“Glasnost on Beacon Hill,” Boston Globe
“For the first time in nearly two decades since the question of whether to allow unauthorized immigrants to apply for a driver’s license first came up on Beacon Hill, House Speaker Ron Mariano plans to — wait for it — bring the issue up for debate and a floor vote Wednesday, and force lawmakers to go on record for or against it. Shocking, indeed, given that one longstanding tradition on Beacon Hill is a tendency to hammer out policy behind closed doors and then hold pro forma, unanimous votes to approve it, something that makes it impossible to know what an individual legislator really said or did. Former speaker Robert DeLeo perfected the art form, making House votes about as suspenseful as Russian elections.”
“Privacy advocates speak out against proposal to expand state wiretapping law,” WGBH
“Opponents included Kade Crockford, speaking on behalf of the ACLU of Massachusetts, who said the measure could have “far-reaching negative effects and open up a Pandora’s box of potential unintended consequences, including political harassment and intimidation.””
“Protesters call for 5-year halt on prison construction in Massachusetts,” WGBH
“Over the last three years, there’s been a decrease in women incarcerated, which shows that we can really be a model and an example to what different looks like,” James said. “The prison and jail moratorium bill is just kind of us planting the seed to say that we don’t need — not just a women’s prison — but we don’t need any more prisons and jails, period, in Massachusetts.”
“Compassionate response to 911 calls with social workers makes sense,” CommonWealth
“Law enforcement officers have become the default first responders in situations involving those in crisis who do not have access to adequate mental and behavioral health care. These are often those suffering from addiction, mental illness, and a lack of housing. This police-as-default response mechanism disproportionally affects communities of color. These types of crises most often do not require a response by armed law enforcement officers and the presence of the police can in many situations exacerbate an already tenuous situation and actually cause harm to those needing help. “
“The Gig Economy Is Coming for Millions of American Jobs,” Bloomberg
“Our work is like everybody else’s work,” she said. “If we compromise employment rights, we’re going to have a whole lot of people, including ourselves, who are second-class.”
“Should there be a separate 911 system for mental health crises?,” WGBH News
“The ACES Act calls for something a little bit different,” said Rebekah Gewirtz, executive director at the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, which spearheaded the bill. “The community-based organizations and municipalities working closely together to create a program versus community-based organizations and police departments creating a program. So, it’s an important distinction.”
“For the surtax: Fair Share will fund education, transportation over the long-term,” Boston Business Journal
“Strong economic growth requires robust and accessible transportation and an educated, well trained workforce. Right now, Massachusetts’ transportation infrastructure is teetering and its education system is expensive and inequitable. The Fair Share Amendment, through a modest tax on those who can most afford it, will provide long-term funding to revitalize those essential building blocks of a prosperous Commonwealth.”
“Compassionate response to 911 calls with social workers makes sense,” CommonWealth
“Law enforcement officers have become the default first responders in situations involving those in crisis who do not have access to adequate mental and behavioral health care. These are often those suffering from addiction, mental illness, and a lack of housing. This police-as-default response mechanism disproportionally affects communities of color. These types of crises most often do not require a response by armed law enforcement officers and the presence of the police can in many situations exacerbate an already tenuous situation and actually cause harm to those needing help.”
“What’s better for T: No fares or low-income fare?,” CommonWealth
“Jim Aloisi, the former state transportation secretary and current TransitMatters board member, is a big fan of Wu’s embrace of doing away with fares on buses. He believes eliminating fares on the bus network would attract more passengers and allow them to board buses quickly, which will speed up service. Better service, in turn, will attract even more riders, he says.”
“Ending mask mandate won’t bring us back to normal,” CommonWealth
“These children understand what Gov. Charlie Baker and Massachusetts Education Commissioner Riley do not. Ending the mask mandate in schools on Monday will not bring us back to normal. Rather, it will lead to more preventable infections and outbreaks, at the expense of our society’s most vulnerable. As primary care physicians who care for children and adults, and a parent of two children under 3, we are appalled to see the Baker administration once again prematurely lift data-driven policies that are needed to keep our children and communities safe.”
