“I mean, you guys have an obligation to write what’s really gonna happen,” House Speaker Ron Mariano huffed.
Gintautas Dumcius
Posted inState Government
Spilka hosts opposing camps on Wu’s property tax shift proposal
The meeting in Spilka’s office, which lasted about an hour, included Wu as well as her chief financial officer and assessing commissioner, and business community leaders, such as Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Jim Rooney and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau’s Marty Walz, a former House lawmaker, who have said there could be alternative approaches to Wu’s proposal, such as budget belt-tightening.
Posted inState Government
Healey signs bill aimed at bringing in federal funding
The federal grant money would be funneled towards infrastructure and economic development projects. The law sets up a $750 million pot of money, funded using interest generated by the state’s $8 billion-plus stabilization fund. The money will go toward matching federal grants.
Posted inBy The Numbers
Poll indicates growing frustration with Legislature
A new poll points to growing public dissatisfaction with the Legislature, with 47 percent of likely Massachusetts voters disapproving of the job lawmakers are doing and only 42 percent approving.
Posted inPolitics
Poll shows a romp for Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a two-term Democrat, holds a wide lead over her Republican challenger, John Deaton, in a new CommonWealth Beacon/WBUR poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Teamsters throw new wrench into election
When a union declines to issue an endorsement at the national level, that typically frees up the locals to make their own picks. But the Teamsters president’s old local is staying quiet.
Posted inPolitics
Here’s who may get Warren challenger John Deaton’s vote for president
Deaton – who has been a registered Democrat, an independent, and a Republican – describes himself in the same mold as Baker: “someone who is socially moderate to liberal person, who is fiscally conservative.”
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Wilkerson lands perch at troubled nursing home
When a Suffolk Superior Court judge appointed Joseph Feaster as the receiver of the Boston facility in April, the well-known attorney immediately turned to an old friend for help.
Posted inBallot Questions
Nearly $10m from unions, businesses floods into ballot questions
The Quincy-based Massachusetts Teachers Association provided $2 million in “in-kind” contributions, with the union helping pay for everything from consulting to polling, advertising, signature collection, staff travel, and mailings.
Posted inPolitics
Latest numbers have Cambridge state rep staving off ouster
The numbers, obtained by CommonWealth Beacon, show Decker winning with 3,472 votes to MacKay’s 3,431 votes. The new numbers are based on previously uncounted ballots, including overseas ballots. It was unclear on Wednesday how many more ballots, if any, remain uncounted.
Posted inPolitics
Decker’s challenger declares victory in Cambridge
The primary battle between Decker and MacKay shaped up to be a classic race between a hard-charging insider and an outside organizer.
Posted inPolitics
Healey says she’s not interested in Harris administration post
“You know, I laugh at people with their speculation about stuff,” Healey said. “I want to be really clear: I am not interested in any job other than being governor.”
Posted inPolitics
In Cambridge rep race, a liberal showdown
Cambridge state Rep. Marjorie Decker is running hard, touting the progressive issues she has championed during 12 years in office. Her Democratic primary challenger, Evan MacKay, says she’s become too beholden to the dysfunctional power structure on Beacon Hill to consistently stand up for those values.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: What type of progressive does Somerville want? | Marty Walsh rumblings | Eng on move
As she seeks election to a third term, Uyterhoeven is facing a challenge in the September 3 Democratic primary from Kathleen Hornby, who knows Beacon Hill well from her work as a legislative aide, most recently for Rep. Marjorie Decker of Cambridge. Hornby says she is just as progressive as Uyterhoeven but would approach the job differently to deliver more for the district.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Super PAC shower in SJC clerk race | Healey’s departure bonus
In filings with state campaign finance regulators, Chinese Progressive Political Action (CPPA) and Ironworkers Local 7’s super PAC reported spending $4,000 and $3,000 on their respective candidates of choice. CPPA, which has money to spend thanks to a $10,000 donation from the health care workers union SEIU 1199, is backing attorney Allison Cartwright, while the South Boston-based ironworkers union is supporting Boston Councilor Erin Murphy.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Registered opposition | Karen Read crowd | Super PAC shuts down
Voters are often surprised to see their names at the bottom of the ballot, where the obscure county contests appear. But occasionally races for such positions become the most intriguing campaigns available.
Posted inEducation
Ballot campaign to end MCAS graduation requirement gets underway
AS PART OF what’s likely to be a costly battle over high school testing standards, a union-backed group on Thursday launched its effort to eliminate MCAS as a graduation requirement. […]
Posted inPolitics
After Wu voices disappointment with Senate inaction on tax bill, Spilka hits back
After Boston Mayor Michelle Wu said homeowners would have the state Senate to blame if Beacon Hill doesn’t pass legislation shifting more of the city’s tax burden onto commercial property owners, Senate President Karen Spilka made it clear she was not pleased with the comment.
Posted inPolitics
Political notebook: Healey hires strategist | Gov. slams Vance’s ‘childless cat lady’ comment
NEARLY HALFWAY THROUGH her first term, Gov. Maura Healey has brought into the State House a longtime political hand. Corey Welford, who left for the private sector after serving as […]
Posted inState Government
Lawmakers stumble through early morning hours with little accomplished
Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s property tax shift proposal, which drew intense opposition from real estate interests, appeared dead, as did overrides of Gov. Healey’s vetoes from the $58 billion fiscal 2025 budget.
Posted inEnergy
Finger-pointing galore as climate legislation stalls
The House was content with a bill that did the siting and permitting changes and little else, but the Senate had additional priorities, including language that would begin to rein in the natural gas industry, eliminate the retail electricity industry, and overhaul the way clean energy is procured.
Posted inState Government
Spilka throws Mariano’s own words back at him
Unlike other state houses, it’s not Democrats fighting Republicans, or the executive branch battling the legislative branch. It’s the House versus the Senate.
Posted inPolitics
Why are so many amendments being withdrawn on Beacon Hill?
A lawmaker gets up to make a speech, notes how important it would be for his or her colleagues to pass the amendment, and then withdraws the very amendment that was supposed to be so important.
Posted inTransportation
Political notebook: Healey’s ‘tool kit’ task force | Pushback on merger of state agencies
“What we are really hoping to give [to the governor] is a tool kit that lists sources and uses. I am not so sure – again, I’m not a member of the task force, I’m staff to the task force — that they will get to the prioritization level. It’s possible, but we haven’t really discussed that yet.”