Franklin Matters

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

Statements from Senate President Karen E. Spilka on climate legislation and Commonwealth address

Statement from Senate President Karen E. Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano

"Today, the Temporary Senate Committee on Ways and Means is advancing the bipartisan climate bill that passed last session. The Senate and House have scheduled formal sessions for Thursday and will vote once again to take bold action to combat climate change, protect environmental justice communities, and ensure environmentally responsible economic growth."

Senate President Karen E. Spilka on State of the Commonwealth Address

“Governor Baker reminded us of the true strength of our Commonwealth – our people. Like the Governor, I am so grateful to the people of Massachusetts for their perseverance during this most difficult year. It is for them that the Massachusetts State Senate has kept working hard throughout this pandemic, and they are the reason we are getting right back to work. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with Governor Baker and the House of Representatives on behalf of the people of this great state.”

Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis SubCommittee Meeting - Jan 28, 2021

Facilities Analysis Sub Committee Meeting

Jan 28, 2021 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM

Virtual Meeting

Approval of past minutes (1/20/21)
Discussion:

Continue to evaluate options (Stage 2 of the DT Facility Analysis process)

Full agenda (including connection info) https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/agenda_dt_subcom_1.28.21.docx.pdf

Davis Thayer Facilities Analysis SubCommittee Meeting - Jan 28, 2021

Franklin School Committee: Budget SubCommittee Meeting - Feb 2, 2021

Budget SubCommittee Meeting

Feb 2, 2021 - 4:30 PM

Virtual Meeting (Link in agenda)

FY22 Budget Development

Full agenda (including connection info) https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/agenda-bsc_2-2-20.pdf

Franklin School Committee:: Budget SubCommittee Meeting - Feb 2, 2021

FPS: Community Relations SubCommittee Meeting - Jan 28, 2021

Franklin Public Schools

Community Relations SubCommittee Meeting

Jan 28, 2021 - 3:00 PM

Virtual Meeting (Link in agenda)

Approval of January 7th Meeting Minutes
Legislative Forum
Generate ideas to support two-way communication

Full agenda (including connection info) https://www.franklinps.net/sites/g/files/vyhlif4431/f/agendas/community_relations_agenda_january_28_2021.docx.pdf

FPS: Community Relations SubCommittee Meeting - Jan 28, 2021

Tri-County RVTHS Athletics: Captain's Council

Tri-County PRIDE!

Shared from Twitter: https://twitter.com/TriRvths/status/1354132747527348230

Tri-County RVTHS Athletics: Captain's Council

Boston Globe: “The electoral system was the cause of the inequity”

"In Everett today, white, non-Hispanic residents make up less than 44 percent of the population, but they dominate city government. Seventy-five percent of the elected councilors and school committee members are white.

That’s no accident, critics say; it’s a natural outgrowth of the city’s electoral system.

Everett is one of several cities in Massachusetts where all local officials are elected at-large, and none by individual wards or districts. For years, civil rights specialists have called that a recipe for exclusion. White residents, even as a minority, often vote as a bloc and drown out the voices of Black and brown voters. Lawyers for Civil Rights, a nonprofit legal organization, recently put Everett councilors on notice that they’re vulnerable to a challenge under the Voting Rights Act.

“There’s no shot against anybody because they’re a white man or a white woman. We are violating the federal Voting Rights Act,” Everett City Councilor Gerly Adrien, the first Black woman to serve on the council, warned her colleagues at a December council meeting."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/01/26/metro/how-underrepresented-candidates-mass-communities-can-be-squelched-by-electoral-systems/

Editorial note: Voting for our Town Council or School Committee by precinct rather than "at-large" (as we do today) may be more of a consideration as our population grows. In the meantime, there are other practical ways to increase the diversity of candidates for our local government and ensure a fair and equitable voice "in the room where it happens." We do need to work at being a government "of the people, by the people, for the people."