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House Speaker Ron Mariano has been making clear for weeks that the House budget won't be "business as usual" this year. Sure enough, there are some unusual and unexpected aspects to the $61.4 billion fiscal 2026 spending plan unveiled Wednesday. The bill that representatives will debate, amend and pass in two weeks is the first major state spending plan for next year to be put forward since President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans launched their gradual effort to significantly overhaul federal funding -- actions that Beacon Hill Democrats have said put as much as $16 billion in revenue to the state at risk, not to mention the policy underpinnings behind the money. But instead of pulling or paring back or making a push for new revenue, the House opted to forge ahead and propose a budget that would be 6.4% higher than the spending package Gov. Maura Healey signed last summer. And there are no clear contingencies in the bill should the D.C. spigot start to dry up.
FRANKLIN
New Town Website Does
Not Support “Cut and Paste” of calendar entries. Go to
https://franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
However, Steve Sherlock from Franklin Matters has compiled and and
shared the below information. Thanks Steve!
For the week after Easter with schools on break and Patriot’s Day Monday, this a very light week for Town/School meetings.
However, the week after this break will be a busy one with 3 Finance Committee budget hearings, along with the School Committee & Town Council meetings, Planning Board, and Conservation holding their regularly scheduled meetings.
If anyone has any questions about the line item details on the FY 2026 budget, these three Finance Committee budget hearings (4/28, 4/29, & 5/1) are the time to do so.
Prior year experience indicates that the General government departments/line items will be on one night, the schools (Franklin, Tri-County, Norfolk Aggie) on one night and the third night covers public safety (Police, Fire & Dispatch) as well as Public Works both operational and enterprise accounts (water, sewer, solid waste, & storm water). Exactly which night will come out when the agendas are posted.
We know through the Schools, that they’ll be on April 28, which of the other two will slot where, we’ll find out when the agendas come out by Friday, April 25.
*** Meeting schedule for the week of April 21 - April 26 (as of the Town website on Friday evening, 4/18/25) ***
Franklin Housing Authority - Special Meeting
Monday, April 21 Time: 4:30 PM
https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04212025-1691
Design Review Meeting - Cancelled
Tuesday, April 22 Time: 7:00 PM
no agenda for this cancelled meeting
Zoning Board of Appeals ZBA Meeting
Thursday, April 24 Time: 7:30 PM
No agenda posted at this time
Friends of Franklin Elders (FOFE) Meeting
Friday, April 25 Time: 9:00 AM
No agenda posted at this time
*** Looking back at the week that was ***
The Town Council met on April 16 for 3 hours. Key items covered can be fond in the Franklin Matters recap -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/04/town-council-starts-with-recognitions.html
Franklin TV of meeting -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9jXhRmTTlI&t=94s
--------------
For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events on posted on the top of the page
- Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx
- Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar
Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html
Subscribe for the weekly dose of information ->
https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html
MEDWAY
Tues., April 22
5:30 PMWater & Sewer Advisory Board Meeting
6 PMRedevelopment Authority meeting
7 PMSelect Board Meeting7 PMPlanning & Economi
Weds. April 23
7 PMHistorical Commission - Cancelled
Thurs Apr.24
STATE
HOUSE and BEYOND
At a time when recession forecasts are gaining currency and the federal government has states on high alert for reductions in funding, Massachusetts lawmakers and Gov. Maura Healey have opted to make spending the focus of their attention early in the 2025-2026 session. Lawmakers and Healey in February teamed up on a $425 million bill to plug gaps in emergency family shelter funding. The House followed that up in April by passing a $1.3 billion bill (H 4010) appropriating surplus income surtax funds, legislation that's pending in the Senate Ways and Means Committee. Stung by higher prices and increased costs associated with GLP-1 weight loss drugs, the Group Insurance Commission is on track to be unable to pay public employee health insurance claims on May 12. Healey included $240 million to bail out the GIC in a $756 million bill (H 4003) she put before the Legislature on April 2, which she said would address "time-sensitive deficiencies" in government accounts. "Our hope is that with the FY '26 budget now out of House Ways and Means, they will quickly turn their attention to the supplemental budget that includes our funding to get through the end of this fiscal year," GIC Executive Director Matthew Veno told the commission Thursday. That supplemental budget also includes $189 million in child care financial assistance, $60 million for home care, $135 million in payments to safety net hospitals, and $43 million for a program designed to help keep families from being evicted. The bill is at risk of getting overshadowed at House Ways and Means for the rest of April by the $61.4 billion fiscal 2026 budget (H 4000) that the panel approved Wednesday. Committee staff will spend parts of next week categorizing hundreds of amendments filed by Friday's deadline, in advance of floor deliberations planned for the week of April 28. Legislators have not scheduled many committee hearings for the upcoming school vacation week and the House and Senate are set to remain in informal session mode, a posture that has yielded only two new laws in the session's first 100 days: the February emergency shelter budget, which arguably should have been handled in the fiscal 2025 annual budget, and a non-controversial bill in March to extend allowance for virtual or hybrid public meetings that would have otherwise expired March 31.
Storylines in Progress
... Spring started with cool temperatures and lots of rain, but more sun is coming in time for outdoor events, including the Boston Marathon on Monday, a series of events associated with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, and public trout stocking events that highlight the government's role in environmental education ... The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education is poised to potentially seal a long gap in leadership by choosing a new K-12 education commissioner Tuesday ... An apprenticeship program gets attention the Wednesday of school vacation week with an anniversary bash ... Thursday will be celebrated as Right Whale Day at the New England Aquarium ... Rep. Christopher Flanagan has so far ignored bipartisan calls for him to resign, including from Gov. Healey, as he simultaneously serves in the House and fights federal fraud charges following his April 11 arrest. For now, the House Ethics Committee is not looking into the matter ... Lawmakers might soon have time-sensitive decisions to make about whether to act quickly on a home-rule petition designed to prevent a potential special Boston City Council election just a few months before the normally scheduled contests arrive. A longtime campaign finance regulator with deep ties on Beacon Hill will be overseeing Boston's elections office through the 2026 elections: Secretary of State William Galvin's office confirmed he named former Office of Campaign and Political Finance head Michael Sullivan as Boston's receiver. Sullivan had his first meeting with the city early last week, Galvin's office said.
Sunday, April 20, 2025
EASTER SUNRISE SERVICE: The USS Constitution hosts a free, public Easter sunrise service aboard the oldest commissioned warship still in service. The nondenominational service will be conducted by a U.S. Navy chaplain. (Sunday, 7 a.m., USS Constitution, 5 Charlestown Navy Yard, Charlestown)
KENNEALY ON KELLER: Republican candidate for governor Mike Kenealy discusses the Trump administration, housing development and how he would deal with the migrant shelter crisis during a "Keller at Large" TV appearance with Jon Keller. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV)
MCGOVERN ON OTR: Massachusetts Congressman Jim McGovern is the guest on WCVB's "On The Record." Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti host. Democratic Political Analyst Mary Anne Marsh and Republican Political Analyst Rob Gray join for the roundtable discussion. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB Channel 5)
MENOTOMY REENACTMENT: The reenactment of the Battle of Menotomy takes place. This was the bloodiest engagement of the battles of April 19, 1775. (Sunday, 2 p.m., Grove St. to Mystic St., Arlington)
Monday, April 21, 2025
OLD NORTH BRIDGE WALK: U.S. Park Service rangers lead an educational walk over the Old North Bridge, the site of "The Shot Heard Round" the world. The walk will take the place of the traditional reenactment. (Monday, 8:30 a.m., North Bridge Visitor Center, 174 Liberty St., Concord)
BOSTON MARATHON: 2024 Boston Marathon begins with the men's wheelchair field (9:06 a.m.), followed by women's wheelchair participants (9:09 a.m.), handcycles and duos (9:30 a.m.), professional men (9:37 a.m.), professional women (9:47 a.m.), para athletes (9:50 a.m.) and waves of other runners starting at 10 a.m. (Monday, 9:06 a.m., Hopkinton)
COMMONWEALTH MUSEUM: The Commonwealth Museum is free and open to the public for a Patriots' Day weekend viewing of the exhibit, "Upon Such Ground: Massachusetts and the Birth of the Revolution." The "America 250" exhibit features revolutionary artifacts held at the Massachusetts Archives, including an invoice from Paul Revere for a series of rides, a Paul Revere copper engraving, a drum used at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and a sword used by the officer who gave the order to fire on the British at Concord's Old North Bridge. (Monday, 10 a.m., The Commonwealth Museum, 220 Morrissey Blvd., Dorchester)
MARATHON BLOOD DRIVE: Stepping Strong Center holds a One Boston Day Blood Drive in Kenmore Square to benefit patients at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and Massachusetts General Hospital who are in need of transfusions due to traumatic injuries and other serious health conditions. The blood drive is part of the City of Boston's "One Mile to Go" block drive in Kenmore Square.(Monday, 11 a.m., Kenmore Square, Boston)
INDIVISIBLE MASS. RALLY: Indivisible Mass Coalition, Concord Indivisible and Reclaim Our Democracy host a Patriots' Day rally in Concord. "Gathering in Concord where the American Revolution began, patriots across the political spectrum will join together to hear from nationally recognized voices speaking out against Donald Trump's assaults on our country's freedoms and liberties," organizers say. Speakers include former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark Rufus Gifford, Robbins House President Nikki Turpin, Native American artist Scott Strong Hawk Foster, and moderator Diane Proctor. (Monday, 11 a.m., First Parish, 20 Lexington Road, Concord)
GUV CROWNS MARATHON WINNERS: Gov. Healey crowns winners of the 2025 Boston Marathon at the race finish line. (Monday, 12:20 p.m., Copley Square, Boston)
PATRIOTS' DAY: State offices are closed for Patriots' Day, a state holiday throughout Massachusetts commemorating "the opening events of the War of the Revolution and the struggle through which the nation passed in its early days." (Monday)
MARATHON MBTA SERVICE: The MBTA has increased service on subway lines before and after the Boston Marathon on Monday. From about 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., above-ground Green Line stops at South Street (B branch), Kent Street (C branch) and St. Mary's Street (C branch) will be closed. Copley Station is closed for the entire day for public safety reasons, according to the T. The MBTA may adjust service or temporarily close additional stations near the finish line. Most bus routes will operate on a Saturday schedule on Monday, with some routes detoured to accommodate the marathon. Routes 1, 7, 501 and 504 will have increased service. All Commuter Rail lines will operate a regular weekday schedule, and there will be additional inbound trips on the Framingham/Worcester Line. (Monday | More Info)
Tuesday, April 22, 2025
CHILDREN'S BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a remote public hearing on proposed amendments to increase rates for seven children's behavioral health services. EOHHS also wants to establish a new service, called Family-based Intensive Treatment, and remove rates for mobile crisis intervention services provided in a hospital emergency department due to a new billing structure. Written testimony will be accepted through 5 p.m. (Tuesday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)
LEXINGTON CITIZENSHIP CEREMONY: About 50 candidates for U.S. citizenship are sworn in on the Lexington Battle Green, the first naturalization ceremony ever held at the first battle of the American Revolution. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Lexington Battle Green)
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL - WORKFORCE: Boston City Council Committee on Labor, Workforce and Economic Development holds a hearing to consider a $210,000 grant from the Donor Group to fund financial education, credit- and asset-building, and employment services for residents at the Center for Working Families. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Boston City Hall, Iannella Chamber, City Hall Plaza, Boston | More Info)
HOUSE: House meets in an informal session. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
SENATE: Senate meets in an informal session. (Tuesday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)
MASS CULTURAL COUNCIL: The governing body of the Mass Cultural Council meets. Chair Marc Carroll's report will include a recommendation for the executive director's compensation, as well as a preview of Creative Sector Day at the State House on April 30. (Tuesday, 12 p.m. | LivestreamMore Info)
JUDICIARY COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on the Judiciary convenes a public hearing to weigh bills dealing with estate law, which deals with management of an individual's assets during their lifetime and after their death; probate law, which concerns a deceased person's estate; and family law, which involves several areas including marriage, divorce, child custody, domestic violence and reproductive rights, according to the committee's definitions. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Room A-2 | Agenda and Access Info)
COMMUNITY TREATMENT SERVICES: Executive Office of Health and Human Services hold a virtual public hearing on proposed rate increases for the Program of Assertive Community Treatment services. The service model is for people with serious mental illnesses who could benefit from coordinated care. The annualized cost of the rate increase is $1.36 million, officials say. Written testimony will be accepted through 5 p.m. (Tuesday, 1 p.m. | More Info and Access)
DESE COMMISSIONER VOTE: Board of Elementary and Secondary Education holds a meeting to select a new commissioner for the state's K-12 education department, and recommend their choice to Secretary of Education Patrick Tutwiler. The board interviewed three finalists on Thursday, April 17. The candidates are Jack Elsey, a former chief of innovation at Chicago Public Schools and assistant superintendent at Detroit Public Schools; Lily Laux, executive director of Economic Mobility Systems and former deputy commissioner of school programs at the Texas Education Agency; and Pedro Martinez, who leads Chicago Public Schools, the fourth-largest district in the nation. The board hopes to have the new commissioner begin their duties in July. (Tuesday, 2 p.m., Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, 135 Santilli Highway, Everett | Livestream)
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL - BUDGET: Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means holds a virtual hearing to solicit public testimony about Mayor Wu's $4.8 billion fiscal year 2026 budget and other related matters. (Tuesday, 6 p.m., More Info)
TROUT STOCKING: Division of Fisheries and Wildlife continues its springtime effort to stock more than 450 rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds with hundreds of thousands of hatchery-raised brook, brown, rainbow, and tiger trout with a series of public events coinciding with school vacation week. MassWildlife said the events, which are free and do not require registration, are an opportunity for kids to learn more about the fish themselves and the state's conservation efforts. The state said its trout-stocking program "provides excellent fishing opportunities to anglers of all ages and skill levels" and that the fish raised at hatcheries in Sandwich, Palmer, Belchertown, Sunderland and Montague "are both fun to catch and delicious to eat." Todd Richards, MassWildlife's assistant director of fisheries, said the state stocks bodies of water all around Massachusetts with trout "so whether you live in Greater Boston, downtown Worcester, or a small town in the Berkshires, there are ample opportunities to get outside and enjoy fishing." Public stocking events are planned each day Tuesday through Friday. (Tuesday | Full Schedule)
EARTH DAY: Events around Massachusetts mark Earth Day, including a "Birds, Bees and Butterflies Bonanza" organized by Extinction Rebellion, which has long been hosting a stand-out outside the State House calling for action to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure. (Tuesday)
Wednesday, April 23, 2025
LUNG ASSOCIATION REPORT: The American Lung Association releases a new "State of the Air" report, focused on air quality nationwide. The annual report card tracks exposure to unhealthy levels of ozone and pollution. (Wednesday, 12:01 a.m., Available at Lung.org/sota)
GE VERNOVA EARNINGS CALL: GE Vernova, the company working with Vineyard Wind and central to the state's offshore wind hopes, plans to hold a first quarter earnings call. In July, The CEO of GE Vernova, the company that manufactured the blades and turbines for the project, said his company had "no indications of an engineering design flaw" that could have caused a spectacular blade failure last summer, but instead thinks it was a result of an issue in the manufacturing process, specifically "insufficient bonding." (Wednesday, 7:30 a.m., Access)
APPRENTICESHIP CELEBRATION: Massachusetts Apprentice Network, part of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, holds a three-year anniversary celebration. The event will feature new data from the network's Impact Report. Speakers include Jaime Pearson of the National Center for the Apprenticeship Degree, David Podell of Massachusetts Bay Community College, Doug MacNeil of South Shore Health, Marjorie Ringrose of the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, Lara Thomas from the Massachusetts Division of Apprentice Standards, and Tanya Tover of Team Positive Behavior Supports. The event is free for members and non-members. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., 265 Franklin St., Boston | Register)
ENDING LIFE WITHOUT PAROLE: The Campaign to End Life Without Parole lobbies for a bill (S 1178 / H 2052) that gives all incarcerated people the opportunity for a parole hearing after serving 25 years of their sentence. The legislation guarantees a hearing, but not parole, and offers each person the chance to participate in a "restorative justice program." The program, participation in which is voluntary, "will allow interaction between the prisoner and victims, family of the victims, the parties to a crime, and community members within the prison with the goal to identify and address harms and needs and obligations resulting from an offense in order to understand and reconcile the impact of that offense." The bill is sponsored by Sen. Liz Miranda and Rep. Christopher Worrell. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Room 437)
MUNI ADA GRANT: Massachusetts Office on Disability holds a "quarterly tea," focused on the Municipal ADA Improvement Grant. It provides funding for cities and towns to make accessibility improvements for people with disabilities. The grant application opens May 1. (Wednesday, 11 a.m. | Register)
Thursday, April 24, 2025
GIRLS EMPOWERMENT: Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women holds its annual Girls Empowerment Leadership Initiative Summit in coordination with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and the Marine Biological Laboratory. The summit provides young women age 14-22 with exposure to research, specifically in ocean science, biology and engineering, with the aim of fostering interest in STEM careers. (Thursday, 8:30 a.m., Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Redfield Auditorium, 45 Water St., Woods Hole, Falmouth)
ALLIED HEALTH: Board of Registration of Allied Health Professions meet. Members will vote on a matter dealing with the administration of oxygen by physical therapists and occupational therapists. (Thursday, 9 a.m. | Agenda and Livestream)
RIGHT WHALE DAY: New England Aquarium celebrates Massachusetts Right Whale Day and highlights research happening at the Aquarium's Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. A speaking program at 10 a.m. in Harbor Terrace Tent, which includes remarks from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, will explore the importance of protecting North Atlantic right whales. The tent will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and attendees can speak with officials representing businesses, state agencies and research organizations focused on right whale conservation efforts. A 42-foot-long inflatable right whale will be on display on Central Wharf Plaza from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be themed educational programming inside the Aquarium throughout the day, and admission tickets are required. Roughly two-thirds of the 370 remaining right whales visit waters off Massachusetts each winter and spring, according to the Aquarium. (Thursday, 10 a.m., New England Aquarium, 1 Central Wharf)
RETIREMENT BOARD: Massachusetts State Retirement Board meets. Treasurer Goldberg chairs the meeting. (Thursday, 10 a.m. | Email MSRBCommunications@tre.state.ma.us for access)
MBTA BOARD: MBTA Board of Directors meets. (Thursday, 10 a.m., State Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza, Boston | Agenda and Livestream)
SENATE: Senate plans to meet in an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)
SUPPLIER DIVERSITY: Small Business Strong, a technical assistance initiative at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, hosts an informational webinar with the Massachusetts Supplier Diversity Office. Attendees will learn about different types of certifications, their benefits and available resources. (Thursday, 12 p.m. | Register)
ENERGY SITING, PERMITTING: State energy officials hold their third public stakeholder session tied to implementing the 2024 clean energy law, which includes siting and permitting reforms. Staff from the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Energy Facilities Siting Board and the Department of Public Utilities want input on straw proposals ahead of issuing regulations later this year. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Roxbury Community College Student Commons, 1234 Columbus Ave., Roxbury | More Info)
Friday, April 25, 2025
BOSTON CITY COUNCIL - PUBLIC SAFETY: Boston City Council Committee on Public Safety and Criminal Justice holds a hearing about grants administered by the Boston Fire Department. (Friday, 10 a.m., Boston City Hall, Iannella Chamber, City Hall Plaza, Boston | More Info)
GUIDE DOG TRAVEL: Massachusetts Commission for the Blind holds a virtual event about the role of guide dogs in boosting independence and mobility for individuals with vision loss. Presenters include Ally Bull of MCB, Jane Flower and Megan Dameron of Guide Dogs for the Blind, and Susanne Agerbak of the Massachusetts Office on Disability. (Friday, 10 a.m. | Zoom)
SICKLE CELL HEARING: Executive Office of Health and Human Services convenes a remote public hearing to solicit input about the needs of MassHealth members with sickle cell disease. (Friday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)
Saturday, April 26, 2025
FREEDOM RALLY ANNIVERSARY: Martin Luther King III joins Embrace Boston, Everyone250, and the city of Boston to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Freedom Rally on Boston Common -- when Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led more than 20,000 people in a march for racial justice from Roxbury to Boston Common. Additional speakers include Boston Mayor Wu, Rev. Willie Brodrick, Michael Curry of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, Traci Griffith from ACLU Massachusetts, and others. Organizers said they are aiming for more than 10,000 attendees. (Saturday, 12 p.m., The Embrace on Boston Common, Boston)
