New from CommonWealth Beacon ENERGY BURST: House leaders are planning a rare series of closed-door meetings for lawmakers this week to discuss the path forward for legislation aimed at lowering […]
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What ICE is doing is abhorrent. But here’s why canceling the state contract to house its detainees might not be the right thing to do.
How the country addresses immigration is, admittedly, not an easy issue. We need immigrants – and have long been a place where those from other countries sought to a build a new, better life — and we also need secure borders. I know how hard striking this balance can be.
Posted inThe Saturday Send
How Massachusetts hit a new low and four more stories
Jordan Wolman and Chris Lisinski investigate how Massachusetts became the slowest state in issuing initial unemployment payments in the country between June and October. Plus, Keolis seeks redemption in its bid for a new MBTA contract, the debate over real estate transfer fees polarizes lawmakers, and the Healey administration delays implementing a clean heat program over affordability while House leaders plan closed-door meetings to to discuss the path forward for legislation aimed at lowering energy costs.
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The Download: Next up on Beacon Hill: House leaders plan closed-door meetings on Healey’s energy affordability bill
New from CommonWealth Beacon TRANSFER FEE: After a proposal from Gov. Maura Healey that would have authorized new fees on property sales to fund affordable housing failed, supporters of the […]
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The Download: Prospects shaky for real estate transfer fee
New from CommonWealth Beacon ON HOLD: Between last June and October, Massachusetts was the worst performing state in the nation on paying out unemployment claims. Jordan Wolman and Chris Lisinski […]
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The Download: Massachusetts set out to modernize its unemployment insurance system. Then it hit a new low.
New from CommonWealth Beacon MBTA: A French company in charge of running the state’s commuter rail network was once on thin ice with the state. Now its a finalist for […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Keolis was once on thin ice over commuter rail concerns. Now, it’s a finalist for another lucrative MBTA contract.
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: Host Jennifer Smith convenes a start-of-year roundtable on this week’s episode of The Codcast to hear what municipal leaders and advocates want Beacon Hill […]
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The Download: What do cities and advocates want from the Legislature in 2026?
New from CommonWealth Beacon GATEWAY TO CONFUSION: The state’s Gateway Cities designation comes with significant economic perks, meant to shore up the anchors of regional economies. But how does a […]
Posted inCommonWealth Voices
Boston’s broken land use system blocks the homes we desperately need
Sponsored by The Boston Foundation The Best of CommonWealth Beacon OPINION Boston’s iconic three-deckers line Adams Street in Dorchester. (Photo by Michael Jonas) Boston’s broken land use system blocks the […]
Posted inThe Saturday Send
Great (legislative) expectations and five more stories
Chris Lisinksi takes a look at Beacon Hill’s 2026 priorities — including the Senate’s proposed residential tax relief bill — and explains why campaign finance regulators sanctioned five-term lawmaker Rep. Chynah Tyler.
Plus: Beacon Hill fails to track which communities qualify for Gateway City status, inclusionary zoning faces legal and legislative challenges, and the state’s insurer of last resort weighs rate increases after a surge in enrollment.
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No way in and no way out: Beacon Hill hasn’t kept track of which communities qualify for Gateway City status
New from CommonWealth Beacon INCLUSIONARY ZONING: Just as an end-of-year lawsuit launched a broadside against a decades-old policy to boost affordable development, state lawmakers moved to make it easier for […]
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Inclusionary zoning in the legal firing line as Senate tries to boost policy
New from CommonWealth Beacon CAMPAIGN FINANCE: State Rep. Chynah Tyler of Boston will pay a $6,000 civil forfeiture to the state and submit to greater campaign-finance scrutiny for the next […]
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The Download: Boston rep sanctioned for spending campaign dollars on personal uses
New from CommonWealth Beacon INSURANCE: The state’s home insurer of last resort will soon need to decide whether to raise rates for the first time in two decades after a […]
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Mass. insurer of last resort wrestles with thorny questions around affordability
New from CommonWealth Beacon BEACON HILL: There’s a lot of unfinished business on the Legislature’s plate this year, stretching from major budget questions to health care, housing, and energy affordability. […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: 2026 is here, and Beacon Hill’s got a lot of work to do
New from CommonWealth Beacon NEW CODCAST: The staff of CommonWealth Beacon gathered on microphone to reflect on 2025 and to look ahead to 2026. With editor Laura Colarusso moderating, reporters […]
Posted inThe Download
The Download: The top 5 CommonWealth Beacon commentary topics in 2025
The golden dome of the State House is reflected in the windows of a building across Beacon Street from the capitol. (Photo by Andy Metzger) The top 5 CommonWealth Beacon […]
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The Download: ‘The exits are growing, the entries are slowing’ in primary care
‘The exits are growing, the entries are slowing’ in primary care December 29, 2025 By CommonWealth Beacon Staff The primary care crisis has become an innovation problem for states. The […]
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The Download: Our top five Beacon Hill stories of 2025
A rally attendee holds up a sign in support of using state dollars to fund SNAP benefits outside the State House on October 28, 2025. Our top five Beacon Hill […]
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The Download: Our top five climate stories of 2025
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper (right) speaks about energy affordability at a press conference alongside Gov. Maura Healey on October 14, 2025. Our top five climate stories of […]
Posted inThe Download
‘In every difficulty, there’s an opportunity,’ Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler says about developing a post-MCAS high school graduation requirement
New from CommonWealth Beacon BUILDING CHARGE: Bay State officials announced Friday they are entering contract negotiations with four companies to procure nearly 1,300 megawatts of battery storage. More than half […]
Posted inCommonWealth Voices
Instead of a war on poverty, we wage war on the poor
Sponsored by The Boston Foundation The Best of CommonWealth Beacon OPINION Attorney General Andrea Campbell speaks about the impending cutoff of SNAP benefits at a rally outside the State House […]
Posted inThe Saturday Send
God’s backyard plus four more stories
Jennifer Smith delves into a bill permitting faith-based groups to construct multi-family housing and the ongoing legal battles over the MBTA Communities Act. Plus: Top Democrats’ raise concerns about tax cut proposals amid economic instability, the Senate chair of the Legislature’s Transportation Committee urges discussions on new transportation funding, and Jordan Wolman explains the Massachusetts FAIR Plan.
Posted inThe Download
The Download: Talk of new transportation dollars? Bring it on, says Senate chair
New from CommonWealth Beacon ZONING: The long-running fight over the MBTA Communities Act is once again heading back to the state’s high court, which is weighing an argument from reticent […]
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The Download: MBTA Communities fight heads back to the SJC
New from CommonWealth Beacon UNCERTAIN PATH: The annual fiscal check-up that state budget-writers convened this week featured the same calls for caution and warnings about a volatile environment that have […]