STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE LOW-INCOME TENANTS who are at risk of being evicted could gain access to free legal representation through a proposed program that garnered support from housing attorneys […]
State Government
Posted inState Government
Tax relief bill alters refunds under tax cap law
THE TAX RELIEF BILL released by legislative leaders on Tuesday significantly changes a law approved by voters in 1986, requiring that excess tax collections be returned in equal amounts to […]
Posted inState Government
Legislative leaders roll out ‘generational’ tax package
LEGISLATIVE LEADERS unveiled a tax relief package on Tuesday that includes every provision of the House and Senate proposals but fits within the budget number for this year by paring […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, State Government
Despite rules feud, lawmakers predict energy/climate bill will pass
The House and Senate chairs of the Legislature’s energy committee aren’t talking to each other, but in separate interviews they both seem confident lawmakers will pass another climate and energy […]
Posted inOpinion
The MBTA is in crisis. Let’s treat it that way.
AT A CRITICAL moment in Shakespeare’s King Lear, the raging, aging king bellows into the fury of a great storm, defying nature to “Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! Rage, […]
Posted inEducation
State wants updated MCAS to consider student ‘experiences’
ITS FUTURE as a graduation requirement may be the subject of much back and forth, but the MCAS test is still in line for a refresh. Amid critiques that the […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Top Dems declare deal on tax relief
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE TOP HOUSE AND Senate Democrats have reached an agreement on a tax relief bill, and plan to send it to Gov. Maura Healey next week as […]
Posted inPolitics
Another union push from legislative staffers
A YEAR AFTER being rebuffed in their efforts to form a union, legislative staff members on Beacon Hill are making another run at the goal, this time pursuing legislative change […]
Posted inEducation
Mayors renew call for vocational school admission changes
MORE THAN THREE YEARS after calling on the state to revamp what they said were unfair and discriminatory admission practices at regional vocational schools, a group of Massachusetts mayors says […]
Posted inHealth Care
A path forward for physician portability
MASSACHUSETTS HAS long been recognized as a global leader in health care, hospitals, education, and innovation. We wear this label proudly but must remain committed to continuous improvement and investment […]
Posted inTransportation
State setting sights on replacing Tobin Bridge
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ADD THE TOBIN BRIDGE to the list of aging, congested spans that state officials are eyeing for replacement. Acting Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt informed state officials […]
Posted inEducation
MCAS debate lands at state ed board meeting
WHEN IT COMES to debate over the state’s MCAS high school graduation requirement, Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education may have been a preview of […]
Posted inOpinion
Texas impeachment trial brings back Mass. memories of Daniel Coakley
THE IMPEACHMENT trial of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has ended with his acquittal by the Texas Senate. The months-long ordeal has concluded, but the eyes of Texas—and beyond—will probably […]
Posted inHousing, State Government
Reckoning looms over ‘home equity theft’
IN LATE MAY, the US Supreme Court ruled in favor of 94-year-old Geraldine Tyler, a Minnesota woman who did not get the surplus back after her condo was foreclosed on […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Treasurer suspends cannabis commission chair
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CANNABIS CONTROL Commission Chairwoman Shannon O’Brien was suspended from her position by Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, who chose her for the job a year ago, as upheaval […]
Posted inHousing, State Government
Addressing the racial gap in home ownership
STATE PROGRAMS DESIGNED to boost home ownership by people of color are working, but more funding, outreach, and affordable homes are needed to significantly reduce the historical racial gap in […]
Posted inState Government
Healey seeks $250m more for emergency shelter program
THE HEALEY ADMINISTRATION said it needs another $250 million to keep the emergency shelter program afloat and will probably need additional funds if the number of migrants coming into the […]
Posted inImmigration, Politics, State Government
Mass. welcome mat for migrants starting to fray
A YEAR AGO, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis used state tax funds to fly two planeloads of Venezuelan migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard. It was a political stunt designed to […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
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 […]
Posted inImmigration, State Government
Healey pleads for federal help in addressing shelter crisis
GOV. MAURA HEALEY formally asked the Biden administration to take a number of steps to make it easier for migrants and refugees to legally find work, saying the state of […]
Posted inState Government
State Police escorts sometimes involve political favors
JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, on a busy Monday afternoon around 2 p.m., the State Police shut down the heavily congested southbound lanes of the Southeast Expressway in Boston starting […]
Posted inMarijuana, State Government, State House News Service
Cannabis commission director pushes back at ‘crisis’ comment
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR of the Cannabis Control Commission, Shawn Collins is in the driver’s seat of a newly empowered regulatory agency, one that oversees an industry […]
Posted inPolitics
Ballot question season already at a boil
THE FIRST REAL starting shot of the state ballot question cycle has been fired, kicking several high profile campaigns into high gear and already raising the specter of legal challenges. Voters […]
Posted inOpinion, State Government
Expanding tax credit will make Massachusetts a leader in family policy again
MASSACHUSETTS CONSISTENTLY ranks as the top state to raise a family. The reason is simple: our family policies – from paid leave and childcare to education and safety – and […]