People, Power, and Politics

Gov. Maura Healey detailed Wednesday her support for an "all of the above" energy strategy that includes nuclear energy.  Healey, who recalled that her parents allowed Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant demonstrators from the anti-nuclear Clamshell Alliance to camp out on her family's property when she was a child in the 1970s, said her position on nuclear power is "not a new position."

"I think you've got to have the conversation about what nuclear looks like today, and nuclear today is different than, you know, some of the specter of Three Mile Island, of what we grew up with — and I grew up actually, in the shadow of Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant," Healey, who grew up in Hampton Falls, N.H., said on GBH's "Boston Public Radio" program.  "Today we have the potential of small, modular nuclear production. And you know, there are places that are bringing that online," Healey continued. "We need to have the continued work around storage and what we do with waste, but nuclear has to be part of the equation.

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!

We can put “Summertime, and the living is easy” on repeat as we ease into the long 4th of July weekend.

Less than a handful of meetings this week. The Agricultural Committee and Planning Board meet on Monday. The Municipal Affordable Housing Trust meets on Tuesday.

While the Board of Health has a meeting scheduled for their normal first Wednesday of the month, there is no agenda posted and it may not occur. Prior meeting discussion was around whether there was a need to meet during the summer. Nothing was pressing at the time.

The 4th of July Celebration opens on Wednesday and runs through Sunday on the Town Common. Carnival rides open daily with a wrist band or ride package available. Live music is scheduled each day with the 5th Annual MIke Crandall Blues Festival on Saturday. Fireworks close out Saturday night at 10 PM from Franklin High School.

The Franklin Democratic Committee, the Rod and Gun Club, and the 4th Coalition will operate food booths during the event. Supporting these organizations are a win-win; food or refreshments for you and the family and you help the group.

You can check out the 4th of July Coalition page for their full schedule. The Coalition is community supported so your donation can help support this event.

Each day's schedule will also be shared via the Franklin.news daily newsletter.

*** Meeting schedule and agendas as of Town page 6/27/25, 8:00 PM

Franklin Agricultural Committee

Monday, June 30 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/Agricultural-Commission-13/?#_06302025-1797

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, June 30 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_06302025-1798

Municipal Affordable Housing Trust Meeting

Tuesday, July 1 Time: 2:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/437?fileID=5188

BOARD OF HEALTH MEETINGS

Wednesday, July 2 Time: 5:00 PM

no agenda at this time (not likely meeting

*** Looking back at the week that was ***

A short week of meetings this past week.

The School Committee policy subcommittee met virtually on Tuesday at 6 PM to preview the fee discussion and decision before the full meeting at 7 PM.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/06/franklin-school-cmte-policy-subcmte-mtg.html

The full School Committee meeting met at 7 PM with 5 members participating for this virtual session. Franklin TV did not broadcast this session as it was virtual only. The audio for both the Policy subcommittee and full meeting is available at Franklin.news.

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/06/school-committee-meets-virtually.html

The Conservation Commission met on Thursday. Franklin TV video is available for replay on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glunYy20aWs

—------------

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendars at Franklin.news where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

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

Medway’s
new website, likewise, does not readily support cut and paste. Go to
medwayma.gov.

STATE
HOUSE and BEYOND

Monday is budget day in the House and Senate, as both branches plan to take up and pass a compromise fiscal year 2026 budget on the final day of fiscal 2025. If the sprawling package of expenditures and policy is enacted as planned Monday, it would be the earliest that lawmakers have sent an annual budget to the governor since 2016, when they also voted on June 30. The House and Senate both adjourned late Thursday afternoon without acting on the $7.5 billion interim budget Gov. Maura Healey proposed on June 23, so they seem almost certain to also act on some version of that Monday in order to meet ongoing payroll obligations and prevent disruption in government services. "The issue is she needs the 10 days for vetoes. So no matter when we do it, we need a one-twelfth budget," House Speaker Ron Mariano said Thursday, referring to the review period the governor gets with bills sent to her desk and the need to have at least a temporary budget in place during that time. Massachusetts has not had an annual state budget signed into law before the start of the fiscal year since 2010, a streak that doesn't exactly bother top Democrats. "You need a deadline. If you don't have a deadline, it would never end. So having a deadline is important, gives you something to shoot for. Do we hit it? No, we don't hit it. We've missed it 15 times in a row. But [it] doesn't mean we don't get one done," Mariano said this week. "So you need a deadline. You need to know when to pull the plug on holding your position and negotiate." Without the threat of a government shutdown, Senate Ways and Means Chairman Michael Rodrigues was similarly blasé: "The world doesn't end come July 1. Bills get paid. It happens ... it's our goal, but our first priority is making sure we get it done right," he said Thursday. The fiscal 2026 budget conference committee agreement that was announced without any additional details at around 1 p.m. Friday will be the first to be subject to the new joint rules the House and Senate agreed to Thursday. The new rules require the branches to wait at least 24 hours from the time a conference report is filed until it can be introduced on the House or Senate floor. If a report is filed later than 8 p.m., the new rules state that it cannot be considered the following day. Lead negotiators said Friday they were working to "file the conference committee report this weekend, to ensure that the Legislature is prepared to act on Monday." The House, where the conference report is to be filed, gavels in at 11 a.m. Monday, followed by the Senate at 1 p.m.

With the July 4 holiday on Friday and festivities around that getting underway sooner, it seems unlikely the Legislature would uncork any additional work for itself beyond the budget next week. But once the budget work and fireworks are over, what's next up on the House's agenda? One option could be an update to the 2022 law legally shielding reproductive and transgender care initiated in Massachusetts, which the Senate approved Thursday. Days before that vote, Mariano suggested the branches were close to alignment on that topic and said the House will "probably do it soon, as soon as next week or the week after." "We'll see how we stand with the changes that are coming out of Washington that may necessitate something that isn't even on our horizon now," Mariano said. "But now the bills will start to flow through the committee [structure], we'll start to see the ones that have a sense of urgency that we want to deal with quickly, and as the committee work starts to float up to Ways and Means we'll make some decisions." Sen. Cindy Friedman said the cadre of senators leading the chamber's response to the Trump administration has a string of other items to tackle on its policy agenda, including data privacy, supporting veterans, and Medicaid cuts that could result in hundreds of thousands of Bay Staters losing coverage.

Sunday, June 29, 2025

HEALEY ON KELLER: Gov. Maura Healey is the guest on "Keller at Large," where she'll discuss energy costs and the feasibility of the state's decarbonization goals, as well as tax issues like the income surtax, the estate tax and the future of Proposition 2 1/2. The second half of the interview will air the following Sunday. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV)

CARNEVALE ON THE RECORD: MassGOP Chair Amy Carnavale joins WCVB's weekly "On the Record" show. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB)

Monday, June 30, 2025

GSEP RISK ASSESSMENT: Department of Public Utilities' GSEP Risk Assessment Working Group holds its second technical session, focused on developing "risk-based prioritization principles" ahead of 2026 GSEP filings this fall. The group is tasked with improving transparency and consistency around risk prioritization. (Monday, 9 a.m., 1 South Station, Third floor, Boston | More Info)

EASTON - HOUSE RECOUNT: The town of Easton recounts votes cast in the House special election for the Third Bristol District open seat. Democrat Lisa Field claimed victory in the June special election, leading by 21 votes out of more than 5,100 cast. Republican candidate Larry Quintal is seeking the district-wide recount, his campaign saying they found discrepancies in the number reported on election night. The district is made up of parts of Easton and Taunton. Easton's recount is Monday, and Taunton's is Wednesday. (Monday, 9:30 a.m., Easton Town Offices, 136 Elm St., North Easton)

SOUTH BOSTON - MARY ELLEN McCORMACK REDEVELOPMENT: Gov. Healey, Boston Mayor Wu, U.S. Rep. Lynch, Sen. Collins and Rep. Biele are among the scheduled speakers at the groundbreaking ceremony for the redevelopment of the Mary Ellen McCormack public housing complex in South Boston, a project that features the replacement of all 1,016 public housing units on site and the addition of more than 2,200 new, mixed-income rental homes. The first piece of the project is a new 112,000-square-foot building with 94 modern apartments for low-income families currently living at the Mary Ellen McCormack. All systems in Building A will be electric and it will feature a geothermal system with ground source pumps for heating and cooling. The $62 million building will have 37 one-bedroom units, 44 two-bedroom units, 12 three-bedroom units and one four-bedroom unit, developer WinnCompanies said. (Monday, 10 a.m., 270 Msgr. O’Callahan Way, South Boston)

PATHWAYS TO WORK PROGRAM: Department of Transitional Assistance's Client Celebration will spotlight participants from the Pathways to Work program. They'll share stories of transiting from public assistance to employment. DTA Commissioner Jeff McCue attends. Officials say the success stories underscore the "transformative power of workforce development programs and the importance of continued investment in the economic mobility of our communities at a time when such assistance is being threatened at the federal level." (Monday, 10 a.m., Gardner Auditorium)

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS: Hazardous Materials Mitigation Advisory Board meets. Agenda includes an update on the planning group for the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Boston. (Monday, 10 a.m. | Agenda and Livestream)

HOUSE: House meets in a formal session, and top House Democrats say the plan is to take up a fiscal year 2026 budget agreement due to be filed over the weekend. It's also possible that an interim fiscal 2026 budget might emerge from the Ways and Means Committee. Roll calls are set to begin at 1 p.m. (Monday, 11 a.m., House Chamber | Livestream)

SENATE DEMS CAUCUS: Before a session expected to feature consideration of a fiscal 2026 budget agreement, Democrats in the Senate huddle privately for a caucus. (Monday, 12 p.m., Senate president's office and virtual)

SENATE: Senate meets in a formal session to take up the fiscal 2026 budget agreement that is due to be filed over the weekend. (Monday, 1 p.m., Senate Chamber | Livestream)

MENTAL HEALTH, SUBSTANCE USE AND RECOVERY: Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery holds a public hearing on 11 bills, with a focus on youth behavioral health. A Sen. Velis bill (S 1422) looks to expand Narcan availability in schools by requiring school committees to create naloxone overdose prevention programs and ensure every school nurse is trained in naloxone assistance. Sen. Friedman wants to establish a pilot program (S 1400) exploring the use of psychedelics in three specialized mental health clinics. Proposals from Rep. Lewis and Sen. Comerford (H 2221 / S 1384) would require that student ID cards, including for those in grades K-12 and in college, include the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. (Monday, 1 p.m., Room A-2 | Agenda and Livestream)

GRADUATION COUNCIL: Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council holds a virtual listening session with students only. After voters struck down the requirement that students pass the MCAS to graduate from high school, the Healey administration is seeking feedback on the skills and knowledge that students "need to thrive in college, careers, and civic life." (Monday, 5 p.m. | Register)

HAVERHILL COMMUTER RAIL: Haverhill Station will fully reopen for regular commuter train service, commuter rail operator Keolis said. Haverhill commuters will no longer need to take shuttle vans to Bradford Station now that the South Elm Street Bridge project is complete. (Monday)

WIND CONTACT DEADLINE: Monday is the date by which offshore wind project developers chosen by the state last fall are supposed to finish contract talks with utilities. The milestone has repeatedly been delayed -- the contract execution date was originally Aug. 14, 2024. When it alerted state officials of the latest delay, the evaluation team that includes the Department of Energy Resources, National Grid, Eversource and Unitil said it was "now targeting the completion of negotiations and execution of contracts on or before June 30, 2025" and is aiming to have the contracts filed with the Department of Public Utilities "on or before August 25, 2025." Massachusetts selected 2,678 megawatts of offshore wind power spread across three projects in September, kicking off contract negotiations that are expected to result in higher prices for power than previously proposed projects. One of the projects selected has since removed itself from consideration and another has flagged the potential for a four-year delay. While state officials continue to count on it for major emission reductions and new jobs, Massachusetts gets no meaningful energy from offshore wind, almost nine years after a clean energy law set the state on a path of decarbonization. (Monday)

NORTH WILMINGTON STATION OPENS: MBTA opens a new North Wilmington station on the commuter rail's Haverhill Line. The station now features a new platform with accessible ramps, a canopy to provide shelter for passengers, an access point connected to an accessible parking lot, and enhanced security and communications systems. The prior station was demolished in the spring. (Monday, 370 Middlesex Ave., Wilmington)

Tuesday, July 1, 2025

GAMING COMMISSION: Mass. Gaming Commission meets remotely. The agenda calls for votes on the agency's fiscal 2026 budget and a potential civil penalty against Caesars Sportsbook over noncompliance with knowledge-based authentication requirements. Other topics include house rules for sports wagering company Fanatics, advance deposit wagering on racing, diversity in sports wagering, small business impact statements and more. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Agenda and Access Info)

HEALTH CARE FINANCING COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Health Care Financing holds its first public hearing of the day focused on matters tied to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and MassHealth, particularly dealing with children and individuals with disabilities. Bills from Rep. Garballey and Sen. Friedman would look to protect "medically fragile children" by increasing the budget for skilled nursing care, with the goal of ensuring at least 85% of skilled nursing hours authorized by MassHealth are filled by July 2027. Rep. O'Day and Sen. Lovely have legislation (H 1394 / S 866) that would allow family caregivers to be paid by MassHealth. A Rep. Kushmerek petition (H 1379) would exempt drugs used to treat opioid use disorder from the MassHealth prior approval process. (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Gardner Auditorium | Agenda and Livestream)

HAMPSHIRE DMH: Department of Mental Health's Hampshire Site Board meets. Agenda includes choosing officers for the board and a discussion about peer specialists. (Tuesday, 12 p.m., Star Light Center, 251 Nonotuck St., Florence | More Info)

COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Statutory Advisory Board meets. Agenda includes a report from Commissioner John Oliveira and an update from Deputy Commissioner Justine Muir. (Tuesday, 12 p.m. | Agenda and Livestream)

TRAFFIC RECORDS: Executive-level Traffic Records Coordinating Committee meets. Agenda includes a vote on the fiscal 2026 strategic plan for traffic record improvements and an update on the Motor Vehicle Automated Citation and Crash System project. (Tuesday, 12 p.m. | Agenda and Livestream)

ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources hosts a hearing on 39 bills dealing with administration, finance and local matters. Several of the measures (H 890, H 983, S 580, S 642) deal with concrete foundations deteriorating due to pyrite or pyrrhotite, an issue that has long affected homes in dozens of towns in central and western Massachusetts. Another proposal from Rep. Ayers (H 895) would create a revolving state fund to help local governments with coastal protection and harbor maintenance projects. House bills on the agenda must receive committee reports by Aug. 30, unless lawmakers extend the deadline. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Room A-1 | Agenda and Livestream)

HEALTH CARE FINANCING COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Health Care Financing holds its second hearing of the day diving into matters related to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services and MassHealth, with a focus on senior enrollees. Proposals from Rep. Plouffe and Sen. R. Kennedy (H 1402 / S 876) would create an "undue hardship" waiver for nursing home residents due to a period of ineligibility. Bills from Rep. Stanley and Sen. Payano (H 1420 / S 903) aim to improve access to post-acute care by addressing the hospital discharge process, expanding long-term care capacity, creating a Complex Care Ombudsman Program to help patients with hospital transfers, and establishing an Office of Adult Guardianship and Conservatorship Oversight. Legislation from Rep. Marsi (H 1388) would extend the time period that nursing home residents can stay with their family -- for nonmedical leave that's paid for by MassHealth -- from 10 days to 14 days. (Tuesday, 1 p.m., Gardner Auditorium | Agenda and Livestream)

DPU LONG-TERM PLANNING: Department of Public Utilities holds a public hearing on a joint Long-Term System Planning Process proposal from Eversource, National Grid and Unitil. The proposal explores how to establish a framework for interconnection of energy resources to meet the state's energy and climate goals. (Tuesday, 1:30 p.m. | More Info and Zoom)

HOLYOKE SCHOOLS LOCAL CONTROL: Holyoke Public Schools return to local control, after 10 years under state receivership. The city is the first to exit state receivership after control of major decisions has been taken over by the state. (Tuesday, Holyoke)

Wednesday, July 2, 2025

TAUNTON - HOUSE RECOUNT: The city of Taunton recounts votes cast in the House special election for the Third Bristol District open seat. Democrat Lisa Field claimed victory in the June special election, leading by 21 votes out of more than 5,100 cast. Republican candidate Larry Quintal is seeking the district-wide recount, his campaign saying they found discrepancies in the numbers reported on election night. The district is made up of parts of Easton and Taunton. Easton's recount was Monday. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., Taunton City Hall, Council Chambers, 15 Summer St., Taunton)

HARBORFEST FIREWORKS: A fireworks show, part of Boston Harborfest, wraps up the first day of events held throughout the city leading up to July 4. The fireworks are launched from Long Wharf at 9:15 p.m. a kickoff ceremony for Harborfest is slated for 11:30 a.m. in Downtown Crossing. Featured speakers include Mayor Wu, City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, City Councilor Flynn and military representatives from the USS Donald Cook, the USS Constitution and the U.S. Coast Guard. (Wednesday, 9:15 p.m., Boston Harbor | More Info)

Thursday, July 3, 2025

HOUSE INFORMAL: House plans to meet in an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)

SENATE INFORMAL: Senate meets for an informal session. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)

U.S. ARMY PERFORMANCES: Boston Harborfest hosts musical performances through 5 p.m. celebrating the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army. There will be special performances from the 215th Army Band of the Massachusetts Army National Guard. (Thursday, 12 p.m., Downtown Crossing | More Info)

Friday, July 4, 2025

JULY 4 PROCESSION: Boston's July 4th procession leaves City Hall at 9 a.m. The route includes laying wreaths at Granary Burial Ground and reading the Declaration of Independence at the Old State House. (Friday, 9 a.m., City Hall Plaza, 1 City Hall Square | More Info)

CHURCH OF THE PRESIDENTS: Massachusetts Historical Commission sponsors Fourth of July tours of the "Church of the Presidents" in Quincy, the burial site of two U.S. presidents and first ladies (John and John Quincy Adams, and their wives Abigail and Louisa). Tours are offered daily through the summer, and Secretary of State Galvin highlighted Friday's tours as a unique chance for history buffs to connect with the founding fathers on the Fourth of July. Tours run until 4 p.m. (Friday, 11 a.m., United First Parish Church, 1306 Hancock St., Quincy)

BOSTON POPS FIREWORKS: Boston Pops hosts its annual "Fireworks Spectacular" event celebrating the Fourth of July holiday. Guest artists for the concert include LeAnn Rimes, Leslie Odom Jr. and Bell Biv DeVoe. The concert begins at 7 p.m., and the Mugar Family Fireworks will start around 9:40 p.m. (Friday, 7 p.m., DCR Hatch Shell, 47 David G. Mugar Way, Boston | More Info)