THE HOUSE ON WEDNESDAY moved at a glacial pace through the 217 proposed amendments to a police reform bill. By day’s end, according to the State House News Service, six amendments […]
House police reform debate moves at glacial pace
Posted inThe Download
House police reform debate moves at glacial pace
The House on Wednesday moved at a glacial pace through the 217 proposed amendments to a police reform bill. By day’s end, according to the State House News Service, six […]
Posted inOpinion
COVID throwing MCAS for a loop
In a recent column, Liam Kerr was so focused on excoriating the Massachusetts Teachers Association leadership that he failed to recognize that MCAS is in deep trouble. Logistically, it’s hard […]
Posted inOpinion
Salvaging an unsatisfying legislative session on transportation
THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE the year for the Massachusetts Legislature to deliver a major overhaul of the state’s transportation system. The stars had begun to align in early March […]
Posted inHealth Care
Children slower than adults to resume medical care
NEW DATA RELEASED Wednesday by the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission show that while adults are returning to the doctor at near pre-pandemic levels, children are not. The national data show that doctors’ visits for adults […]
Posted inTransportation
T control board to remain largely intact
THE MBTA’S FISCAL AND MANAGEMENT CONTROL BOARD will remain largely intact going forward, as four of the five members, including chair Joseph Aiello, have decided to stay on for the […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Masking your political views
AT THE WASHINGTON POST, owned by bazillionaire Jeff Bezos, the slogan adopted shortly after President Trump took office proclaims, “Democracy dies in darkness.” At Whole Foods supermarkets, which Bezos also owns, […]
Posted inThe Download
Masking your political views
At the Washington Post, owned by bazillionaire Jeff Bezos, the slogan adopted shortly after President Trump took office proclaims, “Democracy dies in darkness.” At Whole Foods supermarkets, which Bezos also […]
Posted inEducation
Fear and trepidation as teachers contemplate returning to class
WHEN NEWTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS closed in March, seventh grade English teacher Jenna Monahan assumed school would resume safely one day and she would return. Now, as she thinks about going back to […]
Posted inEducation
International college freshmen may be barred after all
A HARVARD UNIVERSITY dean told students in an email Tuesday that incoming international freshmen will not be able to come to campus this fall due to federal visa restrictions. The […]
Posted inGambling
Lottery sales show surprising strength
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DESPITE SEEING SALES plummet in March and April as the pandemic closed many businesses and changed consumer habits, the Massachusetts Lottery had its third-best year in […]
Posted inEnvironment
Healey reluctantly rejects Brookline bylaw
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY’S office on Tuesday reluctantly shot down a bylaw approved by the town of Brookline that would have barred the installation of most fossil fuel infrastructure in […]
Posted inOpinion
Ex-prosecutors flag issues in House policing bill
ON SUNDAY NIGHT, the Massachusetts House Ways and Means Committee released a wide-ranging, 127-page bill that would make “emergency” changes to policing in the Commonwealth. The House bill, which will […]
Posted inEnvironment
Bernhardt eager for offshore wind ‘that works’
SECRETARY OF THE INTERIOR David Bernhardt flew into Boston on Tuesday where he defended putting Vineyard Wind, the nation’s first large-scale wind farm, on hold for more than a year and […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker extends eviction and foreclosure moratorium
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is extending the statewide eviction and foreclosure moratorium by 60 days until October 17. The moratorium, put in place on April 20, was set to expire on […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Legislature’s regular timetable may not be viable this year
THE TIME NEEDED to process legislation on Beacon Hill is running short – or is it? The typical end date for the legislative session is July 31, a week from Friday. […]
Posted inThe Download
Legislature’s regular timetable may not be viable this year
The time needed to process legislation on Beacon Hill is running short – or is it? The typical end date for the legislative session is July 31, a week from […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Police reform: Big momentum, little time
WITH THE END OF the legislative session fast approaching, the House and Senate are trying to hammer out a bill dealing with police reform. In the wake of George Floyd’s […]
Posted inUncategorized
Cannabis Control Commission: Regulators, activists, or both?
AT A RECENT VIRTUAL RALLY highlighting the need for more opportunities for black, Latino and other minority groups in the cannabis industry, two of the speakers were members of the […]
Posted inUncategorized
New law lets restaurants sell cocktails to go
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Monday signed a bill that will let restaurants sell alcoholic mixed drinks along with a takeout food order. Under the law, a customer over 21 can […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
Legislature must seize the opportunity for ‘expungement’ reform
BRYAN STEVENSON, the renowned attorney and civil rights activist, says that “each one of us is more than the worst thing we have done.” This is especially true for adolescents. […]
Posted inRace/Racism
Whole Foods workers sue over Black Lives Matter masks
A GROUP OF WHOLE FOODS employees working in four cities, including Cambridge, are suing the company for discrimination, alleging the store selectively enforced a dress code by barring employees from […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Sharp split on need for new transpo revenues
WITH 17 PERCENT UNEMPLOYMENT, a recession, and a global pandemic, does Massachusetts need to be raising more money right now to fix the state’s ailing transportation system? “Clearly the Legislature […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
While tackling police reform, don’t ignore crucial bills on immigrant rights
MASSACHUSETTS AND THE nation are reckoning with their racist past during a devastating pandemic where blacks and Latinxs are twice as likely to die from COVID-19. But, any efforts addressing racial equity […]