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Thursday, December 31 2015
By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Keith Regan
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Today: First night celebration on track
As New Year's Eve revelers are expected to come out in force in Boston tonight, Police Commissioner William Evans emphasized there are "no threats out there." Evans added: "We'll be out there in force just making sure everyone has a good time."
More about First Night safety from the Herald here: http://bit.ly/1UhQ8fl
See the First Night schedule here:
Whatever your plans are tonight, we at MASSterList wish you a happy, healthy New Year!
Mark your calendars: Baker sets State of the Commonwealth address for January 21 in the House Chambers.
Bernie Sanders coming to Amherst, Worcester
Bernie Sanders will be at UMass Amherst at 1:00 pm Saturday, followed by an appearance in Worcester at North High School, 5:00 pm. More here in the Springfield Republican: http://bit.ly/1MHVeeY
More fearless predictions from our readers:
"Tensions between the House and Senate flare again after the House adopts a rule requiring any paper received from the Senate to be accompanied by a supplication in the form - 'Mr. Speaker, May We?' " -HesterPrynne
"The Mass. Senate will take a more active part in the legislative process than they did in 2015." -John Thompson
"Sam Kennedy will start off on the right foot as president of the Boston Red Sox, as the Sox will defeat the Cardinals in a game 7 nail biter to win the World Series." -Geri Denterlein
"The Baker Administration will quietly remove funding for South Coast Rail in the FY 2017 budget and effectively kill the project dead once and for all." -Anonymous
"A redesigned, downsized Green line extension will move forward with financial support coming from the pledging of a portion of the increased real estate taxes resulting from new development along this corridor." -David Begelfer
"The sale and use of recreational marijuana will become legalized and E-cigarettes will be banned." -Anonymous
"Early in January, the Legislature, because it is the right thing to do, will pass a bill that has broad bipartisan support in House and Senate -- Bill S.1984 189th, An Act Resolve creating a commission to study ways to prevent bullying of tenants in public and subsidized multi-family housing. Sponsored by Sen. Joan Lovely and Rep. Brad Hill. It will quickly be signed by the Governor, making Massachusetts the first state to address this national problem." -Jerry Halberstadt
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We have seen violence at abortion clinics in Massachusetts, and we never want to see it again. Governor Baker can ensure that every possible federal resource is available should there ever be another attack on a clinic, but the time for him to act is now.
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Governor 'dismissive' of pro-choice group's effort on terror designation
This stinging quote came from Megan Amundson, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, in response to a Boston Herald story saying that Gov. Baker is "sidestepping" calls to designate violence at abortion clinics as domestic terrorism:
"Governor Baker has an unfortunate habit of being dismissive of women's access to health care. His response to this request is yet another example. If it is not Governor Baker's job to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of women in the Commonwealth, I don't know whose job it is. It is a governor's responsibility to bring as many federal resources into the state as possible, especially in times of crisis."
Minimum wage workers get a $1 raise tomorrow
The state's minimum wage goes to $10 per hour, following legislation that will raise it by another $1 next year. The new minimum wage will affect an estimated 280,000 workers in Massachusetts, according to a statement released by Raise Up Massachusetts, a group that has pushed for a higher minimum wage. See this story in Quartz for an overview of minimum wage rate increases, and where Massachusetts stands: http://bit.ly/1MEvnVt
Strangest headlines of the day
"North Pole was even warmer than Boston today" in the Boston Globe:http://bit.ly/1OlO4CG
Also: "Would you pay $175 for this burger?" http://bit.ly/1mrrDBp
Local broadcasters rake in bucks from political ad spending
The campaigns for the presidency have provided a windfall to local TV stations, and the money will continue to pour in early next year. Shira Schoenberg of MassLive WCVB Channel 5 took in $4 million in 2015, according to records. "This included approximately $1.2 million from Democratic presidential candidates Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton. Five Republican candidates combined -- Ben Carson, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio -- spent a little more than $200,000 on political ads at WCVB-TV."
Health Connector chief cashed in vacation time
The former director of the state's Health Connector website cashed in just under $40,000 worth of unused vacation time when she left the agency in January, the Herald's Joe Battenfeld reports, citing payroll records he obtained. Jean Yang was paid for 57 unused vacation days, meaning she went two-plus years without taking a day off, a span that includes the disastrous rollout and meltdown of the site in 2013. The Herald also says salaries at the agency continued to climb even after Gov. Baker took office, with 60 employees now earning more than $100,000. http://bit.ly/1OyPbRu
Worcester admits it messed up storm response
Worcester City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. acknowledged what many residents had been saying in the wake of the minor snowstorm that blanketed the city with less than 2 inches of snow Tuesday -- that the city made the wrong call in choosing not to immediately plow city streets. "In short, we needed to do better. And we will," Augustus said in a statement. The city's DPW was banking on a warmup that was forecasted but never materialized. Plows were dispatched later in the day, but by then residents had flooded elected officials with scores of complaint calls. http://bit.ly/1ZDl651
Police departments say Federal budget change will hurt bottom lines
Lowell-area police department say they are about to lose a key source of funding as The U.S. Justice Department changes its asset-forfeiture program, which in the past had allowed local communities to keep 80 percent of the assets seized in crimes investigated and prosecuted jointly with the feds, the Sun reports. Lowell alone took in $1.4 million through the sharing program and spent it across a range of initiatives, including the recent purchase of Taser weapons for the department.
Far fewer students disciplined by schools
The numbers of students being disciplined by school districts fell dramatically last year following a new law aimed at reducing the number of long-term suspensions, the Globe reports. Overall, 10,000 fewer students were disciplined in the 2014-2015 school year than the year before.http://bit.ly/1mkJMBn
Walsh: Top Chef phone calls were a mistake
Mayor Marty Walsh said city employees were wrong to warn local restaurants about a looming threat from the Teamsters to picket their locations because of the filming of the non-union Top Chef television show, but feels those employees should not face any discipline, the Herald reports. "We should not have made that call," said Walsh, who declined to detail the contents of his own phone call to Teamsters Local 25 president Sean O'Brien, citing the federal indictments against the union. http://bit.ly/1JLaiZn
Lottery to explore its own fantasy sports action
The Lottery doesn't want to be left behind. This from Colin A. Young of the State House News Service: "The Massachusetts Lottery formally began the process of gathering information on the online lottery industry on Tuesday as it looks to assert itself in the burgeoning world of online fantasy sports." http://bit.ly/1R0qwWd
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