TWO MONTHS into the new school year, some communities are beginning to report enrollment declines, presumably an offshoot of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Worcester school district lost 1,046 students, about […]
Enrollment declines cropping up in public schools
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Tax revenues keep chugging along
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE NOW PARTWAY into the second quarter of a fiscal year that budget managers expect will generate between 4 percent and 12 percent less tax revenue for […]
Posted inPolitics
Winds of change don’t blow on Beacon Hill
THE WINDS OF CHANGE rarely blow on Beacon Hill, where Democrats have long held a majority in the House and Senate. Tuesday’s election, in the midst of a pandemic, a […]
Posted inPolitics
Cronin edges Tran, but some ballots outstanding
DEMOCRAT NEWCOMER John Cronin appears to have defeated incumbent Sen. Dean Tran by 876 votes, but there’s some wiggle room in that number because the city of Fitchburg is waiting […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker election investments yield few gains
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER invested a lot of personal endorsements and about $900,000 in super PAC funds in mostly Republican Massachusetts political races, but the returns on Tuesday were fairly modest. […]
Posted inThe Download
Race in doubt, polling in the cross hair
WE DON’T KNOW who will win the presidential election, but it seems clear who is getting tagged with a big loss: pollsters. “We still don’t know much about this election […]
Posted inUncategorized
Nonprofits keep making in-lieu-of-tax payments to Boston
BOSTON’S MEDICAL, educational, and cultural nonprofit institutions have taken a huge financial hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, but most of them continued to make voluntary tax payments to the city […]
Posted inPolitics
Race in doubt, polling in the cross hairs
WE DON’T KNOW who will win the presidential election, but it seems clear who is getting tagged with a big loss: pollsters. “We still don’t know much about this election […]
Posted inPolitics
Biden wave in Mass. doesn’t translate in House
THE BLUE WAVE in Massachusetts for Joe Biden and the state’s congressional delegation didn’t translate into a sweep of House legislative races for Democrats. Republican state Rep. Leonard Mirra of […]
Posted inPolitics
Despite $10m campaign, ranked-choice voting defeated
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS on Tuesday decided not to adopt a ranked-choice voting system, a massive defeat for a nearly $10 million campaign that drew little organized opposition. “Voters like a fair […]
Posted inPolitics
Cronin declares victory; Sen. Tran not conceding
DEMOCRAT JOHN CRONIN was clinging to a tiny lead over Republican Sen. Dean Tran of Fitchburg early Wednesday morning, but Cronin said the trendlines were enough for him to declare […]
Posted inPolitics
Blue wave rolls across state
WITH AMERICANS CASTING ballots in an election unlike any other, Massachusetts residents voted in record numbers, with Democrats hoping that a blue wave washing over Bay State contests extends to […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Politics
Right to repair ballot question passes, but implementation a concern
MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS on Tuesday voted to expand the state’s Right to Repair law and require car manufacturers to provide more information to independent repair shops. The passage of the ballot […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
COVID-19 cases balloon at MCI-Norfolk
THE NUMBER of COVID-19 cases at MCI-Norfolk rose to 74 on Tuesday, up from 26 on Friday, as the state continued to test all staff and inmates. Facility-wide testing began […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker says masks key to ‘killing’ COVID-19
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER said on Tuesday that Massachusetts could eradicate the coronavirus if all residents wore masks whenever they were near other people for 30 days. “If people would just […]
Posted inPolitics
Trump and Biden differ sharply on immigration policy
PRESIDENT TRUMP has significantly altered almost every corner of the US immigration system, beginning with his Muslim travel ban days after his inauguration and ending with a recent effort to tailor […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Baker nominating first Latina to SJC
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER’S latest nominee to the Supreme Judicial Court is an Appeals Court judge with a background in intellectual property litigation who built a robot while studying […]
Posted inThe Download
Baker, McDermott fight to retain control of sheriff’s post
Two years ago, days after she stepped down in late 2018 as chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Kirsten Hughes landed on her feet at the Norfolk County sheriff’s office. […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker, McDermott fight to retain control of sheriff’s post
TWO YEARS AGO, days after she stepped down in late 2018 as chair of the Massachusetts Republican Party, Kirsten Hughes landed on her feet at the Norfolk County sheriff’s office. […]
Posted inUncategorized
DeLeo, Spilka promise abortion debate in lame duck session
A clarification has been added to this story about current law. MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE SPEAKER Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka announced on Monday that the two branches will take up […]
Posted inTransportation
Walsh calls at-grade throat ‘right thing to do’
IN A LETTER to state and federal transportation officials, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh said he strongly favors rebuilding the elevated section of the Massachusetts Turnpike and other infrastructure located in […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker urges 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. COVID curfew
IN AN EFFORT to crack down on informal social events that he believes are fueling a steady increase in COVID-19 cases, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday urged Massachusetts residents to […]
Posted inPolitics
Trump or Biden? Big impact looms on state budget, health care, immigration
AS VOTERS ACROSS the nation wait eagerly for the results of Tuesday’s presidential election, here in Massachusetts the race could have major trickle-down effects. In addition to the question […]
Posted inOpinion
Obstacles vs. apathy in holding back turnout in communities of color
“I HAVE SAID this before, and I will say it again – the vote is precious. It is almost sacred. It is the most powerful non-violent tool we have in […]