State officials had been working on crafting the tax exemption since the Legislature required it in the 2024 economic development measure that Gov. Maura Healey signed. But 18 months after that law was signed, the tax break comes at a fraught time for the artificial intelligence industry.
Political Notebook: Data centers get their tax breaks, taxpayer group side-eyes ballot measures
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers complete bid to kill legislative stipend reforms
Supporters have framed the measure as a pro-democracy reform aimed at rebalancing power in a system that they say rewards loyalty to Democratic leadership. Lawmakers have pushed back harshly against that characterization.
Posted inOpinion
In Boston police shooting and LaGuardia tragedy, strikingly different approaches to the ‘decisive moment’
If we learn to look, every “decisive moment” can teach us what came before it, what lay beneath it, and what we can do beyond it to prevent recurrence.
Posted inOpinion
In charging Boston police officer with manslaughter, Suffolk DA ignored broader framing mandated by US Supreme Court
Under the Constitution, the question is not whether the officer was ultimately right. The question is whether a reasonable officer, confronted with the same tense, uncertain, and rapidly evolving circumstances, could have perceived an immediate threat and responded in this way.
Posted inBallot Questions
Mass. voters might face 11 ballot questions this fall. Here’s where each measure stands.
Ballot campaigns are racing into their final stretch of signature collection – some facing court challenges and all facing Legislative ambivalence.
Posted inCourts
High court justices weigh deadline for Campbell-DiZoglio resolution
During oral arguments, the Supreme Judicial Court signaled it might order Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Auditor Diana DiZoglio to agree on a narrow scope of issues by a certain date, in an attempt to force forward movement in the long-running fight about auditing the Legislature.
Posted inMiddle class
In Mass., the middle class is holding on, but financial anxiety continues to climb
A new poll finds that most residents say their quality of life is good, but many expect to be worse off next year.
Posted inMiddle class
For Mass. residents, housing is where affordability hits hardest
New poll finds housing prices eating household budgets, and homeownership feels out of reach.
Posted inOpinion
I want statues of saints at my church, not at my police station
Installing two larger-than-life Christian saints to loom over the entrance of our public safety building sends a clear message to non-Christians.
Posted inOpinion
AI is coming to schools. Teachers need time to debate its use, experiment, and figure out how it fits in
THERE’S A CERTAIN feeling right before summer camp ends. It’s the feeling that through the new friendships, conversations, and activities, you’ve met a revised and better version of yourself. You’re […]
Posted inCourts
Clash with prediction market giant Kalshi reaches SJC
In September, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell sued Kalshi for offering what she claims equates to “illegal sports betting” without proper licensing.
Posted inThe Codcast
Without employee housing, fears the Cape will crumble
Massachusetts’s extreme housing crunch is no secret, but who is actually in charge of fixing it? This week on The Codcast, state Sen. Julian Cyr and Local Journalism Project executive director Janet Lesniak join CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith to talk about the role of employee housing on the Cape and Islands – how sustainable is it to expect small businesses to become landlords for their workers, what happens when there’s nowhere for workers to live, and what should the state be doing to help seasonal communities help themselves with new housing tools?
Posted inOpinion
Massachusetts promised community-based care for those with serious mental illness. Budget cuts could undermine that.
In April 2024, the state signed on to the Marsters v. Healey settlement, a federal court-enforced agreement to transition at least 2,400 residents with serious mental illness and other disabilities out of nursing facilities and into community settings over eight years, backed by projected investments exceeding $1 billion.
Posted inEnvironment
Lowell residents sue data center, state over air quality permit
The legal challenge, filed in Middlesex County Superior Court, comes at a time of heightened scrutiny over data centers and their role in powering artificial intelligence both around the country and within the Bay State.
Posted inBallot Questions
Fate of potential $5 billion hit to state budget heads to court
Legislative leaders would no doubt welcome a ruling from the SJC that the ballot question cannot go before voters, but the case against the question rests on a technical challenge that is rarely successful.
Posted inOpinion
Legislature should impose limits on harmful book bans in state libraries
MASSACHUSETTS HAS A rare opportunity to strengthen the public’s ability to freely debate ideas, a foundational democratic concept under attack at the local, state, and national levels. Passing “An Act […]
Posted inState Government
House votes 149-9 to approve annual state budget bill
Fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1, is projected to be “a very, very difficult fiscal year in a truly, truly challenging economic environment,” House Speaker Ron Mariano said this month. Repeatedly throughout the week, Democrats echoed that sentiment as they resisted Republican calls for tax relief or spending cuts.
Posted inState Government
One year after implementing new system, Mass. continues to struggle in issuing unemployment benefits
May will mark the one-year anniversary of the launch of a new unemployment benefits system that was supposed to usher in a better user experience for staff and claimants alike. But delivery of benefits fell at its lowest point last year to the nation’s worst.
Posted inOpinion
Healey and lawmakers are overreaching with proposed social media restrictions for children
The bill’s goal is to protect children, but in practice it restricts younger users’ access to lawful online content. Courts have repeatedly made clear that protecting minors does not give the government a generalized power to limit what people can read, view, or say.
Posted inHousing
Most low-income tenants have no lawyer in eviction cases. A state initiative is trying to change that.
“If you’re evicted from public housing, for all intents and purposes, a family will never have a chance to get back to it because the wait lists will be so long,” said Daniel Daley, a senior housing attorney at MetroWest Legal Services. The “double whammy,” he said – losing both housing and subsidy simultaneously – is what makes these cases so dire.
Posted inEnvironment
Boston, in new climate plan, opens up possibility of delaying flood insurance discounts
Increasingly severe floods are threatening to put more financial strain on Massachusetts residents’ pockets.
Posted inOpinion
No time for timidity on clean energy
As fuel prices surge from the war in the Middle East and residents demand relief from their monthly bills, now is the time to deliver clean energy and energy efficiency solutions for the people of Massachusetts.
Posted inEnvironment
$120 million sewer project marks Lynn’s latest effort to improve water quality, fix its long-polluted coastline
A collection of cities on the North Shore (and across Massachusetts) have historically combined sewer systems where both wastewater and stormwater come through shared pipes. During heavy rains, the excess flow bypasses the treatment plants where it is supposed to be cleaned and is instead discharged into local bodies of water to prevent backups in people’s homes.
Posted inOpinion
We’ve lived in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems. Here’s why we’re fighting to ‘Raise the Age.’
Too often, young adults in the criminal justice system are told the second they reach 18 that their mistakes are who they are rather than something they can learn from. We know this is not true.
