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Tag: Politics of the United States

  • Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

    Early voting gets underway ahead of Nov. election

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    BOSTON — Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts voters have already cast ballots for next month’s crucial presidential election with a two-week early voting period getting underway this weekend, according to state election officials.

    Each community will have at least one early voting station available during regular business hours, as well as Saturdays and Sundays, through Nov. 1, according to Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office.

    Voters can also cast their ballots through mail, which can be received by Nov. 8 if postmarked by Election Day, Galvin’s office said.

    “Early voting offers each voter the convenience of casting their ballot at a time that works for them,” Galvin said in a statement. “If you prefer to vote in person, this gives you that opportunity, even if Election Day is a busy day for you.”

    More than 360,000 voters have already cast their ballots by mail as of Thursday, according to Galvin’s office, which says it has sent more than 1.3 million ballots to registered voters who requested them.

    Massachusetts has more than 4.9 million voters, over half of whom are registered as independent – not affiliated with a major party – and whose ranks have swelled in the months leading up to the election. Those who aren’t registered can do so until Oct. 26 and can register online or at early voting locations, Galvin’s office said.

    Topping the Nov. 5 ballot is the contentious, neck-and-neck race for the White House between former Republican President Donald Trump and Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be on the ballot with their running mates, Ohio Republican Sen. J.D. Vance and Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

    Recent polls show Harris with a wide lead over Trump in deep-blue Massachusetts, but the race couldn’t be closer nationally and in battleground states such as Georgia, Pennsylvania and Arizona, where the candidates and their running mates have been campaigning to rally their supporters and win over undecided voters.

    Trump and Harris will share the Massachusetts ballot with several third-party and fringe candidates, including the Party for Socialism and Liberation’s candidates, Claudia De La Cruz and her vice presidential running mate, Karina Garcia.

    Green Party candidate Jill Stein and her vice presidential candidate Gloria Caballero Roca, Libertarian presidential candidate Chase Oliver and his running mate Mike ter Maat, and independent presidential candidate Shiva Ayyadurai and his running mate, Crystal Ellis, will also be on the ballot.

    Besides picking a new president and deciding a handful of contested legislative and local races, voters will consider ballot questions to audit the Legislature, scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, allow ride-hailing drivers to form unions, legalize psychedelic mushrooms and boost the wages of tipped workers.

    The state’s strong consumer protection laws often make it a testing ground for controversial changes in law and policy through the ballot box, and the outcomes of several of the questions are being closely watched nationally.

    Neither of the North of Boston area’s two Democratic congressional members, Reps. Lori Trahan of Westford and Seth Moulton of Salem, are facing challengers. Republicans didn’t field any candidates in 3rd or 6th Congressional District races, ensuring that Trahan and Moulton will win another two years in Congress.

    Despite the lack of contested races in this year’s election cycle, good government groups are still urging Massachusetts voters to cast ballots by mail, during the early voting period or on Election Day.

    “There’s a lot at stake and it’s a huge, consequential election,” Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said Tuesday during a livestreamed briefing on voting options.

    “The election isn’t three weeks away. It’s now,” he said. “You can vote by mail. You can vote in person during early voting. Or, if you want to keep it old school, you can wait until Tuesday, Nov. 5, and cast a ballot at your local polling station.”

    Voters can see a full list of the candidates, register to vote and look up early voting locations and times on the secretary of state’s website: www.VoteInMA.com.

    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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  • Dueling standouts meet Vance motorcade

    Dueling standouts meet Vance motorcade

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    There were dueling standouts related to the Nov. 5 presidential election this weekend in Gloucester.

    They were spurred by a visit to America’s oldest seaport by Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance, former President Donald Trump’s running mate, for a fundraising luncheon.

    Republican supporters stood out at the Grant Circle rotary on Friday night and late Saturday morning to meet the motorcade bringing Vance to the luncheon at an address revealed only to attendees. 

    Supporters of Democratic vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris and running mate Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stood out on the 300-block of Gloucester’s Concord Street on Saturday to meet the motorcade as it went by. They brought signs, a green blowup coach, and one man dressed as a hot dog while a woman wore breast pumps.

    Among those protesting Vance’s appearance was Rockport resident, Gloucester native and performance artist Vermin Supreme, who came in fifth on the Democratic ticket in New Hampshire’s presidential primary in January

    The fundraising luncheon was hosted by Mike and Renee Minogue, according to the invitation. Co-hosts were Republican National Committee Committeewoman Janet Fogarty and Bob and Laura Reynolds, according to an invitation posted on the website for the group SRQ4Trump.

    The cost to host the event was a “give/raise” of $100,000 per couple, according to the invitation. The roundtable was a $25,000 give/raise per person. A photo opportunity was a $15,000 give/raise per photo, and attendees were asked to give $5,000 per couple.

    SRQ is the three-letter code that stands for Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on the west coast of Florida.

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    By Times Staff

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  • DiZoglio hits road to promote ballot question

    DiZoglio hits road to promote ballot question

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    BOSTON — State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is hitting the road to rally voter support for her ballot campaign to open up the state Legislature’s financial books.

    DiZoglio said she plans to begin a 141-mile trek across Massachusetts to raise awareness of Question 1, which asks voters in the election Nov. 5 to approve a performance and financial audit of the state Legislature.

    She argues that the audit would ensure the Legislature is operating in accordance with government rules and regulations.

    The Methuen Democrat’s “Walking for Sunshine” sojourn was to get underway Friday night in Great Barrington, where she was to meet supporters at a local bar before hitting the long road to Boston.

    DiZoglio said she will meet with voters at nightly events along the way and urge them to “demand greater transparency for the state Legislature” by approving the referendum.

    DiZoglio, a former state lawmaker, launched her review of the Legislature more than a year ago but said she has not been able to receive access to the people and records her office needs for a forensic investigation. She has framed the plan as part of a broader effort to improve transparency and accountability in state government.

    House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy, and Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, have so far blocked her efforts to conduct the investigation of the House and Senate’s inner workings, calling the proposed audit “unconstitutional” and claiming it would violate the separation of powers.

    The effort was dealt a blow last year when Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office rejected DiZoglio’s request to file a lawsuit to force the audit, saying a review of state laws, judicial rulings and the historical record suggests she does not have standing to file the legal challenge.

    But DiZoglio and other supporters gathered enough signatures from voters to put the question on the November ballot.

    “We believe taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and they deserve transparency, accessibility and accountability from elected officials,” the Yes on 1 campaign said in a statement.

    “But instead of taking meaningful action that makes life better in the Commonwealth, they continue to be characterized as one of the least efficient, least productive legislatures in the country, plagued by late-night horse trading and closed-door discussions, with constituencies cut out of the process.”

    The state’s restrictive records law consistently earns Massachusetts failing grades from First Amendment groups.

    In 2016, the state overhauled its public records law for the first time in decades, limiting how much state and local governments and police departments may charge for public records and setting deadlines for agencies to respond to requests for information, among other changes.

    But lawmakers left in place many of the exemptions shielding the Legislature, courts and law enforcement agencies from disclosing certain records.

    Recent polls have shown voters strongly support for Question 1 – one of five referendums on the November ballot – which so far has not drawn any organized opposition.

    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 moves to implement gun control law

    Healey moves to implement gun control law

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    BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey is moving to implement a tough new gun control law in response to a lawsuit challenging its provisions and a effort to repeal the restrictions.

    On Wednesday, Healey signed an executive order attaching an emergency preamble to the bill she signed in July that expanded the state’s bans on “assault” weapons and high-capacity magazines, outlawed so-called “ghost” guns and set new restrictions on open carry of firearms, among other provisions.

    Gun control groups praised the rare maneuver, which they said is aimed at blocking an effort by critics of the new law to block its implementation as they gather signatures to put the issue before voters in two years.

    “After years of advocating for these gun safety measures to become law, we weren’t going to stand by and let the gun lobby get in the way of our progress,” Anne Thalheimer, a survivor fellow with the Everytown Survivor Network, said in a statement. “We’re grateful to Governor Healey for standing with us and taking decisive action to ensure that this lifesaving law is implemented.”

    But the Massachusetts Gun Owners’ Action League, which has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the law’s training and licensing requirements, said Healey’s “radical move” signing the executive order makes hundreds of thousands of lawful gun owners across the state into “felons in waiting.”

    He accused the governor and Democratic lawmakers of waging a “consistent effort to silence our voices and mislead the general public.”

    “Ever since this tantrum against the Supreme Court decision Bruen started last year, the so-called ‘process’ has become even more putrid,” said Jim Wallace, GOAL’s executive director, in a statement. “At every turn, the Legislature and now the governor, have avoided honest public input, especially from the 2A [Second Amendment] community.”

    Wallace said despite the order the group is still urging the federal judge to issue a temporary injunction to block the law from going into effect as the ballot initiative and legal challenge plays out in court.

    Besides the legal fight, critics of the new law or gathering signatures to put the question before voters in the 2026 election. They argue that the restrictions will hurt businesses, cost jobs and deprive legal gun owners of their constitutional rights.

    The new law, which passed despite objections from the Legislature’s Republican minority, added dozens of long rifles to a list of prohibited guns under the state’s assault weapons ban, and outlawed the open carry of firearms in government buildings, polling places and schools, with exemptions for law enforcement officials.

    It also set strict penalties for possession of modification devices such as so-called “Glock switches” that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic, military-style weapons. The state’s red flag law, which allows a judge to suspend the gun license of someone deemed at risk to themselves or others, was also expanded under the legislation.

    Massachusetts already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, including real-time license checks for private gun sales and stiff penalties for gun-based crimes.

    Gun control advocates argue the strict requirements have given the largely urban state one of the lowest gun-death rates in the nation, while not infringing on the right to bear arms.

    Despite those trends, Democrats who pushed the gun control bill through the Legislature argued that gun violence is still impacting communities across the state whether by suicide, domestic violence or drive-by shootings.

    Second Amendment groups have long argued that the tougher gun control laws are unnecessary, and punish law-abiding gun owners while sidestepping the issue of illegal firearms.

    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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  • DiZoglio hits road to promote ballot question

    DiZoglio hits road to promote ballot question

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    BOSTON — State Auditor Diana DiZoglio is hitting the road to rally voter support for her ballot campaign to open up the state Legislature’s financial books.

    DiZoglio said she plans to begin a 141-mile trek across Massachusetts to raise awareness for Question 1, which asks voters in the Nov. 5 elections to approve a performance and financial audit of the state Legislature, which she argues will ensure that it is operating in accordance with government rules and regulations.

    The Methuen Democrat’s “Walking for Sunshine” sojourn gets underway Friday night in Great Barrington, where she will meet supporters at a local bar before hitting the long road to Boston.

    DiZoglio said she will meet with voters at nightly events along the way and urge them to “demand greater transparency for the state Legislature” by approving the referendum.

    A former state lawmaker, DiZoglio launched her review of the Legislature more than a year ago but said she hasn’t been able to get access to individuals and records her office needs for a forensic investigation. She has framed the plan as part of a broader effort to improve transparency and accountability in state government.

    House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy, and Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, have so far blocked her efforts to conduct the investigation into the House and Senate’s inner workings, calling the proposed audit “unconstitutional” and claiming it would violate the separation of powers.

    The effort was dealt a blow last year when Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office rejected DiZoglio’s request to file a lawsuit to force the audit, saying a review of state laws, judicial rulings and the historical record, suggests she doesn’t have standing to file the legal challenge.

    But DiZoglio and other supporters gathered enough signatures from voters to put the question on the November ballot.

    “We believe taxpayers deserve to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and they deserve transparency, accessibility and accountability from elected officials,” the Yes on 1 campaign said in a statement. “But instead of taking meaningful action that makes life better in the Commonwealth, they continue to be characterized as one of the least efficient, least productive legislatures in the country, plagued by late-night horse trading and closed-door discussions, with constituencies cut out of the process.”

    The state’s restrictive records law consistently earns Massachusetts failing grades from First Amendment groups.

    In 2016, the state overhauled its public records law for the first time in decades, limiting how much state and local governments and police departments may charge for public records and setting deadlines for agencies to respond to requests for information, among other changes.

    But lawmakers left in place many of the exemptions shielding the Legislature, courts and law enforcement agencies from disclosing certain records.

    Recent polls have shown voters strongly support for Question 1 — one of five referendums on the November ballot — which so far hasn’t drawn any organized opposition.

    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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  • Poll shows support for ballot questions

    Poll shows support for ballot questions

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    BOSTON — A slim majority of Massachusetts voters support proposals to boost the wages of tipped workers, audit the state Legislature, allow ride-hailing drivers to unionize and legalize psychedelic mushrooms, but are more divided over a plan to scrap the MCAS graduation mandate, according to a new poll.

    The University of New Hampshire survey, which polled more than 500 voters from Sept. 12-16, found about 51% support Question 1, which asks voters in the Nov. 5 election to approve a performance and financial audit of the Legislature.

    Only 10% of those surveyed said they plan to vote no on Question 1, according to the UNH poll, while 39% said they either didn’t know about the proposal or don’t have an opinion.

    The measure was proposed by Auditor Diana DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat and former state lawmaker whose efforts to audit the House and Senate have been blocked by legislative leaders who argue the move is unconstitutional.

    Question 3, which would authorize Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing drivers to unionize and bargain collectively for better wages and benefits, is also backed by a slim majority of voters, with 48% saying they will vote yes and 28% saying they will vote no. At least 24% were unsure, pollsters said.

    About 51% said they support Question 4 which would, if approved, decriminalize psilocybin and other psychedelic substances and allow adults 21 and older to use the drugs under supervision at licensed centers. At least 20% of those polled said they will vote no while 28% said they didn’t know about the proposal or didn’t have an opinion.

    Meanwhile, a similar percentage of those polled said they support Question 5, which calls for paying tipped workers the state’s minimum wage $15 per hour, with 55% of voters who participated saying they plan to vote yes on the referendum and 33% opposed. About 15% said they didn’t know.

    But UNH pollsters found that voters were more divided over Question 2, which calls for scraping the decades-old mandate requiring high school students to pass the MCAS exams to graduate. About 40% of those polled say they plan for vote no while 38% said they plan for vote yes on Question 2. About 22% said they were unsure.

    If voters approve Question 2, students would still need to take the 10th-grade MCAS exams but they would no longer need to earn a passing score or other state approval. School districts would instead set their own criteria for graduation based on statewide educational standards, but would not be required to use high-stakes exams.

    Backers of the proposal, which include the Massachusetts Teachers Association, argue that the MCAS testing isn’t a complete picture of a student’s abilities and often leaves behind those who do not pass the test.

    Critics of Question 2, including the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, argue that the exams are necessary to expose inequities among students and school districts, measure trends in student outcomes, and gauge readiness for college and the workplace.

    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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  • Gun control foes push to repeal restrictions

    Gun control foes push to repeal restrictions

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    BOSTON — Opponents of Massachusetts’ new gun control law are gearing up to repeal the tough restrictions, which they say will hurt businesses, cost jobs and deprive people of their constitutional rights.

    A law signed by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey in July expanded the state’s bans on “assault” weapons and high-capacity magazines, outlawed so-called “ghost” guns and set new restrictions on the open carry of firearms, among other provisions.

    The move was in response to concerns about mass shootings and gun violence.

    But critics of the new restrictions say they are unconstitutional and argue the changes will do little to reduce gun violence. They’ve started gathering signatures on petitions to put a repeal of the law before voters in the 2026 elections.

    The chief organizer of the repeal effort, Cape Cod Gun Works owner Toby Leary, said on Thursday that the petition-gathering effort is well underway and he is seeing strong support for putting the question on the ballot.

    “A lot of businesses and jobs are at stake,” Leary said during a livestreamed briefing sponsored by the state’s Republican Party. “The effects of this law on businesses will be catastrophic. Jobs will be lost. Businesses and livelihoods will be lost.”

    Leary said among the many concerns gun shop owners have about the new restrictions is that the expansion of banned firearms will reduce the kinds of rifles and other weapons that can be sold in the state, which will hurt bottom lines. He estimates about 50% of his business will be “put on hold” if the law isn’t repealed.

    “But this is also about freedom,” Leary said. “This law is so unconstitutional on every level. A lot of ordinary people are going to run afoul of this law.”

    Massachusetts already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, including real-time license checks for private gun sales and stiff penalties for gun-based crimes.

    Gun control advocates argue the strict requirements have given the largely urban state one of the lowest gun-death rates in the nation, while not infringing on the right to bear arms.

    Despite those trends, Democrats who pushed the gun control bill thorough the Legislature argued that gun violence is still impacting communities across the state whether by suicide, domestic violence or drive-by shootings.

    Second Amendment groups have long argued that the tougher gun control laws are unnecessary, and punish law-abiding gun owners while sidestepping the issue of illegal firearms.

    The new law, which passed despite objections from the Legislature’s Republican minority, added dozens of long rifles to a list of prohibited guns under the assault weapons ban, and outlawed the open carry of firearms in government buildings, polling places and schools, with exemptions for law enforcement officials.

    It sets strict penalties for possession of modification devices such as Glock switches that convert semi-automatic firearms into fully automatic, military-style weapons. The state’s red flag law, which allows a judge to suspend the gun license of someone deemed at risk to themselves or others, was also expanded under the law.

    The repeal effort is one of several seeking to block the law. The Massachusetts Gun Owners’ Action League, which is affiliated with the National Rifle Association, plans to file a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the new law’s training and licensing requirements. Other legal challenges are expected.

    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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  • Ralliers press Healey on shelter rules

    Ralliers press Healey on shelter rules

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    BOSTON — Some migrant children innocently played outside of Gov. Maura Healey’s office Thursday afternoon, while others clung to their mothers in the thick of a boisterous rally calling on the governor to repeal her controversial shelter policy that activists say is forcing homeless individuals to sleep on the streets.

    Through a multilingual blend of songs, chants and speeches, more than 50 migrants and homelessness prevention activists urged Healey to reverse a rule that limits family stays in overflow sites to five business days.

    After that, families are barred from staying at more traditional emergency assistance family shelters for at least six months, under a rule that took effect last month as the Healey administration deals with soaring costs associated with sheltering newly arriving migrant families and Bay Staters who are experiencing homelessness.

    “We understand that there aren’t unlimited funds, but we ask the governor and state officials to sit down and talk to families on the front lines, to talk to the faith communities, to talk with the providers and advocates because we can do better,” Kelly Turley, associate director of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless, said at the rally, as she invoked the state’s right-to-shelter law.

    “We can do better by families and children,” Turley continued. “We’ve done it for over 40 years, and we can keep doing it.”

    Constituent services staffers for Healey stood outside the executive suite, which was cordoned off, during the rally. Healey was in Lowell Thursday morning for a child care event, and has a meeting scheduled at the Statehouse later in the afternoon.

    Spokespeople for Healey did not immediately respond to News Service questions about the rally, including whether the governor is willing to revise the five-day policy.

    Ronel Remy, an organizer with City Life/Vida Urbana, led the crowd in chants such as “Gov. Healey, feel the heat; keep the children off the streets” and “Gov. Healey, be humane; don’t leave people in the rain.”

    Participants held up posters that read, “Putting children on the street is not a solution,” “Keep Families Housed!” and “5 NIGHTS then homeless Not O.K.,” among other messages. They delivered a letter for Healey, and after the demonstration fanned out throughout the building to give copies to other lawmakers, including House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka.

    The letter asks Healey and the Legislature to “take immediate action to reverse the Administration’s new policy to restrict access to Emergency Assistance (EA) family shelters and and overflow shelters (“Temporary Respite Centers.”).

    It adds, “Five days is not enough time for families to find housing or alternative temporary options, and the six-month bar on accessing shelter is leaving children and families in extremely precarious situations.”

    Pastor Don Nanstad, of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in East Boston, said most of the Haitian migrants at the rally are currently staying at the church. He said pews have been pushed aside to make sleeping space for 14 families, or roughly 40 individuals.

    “There’s more of them sheltered in the church than we have members of this tiny church,” Nanstad said. “Gov. Healey, she has to feel a lot of pressure at this moment with dollars for the budget, but that is not to be compared with the pressure that all of these people face every day.”

    Wesley Jean, a Haitian migrant who brought his six-year-old daughter to the rally, said he’s been staying at the church after learning about the temporary aid from friends. Jean said he’s waiting on the state to process his applications for more stable shelter options, with his situation made more urgent by his pregnant wife.

    “I feel like I’ve been treated like an animal,” Jean said through Remy translating. “I have my wife who’s expecting. She’s throwing up in the streets, in train station(s), and I have my daughter sleeping in the street with me. That’s not the kind of life I want for them.”

    Nanstad called the shelter crisis an “emergency for the governor.”

    “And when there’s an emergency, that is the time to see what mettle, what courage and backbone you have in your leader,” he said.

    Turley said there will be more demonstrations at the State House and throughout Massachusetts ahead of Election Day in November.

    “We want the governor and the Legislature to know that we’re not here against you — we’re here to work with you,” Turley said.

    “We are calling on the state to use the resources that are available to do the right thing, ensure that children and families are not sleeping in cars, train stations, bus stations, in hospital emergency rooms, in other places not meant for human habitation.”

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    By Alison Kuznitz | State House News Service

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  • History Happenings: Aug. 28, 2024

    History Happenings: Aug. 28, 2024

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    Ted meets Ed. It was debate season and on this day in 1962, the newspaper covered the campaign for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate. Massachusetts voters could watch an hourlong TV debate between Attorney Gen. Edward J. McCormack Jr.…

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  • Early voting begins for Mass. primary

    Early voting begins for Mass. primary

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    BOSTON — Massachusetts voters can go to the polls beginning this weekend to nominate candidates for Congress and a handful of contested legislative and county races as early voting gets underway ahead of the state primary.

    From Saturday to Aug. 30, cities and towns will allow registered voters to cast early ballots ahead of the Sept. 3 primary. No excuse or justification is required to cast a ballot ahead of time. Voters can also vote by mail, but must request their ballots by a Monday deadline, according to the Secretary of State’s office. Saturday is the deadline to register to vote.

    Turnout is generally low in state primaries, but the lack of contested races means it could drop to new lows with voters more focused on the November crucial presidential election.

    Nevertheless, good government groups are urging voters to take advantage of the state’s expanded voting options to cast their ballots ahead of the primary.

    “With early voting and vote by mail, we have more options for how we choose to cast a ballot and pick our state leaders,” Geoff Foster, executive director of Common Cause Massachusetts, said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to get out and vote before the long weekend.”

    Topping the ballot are three Republican contenders — attorney and cryptocurrency advocate John Deaton, Quincy City Council President Ian Cain and researcher and engineer Bob Antonellis — who are facing off in the GOP primary for a shot at challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who has no primary challenger.

    None of the state’s nine Democratic congress members are facing primary challengers, including Reps. Seth Moulton of Salem, and Lori Trahan of Westford. Republicans didn’t field any candidates in 3rd or 6th Congressional district races, ensuring that Trahan and Moulton will win another two years in Congress.

    There are also a handful of contested state legislative primaries, including a rematch between incumbent Democratic Rep. Francisco Paulino of Methuen and Marcos A. Devers of Lawrence in the 16th Essex District race. There are no Republicans running for the House seat.

    Most of the largely Democratic state legislators representing the north of Boston region are facing no primary challengers, and few Republicans are running for the seats.

    On a county level, former Governor’s Councilor Eileen Duff of Gloucester is facing off against Navy veteran Joseph Michael Gentleman III in the Democratic primary for a six-year term as the Southern Essex County Register of Deeds. The winner will fill a vacancy left by former Register John O’Brien, a Democrat who retired on Dec. 31 after 47 years in the post.

    Incumbent Essex County Clerk of Courts Thomas Driscoll will try to fend off a challenge from former Beverly Councilor James FX Doherty on the Democratic ballot. The clerk oversees the superior courts in Salem, Lawrence and Newburyport.

    More than 4.9 million people are eligible to vote in the Sept. 3 primary, elections officials say. The majority, about 63%, are not affiliated with a political party.

    Under the Massachusetts system of open primaries, so-called “un-enrolled” or independent voters can choose a Republican or Democratic ballot.

    Registered Democrats can vote only in the Democratic primary, while Republicans can vote only on the GOP ballot. Libertarians, the state’s other major party, can only vote on their ballot.

    Secretary Of State Bill Galvin is recommending that voters check their city or town’s early voting schedule, and make a plan to vote. He noted that many local election offices have limited hours on Fridays.

    “With the primaries being held on the day after Labor Day, some voters may prefer to vote by mail or to vote early, especially if they have children going back to school that day,” Galvin said in a statement. “The early voting period gives you the chance to vote on whichever day you prefer, at your convenience.”

    Voters also can look up locations and times on the Secretary of State’s website: www.MassEarlyVote.com.

    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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  • Voter’s Choice: State Representatives

    Voter’s Choice: State Representatives

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    Voters head to the polls in just two short weeks to vote in the primaries Sept. 10 for their party representatives to run in the November general election for available state representative seats.

    As of this month, there are 194 Democrats, 197 Republicans and one independent seated in Concord. Eight seats are vacant.

    In Rockingham County, voters from district 1 (Pelham), districts 8 and 32 (Danville), District 13 (Derry), districts 15 and 34 (Hampstead), districts 16 and 35 (Londonderry), District 17 (Windham), District 18 (Atkinson), district 20s and 36 (Plaistow) and district 25 (Salem) will elect 32 of the county’s 67 available seats.

    Voters will see contested races on Sept. 10 in the following districts and parties.

    In Derry’s District 13, 11 Republicans are vying for 10 seats.

    In Londonderry’s District 16, 10 Republicans are vying for seven seats.

    In Salem’s District 25, 10 Republicans are vying for seven seats.

    In Danville’s District 32, two Republicans are vying for one seat.

    There are no contested races in any of the districts within the Democratic party.

    Statewide, 400 representatives will be chosen in November to represent the state’s 204 voting districts.

    Voters will also vote Sept. 10 for their party candidate for Congress and the House of Representatives.

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    By Jamie L. Costa jcosta@eagletribune.com

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  • With Healey away, DiZoglio pitches NDA ban

    With Healey away, DiZoglio pitches NDA ban

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    BOSTON — With Gov. Maura Healey and other Beacon Hill leaders out of state for the Democratic National Convention, state Auditor Diana DiZoglio is using the Statehouse bully pulpit to draw attention to the issue of nondisclosure agreements.

    On Tuesday, DiZoglio proposed an executive order that would — if she had signed it as acting governor — ban state agencies from using such agreements if they involve claims of discrimination, harassment or retaliation and require existing agreements to be posted on the state comptroller’s website for the public to view.

    “This is just a proposal to make meaningful change for transparency and accountability and prevent the use of taxpayer dollars for these agreements,” the Methuen Democrat told reporters at a briefing. “We want to work with the administration.”

    The proposal comes after DiZoglio’s office released an audit of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, claiming the agency violated state laws and its own procurement policies by failing to secure board approval for a no-bid media contract and a nondisclosure agreement for a $1.2 million settlement with an employee alleging racial discrimination.

    “That is absolutely unacceptable and we need to take bold and meaningful action across our state government to prevent that type of abuse of power from continuing to occur,” DiZoglio said.

    DiZoglio said she hopes the governor will considering signing the order, or work with her to adopt restrictions on the use of NDAs by the state government and quasi-public entities. Her office is conducting a statewide audit of NDA settlements.

    A Healey spokeswoman issued a statement Tuesday, saying only that the governor is “cooperating with the ongoing audit and will continue to discuss this issue with the auditor.”

    Under state law, the state auditor is fifth in the line of gubernatorial succession behind the lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general and treasurer if the governor dies in office or leaves the state for vacation or official business.

    With Healey and top Democrats attending the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this week, DiZoglio was possibly in line to take over as acting governor.

    That didn’t happen, because Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll stayed behind and Secretary of State Bill Galvin returned from the DNC on Tuesday, taking over as acting governor. Driscoll departed for Chicago on Tuesday afternoon, according to Galvin’s office.

    But that didn’t stop DiZoglio — who is rumored to be eyeing a run for governor in the 2026 elections — from using the brush with the governor’s office to highlight a key initiative.

    DiZoglio said she likely would have signed the executive order as acting governor if Healey’s predecessor, Republican Charlie Baker, were still occupying the governor’s office.

    “Because the previous administration repeatedly and consistently opposed any and all reforms to the abuse of taxpayer dollars that are used in these non-disclosure agreements,” she said. “That is not the case with this current administration.”

    As a state lawmaker, DiZoglio pushed for a state ban on nondisclosure agreements, which are commonly used by large companies to protect trade secrets, resolve arbitration cases and settle workplace conflicts.

    DiZoglio, victims rights advocates and other critics who are pushing to restrict the practice, say NDAs are increasingly shielding powerful men from accusations of abuse or rape.

    Disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and former Fox News star anchor Bill O’Reilly are among those who’ve been accused of hiding allegations of sexual harassment for years with out-of-court settlements and nondisclosure agreements that forbid the parties from talking about the cases.

    A firestorm surrounding the public accusations of sexual harassment against Weinstein and other men, fueled by the #MeToo movement, focused public attention on the ability of wealthy and powerful people to avoid scrutiny for decades despite repeated allegations.

    But DiZoglio says NDAs are also being used by the state to shield actions by the state government and quasi-governmental agencies like the convention authority.

    Still, legal experts say a total ban on nondisclosure and arbitration clauses raises constitutional issues.

    Pro-business groups such as the Associated Industries of Massachusetts argue that arbitration and other non-judicial remedies are crucial to resolving workplace conflicts. Banning the practice would clog the courts with employment law cases, the group asserts.

    To date, at least six states — California, Maryland, New Jersey, Tennessee, Vermont and Washington — have banned the use of nondisclosure agreements in settlements involving claims of sexual assault, harassment or discrimination.

    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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  • Gun rights group chips in $100K for court challenge

    Gun rights group chips in $100K for court challenge

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    BOSTON — A national gun rights group pledges to help fund a legal challenge to overturn the state’s tough new gun control law that critics say will do little to prevent gun violence while depriving people of their constitutional rights.

    The Firearm Industry Trade Association said it has donated $100,000 to the Massachusetts Gun Owners’ Action League to support the group’s legal challenge against new restrictions on firearms licensing signed into law by Gov. Maura Healey.

    “Massachusetts is known as a birthplace of the American Revolution, but these lawmakers have turned their backs to rights that belong to the people and instead are instituting an Orwellian state over the citizens of the Commonwealth,” Lawrence G. Keane, the association’s senior vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.

    “The fight to protect liberty and individual rights begins anew and we are confident that when federal courts apply scrutiny to this law, it will be relegated to the trash bin where it belongs,” Keane said.

    The new law, signed by Healey last month, adds dozens of long rifles to a list prohibited under the state’s “assault” weapons ban and outlaws the open carry of firearms in government buildings, polling places and schools, with exemptions for law enforcement officials.

    It sets strict penalties for possession of modification devices such as Glock switches that convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic, military-style weapons. The measure also expands the state’s red flag law, which allows a judge to suspend the gun license of someone deemed at risk to themselves or others.

    Massachusetts already has some of the toughest gun control laws in the country, including real-time license checks for private gun sales and stiff penalties for gun-based crimes.

    But Second Amendment groups argue tougher gun control laws are unnecessary and punish law-abiding gun owners while sidestepping the issue of illegal firearms.

    GOAL, which is affiliated with the National Rifle Association, has dubbed the restrictions the “The Devil’s Snare” and say it represents the greatest attack on civil rights in modern U.S. history. The group has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to overturn the new law’s training and licensing requirements. Other legal challenges are expected.

    Members of the group have also filed a petition with the Secretary of State’s Office to begin gathering signatures on a petition to put a repeal of the law before voters next year. The group wants to suspend the law ahead of a 2026 statewide referendum.

    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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  • Methuen council taking another vote on Searles Estate

    Methuen council taking another vote on Searles Estate

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    METHUEN — The City Council will likely vote on the purchase of the historic Searles Estate for the second time next month.

    The council voted against the purchase of the property for $3.25 million last week, which would typically mean the end of the proposed resolution. But after recent legal advice from City Solicitor Kenneth Rossetti, Chair Joel Faretra said he will bring the matter back for another vote at the council’s next meeting in September.

    City officials aim to preserve the historic site by acquiring the property from the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary. Those opposed have cited fiscal responsibility and said the city does not have a comprehensive plan for the aging estate.

    The Searles Estate encompasses 25 acres, with 19 available for purchase by the city. The estate is valued at $10 million. The acquisition would also include $1 million in artifacts.

    The vote Aug. 5, which left the community sharply divided, included two councilor absences and an abstention, leading to a potential conflict of interest.

    Only six of nine councilors voted. Faretra, Nicholas DiZoglio, Ronald Marsan and Allison Mary Saffie voted in favor while Neily Soto and Patricia Valley were opposed.

    Faretra said he was informed that the majority party can bring an item back for a vote, rather than just the prevailing side.

    Soto said preserving the estate is important but that it should be done through a public-private partnership which places less of a burden on taxpayers.

    Twelve potential buyers have looked at the estate over the years. One developer presented a plan that would demolish the estate and build apartments, according to the city.

    Sisters of the Presentation of Mary purchased the estate in 1957 to house Presentation of Mary Academy, which closed in 2020. Since then, the religious order has endeavored to find a buyer.

    The order was founded in France in 1796 and came to the United States in 1853, according to its website.

    The estate would likely need about $250,000 in annual maintenance, according to Chief Administrative & Financial Officer Maggie Duprey.

    The Methuen Historical Society has called the estate an “irreplaceable treasure” and urged the council and the community to support the purchase.

    The next council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 3 but that date will likely be adjusted due to the state primary elections, Faretra said.

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    By Teddy Tauscher | ttauscher@eagletribune.com

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  • Mass. Democrats praise Harris’ VP pick

    Mass. Democrats praise Harris’ VP pick

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    BOSTON — Massachusetts Democrats are praising Vice President Kamala Harris for choosing Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate in the upcoming presidential election.

    Harris made the announcement on Tuesday morning, ending weeks of speculation about her pick for a second-in-command to challenge former Republican President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. J.D. Vance, R-Ohio, as Democrats seek to hold onto the White House after incumbent President Joe Biden bowed out of the race.

    “Tim is a battle-tested leader who has an incredible track record of getting things done for Minnesota families. I know that he will bring that same principled leadership to our campaign, and to the office of the vice president,” Harris said in a statement.

    Walz, 60, is a military veteran, former public school teacher and six-term congressman. He was first elected as Minnesota’s governor in 2018 after defeating an incumbent candidate, a rare feat in the conservative-leaning, largely rural state.

    Gov. Maura Healey, a first-term Democrat and former surrogate for President Joe Biden, called Walz a “person of deep integrity and empathy” and lauded him as a “champion for the working families of his state (who) brings a common-sense approach to getting things done for the people he serves.”

    “Kamala Harris and Tim Walz will build a country where people have the ability to not just get by, but get ahead. They will grow our economy, reduce the costs of housing and prescription drugs, and create jobs in every part of this country,” Healey said in a statement.

    “They are the team we can trust to protect Social Security, Medicare, and the Affordable Care Act. And they will make sure every woman has access to the health care she needs,” she added.

    Rep. Lori Trahan called Walz an “excellent choice” and lauded his work on veterans affairs, education, gun safety and expanding benefits for workers.

    “He passed free school meals to make sure children don’t go hungry, gun safety laws to protect kids at school and in their communities, and paid leave for workers,” Trahan, a Westford Democrat, said in a statement. “We have a strong, proven ticket in Kamala Harris and Tim Walz who are ready to take our message for a better future directly to the American people.”

    Rep. Seth Moulton called him a “committed veteran, leader, and friend” and said the Harris-Walz ticket will “fight to unite America and make our country better.”

    “A tireless advocate for our troops, he knows how to stand up for those who have been left behind – or simply not appreciated for all they do for America,” the Salem Democrat said. “This election is a choice between community and chaos, between expanding freedoms for Americans or restricting them, between standing with our friends and allies or shirking responsibility and trust.”

    Sen. Elizabeth Warren said Walz is a “terrific pick” for Harris’ second-in-command and also praised his accomplishments as a governor.

    “As a former teacher, veteran, and one of the most effective governors in America, Walz has a strong track record of putting government on the side of working families,” Warren, a Cambridge Democrat, posted on X. “I’m all in for Harris-Walz!”

    Sen. Ed Markey called Walz a “working class champion” and said he has the experience to help Kamala Harris lead our nation and deliver on the promises of a livable future for our people and planet.”

    “We now have the ticket that will bring us to victory on Election Day,” the Malden Democrat posted on social media.

    At least one Newburyport Democrat is also hailing the pick as a win for the ticket.

    “I think Tim Walz was a great choice. He has fantastic experience that is very different from hers. He is a smart, honorable and highly qualified VP candidate,” Karen Trowbridge, Newburyport Democratic City Committee chair, said.

    Trowbridge went on to say she believes the Democratic Party will unite behind Walz just as they united behind Harris.

    “Democrats should feel proud and optimistic today,” she said.

    The Trump campaign blasted Walz, as a “dangerously liberal extremist,” while warning that their vision for the country is “every American’s nightmare.”

    “By picking Tim Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris not only bent the knee to the radical left, she doubled down on her dangerously liberal, weak, and failed agenda,” Brian Hughes, the Trump campaign senior adviser, said in a statement.

    “Walz would be a rubber stamp for Kamala to wage war on American energy, continue aiding and abetting an invasion on our border, and embolden our adversaries as the world is brought to the brink of World War III.”

    Daily News editor Dave Rogers contributed to this report.

    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 urges lawmakers to return for special session

    Healey urges lawmakers to return for special session

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    BOSTON — Gov. Maura Healey wants state lawmakers to return to Beacon Hill to take up a multibillion-dollar economic development bill that failed to pass before the end of formal sessions last week.

    Lawmakers recessed early Thursday after concluding the formal session and pushing through bills dealing with housing, veterans and parental rights, but left dozens of major proposals on the table as they headed out the door to focus on their reelection campaigns.

    Healey said the economic development bond money and legislation are “extremely important” to supporting the state’s business industry and boosting its competitiveness. She urged lawmakers to “return as soon as possible” to take up the plan before the Dec. 31 end of the two-year session.

    ”This is absolutely essential for economic growth and development, to support critical economic sectors, and to protect our economy and businesses in the face of increasing competition from other states,” Healey, a first-term Democrat, said in a statement. “The people of Massachusetts deserve it and are counting on us.”

    The bill, a key plank of Healey’s legislative agenda, would set aside hundreds of millions of dollars in bonding and tax credits to boost the state’s competitiveness. It also would reauthorize the state’s life sciences initiative for another decade and make a parallel investment in climate technology.

    Responding to the governor’s demands, Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, issued a statement saying the Senate “is ready to return to work and pass this critical economic development bond authorization—and we are prepared to call a special formal session to get it done.”

    Last week, House Speaker Ron Mariano, a Quincy Democrat, said he hopes to revisit a stalled prescription drug bill after those measures failed to make it across the finish line last week.

    Other major pieces of legislation that failed to pass before the end of formal sessions included bills dealing with plans to improve hospital oversight and blunt the impact of climate change.

    Massachusetts was also the last state to adopt a budget, sending the $58 billion spending plan to Healey nearly a month after the July 1 beginning of the fiscal year.

    The bottleneck of major bills has led to finger-pointing and criticism of the Legislature’s Democratic leadership, whom Republicans and pundits say waited until the July 31 end of formal sessions to rush through major pieces of legislation.

    Lawmakers can still vote on bills during informal sessions after July 31, but they lack sufficient numbers to challenge any vetoes or amendments. What’s more, debate on legislation taken up during informal sessions can be blocked by objections from any lawmaker.

    But proposals that involve spending or borrowing money require roll call votes, where lawmakers register their individual votes. Those votes can only be held in a formal session.

    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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  • Trahan calls for fed probe of Steward finances

    Trahan calls for fed probe of Steward finances

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    BOSTON — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan is urging federal authorities to investigate Stewart Health Care System’s plans to sell its Massachusetts hospitals after the bankrupt company announced plans to close two of the facilities.

    In a letter to the heads of U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services, Trahan said Steward’s decision to sell two hospitals — Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer, will “have a long-lasting impact on accessible healthcare” in those communities.

    The Westford Democrat, whose district includes Ayer, called on the agencies to probe the closures and “closely monitor” the sale of Steward’s six other hospitals in Massachusetts, including Holy Family’s locations in Methuen and Haverhill.

    “It is crucial to ensure that healthcare services remain accessible and affordable for patients as these hospitals transition to new ownership,” Trahan wrote.

    The Department of Justice and other agencies recently launched an investigation into the impact of “greed” at Steward and other health care systems. As part of the investigation, the agencies plan to review the impact of private equity firms on patient health, worker safety and the quality of care for patients.

    The Texas-based company is also the target of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston, which is probing allegations that include fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The federal law prohibits U.S. companies or citizens from engaging in bribery and corruption overseas.

    Trahan’s request would expand the scope of that investigation to include “domestic crimes” as well as “the consumer harms patients have faced because of the company’s actions.”

    Trahan cited the role of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management in Steward’s finances in Massachusetts and other states. She said acquisitions and sale-leaseback deals enriched Cerberus and Steward’s executives, including CEO Ralph de la Torre.

    Last week, the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted to initiate the investigation and issue a rare congressional subpoena for Steward’s CEO Ralph de la Torre to testify on Capitol Hill before the panel at a September hearing.

    Steward plans to put its 31 U.S. hospitals up for sale to pay down $9 billion in outstanding liabilities owed to creditors as part of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protections in May.

    Bids on Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals and other states were due last week= but the company hasn’t disclosed prospective buyers. The company’s attorneys have asked a federal bankruptcy judge on Monday to postpone a court hearing on the hospital sales until Aug. 13 as it finalizes lease terms and other details.

    Meanwhile, the Healey administration’s plans to provide about $30 million in repurposed state-Medicaid funding to keep the hospitals running as they transition to new ownership is facing opposition from a committee representing creditors during the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

    In a court filing late Monday, the committee said it has “significant concerns” that the $30 million pledged by the state may provide near-term (and important) assistance in transitioning the hospital to new owners, “it will do so at the expense of the rest of debtors, their estates and their creditors.”

    Gov. Maura Healey has pledged that “not a dime” of the $30 million will go to Steward and will instead help ensure a smooth transition to new hospital ownership. But she noted that her administration has little or no authority to block the hospital closures.

    “It’s Steward’s decision to close these hospitals, there’s nothing that the state can do, that I can do, that I have the power to do, to keep that from happening,” Healey told reporters on Monday. “We are in this situation … because of the greed of one individual, Ralph de la Torre, and the management team at Steward.”

    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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  • Trahan calls for federal probe of Steward finances

    Trahan calls for federal probe of Steward finances

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    BOSTON — U.S. Rep. Lori Trahan is urging federal authorities to investigate Stewart Health Care System’s plans to sell its Massachusetts hospitals after the bankrupt company announced plans to close two of the facilities.

    In a letter to the heads of U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission and Department of Health and Human Services, Trahan said Steward’s decision to sell two hospitals – Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer – will “have a long-lasting impact on accessible health care” in those communities.

    The Westford Democrat, whose district includes Ayer, called on the agencies to probe the closures and “closely monitor” the sale of Steward’s six other hospitals in Massachusetts, including Holy Family’s locations in Methuen and Haverhill.

    “It is crucial to ensure that healthcare services remain accessible and affordable for patients as these hospitals transition to new ownership,” Trahan wrote.

    The Department of Justice and other agencies recently launched an investigation into the impact of “greed” at Steward and other health care systems. As part of the investigation, the agencies plan to review the impact of private equity firms on patient health, worker safety and the quality of care for patients.

    The Texas-based company is also the target of an investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s office in Boston, which is probing allegations that include fraud and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. The federal law prohibits U.S. companies or citizens from engaging in bribery and corruption overseas.

    Trahan’s request would expand the scope of that investigation to include “domestic crimes” as well as “the consumer harms patients have faced because of the company’s actions.”

    Trahan cited the role of the private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management in Steward’s finances in Massachusetts and other states. She said acquisitions and sale-leaseback deals enriched Cerberus and Steward’s executives, including CEO Ralph de la Torre.

    Last week, the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions voted to initiate the investigation and issue a rare congressional subpoena for Steward’s CEO Ralph de la Torre to testify on Capitol Hill before the panel at a September hearing.

    Steward plans to put its 31 U.S. hospitals up for sale to pay down $9 billion in outstanding liabilities owed to creditors as part of the company’s bankruptcy proceedings. The company filed for federal bankruptcy protections in May.

    Bids on Steward’s Massachusetts hospitals and other states were due last week= but the company hasn’t disclosed prospective buyers. The company’s attorneys have asked a federal bankruptcy judge on Monday to postpone a court hearing on the hospital sales until Aug. 13 as it finalizes lease terms and other details.

    Meanwhile, the Healey administration’s plans to provide about $30 million in repurposed state Medicaid funding to keep the hospitals running as they transition to new ownership is facing opposition from a committee representing creditors during the company’s bankruptcy proceedings.

    In a court filing late Monday, the committee said it has “significant concerns” that the $30 million pledged by the state may provide near-term (and important) assistance in transitioning the hospital to new owners, “it will do so at the expense of the rest of debtors, their estates and their creditors.”

    Gov. Maura Healey has pledged that “not a dime” of the $30 million will go to Steward and will instead help ensure a smooth transition to new hospital ownership. But she noted that her administration has little or no authority to block the hospital closures.

    “It’s Steward’s decision to close these hospitals, there’s nothing that the state can do, that I can do, that I have the power to do, to keep that from happening,” Healey told reporters on Monday. “We are in this situation … because of the greed of one individual, Ralph de la Torre, and the management team at Steward.”

    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 enters GOP convention with bandage covering ear

    Trump enters GOP convention with bandage covering ear

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    MILWAUKEE (AP) — Former President Donald Trump, two days after surviving an attempted assassination, appeared triumphantly at the Republican National Convention’s opening night with a bandage over his right ear.

    Delegates cheered wildly as Trump appeared onscreen backstage and then emerged, visibly emotional, as Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the USA.” Trump did not address the convention.

    Trump’s appearance came hours after jubilant and emboldened delegates nominated the former president to lead their ticket for a third time and welcomed Ohio Sen. JD Vance as his running mate.

    “We must unite as a party, and we must unite as a nation,” said Republican Party Chairman Michael Whatley, Trump’s handpicked party leader, as he opened Monday’s primetime national convention session. “We must show the same strength and resilience as President Trump and lead this nation to a greater future.”

    But Whatley and other Republican leaders made clear that their calls for harmony did not extend to President Joe Biden and Democrats.

    “Their policies are a clear and present danger to America, to our institutions, our values and our people,” said Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, welcoming the party to his battleground state, which Trump won in 2016 but lost to Biden four years ago.

    Saturday’s shooting at a Pennsylvania rally, where Trump was injured and one man died, was not far from delegates’ minds as they celebrated — a stark contrast to the anger and anxiety that had marked the previous few days. Some delegates chanted “fight, fight, fight” — the same words that Trump was seen shouting to the crowd as the Secret Service ushered him off the stage, his fist raised and face bloodied.

    “We should all be thankful right now that we are able to cast our votes for President Donald J. Trump after what took place on Saturday,” said New Jersey state Sen. Michael Testa as he announced all of his state’s 12 delegates for Trump.

    The scene upon Trump’s formal nomination reflected the depths of his popularity among Republican activists. When he cleared the necessary number of delegates, video screens in the arena read “OVER THE TOP” while the song “Celebration” played and delegates danced and waved Trump signs. Throughout the voting, delegates flanked by “Make America Great Again” signs applauded as state after state voted their support for a second Trump term.

    Multiple speakers invoked religious imagery to discuss Trump and the assassination attempt.

    “The devil came to Pennsylvania holding a rifle,” said Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. “But an American lion got back up on his feet!”

    Wyoming delegate Sheryl Foland was among those who adopted the “fight” chant after seeing Trump survive Saturday in what she called “monumental photos and video.”

    “We knew then we were going to adopt that as our chant,” added Foland, a child trauma mental health counselor. “Not just because we wanted him to fight, and that God was fighting for him. We thought, isn’t it our job to accept that challenge and fight for our country?”

    “It’s bigger than Trump,” Foland said. “It’s a mantra for our country.”

    Another well-timed development boosted the mood on the convention floor Monday: The federal judge presiding over Trump’s classified documents case dismissed the prosecution because of concerns over the appointment of the prosecutor who brought the case, handing the former president a major court victory.

    The convention is designed to reach people outside the GOP base

    Trump’s campaign chiefs designed the convention to feature a softer and more optimistic message, focusing on themes that would help a divisive leader expand his appeal among moderate voters and people of color.

    On a night devoted to the economy, delegates and a national TV audience heard from speakers the Trump campaign pitched as “everyday Americans” — a single mother talking about inflation, a union member who identified himself as a lifelong Democrat now backing Trump, among others.

    Featured speakers also included Black Republicans who have been at the forefront of the Trump campaign’s effort to win more votes from a core Democratic constituency.

    U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas said rising grocery and energy prices were hurting Americans’ wallets and quoted Ronald Reagan in calling inflation “the cruelest tax on the poor.” Hunt argued Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t seem to understand the problem.

    “We can fix this disaster,” Hunt said, by electing Trump and “send him right back to where he belongs, the White House.”

    U.S. Rep. Wesley Hunt of Texas said rising grocery and energy prices were hurting Americans’ wallets and quoted Ronald Reagan in calling inflation “the cruelest tax on the poor.” Hunt argued Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t seem to understand the problem.

    “We can fix this disaster,” Hunt said, by electing Trump and “send him right back to where he belongs, the White House.”

    Scott, perhaps the party’s most well-known Black lawmaker, declared: “America is not a racist country.”

    Republicans hailed Vance’s selection as a key step toward a winning coalition in November.

    Trump announced his choice of his running mate as delegates were voting on the former president’s nomination Monday. The young Ohio senator first rose to national attention with his best-selling memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy,” which told of his Appalachian upbringing and was hailed as a window into the parts of working-class America that helped propel Trump.

    North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who had been considered a potential vice presidential pick, said in a post on X that Vance’s “small town roots and service to country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda.”

    Yet despite calls for harmony, two of the opening speakers at Monday’s evening session — Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and North Carolina gubernatorial nominee Mark Robinson — are known as some of the party’s most incendiary figures.

    Robinson, speaking recently during a church service in North Carolina, discussed “evil” people who he said threatened American Christianity. “Some folks need killing,” he said then, though he steered clear of such rhetoric at the convention stage.

    Trump’s nomination came on the same day that Biden sat for another national TV interview the 81-year-old president sought to demonstrate his capacity to serve another four years despite continued worries within his own party.

    Biden told ABC News that he made a mistake recently when he told Democratic donors the party must stop questioning his fitness for office and instead put Trump in a “bullseye.” Republicans have circulated the comment aggressively since Saturday’s assassination attempt, with some openly blaming Biden for inciting the attack on Trump’s life.

    The president’s admission was in line with his call Sunday from the Oval Office for all Americans to ratchet down political rhetoric. But Biden maintained Monday that drawing contrasts with Trump, who employs harsh and accusatory language, is a legitimate part of a presidential contest.

    Inside the arena in Milwaukee, Republicans did not dial back their attacks on Biden, at one point playing a video that mocked the president’s physical stamina and mental acuity.

    They alluded often to the “Biden-Harris administration” and found ways to take digs at Vice President Kamala Harris — a not-so-subtle allusion to the possibility that Biden could step aside in favor of Harris.

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  • Elected officials condemn Trump attack, call for calm

    Elected officials condemn Trump attack, call for calm

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    Massachusetts and New Hampshire officials are condemning political violence and calling for calm after the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at a Pennsylvania rally.

    Trump was rushed off the stage Saturday after a bullet grazed his ear in what authorities described as an apparent assassination attempt. One spectator was killed and two others critically injured in the incident, authorities said.

    Federal authorities named Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, of Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, as the suspect. He was shot and killed by authorities. A motive is not yet known.

    But the attack stoked fears about increasing violence in the nation’s toxic political system ahead of an already divisive presidential election, with Trump locked in a neck-and-neck race for the White House against incumbent Democratic President Joe Biden.

    Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey condemned the attack, praised law enforcement for its “swift response,” and said she was “relieved” the former president is safe.

    “Political violence has no place in this country, and all Americans must condemn it,” the Democrat said in a statement.

    Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, issued a joint statement, saying they “grieve for the families affected by Saturday’s tragedy and condemn those who would seek to use violence to further their political goals.”

    “While we may disagree on many things, we are deeply committed to this country’s ideals of settling those disagreements through public participation, debate, and respect for our colleagues regardless of their affiliation,” they said.

    Members of Massachusetts’s all-Democratic congressional delegation also denounced the violence and appealed for calm.

    “It doesn’t matter how much we might disagree in politics, violence is never acceptable,” Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Salem, said in a statement. “This is a polarized time, but we’re stronger when we’re united, not divided.”

    New Hampshire’s political leaders also voiced their outrage and appealed for calm in the November elections.

    “Political violence of any kind is never acceptable,” Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., said in a statement. “I’m appreciative of the quick efforts of law enforcement and hope the former President and anyone else injured today recovers fully.”

    Republican Gov. Chris Sununu echoed those sentiments on social media, saying in a statement that “violence of any form has no place in America” and wishing Trump a “speedy recovery” from his injuries.

    The assassination attempt on Trump was the first instance of a president or presidential candidate being targeted with violence since President Ronald Reagan survived a shooting in 1981.

    Biden used a rare White House address Sunday to condemn violence and pleaded with Americans to cool the political rhetoric ahead of the November elections, citing the attempt on Trump and other recent incidents involving elected officials.

    “A former president was shot. An American citizen was killed while simply exercising his freedom to support the candidate of his choosing. We cannot, we must not go down this road in America,” the Democrat said. “We’ve traveled it before throughout history. Violence has never been the answer.”

    Trump arrived Sunday in Milwaukee for the Republican National Convention, where he is expected to accept his party’s formal nomination in a speech later this week.

    Delegates from the state’s Republican Party, who are expected to attend the four-day convention, issued a statement wishing Trump a speedy recovery, condemning the violence and calling on Americans “to unify as a nation to condemn this horrible incident.”

    “Like every American, we are outraged, horrified and deeply concerned,” MassGOP Chairwoman Amy Carnevale and other party officials said. “Whether Democrat or Republican, despite our differences, we all desire peace and prosperity for our nation.”

    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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