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 […]
Healey reluctantly rejects Brookline bylaw
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 […]
Posted inTransportation
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? CommonWealth Magazine · […]
Posted inThe Download
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? CommonWealth Magazine · […]
Posted inThe Download
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? CommonWealth Magazine · […]
Posted inEconomy
Tenant purchase legislation could stave off displacement
FOR THE TIME BEING, the COVID-19 epidemic in Massachusetts has begun to wind down. However, even if we keep the virus under control, it has already has set in motion […]
Posted inState House News Service, Uncategorized
Craft brewers, wholesalers strike distribution deal
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CRAFT BREWERS AND the state’s beer wholesalers have reached a deal that would resolve a decade-long dispute over distribution rights centered around when a brewer can sever […]
Posted inPolitics
Is Karyn Polito angling for a third term — or a first?
ON THE WALL behind her desk, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito keeps the official portrait of former Republican Gov. Paul Cellucci, one of her political mentors, the man who first encouraged […]
Posted inArts and Culture
Why humanities and culture must be part of pandemic healing
AS THE REOPENING of Massachusetts unfolds, the health of every resident should remain the top priority. Gov. Baker’s plan emphasizes a reliance on data, vigilant adherence to safety protocols, and a […]
Posted inEconomy
Trump labor secretary spreads dangerous misinformation
PRESIDENT TRUMP’S secretary of labor, Eugene Scalia (yes, he’s the son of the late Supreme Court justice), has been on the road this month, touting the return of American workers […]
Posted inHealth Care
Don’t let pharmaceutical companies exploit the COVID-19 pandemic
THIS WEEK WE PASSED yet another somber milestone: 13 million global cases of COVID-19. Over 25 percent of confirmed infections are in the United States. While the global scientific community […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mail-in ballot applications on their way to voters
SECRETARY OF STATE William Galvin has started mailing out applications for absentee ballots to all registered voters in Massachusetts, and all the applications should be sent out by Tuesday. If that […]
Posted inHealth Care
$176 million lawsuit filed against Holyoke Soldiers’ Home officials
THE FAMILY OF a veteran who died of COVID-19 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home is filing a class action lawsuit against former Superintendent Bennett Walsh, former Secretary of Veterans’ Services […]