MASSterList: Pilgrim sparks new energy scramble | Charter bills have a Senate problem | The Godfather of fantasy sports

 
Wednesday, October 14, 2015

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By George Donnelly and Keith Regan

Today: Sentencing reform on the agenda More than 50 bills on sentencing, correctional services and re-entry will be given a public hearing before the Joint Committee on Judiciary, including a Rep. James Miceli bill to reinstate the death penalty in Massachusetts. The docket also includes an omnibus bill (S 64/H 1429), sponsored by Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz and Rep. Mary Keefe, to address issues with the state's criminal justice system, end "mass incarceration," and re-invest in communities through the expansion of job and educational opportunities, Room A-1, 1:00pm. The Coalition for Jobs not Jails will rally ahead of the sentencing reform hearing. Pilgrim to close: Now what? The power grid just got elevated as an extra-urgent political issue. The Pilgrim Power Station, the nuclear plant that provides about 5 percent of the state's energy and 84 percent of its carbon-free energy, eventual closure (likely in 2019), means our energy-challenged state has even bigger problems to solve. The coming demise of Pilgrim, plagued by cheap natural gas competition and safety issues, adds fresh pressure for policy-makers to commit to new energy sources. The news may boost Gov. Baker's hydropower plan and, because natural gas looks to be the immediately fallback source to compensate for the loss of the Pilgrim megawatts, some leverage to Kinder Morgan's proposed pipeline through western Massachusetts. There are many other proposals to transmit power into Massachusetts, covered in detail by this overview by the Globe's Jack Newsham. http://bit.ly/1VR2i43   Almost every politician in Massachusetts had an opinion about Pilgrim's closing, and the State House News Service captured the range of reaction in its coverage of the issue here:http://bit.ly/1X1I70r   And the costs of decommissioning the plant are staggering, as the Globe reports:http://bit.ly/1OvUnVt Debate reactions: Hillary's generally good reviews - The general consensus is that Hillary Clinton held her own and then some last night, showing energy, polish, and combativeness. The Globe's Joan Vennochi gives her debate performance a thumbs up. "She was clearly the best candidate on the stage for a general election fight. That will help her with donors who were getting nervous about her prospects." http://bit.ly/1LaCRSE - The Herald's Joe Battenfeld says Clinton dominated, writing: "The Hillary Clinton many Democrats thought would cruise to the party's nomination showed up on stage -- surprising even rival Bernie Sanders with an aggressive opening debate performance." http://bit.ly/1jyAAay - WGBH's Adam Reilly had some bones to pick about Clinton's performance, pointing out her tendency to play the gender card: http://bit.ly/1jo2PJA   Charter school cap legislation pits political pals Baker and Walsh Gov. Baker testified for his bill to lift the charter school cap at the Education Committee. Mayor Marty Walsh, also a charter school proponent, challenged the fiscal prudence of Baker's plan, saying it could create too many new schools too soon. "It sets up schools for failure," Walsh said. MassLive's Shira Schoenberg's story in MassLive covers the difference between the proposals of Baker and Walsh, whose approach to charter schools is more incremental, here:http://bit.ly/1OAtUV6   But does charter legislation have a snowball's chance? It's up to the Senate, which put the kibosh on charter legislation last year. Senate President Stanley Rosenberg wants to be sure there's serious interest in passing a bill rather than going through "an exercise and discussion in futility," he said. The State House News Service's Matt Murphy has more: http://bit.ly/1k3IZTZ Fantasy tax support growing  There is growing support among the state's political leadership for regulating and taxing the burgeoning fantasy sports industry, CommonWealth magazine reports. Senate President Stan Rosenberg has come out in favor of regulation and taxation -- saying he sees no difference between fantasy sports and sports betting -- as has House Speaker Bob DeLeo, though both have also acknowledged that crafting regulations will be difficult given that many fantasy sites operate outside the state or even offshore. http://bit.ly/1X2ydeN  Meanwhile, don't miss Dan Shaughnessy's column on Dan Okrent, the well-known writer, journalist and baseball fanatic, who is dubbed the "Godfather" of fantasy sports. He has seen his original idea morph into DraftKings and FanDuel. "I feel like J. Robert Oppenheimer, having invented the atomic bomb. I meant it for peaceful purposes.'' http://bit.ly/1K8ta3p   Minimum wage protest -- the push for $15 hour Legislation to raise the minimum wage for workers in some industries, including restaurants and big box retail, was heard yesterday, drawing a large crowd of advocates to the State House. The minimum wage rises to $10 per hour in January, but the $15 movement has seen victories in Seattle, New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Katie Johnson of the Globe covered the rally and the hearing. http://bit.ly/1hDR9Rh   Massachusetts' transportation future -- 'We have a lot of groundwork to do' Thanks to all who joined us yesterday for our Future of Transportation In Massachusetts event, which featured Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, Rick Dimino of A Better City, and Charlie Chieppo of Chieppo Strategies. Whatever the future is, it's impossible to accurately predict, Pollack said. But she stressed that her priority is to get the transportation bureaucracy in shape so it can address future needs. "We have a lot of groundwork to do that I truly believe will then create a foundation so we can do way smarter things in the future. There is no shortage of smarts and innovation in Massachusetts. It just hasn't penetrated the transportation system very deeply. We need to change that." Dimino stressed that the conversation about additional revenue for transportation needs to start now, even while the system is mended; Chieppo said the new revenue conversation isn't viable until public transportation improvements first take place. A video of the event is available here: https://youtu.be/BBnlXSZ-p50. Colin Young of the State House News Service filed two stories about the event, an overview here:http://bit.ly/1Ncdy3f; and a sidebar on the Pollack's views on T preparation for the coming winter:http://bit.ly/1MqmgIz (both behind SHNS paywall).  DCF hires medical director  Nine years after the position was first funded by lawmakers, the Department of Children and Families has hired a full-time medical director, the Globe reports. Worcester pediatrician Linda Sagor, who has consulted with the agency since 2012, will become a full-time employee in January and will advise social workers on cases involving children with complex medical concerns or behavioral issues. http://bit.ly/1QriH8x  Springfield enters PawSox sweepstakes  Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno tells MassLive that his city wants to be in the mix as a possible landing spot for the Pawtucket Red Sox and has held talks with the team's owners. Worcester is already wooing the PawSox, who saw a stadium deal that would have put the team in downtown Providence implode. Sarno sees an 11,000-seat stadium helping to revitalize the city's North End the same way the ongoing MGM casino construction is designed to boost the South End. http://bit.ly/1PfM5Rs   Ex-Mayor charged in connection with polling dust-up Police in Chicopee have filed charges against former Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette, including assault and battery on a police officer in connection with a preliminary election day disturbance at a city polling place, MassLive reports. Bissonnette is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges, which also include intimidation of a witness and disorderly conduct at a polling place, two days after the November election where he'll seek to regain his seat by ousting incumbent Mayor Richard J. Kos. http://bit.ly/1RaBYeu  Walsh: Raise developer fees to boost housing  Developers building in Boston will likely have to set aside more affordable units or pay more in fees to the city to support housing and job training, the Globe reports. The City Council and Walsh say they are working with both developers and housing advocates to strike a balance in the new fee structure, which would apply to both commercial and residential construction and which Walsh plans to unveil by the end of the year.  http://bit.ly/1VRAyMG REMEMBER: To send your tips to me at gdonnelly@massterlist.com. Op-eds and other commentary invited for publication on Massterlist. TODAY'S TOP STORIES National headlines  Ex-Fed Chair Bernanke: Don't buy into candidates' economic growth promises John Kerry defends US strategy vs. Islamic extremists - The Boston Globe Senators Elizabeth Warren, Jeanne Shaheen visit island of Lesbos in Greece and view Syrian refugee crisis up close - The Boston Globe State headlines  Mayor Domenic Sarno: Talks underway with PawSox ownership on interest in Springfield Inventor of fantasy sports: 'I meant it for peaceful purposes' - The Boston Globe Senate to address adoption concern - The Boston Globe Department of Children and Families appoints medical director to oversee complex cases - The Boston Globe EMC's staunch defense of employee noncompetes stunted the growth of startups - The Boston Globe Walsh questions Baker's plan to increase charter schools - The Boston Globe Safely decommissioning Pilgrim nuclear power plant could take decades - The Boston Globe Pilgrim nuclear power plant to close in Plymouth - The Boston Globe Fast Food Workers Want Beacon Hill To Serve Up A $15 An Hour Minimum Wage Coca-Cola Responds to Tom Brady's 'Poison' Remarks Contracting system isn't saving money - CommonWealth Magazine Two of Big Three want to tax fantasy sports - CommonWealth Magazine What Pilgrim decision says about energy market - CommonWealth Magazine Nuclear plant owner: It's gov's fault Local headlines  This Boston city councilor keeps getting debate tweets meant for Martin O'Malley | BDCWire Governor Baker awards Scituate $3 million for Oceanside seawall Wilmington board opposes gas pipeline project Data: Lowell opioid crisis has grown more grim Dispatcher sues Rivera and Fitzpatrick, alleging defamation Plymouth braces for economic blow Brockton mayor announces plan to clean up dirty needles Federal, state and local lawmakers in Quincy to tackle opioid crisis Brockton power plant could help offset closure of Pilgrim Chiefs release reports on Charlton winery fire to property owners, selectmen City touts fairer pushcart bid plan David I. Finnegan, two-time mayoral candidate and top-rated radio host, dies at 74 - The Boston Globe Walsh seeks rise in developers' fees to expand housing - The Boston Globe Assault of a police officer charge filed against ex Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette over polling place fight