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By Eric Convey, Keith Regan & Sam Drysdale
With bills passed on wage equity and menstrual product access, here's why representation matters
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To quote a senator: the Senate unanimously passed the "first substantive bills besides budgets we've done this year" over the past week.
(Breezing past the obvious point here that it took almost 11 months to get things moving on the third floor) — the argument Sen. Pat Jehlen made at a press conference following the Senate session was an interesting one.
"I think it makes a difference, representation makes a difference... Because last week was pay equity and this week it was menstrual access," Jehlen said.
The two priority policy bills that have so far managed to make their way to the Senate floor for a vote were championed by the Women's Caucus and, critically, by Senate President Karen Spilka.
The Senate unanimously approved two health care access measures on Thursday, one which would require public buildings such as schools, correctional facilities and temporary housing to make tampons and pads accessible at no cost to those who need them.
And last week, the upper chamber quickly passed a bill aimed at closing gender and demographic wage gaps. Jehlen thanked Spilka for prioritizing these issues that primarily affect women and LGBTQ+ folks, again pointing to the power of having a woman leading the chamber.
So does having a woman at the helm affect what legislation takes priority?
The last time the Senate had a man in the top job, Sen. Stan Rosenberg, the first stand-alone, "substantive" bill that body passed was legislation to create an early retirement incentive program.
Under the last male Senate president before that, Sen. Robert Travaglini ushered through a bill to provide municipalities with tax relief as the chamber's first major legislation of the 2003-2004 session.
At that time women made up about a quarter of the Legislature. Today they represent close to a third.
"Let's get that number over 50 percent. I want to serve in a matriarchy, and let me tell you, it works pretty darn well," Sen. Julian Cyr said at Thursday's press conference. "I have the honor of serving with Sen. Jehlen and the Senate president and scores of brilliant women — and a few good men." —S.D.
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9:30 | Gov. Healey attends a Ladies Professional Golf Association launch event and speaks on a panel about the the growth of women's sports. 521 Overlook, Fenway Park, 14 Lansdowne St.
10:00 | The MassCyberCenter hosts the 7th annual Massachusetts Cybersecurity Forum which will feature a keynote from John Petrozzelli, Director of the MassCyberCenter at the MassTech Collaborative and Matthew Giacobbi, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, Cyber & Counterintelligence at the FBI. State House, The Great Hall
10:30 | Congressman Bill Keating convenes conversation about the substance addiction crisis impacting the state and the nation. Dr. Nora Volkow, M.D., director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the National Institutes of Health, will provide a keynote address. The Marketplace at UMass Dartmouth
12:00 | Massachusetts House Asian Caucus and APIs CAN! Coalition host an event celebrating a policy within the fiscal 2024 budget to bolster the collection of racial and ethnic data. Rep. Chan and Sen. Eldridge are slated to attend. Studio A, South Shore YMCA, 79 Coddington St., Quincy
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Mass. aiding in Maine shooting response
Victims of the mass shooting in Maine that claimed 18 lives and wounded 13 Wednesday night are being treated in Massachusetts, and the state is ready to send aid to its neighbor if needed, Gov. Maura Healey’s office said Thursday. Healey emphasized that the shooting suspect, 40-year-old Robert Card, had no ties to the state. All U.S. and Massachusetts state flags will be flown at half-mast through Monday. — State House News Service
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Cities and towns showing no rush to comply with new housing law
Massachusetts cities and towns that have until Dec. 31 to change zoning regulations so developers may build multi-family housing near MBTA stations without special approval have yet to comply, the Boston Business Journal reports. The new state rules, which could result in lost state aid or lawsuits from the attorney general for offending communities, apply for what the state calls “MBTA communities,” with the exception of Boston, which is exempted.
— Boston Business Journal
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Police to move on Mass and Cass beginning Nov. 1
The tent city, drug market and overall legal free-for-all often referred as Mass. and Cass., named for the Boston intersection where the encampment has ballooned this year, will be removed beginning Nov. 1, city officials said. Meanwhile, Boston’s top cop warned potential new arrivals against showing up before the dismantling begins. "We're going to have a heavy police presence throughout the area. And you know, with an increased police presence, I can promise you there'll probably be an increased enforcement presence in the area," Commissioner Michael Cox said.
— State House News Service
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On Beacon Hill, a feast and a (true) fish story
Representatives of the fishing island lobstering industries took to the State House, bringing generous services of treats including clam chowder and lobster macaroni-and-cheese. They also brought stories of the challenges facing their industries and the ways lawmakers and regulators can help, and can hurt. Edward Barrett, who runs an umbrella group for fishing organizations, told lawmakers the reason for the annual event was “so that when a piece of legislation crosses your desk that touches on the fishing community or the ocean, you think back to today and the fishermen that you met, and you contact them to talk about how the bill would affect them in their communities and businesses.’’
The fishermen’s plight can be summed up with a bumper sticker that can be spotted around Gloucester: “Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he starves.”
— State House News Service
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56 protestors arrested at UMass after sit-in protest
Fifty-six UMass Amherst students and one school employee were arrested for criminal trespassing Wednesday afternoon during a sit-in protest calling on the university to condemn Israeli attacks on Gaza and to cut ties with Raytheon and other weapons manufacturers. The protest took place in the Whitmore Administration Building outside University Chancellor Javier Reyes’ office. Arrests began after 6 p.m. when the building closed and protestors refused to leave. — MassLive
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Bankruptcies rise in Massachusetts and nationally
The number of bankruptcy cases filed in Massachusetts for the 12 months that ended Sept. 30, 2023, was up 7.8 percent from the prior year, according to federal data. The state’s total for the more-recent year was 3,965 cases. Nationally, filings also were up. A nearby exception was Rhode Island, where cases were down 2 percent over the same period.
— Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly
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Lawrence rallies against gun shop proposal
Despite already gaining approval from the city’s Zoning Board of Appeals, Lawrence residents, teachers, and parents are pushing back against a proposed gun shop that would be located near three schools. Lawrence Mayor Brian DePena called for a pause on the permitting process for the shop to allow for more study of the proposal. The Eagle-Tribune quoted DePena as saying, “I do not agree with having any business in the city that could negatively impact the quality of life or safety of its residents.” —The Eagle-Tribune
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At Brandeis, student senate votes against resolution condemning Hamas
"Six members of the university’s Student Union Senate voted in favor of the resolution, while 10 voted against and five abstained, according to a representative who was present at the vote," reports the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. "It’s frustrating to see my university that was founded in these values and was founded in the values of the American Jewish community be ignoring those struggles,” said one student,. — Jewish Telegraphic Agency
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Bay State weed companies sue to challenge federal enforcement
A trio of Massachusetts cannabis businesses have lawyered up big time and want the courts to prohibit the enforcement of federal drug laws against pot sellers in states where the trade is legal and regulated. The businesses have hired David Boies, a veteran of multiple Supreme Court cases, and say long-outdated federal laws are still keeping them–and their employees–locked out of some parts of the economy. —MassLive
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Printing bill from 2015 animates Fall River mayoral race
A local businessman claims Fall River mayoral candidate Sam Sutter still has an unpaid bill from his failed 2015 campaign, but Sutter says the assertion has its roots in the campaign of incumbent Mayor Paul Coogan. Jo C. Goode of the Herald-News digs into the history of the dispute and how it has resurfaced in debates eight years later. — Herald News
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Weekend political talkshows
Keller@Large, Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller's guest is Brian Kane, executive director of the MBTA Advisory Board, who will discuss recent revelations about problems with the Green Line extension, declining T ridership, and the system's current and future financial problems.
On The Record, Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is the guest — Mass and Cass will be the primary topic.Ed Harding and Sharman Sacchetti host. Democratic Political Analyst Mary Anne Marsh and Republican Political Analyst Rob Gray join the roundtable discussion.
@Issue, Sunday, 11:30 NBC10 Boston. Congressman Seth Moulton discusses gun control, the election of House Speaker Mike Johnson and the funding of the wars in Ukraine & Israel.Plus, Rebecca Tepper, secretary of energy and environmental affairs. Hosts: Cory Smith and Sue O'Connell.
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