STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH THE STATE moving toward major decisions over wages, income taxation and health care spending, new data published by the US Census Bureau Thursday shows Massachusetts […]
Matt Murphy
Posted inEducation
Pro-charter school group hit with record campaign finance fine
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE PROMINENT NEW YORK education group that financed the bulk of last year’s failed ballot campaign to expand charter schools in Massachusetts has agreed to pay […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Ballot opponent to head legal pot commission
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A RETIRED BUSINESS executive and former Bain and Company partner who voted against the referendum to legalize marijuana has been tapped by Treasurer Deborah Goldberg to […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Baker pushes new drug dealing charges
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A YEAR AFTER WORKING with the Legislature to try to stem the flow of opioids and improve addiction treatment options, Gov. Charlie Baker is targeting the […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker taps pot foe for cannabis control board
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SEN. JENNIFER FLANAGAN, a Leominster Democrat, has become the first of five members of the powerful new Cannabis Control Commission, tapped by Gov. Charlie Baker to […]
Posted inPolitics
Tsongas not seeking reelection
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE US REP. NIKI TSONGAS, who has served in Congress since 2007, will not seek reelection in 2018. Tsongas, who is the widow of the late Sen. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Healey outlines criminal justice vision
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY sent a letter to two key lawmakers this week outlining her vision for criminal justice reform, including an overhaul of bail and […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Cambridge votes home-sharing regs
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN THE ABSENCE OF A STATE STRATEGY to regulate short-term housing rentals, the Cambridge City Council voted Monday night to require hosts to live in the […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker, Warren not far apart on ICE detainers
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NEWTON MAYOR SETTI WARREN unleashed a blistering attack on Gov. Charlie Baker this week in response to the governor’s filing of legislation that would allow police, […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker bill seeks some immigration detainer cooperation
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A PUSH FROM THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION to respond to a Supreme Judicial Court ruling and reinstate a policy allowing state and local police to cooperate, on […]
Posted inHealth Care
Lawmakers reject Baker’s MassHealth cuts
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE AND SENATE DEMOCRATS, insisting they needed more time to consider strategies to control cost growth in MassHealth and the broader health care system, turned aside […]
Posted inHealth Care
House poised to reject Baker’s MassHealth reforms
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE BAKER ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS on Tuesday urged lawmakers to get on board with reforms to rein in costs at MassHealth, but the House is poised on Wednesday […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker vetoes $320 million from budget
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Ten days ago, the Democrat-controlled Legislature approved what would be the state’s first budget in excess of forty billion dollars – $40.2 billion to be exact. […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service
Baker won’t commit to health care assessments
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said Monday he has not yet decided whether he will sign off on $200 million in new employer fees he has linked to […]
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers signal budget accord reached
THE LEAD BUDGET NEGOTIATORS for the House and Senate announced a deal Thursday evening to resolve differences between the branches over an annual state budget for the fiscal year that […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker slammed for not filing updated budget
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, at least publicly, has given lawmakers space to reconsider revenue and spending targets in the budget due in just a matter of days. […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service
Sources: Higher tax, new opt-out in pot bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE RETAIL MARIJUANA SALES would be taxed at a maximum rate of 18.75 percent under legislation being developed by the House in preparation for a Thursday vote […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service
House to roll out rewrite of legal pot bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE LEADERSHIP WILL unveil its proposal to overhaul the voter-backed law legalizing marijuana in Massachusetts on Wednesday, setting up an expected debate and vote before the […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics, State House News Service
State bond rating drops one notch
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH SLUGGISH REVENUES testing Gov. Charlie Baker’s ability to balance investment needs with fiscal prudence, one of the country’s largest credit rating agencies on Friday downgraded […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
DeLeo unsure how Baker will balance budget
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Gov. Charlie Baker has told House Speaker Robert DeLeo not to worry about deficient tax collections blowing a hole in this year’s state budget. And the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House OKs 1 of 2 immigration bills
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE LEADERS indefinitely postponed a planned vote Wednesday on legislation recommended by Democrats as a response to President Donald Trump’s illegal immigration crackdown, even as […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Economy booms but state tax take craters
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE BUDGET PROBLEMS worsened considerably Wednesday after cratering April tax collections widened the revenue gap in this year’s budget and called into question assumptions for next […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, State House News Service
House budget OKs Medicaid levy
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE HOUSE BUDGET COMMITTEE on Monday unanimously advanced a $40.3 billion spending blueprint for next year that would greenlight the Baker administration’s plan to levy an […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
8,200 Uber, Lyft drivers fail background check
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MORE THAN 8,200 DRIVERS for Uber and Lyft failed a state background check to operate in Massachusetts after their applications were flagged for everything from license […]