Prepping for the new Mass. driver's license law

Also: The state's new green bank, explained; why hundreds of thousands of children are missing out on federal help [Donate ❤️]( [View in Browser](  June 26, 2023 ☁️ Cloudy, with a high near 81 and patchy fog, plus a chance of heavy rain in the evening. Good Morning Boston, Gov. Maura Healey is [in Ireland this week,]( so Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll is in charge until Friday. And there's a lot going on back here in Massachusetts. Let's take a look at the week ahead: - The [new state law allowing undocumented immigrants to get driver's licenses]( takes effect on Saturday, and officials are getting ready for an influx of applications. RMV Registrar Colleen Ogilvie says she expects the law will lead to 280,000 new residents getting their driver's licenses over the next four years — with 105,000 of them doing so in the next six months. To prepare, the RMV has increased its service center staff by 45%, doubled its road test examiners, extended its weekday hours and plans to add Saturday hours at seven locations starting July 8. But you'll also need to prep if you're on the other side of the RMV counter. Here's what to know: - First things first: Two appointments will be required for a license: one for a learner's permit test and one for a road test. As of July 1, those without legal immigration status will be able to [pre-register for appointments online](. (Since the RMV is closed on weekends, the first available day will be Monday, July 3.) - What you'll need: All applicants have to prove they're a Massachusetts resident, along with their identity and date of birth. That means two forms of ID (such as a foreign passport and a driver's license from a different state or country), along with a [residency document]( like a bill or bank statement. The state's website has more details on identification requirements [here](. (Residents without social security numbers also will have to show they've been denied an SSN or [attest they never had one]( - Additional services: The RMV suggests bringing a friend or family to your in-person appointments and road tests if you need an interpreter. If no one is available, you can request an interpreter for the road test on your road test application form. Check out the RMV's[ FAQ page]( for more details and other questions. - Remember: Undocumented residents still can't get [REAL IDs]( nor can they get commercial driver's licenses. The new law only changes the rules for standard car and motorcycle driver’s licenses. The same fees apply, which add up to $115. - Beware of scammers: You never need to pay for access to RMV forms. The state has put out a [list of six hints to help people avoid fraud]( by third-party websites. - Encore Boston Harbor could have a strike on its hands by the end of the week. That's because 98% of the Everett casino's unionized 1,400 housekeepers, cooks and other staff voted last week to walk off the job this Saturday if they don't get an acceptable contract by then. - Encore contends their offers have been "competitive," but Unite Here Local 26 President Carlos Aramayo told WBUR's Jacob Garcia it doesn't compare to those of other local unionized hotel employees: "I think the vote speaks for itself." - Newton police are [seeking the public's help figuring out who killed three elderly people in their home]( on Sunday. Investigators have not released the names of the victims, nor commented on a motive. - If you live in the Nonantum area, police ask you check your doorbell cameras for any footage that may help. Also expect a heavy police presence in the neighborhood as the search goes on. - Police are also investigating a fatal double shooting that killed two teens over the weekend in Braintree. Investigators say a 16-year-old Braintree High School student and 19-year-old Dorchester man were shot in front of the student's home early Sunday. - No arrests have been made, but police say they don't believe there's any ongoing public safety threat. Still, they're [asking neighbors to reach out if they noticed anything unusual](. - Heads up for early morning drivers: The Ted Williams Tunnel will be closed in the westbound direction every night this week between midnight at 5 a.m. so crews can do paving and other work. - If you're headed from East Boston to downtown, you'll need to detour through the Sumner Tunnel, which [feels a little ironic](. P.S.— Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is back on Radio Boston this morning to take your questions. Listen live at 11 a.m. — and get in your burning questions for the mayor [through our text club](. Nik DeCosta-Klipa Editor, Newsletters [Follow](  Support the news  The Rundown [Massachusetts' new 'green bank' for climate-friendly housing, explained]( Gov. Healey established a “green bank” to help finance climate-friendly affordable housing. Here’s how it works. [Read more.]( [Massachusetts' new 'green bank' for climate-friendly housing, explained]( Gov. Healey established a “green bank” to help finance climate-friendly affordable housing. Here’s how it works. [Read more.]( [Why hundreds of thousands of poor, disabled children are missing out on federal help]( Over the past decade, the number of children receiving Supplemental Security Income has dropped dramatically. There is evidence that when young people lose this money, they are more likely to commit crimes and end up in prison. [Read more.]( [Why hundreds of thousands of poor, disabled children are missing out on federal help]( Over the past decade, the number of children receiving Supplemental Security Income has dropped dramatically. There is evidence that when young people lose this money, they are more likely to commit crimes and end up in prison. [Read more.]( [After its march toward Moscow, what's next for Russia's Wagner Group?]( The mood in Russia appeared to be calmer on Sunday, a day after the Wagner Group halted its advance toward Moscow and averted a possible confrontation with the Russian military.But Prigozhin's weekend rebellion against Russia's top military brass may have upended the soldier's fortunes. 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Critics say that's not enough]( 3M has agreed pay up to $10.3 billion over 13 years to help clean up toxic PFAS chemicals in public water supplies. 3M says the settlement is not an admission of liability. [Read more.]( [3M to pay $10 billion to clean up 'forever chemicals.' Critics say that's not enough]( 3M has agreed pay up to $10.3 billion over 13 years to help clean up toxic PFAS chemicals in public water supplies. 3M says the settlement is not an admission of liability. [Read more.]( Anything Else? - Learn more: A group of young Bostonians took dramatic action last month to draw attention to the epidemic of gun violence they are facing: they staged a "die-in" that stopped traffic by a busy Dorchester intersection. Three people involved in the planning and execution of the demonstration [talked to WBUR Morning Edition host Rupa Shenoy about how gun violence affects them and their communities](. - ICYMI: Admission is now free at the Harvard Art Museums — a change the organization [intends to keep permanently](. “When we reopened after the pandemic, we felt we had to kind of reopen with something big that would really invite people back in a way that would make a difference," said museum director Martha Tedeschi. - A hot day in Chelsea can be 10 to 15 degrees higher than that same day in Brookline. [In this Cognoscenti commentary]( Gaurab Basu and Jonathan Jay explain why Boston's summer heat is a matter of racial equity and how greening efforts can help - Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! was live from Tanglewood in Lenox this past week. [Catch the full show]( with Indiana Jones star Karen Allen as she shares what it was like to play Marion Ravenwood ([alongside 6,000 snakes]( in "Raiders of the Lost Ark."  What We're Reading 📚 This section is supported by [Beacon Hill Books]( a new independent bookstore. - The boy who broke the greasy pole ([The Boston Globe]( - Harvard Scholar Who Studies Honesty Is Accused of Fabricating Findings ([The New York Times]( - DOT Researchers Suggested a Way to Make Big Trucks Safer. After Meeting With Lobbyists, Agency Officials Rejected the Idea. ([ProPublica](  Life Advice [Don't get the jitters — keep up a healthy relationship with caffeine using these tips]( Seventy-five percent of Americans consume some kind of caffeine at least once a day. Whether your caffeine of choice is coffee, tea, soda or energy drinks, how do you know that it's working for you and not against you? We speak with experts about how you can assess your relationship to caffeine and explore why caffeine may not deserve its bad reputation. [Read more.]( [Don't get the jitters — keep up a healthy relationship with caffeine using these tips]( Seventy-five percent of Americans consume some kind of caffeine at least once a day. Whether your caffeine of choice is coffee, tea, soda or energy drinks, how do you know that it's working for you and not against you? We speak with experts about how you can assess your relationship to caffeine and explore why caffeine may not deserve its bad reputation. [Read more.]( Listen: The Common shares a "from the newsroom" segment [on the hidden history of queer suffragettes in Boston](. Play: [WBUR's daily mini crossword.]( Can you keep your streak going? Before you go: The real entertainment at Fenway Park [is on the big screen.]( 😎 Forward to a friend. 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