WITH SOME LEGISLATIVE sleight of hand, the House and Senate extended their sessions from Tuesday night into Wednesday morning and succeeded in passing most of the major pieces of legislation […]
Bruce Mohl
Bruce Mohl oversees the production of content and edits reports, along with carrying out his own reporting with a particular focus on transportation, energy, and climate issues.
He previously worked at the Boston Globe, where he spent nearly 30 years in a wide variety of positions covering business and politics. He covered the Massachusetts State House and served as the Globe’s State House bureau chief in the late 1980s. He also reported for the Globe’s Spotlight Team, winning a Loeb award in 1992 for coverage of conflicts of interest in the state’s pension system. He served as the Globe’s political editor in 1994 and went on to cover consumer issues for the newspaper.
Bruce is a graduate of Ohio Wesleyan University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
Posted inTransportation
Economic development, transpo bills coming down to wire
A FAR-REACHING climate change bill that could affect almost every facet of daily life whisked through both branches of the Legislature on Monday and landed on the governor’s desk, but […]
Posted inUncategorized
Baker says Biden won ‘fair and square’
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER took aim at President Trump and members of his own party on Monday for continuing to challenge the results of the presidential election. “President-elect Joe Biden won […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Lawmakers release compromise climate change bill
HOUSE AND SENATE negotiators released a compromise climate change bill on Sunday afternoon that lays out a fairly detailed roadmap for reaching the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 and […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker signs health care bill into law
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER continued to clear his desk on New Year’s Day, signing a health care bill providing rules of the road going forward for telehealth and another bill restricting […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mass. remains on a COVID-19 plateau
FOR THE THIRD  week in a row, the state’s COVID-19 report indicated Massachusetts is perched on a coronavirus plateau, with the number of communities considered high risk for the virus […]
Posted inUncategorized
CommonWealth’s most read stories of 2020
PUTTING TOGETHER this list of the most read CommonWealth stories of 2020 was a bit disappointing. Normally, these types of lists tend to highlight the best stories of the year […]
Posted inUncategorized
Our most popular commentary pieces of 2020
COMMONWEALTH RANÂ more than 400 commentary pieces in 2020, providing a lively forum for ideas and debate. The pieces came from people on the left, the right, and everywhere in between. […]
Posted inPolitics
House, Senate seem to be in no rush
THE HOUSE ELECTED a new speaker on Wednesday, but otherwise the two legislative branches did little of consequence and adjourned until Monday. That leaves just Monday and Tuesday for lawmakers […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker emissions roadmap sets ambitious targets
This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION on Wednesday rolled out a draft plan for reducing greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade that calls for energy […]
Posted inPolitics
Legislative countdown: Abortion bill becomes law
THE LEGISLATURE’S abortion bill became law on Tuesday after the Senate joined the House in overriding Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto. The new law lowers from 18 to 16 the age […]
Posted inPolitics
House overrides Baker’s abortion veto
THE HOUSE ON MONDAY voted 107-46 to override Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of legislation allowing women as young as 16 to obtain abortions without parental or judicial consent and expanding […]
Posted inPolitics
DeLeo stepping down; Mariano facing no opposition
IN A MESSAGE read by a tearful House clerk, Speaker Robert DeLeo announced he is resigning his position on Beacon Hill at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, setting the stage for […]
Posted inUncategorized
Sudders finally feeling hopeful
MARYLOU SUDDERS, the Baker administration’s point person on COVID-19, says she is finally feeling hopeful.  Vaccines are being rolled out, Joe Biden is preparing to move into the White House, […]
Posted inUncategorized
Mass. hits a COVID-19 plateau
THE STATE’S weekly COVID-19 report suggests Massachusetts has hit a plateau, as the number of communities considered high-risk for the virus held steady and cases declined slightly. Deaths, however, continued […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker vetoes abortion bill
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER vetoed the Legislature’s abortion bill on Thursday, forcing lawmakers to override his veto if they want to insist on lowering from 18 to 16 the age at […]
Posted inTransportation
Reduced commuter rail schedule extended until Jan. 8
KEOLIS COMMUTER Services said on Wednesday that it plans to continue providing roughly half of its regular weekday service until January 8 because of staff absences caused by COVID-19. Keolis […]
Posted inEconomy
Baker, lawmakers tout $668m small biz grant program
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is urging restaurants, bars, retail establishments, and certain other types of small businesses in Massachusetts to apply for a $668 million grant program to help deal with […]
Posted inHealth Care
Baker tightens restrictions starting day after Christmas
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER issued an order that takes effect this Saturday further reducing the size of gatherings; lowering the number of people that can be admitted to restaurants, offices, and […]
Posted inPolitics
House members following DeLeo-Mariano script
ONE VETERAN House lawmaker said on Monday that Ron Mariano’s ascension as speaker has been one of the smoothest, most unified, most calm transitions he has ever witnessed. That’s because […]
Posted inTransportation
Mass., Conn., RI, DC sign transportation climate pact
MASSACHUSETTS, CONNECTICUT, Rhode Island, and the District of Columbia signed on to a pact Monday to put a price on the carbon contained in vehicle fuels sold within their borders […]
Posted inPolitics
DeLeo sets in motion Mariano handoff
HOUSE SPEAKER Robert DeLeo set in motion on Friday what could be a rapid transfer of power in the House, officially disclosing that he was preparing to meet with Northeastern […]
Posted inUncategorized
53% of Mass. communities now high-risk for COVID-19
MORE THAN HALF of the state’s 351 cities and towns are now considered high risk for COVID-19, as the situation continues to deteriorate across Massachusetts. The state’s weekly report indicates […]
Posted inUncategorized
House rejects Baker’s abortion amendment
THE HOUSE on Wednesday voted 107-49 to reject Gov. Charlie Baker’s amendment paring back a legislative proposal to expand access to abortion in Massachusetts. The measure now goes to the […]