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 that would open a path for their organizing efforts. Last July, Senate President Karen Spilka refused to recognize a union push by staffers to affiliate […]
Politics
Posted inHousing, Opinion, Politics
Massachusetts voters want rent control option
THERE IS AN intense debate in progressive circles (behind the scenes, for the most part) on whether to pursue a ballot initiative for the 2024 election to enable municipalities to enact policies to stabilize rents in their communities. Some advocates and lobbyists argue against pursuing such a measure, claiming that it is unlikely to win […]
Posted inPolitics
Emotions run high as Boston progressives process preliminaries
TUESDAY’S PRELIMINARY election was a drubbing for two of the Boston City Council’s most outspoken progressive voices, but the city’s progressive mayor rejected the idea that the results represent an indictment of the movement’s power in Boston. In Districts 5 and 6, where embattled incumbents Ricardo Arroyo and Kendra Lara lost their seats amid ethics […]
Posted inPolitics
Arroyo, Lara losses carry echo of past races
CHALK ONE UP for the goo-goos. Actually chalk two up. The term came into use in the late 1800s and early 1900s as a reference to good government reformers who were looking to rid municipal government of corruption. In yesterday’s Boston city election, the modern-day goo-goos decided they’d seen enough and tossed two incumbent city […]
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 stoke DeSantis’s presidential profile and give Massachusetts a small taste of the immigration crisis roiling the country’s southern border. The incident attracted national attention and […]
Posted inEducation
Increase investment in civic education, don’t decrease it
AS WE DIP our toes into a new school year and another presidential election cycle, the importance of an educated and engaged voting populace has never been clearer. Yet, despite this need for understanding and engagement in our democracy, civics education in the United States is grossly underfunded and often looked at as “nice, […]
Posted inPolitics
Hits and misses on ballot questions targeting elections
ATTORNEY GENERAL Andrea Campbell was generous in certifying dozens of ballot initiatives, the first step for them to go before voters in the 2024 and 2026 cycle, but she used a sharper pen when it came to several measures that could have revamped voting and election rules. Efforts to put versions of ranked choice voting […]
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 in 2024 and 2026 could be weighing MCAS requirements, rent control, the employment status of app-based drivers, and even decriminalizing psychedelics among the potential smorgasbord […]
Posted inPolitics
Is Massachusetts becoming the state of emergency?
IN GOVERNMENT, as in life, what gets the most attention is often a matter of priorities. It’s hard to focus on too much at once, so the most important things get pushed to the top of the to-do list. Sometimes, though, even setting out an agenda of top priorities doesn’t seem to be enough. Lately, […]
Posted inOpinion
Trump’s insurrection should disqualify him for office
IT IS INDEED ironic that Donald J. Trump, who entered politics with his disreputable efforts to disqualify Barack Obama from the presidency by ludicrously claiming that he was born in Kenya, and then challenging Ted Cruz’s nomination because he was Canadian born (albeit to an American citizen mother), has seemingly dodged his own disqualification as […]