The Download: Political Notebook â Mixed messages in Mass. | An Election Day tradition | Crypto cash
Long-stalled economic development bill nears finish line
More than three months after they ended scheduled formal sessions for the term without a deal in place, negotiators announced Thursday an “agreement in principle that resolves the differences between the House and Senate versions of the economic development bill.”
Wellesley battery expected to save town residents $8m over 20 years
The batteries will charge up during overnight hours when the price of electricity is generally low and then discharge their power into the townâs electric grid during peak demand periods, typically from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., when electricity prices are high.
What’s the pending climate bill going to cost us?
Presumably these many billions of dollars will all be paid for by the electricity users of Massachusetts, also known as ratepayers. Increasing electric bills is a highly regressive measure as it hits the poor the hardest, and the claim by the billâs sponsors that the increase in electricity costs will be offset somewhat by a reduction in natural gas purchases rings hollow.
Cracks form in Mass. Democratic strongholds, led by heavily Latino cities and towns
Vice President Kamala Harris, who carried the state and its 11 electoral votes by 61.3 percent to President-elect Donald Trumpâs 36.5 percent, not only won Massachusetts by a smaller margin than her Democratic predecessors. She won almost every single town by less, a sign that the Democratic coalition is weakening even in its strongholds.
Economic concerns drove shift to Trump, Healey says
Voters âwere making a statement in part about how they were feeling in terms of their own personal welfare,â Healey said.
Mass. hospitals are teetering on the edge
The most difficult realities are oftentimes the most important to accept. Now is one such time, as the stateâs healthcare system buckles under the weight of unsustainable cost pressures and is showing once unimaginable signs of peril.
‘We have faced an anti-democratic presidency before’
the Democratic Party must view this election not only as a wake up call, but also as an opportunity to renew our focus on the issues that drove voters across the country towards the Republican Party this year.
The voters have spoken on Questions 1, 2 â or have they?
With most votes counted, the legislative audit question was approved by a margin of 71.5 percent to 28.5 percent. The MCAS questionâs margin was 59-41.
Looming second Trump term dawns on Mass.
The first Trump administration and its fallout was marked, in Massachusetts, by a scramble to shore up protections for marginalized groups and double down on commitments to Democratic priorities that looked imperiled. Trump’s next term could be even rockier for the Bay State.
Rideshare unionization question passes
âTomorrow weâre ready to build a union,â said Manny Pastreich, president of 32BJ, the union leading the ballot campaign at the campaignâs election party Tuesday night. âTomorrow, weâre ready to fight for better wages. Tomorrow, weâre going to fight for better benefits. This is the biggest victory for drivers.â
Republicans make a handful of gains on Beacon Hill
Republicans flipped at least three legislative seats in Massachusetts, including one held by a veteran Democrat once in the House’s inner circle. In the other direction, a Democrat claimed at least one House district held by a Republican.
Voters end MCAS graduation test requirementÂ
Voters approved a ballot question that will remove a requirement that Massachusetts high school students pass a 10th-grade standardized test in English, math, and science to graduate.Â
The vote removes a central pillar of the stateâs 1993 education reform law, and makes Massachusetts one of only two states with no statewide-requirements for high school graduation.
Voters demand audit of Legislature, hurdles remainÂ
In a brief interview on Tuesday night, DiZoglio said she is prepared to take on the Legislature either in court or on Beacon Hill. She said she is enlisting the support of supportive lawmakers to block any action in the Legislature that would undermine Tuesdayâs vote. If that fails, DiZoglio said, she is urging the governor to side with the stateâs voters.
Warren trounces GOPâs Deaton on her way to third term
Warren sought to nationalize the race by arguing a vote for her GOP opponent was a vote for Republican control of the US Senate.
Unions representing MBTAâs commuter rail workers feeling left out
Of the 14 Keolis unions, only one has agreed to new contract amendments. The rest have all been without new language since their contracts could be updated in July 2022. Under federal laws, railroad contracts technically never expire and remain in place until they are amended.
The long history of ballot questions influencing races between candidates
Ballot questions can energize and draw voters based on the issue being decided. Less well appreciated: The turnout they generate can affect — and perhaps even decide — the outcome of other contests on the ballot.
Five ballot questions all have a workplace connection
The CommonWealth Beacon newsroom discussed the ballot sla.te this week on a special pre-Election Day episode of The Codcast. Some highlights of the conversation follow
The workforce ripple effects of Mass. ballot questions
This week on the Codcast, Commonwealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith and Gintautas Dumcius sit down with CWB editor Bruce Mohl, executive editor Michael Jonas, and reporter Bhaamati Borkhetaria, to discuss how the five questions on the Massachusetts ballot may impact the workforce. They also summarize arguments for and against the questions and reveal key financers of both sides.
MCAS ballot question: clashing views of educational equityÂ
Education has been called “the great equalizer,” but in the debate over the state’s high-stakes MCAS test, the two sides have diametrically opposing views on whether the state policy is working to advance or undermine that lofty goal.