ADVANCES - WEEK OF FEB. 10, 2008
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE

STATE HOUSE, BOSTON, FEB. 8, 2008…..With Super Bowl Sunday and Super Tuesday slowly rendering themselves distant images, Beacon Hill is shaping up for a Regular Work Week, that is unless you consider Valentine's Day a holiday. The House plans to a formal session Wednesday, and may take action on Senate-approved ocean management legislation that's being closely watched by offshore energy interests and coastal residents and lawmakers. Legislators from both branches then launch into hearings on Gov. Deval Patrick's $28.2 billion state budget bill. Thursday's kickoff hearing in Gardner Auditorium will be followed by eight field hearings, running right through school vacation week and culminating on Feb. 28, when the public will have a chance to comment. As Massachusetts residents get used to the idea of a federal tax rebate this spring, a windfall that President Bush is expected to sign off on this week, members of one of the state's promising growth industries, biotechnology and life sciences, expect this week to bring long-awaited news of the Legislature's response to Gov. Deval Patrick's $1 billion, 10-year life sciences bill. Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams), co-chairman of the Economic Development and Emerging Technologies Committee that's reworking the governor's bill, told the News Service last week that it will at least match the governor's requested sum.

LIFE SCIENCES ANNOUNCEMENT (IT'S NOT THE BILL)

During a meeting of life sciences industry leaders in Cambridge last December, Rep. Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams) said legislators plan to release a bill "out of committee" by Feb. 15, which is this Friday. Housing and Economic Development Secretary Dan O'Connell, who also attended the meeting, said the administration expected a bill to reach Gov. Patrick's desk by the same date. As of this writing, the bill remains in the Economic Development and Emerging Technology Committee that Bosley co-chairs with Sen. Jack Hart. The committee has held several hearings on Patrick's plan, which Bosley has described as the outline of a bill and in need of substantial reworking. In a brief interview Thursday, Bosley said he expected the bill to emerge from the committee "very shortly." He said, "I'm very anxious to get a bill out." Bosley also indicated he was beginning to transition staff off the life sciences bill and onto another Patrick priority, his resort casino proposal. In this case, Bosley is working to defeat Patrick's plan. Asked last week by the News Service if the final life sciences bill would weigh in at least at $1 billion over 10 years, Bosley said "it's got to," noting the stretching of the dollar over time. Legislative leaders and the Patrick administration, which first outlined the bill in May 2007, said last year that the legislation is moving on an "expedited" timetable, an assertion that some would beg to differ with. Bosley says he's been working closely with Hart with the hopes that the branches won't be far apart on a final proposal. Backers of the life sciences plan say it accomplishes two goals: boosting the economy and lending aid to a sector that could deliver cures for an assortment of illnesses and diseases. Massachusetts General Hospital is the setting for a Monday morning press conference featuring Patrick, Sen. Edward Kennedy, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, Senate President Therese Murray, and Congressman Michael Capuano. The plan, according to Kennedy's office, is to launch the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center's matching grant program at MGH. The program is the first to fund research in the life sciences, including stem cells, Kennedy's office says, going on to claim the governor's life sciences initiative is "leading the way for the nation in these investment opportunities," an assertion disputed by those who say Massachusetts is missing opportunities because the stimulus bill is stuck.

SUNDAY, FEB. 10, 2008

PATRICK ATTENDS NATIONAL GUARD HOMECOMING: Gov. Deval Patrick helps welcome home National Guard soldiers. (Sunday, 11 am, Sailors and Soldiers Memorial Hall, 590 Main St., Worcester)

JALSA MEETING: The Jewish Alliance for Law and Social Action holds its sixth annual meeting, this one featuring First Lady Diane Patrick. The organization will discuss its commitment to civil rights. Attendees will also be served a brunch buffet. (Sunday, 10:30 am - 1 pm, Holiday Inn, 1200 Beacon Street, Brookline)

ICY PLUNGE PLANNED FOR SUNDAY: Organizers of an event Sunday intended to benefit the Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project say it will feature a group of drag queens plunging into the freezing waters of Boston Harbor. (Sunday, 12:30 pm, Carson Beach, South Boston)

MONDAY, FEB. 11, 2008

HOUSE AND SENATE: The branches begin the week with informal sessions at 11 am.

VETERANS' SERVICES: The Department of Veterans' Services, with the support of the Department of Public Health, is set to launch a new program to assist veterans. The program, called the Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment, will help connect Massachusetts veterans with suicide prevention and mental health resources and will serve as a liaison between veterans and any relevant state and federal agencies. About 500,000 veterans live in Massachusetts. (Monday, 10 am, Grand Staircase)

AFRICAN MEETING HOUSE: U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy will join Sen. Dianne Wilkerson and Beverly Morgan-Welch, director of the Museum of African American History, to recognize efforts to restore the African Meeting House. The meeting house hosted many prominent, historical African American leaders, including William Lloyd Garrison, Frederick Douglas and Sojourner Truth, as they formed the Abolitionist Movement. Kennedy will announce a $200,000 federal investment to help preserve the meeting house. (Monday, 10 am, Museum of African American History, 46 Joy Street, Boston)

FRANK TALKS SUBPRIME CRISIS: U.S. Representative Barney Frank, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, discusses lessons from the subprime mortgage crisis at a meeting hosted by Boston University Law School Morin Center for Banking and Financial Law. (Monday, noon, Boston University Law School, Law Auditorium, 765 Commonwealth Ave., Boston)

WESTBOROUGH LIQUOR LICENSE: The Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government holds a hearing on Rep. Polito's bill (H 4504) providing for a Westborough liquor license. (Monday, Room B-1, 2 pm)

COMPENSATION BOARD: The special advisory board appointed to make recommendations regarding the salaries of the state's constitutional officers, legislative leaders and judges meets. At the group's last meeting, members of the judiciary - from the Supreme Judicial Court to the Boston Bar Association - showed up in force, though no representatives of other branches of government attended. Members of the board include Paul Guzzi, president and CEO of the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce; Pam Wilmot, executive director of government watchdog Common Cause; Stephen Crosby, McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Boston; MIT Professor of Management Thomas Kochan; and Nora Costa, managing director of Salary.com. (Monday 4:15 pm - 5:30 pm, MIT Sloan School of Management, 50 Memorial Drive, Building E52, Fourth Floor, Room 466, Cambridge)

EDUCATION COMMITTEE: The Committee on Education is set to take up legislation on Monday aimed at teaching young athletes self-control on and off the court. The bill, H 4479, would establish a pilot curriculum to "have children practice the mental skills associated with self-control in an effort to reduce violence, drug and alcohol abuse, eating disorders, bullying and other destructive choices commonly made by youth." House Chair of the Education Committee, Rep. Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset), is the lead sponsor on the bill, which also enjoys the support of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Committee co-chair Rep. Ruth Balser (D-Newton) and Public Health Committee co-chair Rep. Peter Koutoujian (D-Waltham). The legislation would establish a committee to examine the progress of the pilot program and determine whether it had a beneficial effect for participants. The curriculum would be offered free of charge to youth and school sports teams. Other bills to be heard include a House Minority Leader Brad Jones proposal (H 3404) to require cities and towns to develop and publicize a policy governing internet safety, a Rep. Richard Ross bill (H 4512) relative to the definition of students enrolled in special education classes inside and outside of school districts, and a Sen. Anthony Galluccio bill (S 2489). The hearing will be followed by an executive session. (Monday, 1 pm, Room A-1)

MEXICAN PRESIDENT AT HARVARD: Mexican President Felipe Calderon, a former Harvard Kennedy School of Government fellow, returns to the school to deliver a public address. Calderon came to power in December 2006 despite popular uprisings led by his political opponents. Calderon is an advocate for a less stringent border policy with the United States and has urged America to legalize the status of illegal Mexican immigrants. (Monday, 6:30 pm, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge)

ABRAHAM LINCOLN COMMISSION: The Middlesex Club, an organization commemorating the achievements of Abraham Lincoln, gathers at the State House, urging lawmakers to enact legislation establishing the Massachusetts Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission. The event will feature an appearance from a Lincoln impersonator, who will discuss Lincoln's family connections and visits to Massachusetts. The Middlesex Club is led by President John DeJong, and vice presidents include Dan Winslow, Charlie Baker and Grace Fey. (Monday, 2:30 pm, Nurses Hall)

LEADERSHIP MEETING: Gov. Deval Patrick, Senate President Therese Murray and House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi meet at 3 pm Monday in DiMasi's office.

LIFE SCIENCE CENTER MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM: The state's top elected officials will be on hand Monday to launch the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center Matching Grant Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. Expect to hear lots of support for investments in the life sciences, including stem cell research, from the likes of Gov. Deval Patrick, Sen. Edward Kennedy, House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi, Senate President Therese Murray, US Rep. Michael Capuano, MGH President Peter Slavin, Harvard Medical School Professor of Surgery John Homans, and MGH Director of Pediatric Surgical Research Laboratories Patricia Donahoe. (Monday, 11:30 am, MGH, Richard Simches Research Center, 185 Cambridge St., Boston)

NEWS SERVICE SURVEY ENDING: Monday, February 11 will be the last day to participate in the State House News Service survey. The survey takes less than five minutes, and your input will help us improve the News Service. A link to the survey can be found on our website at www.statehousenews.com.

TUESDAY, FEB. 12, 2008

THE LEGISLATURE: The Senate plans a formal session Tuesday, when state lands, farm commodities, and pediatric nursing facilities legislation could emerge. An informal session is planned in the House on Tuesday.

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FORUM: Treasurer Tim Cahill and Suffolk Construction CEO John F. Fish, and Tufts-New England Medical Center President and CEO Ellen Zane are the guest speakers at a forum on the future of the regional economy Tuesday. Sovereign Bank will release results of its 8th annual survey off Greater Boston business leaders and consumers. The survey, conducted during Q4 2007, measures public opinion about the economic outlook for 2008. Other participants include Sovereign Bank President and CEO Joseph Campanelli, Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Paul Guzzi, and Patrick J. Sullivan, managing director of commercial banking at Sovereign Bank. (Tuesday, 7:45 am - 9:30 am, Hyatt Regency Boston, Fourth Floor Ballroom, One Avenue de Lafayette, Boston)

EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE: An overview of Gov. Deval Patrick's budget request and an update on universal pre-kindergarten planning are planned for discussion Tuesday when the Board of Early Education and Care meets in Boston. The department's waiting list policy is also up for discussion. (Tuesday, 10 am, 51 Sleeper St., 4th floor, Boston)

"GOOD GUY" AWARDS: Former Gov. Paul Cellucci, Bowditch and Dewey LLP Managing Partner Louis Ciavarra, ABCD President and CEO Robert Coard, and Peter Meade, executive vice president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield Massachusetts are this year's Massachusetts Women's Political Caucus Good Guy Awards winners. The caucus, founded in 1971, introduced the awards in 2002 to "honor men who demonstrate an ongoing commitment and partnership in achieving equality for women." (Tuesday, noon, Boston Park Plaza Hotel, 64 Arlington St., Boston)

LOCAL GOVERNMENT: The Local Government Advisory Committee meets. Matters on the agenda includes discussion of local aid and the state budget, state capital spending initiatives, energy legislation and Gov. Patrick's approved plan to reorganize the state education bureaucracy. The committee will also elect a chair for its executive committee and swear in its membership. (Tuesday, 1 pm, Council Chambers)

PATRICK ATTENDS EOT DIVERSITY LUNCHEON: Gov. Deval Patrick attends an Executive Office of Transportation diversity partnership luncheon. (Tuesday, 12 pm, Transportation Building, 10 Park Plaza)

CAHILL TALKS CASINOS AT TUFTS: Treasurer Tim Cahill speaks to students at Tufts University about casinos and expanding gambling in Massachusetts. (Tuesday, 3 pm - 4 pm, Tufts University, Easton 209, University Campus, Medford)

HUMAN SERVICES: Rep. Denis Provost (D-Somerville) hosts a hearing Tuesday with legislators, former state officials, union members and disability advocates on "the right to quality human services." The Campaign for Quality Human Services says high turnover rates have left the quality of care for individuals with disabilities at "crisis levels." Attendees include UMass Boston Professor Jim Green, Mass Senior Action Council Director Sue Kirby, and Phil Johnston, the former Democratic Party chairman and state health and human services secretary. (Tuesday, 10 am, Room A-2)

AFL-CIO PRESIDENT AT HARVARD: AFL-CIO President John Sweeney visits Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government where he will engage in a conversation with History and Social Policy Professor Matthew Stirling. The Massachusetts chapter of the AFL-CIO made headlines recently for formally endorsing Gov. Deval Patrick's plans to build resort casinos in Massachusetts. Patrick has estimated the plan would create 20,000 jobs and bring in hundreds of millions of dollars for use by the state, while critics have decried the potential social and economic costs. Some Cape communities that rely on a tourism economy have expressed concerns about competition for workers should resort casinos be built in the vicinity. (Tuesday, 6 pm, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge)

EDUCATION SURVEY: Gov. Deval Patrick joins education, civic and business groups to launch a new, confidential survey for teachers to help the state and municipalities better understand education needs across the commonwealth. The survey, called the Teaching, Learning and Leading Survey (TeLLS), will ask teachers about adequacy of time, mentoring and induction, school leadership, professional development and facilities and resources. Joining Patrick will be Massachusetts Teachers Association President Anne Wass, Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents Executive Director Tom Scott and Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education Chair Maura Banta. (Tuesday, 11 am, McCarthy Elementary School, 8 Flagg Drive, Framingham)

COASTAL HOMEOWNER INSURANCE: A big crowd is expected at the Joint Committee on Financial Services hearing on 20 bills relating to homeowners insurance. Cape Cod residents are expected to bus up to the State House for testimony on issues relating to soaring costs. One of the bills on the agenda is Sen. O'Leary's (S 624) that would establish a state-administered $6 billion catastrophic event fund, which could cost the state as much as $14 million under the proposal. The fund would be a combination of state and private funds to pay for damages resulting from a catastrophic storm. An executive session follows the hearing. The committee also hears a bill (H 4508) designed to give the commissioner of insurance the authority to set regulations, rules and guidelines to protect members of the Armed Forces from predatory insurance practices. The bill is sponsored by committee co-chair Rep. Mariano. (Tuesday, 1 pm, Room A-1)

ELDER AFFAIRS HEARS ONE BILL: The Committee on Elder Affairs hears a bill (H 4420) sponsored by former Rep. Robert Correia (D-Fall River) authorizing the secretary of elder affairs to make grants for programs to support elderly workers. The committee is chaired by Sen. Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) but the House chair is vacant since Correia left the Legislature last month to take up his new job as mayor of Fall River. An executive session follows the hearing. (Tuesday, 10 am, Room B-1)

SENATE PREZ WITH EARLY ED ADVOCATES: Senate President addresses activists at the Early Education Advocacy Lobby Day. Organizers expect "hundreds" of staff and parents to participate. Lt. Gov. Murray and House Assistant Majority Leader Lida Harkins are also expected. (Tuesday, 10:30 am, Great Hall and Staircase)

SPRINKLERS, BANNING CHAIN-LINK NETS: The Public Safety Committee expects to release four bills with favorable recommendations by Tuesday, one of which decrees that buildings of "more than 7,500 gross square feet in floor area shall be protected throughout with an adequate system of automatic sprinklers in accordance with the provisions of the state building code." That proposal (H 2284), would turn into a statewide requirement the local option for installation of automatic sprinklers in commercial buildings, and will be accompanied by an amendment relative to historical building exemptions. Another bill (H 2396) would establish standards and qualifications for fire chiefs, subjecting new chiefs to approval by the Executive Office of Public Safety. Co-chair Sen. James Timilty's bill (S 1419) would ban chain-link basketball nets. A fourth bill (H 2417) is a small-bore measure for antique cars. The bills are being polled out of committee.

JOHNSON IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH SPEAKER: Dr. Carol R. Johnson, the new superintendent of public schools in Boston, is the keynote speaker Tuesday at a Black History Month celebrated hosted by the Massachusetts Black Legislative Caucus. (Tuesday, 1 pm, Nurses Hall)

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 13, 2008

HOUSE SESSION: The House plans a formal session for Wednesday, with a Senate-backed oceans zoning proposal headlining. The bill (S 2346) would establish a comprehensive system for regulating offshore development, and Speaker Salvatore DiMasi has promised South Coast reps the opportunity to debate fully an amendment that was placed quietly in the speaker's clean energy bill last year. The change would benefit the Buzzards Bay wind farm hopes of developer Jay Cashman, a DiMasi buddy. Also on the agenda is a bill (S 2345) that attempts to protect consumers from losing money on gift cards that are not redeemed by certain dates. A pair of bills eyed for action last week remains on the calendar. One would exempt certain senior citizens from the impact of successful Proposition 2 ½ overrides, a proposal that stayed on the backburner last week after one of the authors of that ballot law lashed out against the proposal. The other, an effort to restore the public pension of a North Adams official convicted years ago for an environmental crime, was left on hold last week after its sponsor, Rep. Daniel Bosley, explained why he thinks the Legislature should override Gov. Patrick's veto and grant Leo Senecal his pension. "I'm going to have to do some work to make sure we have the votes," Bosley said after last week's session. He said the session provided him an opportunity to explain the details of Senecal's case to all of his colleagues at once. "Every time we do a pension bill, it's controversial," Bosley said. Scheduled for a half-hour before the formal gavels in, the House holds a caucus. Speaker Salvatore DiMasi still has not appointed a handful of openings atop committees. The House chairmanship of the Committee on Community Development and Small Business has been open since July, since Anthony Petruccelli was sworn in as a senator. Robert Correia's departure to become mayor of Fall River left the top Elder Affairs Committee spot open. But there appears to be no pressing timetable to fill those vacancies. Ditto for the sergeant-at-arms post, opened last year when former Rep. Kevin Fitzgerald passed away. New Community Development and Small Business Senate chair Brian Joyce said most of the bills that were sent to the committee this session have already been processed through executive sessions. He said his priorities include helping small businesses cope with the new health care reform law and assisting them get access to capital. "When the House appoints a committee chair is going to have some impact on our future," he said.

MURRAY HONORED BY FAMILY PLANNING ASSOCIATION: The Massachusetts Family Planning Association holds its advocacy day and honors Senate President Therese Murray as its Legislator of the Year. (Wednesday, 11 am, Nurses Hall)

U.S. GENERAL AT HARVARD: Former Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni, a chief critic of the Bush administration's Iraq plans, issues a public address at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. The address is titled "America's Power and Purpose: Security, Environment and Diplomacy." (Wednesday, 6 pm, 79 JFK Street, Cambridge)

BONDING COMMITTEE - INFRASTRUCTURE AND DEVELOPMENT BILLS: The Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets, in the first of two hearings this week, will see testimony on major infrastructure and development bills, including a follow-up to last session's I-cubed bill. This year's version (H 4383), according to sponsor Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, would help facilitate the implementation of last session's bill, which was signed by Gov. Mitt Romney. The goal is to facilitate innovative financing for public infrastructure associated with large private sector developments, including those envisioned on the Boston waterfront. Another bill up for testimony is a Sen. Richard Moore/Rep. Lida Harkins proposal to establish special development districts under the state's 40T law. Opposition to the latter proposal is already forming. The Massachusetts Coalition for Healthy Communities, in a statement, called 40T a "boondoggle" that creates unaccountable, unelected governments within municipalities. "These new government-like structures … will enable developers to issue tax-exempt bonds and levy property "assessments" (functionally equivalent to taxes) to subsidize private and potentially unwanted development, and even scoop up invaluable public land inside their districts," wrote the group's co-founder, Jill Stein. (Wednesday, 1 pm, Room A-1)

GOP EFFORT ON LOCAL AID: The Republican House and Senate conference deliver a message and propose legislation about local aid expectations, with support from about 100 municipal officials, some of whom will be on hand. (Wednesday, 11 am, Room 124)

TOURISM HEARING: The Committee on Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development holds a hearing on 17 bills Wednesday, including one (S 2008) sponsored by Sen. Morrissey to increase the motel-hotel tax from 4.5 percent to 6 percent. The committee, which is chaired by Sen. Joyce and Rep. Turkington, also hears a bill (H 3917) sponsored by Rep. Frost to create a Division of Foreign Travel and Tourism and a bill (H 3412) reintroduced by Rep. Rushing to establish a commission to study creation of a state seal and motto that "accurately reflect and embody the historic and contemporary commitments of the Commonwealth." The last time Rushing introduced his bill, it died in the House Rules Committee. Committee members also plan to hear two bills, sponsored by Rep. Canavan and Rep. Kennedy respectively, on improving Indian representation within the Commission on Indian Affairs. An executive session follows the hearing. (Wednesday, 11:30 am, Room A-2)

CAHILL ADDRESSES BOSTON ECONOMIC CLUB: Treasurer Tim Cahill speaks to members of the Boston Economic Club about the economy, the financial state of Massachusetts, and other treasury-related issues. The club, which is made up of senior investment managers and academics, is a nonprofit organization focused on economics. (Wednesday, noon, Federal Reserve Building, 600 Atlantic Ave., 4th Floor, Boston, closed to the press)

LANESBOROUGH GUYER FUNDRAISER: Gov. Patrick attends a fundraiser for Rep. Denis Guyer (Wednesday, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm, The Olde Forge Restaurant, 125 No. Main St., U.S. Route 7, Lanesborough)

GO RED FOR WOMEN: The Caucus of Women Legislators and the American Heart Association host the 5th annual "Go Red for Women Day" at the State House, with confirmed speakers Senate President Therese Murray and Miss Massachusetts 2006 Michaela Gagne. The event is designed to bring attention to women's cardiac health. Attendees are invited to wear red. (Wednesday, 1 pm, Grand Staircase)

HEALTH CARE FINANCING EXEC: The Committee on Health Care Financing holds an executive session on 10 bills relating to a range of health care topics. (Wednesday, 1 pm, Room B-1)

LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR SPECIALS: Wednesday is the last day voters can register to vote in the special elections scheduled for March 4. Registration hours are 9 am to 8 pm, except in towns with under 1,500 registered voters, where the hours are 2 pm to 4 pm and 7 pm to 8 pm. Special elections are scheduled in four House districts: the 8th Essex, 23rd Middlesex, 32nd Middlesex, and 7th Bristol.

MASSACHUSETTS TECHNOLOGY COLLABORATIVE: The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative board of directors meets to discuss its 2007 technology industry report, how to sustain Massachusetts' life sciences industry edge and the outcomes of a December 2007 trade mission to China. The collaborative is a quasi-public agency dedicated to investing in advancing the state's technology industry via loans and grants to businesses and research institutions. (Wednesday, 2 pm - 4 pm, Genzyme Center, 500 Kendall Street, Cambridge)

CHILDREN AND FAMILIES: A Sen. Wilkerson bill (S 2182) creating a permanent 21-member commission on the social status of black males is up for a public hearing Wednesday. The bill is the only item on the agenda for the hearing of the Committee on Children, Families and Individuals with Disabilities. Wilkerson hopes the commission, once established, will study and report on the social status of black males, provide information through a clearinghouse, service as a liaison between government and private interest groups, and recommend public policies. (Wednesday, 10:30 am, Room 222)

MCAS REFORM LOBBYING: Groups pushing for changes to the controversial standardized test known as MCAS, including Citizens for Public Schools, mount a lobbying effort on Beacon Hill Wednesday. Critics of the test argue that it shouldn't be the only determinant of graduation from high school. (Wednesday, 10:30 am, Room 350)

PUBLIC HEALTH COUNCIL MEETS: The Public Health Council meets to vote on amendments to regulations around prevention and reporting of health care-associated infections. The council will also hear a presentation by Dr. James West, from the Bureau of Health Information, entitled "Highlights from Massachusetts Births, 2006" and another called "HIV and AIDS: An Assessment of Service Gaps and Unmet Need." (Wednesday, 9 am, DPH HQ, 250 Washington St., Henry I Bowditch Public Health Council Room, 2nd floor)

TOXIC USE REDUCTION: The Administrative Council on Toxic Use Reduction meets. (Wednesday, 9 am, 100 Cambridge St., Boston)

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: The Massachusetts Community Development Finance Corporation (CDFC) holds a meeting of its board of directors. (Wednesday, noon, 155 Federal St., Suite 202, Boston)

MWRA BOARD MEETING: The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority holds a board meeting. (Wednesday, 1 pm, Charlestown Navy Yard, 100 First Avenue, Boston)

ETHICS COMMISSION: The Ethics Commission holds closing arguments in the matter of Boston City Council assistant research director Lincoln Smith. The enforcement division alleges that he violated the state's conflict of interest law by invoking his city council position after a valet parking service denied damaging his car, a 2003 Nissan Maxima, at Brigham and Women's Hospital. (Wednesday, 11:30 am, One Ashburton Place, Room 619)

THURSDAY, FEB. 14, 2008

FIRST FISCAL 2009 BUDGET HEARING: The Executive Office of Administration and Finance, headed by Gov. Patrick's budget chief Leslie Kirwan, kicks off the annual state budget hearings on Thursday. The state's constitutional officers - Treasurer Tim Cahill, Auditor Joseph DeNucci, Secretary of State William Galvin, and Attorney General Martha Coakley - are also slotted to testify before members of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees, sitting jointly, as lawmakers begin their review off the governor's fiscal 2009 spending plan, with an eye towards drafting plans of their own. Patrick's inclusion of revenues from his unapproved plans to institute new corporate taxes and legalize casinos figure to be among the many flashpoints that will pop up during hearings that will stretch throughout February and take committee members to schools and auditoriums statewide. Lawmakers have yet to schedule hearings on either the tax or casino proposals. (Thursday, 11 am, Gardner Auditorium)

BONDING COMMITTEE: The Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets holds its second hearing of the week, this one dealing with regional transit authority legislation and Gov. Deval Patrick's $25 million broadband expansion bond bill. The regional transit authority bill (S 2470) would back any bonds issued by the local transit authorities with the full faith and credit of the commonwealth. Through his broadband bond bill, the governor is seeking to bring high-speed internet access to some of the 32 towns in the commonwealth without access and 63 towns with only partial access. The bill would establish the Massachusetts Broadband Institute within the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, and funds would be spent on conduits, fiber, and wireless towers. Testifying on the administration's behalf will be Secretary of Housing and Economic Development Daniel O'Connell, Undersecretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez and Department of Telecommunications and Cable Commissioner Sharon Gillett. (Thursday, 11 am, Room A-2)

CONNECTOR BOARD: Co-payment changes, the state's health care affordability schedule and emergency regulations are on the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority agenda Thursday. The board may vote on three items including granting its seal of approval to Commonwealth Choice proposals. (Thursday, 9 am - noon, 21st Floor Conference Room, One Ashburton Place, Boston)

ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE SESSION: The Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture holds an executive session to review a bill (H 864) relating to electronic waste recycling. (Thursday, 10:30 am, B-2, room and time subject to change)

STUDENTS PLAN 'STUDY-IN': A number of college students are planning to spend their Valentine's Day sending a message to lawmakers. It won't exactly be a love note: the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts and other student groups will be lobbying for Gov. Patrick's higher education bond bill, increased funding for need-based financial aid, and in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. On Facebook, the online networking site, 22 students said they'd be showing up, while another 26 said they might stop by. The online event planner reads: "By visibly studying in the State House, we will represent the work that we and our fellow students are engaged in all across the state and will highlight the need for more financial support from the state in order for all students in Massachusetts to have access to higher education." (Thursday, 11 am, Grand Staircase)

ASIAN AMERICAN COMMISSION MEETING: The Mass. Asian American Commission holds a town meeting for the Brookline/Newton area. (Thursday, 6 pm - 8:30 pm, Coolidge Corner Branch Library, 31 Pleasant St., Brookline)

ORAL HEALTH FORUM: The Oral Health Foundation and the Legislative Oral Health Caucus sponsor an event honoring legislators and community leaders who are dedicated to improving oral health. Honorees include Rep. John Scibak (D-South Hadley) and Sen. Gale Candaras (D-Springfield). (Thursday, 10 am - 11 am, Nurses Hall)

MASSPORT: The board of directors for the Massachusetts Port Authority meets. (Thursday, 9 am, One Harborside Drive, East Boston)

DEATH PENALTY: New England criminal justice experts debate the usefulness of the death penalty at a forum sponsored by the ACLU and Suffolk University Law School. Entitled "The Future of the Death Penalty: Does it Have One?" the event will feature American Bar Association Director Deborah Fleischaker, Northeastern University School of Law Professor Daniel Givelber and forensic scientist Dr. Carl Ladd. (Thursday, 6 pm, Boston Bar Association, 16 Beacon Street)

HEFA: The Massachusetts Health and Educational Facilities Authority meets. (Thursday, 1 pm, 99 Summer St., Suite 1000, Boston)

FRIDAY, FEB. 15, 2008

FISCAL 2009 BUDGET HEARING: The first of two budget hearings on health and human services, by far the largest area of spending in the state budget, is set for Friday in Franklin. Members of the House and Senate Ways and Means committees will hear from Health and Human Services Secretary JudyAnn Bigby and officials representing the Office off Medicaid, the Department of Public Health, the Department of Mental Health, the Division of Health Care Finance and Policy, the Office of Refugees, the Department of Elder Affairs, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the state's two Soldiers Homes. One likely topic is spiraling health care costs, including those tied to the universal access law, and their consumption of most available new revenues, an overarching problems that has slowly risen up the chart of problems the Legislature needs to tackle. (Friday, 10 am, Franklin Municipal Center, 355 East Central St., Council Chamber)

GROUP INSURANCE COMMISSION: The Group Insurance Commission, run by Dolores Mitchell, meets this week. (Friday, 8:30 am, 19 Staniford St., Boston)

GUN CONTROL ADVISORY BOARD: The Gun Control Advisory Board, under the Executive Office of Public Safety, meets. (Friday, 10 am, State Police Headquarters, 470 Worcester Rd., Framingham)

MASS. HIGH TECH COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING: The Massachusetts High Technology Council hosts its annual meeting where pharmaceuticals executive Joshua Boger will be elected as the council's chairman. The council, which is led by Board of Education member Christopher Anderson, advocates on behalf of the technology industry. During the meeting, the council also plans to release its annual tech CEO survey. Boger, who is the CEO of Vertex Pharmaceuticals, is a constant figure behind Gov. Patrick's $1 billion life sciences initiative which has yet to surface from the Legislature. (Friday, 7:30 am, Burlington Marriott, One Mall Road Burlington)

SENATE PRESIDENT VISITS PLYMOUTH NORTH HIGH: Senate President Therese Murray visits Plymouth North High School and non-profit group MY TURN, aimed at at-risk individuals aged 14 to 21. (Friday, 11 am, 41 Obery Street, Plymouth)

BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL: Treasurer Tim Cahill speaks at the Massachusetts Building Trades Council board meeting. (Closed Press) (Friday, 10 am - 11 am, Operating Engineers Office, Local 4, 16 Trotter Drive, Medway)

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