🗳️🤔 A LOT of questions to answer

🧑‍💻 It’s also Prime Day! Through Wednesday, Amazon will offer its annual two-day deal extravaganza across tons of categories for Prime members. Here’s our favorite spot to keep up with all the best deals. Happy shopping!

👀 What’s on tap today:

Up first…

🗳️ Believe it or not, Election Day is less than *checks notes* four months away. And while the race for the presidency might be (understandably) stealing the spotlight these days, several state ballot measures just got the green light to be on the ballot this fall.

So if you haven’t been paying attention, here’s an overview of the (mostly) finalized questions:

🔍 Auditing the legislature. OK, this may not seem that sexy at first, but this question from state auditor Diana DiZoglio will ask voters whether the state auditor should be allowed to audit the legislature, which has long drawn criticism for being one of the most “opaque lawmaking bodies in the country.” These audits would review — and make public — some of Beacon Hill’s currently cloaked inner workings, like spending, hiring, and budgets.

🚗 Rideshare unionization. Voters will get to decide whether rideshare workers should have the right to unionize, which would allow them to collectively bargain with their parent companies. This question builds on a recent settlement between the state and Uber and Lyft, which granted rideshare workers a slew of employment benefits and a pay bump, eliminating the need for a different proposed ballot Q about rideshare workers’ status as independent contractors. 

📝 Eliminating the MCAS graduation requirement. Voters will get to decide whether the MCAS, a standardized “exit” test that all public school students in Mass. have to pass to get their diploma, should remain a graduation requirement. Some advocates see the test as privileging good test takers and punishing others, including non-English speaking students and those with disabilities.

🍄 Legalizing psychedelic mushrooms. Should Mass. legalize the supervised use of plant-based psychedelics at licensed therapy centers for those over 21? That’s what this question backed by the folks from Massachusetts for Mental Health Options will ask voters in November. If passed, it would also decriminalize possession of some psychedelics, including magic mushrooms. 

💸 Raising the tipped minimum wage. This is the only question that isn’t quite on the ballot yet. If passed, this measure would increase the minimum wage for tipped workers slowly over time from its current $6.25 until it hits the $15 state minimum wage in 2029. Although this Q jumped through all the right hoops, the Mass. Restaurant Association (who aren’t big fans) challenged the authenticity of some of the campaign’s signatures. 

🤔 What’s next on the tipped minimum wage Q? The State Ballot Law Commission is expected to hold a hearing on the matter soon. If 137 or more of the signatures are successfully invalidated, the Q’s journey to the ballot will be kaput. Stay tuned for more!

🚔 Boston cops are racking up MAJOR overtime. If you’ve ever wondered why police officers dominate the top of the city’s employee earnings report, just look at their overtime pay. Almost 100 officers made approximately $100,000 in overtime on top of their base salaries in 2023, according to The Boston Globe. Police bigwigs say that high department vacancy numbers are to blame, but this inflated pay has been a longtime concern for police reform activists and financial watchdogs, especially in light of the city’s recent financial woes as commercial property values decline. 

🌡️ Seriously, what’s up with this weather? As we’re in the throes of yet another heat emergency, we can’t help but take this weather personally. While Mother Nature may not have any personal vendettas, part of the problem is this extreme humidity, which is caused in part by the peskily positioned jet stream that’s bringing warmer Southern air up north. And with said humidity comes the possibility of strong to severe thunderstorms through Thursday. Stay safe out there, everyone! 

💅 Extreme Makeover: State House edition. Ty Pennington might not be leading demo day, but the State House’s iconic golden dome and cupola (the cute little top piece) are going under the knife for the first time in over a decade to restore them to their former shiny glory. It’s not yet clear what the $20.3 million project will entail, but it’s safe to expect a new coat of 23-karat gold leaf to cover the dome’s blemishes, a replacement of a recently broken column, and potential upgrades that’ll keep the building healthy for a long time. More deets to come next spring!

💡 R.I.P. to the glowing swings at the Lawn on D. Speaking of shiny landmarks … “Swing Time,” the beloved glowing swings that have been a fixture at the Lawn on D and Millennial IG posts since its opening in 2014, have been officially “retired”. Understandably, after their nearly 10 seasons of swinging, they’ve picked up a little too much wear and tear to return. In happier news: The swings have been replaced with a new light installation in the garden, which has some very big shoes to fill.

B-Side is a proud sponsor of NICE, a fest music and art festival, the four-day local talent extravaganza coming to Davis Square from Thursday, July 25 to Sunday, July 28. NICE, a fest is a prime opportunity to support local makers of music and art as you bop from stage to stage. Give the (super stacked) lineup a look, get excited, and grab your tickets fast! 

It’s not a bad time to be single in Boston: A new Boston-based dating app aiming to bring couples IRL ASAP just launched, the city’s speeding scene is popping off, AND we’re in the thick of fielding season. So we chose violence and asked locals their best dating advice for a Boston romance. 

Whether it was their thoughts on the worst place to take someone on a first date or their preferred Boston landmark to dump someone, respondents didn’t hold back. 

The moral of the video? Maybe don’t take Bostonians’ dating advice. 

You can watch the full video here. 

— Written by Gia Orsino and Emily Schario

❤️ Thanks for reading! Canceling my 8 o’clock dinner in Revere as we speak.

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