The City Council agreed today to hold a hearing to press Mayor Wu and her administration over its plans to force city workers to get Covid-19 shots - and the now active directive that restaurants check patrons' vaccine status. Read more.
BTD's Vineet Gupta discusses expansion of free bus service in Boston.
Boston city councilors say they support expanding the current free-fare pilot on the 28 bus to the 23 and 29 routes next year but say they also want to know who pays for continuing or even expanding the service once a planned $8-million, two-year pilot runs out. Read more.
UNITE HERE Local 26, which represents hotel and food-service workers, today became the first union to endorse Kim Janey for mayor. In a statement, union President Carlos Aramayo said: Read more.
During a City Council vote today on a proposal he didn't like, Councilor Frank Baker (Dorchester) voted "present" and then, forgetting to mute himself, let fly a hearty "fuck them." Read more.
A City Council committee will hold a hearing on a proposal to seek to eliminate a special election for mayor should Mayor Walsh leave for Washington before March 5, following a discussion today in which one councilor managed to insult three others. Read more.
Shutting T stations after protests only creates dangerous situations for people who just want to get home, several Boston city councilors said today.
But the council did not formally go on record with a resolution calling on the T to stop shutting stations near vigil and protest sites at their regular Wednesday meeting because two councilors objected, which means it will instead go to a council committee for a hearing before the council votes. Read more.
The Boston City Council voted 12-0 last week to support a resolution condemning police brutality against minorities and racial profiling. Read more.
At yesterday's Zoomed-in City Council meeting, Councilor Frank Baker (Dorchester), delayed action on a resolution calling on the city and state to freeze rents, mortgages, evictions and foreclosures during the Covid-19 state of emergency. Read more.
The Boston City Council agreed today to see if there's anything in the city's taxi regulations they can change that would put the shrinking number of medallion owners on a more equal footing with Uber and Lyft drivers and let them continue driving the streets. Read more.
The Boston City Council today took no action on a resolution by Councilor Althea Garrison (at large) to formally support Boston Police and the local police action against outside agitators "committing crimes of assault against them," instead sending it to a council committee for a hearing and further discussion. Read more.
The City Council today rejected a proposal that would have required hearings on any petitions signed by at least 500 Boston voters. Read more.
The City Council agreed today to bring in city and state public-health experts to figure out what to do about increasing amounts of problems they say are happening from Dudley to Andrew because of the continued shutdown of the Long Island shelter and treatment programs. Read more.
City Councilors Annissa Essaibi-George (at large) and Frank Baker (Dorchester) say that with opioid deaths continuing to rise, it's time to look at possibly setting up a place where addicts could inject themselves while under the supervision of healthcare workers who could administer emergency aid. Read more.
The City Council today overwhelmingly rejected a proposal by councilors Frank Baker (Dorchester) and Bill Linehan (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, downtown) to add a 2% tax on liquor sales to fund addiction treatment programs.
Council President Michelle Wu joined Baker and Linehan in voting for the tax; the other 10 councilors voted against. Read more.
The Globe reports city councilors Bill Linehan (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, downtown) and Frank Baker (Dorchester) will try again this week to get their colleagues to approve a request for a 2% tax on Boston liquor sales to raise funds for addiction services.
The two first proposed the idea last year but it never went anywhere.
If the council does approve the proposal at its Wednesday meeting, the measure would also need approval of Mayor Walsh, the state legislature and the governor.
Oh, don't worry, it's not that Councilor Frank Baker doesn't love Wahlburgers as much as everybody else - how could he not? - it's just that given how scarce liquor licenses are in this town, he doesn't think it's fair that the Boston Licensing Board give them a license for a South Bay Mall add-on where construction has barely started. Read more.
The City Council today unanimously approved a proposal to reduce the default city speed limit on most roads to 20 m.p.h. and 15 m.p.h. in school zones.
The measure, which councilors said should make Boston a safer city for motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians, now goes to the mayor. If he approves, it then goes to the state legislature for action.
The City Council voted today to extend members' terms from two to four years. The measure now goes to Mayor Walsh and, if he approves, to the state legislature, whose members serve two-year terms.
Only Councilor Michelle Wu (at large) voted against. Read more.
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