Today: Health care costs in the spotlight
- The Commonwealth's top political leaders will convene at the Health Policy Commission's annual Health Care Cost Trends hearing this morning starting at 9:00am at Suffolk University Law School. Gov. Charlie Baker, Attorney General Maura Healey, Senate President Stan Rosenberg, Speaker Robert DeLeo, and other elected officials will provide opening remarks.
- Gov. Baker holds a ceremonial swearing in of Judge Scott Kafker as the sixth Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Appeals Court. Lt. Gov. Polito and Attorney General Maura Healey also plan to attend. It's at the John Adams Courthouse, Great Hall, Boston, 3:45pm.
- South Carolina Rep. James Clyburn is the keynote speaker at MassVOTE's annual reception, this year marking the 50th anniversary of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Attorney General Maura Healey and Senate President Stan Rosenberg are scheduled to attend, John Joseph Moakley U.S. Courthouse, 1 Courthouse Way, 2nd floor atrium, Boston, 6:00pm.
Health care costs by the numbers
In honor of the two-day Health Policy Commission hearing kicking off this morning, here's a quick look at health care costs in Massachusetts, by the numbers:
- Total health care spending in Massachusetts, 2014: $54 billion
- Massachusetts' national rank as the most expensive state for individual health care premium costs: 3rd
- Massachusetts' national rank as the most expensive state for family health care costs: 5th
- Total health care average health care premium for an average Massachusetts family in 2014: $17,702
- Increase on prescription drug spending in Massachusetts, 2013-2014: 13 percent
Clinton nets at least $500K in MA
Three fundraising events Thursday -- in Holyoke, Boston and Belmont -- netted presidential candidate Hillary Clinton at least $500,000, the Springfield Republican reported Friday. A campaign spokesman said Clinton had more than $32 million on hand as of Sept. 30.http://bit.ly/1KVgdOa
Legislature's vote total lowest in a generation
The Legislature took the lowest number of votes in two decades to close a legislative session, according to data supplied to the Globe by the Mass. Fiscal Alliance. The spring total, which doesn't count veto overrides and procedural votes, may reflect the power struggle between the House and the Senate over joint legislative committees, which stalled committee work. There also is the trend toward larger, more inclusive legislative packages, rather than one-off votes, reports the Globe's David Scharfenberg. http://bit.ly/1LsBkL6
Tolls for NH commuters?
New Hampshire commuters should pay for the privilege of using Massachusetts highways, writes Meredith Warren, a Republican consultant, in her Globe column. She cites census data that say 85,000 Granite State residents commute to Massachusetts. "With all of the serious work that needs to be done to fix our infrastructure, why should our neighbors to the north get a free ride? Why should Massachusetts taxpayers be on the hook to pave and plow the path from New Hampshire into Boston for free?" Interesting idea, but of course, New Hampshire residents pay Massachusetts income tax, which they might feel is a reasonable user fee for commuting on Massachusetts' highways. http://bit.ly/1M6kKiN
Brown: Deval as VP candidate a 'joke'
Former U.S. Sen. Scott Brown called the idea of former Gov. Deval Patrick joining a Democratic presidential ticket headed by VP Joe Biden "a joke" and said the pairing would all but hand the election to the GOP, according to the Herald. Brown made his comments to the tabloid at one of the several "No B.S. BBQ" events he plans hosting, with Carly Fiorina appearing at his home this weekend. Brown also says he'll make an endorsement decision before the New Hampshire primary. http://bit.ly/1PeGslB
Rainy day fund drying up
The state's rainy day fund has fallen to $1.1 billion, a figure that represents less than 3 percent of total state spending and has some budget advocates waving red flags at lawmakers, according to a Globe story by Joshua Miller. Critics say lawmakers have dipped into the reserve account to balance budgets rather than making harder decisions about taxes or program cuts, and say that when the economy inevitably goes south again, the state could find itself in a bind. http://bit.ly/1VyxQLJ
Berkshire Towns boosting smoking age to 21
Three more towns in Western Massachusetts are poised to amend local regulations to raise the minimum legal age for buying tobacco products from 18 to 21, the Berkshire Eagle reports. Lee, Lenox and Stockbridge, which share a regional board of health, could join two other communities, Williamstown and Lanesborough, in making the shift. The city of Pittsfield has also weighed boosting the age, according to the Eagle. http://bit.ly/1Q0cCzC |
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Mass. Transit: The future of transportation -- a MASSterList/State House News Service event:
Join us for a panel discussion featuring Transportation Secretary Stephanie Pollack, Charlie Chieppo, principal of Chieppo Strategies, and Rick Dimino, CEO of A Better City, on the vision for transportation in Massachusetts. It will be held Oct. 13, 7:30-9:30am at the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education center, 10 Winter Place, Boston. More details and registration here: http://bit.ly/1KADgeC
Casino proposal divides Vineyard
From the weekend: Globe report Sean Murphy visited Martha's Vineyard and found that an effort by he Aquinnah Wampanoag tribe to open a gaming hall-something they pledged not to do- has divided the island. But Murphy found few locals willing to criticize the tribe's efforts, which now hang on a pending judge's ruling. http://bit.ly/1MaDOYM
Lightbody looks to throw weight around in Mayor's race
Convicted felon Charles Lightbody, who has become a central figure in the lawsuits and controversy swirling around Steve Wynn's Everett casino proposal, is apparently turning against onetime ally Dan Rizzo in his bid for re-election as mayor of Revere, the Globe reported on Saturday. Lightbody's family has accounted for 15 percent of the $27,000 raised so far by city councilor and mayoral challenger Brian Arrigo. Lightbody tells the Globe's Andrea Estes he's not angry at Rizzo, who he once backed financially, for comments he made calling him unsuitable to be involved in a casino deal. "That's just politics," says Lightbody. http://bit.ly/1Q0f2hx
Antique deals may face more regs
Some lawmakers want to force antique dealers to deal with more regulations and are pushing for a law that would require them to keep a list of sellers and transactions, take photographs of items they sell and buy, and report weekly to their police department. The new laws would aim to end the sale of stolen goods on secondhand markets. "There's a lot of pawn shops and antique dealers that already do this, but there's plenty that aren't," said Rep. Paul McMurtry, D-Dedham to Salem News. "We need a better system to ensure that stolen property isn't being sold at secondhand stores throughout the state." http://bit.ly/1OhdAdh
Rape increase seen in Harvard
Rape and burglaries have gone up this past year at Harvard, according to its annual security report. "The number of reported campus rapes nearly doubled, increasing from 17 in 2013 to 33 in 2014. The number of total reported sexual offenses-defined as fondling, rape, incest, and statutory rape-increased slightly from 40 in 2013 to 43 in 2014," Boston.com reports. http://bit.ly/1RquLYk
Boston puts more police on bikes
Boston has put more police on bikes in tougher neighborhoods of the city and is reporting positive results. "We are the front lines in any crowd-control situation," Lieutenant David C. Murphy, who heads the unit, said to the Boston Globe. "We put out fires. We go wherever they need us." Their presence has lead to a decrease in crime. So far, there has been a 15 percent decrease in Dorchester and Mattapan and a 5 percent decrease in Roxbury. "In the past year the bicycle unit has recovered six firearms. In a three-month period officers working the Hospital District -- where drugs have been a major problem -- have made 70 arrests for drug dealing and outstanding warrants," the Globe reports. http://bit.ly/1j92ESa
Quotes from the weekend:
"He felt that we really had no place... whatsoever to question him. That's the defensive position of every alcoholic. Go mind your own business, back off." - Patrick Kennedy, son of the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, on "60 Minutes" last night about when his family approached Ted Kennedy about his drinking in the early 1990s.
"A sustainable financial model is what I would like to see happen... where tuition and fees are predictable, where state support is predictable, and it's reasonable."
-UMass President Marty Meehan, on NECN's "This Week in Business"
"Last Sunday at Fenway will be my greatest memory of my life. I can tell you that right now. Your tribute to me, I will never forget, ever. I've been asked many times over the last six weeks how I would like to be remembered. To be remembered at all is enough for me." - Don Orsillo, during his last game as a Red Sox announcer.
"Sadly and tragically corporate America, the corporate media have so much power that no president can do what has to be done unless millions of Americans come together and say loudly and clearly enough is enough." - Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, in his Springfield speech on Saturday.
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