“The Constitution allows states to propose amendments if two-thirds (34) of state legislatures call for it, and the offices of the two state legislators said Wednesday that a convention ‘could open the entire Constitution to unpredictable changes, as there are no clear guidelines or limitations on what delegates could propose.'”
Top Dems rally around effort to thwart federal Constitutional Convention
Posted inOpinion
For the Fenway faithful, something to cheer about
The wrecking ball’s time, we were told, had come. It’s easy to forget important milestones when they mark something significant that didn’t happen, but it’s a moment worth recalling – and toasting.
Posted inEnergy
Boston looks to go on offense on energy affordability
Cuts at the state level mean the city’s initiative will be operating in a more financially constrained environment. The crux of the new effort will rely on the state’s Mass Save program, which funds energy efficiency upgrades around the state through ratepayer charges.
Posted inTransportation
Drawbridge, Green Line investments top narrower MBTA capital plan
Boxed in by prior commitments, inflation, and federal uncertainty, the MBTA is narrowing its approach to its five-year capital plan to focus on projects such as replacement of the North Station Draw One bridge.
Posted inOpinion
Lawmakers must resist Big Tech fearmongering, pass data privacy bill
PERSONAL DATA HAS become the de facto currency of the digital age, and we’ve surrendered more control over our lives than we may have realized. Our every click is treated […]
Posted inOpinion
The case for raising the age of Juvenile Court jurisdiction has only grown stronger
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE is again debating whether to raise the age of Juvenile Court jurisdiction to include 18 to 20-year-old youth. The last time the state raised the age was […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Mass. Health Connector chief: State must ‘deal with the reality in front of us’ as critical health care deadline looms
On the monthly Health or Consequences episode of The Codcast, John McDonough of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Paul Hattis of the Lown Institute spoke with Audrey Gasteier, executive director of the Massachusetts Health Connector. Gasteier about the current crisis facing residents of the Commonwealth should the federal government fail to renew premium tax credits.
Posted inState Government
State House labor pains: The long fight carries on for unionizing legislative aides
Three and a half years after State House aides went public with their desire to unionize, the effort remains stalled by skepticism from top Democrats who often position themselves as allies of labor.
Posted inOpinion
Gov. Healey’s mixed messages on housing for those most in need
AS A FAMILY medicine physician at Boston Medical Center, I have cared for hundreds of individuals and families experiencing homelessness over the last 20 years. The landscape of housing services […]
Posted inCourts
Four Supreme Judicial Court cases to watch in November
In November, the seven Supreme Judicial Court justices will wrestle with some disputes that are years or decades in the making. Others touch on current crises. And the Legislature’s action or inaction is often a factor.
Posted inEnvironment
Tepper stands by Mass. climate goals, ramps up outreach on Canadian wind power
Tepper shared in an interview with CommonWealth Beacon that she took a previously-unreported trip up to Nova Scotia last month to meet with officials to discuss how Massachusetts can potentially tap into Canadian offshore wind, much in the way the state will soon have access to 1,200 megawatts of hydropower from Quebec.
Posted inOpinion
Move over ‘motor voters,’ it’s time for ‘patient participation’
EVERY YEAR, thousands of Massachusetts residents see a doctor—but never see a ballot. For low-income and minority communities that face barriers to voter registration, health care facilities can offer a […]
Posted inHealth Care
When communities lose trust: One year after Steward Health’s bankruptcy and the death of two hospitals
One year after Steward Health Care’s demise, the Nashoba Valley and Dorchester communities are grappling with strained EMS services, diminished access to care, and trust that has been broken. Local leaders, hospital staff, and residents say they are a testament to the devastation that lingers after communities lose their critical infrastructure.
Posted inHousing
Boston housing permitting lags as residents express support for zoning changes
Eighty-one percent of Boston residents, according to a new Abundant Housing Massachusetts poll, support a goal of building 30,000 new homes in Boston – signaling broad agreement on the scale of the crisis, even as questions persist about whether such targets are achievable or even useful.
Posted inOpinion
Authoritarian echoes of the darkest times
THEY THOUGHT THEY were safe. They didn’t see it coming. And when they finally did, they did nothing. The evolution from democracy to authoritarianism moved gradually. It began with a […]
Posted inPolitics
Winter special election scheduled to fill Lowell-based Senate seat
“The Senate on Monday adopted an order scheduling a March 3, 2026 special election to fill the First Middlesex seat, held since 2018 by the late Sen. Ed Kennedy, who died on Oct. 1 at the age of 74.”
Posted inThe Codcast
The profit and price of October in Salem
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Hallie Claflin talks with Dominick Pangallo, Mayor of Salem. Every year in October, Salem experiences a massive tourism boom as more than a million visitors flock to the site of the Salem Witch Trials for the spooky season. How does a small city of 45,000 manage the influx of tourists? How do Salem residents feel about the influx? And how lucrative is the tourism industry? Pangallo addresses these and encourages all to explore the great things Salem has to offer all year round.
Posted inOpinion
Addressing food insecurity starts with adequately staffing the state office responsible for SNAP benefits to meet the rising need
THE RECENT REPUBLICAN megabill, H.R.1, slashed the largest amount from basic needs programs in American history to give tax breaks to the wealthy. The bill cuts 20 percent of funding […]
Posted inState Government
Senate Dems propose oversight council to counter ‘unsustainable’ spending growth by sheriffs
Reaching beyond the probe backed by the House, the Senate will vote Thursday on a bill that would create a “fiscal oversight council” that could force sheriffs to rein in their spending with muscular authority.
Posted inEducation
Mass. faces grim reality of fewer international students
Massachusetts’s schools have recruited higher proportions of international students than colleges and universities almost anywhere else because of a demographic decline and the comparatively high cost of higher education here. But even before the second Trump administration, there were signs the bottom was falling out.