New from CommonWealth Beacon COURT-TAX OVERLAP: Beacon Hill Democrats sweating the $5 billion annual hit to state revenue presented by an income tax cut ballot question will be hoping the […]
CommonWealth Beacon staff
Posted inThe Codcast
Without employee housing, fears the Cape will crumble
Massachusetts’s extreme housing crunch is no secret, but who is actually in charge of fixing it? This week on The Codcast, state Sen. Julian Cyr and Local Journalism Project executive director Janet Lesniak join CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith to talk about the role of employee housing on the Cape and Islands – how sustainable is it to expect small businesses to become landlords for their workers, what happens when there’s nowhere for workers to live, and what should the state be doing to help seasonal communities help themselves with new housing tools?
Posted inThe Saturday Send
The human impact of the Bay State’s sluggish unemployment system and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman traveled to Worcester […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Fate of potential $5 billion hit to state budget heads to court
New from CommonWealth Beacon UI STUMBLES: There have been improvements in the new unemployment benefits system since last summer, but poor performance persists in some areas, and legislators say they […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Most low-income tenants have no lawyer in eviction cases. A state initiative is trying to change that.
New from CommonWealth Beacon BIDING TIME: After missing a 2021 target to join a federal program that offers insurance discounts on flood insurance in municipalities taking steps to reduce flood […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: $120 million sewer project marks Lynn’s latest effort to improve water quality, fix its long-polluted coastline
New from CommonWealth Beacon THE CODCAST: What does the latest executive order aimed at changing how people cast their votes mean for Massachusetts? Two lawsuits are currently working their way […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Trump’s mail-in-ballot order puts Massachusetts voters in the crosshairs
New from CommonWealth Beacon POWER UP: Sen. Michael Barrett, a Democrat who co-chairs the energy committee, is eyeing major changes to proposals in the energy affordability package approved by the […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Trump’s mail-in-ballot order puts Massachusetts voters in the crosshairs
What does the latest executive order aimed at changing how people cast their votes mean for Massachusetts? Two lawsuits are currently working their way through District Court in the state challenging a directive from President Trump that the US Postal Service only deliver mail ballots to voters on a federal citizenship list.
Posted inUncategorized
AG calls utility companies’ climate plans ‘completely inadequate’ and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman covers Attorney General […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Anxious Cape leaders worried about funding for Bourne Bridge replacement
New from CommonWealth Beacon CODCAST: Should kids be allowed to use social media? That’s the question state policymakers are pondering, and it’s one of the many questions Boston College professor […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: The growing movement to keep kids off social media
New from CommonWealth Beacon SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWDOWN: Proponents of social media restriction bills on Beacon Hill put forward by the House and governor say these are commonsense steps to reduce […]
Posted inThe Codcast
The growing movement to keep kids off social media
This week on The Codcast, two experts dive into what’s behind the surge in momentum for government regulation of social media use by minors.
Posted inUncategorized
Environmental bond bill clears Senate and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, Jordan Wolman covers the $3.6 billion […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Head Start programs face funding squeeze
New from CommonWealth Beacon ENVIRO VOTE: The Senate passed its version of a $3.6 billion environmental bond bill on Wednesday – a package that would shore up vulnerable infrastructure and […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Political Notebook: South Hadley voters reject controversial Proposition 2½ override
New from CommonWealth Beacon ROMNEYCARE: Twenty years after Massachusetts passed landmark health care reform legislation that gave the state the highest rate of insurance coverage in the country, the leading […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: The grassroots campaign that changed health care
New from CommonWealth Beacon MATERNITY: Merrimack Health’s Methuen campus will shutter its maternity unit in August, the 12th closure of maternity services in Massachusetts since 2010. Hallie Claflin looks at […]
Posted inThe Codcast
The grassroots campaign that changed health care
On the latest episode of The Codcast’s Health or Consequences, Paul Hattis interviews his normal co-host John McDonough and Cheri Andes about their work 20 years ago to secure passage of a landmark health care reform law.
Posted inUncategorized
A small town takes a solar developer to court and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman covers the legal […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Lawmakers offer mixed messages on income tax ballot question
New from CommonWealth Beacon ELECTRIC SHOCK: A Bellingham man spent months securing a loan to add solar panels and battery storage to his home only to be hit with a […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Taking stock of Massachusetts health care reform at 20
New from CommonWealth Beacon SOLAR SHOWDOWN: The Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments in a case over the denial of a permit for a large solar power project by the rural […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Worcester pilot program provides early childhood educators with rent-free space to start their businesses
New from CommonWealth Beacon LEGISLATIVE AUDIT: Following months of an increasingly bitter feud with Diana DiZoglio, Attorney General Andrea Campbell used a live radio interview to signal a new willingness […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: DiZoglio-Campbell feud hurtles toward Supreme Judicial Court
New from CommonWealth Beacon CODCAST: The Healey administration is steering into artificial intelligence, and there’s more at stake than just jobs or economic growth — all sorts of personal data […]
Posted inThe Download
What it means that a state ‘AI assistant’ will handle your data
New from CommonWealth Beacon CONSERVATION BY BALLOT: One of the dozen potential ballot measures that could greet voters this November aims to create a dedicated fund to purchase land for […]
Posted inThe Codcast
What it means that a state ‘AI assistant’ will handle your data
This week on The Codcast, we dig into the new partnership between Massachusetts and OpenAI to roll out an AI assistant to help with daily governmental tasks. CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Technology Secretary Jason Snyder, who says his goals include “democratizing innovation” and helping streamline bureaucratic systems like the DMV. Snyder discusses the contract with OpenAI, concerns around data privacy and bias in AI systems, and explains why the state is leaning so hard into AI adoption.