The Board of Higher Education approved Merrimack’s plan to offer 96-credit bachelor’s degrees in business administration, communications, criminal justice and psychology, the Department of Higher Education announced. Suffolk was approved for a 94-credit bachelor’s degree in healthcare administration and innovation.
Alison Kuznitz | State House News Service
Posted inState Government
Healey slams brakes on data center tax incentives
Healey said the hold on applications for the 20-year sales and use tax exemption for qualified data centers will remain in effect “until we have strong protections in place for our residents and communities against higher gas and electric bills.”
Posted inBallot Questions
Pro-cannabis campaign plans to counter ‘stuffy dudes’ with the grassroots
The Stop the Repeal campaign will rely on grassroots efforts to encourage Bay Staters to “vote no” against the ballot measure funded by “out-of-state” interests, said chair Ryan Dominguez, the executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition.
Posted inState Government
Healey’s ‘serious’ look at health care also a confidential effort
Bay Staters are increasingly unable to afford care, with many forgoing doctor’s visits and other health care services due to escalating cost concerns that are exacerbated by rising premiums and the prevalence of high deductible plans
Posted inEducation
Pilot opens expansion opportunity for some family child care providers
The pilot will include about 25 to 30 programs, as EEC collects data and feedback from educators and families. EEC will use those findings to help guide future decisions about family child care capacity, staffing ratios and licensing structures.
Posted inEconomy
Coca-Cola’s Northampton plant closing will trigger 175 layoffs
The plant on Industrial Drive will close on December 15, after the company previously eyed shutting down the facility in 2023.
Posted inHealth Care
Regulators attach conditions to MGB-CVS MinuteClinic plan
Regulators have been intrigued about the prospect of an innovative care model to expand primary care access, but the sticker shock continues to linger and the HPC said Thursday it “remains uncertain” whether or when MinuteClinic will “provide comprehensive, high-quality primary care.”
Posted inHealth
Policy Points: Takeaways from the 2026 Medicaid Summit
As the agency navigates how to minimize coverage losses, cope with federal funding cuts and keep MassHealth members informed, the 2026 Medicaid Summit on Tuesday brought together state government policy experts and researchers from around the country to make sense of the impacts of the nearly one-year-old federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Posted inState Government
Shortsleeve would tie legislative funding to audit compliance
Angered by the Legislature’s tactics to curtail the scope of the voter-backed audit law, Republican Brian Shortsleeve said Monday that if he were governor, he would veto the budget appropriations […]
Posted inEducation
Senate ready to give teachers second shot at retirement program
The Senate plans to take up a bill to enhance retirement benefit programs for teachers after resisting for years, following the House’s approval of a similar policy through a state budget amendment.
Posted inPolitics
UnitedHealthcare defrauded MassHealth of $100M, AG alleges
The lawsuit alleges that United “falsely manipulated” their health evaluations in order to secure bigger payments.
Posted inState House News Service
Doula certification effort set for launch this spring
“The Department of Public Health is working with MassHealth to implement more than 20 provisions within the 2024 maternal health law designed to bolster access to services and tackle racial disparities in care outcomes.”
Posted inHealth Care
Healey unveils $250 million health insurance relief plan
Federal enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of December, creating turmoil for residents whose subsidies had protected them from steep premium hikes.
Posted inHealth Care
Healey explores options to cover Mass. residents losing health insurance
Healey said Tuesday that the loss of subsidies will translate into “upwards of 350,000” Mass. residents losing their health insurance.
Posted inHealth
Healey puts Mass. on its own vaccine path
The state Department of Public Health on Thursday updated its vaccine administration policy, enabling pharmacists to administer vaccines and emergency medications. The maneuver promotes the availability and distribution of vaccines in Massachusetts beyond those approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Posted inState Government
Mass. could join states that ban concealed license plates
Motorists would be banned from installing tinted license plate covers on their cars that distort or block key information under a bill that secured initial approval in the House this week.
Posted inEconomy
Tax change lifts plans for “hyperscale” data center campus in Westfield
The increasingly digital world — in which people and businesses are constantly searching the Internet, turning to AI for help, or storing information in the cloud — has led to a growing need for data centers to support online activity.
Posted inHealth Care
Healey signs bill expanding reproductive, transgender care protections
SURROUNDED BY HEALTH CARE advocates and curious tourists peering into Nurses Hall, Gov. Maura Healey signed an expanded shield law giving patients and providers in Massachusetts a new layer of defense against out-of-state intrusion into reproductive and transgender care.
