State House Takeout

Heading into the Legislature's summer recess, the SHNS team digs into some takeaways from July 31, the final formal sessions before lawmakers' vacations. The branches processed time-sensitive budget amendments from Gov. Baker dealing with the sales tax holiday and offshore wind; struggled over a routine authorization of horse racing; and failed to muster a final deal on a distracted driving ban.

With Massachusetts a couple steps closer to a fiscal 2020 budget, the SHNS crew reviews the spending deal enacted Monday by the House and Senate, including UMass tuition implications and a large revenue markup. Also on this week's episode: gearing up for a do-over of the Legislature's RMV oversight hearing; the House passes a climate adaptation bill; and Gov. Charlie Baker proposes an incentive to telecommute.

Beacon Hill took a walk on the quiet side this week amid a continuing House-Senate budget standoff, so on this week's Takeout, the News Service crew talks about issues that popped up on a federal and interstate level: Gov. Charlie Baker's meeting with neighboring governors, a holdup in the Vineyard Wind project, and a proposed "offensive" on Rhode Island's gaming industry. Looking ahead to next week: formal sessions are scheduled for possible consideration of a three-week-late budget agreement, and state transportation officials are called up to the State House for an RMV oversight hearing.

Twelve days past the deadline for a fiscal 2020 budget, Katie Lannan and the SHNS crew dissect where conference talks currently stand and what's at stake. Colin A. Young reports on transportation financing conversations underway on Beacon Hill. And Chris Lisinski has details on Gov. Baker's proposal to further regulate ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft.

In this week's Takeout box of choice leftovers from the week on Beacon Hill: Matt Murphy recaps the turmoil in the Governor's Council Chamber over the latest Parole Board nominee. Chris Lisinski reports on the appeal decision on the Weymouth gas compressor permit. Colin A. Young has news from the cannabis world - a CBD foods ban, and updated state cannabis regulations. And as usual this summer, there's MBTA news, and Matt talks about Gov. Baker's nighttime visit to the derailment site in Dorchester.

Programming Note: The Takeout takes a hiatus next Friday in observance of the Fourth of July holiday, returning July 12.

Matt Murphy talks about where Beacon Hill stands on the ROE Act abortion access bill, Katie Lannan looks ahead to the Legislature's agenda for the rest of the summer, and Colin A. Young looks ahead two days to the much-anticipated opening of the Encore Boston Harbor casino.

Transportation and education woes, and a proposal to pump billions of dollars into those areas. Chris Lisinski and Katie Lannan cover this week's Red Line derailment and education funding lawsuit. Colin A. Young jumps off those recent events to report on advancement of a proposed surtax on millionaires to boost funding for transportation and public schools.

It's a special SHNS 125th anniversary episode, featuring tidbits of newsroom history and speeches from the News Service's anniversary party: President Karen Spilka, Speaker Robert DeLeo, press corps dean Peter Lucas, and Shelly Cohen of the Globe's editorial page.

Katie Lannan runs through the Beacon Hill holdup of a compromise charter school plan for New Bedford. Matt Murphy talks about the growing conversation around legal sports betting. And Chris Lisinski has an updated timeline for the Weymouth gas compressor station permit appeal process.

The SHNS crew reviews this week's Senate budget debate and highlights a few amendments related to school transportation, education funding, and combating hate crimes in Massachusetts. Matt Murphy has details on State House protests that escalated by Thursday into a war of words with Speaker Robert DeLeo.