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Boston's Morning Newsletter
Mass. lawmakers announce deal (but no details) on long-awaited economic development bill
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
You made it to Friday. We have more fallout from the 2024 election and updates on the incoming Trump administration below. But first, there’s a lot of local news to cover:
Finally, a deal: Lawmakers on Beacon Hill say they have a deal on the economic development bond bill that has been stalled since the summer — although there’s no details yet about what’s in it.
- What to watch for: The House and Senate had been hung up on exactly how much money to spend on incentives for the local biotech industry. The Senate also wanted to use the bill to pass a few policy changes, like raising the age people can be tried in juvenile court to 18, changing the zoning of a parcel of land in Everett so a soccer stadium can be built for the New England Revolution, and allowing cities and towns to bring back happy hour. But it’s TBD what, if any, of those survived negotiations.
- What’s next: State Sen. Barry Finegold and state Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, the two Democrats who negotiated the deal, say they’re aiming to vote on the bill next week. (That will likely require calling lawmakers back for a special formal session.)
- Meanwhile on Beacon Hill: Gov. Maura Healey is recommending six new potential pardons to the Governor’s Council.
Return of the teachers strike: School is canceled in two North Shore communities today. That’s because educator unions in Gloucester and Beverly voted yesterday to immediately go on strike. It’s the first teachers strike in Massachusetts since Newton teachers shut down schools for over two weeks this past winter.
- Zoom in: Teachers say they’re fighting for increased parental leave and higher pay, particularly for paraprofessionals. “We are really focused on our paraprofessionals earning a living wage,” Matthew Lewis, the vice president of the Union of Gloucester Educators, told WBUR’s Fausto Menard. He added that one paraprofessional “has been working for 24 years and only earns $25,000 a year.” Gloucester and Beverly school officials argue their municipal budgets can’t stomach the unions’ proposed contracts.
- Zoom out: Teachers strikes are illegal in Massachusetts, but have been happening with growing frequency over the last few years. The state’s top teachers union says the temporary disruption and fines are “worth it” to win wage increases and other lasting benefits.
- Meanwhile: High school students in nearby Marblehead staged a walkout Thursday to support teachers, as prolonged contract negotiations there raise concerns about a strike.
High and dry: Almost all of Massachusetts is now officially in a drought (and many areas are on high alert for wildfires), thanks to our near-rainless late-summer continuing into fall. As WBUR’s Miriam Wasser reports, the conditions in central and northeastern Massachusetts — including Boston — are now considered “critical” and residents are being asked to take extra steps to conserve water.
- What should you do? The state is asking people in those “critical” regions to “aggressively reduce indoor water” by taking shorter showers, running dishwashers/washing machines only on a full load, and fixing any toilet or faucet leaks immediately. That’s in addition to local restrictions on outdoor water use.
- The big picture: It’s not unusual for the Northeast to experience droughts, but Miriam reports that scientists say climate change is making them more acute and possibly more frequent.
Too early for Christmas music? The Snowport holiday market in Boston’s Seaport opens for its fourth annual season today. Located at 100 Seaport Boulevard, it’s open seven days a week through Dec. 29. (Click here for hours.)
- By the numbers: This year’s market features 120 small businesses — a fifth of which are new to the market. Organizers say 65% are from New England and 83% of the business owners identify as either Black, Indigenous, a person of color or female.
- In related news: The giant Norway spruce that will serve as this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree began the journey from its small western Massachusetts hometown to New York City yesterday. Check out photos from the tree-cutting ceremony.
P.S.— What issue did some Boston polling stations encounter on Election Day? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week’s stories.
