Episode 42 starts with eclipse highlights and legislative seminar before discussing headlines (audio)

FM #1176 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1176 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We met to record in the Franklin TV & Public Radio studio on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.  

We continued making sense of climate on an almost extemporaneous discussion similar to what we recently had. Starting with highlights from Ted’s experience of the eclipse, and with my highlights from the Citizen Legislative Seminar where I spent 2 days in State House.

• NY Attorney General sues meat producer https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/29/new-york-jbs-climate-lawsuit

• Meat a contributor https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/04/us-banks-sabotaging-own-net-zero-plans-by-livestock-financing-report-claims 

• 80/20 rule strikes again https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/04/just-57-companies-linked-to-80-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions-since-2016 

• How to spot five of the fossil fuel industry’s biggest disinformation tactics https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/14/climate-disinformation-explainer?CMP=share_btn_url 

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 43 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted.

Audio link ->   https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1176-making-sense-of-climate-42-04-16-24

--------------

** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

--------------

We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

------------------

You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Episode 42 starts with eclipse highlights and legislative seminar before discussing headlines (audio)

Senate Authorizes $375M for Local Transportation Infrastructure

Chapter 90 funding would support cities and towns with road and bridge construction, public transit improvement, and EV infrastructure

Today, the Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved $375 million in bond authorizations for statewide transportation projects, including the state's Chapter 90 program, which would create a reliable funding source for local infrastructure investments like roads, bridges, regional transit equipment and infrastructure, bicycle infrastructure, and electric vehicle infrastructure, among other things.

Projects funded by the annual legislation often improve quality of life for residents in every region of the state, and many play a role in environmental mitigation.

Every city and town in the Commonwealth would receive a share of $200 million in funding to be used on maintenance and construction of roads and bridges. $150 million would be allocated equally to six programs targeting specific transportation infrastructure, and $25 million would be allocated to cities and towns through the rural roads program.

"Getting around our communities is a fundamental part of everyone's day," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "Whether the commute takes you on the sidewalk, through a bike lane, across a small bridge, onto your Regional Transit Authority, or to the T, your journey should be quick and safe. By passing today's legislation, we are empowering our cities and towns with the funding to make improvements to the infrastructure our residents travel on, regardless of where they go and how."

"Our transportation infrastructure is so vitally important to the state's economy, and this Chapter 90 funding addresses many outstanding issues in keeping the Commonwealth's roadways, bridges, and public transportation system in peak operating condition. I'm pleased that over $375 million has been allocated to municipal roadways, local streetscape improvements, and enhancements to our mass transit system," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.  

"Throughout our district, people and businesses rely on transportation infrastructure, whether roads, trains, buses, bridges, bike lanes, or sidewalks," said Senator Becca Rausch (D-Needham). "I was proud to vote yes to put our state dollars to work for our communities."

Of the $375 million in total authorizations, the legislation would allocate $25 million to each of the following programs that target specific infrastructure areas:

• Municipal Pavement Program, which focuses on the improvement of municipally owned state numbered routes.
• Municipal Small Bridge Program, which provides financial support to cities and towns for small bridge replacement, preservation, and rehabilitation projects.
• Complete Streets Funding Program, which provides funding to municipalities for streets that provide safe and accessible options for all travel modes such as walking, biking, transit, and vehicles.
• Municipal Bus Enhancement Program, which provides grant funding to build out infrastructure related to mass transit by bus.
• Mass Transit Access Grant Program, which provides grants for design and construction improvements to access commuter rail stations or other mass transit stations, such as parking lots, drop-off and pick-up zones, bike storage infrastructure, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
• Municipal/RTA EV Grant Program, which provides grants to Regional Transit Authorities and municipalities for the purchase of electric vehicles and related charging equipment.

A previous version having been passed by the House of Representatives, the legislation now awaits final enactment in each branch, before being sent to the Governor's desk for her signature.

Link to the actual legislative text -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4529

Senate Authorizes $375M for Local Transportation Infrastructure

Migrant crisis: State Senate votes to limit time in family shelter

"As the state burns through the hundreds of millions already set aside to fund Massachusetts’ emergency shelter system, the state Senate late Thursday voted to inject millions more into the system, and limit the amount of time homeless families, including migrants, can stay.

The 32-8 vote, which happened shortly after 9 p.m. Thursday night, sets the stage for what will likely be a contentious debate with the House, which passed its own version earlier this month.

The proposal is part of a spending bill meant to buoy the strained shelter system through the end of the fiscal year, and help fund it into 2025. While the Senate proposal diverges from the House’s bill on some key details, both chambers are now united behind the concept of restricting, for the first time since the inception of Massachusetts’ right-to-shelter law, how long the state should provide a place to sleep for homeless families."

Shared from -> (subscription maybe required) https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/03/22/metro/mass-senate-vote-shelter-limit-on-shelter-stays-migrants/

The Senate legislation differs in many ways from the House’s proposal

"As Massachusetts struggles to find housing for an influx of migrants, a Globe analysis of state data finds that few wealthy communities are hosting emergency shelters for homeless and migrant families while the bulk are in middle-income cities and towns.

Of the 94 communities hosting emergency shelters, more than half have a median household income below $100,000, while just nine of those communities — including Acton, Concord, and Lexington — have household incomes above $150,000.

The state says its process for placing shelters is driven by the availability of space and factors such as their proximity to critical services such as public transportation.

But many communities say they are having trouble providing all the resources people need, such as transportation and translators, and worry the strain on their limited resources will reach a breaking point."

Buried within the Globe article above was this piece which I missed while I was away in February (subscription maybe required) ->   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/02/09/metro/boston-migrants-globe-analysis/

MA Senate passes bill to address wheelchair repairs that can drag on for months

"Wheelchair users took a victory lap at the State House on Thursday after the state Senate passed legislation to address a national crisis, chronic delays of months or longer for even the most basic repairs to chairs.

The bill, passed with a vote of 39-0, would extend warranties on new chairs from one year to two, a period during which chair owners could avoid cumbersome insurance authorization for fixes, advocates said. Chairs with expired warranties would not need insurance approval for repairs less than $1,000.

“We’ve been fighting so hard just to get here,” said Pamela Daly, of Charlestown, after the Senate vote. “They’re simple mechanical problems or they’re simple parts that need to be ordered. This is not rocket science.”

Daly noted she was late for Thursday’s vote because her wheelchair’s brakes, installed about a month ago, failed earlier that morning, and she fell while trying to get into her chair. Though uninjured, she had to call paramedics to help her get into her chair."

Continue reading this Boston Globe article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2024/01/04/metro/wheelchair-repairs-massachusetts-senate/

MA Senate passes bill to address wheelchair repairs that can drag on for months

Via CommonWealth Beacon: State budget for FY 2023 completed (finally); Revenues down for November and YTD

"Mass. tax revenues take dive in November" 

"MASSACHUSETTS TAX REVENUES took a dive during November and are running 4.3 percent below forecasted levels through the first five months of the fiscal year, reinforcing concerns that state government needs to slow its pace of spending.

The Department of Revenue reported on Tuesday that tax collections in November totaled $2.25 billion, nearly 11 percent below the state forecast and 5.5 percent less than last year. Through the first five months of the fiscal year, revenues are running $627 million below the forecast used to draft this year’s budget and 1 percent more than the same period last year.

Adding to concerns, the state’s tax revenues in November were not affected by the passage of a major tax cut in October. That tax cut should start having an impact on state tax revenues starting in December or January, officials said."

Continue reading the article -> https://commonwealthbeacon.org/government/state-government/mass-tax-revenues-take-dive-in-november/ 

"Dems return to Beacon Hill in force, pass stalled spending bill"

"Instead of using parliamentary rules to block or delay action on the bill, as Republicans in the House did, the Senate Republicans struck a deal with Democratic leaders. In return for the Republicans agreeing not to delay action on the bill, the Senate Democrats supported a Republican motion to suspend the Legislature’s joint rules so the bill could be taken up in a formal session and be debated. The motion wasn’t embraced by the House, so it didn’t go anywhere, but it was a moral victory for the Senate Republicans and it allowed the bill to move quickly to enactment, which is what the Democrats wanted. 

Senate President Karen Spilka called it a “win-win for everybody.” 

The end result was the long overdue spending bill was sent to Gov. Maura Healey, who signed it immediately. All the parliamentary maneuvering didn’t change anything, but it captivated Beacon Hill for nearly a week in the middle of a holiday recess. The drawn-out process was mostly about optics and placing blame for delays that held up raises for public sector unions, disaster relief, and funding for the stretched-thin emergency shelter program."

Continue reading the article online ->   https://commonwealthbeacon.org/government/state-government/dems-return-to-beacon-hill-in-force-pass-stalled-spending-bill/

The H4204 legislative details can be found online ->   https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4204

The golden dome of the State House. (Photo by Andy Metzger)

MA House & Senate send FY 2024 tax relief bill to Gov Healey

"The House and Senate have passed a compromise tax relief bill that would provide $561 million in tax breaks and credits this year, with the value growing to approximately $1 billion once the law is fully implemented in 2027.

The House overwhelmingly approved the bill on Sept. 27, and the Senate did the same on Sept. 28. The governor, who has 10 days to review and sign the bill, has indicated her strong support.

Provisions that would affect municipalities include property tax relief and housing incentives. The bill would:

• Increase the maximum annual property tax deduction for seniors who provide volunteer services to a municipality from $1,500 to $2,000

• Increase the maximum available “senior circuit breaker” property tax credit from $750 per year to $1,500 per year, prior to adjusting for inflation

• Create a local-option property tax exemption for residential properties that are rented to households earning no more than 200% of area median income, and allow municipalities to determine the amount of the exemption and adopt ordinances and bylaws implementing these provisions

• Increase the cap on Housing Development Incentive Program tax credits from $10 million to $30 million annually and allow for the distribution of any portion of the annual cap on credits that were not authorized in previous years, or of any credits that were returned"

Continue reading the article online at MMA -> https://www.mma.org/house-senate-send-tax-relief-bill-to-governors-desk/ 

Boston Globe coverage (subscription maybe required) ->   https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/09/28/metro/massachusetts-tax-relief-deal/ 

For the actual legislative language visit this page ->     https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4104

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4104

How late is the State budget? Really? What is in the state budget is the more important question!

Chris Lisinski (@ChrisLisinski) tweeted on Mon, Jul 31, 2023:

Just how late was the annual state budget lawmakers sent to Gov. Healey on Monday?

Only three other budgets since FY2000 have been completed later, one of which was in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic upended everything, per @masstaxpayersfd data. #mapoli  https://t.co/MjQF0gjlqs 

What is in the state budget is the more important question!

Shared from Twitter -> https://t.co/ypnCUKs33L

"Less than 24 hours after negotiators inked a compromise on a $56.2 billion annual spending plan, House and Senate lawmakers, with little debate, voted Monday to send the fiscal year 2024 package to Governor Maura Healey.

The chambers’ action on the budget legislation, representing a record level of spending, came nearly a month after the July 1 deadline for the start of the new fiscal year.

The budget is now in Healey’s hands for the next 10 days, and what happens next remains to be seen. Lawmakers used the governor’s budget proposal as a roadmap in crafting their own, but she could seek to further shape the spending plan, the first of her term in the corner office."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/31/metro/massachusetts-budget-2024/

The Conference Committee report on the FY 2024 budget can be found ->

https://malegislature.gov/Budget/ConferenceCommittee

The link to the actual legislation document H 4040 ->    https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4040

The continuation legislation to fund August in lieu of the final budget. Signed by Gov Healey on July 31, 2023 -> https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H4022

Via MA Senate Twitter ->  https://twitter.com/MA_Senate/status/1685851177802403840

What is in the state budget is more important - 1

What is in the state budget is more important - 2

What is in the state budget is more important - 3

What is in the state budget is more important - 4

MA budget to the Governor next week finally, maybe??

"After weeks of negotiations and two stopgap spending bills, state House and Senate Democrats announced Friday afternoon that they finally reached an agreement on the state budget for the fiscal year that started July 1.

While they did not announce any details, budget leaders said they are confident they will be able to vote on the budget on Monday.

“Our respective teams are actively engaged in ironing out the details and working diligently to finalize the agreement,” Senator Michael J. Rodrigues and Representative Aaron Michlewitz, who serve as budget leaders in their respective chambers, said in a statement. “We are confident that the Conference Committee Report will be filed in the coming days, ensuring that both the House and Senate will take up the report on Monday in formal session.”

Continue reading the Boston Globe article (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/28/metro/massachusetts-house-senate-budget-vote-late/

Michael J. Rodrigues, the Senate Ways and Means Chair, speaks to reporters in the Massachusetts State House on August 1, 2022.CARLIN STIEHL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

Senate President Spilka: Progressive tax relief, celebrating Juneteenth + Pride Month, and more!

Plus news from the district & around the state

Updates from Beacon Hill & MetroWest Delivering tax relief for residents who need it most. Dear Friends – June has been quite the month.   We passed progressive tax relief, spent joyful hours celebrating pride with our LGBTQ+ community, and commemorated freedom for all at Juneteenth events around MetroWest. To top it off, our local farmers' markets are in full swing—one of my favorite summer activities. Our work on Beacon Hill has been truly historic. The tax relief package that the Senate unanimously passed will reduce income inequality, make Massachusetts more competitive nationally, and lessen the crippling impact of rising prices, inflation, and economic uncertainty. It delivers relief for workers, families, and elderly residents who are bearing the brunt of the rising costs of healthcare, housing, education, and basic goods. It is permanent, progressive, smart, and sustainable tax relief for the people who need it most. It was an equally exciting month in MetroWest. My team and I joined Juneteenth celebrations in several of our communities, cut ribbons on educational and public safety facilities, and visited the MetroWest Visitors Bureau to discuss our incredible region—something I could talk about forever. As always, my office is available if you need assistance or wish to share your opinion. You can email me at karen.spilka@masenate.gov or call 617-722-1500. And if you see me by the tomatoes at one of our local farmers' markets—don't hesitate to say hello. Warm regards, Speaking to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Forum I had the privilege of speaking to the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce this month, and my message to them was: there's no place like home. We have everything we need here to create a thriving, multiracial, diverse and welcoming Commonwealth that can be the envy of the other states. But we must tackle head-on the challenge facing the rest of the nation – that of shoring up and expanding our middle class. By expanding access to the middle class, we can help the people who do some of our most important jobs – like home health aides, child care providers, and human service workers, among others – achieve the American dream. That's why I'm proud the Senate has focused on the fundamentals, like access to housing, health care and higher education, among many other things, in our Fiscal Year 2024 budget and our recent tax relief package. Tax Relief for Residents On June 15, the Senate unanimously passed a $590 million tax relief bill which delivers support to low- and middle-income earners and chips away at the headwinds that threaten Massachusetts' competitiveness. Focusing on providing relief to residents across Massachusetts while upholding fiscal responsibility, the Senate's tax relief package will provide relief to renters, seniors, and parents struggling with high early education costs while also increasing much-needed housing production. As I have said from the outset, tax relief should go to the workers, families, and elderly residents of the Commonwealth who need it most. LEARN MORE Juneteenth: Liberty and Justice for all Americans Three years after the Senate voted to make Juneteenth a state holiday, I am thrilled to see it being celebrated around MetroWest and all around the country. This day reminds us that none of us are free until we are all free, and that it is incumbent on us to do the work of dismantling systemic racism in Massachusetts and nationwide.  Juneteenth is a celebration of all Americans finally being truly free - and a reminder of the important work that lies ahead. I am immensely grateful to my colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate who work to uplift Black voices and strive to create a more equitable society for all. From outdoor painting, to live music, to book recommendations and great food, MetroWest was full of lively Juneteenth celebrations this year! Thanks to the many community organizations who stepped up, including Ashland Residents for Equity and Action, Wayside Youth & Family Support Network in Framingham, and organizations in Natick, including Natick for Black Lives Matter, Spark Kindness, and others. Celebrating Pride It was a joy to celebrate Pride in MetroWest and at the State House alongside friends and leaders. We rejoiced in our diverse identities and unity as a Commonwealth, and stood firm in our commitment to equity and protecting the rights of our LGBTQ+ community. Making Massachusetts a place for everyone is not just a moral imperative—it is our competitive advantage. To LGBTQ+ folks and their allies around the country who are facing renewed discrimination, I say, come to Massachusetts! I am especially proud of how residents of MetroWest cities and towns have come together to celebrate love, diversity, and equality with local Pride celebrations. Our communities must be places where everyone can live authentically and thrive. Photos are of Pride celebrations in Hopkinton, where I was joined by Congressman Jim McGovern, Framingham, and Ashland.