STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH ONLY A WHIFFÂ of opposition, the Massachusetts Legislature on Wednesday passed a broad package of criminal justice system reforms that have languished for years, signaling a […]
Major justice reform bill clears Legislature
Posted inCriminal Justice
With criminal justice bill passed, what about services for ex-inmates?
LAWMAKERS PASSED A long-awaited, comprehensive criminal justice reform bill on Wednesday. But to fully realize its widely touted goal of reducing recidivism they will need to back some of the […]
Posted inEconomy
Senate goes light on short-term rental regs
THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE has passed its bill for short-term-rentals, a stripped-down version of the House measure that simplifies the tax on hosts and eliminates any tiered structure so that people […]
Posted inOpinion
Think bigger on Red-Blue connection
THE RED-BLUE CONNECTOR is back in the news, with the state funding a small study to examine whether the project might be feasible. When we last left it, the connector […]
Posted inThe Download
White guys unite
Niall Ferguson has my back. In fact if you’re a white guy like me, he has all our backs. Ferguson gets it. He sees that our shrinking numbers are under attack […]
Posted inEnvironment
Grid operator raises alarm at Mystic shutdown
This story was updated at 7:25 p.m. to include clarifying material. THE OPERATOR OF THE REGIONAL POWER GRID said on Tuesday that it plans to take immediate steps to prevent […]
Posted inEnvironment
Delays likely in offshore wind procurement
THE STATE’S TOP ENERGY OFFICIAL said on Tuesday that the selection of a winner or winners of the offshore wind procurement will probably be delayed beyond April 23 because the […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics
Baker treads softly on Healey proposal
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER adopted a cautious approach to Attorney General Maura Healey’s call for the elimination of a 50-company business sector that sells electricity to homeowners in Massachusetts. Healey last […]
Posted inEnvironment
Baker proposes home energy efficiency score
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Tuesday proposed the creation of an easy-to-understand home energy efficiency score that could provide guidance for owners seeking to improve the energy efficiency of their residences […]
Posted inEconomy
Pot board high on Worcester
THE STATE BOARD regulating the legal marijuana industry will set up permanent shop in Worcester as its headquarters with a satellite office in Boston. The five-member Cannabis Control Commission on […]
Posted inPolitics
Chaos in the Senate?
THE AWKWARD TRANSITION from Senate President Harriette Chandler to Senate president-elect Karen Spilka makes for great copy, but it doesn’t seem to be having a huge impact on the chamber’s […]
Posted inThe Download
Chaos in the Senate?
The awkward transition from Senate President Harriette Chandler to Senate president-elect Karen Spilka makes for great copy, but it doesn’t seem to be having a huge impact on the chamber’s […]
Posted inTransportation
Walsh wants to hike parking fines
BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH will unveil a $5 million plan to improve the city’s transportation system, ranging from repaving roads and sidewalks to creating dedicated bus lanes, and plans to […]
Posted inTransportation
Beaton OKs South Coast rail phase one
THE STATE’S TOP ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICIAL on Monday gave the green light to a project that would phase in rail service from Boston to New Bedford and Fall River, with the […]
Posted inEnvironment
Exelon plays power politics
EXELON GENERATION is threatening to shut down its Mystic Generation Station in mid-2022 unless the operator of the regional power grid offers more money to units that generate electricity reliably […]
Posted inTransportation
Canceled T bus trips on the rise
THE NUMBER OF CANCELED BUS TRIPS is rising at the MBTA primarily because of unscheduled absences taken by drivers. MBTA officials told members of the Fiscal and Management Control Board […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 91: Police body cameras are coming
It’s been a long march for the Boston Police Camera Action Team, but nearly four years after the community-based group set out to push Boston police to have officers deployed […]
Posted inPolitics
Police body cameras are coming
It’s been a long march for the Boston Police Camera Action Team, but nearly four years after the community-based group set out to push Boston police to have officers deployed […]
Posted inThe Download
The Codcast: Police body cameras are coming
It’s been a long march for the Boston Police Camera Action Team, but nearly four years after the community-based group set out to push Boston police to have officers deployed […]
Posted inOpinion
Do climate resiliency the right way
PROMOTING CLIMATE CHANGE resiliency is top of mind for Massachusetts residents and businesses. The 2018 nor’easters have placed considerable stress on our infrastructure and communities, as well as the public’s […]
Posted inOpinion
Don’t bemoan harder, next-gen MCAS
I WAS A 6th GRADE math teacher in 2000-2001 when the state rolled out the 6th grade math MCAS test for the first time. I remember being furious and frustrated with […]
Posted inOpinion
State needs to step up for higher ed
THE COMMONWEALTH’S ECONOMY has been transformed from one heavily defined by manufacturing a few decades ago to one that is now knowledge-based. Jobs – even the less-skilled positions – require […]
Posted inOpinion
Let’s continue to listen to young people
OVER THE PAST month, we have seen an important dialogue play out in local and national media as student leaders confront the traumatic issue of gun violence with courage and […]
Posted inOpinion
My recipe for embracing renewables
WE’VE COME TO EXPECT the miracle of Moore’s Law from our computer technology – exponential progress in speed, power and efficiency, all while prices drop. Until recently, the world of […]