New from CommonWealth Beacon ON THE BALLOT: Voters could be tasked with deciding 11 ballot measures this fall, ranging from strict rent control to an income tax cut to recriminalizing […]
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The Download: Mass. voters might face 11 ballot questions this fall. Here’s where each measure stands.
New from CommonWealth Beacon MIDDLING: In a new poll on the middle class, Massachusetts residents report financial anxiety, driven by a cost of living that feels difficult to manage even […]
The Download: In Mass., the middle class is holding on, but financial anxiety continues to climb
CommonWealth Beacon Turns 30 Dear Reader, When CommonWealth magazine published its first edition in 1996, the State House press gallery was packed with reporters from local papers around the state. […]
The Download: Clash with prediction market giant Kalshi reaches SJC
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: Cape and Islands leaders fear that a lack of available housing for the tourism-dependent region’s workforce could hamstring its future. On the latest episode […]
The Download: Without employee housing, fears the Cape will crumble
New from CommonWealth Beacon COURT-TAX OVERLAP: Beacon Hill Democrats sweating the $5 billion annual hit to state revenue presented by an income tax cut ballot question will be hoping the […]
The human impact of the Bay State’s sluggish unemployment system and four more stories
The Saturday Send Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman traveled to Worcester […]
The Download: Fate of potential $5 billion hit to state budget heads to court
New from CommonWealth Beacon UI STUMBLES: There have been improvements in the new unemployment benefits system since last summer, but poor performance persists in some areas, and legislators say they […]
The Download: One year after implementing new system, Mass. continues to struggle in issuing unemployment benefits
New from CommonWealth Beacon HOUSING: Beacon Hill is weighing how much to fund a program that provides low-income tenants with legal counsel in eviction cases. Jennifer Smith has more. OPINION: […]
The Download: Most low-income tenants have no lawyer in eviction cases. A state initiative is trying to change that.
New from CommonWealth Beacon BIDING TIME: After missing a 2021 target to join a federal program that offers insurance discounts on flood insurance in municipalities taking steps to reduce flood […]
The Download: $120 million sewer project marks Lynn’s latest effort to improve water quality, fix its long-polluted coastline
New from CommonWealth Beacon THE CODCAST: What does the latest executive order aimed at changing how people cast their votes mean for Massachusetts? Two lawsuits are currently working their way […]
The Download: Trump’s mail-in-ballot order puts Massachusetts voters in the crosshairs
New from CommonWealth Beacon POWER UP: Sen. Michael Barrett, a Democrat who co-chairs the energy committee, is eyeing major changes to proposals in the energy affordability package approved by the […]
The Download: Senate energy chair signals departure from House on $1B cut to Mass Save
New from CommonWealth Beacon OPINION: Massachusetts should allow cities and towns to ban competitive electric suppliers within their communities as proposed by the House, argue D.J. Beauregard, the mayor of […]
The Download: AG Campbell: Mass. gas companies need to overhaul their climate plans — or face penalties
New from CommonWealth Beacon UP IN SMOKE: The Supreme Judicial Court handed a pointed defeat to the tobacco company Philip Morris, rejecting its argument that a jury’s initial $1 billion […]
The Download: Anxious Cape leaders worried about funding for Bourne Bridge replacement
New from CommonWealth Beacon CODCAST: Should kids be allowed to use social media? That’s the question state policymakers are pondering, and it’s one of the many questions Boston College professor […]
The Download: The growing movement to keep kids off social media
New from CommonWealth Beacon SOCIAL MEDIA SHOWDOWN: Proponents of social media restriction bills on Beacon Hill put forward by the House and governor say these are commonsense steps to reduce […]
The Download: Massachusetts continues to flout a nearly decade-old regulation to track state vehicle emissions
New from CommonWealth Beacon HEAD START: Massachusetts has lost 1,300 Head Start slots over the last three years as the state grapples with the impacts for children and families amid […]
The Download: Head Start programs face funding squeeze
New from CommonWealth Beacon ENVIRO VOTE: The Senate passed its version of a $3.6 billion environmental bond bill on Wednesday – a package that would shore up vulnerable infrastructure and […]
The Download: Political Notebook: South Hadley voters reject controversial Proposition 2½ override
New from CommonWealth Beacon ROMNEYCARE: Twenty years after Massachusetts passed landmark health care reform legislation that gave the state the highest rate of insurance coverage in the country, the leading […]
The Download: Massachusetts celebrates health care milestone amid gathering storm clouds
New from CommonWealth Beacon GAS PRICES: Average gas prices in Massachusetts are nearly $4 per gallon – and are becoming a political issue in the governor’s race. Jordan Wolman explains. […]
The Download: The grassroots campaign that changed health care
New from CommonWealth Beacon MATERNITY: Merrimack Health’s Methuen campus will shutter its maternity unit in August, the 12th closure of maternity services in Massachusetts since 2010. Hallie Claflin looks at […]
The Download: Lawmakers offer mixed messages on income tax ballot question
New from CommonWealth Beacon ELECTRIC SHOCK: A Bellingham man spent months securing a loan to add solar panels and battery storage to his home only to be hit with a […]
The Download: Taking stock of Massachusetts health care reform at 20
New from CommonWealth Beacon SOLAR SHOWDOWN: The Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments in a case over the denial of a permit for a large solar power project by the rural […]
The Download: Worcester pilot program provides early childhood educators with rent-free space to start their businesses
New from CommonWealth Beacon LEGISLATIVE AUDIT: Following months of an increasingly bitter feud with Diana DiZoglio, Attorney General Andrea Campbell used a live radio interview to signal a new willingness […]
The Download: DiZoglio-Campbell feud hurtles toward Supreme Judicial Court
New from CommonWealth Beacon CODCAST: The Healey administration is steering into artificial intelligence, and there’s more at stake than just jobs or economic growth — all sorts of personal data […]