 860 Winter St., Waltham | More Info)
GARDNER INAUGURATION: City of Gardner inauguration ceremonies. Auditor DiZoglio attends. (Thursday, 6:30 p.m., City Hall, 95 Pleasant St., Gardner)
DECEMBER REVENUES: Department of Revenue is due to report on state tax collections in December, a "significant month" for revenues during a fiscal year that has so far seen the state's take fall short of expectations each month (though DOR has actually collected slightly more than it had at this point last year). The administration has set the monthly benchmark at $3.914 billion for December. By mid-month, DOR had collected $1.544 billion -- roughly 39 percent of the benchmark amount and $138 million or 8.2 percent less than actual collections during the same half of December 2022. DOR cautions against reading too much into mid-month reports since collections are typically weighted to the end of the month. Through the first five full months of fiscal 2024, state tax collections have come in $627 million or 4.3 percent below the estimates used to craft the record $56 billion annual budget. If collections come up short again in December, that will fuel debate over whether the governor should make midyear spending cuts. (Thursday)
Saturday, Jan. 6, 2023
TAX UPDATE: Massachusetts Society of Enrolled Agents holds a 1040 tax update, designed to help tax professionals for the upcoming filing season. "Participants will learn the major details of the Inflation Reduction Act , CARES and SECURE Acts, specifically the changes to refundable credits, COVID-related deductions, credits and income deferrals, and IRAs," organizers say. (Saturday, 9 a.m., enVision Hotel & Conference Center Mansfield-Foxboro, 31 Hampshire St., Mansfield)
