Meet the new Mass. climate bills

Also: Celtics parade prep; how Mass. helped make strawberries so delicious [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 21, 2024 🏆 Mostly cloudy, with a high near 84 and off-and-on storms. Good Morning Boston, TGIF! It will take more than a few showers to rain on the Celtics parade today. However, [the forecast]( is calling for [scattered thunderstorms](. So, bring a poncho if you're one of the million fans lining up to see [McDonald's customer Jayson Tatum]( and friends tout the Larry O'Brien trophy (fresh off [its North End night out with Joe Mazzulla](. [Check out this brief parade guide]( for the route map, nearby MBTA stops and some of the major dos and don'ts. Even if you're not going to the 11 a.m. parade, city officials say to avoid driving anywhere in the general downtown area between late morning and early afternoon due to "plentiful" traffic and "scarce" parking. Boston commuters are also encouraged to work remotely, if they can. (There's a reason BPS [called off all classes today]( Now, to the news: - On Beacon Hill: Climate legislation is on the move — again — in the Massachusetts State House. While state lawmakers have enacted[multiple]( climate laws]( in the past few years, the Senate is advancing two new bills with the environment in mind this week: - Yesterday, the Senate passed [a bill]( aimed at cutting Bay Staters' use of plastics. The state currently has a patchwork of municipal plastic bag bans in [over 160 cities and towns]( including Boston, Worcester and Springfield. The Senate bill — passed by a 38-2 vote — would expand those bans to all communities, along with a few other measures. - The bill would prohibit stores from handing out disposable plastic bags at checkout, and instead require them to charge 10 cents for a paper or reusable bag. (The Senate[passed a similar bill in 2019]( but the House never got on board.) - The bill would also ban restaurants, coffee shops and other retailers from giving customers straws, cup spill plugs and other disposable "food service ware," unless requested. - Finally, the bill would create a statewide program for recycling of bulky plastic objects — particularly child car seats. - The Senate could also vote today on [another bill]( focused on changes Senate President Karen Spilka says are needed to put the state on track to meet its 2050 net-zero emissions goals. (The vote was originally scheduled yesterday, but was delayed by [a procedural move by one Republican senator]( - The bill would primarily expedite the siting and permitting of clean energy infrastructure projects — from solar farms to electric substations — amid criticism that bureaucracy has slowed some of those efforts. The bill would consolidate the various permits needed for such projects and set 12-to-15-month deadlines for agencies to process them. However, it would still give "lots of opportunities for local governments and folks to have input," Spilka said this week. - The bill also looks to spur the[state's sputtering electric vehicle movement]( in part by extending funding for the[state's EV rebates]( through 2027 and making it easier for condo owners to install at-home chargers. - Separately, the bill would ban [controversial competitive electric suppliers]( from enrolling new residential customers. - What's next: Senate Republicans can't stall the vote for long. But both bills still have to go through the House. House Speaker Ron Mariano [suggested last week]( his chamber is at least interested in reforming the energy project permitting process. But banning plastic checkout bags? That's less certain. And [advocates are skeptical]( about anything getting to Healey's desk. - Heads up: Two sections of the T are going dark for the weekend. To the south, [shuttles will replace the Mattapan trolley]( from 8:30 p.m. tonight through Sunday. Up north, shuttles will replace Orange Line service [between Oak Grove and North Station](. - Up next: A slightly shorter Orange Line diversion will continue next week, between Wellington and North Station. Downtown commuters can take the Haverhill commuter rail line or the express shuttle to North Station (both of which will be free). - After the duck boats: Boston's annual Pizza Festival returns to City Hall Plaza for its fifth year this weekend. The two-day fest gives attendees the chance to sample slices from over 20 different vendors, from Florina Pizzeria to Bertucci's. - How to attend: Entry is ostensibly free, but you'll have to pay for pizza ([a three-slice minimum for $12]( P.S.— What caused the two-hour 911 outage across the state on Tuesday? [Take our Boston News Quiz]( and see if you know the answer. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters  The Rundown [Inside the ancient walls of the state's women's prison, a program for young inmates launches]( The new PEACE program is aimed at helping women prisoners under 30 learn life skills that will help keep them out of prison. [Read more.]( [Inside the ancient walls of the state's women's prison, a program for young inmates launches]( The new PEACE program is aimed at helping women prisoners under 30 learn life skills that will help keep them out of prison. [Read more.]( [As Boston pursues 'hub' model, city battles memories of segregated neighborhood schools]( The neighborhood school model was a big driver of inequity among Boston public schools in the years before mandatory busing. BPS is hoping that a new kind of school model will rebuild trust among families and the schools they live near. [Read more.]( [As Boston pursues 'hub' model, city battles memories of segregated neighborhood schools]( The neighborhood school model was a big driver of inequity among Boston public schools in the years before mandatory busing. BPS is hoping that a new kind of school model will rebuild trust among families and the schools they live near. [Read more.]( [Heat and snowfall, rain and wildfires. It’s a week of extreme weather in the U.S]( As New England sweated through a record heat wave, Montana got rare late-June snow. Firefighters are battling wildfires out West, while forecasters eye another possible tropical storm in the Atlantic. [Read more.]( [Heat and snowfall, rain and wildfires. It’s a week of extreme weather in the U.S]( As New England sweated through a record heat wave, Montana got rare late-June snow. Firefighters are battling wildfires out West, while forecasters eye another possible tropical storm in the Atlantic. [Read more.]( [Healey signs bill banning revenge porn]( Gov. Maura Healey signed into law that bans revenge pornography and cracks down on coercive control by domestic abusers today, her office said. The governor's signature makes Massachusetts the 49th state to prohibit revenge porn, leaving South Carolina as the only outlier. [Read more.]( [Healey signs bill banning revenge porn]( Gov. Maura Healey signed into law that bans revenge pornography and cracks down on coercive control by domestic abusers today, her office said. The governor's signature makes Massachusetts the 49th state to prohibit revenge porn, leaving South Carolina as the only outlier. [Read more.]( [The Supreme Court leaves a Trump-era offshore tax in place on investors]( The case had potentially trillions of dollars in tax consequences for the federal budget, and the court's decision could have severely limited congressional options in enacting tax policy. [Read more.]( [The Supreme Court leaves a Trump-era offshore tax in place on investors]( The case had potentially trillions of dollars in tax consequences for the federal budget, and the court's decision could have severely limited congressional options in enacting tax policy. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - While the rest of his Boston Celtics teammates flocked to Miami to bask in their NBA championship glory, Al Horford says he stayed home to savor the moment with family. WBUR's Khari Thompson [caught up with Horford to talk about what it means to finally win a title]( after 17 years in the NBA — and in a city that's embraced him.  - Did you know yesterday's summer solstice was the earliest in more than two centuries? The short story is because of quirks in the Gregorian calendar. The long story... well, [you'll have to click here](.  - This week, the Coalition for a Resilient and Inclusive Waterfront is hosting a 10-day series of public health and wellness events that bring people to the Boston waterfront. But as Ian Kirby [writes in this Cognoscenti commentary]( bringing people to the waterfront shouldn’t be limited to one beautiful (if sweltering) week in June.  - An asteroid with a good chance of hitting Earth? [A new NASA simulation explores the different options]( and bureaucratic obstacles the country would face under such a hypothetical situation. What We're Reading 📚 - 50 years after desegregation order, how do Boston schools teach it? ([GBH News]( - Cambridge is considering a controversial approach to saving local news: Having the city pay for it. ([The Boston Globe]( - How Two Beluga Whales Made It to Safety From Ukraine ([The New York Times](  Food For Thought [A king, a spy and intrigue: How Mass. helped make strawberries so delicious]( Food historian Susan Benjamin takes us back in time to trace the surprising history of strawberries in New England. [Read more.]( [A king, a spy and intrigue: How Mass. helped make strawberries so delicious]( Food historian Susan Benjamin takes us back in time to trace the surprising history of strawberries in New England. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common [reflects on 50 years of hip-hop with Boston emcee Edo.G.]( Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: [The real summertime sadness.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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