MORE THAN 15 years ago, Robert Gaudet, then a senior policy analyst at the University of Massachusetts’s Donahue Institute, who had extensively studied school performance across the state, offered a […]
Boston, Holyoke go very different ways in great middle school debate
Posted inOpinion
Incorporate mental health education into phys ed curriculum
GROWING UP IN MASSACHUSETTS, I witnessed the devastating impact of mental illness on individuals, families, and communities. After the death of a close friend to suicide, I sought to advocate […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment, State Government, State House News Service
Green bank to target building decarbonization
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH AN EYE on the state’s mid-century greenhouse gas emission reduction commitments, Gov. Maura Healey announced Tuesday the launch of a “green bank” that she hopes […]
Posted inThe Download
2 lawmakers urge Healey to focus now on next commuter rail contract
Two key state lawmakers are urging Gov. Maura Healey to set in motion now the process for selecting the next operator of the state’s commuter rail system even though the […]
Posted inState Government, Transportation
2 lawmakers urge Healey to focus now on next commuter rail contract
TWO KEY state lawmakers are urging Gov. Maura Healey to set in motion now the process for selecting the next operator of the state’s commuter rail system even though the contract […]
Posted inCourts, State House News Service
Cypher stepping down from SJC, giving Healey a pick
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SUPREME JUDICIAL Court Justice Elspeth Cypher plans to step down in January, giving Gov. Maura Healey a chance to appoint someone to the state’s highest court […]
Posted inOpinion
Why we need a new state seal and motto
MASSACHUSETTS DESERVES a new state seal and motto. As leaders of the special commission charged with reviewing the current seal and motto, we understand the harm these symbols and words […]
Posted inEnergy
R.I. official: Offshore wind regulators facing ‘Hobson’s choice’
A TOP REGULATOR in Rhode Island is raising concerns about the way offshore wind developers are seeking to renegotiate the financial terms of their projects, saying policymakers are facing “a […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Mass. offshore wind developers could forfeit more than $100m
The two wind farms seeking to terminate their Massachusetts power purchase agreements may have to forfeit tens of millions of dollars, according to the House’s energy leader. CommonWealth Magazine · […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
Mass. offshore wind developers could forfeit more than $100m
THE TWO wind farms seeking to terminate their Massachusetts power purchase agreements may have to forfeit tens of millions of dollars, according to the House’s energy leader. Rep. Jeffrey Roy of […]
Posted inThe Download
Mass. offshore wind developers could forfeit more than $100m
The two wind farms seeking to terminate their Massachusetts power purchase agreements may have to forfeit tens of millions of dollars, according to the House’s energy leader. Rep. Jeffrey Roy […]
Posted inEducation
Ludlow school committee taking up book ban proposal
THE SCHOOL COMMITTEE in Ludlow is expected to wade into the nation’s culture wars this week, taking up a proposal that would shift decision-making power around library book acquisitions from […]
Posted inOpinion
Pride month is special because I am coming out
FOR ME, the Pride parades and festivals are special this year because I am coming out as bisexual. I’ve been married to my wife for almost thirty-eight years. I love, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
To address police recruit shortage, raise standards
POLICE DEPARTMENTS across the Commonwealth and around the country are concerned about declining numbers of qualified recruits. The Boston Globe reported two months ago that the number of officers who […]
Posted inOpinion
Treating behavioral health in the home
THE BEHAVIORAL HEALTH crisis has reached its breaking point in Massachusetts – and across the United States. From severe nursing shortages and long wait times, to rising supply costs and […]
Posted inThe Download
Eversource’s view appears to depend on where it sits
NEW YORK wind farm developers earlier this week said they needed more money from ratepayers to get their projects off the ground, which had to be a tad embarrassing for […]
Posted inEconomy, Energy
Eversource’s view appears to depend on where it sits
NEW YORK wind farm developers earlier this week said they needed more money from ratepayers to get their projects off the ground, which had to be a tad embarrassing for […]
Posted inTransportation
Blue Line to be free during Sumner Tunnel closure
This story has been updated. WITH THE SUMNER Tunnel scheduled to close for most of July and August, state transportation officials are trying to reduce car travel in the area […]
Posted inTransportation
MBTA ridership hits highest level since pandemic began
RIDERSHIP ON THE MBTA in March reached its highest level since the pandemic began, with the slow-zone-plagued subway system the laggard among the various modes of travel. Total ridership reached […]
Posted inEconomy
Senate tax plan has different take on competitiveness
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE is taking a different tack on tax reform than the House or Gov. Maura Healey, going with a smaller overall package and a slightly different philosophy on […]
Posted inHousing, State Government
The mixed blessing of the Community Preservation Act
ROYALSTON, a rural Worcester County town with about 1,250 residents, has been squirreling away money from a tax surcharge partially dedicated to affordable housing for more than a decade now. […]
Posted inHealth Care
Mass. health care spending spiraling upward
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS REGULATORS delivered one of their most forceful warnings yet that health care prices are spiraling out of control, ramping up the pressure on lawmakers who […]
Posted inOpinion
Abrupt Compass shutdown exposes regulatory flaws
THE ABRUPT hutdown of Compass Medical on May 31 exposed a serious flaw in the state’s health care regulatory system. Compass is an 80-clinician, multi-site practice that provides primary care […]
Posted inEnergy, Environment
NY offshore wind developers also seek price relief
MAJOR OFFSHORE wind developers in New York say their projects may no longer be financially viable unless regulators amend their power purchase agreements to include adjustments for inflation and interconnection […]