The Wampanoag tribe, in its promotional material, said the planned first light casino represented “growth, progression and opportunity.” The feds alleged it represents something less savory to the tribe's chairman.
Mashpee Wampanoag chair Cedric Cromwell tribe was indicted last week by federal prosecutors in connection to an alleged bribery scheme. It related to the tribe's years-long quest to build that resort casino in Taunton, Massachusetts. Cromwell has not been found guilty of anything at this point.
Matt Murphy of the State House News Service said it's probably too early to tell if this will impact the tribe's casino plans, and the state's consideration for awarding a commercial casino license in the southeast corner of the state.
Matt Murphy, State House News Service: The tribal council held an emergency meeting after Mr. Cromwell's indictment. It removed him from power. Some members of that governing body for the tribe, cited some longstanding issues that they've had with his leadershiprelated to the casino project, including the transparency around the finances of that project within the tribe.
So, this is something that has been simmering within the Wampanoag tribe for quite some time. But how this impacts the casino project moving forward, I don't think we know yet. Certainly the pandemic would probably have an even greater impact on that — nobody rushing forward to try and build a new casino at the moment when currently casinos are shutting down early and struggling for business on their own. But this certainly bears watching as the state emerges from this pandemic in the next year or so.
Carrie Healy, NEPM: An amendment to the Massachusetts budget passed in the state House last week. It would loosen the state's restrictions on abortions. This week, lawmakers in the Senate will take up budget legislation. Are senators likely to put this to a vote? And has the governor given any signals as to his feelings on that issue?
We are expecting a similar process to play out in the Senate. Both the speaker and the Senate president committed — before this budget debate started — to debating something similar to what is known as the Roe Act on Beacon Hill, this expansion and codification of abortion access rights into Massachusetts state laws. The House choosing to put it in their budget, the Senate president said she expects a similar amendment to be filed and they will debate it this week.
The governor has not said one way or another how he will handle it. There has been some reluctance, in all corners of the Statehouse, to using this budget — which is an unusual pandemic budget — to advance major or perhaps controversial policy. But, the governor has said things like he's opposed to late-term abortion, but also he supports a woman's right to choose and doesn't want to infringe on that right, or have women looking to other states to get the services and the medical care they need. So, sort of a jump ball when it comes to Governor Baker, should this reach his desk.
Speaking of Governor Charlie Baker, the state has now passed that grim milestone of 10,000 deaths due to the coronavirus. Baker seems to be of the same mind as other New England governors as he issues executive orders designed to halt the spread of the virus. In fact, Vermont has clamped down on inter-family gatherings, canceled recreational sports, and closed clubs and bars. The Massachusetts COVID-19 numbers are significantly worse than those north in Vermont. Do we anticipate rollbacks or stepped-up enforcement of previous executive orders?
Vermont Governor Phil Scott is acting a lot more quickly than we've seen some other governors act, as the second wave has gripped states across New England, but also really across the country. The Massachusetts governor's administration is saying he has no further plans at this time to roll back or impose any further restrictions.
Baker has reduced the size of a gathering limit. He's put a mandatory mask orderin place. They're taking some steps like having businesses shut down early with a curfew at 10:00 p.m. for people to stay in their homes. But at this moment, we don't see the Massachusetts governor moving the way Governor Scott has, as Massachusetts is trying to balance both the economy, a return to school for students and public health.
