Ambitious bill to reform child care, lower costs sails through Mass. Senate

GBH

Early education costs are high and getting higher. The Senate has taken note and just passed a bill to lower expenses for families. The bill expands access to childcare subsidies for lower-income families and caps fees for recipients at 7% of their income. It also makes permanent the pandemic-era “C3” grants, which provide monthly payments to many of the state’s early ed providers. Hats off to the Senate President, Sen. Rodrigues, and Sen. Lewis for making this a priority.

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These energy suppliers say they can save you money. Regulators say it’s a scam.

Boston Globe

Data collected by the Massachusetts attorney general’s office shows that between 2015 and 2021, residents who signed up for competitive electric supply plans paid $525 million more than if they had continued buying electricity from their utility. Low-income residents were nearly twice as likely to be enrolled with competitive electric suppliers, and they consistently lost the most money. 

“This has been a 25-year experiment. It’s fair now to conclude on the basis of the evidence that [the market has] failed to produce value for large numbers of consumers,” said Senator Michael Barrett, the Democratic lawmaker who will help lead negotiations on a climate bill later this year. “At some point, you have to throw in the towel.” 

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Honoring a Lexington leader

Hank Manz was a pillar of the Lexington community. He spent his life in service to others as a Scoutmaster, a youth hockey commissioner, and a leader in local government. It was a pleasure to welcome the Manz family to the State House, where Governor Healey signed a bill naming a local bridge in Hank’s honor. The bridge is on Route 2A spanning I-95 in Lexington.

Senator Barrett with the family of Hank Manz
Governor Healey signs a bill to name a local bridge in Hank Manz' honor

Fighting for greater accessibility

Sen. Jo Comerford has been notching legislative wins for people with disabilities. I had the pleasure of introducing her at an event at which she was named a Legislator of the Year by the Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council and the Arc of Massachusetts. The event featured a live transcript — crucial for those with hearing loss — which you can see on either side of me. I have a bill that would require closed captioning on TVs in public areas to be turned on when requested. Just one example of the work we have ahead of us.

Senator Barrett speaking at the Arc of MA / MDDC legislative reception
Senator Barrett and Maura Sullivan from the Arc of Massachusetts
Senator Barrett speaking at the Arc of MA / MDDC legislative reception

Their disabled loved ones languished in state institutions. Now, they want the records.

GBH

Sen. Michael Barrett, a Lexington Democrat, told GBH News he sponsored the legislation — which would open Massachusetts’s state records after they have aged 75 years — in part because he worked at the Fernald School as part of a “buddy” program for disabled children decades ago when he studied at Harvard College. Barrett says he mentored a blind child who was housed in a ward with people who had “cognitive difficulties.”

“Did he belong there? We’ll never know until researchers can excavate the histories of the folks who were there and begin to determine why they were sent there and why they, in many cases, never found their way back into the community at all,” he said.

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Mass. Clean Energy Center completes $30 million deal for Salem port land to help build wind farms

Boston Globe

Offshore wind is coming through, delivering onshore jobs and clean power, despite topsy-turvy business conditions in the short term. Smart to stay the course and stick to the plan.

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I.R.S. to Crack Down on Corporate Jet Users Who Abuse Tax Code

New York Times

Developers of hangars out at Hanscom for super-polluting private jets for the super-rich, the IRS is dinging your business model. Massport, please get your head out of the bucket of money it’s buried in, and realize you’re morally tainted:

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Weston student wins major STEM award

Johan Coisman of Weston was just named a National STEM Challenge Champion. The 12-year-old was recognized for his research on fighting climate change. His winning idea centers on the concept of making clouds more reflective by changing the size and salinity of water droplets. If you’ve tuned into CBS News recently, you may have seen him demonstrate his project. Congrats Johan!

Local students and National Stem champs show off award-winning experiment

Massachusetts should ban third-party electric suppliers

Boston Globe

Customers typically have three options: stay on their utility’s basic service plan; opt into a municipal aggregation program if their town buys energy for its residents in bulk; or buy from third-party energy suppliers. One problem: Customers who sign up for third-party suppliers routinely get a bad deal. An Attorney General report found that from 2015-2021, third-party retailers overcharged customers by $525 million. Smart commentary by Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu:

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