 | By Kelly Garrity | COMMITTEE CLASH — Tensions between the House and Senate have been creeping back after Democratic legislative leaders settled their differences to finish off several big bills last session. It didn’t take much for them to spill out into public Monday. Senate President Karen Spilka slammed the House chair of the Joint Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure of denying Sen. Jacob Oliveira the chance to testify in favor of one of his bills Monday — a move she called “deeply troubling.” Oliveira joined the hearing remotely, after visiting a school in his district in the western part of the state, according to Spilka. But when he moved to testify, Rep. Tackey Chan, who chairs the committee, blocked him from speaking, citing the House rules that required committee members to participate in hearings in person. (something the chamber is also pushing in negotiations over joint rules this session). Only problem: House and Senate negotiators have yet to come to an agreement on those rules. Sen. Pavel Payano testified on Oliveira’s behalf — after he derided Chan’s decision as “a hit on democracy” and a denial of “the sacred principle that no voice in democracy should be silenced.” But Chan defended the move, saying the intent of the policy is to “have folks actually show up for work.” Spilka argued in a statement that the “joint rules the House and Senate mutually agreed to in January do not prohibit remote participation” and “the notion that one branch’s rules can bind the operations of joint committees is without merit.” But the 2019 rules that the joint committees are currently operating under don’t explicitly allow legislators to beam in remotely to testify, either. The interchamber animus extends beyond just who and how legislators can testify. It seems to be stalling key pieces of legislation. The House advanced a supplemental budget Monday to keep the provider for state employees’ and retirees’ health insurance from running out of money . But before they could usher the time-sensitive bill to Gov. Maura Healey’s desk, the Senate called it quits for the day, pledging to take up the bill Thursday instead (while dumping the blame at the House’s feet). “We are glad that the House decided to take action on this bill, which was filed five weeks ago on April 2,” a spokesperson for Spilka said in a statement. “The Senate looks forward to taking up the legislation in three days, at our next session on Thursday.” GOOD TUESDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS . Have a tip, story, suggestion, birthday, anniversary, new job, or any other nugget for the Playbook? Drop me a line: kgarrity@politico.com . TODAY — Gov. Maura Healey unveils her energy affordability bill at 1 p.m. in Leominster. Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll hosts a meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission at 1 p.m. at the State House. Auditor Diana DiZoglio visits the Mystic Learning Center After-School Program at 4 p.m. in Somerville. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu signs an agreement with the Greater Boston Building Trades Council and the North Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters to create a new pathway to jobs for graduates of Madison Park Technical Vocational High School at 11 a.m. in Roxbury.
|  | YAHD SIGNS AND BUMPAH STICKAHS |
| TODAY’S SPECIALS — Voters in Beverly an Wenham will head to the polls today to decide who will replace former state Rep. Jerry Parisella. Beverly City Councilor Hannah Bowen, a Democrat, is facing former Greater Beverly Chamber of Commerce President Medley Long III, a Republican looking to extend the party’s special election winning streak. More from The Salem News.
| | DATELINE BEACON HILL |
| HOUSING HEAT CHECK — Pro-housing production advocates from Abundant Housing Massachusetts are backing a handful of bills on Beacon Hill this session that would get rid of barriers to development. A new MassINC poll they commissioned shows the policies they’re pushing are popular with Massachusetts voters. Housing was the top issue those surveyed said the state is facing, and 95 percent of those polled said the cost of renting or buying a home in Massachusetts is a problem. Some results that those watching the MBTA Communities fights play out: Seventy-one percent of voters said building more homes that people can afford is more important than “protecting the character of neighborhoods from change,” and 79 percent said they support or somewhat support expanding the zoning law to allow more housing options near public transit “in all cities and towns with train and bus service statewide. ”Voters “recognize that we need to build a variety of types of homes in more communities in order to help stabilize our communities … and they’re open to doing that in a variety of ways,” Jesse Kanson-Benanav, executive director of Abundant Housing Massachusetts, told Playbook. “I think actions that the Legislature has taken already, such as MBTA Communities do have broad support, and we’ve, we’ve seen that from the over 125 communities — the vast majority of communities – that have met their obligation under that law. ”The online survey of 803 Massachusetts voters was conducted March 17-20. It has a credibility interval of plus or minus 3.8 percentage points.
| | FROM THE HUB |
| — Boston Water and Sewer says it fired embattled HR director amid civil fraud complaint by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston Water and Sewer Commission now says that it fired its former human resources director, Marie Theodat, after previously saying only that her employment had ended. Theodat, who is embroiled in several civil lawsuits that include fraud allegations and was the subject of three internal investigations commissioned by her ex-employer, was fired on April 18, the Water and Sewer Commission told the Herald in response to a public records request.”
PAY WALL FOR BOSTON HERALD PROPAGANDA RAG!
****U.S. CITIZENS & VISITORS HAVE BEEN HARASSED & DETAINED AT THE BORDERS, THEIR ELECTRONIC DEVICES SEARCHED! TRAVEL ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED! TRUMP'S IRRATIONAL POLICES & ICE GESTAPO OVERREACH ARE TO BLAME!***** — As global attitudes toward the U.S. sour, Boston braces for drop in tourism by Jeremy Siegel, GBH News: “Boston officials are preparing for a significant drop in tourism for the remainder of 2025 as international visitors reconsider travel to the U.S. under the second Trump administration.” excerpts: “The feelings of international travelers toward the U.S. have really turned sour,” said Tourism Economics president Adam Sacks. For some tourists, like Canadian Curtis Allen, the decision not to visit the U.S. was personal. The British Colombia resident and his partner were planning a road trip to the Oregon coast with their dogs in September, but they opted to cancel their trip due to President Donald Trump’s comments about making Canada the 51st state. “It became very clear that the president was not joking about annexing Canada,” Allen said. “So we’re going to be defending our country by not supporting another economy.” Heightened enforcement by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is also putting would-be travelers on high alert, according to Meet Boston’s Martha Sheridan. “Certainly the ICE action around the city of Boston and Massachusetts is of big concern to us, because it does impact people’s perceptions of being safe,” she said. Elizabeth Schumacher, an American-born journalist who lives in Germany and works for the German national broadcaster Deutsche Welle, said the new guidance has led to a tangible shift in the way Germans and other Europeans are thinking about travel to the U.S. “I think a lot of people thought, like, ‘Okay, we obviously don’t agree with what the administration is doing, but that’s a political thing. It has nothing to do with life on the ground in the U.S. for me as a tourist,’” she said. “Now, people are definitely reconsidering that.” Several other countries have also changed guidance for U.S. bound tourists since the Trump administration took office, including Britain, the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland and France. Greece recently signed an agreement with Canada to promote tourism between the two countries. Experts believe that could be indicative of a new trend: more travelers from Europe forgoing burgers and baseball at Fenway in favor of poutine and hockey in Toronto. ***MUCH ADIEU ABOUT NOTHING! THERE IS LEGAL PRECEDENT!***** — Boston City Council set to debate removal of disgraced Tania Fernandes Anderson by Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald: “The Boston City Council will take up a resolution this week that calls for disgraced Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson’s removal from the body in the wake of her guilty plea to two federal corruption charges tied to a City Hall kickback scheme. Councilors Erin Murphy and Ed Flynn plan to introduce a non-binding resolution at Wednesday’s meeting that calls for the Council to ‘formally address the matter of Fernandes Anderson’s continued service,’ after her federal conviction last week.” excerpts: Turner sued the city for $350,000 after being booted off the City Council in 2010 following the conviction, and settled for $106,000 three years later, after the courts ruled that the Council violated its own rules because under state law, elected officials can only be removed from the body after sentencing, not conviction. Adam Cederbaum, the city’s corporation counsel, wrote in a letter to Louijeune that the Supreme Judicial Court held that “Rule 40A was procedural only, and created no substantive authority to remove a councilor.” “Further, the court noted, the Legislature has specified that an individual holding public office is ‘automatically removed from office only when he or she is sentenced to prison on a felony conviction,’” Cederbaum wrote. In this instance, Fernandes Anderson pleaded guilty to two of six corruption charges that had been leveled against her in a December 2024 federal indictment, as part of a plea deal with the U.S. Attorney’s office that dismissed the other four charges and saw the councilor waive her right to a jury trial. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled Fernandes Anderson’s sentencing for July 29, and last week warned the councilor that she could opt to impose a harsher penalty than what prosecutors recommended in the plea deal.
“As in the Turner case, the relevant statutes and case law … do not permit the City Council to remove Councilor Fernandes Anderson from the Council prior to her being sentenced to prison, which, as of the date of this memorandum, has not occurred,” Cederbaum wrote. “However, the Council may take other administrative action, such as removal from committees, as happened without issue in the Turner case.”
— Fenway Park workers will vote whether to strike in Jun e by Marilyn Schairer, GBH News: “Concession workers at Fenway Park, which includes 1,000 unionized workers that sell beer and souvenirs, cook up ballpark food, run cash registers and more, will vote next month whether to strike. It would be the concession workers’ first strike at Fenway Park in the ballpark’s history.”
excerpts: Their contract with the food service vendor Aramark expired at the end of last year. Workers with UNITE HERE Local 26have said they’re concerned about the use of automated equipment like self-checkout counters, which will carve into workers’ earnings. “We don’t mind kind of the idea of technology helping us. But they shouldn’t become us,” said Natalie Greening, who sells beer at Fenway Park. According to the union, Fenway concession workers currently earn less than $20 an hour. The union said ballparks that are home to the Miami Marlins and the Seattle Mariners pay their concessions workers and warehouse attendants more, even though the cost of living in Boston is higher. UNITE HERE and Aramark began bargaining earlier this year, but the union says they’re currently far apart on an agreement. Aramark did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Authorizing a strike gives the employees leverage for improved wages and benefits, one expert said.
| | FROM HARVARD YARD |
| ****BRAVO TO HARVARD FOR FIGHTING TRUMP'S WAR AGAINST THE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS!***** — Harvard says it won’t abandon ‘core’ principles to meet Department of Education demands by Michael Casey and Collin Binkley, The Associated Press: “Harvard University responded Monday to recent threats from the Education Department to halt its grant funding, highlighting reforms it was undertaking but warning it won’t budge on “its core, legally-protected principles” over fears of retaliation. A letter from Harvard President Alan Garber detailed how the institution had made significant changes to its leadership and governance over the past year and a half. Among the reforms, Garber said, was a broad ‘strategy to combat antisemitism and other bigotry.’”
excerpts: Last week, the Department of Education threatened a grant freeze in a major escalation of Trump’s battle with the Ivy League school. The administration previously froze $2.2 billion in federal grants to Harvard, and Trump is pushing to strip the school of its tax-exempt status. Garber warned that its efforts to change were being “undermined and threatened by the federal government’s overreach into the constitutional freedoms of private universities and its continuing disregard of Harvard’s compliance with the law.” “Consistent with the law and with our own values, we continue to pursue needed reforms, doing so in consultation with our stakeholders and always in compliance with the law,” Garber wrote. “But Harvard will not surrender its core, legally-protected principles out of fear of unfounded retaliation by the federal government.” The demands come amid a pressure campaign targeting several other high-profile universities. The administration has cut off money to colleges including Columbia University, the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University, seeking compliance with Trump’s agenda. The White House says it’s targeting campus antisemitism after pro-Palestinian protests swept U.S. college campuses last year. It’s also focused on the participation of transgender athletes in women’s sports. And the attacks on Harvard increasingly have called out the university’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, along with questions about freedom of speech and thought by conservatives on campus. Harvard has filed a federal lawsuit over the administration’s demands, setting up a closely watched clash in Trump’s attempt to force change at universities that he says have become hotbeds of liberalism and antisemitism. In his letter Monday, Garber also attempted to rebut many of the allegations made by the Education Department. He insisted admission to Harvard was based on “academic excellence and promise” and there were no “quotas, whether based on race or ethnicity or any other characteristic” or an “ideological litmus tests” when it comes to hiring. Garber also dismissed the suggestion that Harvard was a partisan institution and said he wasn’t aware of any evidence suggesting international students were “more prone to disruption, violence, or other misconduct than any other students.” NO PROOF!
| | BALLOT BATTLES |
| ***THE FACTS & STATISTICS ARE AVAILABLE REGARDLESS OF WHAT GUN ZEALOTS ARGUE! GUN ZEALOTS CONTINUE TO PROMOTE DISINFORMATION & LIES! ****
— Mass. gun violence prevention advocates form campaign to oppose gun law repeal effort by Chris Van Buskirk, Boston Herald: “A group of gun violence prevention advocates launched a campaign Monday to convince voters to keep in place a major gun law that gun owners and Second Amendment rights supporters are attempting to repeal through the 2026 statewide elections. The ‘Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts; campaign slammed gun rights groups trying to repeal the law as ‘extremists’ who are looking to upend a “lifesaving law in its entirety.” Critics of the law have said it is an overreach of governmental powers, while supporters contend it creates safer communities.”
MASSACHUSETTS GUN ZEALOTS ARE WORKING TO OVERTURN RECENT LEGISLATION WITH DISINFORMATION!
****GUN ZEALOTS DEPEND ON MISINFORMATION & IGNORING FACTS & STATISTICS! LOOK UP STATES WITH THE HIGHEST GUN CRIME RATES OR PUBLIC OPINION POLLS! STRICT GUN REGULATIONS HAVE PRODUCED LOW CRIME RATES!*****
ARTICLE WORTH READING!
The 10 States With the Highest Gun Death Rates
excerpts:
At the same time, 60% of U.S. adults viewed gun violence as "a very big problem," and data illuminates why: There were more than 48,000 gun deaths across the U.S. in 2022, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s down slightly from the year before but still amounts to more than 130 people dying from a gun injury each day, frequently in connection with suicide or homicide.
The states with the lowest firearm fatality rates include Rhode Island (3.1 per 100,000), Massachusetts (3.7) and Hawaii (4.5), all of which require background checks and/or permits for gun purchases and firearm training. In six of the 10 states with the lowest death rates, handgun sale records are sent to law enforcement. Most of those 10 states also regulate the open carry of firearms.
https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/states-with-the-highest-gun-death-rates
****MR. WALLACE WANTS TO WARP & SLANT THE DISCUSSION AT A TIME WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING "WHAT DO YOU PROPOSE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC?"
— “Can strict firearms laws in Mass. survive 2026 ballot challenge?,” by Aditi Thube, The Patriot Ledger: “Gun rights advocates are pushing to overturn a 2024 update of the state’s already tough firearms law, collecting more than 90,000 signatures to place a repeal referendum on the 2026 ballot. Their efforts face opposition from mental health professionals and legal experts who argue the tougher laws are necessary for public safety.”
FALSE COMMENT!
excerpts:
“They've had no effect at reducing crime at all,” said Jim Wallace, executive director of the Westborough-based Gun Owners Action League, of the stricter gun laws. “We proved that a number of years ago using the state's own data system. But the Legislature didn't care.”
Experts point out that one of the major reasons for Massachusetts’ low gun violence rates is the strict laws. According to Everytown Research & Policy, which describes itself as an independent, nonpartisan 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to gun violence prevention, Massachusetts ranked second in the nation for gun law strength and third-lowest in gun violence rates as of 2025.
Cody Jacobs, a lecturer at Boston University School of Law specializing in firearm policy, believes strict laws are the reason behind a safe state.
“Massachusetts has one of the lowest gun death rates in the country, largely attributable to our comprehensive background checks, strict licensing requirements and the assault weapons ban,” he said. “These policies are necessary for maintaining lower gun violence levels compared to states with more lenient laws like Texas or Florida.”
“Law enforcement and courts must be extremely careful implementing these policies,” Wallace cautioned. “There's a risk of infringing upon citizens' rights without clear evidence of threat.” You can 'support' the 2nd Amendment, but impose reasonable requirements including UNIVERSAL BACKGROUND CHECKS, ban assault weapons - they're not for personal protection, stop the flow of weapons across state lines as well as into MEXICO & CANADA.
The NRA has proven itself to be incompetent & failing to even regulate itself from abuse & corruption.
| | FROM THE DELEGATION |
| ***THANK YOU SENATOR MARKEY FOR SPEAKING OUT FOR ANOTHER IMPORTANT PROGRAM THAT TRUMP WANTS TO CUT TO FUND TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY THAT WILL EXPLODE THE DEFICIT AT THE EXPENSE OF WORKING TAXPAYERS!**** — Markey, Mass. pols call on Trump to reverse course on AmeriCorps cuts by John L. Micek, MassLive: “Massachusetts’ two U.S. senators and all nine members of its U.S. House delegation have called on the Trump administration to halt its gutting of AmeriCorps, calling the national service program a ‘model for cost-effective public-private partnership.’”
| | FROM THE 413 |
| ***MORE SLASHING & GUTTING BY TRUMP TO FUND TAX CUTS FOR THE WEALTHY & SACRIFICE SCIENCE! EMBRACING PROJECT 2025 & ITS FAILURES!**** — Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center at UMass braces for closure by Trump administration by Emilee Klein, Daily Hampshire Gazette: “Ahead of an expected round of workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center based at the University of Massachusetts is preparing for the worst case scenario: elimination of the entire operation.”
excerpts: AMHERST — Ahead of an expected round of workforce reductions at the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center based at the University of Massachusetts is preparing for the worst case scenario: elimination of the entire operation. The climate center network, which includes nine regions around the country and a national branch, connects scientists with natural resource practitioners to create cutting-edge research, tools and strategies to adapt to changing climates. The center’s research advises movement of invasive species, management of water and forest resources, protection of coastal communities and much more. While based in Amherst, the center here represents the New England region and involves many scientists, students and institutions who, since 2012, have worked on a total of 170 research projects. “It’s a very unique model science in the way that we’re not just in our ivory tower imagining what a practitioner might need,” said Bethany Bradley, co-director of the Northeast Climate Adaptation Science Center (NE CACS). “We know these people and can call them and figure out exactly what they need. This is a game-changer in my career because it makes me feel useful.” The center, however, may soon see its funding slashed by the Trump administration. In April, Science Magazine reported that a leaked draft of the White House fiscal year 2026 budget proposed cutting funding for the United States Geological Survey Ecosystems Mission Area, the agency’s $307 million research arm. Media reports, including one from Government Executive, which produces daily news on government business, predicts that the firing of climate adaptation scientists funded through USGS could take place as soon as Thursday. Three of those staff have offices at UMass. “We were initially hopeful prior to January when this administration took over because we survived the last Trump administration,” Bradley said. “We’re able to effectively argue to the previous Trump administration that if we as a society want to essentially double down on fossil fuel production and ultimately emissions, we need to able to adapt to the changes that we are creating. But USGS wasn’t getting any traction or meetings with anyone in the federal government.” Potential cuts to funding threaten 20 ongoing projects throughout the New England region and another seven post-doctorate researchers and UMass staff members, Bradley said. The center’s current 14 fellows could also lose their fellowships, leaving the doctoral candidates to look for money elsewhere to continue their thesis research. “Post-doc researchers are a bigger concern because there isn’t a place for them to land,” Bradley said. “With the PhD students, UMass has been tremendous putting money where they can to help students who have funding fall through.” USGS’s research branch includes 43 Cooperative Research Units nationwide, including the Massachusetts Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit that occupies space in the same building at the NE CASC. Representatives from this unit could not be reached for this article, but Bradley, who works closely with many of their staff, said the group faces similar consequences and losses. “There is a host agreement through the University of Massachusetts, but the bulk of the actual science that gets done is through project solicitations facilitated by the USGS center, and we will be losing a bulk of the projects,” Bradley said. The loss of USGS research and the Climate Adaptation Science Center would have a cascading impact on climate adaptation knowledge and research. While other climate scientists research temperature forecasts, climate models and atmospheric projections, climate adaptation projects have more direct applications by filling in information gaps and providing tools in high demand for natural resource managers. As an invasive species ecologist, Bradley said she helped create a Regional Effort on Invasive Species and Climate Change (RISCC) Management, which tracks and predict the movement of invasive species in the region. Mangers then asked her to prioritize the most dangerous invasive species using her ecological expertise. In the process, Bradley said she would look to south to states like New Jersey, whose climate may soon match the commonwealth, to see the species and mitigation strategies employed by the state, and then analyze the success and failures. “It has been awful for all the federal employees because they’re operating under all the uncertainty,” Bradley said. “Seeing your colleagues get fired left and right is a pretty tough place to work at.” This news was not unexpected by climate adaptation scientists, Bradley said. One of the goals in Project 2025, a policy outline by conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation that mirrors many of the Trump administration’s actions, includes, “Abolish the Biological Resources Division of [USGS] and obtain necessary scientific research about species of concern from universities via competitive requests for proposals.” The Biological Resources Division is the former name of the Ecological Mission Area program. There are 60 federal employees at in the CASC program at USGS, and 25% of those staff opted into the Trump administration’s voluntary retirement or deferred resignation plans, Bradley said. The funding for climate adaptation research in Massachusetts will now fall to the state, which has traditionally designated more resources to climate mitigation, like net zero or carbon neutral energy planning, than adaptation. Residents who wish to show their support of ecosystem and ecological protections can call their state and federal representatives. But, most importantly, Bradley requests people tell scientists that their work is appreciated. “It actually does make a huge difference to hear from people who support you because it’s really easy to be in this field and be in a vacuum,” Bradley said. “People think that no one cares about ecosystems, and I don’t think that’s true.”
| | THE LOCAL ANGLE |
| — Worcester City Hall will be closed during council meeting due to 'public safety concerns' by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “City Hall will be closed to the public at 5 p.m. on May 13 due to safety concerns, the city has announced. The scheduled City Council meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the budget hearing at the Standing Committee on Finance at 5p.m., both will be held virtually via Zoom. … The announcement follows days of protests in reaction to a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement action on Eureka Street on May 8 when a woman was taken into custody by federal agents and two people were arrested by Worcester police.” — Court records: Charge against Worcester woman detained by ICE was domestic by Toni Caushi, Telegram & Gazette: “The woman taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on May 8 in a chaotic scene on Eureka Street is being held at the Donald W. Wyatt Detention Facility in Rhode Island, according to an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainee database. Rosane Ferreira De Oliveira, 40, faces charges of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon stemming from February, according to a spokesperson for ICE. A statement from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on May 9 identified her by only the name ‘Ferreira de Oliveira,’ and referred to her as a ‘violent criminal illegal alien.’” PAY WALL
***NOT A SOLUTION! IN THE ABSENCE OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, WHY NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM? HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRASH? PROVIDE RECEPTACLES, TRASH CANS OR DUMPSTERS! HAVE A PROBLEM WITH 'WASTE'? WHY NOT PROVIDE PORTA POTTIES? THESE TINY HOUSES PROVIDED DIGNITY, PRIVACY & SECURITY!**** Arnold Schwarzenegger donates 25 tiny houses to homeless veteransMURDOCH TABLOID NY POST
— Somerset voters could pass a ban on homeless camps by Dan Medeiros, The Herald News: “Somerset voters will consider a bylaw at Town Meeting that would ban ‘unauthorized camping on public property,’ effectively outlawing homeless encampments in town.” excerpts: Somerset voters will consider a bylaw at Town Meeting that would ban “unauthorized camping on public property,” effectively outlawing homeless encampments in town. At their April 30 meeting, Police Chief William Tedford told the Board of Selectmen that the measure “mirrors” an ordinance passed in Fall River in September 2024. The passage of Fall River’s law generated outrage at the time from advocates for the homeless and officials including Mayor Paul Coogan and Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux. Selectmen and Tedford noted multiple times during their April 30 meeting that the bylaw is not intended to punish or criminalize homelessness. “The goal is to help the people who need help, not arrest them,” said Selectman Allen Smith.
What would Somerset’s anti-encampment bylaw do?As written and included in the May 19 Annual Town Meeting warrant, Somerset’s ordinance makes it unlawful to camp on any town-owned property without permission and allows the town to remove and destroy any camping materials and personal property at an unauthorized campsite. Like with Fall River’s ordinance, Somerset’s law would not be enforced if someone is homeless, if shelter space is unavailable, and person is willing to immediately go to a homeless shelter if or when space is available. Selectman Jamison Souza noted that the town has connected with longtime homeless advocate and outreach worker Nichole Fontaine in Fall River, and said the town still has money from a 2021 grant to help pay for services. “If someone is homeless, what are we doing, how are we helping them, and … we need to make sure there is service and treatment involved,” Souza said. In September 2024, Fall River city councilors heard from several advocates, religious leaders and public officials who said such a measure in Fall River would not accomplish its intended goal of eliminating homeless encampments. “Do you know what works? The creation of affordable housing,” said the Rev. Jamie Spriggs, pastor of First Baptist Church in Fall River. At the time, Heroux told the City Council that although the ordinance is intended to be a civil matter, if fines are levied and go uncollected then people can be held in contempt of court, which means jail time — and if no fines are collected, then the ordinance becomes meaningless. The council voted 6-1 to pass it. It is not clear if the ordinance has ever been enforced.
****THESE ARE THE HIDDEN COSTS OF TRUMP'S TARIFF LUNACY!**** — Oyster farmers brace for rising costs under Trump’s tariffs by Mitch Fink, The New Bedford Light.
excerpt: Like hundreds of other oyster farmers across coastal Massachusetts, Dale Leavitt is in a bind. The co-owner of West Island Oysters, a retailer and wholesaler in Fairhaven, is facing the threat of rising operating costs under President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs, which could drive up prices for internationally made nets, cages, traps and other equipment. In his first 100 days in office, Trump has levied significant “reciprocal” tariffs on several countries, including on exports from Canada, the European Union and China. Like many in the industry, Leavitt said he would be reluctant to raise his prices to offset those potential increases. Although local aquaculturists say oysters are as popular as ever, passing on the cost could drive customers away. “With a soft market, we can’t try to transfer those added expenses to the customer,” said Leavitt. “They’d just stop buying oysters.” As a result, many shellfish farmers like Leavitt may be forced to absorb the added costs themselves. Leavitt, for instance, said he’s bracing for a “profound effect on our bottom line,” which could cause him to freeze hiring. While shellfish cultivation has always been a part of Massachusetts life, the industry only began to grow in the 1970s with the development of more efficient hatcheries. Since that time, marine aquaculture has grown to nearly 400 private shellfish farms and 29 municipal propagation programs within 37 coastal towns. Many parts of the aquacultural supply chain could be impacted by tariffs, but oyster farmers are most concerned about likely increases in aquaculture gear. Much of the wire and metal used in oyster-catching netting and traps is produced in Canada, a primary target of the tariffs. Even when U.S. companies assemble the gear, tariffs on raw materials will drive up prices. Oyster farmers are preparing to shoulder the burden. Dan Martino, co-owner of Cottage City Oysters in Martha’s Vineyard, said he’s been warned of increased prices by Ketcham Supply Co., a New Bedford-based company that sells gear to oyster farmers across the region. Leavitt called it a “huge issue,” though the longtime oysterman noted it’s just “one of many” problems facing the industry amid the ongoing global trade war. The cost of boats — necessities for both fishers and aquaculturists — has also been impacted. Seth Garfield, the co-owner of Cuttyhunk Oysters on Cuttyhunk Island, referenced one cautionary tale he heard from a Rhode Island aquaculturist. The aquaculturist bought a boat built in Canada for $85,000. By the time it arrived in Rhode Island, tariffs had inflated the price to $110,000 — an extra $25,000 he hadn’t budgeted for. All of it has left the region’s aquaculturists in uncharted waters. The COVID-19 pandemic posed serious challenges to the industry, as did the 2008 recession. But Leavitt, Garfield and Martino all agreed they’ve never seen a single federal policy impact their business as Trump’s tariffs have. “It’s a pretty big deal,” said Martino. “Ideally, aquaculture materials should be included in the list of items that are not tariffed … It’s one thing to tariff a car. It’s another thing to tariff a food supply that people rely on.” The concerns extend to food growers across the state — in aquaculture and agriculture alike. Abby Ferla, manager of Foxtrot Farm in Franklin County, said farmers in Massachusetts are “holding [their] breath” as they monitor the potential impact of tariffs on their supply chains. Ferla, who grows organic botanical herbs and climate-resilient plants at Foxtrot, said much of the glass and plastic she uses is imported, which could spike her operating costs. She added that many fertilizers and mulches come from outside of the U.S., which is another concern. But with the growing season not in full swing until June, Ferla said she and other farmers are unsure of how the impacts will play out. “It doesn’t seem like anyone knows what’s going to happen,” said Ferla. “The uncertainty is very stressful for me and the other farmers I know.” Claire Morenon, the communications director at Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture in South Deerfield, backed that sentiment. “The rollout of the tariffs has been pretty chaotic and have changed day to day since the Trump administration has started announcing them,” Morenon said. “I think the first impact has been just a lot of uncertainty.” Morenon did say she has found “reason to anticipate negative impacts” for Massachusetts agriculture, which consists of 7.083 small and midsize farms on 464,451 acres, largely in the central and western part of the state. The industry has an annual market value of over $607 million in goods, with the average farm producing $85,721 worth of products on 66 acres. Sarah Gardner, an environmental studies professor at Williams College and chair of the Williamstown Agricultural Commission, pointed to the dairy industry, one of the largest and most valuable agricultural sectors in the state, as a prime example. Most of the dairy farms in Massachusetts are commodity operations, which send their milk off to larger co-ops, such as Dairy Farmers of America in Marlborough and Agri-Mark in Andover. Those co-ops process the dairy and export various products domestically and internationally, including large shipments of dry milk powder to China, which has imposed retaliatory tariffs on imports from the U.S. | | HEARD ‘ROUND THE BUBBLAH |
| HAPPY BIRTHDAY — to Michael Goldman, president of Goldman Associates. Want to make an impact? POLITICO Massachusetts has a variety of solutions available for partners looking to reach and activate the most influential people in the Bay State. Have a petition you want signed? A cause you’re promoting? Seeking to increase brand awareness among this key audience? Share your message with our influential readers to foster engagement and drive action. Contact Jesse Shapiro to find out how: jshapiro@politico.com . | |
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