Senate President Karen Spilka on Friday described herself as a “huge proponent” of voter options like mail-in and early voting.
The House and Senate have each approved extensions of mail-in and early voting measures beyond June 30, but in different bills and for different time periods. While the Senate used a pandemic-policy extensions bill to propose keeping them through Dec. 15, the House added language to a supplemental spending bill that would make them permanent.
“Clearly, there are things that we still need to work out,” Spilka said in a GBH radio interview. “We want to hear from the public in terms of a permanent solution, but I’m hoping that that happens as well, for both state and municipal elections.”
After the COVID-19 state of emergency ended on June 15, the House and Senate reached agreement on extending some of the pandemic-related policy adaptations that were linked to the emergency declaration. Others, like the temporary extension of mail-in voting, several health care measures, and a House-backed cap on fees that delivery apps charge restaurants, remain before a conference committee led by Ways and Means Committee Chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues.
Asked about the delivery fee cap, Spilka said that one thing she struggles with is “we don’t cap anything in Massachusetts.”
“There are a lot of other things that we could cap —- cost of prescription drugs, for example, or other things, so for us to choose this one thing, you know, I just think we need to think about it,” she said.
Baker spurned again
A week after the Legislature rejected Gov. Charlie Baker’s plan to spend $2.8 billion in federal relief money on what he hoped would be slam-dunk priorities — housing, job training and parks — the governor tried again, this week pitching a plan to use $900 million from an expected surplus at the end of fiscal 2021 (which ends Wednesday) to cover a two-month sales tax holiday in August and September.
Why provide sales tax relief for two days (Aug. 14-15) when the state can afford sales tax relief for two months? Well, it turns out legislative Democrats could think of a few reasons.
“We did do the weekend already, and I think that’s sufficient,” said Spilka.
Baker pitched the tax relief as a thank you to consumers who found a way to keep working and spending during the pandemic. But Democrats like Rodrigues and Eric Lesser called it a “political gimmick” that would divert money that the state could otherwise spend on schools, roads and debt relief.
Of course, there is a touch of irony that the Legislature would criticize the governor for not proposing to spend the projected surplus on investments in education, housing and infrastructure just days after voting down his plan to spend billions on education, housing and infrastructure.
No mayoral mischief
Don’t ask Baker to wade into the Boston mayoral contest.
He’s not playing.
The nonpartisan race has a crowded field. Acting Mayor Kim Janey, state Rep. Jon Santiago, City Councilors Andrea Campbell, Annissa Essaibi George and Michelle Wu, and John Barros, the city’s former chief of economic development, are all vying to make it through the September preliminary election.
Baker on Thursday fielded a question on whether he plans to endorse anybody.
“As former local officials, we believe one of our fundamental responsibilities in the jobs we have is to help our local colleagues be successful,” the governor responded, referring to himself and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “And we had a very good relationship with former Mayor (Marty) Walsh and his team and we have a good working relationship with Mayor Janey and her team, and I sincerely doubt we’re going to do anything other than support whoever it is that wins the race in Boston, because we’re going to want to be their partner, too.”
Milford dog park
Milford moved forward slightly this week with its push toward a dog park.
The Select Board approved the formation of an ad hoc committee to look into making such a park a reality. A handful of residents pitched the idea at the beginning of the year, and created a Facebook group that proved residents are interested.
“We have the A-Team for this project,” resident Brendan Rickert said, “and with that comes great responsibility, and we look forward to delivering a great resource for the town.”
The committee includes Rickert, Lauren Wilton, Bryan Cole and Francoise Elise as resident members, as well as five town officials: Parks Department Director James Asam, Highway Surveyor Scott Crisafulli, Town Engineer Michael Dean, Public Health Director Jacquelyn Murphy and Animal Control Officer Keith Haynes.
Milford vaccination stats
Nearly half — 46% — of Milford’s 12- to 15-year-olds were vaccinated against COVID-19 as of last week, according to a notice from the Milford Board of Health, just six weeks after the appropriate vaccine became available.
In a notice sent out on June 18, the board reported fewer than five new COVID-19 cases per week for the last two weeks, and a 0.74 percent positive test rate.
Eighty-two percent — 20,653 — of Milford’s 25,257 residents older than 12, were at least partially vaccinated. The fully vaccinated population was about 70%, or 17,712 residents.
They said it …
“There’s no denying a philosophical conflict (with Mayor Yvonne Spicer) on many items objectively at this time. But it doesn’t carry over to important votes that impact people. (The vote on Monifa Charles to become Framingham’s next director of public health) was done to the best of (the councilors’) ability.” — Framingham City Council Chair George King, saying that the council’s vote to not approve Charles’ nomination was not politically motivated.
“From where I sit, where this was five years ago, and where we are tonight, it’s like day and night. Is it perfect? No. But I think honestly, the best that we can, we’re headed in the right direction.” — Michael Walsh, chair of the Milford Select Board, commenting on the progress town officials have made in addressing residents’ concerns with online retail giant Amazon’s operations in town.
Contributors to the Political Notebook this week include Deputy Director of Multimedia Dan O’Brien, multimedia journalist Alison Bosma and the State House News Service.
