Rent control on the move — not only in Boston

Also: Report shows UMass Dartmouth hid allegations against officer; the right to be rude [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  March 8, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy and gusty again, with a high near 43. Good Morning Boston, In case you're still [dizzy from yesterday's Downeaster drinking rules reversal]( we'll keep today's news more straightforward. Let's get to it: - The Boston City Council is expected to vote on Mayor Michelle Wu's [rent control proposal]( during its meeting today, potentially the first of several rounds of approval the measure eventually needs to take effect. And as The Boston Globe [reported last week]( there are increasing signs that the Council may be amenable to Wu's [compromise plan](. But it's not only Boston showing an appetite for caps on rent increases. - WBUR's Amy Sokolow reports that Somerville is also planning to move forward with a rent control home rule petition this year. City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen says he is hearing "constantly" from constituents who are being pushed out of the city by rent increases. "This has been happening for years, but since the Green Line came in, it's been an explosion," Ewen-Campen. - What's next: Like Wu, Somerville Wu Katjana Ballantyne [touted rent control during her 2021 campaign](. While Ewen-Campen said it was too early to get into specific details, he said it's important that they draft a policy that protects tenants from rent gouging and also has a chance of getting through the State House. Ewen-Campen is [hopeful the city can pass the measure by this fall](. - Remember — whether it's Boston, Somerville or any other of the state's 351 cities and towns — Massachusetts' statewide ban on rent control means these home rule petitions also need approval from both chambers of the State House and Gov. Maura Healey. Healey has said she supports letting cities and towns pass their own local laws, but it's unclear if the House and Senate agree. - Zoom out: The two cities' movement on the issue comes after a [new poll released Tuesday]( found that a sizable majority of Bay Staters support giving cities and towns the ability to institute their own rent control policies — by a 65%-25% margin. - Gov. Maura Healey says she's "days, not weeks" away from appointing a new transportation safety chief to conduct a full review of the state's roads, bridges and public transit systems. The newly created position — a core piece of [the Healey campaign's transportation plan]( — is intended to "ensure people's confidence in the safety and reliability of public transit," Healey told reporters at the State House on Tuesday. - It comes at a time when that confidence might not be particularly high, after [an MBTA ceiling panel fell]( and nearly hit [a college student]( in Harvard station. MBTA officials said Tuesday that they are now removing all panels on the southbound side of the station in order "to do a thorough inspection of the overhead structure." - Why the hold up? Healey [had pledged]( to hire someone for the safety chief job within 60 days of her inauguration — a deadline that [came and went]( earlier this week. She told reporters yesterday that it's simply been "a process" finding the "very best people" for both the safety chief and MBTA general manager jobs. - In related news: Healey's budget includes $5 million for a program offering discounted MBTA fares to low-income riders. Here's [a close look at what it would look like and what comes next](. - Listen, we don't advocate for rudeness in this newsletter — but you do apparently have a constitutional right to be a "[Masshole]( The state's Supreme Judicial Court [ruled yesterday]( that towns, cities and public agencies cannot silence a person during "public comment" portions of meetings for making rude statements. The case stems from a 2018 Southborough Select Board meeting in which officials cut off a resident who they said was being rude about a property tax hike. - ACLU lawyer Ruth Bourquin tells WBUR's Dave Faneuf that the ruling yesterday makes clear that officials can't do that, "whether or not they deem the speech respectful or courteous enough." - Is your dream to be the Suffolk County register of probate? Now's your chance. Former Boston city councilor Felix D. Arroyo has retired from the low-profile but high-paying post, as [The Boston Globe]( and [Boston Herald]( report. (The 74-year-old is not to be confused with his sons, City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo or former councilor Felix G. Arroyo.) - What's next: It will be up to Healey to appoint a replacement until the next state election in 2024. P.S.— Our new podcast with The Marshall Project debuts in exactly two weeks. “[Violation]( tells a story about power and privilege, and pulls back the curtain on parole boards — secretive, largely political bodies that control the fates of thousands of people every year. Listen to the trailer [here]( and subscribe [wherever you get your podcasts](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [UMass Dartmouth hid sex assault allegations against former police officer, report finds]( The report found former officer David Laudon sexually assaulted and harassed a UMass student and had an inappropriate relationship with another. But UMass allowed Laudon to quietly resign and eventually get a job with the Blackstone Police Department, where he was assigned to investigate sexual assaults and work in schools. [Read more.]( [UMass Dartmouth hid sex assault allegations against former police officer, report finds]( The report found former officer David Laudon sexually assaulted and harassed a UMass student and had an inappropriate relationship with another. But UMass allowed Laudon to quietly resign and eventually get a job with the Blackstone Police Department, where he was assigned to investigate sexual assaults and work in schools. [Read more.]( [Mass auditor announces rare review of Legislature]( Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced Tuesday that her office has launched an audit of the state Legislature — the first such review in a century. [Read more.]( [Mass auditor announces rare review of Legislature]( Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio announced Tuesday that her office has launched an audit of the state Legislature — the first such review in a century. [Read more.]( [Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warns inflation fight will be long and bumpy]( Powell warned the central bank may have to raise interest rates even more, sending stock markets sharply lower.In a pointed exchange, Sen. Elizabeth Warren challenged Powell about the potential job losses that could result from such aggressive rate hikes. [Read more.]( [Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell warns inflation fight will be long and bumpy]( Powell warned the central bank may have to raise interest rates even more, sending stock markets sharply lower.In a pointed exchange, Sen. Elizabeth Warren challenged Powell about the potential job losses that could result from such aggressive rate hikes. [Read more.]( [How passengers teamed up to restrain a man on chaotic flight to Logan]( A passenger who helped restrain a threatening man on a weekend flight from Los Angeles to Boston said Tuesday that the entire chaotic episode was over within seconds thanks to teamwork. [Read more.]( [How passengers teamed up to restrain a man on chaotic flight to Logan]( A passenger who helped restrain a threatening man on a weekend flight from Los Angeles to Boston said Tuesday that the entire chaotic episode was over within seconds thanks to teamwork. [Read more.]( [2 urgent care centers open after Brockton hospital fire]( The two new walk-in urgent care centers in Brockton are part of the organization's continued efforts to redirect at least 17 mostly outpatient services disrupted by a nine-alarm fire in early February. [Read more.]( [2 urgent care centers open after Brockton hospital fire]( The two new walk-in urgent care centers in Brockton are part of the organization's continued efforts to redirect at least 17 mostly outpatient services disrupted by a nine-alarm fire in early February. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Despite recent safety incidents, WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports that [travelers at Logan airport remain wary but willing to fly](. As one man put it: "You take your chances. I’ve got to get to Florida.” - After nearly two decades of planning and negotiations, members of the United Nations have agreed on an international treaty to protect biodiversity in the high seas. Here's [why that's important and what has to happen next to achieve the accord's main goals](. - He's no "starchitecht." But he is the latest winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize. Read here [why Sir David Chipperfield's understated building style won this year's "Nobel of Architecture"]( and see photos of his designs, from St. Louis to Mexico City to Switzerland. - To mark International Women’s Day, Lina Tori Jan and Melanne Verveer [write in this commentary about thousands of Afghan refugee women]( — evacuated to the U.S. in August 2021 — who may soon be at risk of prosecution and deportation, unless Congress acts.  What We're Reading 📚 - America’s great home heating divide, visualized ([Washington Post]( - How a single engineer brought down Twitter on Monday ([Platformer]( - Would You Date a Podcast Bro? ([The New York Times](  Tell Me Something Good [New England's biggest dog sled race has 1st female victor]( Katherine Langlais, of Glenwood, New Brunswick, called it a “dream” after she came in first in the 30th Can-Am Crown race. [Read more.]( [New England's biggest dog sled race has 1st female victor]( Katherine Langlais, of Glenwood, New Brunswick, called it a “dream” after she came in first in the 30th Can-Am Crown race. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common talks to WBUR's Simón Rios about [this weird winter and what the season may look like in Boston going forward](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: I'm gonna go ahead and say that Boston Burger Company's special March frappe [goes a little too hard](. 😎 Forward to a friend. They can sign up [here](. 📣 Give us your feedback: newsletters@wbur.org 📧 Get more WBUR stories sent to your inbox. [Check out all of our newsletter offerings.]( Support the news   Want to change how you receive these emails? Stop getting this newsletter by [updating your preferences.](  I don't want to hear from WBUR anymore. 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