🚘 Who should get a driver’s license?

 Happy Wednesday, Boston. 

👖 ICYMI: Don’t throw your old clothes and shoes in the trash! As of yesterday, you’re technically not allowed to in Massachusetts. Instead, donate them to your local Goodwill or recycle them through one of these take-back retailers. 

👀 What’s on tap today:

• The head of the MBTA is out

• Gas prices are on the rise

• Local Swifties, rejoice!

Up first…

ELECTION 2022 FAQ

What’s the deal with Question 4?

Congrats! You made it to our final ballot question explainer. Now you should be able to detail each question to your friends in less than 300 words. A useful, yet slightly insufferable, party trick. Let’s get into it. 

What’s Question 4 again? It asks voters if they think the state should keep a law that allows immigrants without legal status to obtain driver's licenses. Read the actual ballot language here.

If it’s already a law, why are we seeing it on the ballot? Gov. Baker vetoed this new law in May, but then the state legislature overrode his veto. Now, the Massachusetts Republican Party is leading the effort for the ballot question, with the goal of voters repealing it. 

So what does the law actually say? If you live in Massachusetts and can’t prove you’re in the U.S. legally, you can still get a driver’s license or learner's permit as long as you:

1. Meet all qualifications to get a standard license or learner’s permit.

2. Pass a road test.

3. Prove your identity, date of birth, and residency with at least two documents from these categories.

4. Attest, under threat of perjury, that your previous license has not been suspended or revoked.

Does this mean undocumented immigrants will be automatically registered to vote? Nope. Under the law, the state must establish procedures to ensure that an undocumented immigrant applying for a driver’s license or learner’s permit will not be automatically registered to vote.

Can they apply for a Real ID driver’s license? Nope. Only a standard driver’s license or learner’s permit.

What happens if the “yes” vote wins? The law will be kept in place and go into effect next July.

What happens if the “no” vote wins? The law would be repealed, meaning people without legal status would not be able to obtain a driver’s license or learner’s permit in Mass.

CITY

Quick & Dirty Headlines

🚃 The head of the MBTA will resign in January. Steve Poftak announced he’ll step down as the MBTA’s General Manager on Jan. 3, just two days before the new governor will be sworn in. Poftak’s four-year tenure has been a doozy. There were derailments, a death, a global pandemic, an unprecedented shutdown of the Orange Line, and a scathing report from the Federal Transit Administration. The next Governor’s administration will pick the new head of the MBTA, but given its current state, I don’t know if I’d be itching to apply. 

🙅‍♂️ Both candidates for Governor refuse to share their tax returns. While they’re technically not required to, it’s become a common practice when running for office. In a classic game of “I’ll show you mine, if you show me yours,” Diehl and Healey’s campaigns said they might change their mind if their opponent does first. This is a surprising move for Democratic candidate Healey, as she released years of tax returns while running for Attorney General in 2014 to be the most “transparent Attorney General in the country.” 

⛽ You’re not imagining things: Gas prices are going back up. The average gas price in Massachusetts increased 19 cents this week, averaging $3.776 per gallon, the biggest week-over-week jump we’ve seen in months. AAA Northeast says a combination of tight supplies and high demand are to blame. While the average gas price in Massachusetts is now higher than the national average, let’s just be thankful that it’s not $5 a gallon anymore.

THINGS TO DO

Concerts & Comedy

😂 Watch stand-up comedy in an abandoned basement classroom turned speakeasy. Tickets start at $15 and the drinks are only $4. | Friday, Nov. 4, 8 to 9:30 p.m. | Cambridge Community Center

👠 Dance to your favorite queens perform Taylor’s Swift’s Midnights in drag at Jacques Cabaret Underground. | Tickets are $20 and seating is first come, first served. Vaccination cards are required. | Saturday, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. | 79 Broadway St., Boston

🩰 See the Boston Ballet’s “As Anticipated,” a program choreographed by William Forsythe, whose vision is brought to life by powerhouse dancers and a hypnotic soundtrack. Tickets start at $39. | Performances run Nov. 3 to Nov. 13

🎤 Catch comedian Nate Bargatze (you know, that guy with the funny Netflix special) this weekend. Tickets start around $40. | Sunday, Nov. 6, 8 p.m. | Boch Center - Wang Theatre 

🎉 Celebrate rock band Turnover's new album at their record release show at Roadrunner. Their new album “Myself In The Way,” drops Nov. 4 and fans get the first taste as they kick off their tour in Boston. Tickets start around $27. | Saturday, Nov. 5, 7 p.m.

ONE LAST THING

Local Swifties, rejoice!

If you’re a true Swiftie, this is old news. But, in case you were unaware, Taylor Swift is coming back to Mass. for a two-night run of “The Eras Tour” at Gillette Stadium in May 2023. She promises to take fans through the past and present eras of her musical career. I love how Taylor is only 32 years old and has eras. 

Here’s how to get those coveted tickets: 

• The TaylorSwiftTix Presale registration is open now. Register as a verified fan, and you’ll get an email on Nov. 14 notifying you if you’ve been accepted for Presale registration. Presale starts Tuesday at 10 a.m.

• Capital One cardholders get an exclusive presale which opens Tuesday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m.

• The General Public sale begins Friday, Nov. 18 at 10 a.m.

🎄 Thanks for reading! When is it socially acceptable to start listening to “All I Want For Christmas Is You” by Mariah Carey? According to our IG and Twitter followers, after Thanksgiving. I may have not not listened to it on the T this morning. Follow us @BostonBSide to vote on our next controversial opinion.

💃 For more hot takes and late night thoughts, follow me on Twitter and IG @emilyschario. Send comments and suggestions to [email protected].