ReportWire

Tag: job market

  • Ride-hailing fight returns to Beacon Hill

    Ride-hailing fight returns to Beacon Hill

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    BOSTON — The battle over unionizing Uber and Lyft drivers returns Tuesday to Beacon Hill with a legislative committee set to take up several proposed ballot questions.

    A special legislative committee is scheduled to hear testimony on the proposals that reshape the employment status of ride-hailing drivers in Massachusetts during a hearing at the Statehouse, where supporters and opponents will make their cases to lawmakers to put the questions on the November ballot.

    Several proposed ballot questions, filed in August by Flexibility and Benefits for Massachusetts Drivers 2024, a group whose contributors include Uber, Lyft and DoorDash, would ask voters to allow the companies to classify drivers as independent contractors rather than employees who are entitled to benefits.

    The ride-hailing companies argue that their drivers prefer the flexibility of working as independent contractors, not employees. They cite surveys of drivers saying they prefer the flexibility of contractual work.

    The plan, if approved, would set an earnings floor equal to 120% of the state’s minimum wage for the drivers — $18 an hour in 2023 before tips. Drivers would be eligible for health care stipends, injury insurance and paid sick time, the companies say.

    But labor unions argue that the ballot question is a veiled attempt by the companies to skirt state taxes, labor laws, better wages and benefits.

    Meanwhile, another referendum — which is also inching toward the November ballot — would authorize ride-hailing drivers to unionize, which supporters say will allow them to bargain collectively for better wages and benefits from the companies.

    Gov. Maura Healey hasn’t said what she would do with the bills if any reach her desk for consideration. As attorney general, Healey filed a lawsuit in 2021 asking a judge to recognize ride-hailing drivers as employees under the state’s wage and hour laws.

    The proposals face legal challenges that are being considered by the state Supreme Judicial Court. Labor unions have sued to block the industry-backed referendum, while the conservative pro-business group Fiscal Alliance has sued to block the unionization ballot question.

    This isn’t the first time the state’s highest court has considered legal challenges over the state’s employment rights for ride-hailing drivers.

    In 2022, a coalition backed by California-based tech giants Uber, Lyft and DoorDash filed a similar proposal for the November ballot asking voters to decide whether drivers for ride-hailing services such as Uber and Lyft should continue to be classified as independent contractors.

    But the SJC rejected the move, siding with opponents of the proposal. They filed a lawsuit arguing that it would violate a requirement in the state Constitution that initiative petitions must contain only “related or mutually dependent” subjects.

    Massachusetts has seen the number of ride-hailing trips soar from 39.7 million in 2021 to 60.6 million in 2022 — a more than 52% increase, according to state data.

    There are more than 200,000 approved ride-hailing drivers in the state but it’s not clear if all of those authorized to drive are on the roadways.

    The ride-hailing proposal is one of 10 proposed referenda inching toward the November ballot, a record number that includes competing versions of the same questions.

    Under the state constitution, the Legislature is required to consider the initiative petitions before backers of the referendums must conduct another round of signature gathering. Lawmakers have until April 30 to vote on the proposals.

    Other ballot questions would ask voters to authorize an audit of the state Legislature; update the state’s voter laws to require photo IDs to cast ballots in elections; and legalize psychedelic mushrooms for adults 21 and older for “therapeutic” purposes.

    If lawmakers don’t take up the measures, backers of the referendums must gather another 12,429 signatures by a July 3 deadline to make the ballot.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Healey unveils new workforce agenda

    Healey unveils new workforce agenda

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    BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey is renewing a push to ease the state’s post-pandemic workforce crunch with a new plan to attract and retain workers for health care, education and other key industries struggling to fill vacancies.

    On Monday, Healey unveiled a new five-year workforce development plan – which her administration has submitted to the U.S. Department of Labor and Department of Education for approval – that will serve as a “roadmap” for boosting the beleaguered workforce and improving the state’s economy.

    “Our goal is to have the most competitive economy in the world – one that solves the world’s greatest challenges and problems while providing opportunities for all of our residents,” Healey said in remarks Monday. “We must also set the goal of having the best workforce. We have the people, the leaders and the talent.”

    To do that, Healey said the plan focuses on tapping the state’s “under-served” workforce, including low-skilled workers, minorities and new immigrants with work authorization, with expanded recruitment, training and retention programs.

    “By helping them, we can also meet the needs of employers large and small in industries statewide,” she said. “And in everything we do, we’re going to measure the results – to make sure this work has a real impact in our state.”

    A key plank of the plan calls for a new “stipend initiative” for low-income workers to “incentivize enrollment, completion and employment and reduce barriers to training and employment.” It wasn’t clear how much the plan would cost.

    Lauren Jones, the state’s  labor and workforce development secretary, said the plan includes strategies to close the skills gap “and bring discouraged and disconnected people far too often left on the sidelines back into the labor market to build a robust talent pool for employers.”

    A recent survey of private employers by the National Federation of Independent Businesses found that 37% of small-business owners in Massachusetts had job openings they could not fill in February, while 35% have raised pay to lure workers back into the labor force and fill open positions.

    Business leaders say the reasons behind the worker shortage are complicated, but it has long-term implications in hard-hit industries such as health care and early education.

    Many suggest the dynamic is more of a churn in the labor force as the pool of available workers looks for advancement and higher-paying jobs.

    Some workers are permanently leaving the labor force, and others are moving between positions to receive better pay, benefits and other hiring perks.

    For employers, the hiring crunch means having to provide more incentives such as signing bonuses and competitive pay to attract new candidates.

    In Massachusetts, the rising wages come as Beacon Hill lawmakers weigh a controversial proposal to increase the state’s minimum wage from $15 to $20 per hour, which business leaders strongly oppose.

    Massachusetts has one of the highest state minimum wages in the nation, which rose to $15 per hour in January under a 2018 “grand bargain” agreement between lawmakers, worker advocates and the business community. The wage has increased nearly every year since 2014, when it was $8 an hour.

    Backers of higher wages say workers are still struggling to make ends meet in Massachusetts, where the overall cost of living remains higher than many other states in the Northeast.

    But the state’s business community says additional wage increases will put the squeeze on employers, prompting belt-tightening, layoffs and ultimately higher prices for consumers.

    A recent NFIB report estimated that raising the state’s wage floor to $20 per hour would cost 23,000 jobs – or 0.5% of the state’s employment base – many of them among small businesses.

    “Labor, health care, and energy costs all continue to rise for small businesses, so lawmakers on Beacon Hill must do no harm and not exacerbate the state’s affordability problem by making it even more expensive to operate a Main Street business,” said Chris Carlozzi, NFIB’s Massachusetts state director.

    “Unfortunately, Massachusetts lawmakers continue to offer proposals that would raise costs for small businesses and working families and impose burdensome mandates.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Draw of the Irish: Salem AOH hosts Mickey Ward for St. Patrick’s Day

    Draw of the Irish: Salem AOH hosts Mickey Ward for St. Patrick’s Day

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    SALEM — “Irish” Mickey Ward can knock you out in many ways. Just ask the Hibernians who were served by him Sunday afternoon, St. Patrick’s Day.

    “Today’s a special day. Not only do we have Mickey Ward upstairs signing autographs, but he’s down here tending the bar,” announced Tom Smith of the band “Rainbows End,” as his son Tom Smith Jr. sat at his drum set.

    “Ask him for something,” junior said. “It’s another way he’ll knock you out.”

    Ward was in Salem, specifically at the Ancient Order of Hibernians on Boston Street, as the century-old fixture hosted the Irish community yesterday for “our biggest day of the year,” AOH President Charlie Sinclair said.

    But this year, the celebration came with an upgrade: a man whose nickname is literally “Irish.”

    “It means a lot (to host Mickey), to promote our Irish heritage,” Sinclair said. “That’s the key to the whole thing — promoting the Irish heritage and keeping the Irish out there.”

    The North Shore was done up for the holiday in typical fashion, with Irish pubs and bars decked out in green, white and orange, table spreads dominated by corned beef and cabbage, and Irish North Shore residents eager to partake.

    Ward held a signing session in the Order’s Larry Slaven Hall for two hours as patrons funneled in for autographs and, later, for the atmosphere downstairs. By 3 p.m., corned beef and sides were flowing as idle chatter highlighted the impact of Ward’s presence Sunday.

    Among them was “Philly Mike” Hutson, a Wilmington, North Carolina native, was in Salem as part of the Merchant Marines, which had just docked off of Blaney Street when he caught a rideshare to hit the AOH.

    “I travel all over the world, and it just so happened that we docked at 1 o’clock at night,” Hutson said. “It’s a big deal for me. … He’s a legend. He’s a solid cat as far as I’m concerned.”

    Stuart G. McMahon, a program coordinator for Sport Management at Salem State University, brought his 15-year-old twins Drew and Ian — both athletes of their own — to meet a champion.

    “I was a world-class gymnast, so I know what it means to meet world-class athletes,” McMahon said. “I wanted them to meet a world champion, to inspire them — especially on St. Patrick’s Day. … They’re first-generation American, going all the way back to Ireland.”

    Tony Amenta, a Beverly resident and AOH member, recalled being a caddy master at Salem Country Club and meeting Ray Bourque, Dwight Evans, and others.

    “To meet him is a real honor to me,” Amenta said. “They’re regular people who do regular things, but they did extraordinary things in their careers. To shake their hands and stuff… that, to me, is an awful pleasure.”

    Many getting autographs paid for multiple and secured them as gifts for others. That includes Tim Lane, a Peabody resident who said Ward “represents quite a few of us.”

    “I had a friend I haven’t seen in a few years. We used to talk about fighting, boxing all the time, and I wanted to get him an autograph,” Lane said. “Mickey Ward represents all of us.”

    For his part, Ward said working on a holiday “feels good,” to the end that he didn’t think of it as work.

    “It feels good, especially on St. Paddy’s Day, being Irish,” Ward said, with Darren “The Chelsea Chop” McDonald by his side. “I don’t look at it like that (working). It’s something I like to do, give back to different communities or whatever it may be. I don’t care where it is as long as they give back to the kids.”

    Contact Dustin Luca at 978-338-2523 or DLuca@salemnews.com. Follow him at facebook.com/dustinluca or on Twitter @DustinLucaSN.

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    By Dustin Luca | Staff Writer

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  • Senate approves bill to expand early education

    Senate approves bill to expand early education

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    BOSTON — The state Senate has approved a plan aimed at expanding access to child care and early education for parents while attracting and retaining new workers to ease persistent labor shortages in the industry.

    The measure, which was unanimously approved on Thursday, calls for boosting financial assistance for families seeking child care, establishing new funding for child care providers and higher pay and benefits for early educators.

    Backers of the plan said the changes are needed to help lower the cost of child care and early education programs with parents paying as much as 20% to 40% of their household incomes on child care, often making it their second-highest expense after housing costs.

    “Besides the high costs, families also face other barriers including a lack of available slots at their preferred providers, the hours of available care, transportation challenges and more,” Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, a primary sponsor of the bill, said in remarks on Thursday. “All this hurts families’ economic well-being.”

    It’s not clear how much the changes, if implemented, would cost and the bill doesn’t include additional funds.

    Senate leaders note that $1.5 billion is already earmarked for early education and care in the current state budget, but that new funding will be dependent on future budgets.

    Lewis said the “substantial” price tag for the plan is “justified” given the money that many families, businesses and the state are losing as a result of the spiraling early education costs.

    “The status quo is already costing us a lot of money,” he said. “We have already demonstrated that we can indeed prioritize investments in early education and child care and follow through on those commitments.”

    Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, said it’s critical that the state take steps to improve the affordability of early education and child care in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the rising cost of early education has major implications for the state’s post-pandemic economy.

    “It is an essential part of the fabric of our state,” Tarr said in remarks. “If we do not act, it will continue to be in serious jeopardy. We cannot allow that to happen.”

    A key plank of the proposal calls for expanding eligibility for subsidized child care by raising the income level to qualify for state-backed programs.

    The current threshold is 50% of state median income for a family of four — which is about $73,000. The plan calls for “gradually” increasing that level to 85% of state median income, or $124,000 for a four-member family.

    “That means we will be opening up access to assistance to not just low-income families, but middle income families,” Lewis said in remarks.

    It would also make state funding for the Commonwealth Cares for Children program, which has provided grants to nearly 7,500 child care providers since 2021, a permanent line item in the annual state budget. Other policy changes include setting new patient-staff ratios.

    During Thursday’s debate, Tarr sought to add safeguards on spending to the bill after raising concerns about the costs and how the state will pay for it going forward.

    “Lest we make a promise that can’t be fulfilled,” Tarr said. “My concern is that making sure that … we can say with confidence that the initiatives that are proposed here are things we can afford and sustain.”

    Many child care centers are financially strained and advocates say low compensation and the rising costs of caring for children are putting some providers out of business.

    Meanwhile, care providers are struggling to retain workers in an industry where the pay is traditionally low and the risk of getting sick is now elevated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say.

    The average cost of child care is more than $20,000 a year in Massachusetts, the most expensive state in the nation, only behind Washington, D.C., and well above the national average of $15,888, according to a recent report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

    Working families are losing an estimated $1.7 billion a year in wages from not being able to show up for work because they can’t find or afford child care services, the report noted.

    Meanwhile, employers are losing an estimated $812 million a year in productivity and worker turnover because of the shortage of child care options, according to the report, while the state government is missing out on $188 million a year in tax revenue.

    Compounding the lack of options are changes in the workforce and other factors that have seen fewer people looking to work in the child care industry.

    Gov. Maura Healey has made expanding child care options for parents a key plank of her agenda in her first term, tying the issue to a broader effort to make the state more affordable.

    Earlier this year, the state Board of Early Education and Care recently approved a plan to tap into $65 million from this year’s budget to reimburse child care providers that serve families receiving financial assistance, including a 5.5% cost of living adjustment for providers to help offset increased operating costs.

    The Senate bill must be approved by the House of Representative before heading to Healey’s desk for consideration.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Senate approves bill to expand early education

    Senate approves bill to expand early education

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    BOSTON — The state Senate has approved a plan aimed at expanding access to child care and early education for parents while attracting and retaining new workers to ease persistent labor shortages in the industry.

    The measure, which was unanimously approved Thursday, calls for boosting financial assistance for families seeking child care, establishing new funding for child care providers, and higher pay and benefits for early educators.

    Backers of the plan said the changes are needed to help lower the cost of child care and early education programs with parents paying as much as 20% to 40% of their household incomes on child care, often making it their second-highest expense after housing costs.

    “Besides the high costs, families also face other barriers, including a lack of available slots at their preferred providers, the hours of available care, transportation challenges and more,” Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, a primary sponsor of the bill, said in remarks Thursday. “All this hurts families’ economic well-being.”

    It’s not clear how much the changes, if implemented, would cost and the bill does not include additional funding.

    Senate leaders note that $1.5 billion is already earmarked for early education and care in the current state budget, but that new funding will be dependent on future budgets.

    Lewis said the “substantial” price tag for the plan is “justified” given the money that many families, businesses and the state are losing as a result of the spiraling early education costs.

    “The status quo is already costing us a lot of money,” he said. “We have already demonstrated that we can indeed prioritize investments in early education and child care and follow through on those commitments.”

    Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, a Gloucester Republican, said it’s critical that the state take steps to improve the affordability of early education and child care in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said the rising cost of early education has major implications for the state’s post-pandemic economy.

    “It is an essential part of the fabric of our state,” Tarr said in remarks. “If we do not act, it will continue to be in serious jeopardy. We cannot allow that to happen.”

    A key plank of the proposal calls for expanding eligibility for subsidized child care by raising the income level to qualify for state-backed programs.

    The current threshold is 50% of state median income for a family of four – which is about $73,000. The plan calls for “gradually” increasing that level to 85% of state median income, or $124,000 for a four-member family.

    “That means we will be opening up access to assistance to not just low-income families, but middle-income families,” Lewis said in remarks.

    It would also make state funding for the Commonwealth Cares for Children program, which has provided grants to nearly 7,500 child care providers since 2021, a permanent line item in the annual state budget. Other policy changes include setting new patient-staff ratios.

    During the debate Thursday, Tarr sought to add safeguards on spending to the bill after raising concerns about the costs and how the state would pay for it going forward.

    “Lest we make a promise that can’t be fulfilled,” Tarr said. “My concern is that making sure that … we can say with confidence that the initiatives that are proposed here are things we can afford and sustain.”

    Many child care centers are financially strained and advocates say low compensation and the rising costs of caring for children are putting some providers out of business.

    Meanwhile, care providers are struggling to retain workers in an industry where the pay is traditionally low and the risk of getting sick is now elevated as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates say.

    The average cost of child care is more than $20,000 a year in Massachusetts, the most expensive state in the nation, only behind Washington, D.C., and well above the national average of $15,888, according to a recent report from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.

    Working families are losing an estimated $1.7 billion a year in wages from not being able to show up for work because they cannot find or afford child care services, the report noted.

    Meanwhile, employers are losing an estimated $812 million a year in productivity and worker turnover because of the shortage of child care options, according to the report, while the state government is missing out on $188 million a year in tax revenue.

    Compounding the lack of options are changes in the workforce and other factors that have seen fewer people looking to work in the child care industry.

    Gov. Maura Healey has made expanding child care options for parents a key plank of her agenda in her first term, tying the issue to a broader effort to make the state more affordable.

    Earlier this year, the state Board of Early Education and Care recently approved a plan to tap into $65 million from this year’s budget to reimburse child care providers that serve families receiving financial assistance, including a 5.5% cost-of-living adjustment for providers to help offset increased operating costs.

    The Senate bill must be approved by the House of Representative before heading to Healey’s desk for consideration.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • SENIOR LOOKOUT: Meals on Wheels delivers more than food

    SENIOR LOOKOUT: Meals on Wheels delivers more than food

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    Hunger is a very real problem in the United States. The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported in October that 12.8% of all U.S. households — 17 million — were “food insecure” in 2022. Food insecure is defined as uncertain of having, or unable to acquire, enough food to meet the needs of all the members of a household because of insufficient money or other resources for food.

    In 2023, The Open Door food pantry, serving Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester, Essex, Ipswich, Rowley, Topsfield, Boxford, Hamilton, and Wenham, provided more than 1.98 million pounds of food to 9,836 individuals. Beverly Bootstraps food pantry distributed more than 613 thousand pounds of food to nearly 4,884 individuals. These numbers do not include smaller food pantries throughout the towns of the North Shore or the other many food assistance programs in action. In the past few years, the need for food pantry services has increased significantly.

    One very successful program for food assistance is the Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals program for home-bound elders. In 2023, SeniorCare delivered 192,000 meals via our Meals on Wheels home-delivered meals program and our community dining rooms.

    Meals on Wheels began in the United Kingdom during the World War II “Blitz.” As the number of homeless people grew due to bombing, the Women’s Volunteer Service for Civil Defense began preparing and delivering meals — sometimes using old baby carriages to transport the food. This idea was adapted after the war to help elderly people who were having difficulties preparing their own food.

    The first home-delivered meal program in the United States began in January 1954 in Philadelphia. Since then, Meals on Wheels has grown to be a nationwide program, feeding approximately 2.4 million elders annually.

    Meals on Wheels is not just a nutrition program. In addition to lunch, the Meals on Wheels driver brings companionship and a watchful eye on the health and safety of our seniors. Some lunch recipients tell us that their driver is the only person they see on most days.

    In a survey of Meals on Wheels participants and their caregivers, SeniorCare received the following remarks.

    “By having Meals on Wheels, I have more money to pay for my medications.”

    “This is my only home-cooked meal.”

    “Helps me stretch my food stamps each month.”

    “It’s nice to have someone visit daily.”

    “It’s always nice to see a friendly face.”

    “As a caregiver, it gives me peace of mind while I’m working.”

    “Sometimes the driver is the only one I talk to all day.”

    “As a caregiver, it helps to know someone stops by every day to check.”

    “I always look forward to a visit and a meal.”

    “Gives me at least one meal per day.”

    “Seeing another person breaks up the monotony of a long, lonely day.”

    The Meals on Wheels nationwide program is being recognized with #savelunch awareness campaign during March.

    Local government officials and business and community leaders are invited to ride along with a Meals on Wheels driver to learn more about this important program.

    Yesterday, Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga joined with a volunteer Meals on Wheels driver to deliver meals to local seniors and hear their stories. Representative Kristin Kassner is scheduled to deliver meals in Ipswich next week and other members of our legislative team are likely to participate.

    For more information about SeniorCare’s Meals on Wheels or Community Dining nutrition programs, please visit our website at www.seniorcareinc.org or call 978-281-1750 and ask to speak with the Nutrition Department.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

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    Senior Lookout | Tracy Arabian

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  • Healey wipes away prior marijuana convictions

    Healey wipes away prior marijuana convictions

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    BOSTON — With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Maura Healey is moving to wipe away the prior pot convictions of hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents.

    On Wednesday, Healey signed a “first-in-the-nation” executive order that, if approved by the Governor’s Council, would grant a blanket pardon to those with previous misdemeanor convictions for possession of marijuana, which has been legal for more than seven years.

    Healey, who estimates the pardon will impact “hundreds of thousands” of people, says those with misdemeanor pot charges on their records from prelegalization days face restricted access to jobs, housing and education.

    “The reason we’re doing this is simple, justice requires it,” the first-term Democrat told reporters at a briefing. “Massachusetts decriminalized possession for personal use back in 2008, legalized it in 2016, yet thousands of people are still living with convictions on their records.”

    If Healey’s order is approved by the council, those with previous convictions wouldn’t need to apply for pardons — which would be done automatically — but would be able to request a “certificate” from the state verifying the pardon.

    The pardons won’t apply to convictions after March 13, and would exclude charges such as possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, distribution, trafficking, or operating a motor vehicle under the influence or convictions outside the state, including federal court, the Healey administration said.

    Attorney General Andrea Campbell, the state’s top law enforcement officer, was among those who praised the move. She said it will improve racial justice, with data showing that blacks and other minorities have been “disproportionately” charged with marijuana possession in the state prior to legalization.

    “These pardons will transform the lives of thousands, remove barriers allowing them to live with economic dignity, and right past wrongs and stigma that these individuals have faced,” she said in remarks.

    Voters legalized marijuana more than seven years ago, but people previously arrested with the drug are still being haunted by past convictions.

    A 2008 ballot question made possessing an ounce or less of marijuana a civil offense, punishable by a $100 fine. Four years later, voters approved its medical use.

    Then, in 2016, nearly 54% of voters at the ballot box approved legalized recreational marijuana.

    Marijuana advocates say voters have made clear over the years that possession of small amounts should not be illegal, and people with old convictions should get a second chance.

    Other states where recreational marijuana is legal have taken similar steps to seal or expunge criminal records en masse.

    California wiped away past marijuana convictions under a bill signed by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an expungement bill in 2019 that allowed an estimated 150,000 people to have previous convictions sealed.

    In 2022, President Biden issued a presidential proclamation pardoning many federal offenses for simple marijuana possession offenses. Biden has expanded that pardon to include more offenses and has called for a review of the classification of marijuana, which remains illegal under federal law.

    But clearing records of past convictions, even in places where pot is legal, remains controversial. Washington state, which legalized pot in 2012, wrangled for several years to pass a pot expungement bill amid opposition from prosecutors.

    In Massachusetts, law enforcement officials and even some lawmakers have pushed back on efforts to retroactively wipe away previous convictions.

    Proposals to grant blanket pardons for pot convictions have been filed in the past several sessions only to languish due to lack of support.

    A 2018 law allowed Massachusetts residents with previous convictions for offenses that are no longer illegal — including marijuana possession — to have those records expunged from their records. But advocates say since then few people have benefited from the changes.

    In some cases, judges refuse to sign off on expungement of previous marijuana possession convictions, even if the individual’s records have been sealed.

    Under state law, expungement requests must be deemed to be “in the interest of justice” but the interpretation of what that might be is generally left up to judges.

    Pauline Quirion, a lawyer and director of the criminal records sealing project at Greater Boston Legal Services, said anyone who undergoes state Criminal Offender Record Information checks for housing or work can be turned down if they have marijuana charges in their past.

    “In practice, any criminal record, no matter how old or how minor, creates barriers to jobs and other opportunities,” she said. “Pardons especially matter where record sealing simply is not enough because an employer or occupational licensor is granted access to the record by state law.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Institution for Savings promotes 3 officers

    Institution for Savings promotes 3 officers

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    NEWBURYPORT — The Institution for Savings recently promoted three employees, according to CEO and President Michael Jones.

    David Doucette was promoted to senior vice president of commercial lending; Jeffrey Salerno was promoted to assistant vice president of residential lending; and Shannon Maloney was promoted to assistant vice president and Storey Avenue Newburyport manager.

    Doucette has spent nearly his entire professional career with the Institution for Savings. As a high school student, he worked in the bank’s educational school bank at Ipswich High School and continued as a part-time teller while in college.

    Following his college graduation, Doucette joined the bank’s residential loan department as a loan processor. In 2009, he transferred to commercial lending as a credit analyst and became a commercial loan officer in 2015.

    In 2017, Doucette was promoted to assistant vice president and to vice president in 2019. He was promoted to senior vice president earlier this year. He is based in the bank’s commercial lending office at 312 Haverhill St. in Rowley.

    With 20 years of mortgage lending experience, Salerno joined the bank in 2018 as mortgage officer and was promoted to assistant vice president earlier this year. He attended New England School of Financial Studies and the Massachusetts Bankers Association School of Mortgage Banking. Salerno is based in the bank’s Amesbury office at 150 Main St.

    Maloney joined the Institution for Savings as a teller in 2015. She was promoted to head teller in 2017 and Rowley office assistant manager in 2022. In April, Maloney returned to the Storey Avenue office as assistant manager and was then promoted to manager in January.

    “We believe strongly in giving our employees the opportunities and education to advance in their careers here at the bank and these promotions are great examples of that,” Jones said. “I congratulate Dave, Jeff and Shannon on these well-deserved promotions and look forward to seeing all that they are going to do in these new positions.”

    Dating to 1820, the Institution for Savings is the largest mutual savings bank in Massachusetts. On Cape Ann, it operates branches at 4 Parker St. in Gloucester, and 37 King St. in Rockport.

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  • Teachers, School Committee start contract talks

    Teachers, School Committee start contract talks

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    The Gloucester Teachers Association and the School Committee began negotiations Monday for a new contract, with School Committee having a goal of both sides reaching a deal by Sept. 1.

    “The intent is for us to have, you know, open negotiations. We want it to be a mutually beneficial discussion amongst both teams,” said William Melvin, vice chair of the School Committee and chair of the negotiating team at the start of Monday’s session.

    “We, too, are eager to collaborate in a professional and amicable manner to come to an agreement that provides the best possible learning environment for our students which would translate into the best possible working environment for our educators,” said GTA President Rachel Rex.

    The teachers’ contract runs through Aug. 31, and its terms continue if both sides have not reached agreement by then.

    Negotiations are taking place as the School Committee and Gloucester Association of Educational Paraprofessionals are in mediation over a new contract. The paraprofessionals have been pushing for a living wage while working under the terms of their old contract that expired June 30, 2023.

    Before discussion on ground rules, which included lengthening the negotiation sessions from two hours to two and a half hours, Melvin read a statement of the intentions of the School Committee:

    “The School Committee will approach negotiations with the mindset that, first and foremost, the primary purpose of our schools, all staff, and the School Committee is to work together in ways that result in more engaged student learning, higher academic achievement and deeper student belonging.”

    Melvin said the committee’s goals include both teams understanding the core concerns behind the proposals through listening, acknowledging proposals “are put forth in good faith with positive intentions” and typically need to be modified during negotiations. He said the intention is both teams work to separate people from the challenges and problems, meaning personal attacks are out of bounds.

    School Committee Secretary and Negotiating Team Vice Chair Laura Wiessen said the committee’s goal for the outcome is “an agreement that helps to strengthen student learning, meets the interests of both parties to the extent possible, and takes community interests into account.”

    Members of the GTA negotiating team read out the pillars of their platform.

    “Our first pillar is: ‘Focus on Gloucester students,’” said GTA Vice President Matthew Lewis. “The academic and emotional success of Gloucester students depends on an holistic student approach. Relationships are built over consistent time with staff. This emphasizes the need for educator flexibility in their schedules and staff-to-student ratios that promote meaningful opportunities for learning,” he said.

    “The Gloucester School Committee needs to recognize the competitive marketplace for educational professionals on the North Shore. The importance of work-life balance in the post pandemic era needs to be supported in benefits and compensation,” said East Veterans building representative Ruth Flaherty, speaking about the need for “competitive compensation policies to support 21st-century families.”

    The next negotiating session is scheduled for March 26 starting at 4:30 p.m.

    Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@gloucestertimes.com.

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    By Ethan Forman | Staff Writer

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  • State housing secretary visits renovated Beverly apartments

    State housing secretary visits renovated Beverly apartments

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    BEVERLY — As the state’s top housing official, Ed Augustus says all types of housing are needed to solve the state’s shortage. On a trip to Beverly on Friday, he visited a place where two wildly different types are playing out on the same street.

    Augustus got a tour of the Beverly Housing Authority’s newly renovated apartment complex on Balch Street for low-income seniors and for people with disabilities. Down the street, Cummings Center is planning to construct a condominium building where the going rate for a two-bedroom condo is expected to be more than $600,000.

    The contrast could hardly be bigger. But Augustus said the availability of even high-priced condos can free up houses for young families and create movement in a housing market that has virtually ground to a halt.

    “I think every new unit of housing that comes online in Massachusetts is a help,” he said.

    Augustus, who was appointed by Gov. Maura Healey last June as the state’s secretary of housing and livable communities, came to Beverly as part of a plan to tour all 240 housing authorities in the state (Beverly was his 28th). Local officials took him to Balch Street, where a nearly $4.9 million renovation of the 25-unit, three-building complex is nearing completion.

    “I was impressed,” Augustus said after his tour. “It’s great to see units that were tired be refreshed. Everybody should be able to live in a safe, healthy and dignified place. This project in Beverly is going to make sure the 25 seniors who live in these units get this kind of housing.”

    Beverly Housing Authority Executive Director Debra Roy described the project as “kitchen and bath and window and door renovations.” It also includes new fire alarms, sprinklers and heat baseboards. The complex was built in 1959.

    The Balch Street apartments have been closed since November 2022, when the project began. Roy said residents moved to other Beverly Housing Authority units during the renovations and can return to Balch Street if they want to. She’s hoping that residents can start moving back in the second week of April.

    “I’m thrilled,” Roy said. “It was a long project. We’re glad to see that it’s wrapping up and we can get folks home. It’s beautiful now.”

    The Healey administration put a lot of focus on affordable housing in its proposed Affordable Homes Act, including a $1.6 billion investment in public housing over the next five years. The state’s existing stock of 43,000 public housing units is at risk due to a backlog of $4 billion in deferred maintenance, according to a fact sheet provided by his office, Augustus said.

    “Imagine where we’d be not having the 43,000 state-owned units,” he said. “These are our most vulnerable people.”

    Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

    Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

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    By Paul Leighton | Staff Writer

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  • New indoor pickleball facility under construction in Middleton

    New indoor pickleball facility under construction in Middleton

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    MIDDLETON — Lace up and grab your paddles — the pickleball craze is making its way to Middleton with the construction of a new indoor pickleball facility on Route 114.

    The new 15,000-square-foot venue at 329 N. Main St., run by the New England Pickleball Club, will have six dedicated, fully-fenced-in pickleball courts, set to be fully completed by the end of this year.

    For three consecutive years, pickleball has held the record for the fastest-growing sport in America, having grown 51.8% from 2022 to 2023, and an overall 223.5% since 2020, according to data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association.

    New courts, either dedicated specifically for pickleball or simply consisting of make-shift lines drawn over tennis or basketball courts, continue to pop up at local schools, sports complexes, retirement communities, public parks, and other recreation areas.

    Websites like Pickleheads, Masspickleballguide.com, and PlayTime Scheduler were created to ease the process of finding these courts as well as similarly-skilled players to play with. However, even with these resources, reserving a court, finding a group that is fun and fair to play with, and playing competitively can be challenging.

    There are more players looking for a game than the inventory of courts will allow. and it can be difficult to coordinate with other individuals of similar skill level. That’s part of the problem that Dave Velardo, owner of New England Pickleball Club, is looking to solve with this new location in Middleton.

    The facility will include a full pro shop selling pickleball equipment, a front desk area, viewing areas, showers, show-court seating and viewing, and fully fenced-in professional pickleball court surfaces. While there are a few indoor pickleball facilities that have popped up in recent years, such as PKL in Boston or the Newburyport Brewing Co. Pickleball Club, this location will be solely dedicated to the love of pickleball.

    “My focus is just on giving the best pickleball experience possible,” said Velardo. “My main focus isn’t on building all these crazy amenities like restaurants, but on actual club events, skill ratings, and players.”

    The development is being built from the ground up at a vacant lot on North Main Street near Rockaway Road. While the courts will be open to non-members and paying members of the club, members will be able to reserve courts 10 days ahead of time compared to the non-members who can only book ahead three days — time that can make a big difference when indoor courts become extra busy in the winter.

    Mostly taking the blueprint from New England Pickleball Club’s first location in Rye, New Hampshire, a large emphasis of the club will be placed on skill-based recreational play, comfortably evaluating and onboarding new players into the game, and maintaining “etiquette” during play. The goal is to ensure that players of any level of competitiveness, familiarity with the game, and skill can find a group to rally with, whether they are looking for social open play or competitive group play.

    “Even if it’s non-competitive, you have to have the right skill rating, and part of the reason is because of etiquette. The best example is if you’re really trying to compete in pickleball, you’re totally going to be targeting weaker players. But in recreational play, which is what most people find likable, it’s bad etiquette to be targeting the weaker players, because then the really good players aren’t gonna want to play with you if you just never hit the ball to them. So we make a point to really separate the two and educate players,” said Velardo.

    During most events, coordinators will be present to assist in setting up match-ups and help maintain a healthy environment, including etiquette. Additionally, staff have an in-depth rating system for determining a player’s competitive levels anywhere from extreme beginner to national pro level.

    The club looks at the player’s available competitive data from league or outside tournaments and constantly reviews their results, whether they are a member or non-member, to ensure that they are being consistently matched with similarly skilled players.

    For updates and further information on the facility visit https://middleton.newenglandpickleball.com/.

    Michael McHugh can be contacted at mmchugh@northofboston.com or at 781-799-5202

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    By Michael McHugh | Staff Writer

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  • Institution for Savings promotes 3 officers

    Institution for Savings promotes 3 officers

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    NEWBURYPORT — The Institution for Savings recently promoted three employees, according to CEO and President Michael Jones.

    David Doucette was promoted to senior vice president of commercial lending; Jeffrey Salerno was promoted to assistant vice president of residential lending; and Shannon Maloney was promoted to assistant vice president and Storey Avenue Newburyport manager.

    Doucette has spent nearly his entire professional career with the Institution for Savings. As a high school student, he worked in the bank’s educational school bank at Ipswich High School and continued as a part-time teller while in college.

    Following his college graduation, Doucette joined the bank’s residential loan department as a loan processor. In 2009, he transferred to commercial lending as a credit analyst and became a commercial loan officer in 2015.

    In 2017, Doucette was promoted to assistant vice president and to vice president in 2019. He was promoted to senior vice president earlier this year. He is based in the bank’s commercial lending office at 312 Haverhill St. in Rowley.

    With 20 years of mortgage lending experience, Salerno joined the bank in 2018 as mortgage officer and was promoted to assistant vice president earlier this year. He attended New England School of Financial Studies and the Massachusetts Bankers Association School of Mortgage Banking. Salerno is based in the bank’s Amesbury office at 150 Main St.

    Maloney joined the Institution for Savings as a teller in 2015. She was promoted to head teller in 2017 and Rowley office assistant manager in 2022. In April, Maloney returned to the Storey Avenue office as assistant manager and was then promoted to manager in January.

    “We believe strongly in giving our employees the opportunities and education to advance in their careers here at the bank and these promotions are great examples of that,” Jones said. “I congratulate Dave, Jeff and Shannon on these well-deserved promotions and look forward to seeing all that they are going to do in these new positions.”

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  • SENIOR LOOKOUT: Thank a social worker for empowering you

    SENIOR LOOKOUT: Thank a social worker for empowering you

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    March is National Social Work Month, an opportunity to honor social workers in our community and around the nation and world for the invaluable contributions of their profession. Every day, the nation’s 680,000 social workers work to empower and elevate millions of people, including some of the most vulnerable in our society.

    Social work can defined as “work carried out by trained personnel with the aim of alleviating the conditions of those in need of help or welfare.” Social workers help people cope with challenges in every stage of their lives. They help with a wide range of situations, such as adopting a child or being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Social workers work with many populations, including children, elders, people with disabilities, and people with addictions.

    It is my opinion that a person who chooses to pursue social work as a career must have a huge heart. The work is demanding, and the rewards can be tremendous. However, social work can be heart-breaking. It takes a brave person to enter a career of such highs and lows.

    The majority of staff here at SeniorCare are trained social workers. Our care managers, protective service staff, and much of our supervisory staff are social workers. I see these people spend their work days dedicated to finding solutions for elders who need help. Every day, I see my co-workers go the extra mile to help make an elder’s life better. I also see acts of kindness every day between my compatriots. If a staff member is struggling, there are at least five friends to provide support.

    It makes SeniorCare a pretty nice place to work.

    Why would a person choose social work as their life’s work? I asked a few of our social workers and share their feelings today.

    “I was hospitalized several times years ago and remember the difficulties and uncertainties. Social work offers me an opportunity to provide advocacy for patients and their families — to give them someone to talk to when they are having difficulties navigating the health system. Our health system is so confusing and complicated, and is getting worse all the time. Seniors and their families are in need of advocates to help them.”

    “What attracted me to social work was the social justice aspect of it. Social work identifies and focuses on the strengths of a person or situation, rather than on what’s wrong.”

    “In Massachusetts, we are allowed to make our own choices and take risks. I like helping people know their choices as they make the best decisions for their life. It’s nice to help people find their right way.”

    “I worked as a social worker in a large city and much prefer working in the smaller communities on the North Shore. There is a feeling of community here that can be missing in a big city.”

    “I have the ability to help people, and like being able to connect people with things they need. Sometimes, it’s an uphill battle, but our work helps our community and the world at large. I would hope that if I needed help, someone would give me a hand. Until that time, I will help others.”

    “As an elder services social worker, people smile when I arrive. They know that I am there to help.”

    If you have a social worker in your life, take a moment to thank them for the hard work they have chosen to do. Social workers are strong and help make our world a better place.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

    Tracy Arabian is the communications officer at SeniorCare Inc., a local agency on aging that serves Gloucester, Beverly, Essex, Hamilton, Ipswich, Manchester-by-the-Sea, Rockport, Topsfield and Wenham.

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    Senior Lookout | Tracy Arabian

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  • City’s CFO remembered as ‘seasoned and savvy municipal CFO’

    City’s CFO remembered as ‘seasoned and savvy municipal CFO’

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    John P. Dunn, the city’s chief financial officer for the past decade, died Monday, March 4, at age 71.

    Dunn served with three Gloucester mayors while also having overseen municipal finances in Beverly as The Garden’s City’s finance director for 18 years.

    Former Mayor Carolyn Kirk tapped Dunn to the job formerly held by Jeff Towne when he accepted a position in Natick, according a Jan. 3, 2014 article in the Times.

    At the time of his hiring, Kirk said Dunn came highly recommended by outgoing Beverly Mayor Bill Scanlon with now Beverly Mayor Mike Cahill bringing in his own team during the transition, freeing up Dunn to take the job in Gloucester.

    “He was by far and away the best candidate,” Kirk said at the time.

    On Thursday, Kirk said “John was a seasoned and savvy municipal CFO under three mayors here in Gloucester. Every day he carried out his role as steward of the public trust to the highest standards and with a calm demeanor.

    “We’ve been lucky to have his talents devoted to the citizens of Gloucester over the past 10 years and my sincere condolences are extended to his family and his colleagues at City Hall.”

    Dunn served the longest with former Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken, who was mayor for seven years from 2015 until 2021. She called Dunn “a great friend” and that he “would be sadly missed.”

    “He was a great CFO,” Theken said, saying Dunn “worked closely with my administration with Jim Destino, the CAO, and Kenny Costa, the auditor.

    “Those three were powerhouses who started to move Gloucester forward. They worked great together to make sure that our departments and the schools always had funding that was needed for the city to survive.”

    Dunn worked well with and respected others, Theken said.

    “He had a dry sense of humor, but it was great,” she said.

    He worked steadily through the COVID-19 pandemic with Thekan’s staff “and I came in during COVID to make sure that no one was left alone in City Hall.”

    Mayor Greg Verga said of Dunn, “First of all, he was just a great guy. He was really funny in just his own way. He was one of those guys who looked serious, a numbers guy, but he was a funny guy.”

    Verga said when he came in as mayor, Dunn was helpful in boiling down the budget for him: “Budget 101 for me.” Even though Verga served on the City Council for six years, it was just a whole different story, he said, going through the budget line-by-line.

    “And he was a magician, you know,” Verga said, when it came to Dunn being able to arrange the financing for city projects.

    “He just knew how to set up all the dominoes so they just stayed perfectly,” he said.

    Dunn’s death is a big loss for the city as one of the key people he worked with, “but I think it’s a bigger loss because of him as a person,” Verga said.

    Chief Administrative Officer Jill Cahill, who served with Dunn in city government for seven years as the former director of community development and in her present role, said: “He taught me so much. John taught me a lot about municipal government, about municipal finance. He was a mentor and he was always there for everybody. His answer was always: ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll get it done. I’ll find the money.”

    As to the city’s finances, as Dunn also served as the city’s treasurer and collector, Cahill said they are in good hands with the assistant treasurer and a consultant who the city has hired who is a seasoned CFO.

    Dunn was a native of New Providence, New Jersey, and the husband of Pat McCullough Dunn for 45 years. He lived in New Jersey until he came to Massachusetts to attend Tufts University, according to his obituary for the Campbell-Porter Funeral Home in Ipswich.

    Dunn and his wife settled in Beverly, where he worked for 18 years as the chief financial officer. He was proud of his efforts to modernize and improve Beverly schools and other capital projects there, his obituary reads.

    “Terrific guy,” said Scanlon, Beverly’s longest-serving mayor. “Extremely capable. Honest as you can be. Low-key. Well-liked, just a great guy.”

    Scanlon plans to give a eulogy at Dunn’s funeral next week, on March 13.

    He said Dunn, who had been a bank executive, first began working in Beverly in the treasurer’s office before becoming Beverly’s finance director in the mid 1990s.

    Scanlon, who was mayor in Beverly from 1994 to 2001 and then again from 2004 to 2013, said when he lost a bid for reelection during his first go as mayor, Dunn went to work in Melrose, and when Scanlon was reelected, Dunn came back. When Scanlon decided to retire in 2013, Scanlon spoke to Kirk about Dunn.

    “I told him he would be available and she hired him in a minute,” Scanlon said.

    In addition to his wife, Dunn is survived by his daughter, Abby Carmean and her husband Chris of Greenwood, Delaware, and son Andrew and his partner, Justine of Nashua, New Hampshire and grandsons Owen, Riley and Quinn, who his obituary indicates Dunn cherished as they called him, ‘Papa John.’

    A funeral service will be held at the Campbell Funeral Home, 525 Cabot St., Beverly, on Wednesday, March 13, at 1 p.m. Relatives and friends are invited to attend. Visiting hours at the funeral home will be Tuesday, March 12, from 4-7 p.m. Contributions may be made in Dunn’s memory to the American Red Cross at www.redcross.org. Information, directions, condolences at www.campbellfuneral.com.

    Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@gloucestertimes.com.

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    By Ethan Forman | Staff Writer

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  • Gloucester businessman appears headed to GOP state committee

    Gloucester businessman appears headed to GOP state committee

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    It appears the chair of the Cape Ann Political Action Committee has squeaked by in a three-way race to fill an open seat for Republican state committee man in the First Essex and Middlesex District, according to unofficial results of Tuesday’s Presidential Primary.

    Three Gloucester women vying to be the next GOP state committee woman in the district were bested by a candidate from Ipswich.

    Gloucester businessman Clayton Sova has a 71-vote lead over Michael Scarlata of North Reading in a sprawling district made up of 19 cities and towns that mirrors that of state Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.

    Jeffery Yull, chair of the North Reading Republican Town Committee, came in third.

    Sova had a large vote haul in the seaport with 1,657 votes and that may have helped put him over the top.

    In North Reading, Sova received 109 votes while his two opponents racked up 1,888 votes between them, with Yull taking 1,125 votes in his hometown.

    An unofficial tally of votes in the district communities by the Times had Sova with 6,112 votes, Scarlata with 6,041 votes, and Yull with 5,597 votes.

    Scarlata conceded in a message posted to his Facebook page on Wednesday afternoon: “Our campaign did narrow the gap to a loss of 71 votes from 195 as a result of late arriving mail-in ballots. Once I receive the official vote total I will post them. I will also reach out to Clayton Sova and congratulate him on his tremendous victory.”

    Scarlata said online he was thankful to have won eight towns and happy for his vote total in his hometown.

    “We knew we would lose Gloucester because Clayton has deep roots in that city and owns a business and we were hoping Jeff Yull would take votes away from him since Jeff aligned himself to Ashley Sullivan who is also from Gloucester. But unfortunately that didn’t materialize. We lost Gloucester by roughly 1,300 votes.”

    “It was a hard-fought race,” Scarlata said in an interview.

    Sova’s vote total in Gloucester did him in along with totals in Rockport and Essex. He said it did not help his cause that radio personality and columnist Howie Carr endorsed Sova and Lisa-Marie Cashman to represent the district on the GOP State Committee.

    “Wow, that’s close,” Sova said when called by a Daily Times reporter about the narrow margin of victory. This was his first run for office and he would not declare a victory until the results were official.

    “It was good to be the local guy in this race,” he said.

    Yull kicked off his campaign for the GOP State Committee with Ashley Sullivan, chair of the Gloucester Republican City Committee at an event in Rowley in January, according to his campaign website. That event featured incumbent First Essex and Middlesex State Committee Man Rich Baker of West Newbury, who had announced in the spring he would not be seeking another term. In a letter to the editor, Baker had endorsed Yull for State GOP Committee.

    In the race to replace incumbent Amanda Orlando to represent the district, there was a four-way race featuring three women from Gloucester: Sullivan, who ran unsuccessfully for state representative on Cape Ann two years ago; Cynthia Bjorlie; Nicole Coles; and Cashman of Ipswich, who was the eventual winner, according to unofficial results.

    Overall, Cashman won with 8,520 votes, to Sullivan’s 5,193 votes, Bjorlie’s 2,549 votes, and Coles’ 1,289 votes, according to a tally of the unofficial results in each city and town.

    Cashman ran it up in small towns such as Boxford where she earned 575 votes to Sullivan’s 186, Bjorlie’s 66 and Coles’ 46 votes. In Gloucester, Cashman came in third with 336 votes, behind Sullivan the winner here with 944 votes and Bjorlie with 903 votes, and in front of Coles with 291 votes.

    Coles said she was excited by the results because they showed people want to be involved.

    “There is a lot of excitement right now,” she said.

    On the Democratic side, the race was uncontested in the district with Matthew C. Murray of Gloucester voted in as state committee man and Carla Carol Christensen winning re-election as state committee woman.

    Cities and towns have until Saturday to certify their results, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Election Division.

    Ethan Forman may be contacted at 978-675-2714, or at eforman@gloucestertimes.com.

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    By Ethan Forman | Staff Writer

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  • New tool aims to enhance racial wealth gap conversations

    New tool aims to enhance racial wealth gap conversations

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    BOSTON — In their quest to close the racial wealth divide, Sen. Lydia Edwards and a Boston think tank laid a new tool in front of Statehouse insiders Tuesday to aid in what Edwards called “intentional conversations.”

    Reviewing the new Racial Wealth Equity Resource Center offered by Boston Indicators, a branch of The Boston Foundation, Edwards said the statistics it reports gave her pause. Like how, she said, Black people with college diplomas only earn an average of $29,000 more than white people without a high school diploma.

    “These kinds of numbers really make me question a lot of things, when you know that those numbers have everything to do with your access to health care, to education, can you get a good education, whether you can afford rent or own a home, that’s what we’re looking at when we think about this gap,” Edwards said.

    Peter Ciurczak of Boston Indicators presented the new website to legislative aides and a couple lawmakers on hand in a Statehouse briefing room, and framed the data on the site as information they could use to craft future policies.

    He said “real gaps start to emerge” in household median wealth across different racial groups as the result of “the legacy of state-sponsored discrimination, of enslavement, of Jim Crow-era politics, and of outright theft of Black wealth.”

    Messages such as, “Just pull yourself up by your bootstraps,” Edwards said, “aren’t real narratives.”

    “For me, this is about dealing with the vestiges of slavery, it’s about dealing with the setbacks we’ve done to women, people of color. These are all intentional conversations, all intentional policy decisions we’ve made as a country for centuries, coming to a head. So we are in the position to see it for what it is, to see America for all of its beauty and for all of its ugly,” the East Boston Democrat said.

    Keith Mahoney of The Boston Foundation said homeownership is a “key component” of addressing the issue, along with policies in the areas of stocks, insurance, retirement, and tax policy like the federal child care tax credit which “had a huge impact in alleviating poverty.”

    Rep. Sam Montaño asked if there was an estimated price tag on what it would take for government to make a “meaningful step” on closing the gap. She said, “It’s pretty vague, right?”

    “On one of my favorite podcasts, The Big Dig, it’s like — at that level, all of that money is magic, right? We don’t know,” Ciurczak replied.

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    By Sam Doran | State House News Service

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  • House Democrats seek another $245M for migrants

    House Democrats seek another $245M for migrants

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    BOSTON — House Democrats filed a proposal to pump another $245 million into the state’s emergency shelter system amid an ongoing surge of migrants.

    The supplemental budget, which is to be taken up on Wednesday, would provide more funding to workforce training programs, migrant “welcome” centers, and additional funds for resettlement agencies to connect families with housing and other services.

    The spending plan also calls for reforms to the shelter system, such as limiting the maximum length of stay in shelter to nine consecutive months, with another three months for migrants who are employed or enrolled in a job training program.

    This comes just three months after Democratic Gov. Maura Healey signed a supplemental spending bill that included $250 million for migrant costs.

    “Given the challenging revenue conditions facing Massachusetts, the lack of federal support, and the severity and ongoing uncertainty surrounding the migrant crisis, the temporary reforms that we are proposing are essential for the shelter program’s long-term survival,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said in a prepared statement.

    Under the proposed reforms, pregnant women and people with a disability, among others, would also be eligible for 12 consecutive months in the program, regardless of employment status or participation in a job training program.

    The plan would also require Healey to seek federal approvals for a waiver from the Department of Homeland Security to allow expedited work authorizations, temporary work authorizations, and provisional work authorizations for newly arrived migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers.

    Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, said the measure would require migrants to exit the shelter system in a “timely manner,” which he said would “help to ease the strain being placed on our shelter system over time, and on the communities that are on the frontline of this crisis.

    But critics say the proposed reforms won’t go far enough to stem the tide of silent seekers who have pushed the state’s emergency shelter system to the brink of collapse.

    Paul Craney, spokesman for the conservative Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, said Mariano’s proposal just throws more money at the problem without dealing with the root cause of increased migration to the state: the “right to shelter” law.

    “It’s not going to deter people from coming here,” he said. “Right now, Massachusetts is one of the top destinations for migrants because they know in addition to all the other taxpayer benefits they get, there is a right to shelter.”

    He added, “So if the objective of this is to stop the flow of migrants, this won’t do it.”

    Massachusetts has seen an unprecedented influx of thousands of asylum seekers over the past year amid a historic surge of immigration along the U.S.-Mexico border.

    Healey declared a state of emergency in August and deployed the National Guard to help deal with the influx. Her administration also set a 7,500-family cap on the number of people eligible for emergency housing last October.

    Under the “right-to-shelter” law, Massachusetts is required to provide emergency housing to homeless families, but critics say the law was never designed to provide for a large migrant population.

    Nearly 780 families were on a wait list for emergency housing as of Tuesday, according to the state Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.

    Healey administration officials said the state has spent $360 million as of Feb. 8 from a special escrow fund set up by the state Legislature to cover migrant costs, but warned in a recent report that money would dry up soon.

    Healey has estimated the state will spend up to $2 billion to support emergency shelter for homeless families and migrants through the end of the next fiscal year. The report estimated costs through the end of the 2025 fiscal year at $915 million.

    Despite requests from Healey and members of the state’s congressional delegation for federal funding, the Biden administration has only provided about $2 million to the state for emergency shelter and other migrant needs.

    School districts have spent more than $11.4 million over the past year from a state fund to help them cover additional costs from educating newly arrived migrant children, according to a recent report.

    Rep. Alice Peisch, the House’s assistant majority leader, said proposed reforms “strike the right balance between providing emergency assistance to families who find themselves in desperate need of shelter, while ensuring that we do not significantly jeopardize the funding of other long-standing programs that serve vulnerable residents.”

    “It is unfortunate that the federal government has abdicated its responsibility to provide sufficient resources to assist states in addressing this unprecedented influx of migrants,” the Wellesley Democrat said.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Trump, Biden win Super Tuesday primaries

    Trump, Biden win Super Tuesday primaries

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    BOSTON — Incumbent President Joe Biden fended off a Democratic challenger and the threat of protest votes, while former President Donald Trump picked up a win and widened his delegate lead over former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in the presidential primaries Tuesday.

    Massachusetts was one of 15 other states voting in the Super Tuesday primaries, and voters flocked to town halls, community centers and schools to choose a nominee.

    Trump, the front-runner in the race for the GOP nomination, was ahead of Haley with 60% when The Associated Press called the race in his favor, marking his third primary win in the Bay State. Trump also won in Maine, North Carolina, Virginia and other states, widening his delegate lead over Haley.

    Meanwhile, Biden easily fended off a long-shot challenge on Tuesday from U.S. Rep. Dean Phillips, a Democrat from Minnesota, and overcame a protest vote from critics of his support for Israel’s war in Gaza, with thousands voters selecting “no preference” on Democratic ballots.

    “He’s been doing a pretty good job and I don’t want to see Trump come back to the White House,” said Eric Kennan, after voting for Biden at Salem High School on Tuesday. “I’m terrified about [Trump] being anywhere near the government. He’s dangerous.”

    Sarah Peters of Middleton said Trump made the economy better and kept prices under control during his term. He also cracked down on illegal immigration, a key issue, she said.

    “The immigration situation is out of control,” the 46-year-old said. “Trump is the only one who can deal with it. Biden has done absolutely nothing.”

    Others, such as 79-year-old retiree Bruce Williams, were looking for an alternative to the two front-runners. He voted for Haley.

    “I really don’t like Trump or Biden,” the Peabody man said. “Trump is too divisive, and I don’t think Biden has done a good job running the country.”

    Massachusetts has open primaries, which means unenrolled or “independent” voters may draw a ballot for whichever primary they choose. Voters who are registered with a specific party may only vote in their respective primaries. The state has more than 4.7 million registered voters.

    Secretary of State William Galvin predicted a strong turnout in the primary, particularly on the Republican side, following a ruling Monday by the U.S. Supreme Court that cleared Trump for the ballot. The actual turnout was not immediately known.

    Besides hopefuls from the two major political parties, a half dozen Libertarian presidential candidates were on the ballot.

    A number of candidates had already dropped out of the presidential race before the contests Tuesday, but their names had already been printed on ballots.

    Voters were also picking committee members to serve as delegates to their party’s conventions this summer.

    Many Massachusetts voters didn’t wait for the primary Tuesday and cast ballots through absentee and early voting. Local election clerks received about nearly 500,000 absentee ballots ahead of Tuesday. An additional 51,000 were cast during the five-day early voting period last week, according to Galvin’s office.

    Other states holding primaries Tuesday included Maine, Vermont and delegate-rich California and Texas. The results move the nation closer to a likely rerun of the contentious 2020 presidential election between Biden and Trump in November.

    Nationally, the Super Tuesday contests award 1,420 delegates to the Democrats’ summer convention to the top contenders. Delegates in most Democratic primaries and caucuses are awarded proportionally based on the outcome of the vote.

    For Republicans, 874 delegates – or 36% – of the party’s 2,429 delegates were up for grabs Tuesday.

    In Massachusetts, 40 pledged delegates were up grabs in the GOP primary and 92 were at stake on the Democratic side.

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • Healey’s pick for SJC confirmed by panel

    Healey’s pick for SJC confirmed by panel

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    BOSTON — The Governor’s Council has approved Gov. Maura Healey’s controversial pick of an ex-girlfriend to fill a vacancy on the state’s highest court.

    The council voted 6-1 to approve the confirmation of Appeals Court Judge Gabrielle Wolohojian to fill a seat on the Supreme Judicial Court left by Justice David Lowy, who retired Feb. 3 after seven years on the high court.

    Councilor Terry Kennedy, who voted in favor of her nomination, said he was bombarded with calls from lawyers, judges and others who lauded Wolohojian’s experience and temperament as a judge. He said the fact that she was previously in a relationship with the governor wasn’t a factor in his decision to support her confirmation.

    “There’s no question to me that this nominee is qualified for that job, period,” Kennedy said in remarks. “I have never asked a nominee about their personal life and I never will.”

    But Councilor Tara Jacobs cast the lone vote against Wolohojian, saying she couldn’t get over the “appearance of impropriety” about her nomination to the bench.

    “I don’t want to invalidate the enormous qualifications of this candidate. I think she has a fantastic resume and experience,” she said. “I’m really more coming from a place of concern about the process, the implications and the appearance that got us here today.”

    Healey’s nomination has faced scrutiny because she and Wolohojian were romantically involved and previously lived together in Charlestown when she was attorney general.

    Healey, the first woman and first lesbian to be elected governor of Massachusetts, now lives with her current partner, Joanna Lydgate, in Arlington.

    Councilor Paul DePalo, who voted to confirm Wolohojian, said he was dismayed how the public discourse over her nomination focused on her romantic relationship with Healey.

    “In some corners, the public discourse jumped right over this nominee’s impeccable, unquestioned experience, qualifications, her pedigree, her temperament, her reputation over a decade on the appeals court writing hundreds of opinions,” he said in remarks. “The narrative jumped right to a salacious story line designed to raise alarms.”

    Last week, supporters of Wolohojian, who included lawyers, judges, court staff and former colleagues, packed into the Gardner Auditorium at the Statehouse and lauded her experience and temperament as an attorney and appellate judge.

    Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, who co-chaired Wednesday’s Governor’s Council meeting, praised Wolohojian as “one of our state’s most experienced appellate judges,” noting her 16-year tenure on the Appeals Court.

    Wolohojian was appointed to the Appeals Court in 2008 and has overseen 2,700 appeals and authored more than 900 decisions, she told the panel. She also serves as the chair of the SJC’s Advisory Committee on the Rules of Appellate Procedure.

    Previously, she served as a law clerk to Judge Rya Zobel of the U.S. District Court in Boston and later to Judge Bailey Aldrich of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit.

    Wolohojian worked in private practice in the 1990s at the Boston law firm of Hale and Dorr, which is now known as WilmerHale. She became a partner in the firm’s litigation department working on state and federal court cases, according to the Healey administration.

    Wolohojian is Healey’s second pick for the Supreme Judicial Court, with two retirements helping the first-term governor leave her mark on the court.

    She previously nominated former State Solicitor Elizabeth “Bessie” Dewar to the SJC, who was unanimously approved last month by the Governor’s Council.

    The state’s Republican party blasted what they called Wolohojian’s “rubber stamp” approval after vetting process by a judicial search committee that “consisted of a tight-knit inner circle” mostly Healey appointees.

    The party’s chairwoman also reiterated concerns about whether Wolohojian will recuse herself from any cases involving the executive branch.

    “The entire process appears to have been a rubber stamp rather than a serious examination of important ethical considerations,” MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale said in a statement. “Many legal scholars continue to believe that it is wholly inappropriate for a Governor to nominate a former romantic partner to a court that will rule on matters pertaining to their office.”

    Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.

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    By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter

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  • City councilor calls library cost estimate ‘almost dishonest’

    City councilor calls library cost estimate ‘almost dishonest’

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    BEVERLY — A city councilor accused Mayor Mike Cahill’s administration of being “almost dishonest” about the cost of a proposed library project that has ballooned to $18 million.

    In a public hearing at City Hall on Monday night, Ward 1 Councilor Todd Rotondo criticized city officials for telling city councilors two years ago that the project would cost $3.75 million. Cahill is now asking the council to approve the project at a cost of $18 million.

    “It wasn’t with malicious intent but it really was almost dishonest,” Rotondo said of the original $3.75 million estimate. “We weren’t presented a whole picture of the project originally.”

    The comment prompted a heated exchange with Mike Collins, the city’s director of public services and engineering.

    “I’m curious, were you insinuating that we were lying to you?” Collins asked Rotondo. “That’s the way I heard it.”

    “I don’t think I said that,” Rotondo responded. “What I said was, well, OK yes, I would say that then.”

    Rotondo said everyone he’s spoken with about the project assumed that the $3.75 million was a high price, but was the full scope of the project.

    “So it almost is a little distrustful, yes,” he said to Collins. “So I’m sorry if that’s the way you feel, but yes it’s not a full truth.”

    “It’s not how I feel, it’s how you feel, so I just wanted to clarify that,” Collins said.

    The City Council did not take a vote on the project Monday night, instead continuing the public hearing until its next meeting on March 18.

    The project calls for installing a new geothermal heating and cooling system at the Beverly Public Library on Essex Street as well as other improvements to the building. City officials say the HVAC system is failing and the building lacks humidity control, an important feature in the storage of historic records.

    The City Council approved an initial $2 million for the project in June 2022 based on an estimated cost of $3.75 million. But when the project came back before the council in January, councilors were told the cost was now $18 million.

    Rotondo asked Collins why the original estimate did not include such costs as accessibility upgrades and other “soft costs.” Collins said that estimate was “just a relative cost comparison of different options” and “wasn’t a fully developed project.”

    “What we were asking for was money to pursue developing the selected option out to its fullest extent so that we could then come back to the council with a fully developed project and request funding,” Collins said.

    Members of the project team hired by the city spent nearly two hours presenting details of the project. Bryant Ayles, the city’s finance director, said the city can afford to borrow money for the library as well as for two other upcoming renovation projects, to City Hall and the McPherson Youth Center.

    The library project is in line to receive about $7.8 million in grants, incentives and credits under various energy programs, significantly reducing the cost for the city, officials said. They said the proposed geothermal system, which involves installing a “geothermal well field” under the library parking lot, will reduce the city’s greenhouse gas footprint.

    “It will give us the best overall project and the lowest total operating costs and the lowest cost of ownership over the life of the project,” Collins said. “I still stand by that.”

    If the City Council approves the project, construction would start in August and the library would be closed for six to eight months during construction, according to the project team’s presentation.

    Beatrice Heinze, a Conant Street resident who spoke as part of the public hearing, said she thinks geothermal systems are “wonderful.” But she questioned the cost of the project, noting that as a taxpayer she is also paying for the credits and incentives that the city would receive.

    “I take $18 million out of this pocket to Beverly. Then I take $8 million out of this pocket to the feds to give back to Beverly. Then I pay a big added-on to my National Grid bill to give a carbon credit back to Beverly,” Heinze said.

    Ward 5 Councilor Kathleen Feldman said she believes the geothermal system “still makes the most sense long-term for our city.” “But the sticker shock was a lot for all of us to handle,” she said.

    Staff Writer Paul Leighton can be reached at 978-338-2535, by email at pleighton@salemnews.com, or on Twitter at @heardinbeverly.

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    By Paul Leighton | Staff Writer

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