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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Mass. approves 4 ballot questions for the fall. But one faces a final challenge
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Happy 7-Eleven Day; here’s the store locator tool if you’re trying to cash in on that free Slurpee. (Listen, no one is judging what you need to get through another muggy, humid day.)
But first, let’s get to the news:
Ballot battles: Massachusetts will have at least four ballot questions this fall. But the fifth remains an open question. Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office announced yesterday the ballot campaign to raise the state’s tipped minimum wage is facing one last unexpected hurdle.
- What’s the issue? The Massachusetts Restaurant Association filed an objection challenging a number of signatures that the ballot campaign filed to qualify for the November ballot. Galvin’s office says it certified a total of 12,565 signatures for the campaign — only 136 more than the 12,429 minimum due last week. (A little too close for comfort!) If at least 137 signatures are successfully disqualified, the question would be blocked from the ballot.
- What’s wrong with the signatures? The MRA claims there are a number of different problems, including signatures signed by people who aren’t registered to vote or that were “fraudulently obtained.” Jessica Muradian, the MRA’s director of governmental affairs, told WBUR’s Zeninjor Enwemeka their “biggest objection is a lot of the signatures look like they’ve been signed by the same person.” (The MRA hasn’t said yet exactly how many signatures they’re challenging, but will need to specify which ones before a hearing this month.)
- The response? Organizers behind the ballot campaign say the MRA’s objection is simply another attempt to stop the public from voting on tipped wages. “It will go to the ballot and it’s going to pass … and that’s what they’re worried about,” Saru Jayaraman, the co-founder and president of One Fair Wage, told Zeninjor.
- What’s next: Galvin’s office says the State Ballot Law Commission will hold a hearing to consider the objections “on or after July 17.”
- What about the other four questions? They’re officially good to go. They include whether to eliminate the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement, whether to allow ride-hailing drivers to unionize, whether to decriminalize certain psychedelic drugs and whether the state auditor can audit the legislature.
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South of the border: Rhode Island officials say they’re likely going to file a lawsuit over the Washington Bridge debacle in Providence.
- What happened? The westbound side of the I-195 bridge was closed abruptly last December due to safety concerns, snarling traffic even in Massachusetts. Rhode Island officials previously said they hoped to rebuild the bridge and fully reopen it by 2026. However, after the state attracted zero bids for the project by a recent deadline, the timeline is looking as uncertain as ever.
- What would a lawsuit do? The Public’s Radio reports the lawsuit — which could come as soon as next month — would try to claw back taxpayer money from those involved in the bridge’s upkeep. (It would also delay the public release of fresh findings about how the bridge degraded.)
Boston police are investigating three dogs found dead inside an abandoned U-Haul truck Tuesday in Mattapan. According to the police report, a witness said the van had been parked in the same spot for days, if not over a week, amid the recent heat and humidity, and others mentioned seeing a person pouring water on a dog outside the van on Monday. No arrests have been made.
- PSA: It’s illegal in Massachusetts to keep an animal confined in a vehicle during extreme hot or cold conditions, because it’s super unsafe and inhumane for our furry friends. (And it doesn’t matter if you’ve cracked a window or have the AC going!) For more pet safety tips during this heat and humidity, read here.
Un, deux, trois: Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday aren’t the only Celtics players headed to the Olympics this month. Derrick White is now going to Paris, too. White was named to the U.S. men’s basketball team yesterday, replacing the injury-hampered Kawhi Leonard.
- Meanwhile, Celtics teammate and NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown does not seem pleased about his lack of invitation to the Olympic team.
- So far, so good: Team USA beat Canada in a warm-up exhibition game last night — with former President Obama in the crowd.
P.S.— With wedding season in full swing, we want to hear your funniest wedding stories — the ones that really take the cake. Fill out the form to share your stories of the moments that you can’t stop thinking (and laughing) about. We’ll aim to highlight the most quirky, one-of-a-kind memories in a future post or newsletter.
