Mass. lawmakers reach final day of session — with a lot on the to-do list

On Beacon Hill: It’s the final day of the two-year legislative session in Massachusetts and a lot is hanging in the balance: Billions of dollars for new housing. A soccer stadium in Everett. Broker’s fees. Climate legislation. Veterans reform. Hospital oversight. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s slightly tweaked property tax shift plan. And that’s not even a complete list. House and Senate lawmakers technically have until midnight to reach compromises on all these bills, though the session could very well drag into tomorrow morning. The mood has already gotten a bit cranky, with House and Senate leaders trading jabs over some of their respective late-session actions.

• The latest: On Tuesday, the Senate passed a version of the House bill to update the state’s legal definitions of parentage. That sets up another conference committee in which negotiators will need to work out the differences before the bill is sent to Gov. Maura Healey's desk. (Healey has signaled general support for the measure.)
• Not on the move: The Legislature’s Committee on Cannabis Policy says it will not advance legislation to fix issues with the embattled Cannabis Control Commission before the session expires. The state’s inspector general had called on lawmakers to appoint a receiver to oversee the commission. However, WBUR’s Walt Wuthmann reports that the committee wants to pursue a “less disruptive” solution. They plan to hold hearings in the fall.
• FYI: Lawmakers can still pass bills after the formal session ends tonight. But typically, it’s only uncontroversial items, since a single legislator has the power to block a bill in informal sessions.

The latest on Steward: A bankruptcy court hearing in Houston today could be a critical step in determining the fate of Steward Health Care’s hospitals in Massachusetts. WBUR’s Martha Bebinger reports the hearing is expected to cover three items:

• The plan to close Carney Hospital in Dorchester and Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer. Bankruptcy attorneys say the judge is expected to approve this step, despite union objections.
• The judge will also consider Massachusetts’ offer to advance $30 million in payments to Steward so that five remaining hospitals in the state can stay open while negotiations with bidders continue.
• Finally, the state and Steward want the bankruptcy court to throw out expensive leases and make way for new owners who will keep some Steward hospitals open. But the companies that own the hospital buildings argue it hasn’t been a fair bidding process.

New restrictions take effect tomorrow for Massachusetts’ stretched-thin emergency family shelter system. Despite questions from local housing providers and protests at the State House, Healey told reporters this week that she will not delay the new rules. “We don’t have an unlimited checkbook or unlimited capacity,” the governor told reporters this week, adding that the state is focused on getting people permitted to work and out of the overwhelmed shelter system.

• Go deeper: The new rules limit how long certain families can stay in overflow shelters, from 30 days to five days. (Those are the new-ish centers for those waiting to get into the main shelter system.) The rules also change how the state prioritizes applicants on the program’s waitlist. Advocates for the homeless argue five days is not enough time for families to find another place to stay.
• What does that mean for those seeking housing? Listen to yesterday’s Radio Boston segment on how the rules will affect both arriving families and longer-term Massachusetts residents.

Meanwhile in Paris: Stoughton’s Frederick Richard will compete this morning to become the first U.S. men’s gymnast to win an Olympic medal at the individual all-around in more than a decade. The final will be broadcast live at 11:30 a.m. on NBC and Peacock.

• Your friend Steve: If you can’t get enough on Team USA’s new gymnastics fan favorite Stephen Nedoroscik, the Worcester native will compete again Saturday in the individual pommel horse finals. Read more here on how Nedoroscik became a pommel horse specialist — and yes, we also have more memes.

Beacon Hill isn’t the only one with deadlines this week. Ahead of yesterday’s MLB trade deadline, the surprisingly decent (we told you!) Red Sox added two relief pitchers — Luis García from the Los Angeles Angels and Lucas Sims of the Cincinnati Reds — to provide a boost to their bullpen, which has been struggling lately.

• The Sox also recently traded for two new starting pitchers: 23-year-old Quinn Priester from the Pittsburgh Pirates and 35-year-old left-hander James Paxton from the Los Angeles Dodgers. (Paxton made his first start in a loss last night.)

P.S.— We’ve made some “under the hood” changes to the system that sends this newsletter — and that means we have a new email address: newsletters@email.wbur.org. Please be sure to add it to your contacts — or for Gmail users, move this email into your primary folder — so you never miss a newsletter. And always, just reply to any of our newsletters if you have any issues or questions. We’d love to help.

Correction: A previous version of this post incorrectly stated that the parentage bill is headed to the governor's desk. As of Wednesday morning, State House negotiators still need to work out differences between the House and Senate versions of the bill in conference committee.

Related:

• Healey signs budget bill, vetoes $317 million in spending
• 3 bills to watch as the clock winds down on Beacon Hill
• WBUR Today: Boston’s Morning Newsletter

Nik DeCosta-Klipa Newsletter Editor
Nik DeCosta-Klipa is the newsletter editor for WBUR.