Government

Gov. Healey Issues Pardon for Misdemeanor Marijuana Possession Convictions in Massachusetts

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Governor Maura Healey announced on Wednesday that she is taking executive action to pardon misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in Massachusetts, which needs to be approved by the Governor’s Council. Healey's pardon will apply to all eligible convictions, and most people will not need to take any action to have their criminal records updated. The pardon would apply to all adult Massachusetts state court misdemeanor convictions before March 13, 2024 for possession of marijuana. “Nobody should face barriers to getting a job, housing or an education because of an old misdemeanor marijuana conviction that they would not be charged for today,” said Healey. She said it would be would be the most comprehensive action by a governor since President Joe Biden pardoned federal marijuana possession convictions and called on governors to take similar actions in their states.

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Development

Neighborhood Talk about Shattuck Redevelopment with Elected Officials (and Pizza!) on March 18

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A trio of politicians are leading a community meeting to discuss the redevelopment of the Shattuck Campus on Monday night at English High School. And pizza will be provided, but no word on where the pizza will be from. District 6 City Councilor Ben Weber, state Representative Sam Montaño, and state Senator Liz Miranda will hold the community conversation at 6 pm. The meeting will not be streamed. "This meeting is a community conversation, not an official meeting," tweeted Montaño.

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Elections

Councilor Erin Murphy Running for SJC Suffolk County Clerk

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At-Large Boston City Councilor Erin Murphy recently let it be known that she's running for the Supreme Judicial Court for Suffolk County's clerk. Murphy is looking to replace Maura Doyle, who recently announced she's retiring from the elected position. Murphy's announcement was originally reported by Kelly Garrity. Garrity reported that Murphy said her decades as a BPS teacher and her time on the council make her qualified for the job whose responsibilities are for "the single justice caseload of the Supreme Judicial Court, administrative and disciplinary matters filed by the Board of Bar Overseers affecting members of the bar, and matters relating to Bar Admission and the practice of law in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts." Murphy will be running against Allison Cartwright, who, like Doyle, is an attorney, reported UniversalHub.com.

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Government

Let Your Voice Be Heard: Upcoming Southwest Corridor Action Plan Meeting at JP Library and Online

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The state would like the community's input on the Southwest Corridor Action Plan, and will host several neighborhood meetings this month. DCR says that the 4-mile corridor that spans Back Bay, South End, Roxbury, Fenway, Mission Hill, and Jamaica Plain, is due for renewed attention and investment. They're working on "a comprehensive and inclusive master planning process leading to a vision for both short- and long-term investments that renovate and modernize the park while strengthening and supporting the communities it serves." The corridor runs adjacent to the MBTA Orange Line and encompasses eight different transit stations, community gardens, basketball and tennis courts, a skate park in Jamaica Plain, playgrounds and more. The Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) will be sharing what they've heard from the community so far recording the action plan during a public meeting at the Jamaica Plain Library (30 South St.) on Jan.

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City Services

Initiate Franklin Action Park Plan! City Hiring Full-Time Administrator and Maintenance Staff for Franklin Park

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Mayor Michelle Wu said that the city will be hiring a dedicated full-time administrator and six new full-time maintenance and natural resources staff that will bring dedicated staff for Franklin Park to its highest level in more than 50 years. During Wu's State of the City Address on Tuesday, she said the city will act on the recommendations of the Franklin Park Action Plan, and hire the new staff members. Currently, the park has three dedicated maintenance staff, and city will also begin the process for community input and design to reimagine and invest in a home for the Elma Lewis Playhouse. “The Franklin Park Coalition is thrilled to celebrate Mayor Wu’s significant new investments in Franklin Park,” said Rickie Thompson, President of the Franklin Park Coalition, via press release. “The Coalition has been advocating for renovations and additional staffing for a significant time.

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Government

State Wants to Scale Back Shattuck Hospital Plan

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The state got one proposal to redesign the Shattuck Hospital campus in Franklin Park which pitched more than 800 beds of treatment, shelter and supporting housing -- and that was way more than what they wanted. With that said, a coalition of nonprofits led by Boston Medical Center that pitched the only proposal, is going back to the drawing board. The state initially called for 75 to 100 supportive housing units when it requested proposals in 2021. The BMC's proposal included 446 treatment and emergency shelter beds, 405 units of supportive housing, and outpatient programs to serve up to 400 people a day. But it was too big and too pricey, reported the Boston Globe, and now the state and the BMC are looking to modify the original proposal.

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Government

New Boston Housing Authority Police HQ Opened in Jamaica Plain

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The new Boston Housing Authority Police Headquarters in Jamaica Plain was previously an underutilized structure used by BHA maintenance staff to store roofing supplies.  

Members of the BHA South Street public housing community joined Mayor Michelle Wu, Boston Housing Authority (BHA) Administrator Kenzie Bok, and former Administrator Kate Bennett, on Friday for a ribbon cutting at the new HQ by BHA's South Street location. Wu also announced the appointment of Shumeane Benford as chief of the BHA Police Department. Benford currently serves as the Chief of the City’s Office of Emergency Management (OEM), and will remain in that role until after the 2024 Boston Marathon. “We’re thrilled to cut the ribbon on a beautiful new home for Boston Housing Authority police to support their continued community partnership,” said Wu.

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Government

Pressley Proposes Bill to Guarantee Right to Vote for Incarcerated Citizens

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If you're a citizen and incarcerated, you are not allowed to vote. Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley unveiled a bill on Wednesday that would end felony disenfranchisement and guarantee the right to vote for incarcerated citizens. Pressley (MA- D 7th and Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) announced the legislation that would allow an estimated 4.6 million citizens, disproportionately Black and brown citizens who are denied voting rights because of a criminal conviction, to be able to vote. Sen. Ed Markey (D-MA) is a co-sponsor of the bill. “Too often, citizens behind the wall and those with a record are wrongfully stripped of their sacred right to vote and denied the opportunity to participate in our democracy," said Pressley.

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Government

Councilor Lara Says Report Shows She Was Driving Half The Speed Police Allege When She Crashed

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District 6 City Councilor Kendra Lara says an as-yet-unreleased report she commissioned from a crash reconstruction company indicates she was driving 27 mph when she crashed a borrowed vehicle into a house on Centre Street in June. A Boston Police Department investigator has said that Lara was driving at least 50 mph at the time of the accident. Lara, a first-term city councilor, is facing two opponents, Jamaica Plain's Ben Weber and West Roxbury's William King, in the preliminary municipal election on September 12. Two candidates will advance to the general election on November 7. On June 30 at around 4:25 pm, Lara, whose driver's license was revoked in 2013, was driving on Centre Street and said she swerved to avoid hitting a vehicle pulling out of a driveway, avoided another oncoming vehicle, and drove into a house at 803 Centre St.

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Government

Want to Represent Boston on MBTA Board of Directors?

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Earlier this month, the state legislature and Governor Maura Healey passed a state budget that created a seat for a Boston resident to be on the board of directors for the MBTA. Would you like to be the person to fill that seat? The new seat on the board will give Boston "a direct role in the governance of the region’s public transit system." In the coming weeks, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu will be considering candidates to serve on the board, which meets monthly and holds monthly subcommittee meetings. The city wants residents to share "your ideas, hopes, and concerns with Mayor Wu and the new MBTA Board of Directors member."

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