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.
Healey sounds alarm on energy costs — but a legislative solution remains elusive for now
Healey’s decision to speak specifically on energy policy as the Legislature scrambled elsewhere in the State House to tackle other priorities is the latest sign of urgency from the governor to respond to Bay Staters’ angst around soaring utility bills — and of the political salience of the issue as the governor seeks reelection this fall.
An effort to boost nature, backed by big-money donors, lands in the middle of Mass. ballot question mania
As the campaign shifts from ballot-qualifying to general election mode, what the end result will be of all the money raised and spent, all the signatures collected and ads likely to come, and all the potential friction introduced with Beacon Hill — even if the question passes this fall — is for now unclear.
The Dean of Massachusetts mayors
After more than 32 years in office, Dean Mazzarella has become the longest serving mayor in Massachusetts history, managing to transform the city, limit his list of enemies, and remain an ever-present, zealous leader. Despite an electoral touch other officials would die for, he comes off far more as affable everyman than calculating politician, which could be why he has endured politically for so many years.
Immigrant protection accord includes state, local enforcement rules
The compromise bill takes a broader approach to “sensitive locations,” expanding protections against warrantless civil immigration arrests from courthouses to include public schools, child care centers, and health care facilities.
Healey throws support behind conservation ballot question
Asked if she has a position on any of the questions yet, Healey told GBH’s Jim Braude and Margery Eagan, “Not on all of them, and you know, there are some that I’ve sort of taken a closer look at as a matter of priority,” before mentioning the conservation measure.
On second thought: Late-moving legislative action injects ‘ambiguity’ into ballot questions
Legislative leaders opted not to engage in serious negotiations with initiative petition proponents earlier in the year, when a compromise might have averted measures going to the ballot. And now, they’re weighing last-minute action that could reshape or even upend a pair of decisions voters will make.
Social workers eye compact to erase licensing hurdles
Social workers with a multistate compact license would be able to practice in other jurisdictions that are part of the compact.
Federal housing bill includes modest help for Mass., but buzzy investor limitation unlikely to have much impact here
“It’s not very tailored to Massachusetts related-housing concerns,” said Andrew Mikula, senior housing fellow at the Pioneer Institute. “The bill nibbles at the edges on a number of process and regulatory standards,” which “disproportionately” affect other regions more than the Northeast.
Health insurance woes reaching ‘inflection point,’ commissioner says
The escalating use of low-value care — medical services that are unnecessary for patient care — was identified as a contributor to health care spending growth. One in four commercially insured residents received at least one low-value service in 2024.
Proposed graduation requirements revive debate over standardized testing
The K-12 Statewide Graduation Council recommends in a new proposal that students complete state-designed and administered end-of-course assessments, sparking debate over whether Massachusetts is reintroducing the standardized testing voters rejected by ballot question in 2024.
Spilka to lead Senate into a ninth year, first since Bulger
Spilka was first elected president of the Senate on Thursday, July 26, 2018. Eight years later, she says there’s still “more to do” and suggested she is not thinking about handing off the gavel.
A proposed moratorium on data centers hits resistance in Mass. Senate
The back-and-forth nature of data center policy in Massachusetts raises the question: Do Bay State policymakers want to draw in these facilities, which can provide some jobs and property tax benefits, or not?
Political Notebook: House Speaker foretells Senate tax swerve
He was joking when he described “fortune-telling” as a preferred pastime, but House Speaker Ron Mariano still managed to divine the way electoral politics would affect a Senate tax cap proposal.
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