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 players behind the law gathered in the same storied meeting hall where the 2006 bill was signed to celebrate their uncommon achievement as the state faces tremendous threats to its effort to maintain near-universal coverage. Michael Jonas has more.
OPINION: David Mancuso says Laurie Gagnon’s recent commentary promoting locally controlled “reciprocal accountability” as a framework for a new state graduation requirement is a “seductive argument,” but would leave the state’s most disadvantaged students behind.
April 15, 2026
By HALLIE CLAFLIN, JORDAN WOLMAN, AND CHRIS LISINSKI
South Hadley voters rejected a controversial Proposition 2½ override on Tuesday that would have increased property taxes by 50 percent over five years. The Western Massachusetts town of 18,000 is facing a $3 million budget deficit that threatens to grow in the coming years. Nearly 59 percent of voters said no to a $9 million tax override, while nearly 66 percent said no to an $11 million override, according to unofficial results.
The proposals sparked a heated local debate as sluggish state aid growth and strict limits on local tax increases continue to trap many local governments in a difficult position with few options to manage rising costs.
Town Administrator Lisa Wong said local schools have the most at stake and warned that extracurricular activities, sports programs, and Advanced Placement classes could be cut. Positions within the town’s police, public works, human services, and more will likely be eliminated or reduced.
“Right now, every department is being affected,” Wong told CommonWealth Beacon. “Our tax base is significantly lower than a lot of the surrounding towns that are a lot smaller. When we have a small base that’s only allowed to increase by two and a half percent, it’s hard for us to catch up.”
The town’s budget crunch has been mainly driven by skyrocketing health insurance costs and state aid that has fallen behind inflation.
“Fix health insurance and provide consistent levels of state aid, and we probably would never have to ask for an override,” Wong said.
More from CommonWealth Beacon
GAS PRICES: Average gas prices in Massachusetts are nearly $4 per gallon – and are fast becoming a political issue in the governor’s race. Jordan Wolman explains.
CODCAST: Take a trip down memory lane as lead “Romneycare” proponents John McDonough and Cheri Andes talk with Paul Hattis on The Codcast as Massachusetts celebrates the 20th anniversary of the landmark health care law.
RIDE SERVICES: The Massachusetts Senate quietly voted last week to extend a 20-cent per-ride fee on companies like Uber and Lyft, which would otherwise sunset in January 2027, Ella Adams reports for State House News Service.
What We’re Reading
PUBLIC RECORDS: Gov. Maura Healey is using her exemption to the public records law to withhold hundreds of entries sent to the ICE Misconduct Portal she created last month with Attorney General Andrea Campbell. (Boston Herald – paywall)
EDUCATION: Vocational and technical schools in Massachusetts now use a lottery system to fill their thousands of seats. But the new admissions system has left many parents frustrated that merit has been largely taken out of the equation. (GBH News)
STATE BUDGET: With the expected rollout of the House Ways and Means Committee’s fiscal year 2027 budget plan on Wednesday, Massachusetts is poised to get an updated snapshot of the state’s fiscal health and how key lawmakers feel about the next 14 months. (State House News Service – paywall)
HIGHER EDUCATION: Hampshire College in Amherst fought for years to survive. Now, students and faculty are reckoning with the fact that the campus will close due to enrollment and financial challenges. (Mass Live – paywall)
WORLD CUP: If an $80 roundtrip MBTA train ticket to Gillette Stadium this summer for the FIFA men’s World Cup matches sounded pricey, hopping on the bus will cost $95 roundtrip on match days. (WBUR)
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