A player who has avoided prime time finally stepped out into the open this week.
Gintautas Dumcius
Posted inTransportation
Regional transit agencies are getting state funding to go fare-free. The T won’t be on the list.
Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said while 13 of the 15 Massachusetts regional transit authorities can now provide year-round fare-free bus service, thanks to state grants, that won’t be happening anytime soon at the MBTA, the state’s largest transit agency.
Posted inBallot Questions
Political Notebook: Amid ballot fight, teachers union dipped into legislative races
THE FINAL TALLY isn’t in yet, but the latest numbers show the Massachusetts Teachers Association spent more than $15 million on Question 2, their successful ballot measure to neuter the […]
Posted inTransportation
More MBTA shutdowns expected in 2025
MBTA riders who slogged through this year’s shutdowns should brace themselves for more next year, though they’ll be more limited in scope and duration, according to transit officials.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Spending in legislative races topped $11 million
Just over 300 candidates campaigned for the 200 seats in the House and Senate this year, with $11.2 million over the last 10 months flowing out of their campaign accounts, paying for consultants and mailers aimed at voters, newspaper subscriptions, and food and drinks for staff and constituents.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Golden Gate earthquake felt in Boston
When the fog in San Francisco lifted and the mayoral election tally rolled in, the outcome caught the attention of some people 3,000 miles away in Boston.
Posted inHousing
Emergency shelter system should move away from one-size-fits-all model, officials say
The state’s emergency shelter system, hit with an influx of migrant families, should seek financial stability by shifting away from a one-size-fits-all model and reducing reliance on hotels and motels, according to members of a state commission studying the system.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Mixed messages in Mass. | An Election Day tradition | Crypto cash
Voters may be dissatisfied with the Great and General Court, but most House and Senate members won reelection with little effort – in many cases because they had no opponent.
Posted inPolitics
Economic concerns drove shift to Trump, Healey says
Voters “were making a statement in part about how they were feeling in terms of their own personal welfare,” Healey said.
Posted inPolitics
Warren trounces GOP’s Deaton on her way to third term
Warren sought to nationalize the race by arguing a vote for her GOP opponent was a vote for Republican control of the US Senate.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Empty house, full campaign coffers | Damon and Dushku
Saru Jayaraman’s charity organization, One Fair Wage Inc., was set up in Massachusetts last year, with Jayaraman as the president, and Nika Soon-Shiong, the daughter of the owner of the Los Angeles Times, as a director.
Posted inTransportation
Millionaire tax won’t eliminate T’s fiscal cliff, Tibbits-Nutt says
“I reject the notion that all we’re going to produce is a tool kit,” said James Rooney of the Greater Boston Chamber. “I really don’t want to do that because I think we could’ve spent far less hours producing a tool kit.”
Posted inState Government
Political Notebook: Diverse tax talk at Gillette
“That’s not really a thing that comes up,” said defensiver linemn Keion White after the forum. “Personally, yeah, we pay an extra 4 percent. But Massachusetts does a good job of funding social programs, and we feel our money is going to a good cause.”
Posted inState Government
Business community needs attitude adjustment, Michlewitz says
“The negativity I hear on a daily basis is enough to make you think we’re bordering on the Great Depression, or that we’re almost wishing it into existence.”
Posted inGovernment
Wu, business leaders reach compromise on property tax shift
Business leaders and analysts say the compromise is a short-term solution to a problem that isn’t going away.
Posted inBallot Questions
Mariano, Spilka don’t rule out revisiting ballot questions after election
Two ballot questions in particular have drawn Beacon Hill’s scorn: Question 1 would explicitly authorize the state auditor to audit the state Legislature, while Question 2 would remove passing the MCAS test as a high school graduation requirement.
Posted inGovernment
Wu, business leaders getting closer on tax shift
The difference between the two current proposals from Wu and business leaders comes down to $21 for Boston residents’ tax bills, according to Wu. Residents in the average single family home would see a $21 increase under Wu’s proposal, while businesses would see a $319 decrease.
Posted inBallot Questions
Political Notebook: Does Healey have coattails on Question 2?
Healey is opposed to Question 5, which would establish a minimum wage for tipped workers. She’s still considering her vote on Question 3 (unionization for Uber and Lyft drivers) and Question 4 (legalization of psychedelics). On Question 1, which would explicitly authorize the state audito to audit the Legislature, Healey doesn’t plan to take a stand, telling GBH she’ll “leave that to the voters.”
Posted inMarijuana
Search for new cannabis agency chair could be hampered by Legislature’s review, Goldberg says
“We’ve made a commitment to begin looking. It might prove to be more challenging because those who might consider it might be concerned about changes that could take place,” Treasurer Deborah Goldberg said in reference to the Legislature. “But we’ll address this as we move forward.”
Posted inGambling
iLottery off to a very slow start
Treasurer Deb Goldberg announced a new timeline for the online lottery, saying the initiative will not launch until April 2026, near the end of fiscal 2026.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: An unusually early endorsement | Questions for Charlie Baker | Michlewitz’s ballot
Asked who, if anybody, will get his vote for president this time around, Charlie Baker balked at answering: “I’m not here to talk about that. I’m just not,” he told reporters.
Posted inEconomy
Guru of Boston’s youth jobs program stepping down after three decades
Behind the mayors, and largely behind the scenes, there’s been one constant: Neil Sullivan, the executive director of the nonprofit Boston Private Industry Council.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Lydia Edwards on a roll | Ralph de la Torre’s go-to firm
Sen. Lydia Edwards has garnered a reputation for an independent streak while standing on the winning side of recent races for city councils in Boston and Revere, as well as state attorney general and Suffolk County district attorney.
Posted inHousing
75 municipalities now on board with MBTA Communities law
The event came after the town of Southborough, a Worcester County community that has a stop on the Framingham/Worcester commuter rail line, narrowly voted to approve its multifamily zoning plan, making it a total of 75 communities “acting in good faith to follow the law,” according to Campbell.