Middleboro Review 2: POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Senate climate bill dropping next week

Thursday, June 13, 2024

POLITICO Massachusetts Playbook: Senate climate bill dropping next week

NEW THIS MORNING — Another item to add to the Legislature's end of session to-do list: The Senate’s climate bill is dropping next week.

The full details of the legislation have yet to emerge — state Sen. Michael Barrett, who chairs the energy committee and is the chamber’s lead on climate bills, told Playbook that some pieces were still being written last night.

But it will likely be centered on recommendations from Gov. Maura Healey’s administration, the State House News Service reported earlier this month , including changes that would speed up the siting and permitting of renewable energy.

And in an address to environmental advocates on Spectacle Island last night, Senate President Karen Spilka also hinted that the bill may include a provision to address plastic pollution and its impact on the environment and people’s health, according to a person familiar with her remarks.

But don’t call it a big sweeping energy bill: “[W]e have some siting issues we have to take care of,” House Speaker Ron Mariano told reporters at the State House Wednesday, saying that was “the primary focus right now.”

“So this being categorized as a big, sweeping energy bill may not be accurate,” he added.

Lawmakers are facing a tight timeline to get the bill through both chambers and to the governor’s desk amid the mad end-of-session dash. Several key bills remain tied up in closed-door conference negotiations, including gun-control legislation, Healey’s IT bond bill and a salary transparency bill — not to mention the biggest-ticket item, the budget for fiscal year 2025.

The Senate has yet to come out with its own version of the housing bond bill, while the House hasn’t moved on early education legislation. And both chambers have taken different tacks on health care – with the House calling for hospital and oversight reforms and the Senate looking to address prescription drug pricing.

But Mariano brushed aside any concerns about timing with just seven weeks until the final day of the formal session.

“There’s always time,” he told reporters.

GOOD THURSDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Three down, one to go until it’s time cue the Duck Boats.

TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey gives the opening remarks at the Deborah Sampson Award Ceremony at 11 a.m. at the State House, and speaks at the Cummings Foundation’s grant winner celebration at 6 p.m. in Woburn. Healey and Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll host a press conference announcing the administration's Fiscal Year 2025 Capital Investment Plan at 2 p.m. in Arlington. Driscoll speaks at The Boston Foundation's Equality Fund Pride & Grantee celebration at 5 p.m. and receives an award at the MIRA Coalition's annual gala at 8 p.m. in Boston.

Tips? Scoops? Birthdays? Email me: kgarrity@politico.com.

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DATELINE BEACON HILL

TRANSFER TAX TALK — There’s no word yet on whether the Senate will include a local option transfer tax in their version of Gov. Maura Healey ’s housing bond bill. But the chamber’s chief budget writer Sen. Michael Rodrigues told reporters Wednesday that he has “concerns” about allowing a tax on high-dollar real estate transactions.

NEW SHELTER GUIDELINES — Gov. Maura Healey ’s administration will soon begin enforcing the 9-month limits on shelter stays for homeless and migrant families that the Legislature mandated in the supplemental budget they passed in late April.

The first of the roughly 4,000 families that have been in the state’s emergency shelter system for at least nine months will get 90-day notices telling them their time is up early next month, with the goal of exiting some families starting Sept. 29. The notice doesn’t automatically boot families from shelter — some will be eligible for up to two 90-day extensions, and others will be able to extend their stays further by applying for a hardship waiver. The plan is to start by alerting 150 families a month on a rolling basis, officials said Wednesday.

— “Massachusetts lawmakers are embracing a ban on revenge porn. Finally, survivors say,” by Matt Stout, The Boston Globe: “State lawmakers are poised to send legislation to Governor Maura Healey this week that would make Massachusetts the 49th state to outlaw so-called revenge porn, completing years of slow-moving debate that survivors say left them for too long without a way to seek justice. ... If signed into law, the measure would make it illegal for former partners and others to disseminate sexually explicit images of another person without consent, and would leave South Carolina as the only state to not yet criminalize what’s also called image-based sexual abuse.”

— “Mass. House votes to expand the definition of 'parent',” by Katie Lannan, GBH News: “State representatives unanimously passed a bill on Wednesday they said would update Massachusetts law to better reflect the diverse ways people build families. The bill lays out clear paths to establishing legal parentage for families that have children through assisted reproduction, like surrogacy and in-vitro fertilization. … Supporters say the legislation would correct a situation where same-sex couples can end up needing to adopt their own children – a costly and complicated process – to ensure their legal rights.”

— “Lawmakers punt on issue of intoxicating hemp products,” by Bhaamati Borkhetaria, CommonWealth Beacon: “Lawmakers stressed the urgency of dealing with the issue of intoxicating hemp-based products but said that they’re unlikely to do anything before the next legislative session begins next year. The Legislature’s Joint Committees on Agriculture and Cannabis Policy together held an oversight hearing on Tuesday to discuss hemp-based products that contain the same active ingredient as cannabis products but are not regulated in the same way. These products have been showing up in convenience stores, gas stations, liquor stores, and smoke shops.”

— “Mass. reports largest single-year decline in opioid-related overdose deaths in 13 years,” by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “Massachusetts experienced a 10% drop in opioid-related overdose deaths from 2022 to 2023, the largest single-year decline over the past 13 years and a trend that is expected to continue based on early data from 2024, according to a report released Wednesday morning. Even as experts with the Department of Public Health signaled a victory lap was in order because of the decrease, officials warned of ‘concerning data’ on opioid-related overdose deaths when statistics were broken down by race and ethnicity that could temper any celebrations.”

FROM THE HUB

— “Boston City Council votes to approve $1.5B school budget over concerns: ‘We have failed our society’,” by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The City Council approved the Boston Public Schools budget via a 10-3 vote Wednesday, after delaying action the prior week, with many of the councilors who voted in favor giving credit to Superintendent of Schools Mary Skipper for making strides to improve a bad situation in the district.”

— “Boston City Council president pushes for ranked choice voting,” by Alexi Cohan, GBH News: “The head of the Boston City Council is making a push for ranked choice voting, which lets voters rank their favorite candidates instead of choosing between two. Council President Ruthzee Louijeune on Wednesday proposed a home rule petition for ranked choice voting, saying it increases civic engagement, voter turnout and candidate diversity while allowing residents to vote for their top choices without fear of throwing a vote away.”

YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — The Massachusetts Nurses Association is endorsing Sen. Elizabeth Warren for reelection, calling the incumbent Democrat a “strong advocate for safe patient care, healthcare violence prevention, and the preservation of essential healthcare services.”

FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — Boston City Councilors Gabriela Coletta Zapata and Henry Santana are endorsing attorney Allison Cartwright for Suffolk County Supreme Judicial Court clerk.

— “Matthews-Kane Launches Rep Bid Vowing to Bring Home the Policy…and the Bacon,” by Matt Szafranski, Western Mass. Politics & Insight. ''

PLANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES

— “MBTA general manager to break agency’s silence on South Coast Rail Thursday,” by Grace Ferguson, The New Bedford Light: “The general manager of the MBTA is taking the unusual step of visiting New Bedford and Fall River on Thursday to make an announcement about South Coast Rail. Phil Eng will speak at Bristol Community College in Fall River and later at the New Bedford Whaling Museum, two months after the MBTA delayed the project without announcing a new timeline. The reasons for the delay aren’t entirely clear."

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FROM THE 413

— “State auditor: UMass violated law in axing Advancement office last year,” by Scott Merzbach, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “University of Massachusetts officials violated provisions of the state’s Taxpayer Protection Act law when moving fundraising operations from the Advancement office to the private University Amherst Foundation, according to a final determination from the state auditor’s office. The May 31 determination, written by Michael Leung-Tat, deputy auditor and general counsel for State Auditor Diana DiZoglio, and sent to David Lowy, general counsel for UMass, states the concerns that UMass didn’t engage with the state auditor’s office to complete an analysis, under the Taxpayer Protection Act, of whether there would be costs savings for the state in privatizing jobs. Instead, this was done after the contract with the private entity was in place.”

THE LOCAL ANGLE

— “Cambridge Schools to pay ousted superintendent more than $200,000 in severance,” by Christopher Huffaker, The Boston Globe: “Cambridge Public Schools will pay Superintendent Victoria Greer more than $200,000 in severance after ending her contract early last month, according to a settlement agreement obtained by The Globe through a public records request. Following a wave of public criticism, the Cambridge School Committee voted in May to sever its contract with Greer, about a year before it was due to expire. The district will pay Greer about $205,000 in severance, one-third of which is not required by her contract, per the agreement. The severance is worth nine months of pay and does not include any payments for unused vacation or sick days.”

— “Superintendent who 'crossed swords' with Everett’s mayor fights to clear her name,” by Liz Neisloss, GBH News: “Lawyers for former Everett Public Schools Superintendent Priya Tahiliani say an independent investigator found no evidence to support claims that she bullied and intimidated school employees. The allegations against her were publicly discussed in a school committee meeting in late October and were widely reported. But the school committee has refused to release results of the investigation, even months after investigators finished the report.”

FASCINATING & mostly unregulated trade....

— “Harvard, the human remains trade, and collectors who fuel the market,” by Ally Jarmanning, WBUR.

— “Mass. faces shortage of primary care doctors. One in Boston sees a solution,” by Dave Canton, Masslive.

— “Tom Brady inducted into Patriots Hall of Fame with a star-studded night,” by Tyler Hetu, The Sun Chronicle.

HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH

SPOTTED — at the Playbook meet and greet at Carrie Nation last night: a lot of you! Thanks so much to everyone who came out!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Catherine McLaughlin, Rebecca Rinkevich, Liam Byrne and Westfield Mayor Michael McCabe. Happy belated birthday to Brian P. Senier, counsel for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who celebrated Monday.

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