NEWS
CommonWealth Beacon cracks open the stories, personalities, and political machinations that impact residents across the state.
Explore sharp, thoughtful reporting that explores local dust-ups, statewide legislative trends, transformative court rulings, and policies that shape life in Massachusetts.
Political Notebook: Data centers get their tax breaks, taxpayer group side-eyes ballot measures
State officials had been working on crafting the tax exemption since the Legislature required it in the 2024 economic development measure that Gov. Maura Healey signed. But 18 months after that law was signed, the tax break comes at a fraught time for the artificial intelligence industry.
High court justices weigh deadline for Campbell-DiZoglio resolution
During oral arguments, the Supreme Judicial Court signaled it might order Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Auditor Diana DiZoglio to agree on a narrow scope of issues by a certain date, in an attempt to force forward movement in the long-running fight about auditing the Legislature.
In Mass., the middle class is holding on, but financial anxiety continues to climb
The security of middle-class life is typically defined by a good job, class mobility, and wealth security, said Christian Weller, a professor of public policy and department chair at UMass Boston. These days, “people don’t feel secure except some at the very top,” he said.
For Mass. residents, housing is where affordability hits hardest
Middle-class life has long had a sort of “American Dream” gloss to it — the home, the car, the kids, the security. But the poll also shows housing — be it a suburban house or a city condominium — is increasingly the middle-class marker that feels furthest out of reach.
Clash with prediction market giant Kalshi reaches SJC
In September, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued Kalshi for offering what she claims equates to “illegal sports betting” without proper licensing.
Lowell residents sue data center, state over air quality permit
The legal challenge, filed in Middlesex County Superior Court, comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over data centers and their role in powering artificial intelligence both around the country and within the Bay State.
Fate of potential $5 billion hit to state budget heads to court
Legislative leaders would no doubt welcome a ruling from the SJC that the ballot question cannot go before voters, but the case against the question rests on a technical challenge that is rarely successful.
House votes 149-9 to approve annual state budget bill
Fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1, is projected to be “a very, very difficult fiscal year in a truly, truly challenging economic environment,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said this month. Repeatedly throughout the week, Democrats echoed that sentiment as they resisted Republican calls for tax relief or spending cuts.
One year after implementing new system, Mass. continues to struggle in issuing unemployment benefits
May will mark the one-year anniversary of the launch of a new unemployment benefits system that was supposed to usher in a better user experience for staff and claimants alike. But delivery of benefits fell at its lowest point last year to the nation’s worst.
Most low-income tenants have no lawyer in eviction cases. A state initiative is trying to change that.
“If you’re evicted from public housing, for all intents and purposes, a family will never have a chance to get back to it because the wait lists will be so long,” said Daniel Daley, a senior housing attorney at MetroWest Legal Services. The “double whammy,” he said – losing both housing and subsidy simultaneously – is what makes these cases so dire.
Boston, in new climate plan, opens up possibility of delaying flood insurance discounts
Increasingly severe floods are threatening to put more financial strain on Massachusetts residents’ pockets.
$120 million sewer project marks Lynn’s latest effort to improve water quality, fix its long-polluted coastline
A collection of cities on the North Shore (and across Massachusetts) have historically combined sewer systems where both wastewater and stormwater come through shared pipes. During heavy rains, the excess flow bypasses the treatment plants where it is supposed to be cleaned and is instead discharged into local bodies of water to prevent backups in people’s homes.
Minogue wins GOP endorsement in a romp; Shortsleeve ekes out ballot spot
The Massachusetts Republican Party convention set up a one-on-one showdown for the party’s gubernatorial nomination in the September primary between wealthy businessman Mike Minogue and former MBTA official Brian Shortsleeve.
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