An overheated insulator caused a fire near Orange Line tracks on Wednesday that sent smoke spewing through a station and triggered substantial delays, MBTA officials said.
TOWN OF FRANKLIN
Weds. July 5
Friends of Franklin Library Meeting
7:00pm
STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND
The sense on Beacon Hill is that a late annual budget accord will be struck sometime in July, but it’s not clear if legislative leaders share a desire to wrap the bill up and call their colleagues in to vote on it during a holiday-shortened week. House Democrats advised representatives to keep Thursday and Friday open for potential formal sessions, without confirming any agenda, while their counterparts in the Senate laid out plans for another breezy week of two lightly attended informal sessions that by definition cannot feature the roll call votes needed to accept a final budget deal. Democrats who wield supermajority margins in both branches have made late budgets the norm and seem totally unphased about the uncertainty faced by the many budget stakeholders due to the lack of timely budget choices. At the six-month mark of the new session, Gov. Maura Healey and the Legislature have almost nothing to show for their work in terms of new laws. An annual road and bridge funding bill that could have been wrapped up months ago remains unresolved, as well as tax relief proposals that significantly overlap with proposals the branches passed last session and then let die in conference committee. Speaker Ron Mariano has yet to deliver on his early-session promise to push a long-term care bill to the floor for debate, while Senate President Karen Spilka has yet to bring forward another pass at prescription drug pricing reform or expanded child care subsidies. And the Democrats who run joint legislative committees, if they are not engaged in power struggles with one another, are slow-walking their workload, stretching out their hearings in a manner that means many bills may still have months to wait before receiving the initial public hearing where views are exchanged and lawmakers begin to determine which bills should move forward.
Sumner Tunnel Closure Begins Wednesday
Massive travel disruptions to the Boston area begin Wednesday with the start of an eight-week continuous closure of the Sumner Tunnel, which opened in 1934 and will undergo an overhaul this summer. The state’s transportation leaders have not minced words in the buildup, cautioning that virtually all commuters — and not just those who make regular use of the tunnel that turns 89 years old today — will face impacts. Although officials say July and August are typically the time of year with the lowest traffic volume, headaches are on the horizon in a region already notorious for congested highways and unreliable public transit. To encourage people to “Ditch the Drive,” the MBTA will eliminate fares on all Blue Line trains for the duration of the shutdown, reduce fares on some commuter rail trains and run additional ferry options. The closure that runs from July 5 to Aug. 31 will put more pressure on the T, whose leaders have softened some of the worst slow zones in recent weeks but still have not laid out a timeline for restoring the entire system to full-speed operations or reversing weekday heavy rail service cuts that are more than a year old. Some community groups and first responders are concerned the closure could delay emergency response times, and officials plan to roll out extra ambulances and shifts to mitigate that possibility. The tunnel is one of four ways into downtown Boston and processes over 39,000 vehicles per day and is the main connection for East Boston, Logan Airport, and a main entry point for the North Shore.
Immigrants Get Driver’s License Eligibility
The week ahead will be the first in which undocumented immigrants who live in Massachusetts can apply for standard driver’s licenses, presenting a major administrative test for the Registry of Motor Vehicles. Opponents argued last year, when voters defeated a campaign to spike the law, that the RMV would not be able to handle the added pressures of processing foreign documents required for motorists who do not have legal immigration status in the United States. In the buildup to the July 1 implementation date, the RMV has been staffing up and translating application materials and permits, while Attorney General Andrea Campbell and immigrant rights groups have warned new applicants to be cautious about potential scams. “Roads in Massachusetts are about to get a lot safer,” Elizabeth Sweet, executive director of the Mass. Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, said on the eve of the new law’s start. “Allowing individuals regardless of immigration status to apply for driver’s licenses will ensure that all drivers meet the same insurance requirements, take the same road test, and possess the same credentials. It’s expected hit-and-run cases will decrease across the Commonwealth, giving all drivers — whether they are traveling to work or school, or the grocery store — the chance to breathe a little easier.”
Sunday, July 2, 2023
DiZOGLIO ON 4: Auditor DiZoglio talks with Jon Keller about her attempt to audit the Legislature, proposed cuts to her budget, and her office’s recent audit that concluded MassHealth paid more than $84 million related to care for residents who were living in other states. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV Ch. 4)
FINEGOLD ON 5: Sen. Finegold is the guest on “On The Record.” The Andover Democrat co-chairs the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee. (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB-TV Ch. 5)
DRISCOLL ON NBC10: Lt. Gov. Driscoll discusses the state’s housing affordability crisis on the “@Issue” Sunday morning politics show, which started on NECN earlier this year but is now moving to NBC10 Boston/WBTS. It’s hosted by NBC10 Boston anchor Cory Smith and political analyst Sue O’Connell. (Sunday, 11:30 a.m., NBC10 Boston)
QUINCY PATRIOTIC FESTIVAL: Quincy Mayor Koch hosts patriotic celebration in the City of Presidents featuring the U.S. Navy Band Northeast. Performance features “surprise musical guests.” Festival also includes a “professional patriotic aerialist,” games including tug-of-war, potato sack races, and watermelon eating contests, and painting demonstrations from the Quincy Art Association. (Sunday, 4 p.m., Hancock Adams Common, 1305 Hancock St., Quincy)
Monday, July 3, 2023
HOUSE AND SENATE: House and Senate hold informal sessions, their first sessions of the new fiscal year and in the absence of a finished fiscal 2024 budget bill. (Monday, 11 a.m., House and Senate chambers | House Livestream | Senate Livestream)
NEW CITIZENS CEREMONY: A ceremony is held to welcome 264 new U.S. citizens as part of the annual Independence Day celebration. The individuals come from 59 countries, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Iran, Ireland, Mexico, Russian, Ukraine and Vietnam, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts . (Monday, 1:30 p.m., Faneuil Hall, 1 South Market St. Boston)
Tuesday, July 4, 2023
FALL RIVER FIREWORKS: Fireworks light up the sky above the Taunton River at 9 p.m. for Fall River’s Fourth of July celebration. Event at Fall River Heritage State Park starts at 4 p.m. and features music and food trucks before the display. No bags, backpacks, or coolers. Rain date July 5. (Tuesday, 4 p.m., Waterfront at Fall River Heritage State Park, 100 Davol St., Fall River)
BOSTON FIREWORKS: The Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular marks its 49th year. The Oval at the Hatch Shell opens at 12 p.m. No backpacks or shopping bags are allowed to be brought onto the Esplanade, organizers say. The event is free, with admittance first-come, first-serve. The concert is slated for 8-10:30 p.m., followed by fireworks from 10:30-11 p.m. MBTA service is free after 9:30 p.m. (Tuesday, 8 p.m., DCR Hatch Shell, Charles River Esplanade, Boston | More Info)
Wednesday, July 5, 2023
SUMNER SHUTDOWN BEGINS: Wednesday marks the first day of an eight-week nonstop Sumner Tunnel closure. The east-to-west tunnel connecting East Boston with the downtown area, which opened to motorists in 1934, will receive major repairs including a replacement of its ceiling and overhead arch. State transportation officials expect major impacts on roadway travelers in all directions and urge motorists to avoid driving for the duration of the project, which runs through Aug. 31. The tunnel will be closed for another eight-week period in the summer of 2024. (Wednesday, Travel Mitigation Options)
DRISCOLL RETURNS TO MASS.: Lt. Gov. Driscoll expects to return to Massachusetts Wednesday after a five-day personal trip to Virginia, according to her office. (Wednesday)
Thursday, July 6, 2023
PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE: Public Health Committee holds a hybrid hearing on 54 bills dealing with health care facilities, workforce development, health information technology and tobacco. A Sen. Lewis bill (S 1397) would require all tobacco sales to take place in adult-only retail tobacco stores or smoking bars, and a Rep. Livingstone bill (H 2230) would prohibit smoking in multi-unit buildings. Sen. Fattman took aim at walking back existing law with a bill (S 1364) that would repeal the ban on menthol products, which Beacon Hill implemented in 2019 as part of a broader prohibition on flavored tobacco. One proposal (S 1377) from Sen. Friedman, who co-chairs the Health Care Financing Committee, would instruct the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to conduct an in-depth analysis about health care workforce challenges, spending on traveling or contracted workers, and whether pandemic-era licensing and staffing flexibilities would help address workforce issues. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Room A-2 | Agenda and Livestream)
SENATE: Senate plans to hold an informal session, according to President Spilka’s office. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)
HEALTH REFERRALS WEBINAR: Massachusetts Health and Hospital Association holds a webinar focused on how hospitals can increase acceptance rates for patients discharged with home health services, as well as how to maximize the efficiency and timeliness of discharges. (Thursday, 12 p.m., Registration)
PARK CITY WIND OPEN HOUSE: Offshore wind developer Avangrid hosts a hybrid open house event to discuss its work in Barnstable on the Park City Wind project, which it says will deliver 800 megawatts of energy to Connecticut. (Thursday, 5 p.m., Centerville Public Library, 585 Main St., Barnstable | Zoom)
POTENTIAL HOUSE FORMAL: Speaker Mariano’s office has advised representatives to keep Thursday open for a “potential” formal session. (Thursday)
VENEZUELA FLAG-RAISING: The Boston City Council has recognized the 213th anniversary of the independence of Venezuela and plans to raise the flag of Venezuela on City Hall Plaza. The Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela declared its independence on July 5, 1811, according to the city, and Venezuela Day “celebrates the bravery and resilience of the Venezuelan people in their fight for freedom and their commitment to democratic values and principles.” (Thursday)
Friday, July 7, 2023
POTENTIAL HOUSE FORMAL: Speaker Mariano’s office has advised representatives to keep Friday open for a “potential” formal session. (Friday)
Saturday, July 8, 2023
SUMMER CLASSICAL CONCERT: Apollo Ensemble of Boston, a 60-member chamber orchestra, performs a free classical concert at Great Brook Farm State Park cosponsored by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Attendees are advised to bring their own chairs. Rain date July 9. (Saturday, July 8, 1 p.m., Interpretive Center Pavilion, 165 North Rd., Carlisle)
