Posted inState Government

Senate appealed to AG on DiZoglio’s legislative audit petition

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AUDITOR DIANA DIZOGLIO’S proposed ballot-box appeal to crack open the Legislature’s books for her inspection cleared a key hurdle last Wednesday. And it turns out that Attorney General Andrea Campbell, by certifying that the initiative passed legal muster, overruled a formal objection from the state Senate. DiZoglio served two terms in […]

Posted inState Government

Still no budget, but it’s coming

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE TOP HOUSE AND SENATE Democrats negotiating the fiscal 2024 state budget, which is now four weeks overdue, announced Friday afternoon they had “reached an agreement in principle” paving the way for final votes at the formal sessions already scheduled for Monday. Lead conferees Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues announced […]

Posted inGuns

Another House-Senate squabble, this time over gun legislation

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THE UNFINISHED fiscal 2024 budget, a road and bridge funding bill, and even their internal rules still tied up in slow-moving backroom negotiations, House and Senate Democrats found another area in which they disagreed Monday. Lawmakers from both branches say firearm law reforms are a priority, but when a newly-filed […]

Posted inState Government

Healey withholds records on abortion pill plan

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A FEDERAL JUDGE hadn’t even ruled yet on suspending approval of the abortion pill mifepristone in April when Gov. Maura Healey orchestrated a major reserve shipment of the drug through the state’s flagship university. But despite pledges of public records transparency, any paper trail of how that response came together is […]

Posted inEnergy, State Government

Thong-wearing climate activists turn their cheeks in Senate

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THONG-WEARING climate activists intent on stopping fossil fuel infrastructure mooned senators and disrupted Thursday’s tax relief debate in the Massachusetts Senate. About an hour later, they were arrested and escorted out of the chamber. About eight local members of the international group Extinction Rebellion started shouting from the chamber’s public gallery […]

Posted inHealth, Health Care

Healey gives life science firms $24.4m in tax breaks

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. MAURA HEALEY and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced $24.4 million in tax incentive awards Tuesday that they expect will help 43 life sciences companies create nearly 1,600 new jobs, and officials teased more “exciting” life sciences news around the corner as the BIO International Convention lands in Boston next […]

Posted inPolitics

Moran moves into House’s No. 2 spot

STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE REPS. MIKE MORAN of Boston, Alice Peisch of Wellesley, and Frank Moran of Lawrence all got big promotions Thursday as House Democrats rolled out their committee and leadership assignments for the new term. House Speaker Ron Mariano tapped Mike Moran to serve as his majority leader, elevating the 10-term veteran from […]