The Satanic Temple of Salem said today it plans to appeal a federal judge's decision on Monday to toss its suit against the City Council for not letting one of its practitioners start a council meeting with an invocation. Read more.
NBC Boston reports Boston election commissioners today rejected demands from Kendra Lara haters that it bump her off the fall ballot in District 6 (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill), concluding they'd failed to provide enough proof that she doesn't live in the district.
Lara said she was in a midst of a divorce when she ran for office and decided she’d rather use her maiden name than her married name – and got approval from the election office to do so.
A federal judge today dismissed a lawsuit by the Satanic Temple of Salem against the Boston City Council over the way counncilors invites clergy members to start meetings with an invocation, concluding that councilors were recognizing the good work done in the city by the clergy, not because they're pushing a particular religious viewpoint. Read more.
City Councilor Michael Flaherty, a former prosecutor, says Councilor Kendra Lara needs to quit now because she'd been driving without a license for years even before she crashed into a house on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain, NBC Boston reports.
The Boston Sun recaps the forum with Montez Haywood and Sharon Durkan, running in a July 25 special election to replace Kenzie Bok as city councilor in District 8 (Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Bay Village, Fenway and Mission Hill). They're competing for a term that runs until just Jan. 1, when the winner of the November regular election will take the seat.
WBUR reports that at a hearing today, City Councilor Kendra Lara (Jamaica Plain, West Roxbury, Mission Hill) had charges of negligent operation and recklessly permitting bodily injury to a child added to the the driving an unregistered and uninsured motor vehicle and driving with a suspended license that police initially charged her with after she alleged drove into a house on Centre Street in Jamaica Plain on June 30. Councilors Tania Fernandes Anderson, Julia Mejia and Ricardo Arroyo attended the hearing to support her.
Innocent, etc.
Arroyo, Pepén, Ruiz, Sanon.
The four people running for City Council in District 5 (Hyde Park, Roslindale and Mattapan) met in an online forum last night and agreed on basic issues more than they disagreed: All are in favor of trees, making streets safer and supporting some form of rent stabilization. Read more.
The Longfellow Area Neighborhood Association and other civic groups will host an online forum for the four candidates running to represent District 5 - Roslindale, Hyde Park and Mattapan - at 7 p.m. on July 18.
Incumbent Ricardo Arroyo faces challenges from Jean Claude Sanon, Enrique Pepén and Jose Ruiz.
At-large City Councilor Michael Flaherty of South Boston announced today this year will be his last on the council. Read more.
City Councilor Kendra Lara (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, Mission Hill) says she's fed up with what she considers the "homophobic and transphobic rhetoric" from Councilors Ed Flynn (South Boston, South End, Chinatown, downtown), Michael Flaherty (at large) and Erin Murphy (at large) in the days after first responders found a dead man in a Mary Ellen McCormack apartment. Read more.
The state Ethics Commission reported yesterday that City Councilor Ricardo Arroyo (Hyde Park, Mattapan, Roslindale) has paid a $3,000 fine for not withdrawing as a lawyer, after his election, from the lawsuit his brother, former City Councilor and mayoral aide Felix Arroyo, filed against the city over his firing. Read more.
The Bay State Banner lists the City Council races that could have contested races this fall, including the four at-large seats and Districts 3 (Dorchester), 5 (Hyde Park, Mattapan and Roslindale), 6 (West Roxbury, Jamaica Plain, part of Mission Hill) and 7 (Roxbury).
Public-housing advocate Phyllis Corbitt can sue whomever she wants, but the Massachusetts Union of Public Housing Tenants today asked a federal judge to strike its name from her role as a plaintiff in the suit over how the Boston City Council re-set its district boundary lines, because she had no authority to hitch the group's wagon to a lawsuit over the issue. Read more.
The Boston City Council voted 10-2 today for a new redistricting map that keeps a largely White part of Dorchester in its old council district. Read more.
The Dorchester Reporter reports on groups seeking to "intervene" - become part of - the suit over how to redraw Boston city council districts based on 2020 census data. The council voted yesterday to ask the state legislature for dispensation to delay the deadline for accepting nomination papers into June to give it more breathing room as it considers several possible maps, from both councilors and Mayor Wu.
City Council President Ed Flynn today submitted a proposed ordinance barring councilors and others who work in council offices from attacking and bullying council staffers. Read more.
The Dorchester Reporter posts a copy of the proposal by Mayor Wu for new City Council district lines - it would move Cedar Grove and Adams Village back into what is now Frank Baker's district, keep the South Boston housing projects in what is now Ed Flynn's district, but move South Boston from Flynn's district into the district that had been represented by the now departed Kenzie Bok. Line changes involving Roslindale and Mattapan are also included.
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