Thursday, February 4, 2016
By George Donnelly (@geodonnelly) and Keith Regan
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Today: Senate focus on public records reform
The Senate's version of the public records reform bill is tougher than the House's in several important ways, and it will considered in a formal session at 11:00 am. Even though it's an improvement, the Globe editorial board isn't entirely satisfied, saying there remains a loophole that could permit high fees to fulfill records requests. http://bit.ly/1S1LXqo
Meanwhile, the directive Gov. Baker gave to state agencies last year on public records is yielding measurable results, writes Colman M. Herman for CommonWealth Magazine. Public record appeals against state agencies dropped by 51 since the new procedures, which included naming a public records officer, went into effect in September. http://bit.ly/1QdLlbk
Also today: Gaming Commission to meet on Wynn/city deal
Gaming Commission meets for a presentation on the agreement between Wynn Resorts and the City of Boston along with a license amendment. The commission will also take votes related to Wynn/Boston, emergency horse-racing medication regulations and a Penn National Gaming non-disclosure agreement. MGC staff will give a quarterly budget update, Region C schedule update, and a temporary license update, 101 Federal St.,12th floor, Boston, 10:00 am.
Sean Murphy of the Globe previews the commission's vote on the City of Boston/Wynn deal here:http://bit.ly/1R5vS23
$200K state pension added to tax rolls
A new wave of retirees from last year's early retirement program has bulked up the state's pension numbers, reports the Boston Business Journal's Craig Douglas. The retirement rolls swelled by 4,880 former state workers with total annual payouts over $221 million. Recently retired president of Middlesex Community College Carole Cowan had the highest annual pension payout at $206,000; another nine retirees in 2015 will receive over $150,000 per year. Here's more from Douglas' report, along with a searchable database with retiree payouts. http://bit.ly/1UNhVVr
Also, the recently published state salary database contains more interesting tidbits from 2015 earnings:
Highest-paid registered nurse: $199,000
Highest-paid physician: $255,000
Highest-paid state trooper: $288,000
Highest-paid professor: $403,000
Highest-paid coach: $1,075,000 (UMass basketball coach Derek Kellogg)
Mayor weighs in on Suffolk dispute; resolution nears
Suffolk University President Margaret McKenna and Suffolk Board of Trustees chairman Drew Meyer met yesterday for four hours with their attorneys as the public dispute that has put McKenna's performance on trial in the media and prompted a backlash against the board continued. They "plan to continue to meet and work toward a proposal they hope to present jointly Friday when the governing board is expected to decide whether to oust McKenna after only seven months on the job," report Laura Krantz and Mark Arsenault of the Globe. Mayor Marty Walsh weighed in with support for McKenna, saying: "They're an important institution for our city, so I would like to see this thing resolved and not play out in a nasty fashion in the press, where attorneys have to get involved and PR people are involved.'' http://bit.ly/1NQFBmd
Convention doesn't take up millionaire's tax
The legislature did not take up the millionaire's tax at its Constitutional Convention yesterday, setting it up for possible consideration at the next constitution session in April. At the convention yesterday, senators and representatives shot down two attempts to change the state constitution: an amendment that would make it more difficult to withdraw money from the state's reserve account, aka, Rainy Day Fund; and another that would turn redistricting duties over to an independent commission. Here's more on the convention from the State House News Service's Michael Norton.http://bit.ly/1P8zLAJ (paywall)
Ahead of the convention yesterday, the Massachusetts High Tech Council weighed in against the surtax, saying it would "severely limit legislative and citizen power to set and amend tax policy in response to economic conditions." More from Andy Metzger of the State House News Service here: http://bit.ly/1PU8pLK (paywall)
Auditors find 1,100 welfare fraud cases
Auditor Suzanne Bump released a report yesterday identifying 1,100 cases of welfare fraud that totaled $13.7 million. That number is a 44 percent increase from the previous year, and the auditor credits advanced technology that allows investigators to crosscheck data. MassHealth accounted for the largest portion of the fraud -- $7.7 million, according to story by Shira Schoenberg of MassLive. http://bit.ly/1Qew2PJ
After Emerson student rents room on Airbnb, school steps in
Looking to raise a little extra cash, an Emerson student rented his dorm room -- he has a room in a suite -- on three occasions through Airbnb, an online platform for short-term rentals. Jack Worth, 19, now faces disciplinary action from Emerson, writes the Globe's Steve Annear. http://bit.ly/1Peetzq
Another hurdle cleared for Wynn?
Steve Wynn's Everett casino project is about to clear another key hurdle as the window for filing objections to the issuance of a key state environmental permit draws to a close, the Herald's Matt Stout and Jordan Graham report. Objections to the Department of Environmental Protection permit are due by Feb. 12 and no challenges have yet materialized. http://bit.ly/1K07bmi
Walsh to appeal pipeline permit
Boston Mayor Marty Walsh says his administration will go to federal court to appeal the approval given to the West Roxbury Lateral pipeline, the Globe's Dan Adams reports. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission rejected administrative appeals filed by neighbors who say the Spectra Energy Partners project, already under construction, poses environmental and safety risks. http://bit.ly/1KrVrZz
Baker: No judicial litmus test
Facing his first opportunity to make a high court appointment in the wake of Robert Cordy's retirement from the SJC, Gov. Charlie Baker says he does not have a "litmus test" for determining who he will nominate, MassLive's Shira Schoenberg reports. The appointment is likely to be the first of four Baker will make in his first term. http://bit.ly/1P8BMgc
Gov. eyes farmer market beer sales
Small breweries are applauding a provision in Gov. Baker's economic development bill that would authorize beer sales at the state's farmers markets, Jim Halladin of the MetroWest Daily News reports. The move would give brewers the same rights to offer samples and sales that wineries gained in 2010. http://bit.ly/1PCcybE
Departments return armored cars, grenade launchers to military
Three Massachusetts communities and the Department of Corrections are among those who have been ordered to return grenade launchers, armored vehicles and other military equipment received from the military under a program now being rolled back, the Globe's Matt Rocheleau reports. http://bit.ly/1Qex4LI
Administrators confident in wake of cyber attack
Computer system administrators in communities south of Boston expressed confidence about the security of their networks even after the town of Medfield was forced to pay a ransom after being targeted by hackers, the Patriot Ledger's Liam Hofmeister reports. http://bit.ly/1X5lPKN
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