“Here’s the bottom line. For $3.4 million a year, we shouldn’t be ignored. We deserve a seat at the table,” Paul Schlichtman said. “If we don’t get adequate transit, we’re just going to suffer from a horrible case of car constipation, so let’s get started on a Red Line extension.”
Arlington official tells MBTA board town deserves better
Posted inState Government
Spilka hosts opposing camps on Wu’s property tax shift proposal
The meeting in Spilka’s office, which lasted about an hour, included Wu as well as her chief financial officer and assessing commissioner, and business community leaders, such as Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce’s Jim Rooney and the Boston Municipal Research Bureau’s Marty Walz, a former House lawmaker, who have said there could be alternative approaches to Wu’s proposal, such as budget belt-tightening.
Posted inState Government
Deputy sheriff breaks law, but comes out ahead financially
Floyd Teague, a deputy sheriff whose duties included holding public auctions of seized boats, cars, trucks, and homes, got caught illegally steering a modular home to his wife for $20,000. His wife then invested $45,000 in the property and sold it five months later for $309,900, a gain of nearly $245,000.
Posted inOpinion
As a teacher, I know MCAS is crucial to ensuring we help all students succeed
Maintaining the statewide MCAS graduation standard for all kids, whether they live in Newton or New Bedford, means all districts will have to educate their students to the same minimum standard.
Posted inEnvironment
With flood season approaching, it’s ‘deployables day’ in Boston
Most cities now lean away from single-use barriers like sandbags and toward reusable laminate or metal panels that can be brought to the site on short notice or raised from a hidden flat position at sidewalk-level when flooding is expected.
Posted inSource Document
O’Brien’s attorney calls the Cannabis Commission ‘a place that lives on grievances’
Stern’s statement is rambling in places, but it also captures some of the drama of this classic fight between the treasurer and O’Brien, a former treasurer herself who Goldberg appointed to chair the commission.
Posted inOpinion
The decision to report harassment should be mine
When I confided in a professor that classmate had been harassing me, it triggered an automatic report to the university’s Title IX office. While the regulation may be well-intentioned, it strips victims of the control they should have over whether to report such incidents.
Posted inEducation
‘Alarm bells should be going off.’ MCAS English scores down again.
MCAS scores in English showed a continued decline, a troubling trend after two full school years with students back to in-person learning following the pandemic disruption.
Posted inOpinion
Steward aftermath isn’t the state’s only health care challenge
Massachusetts is now the state with the second-highest family health insurance premiums in the country, behind only New Jersey. We were fourth or fifth highest a few years ago, so we’re going in the wrong direction.
Posted inState Government
Healey signs bill aimed at bringing in federal funding
The federal grant money would be funneled towards infrastructure and economic development projects. The law sets up a $750 million pot of money, funded using interest generated by the state’s $8 billion-plus stabilization fund. The money will go toward matching federal grants.
Posted inEnergy
Healey sees ‘nice synergy’ in buying Millstone nuclear power
“Millstone is a good example,” Gov. Maura Healey said. “Millstone is a nuclear power plant in Connecticut. There’s an opportunity for Massachusetts to purchase energy from Millstone. There’s a nice synergy there.”
Posted inEnergy
State House climate negotiators resume talks
“I think there’s a real interest in getting to yes,” said Sen. Michael Barrett, who had all but given up hope for a larger bill after the governor filed her close-out spending bill. “Not everything is aligned quite yet, but I think we can emerge from all this chaos with a deal.”
Posted inHousing
20 groups weigh in on MBTA Communities Act case
The key issue in the case is whether Campbell can compel compliance when the MBTA Communities Act statute itself is silent on her enforcement power and specifically mentions the loss of grant funds as the penalty for noncompliance.
Posted inBallot Questions
Three ballot questions in ‘precarious’ situation, poll indicates
“The poll shows these three ballot questions in a precarious position,” said Parr. “At this stage of the campaign, the ‘yes’ side would hope to have a solid majority of support, because late deciders often break towards the ‘no.’”
Posted inBy The Numbers
Poll indicates growing frustration with Legislature
A new poll points to growing public dissatisfaction with the Legislature, with 47 percent of likely Massachusetts voters disapproving of the job lawmakers are doing and only 42 percent approving.
Posted inOpinion
Flap over zoning appointee really about old Boston vs. new
Stories about Mayor Michelle Wu’s decision not to reappoint the longtime chair of the Boston Zoning Commission have been turned into a manufactured controversy. Boston mayors get to appoint people to municipal boards who support their agenda.
Posted inBallot Questions
Are ballot questions a good way to make law?
The strongest polling so far of the five measures is a direct jab at a Legislature perceived as opaque and glacial in its lawmaking processes – coming from a former lawmaker who is now the state auditor. Diana DiZoglio wants to pry open lawmakers’ processes for public scrutiny through a ballot question that would give her office authority to audit the Legislature.
Posted inThe Codcast
Ballot questions and battles royale
In a special live edition of The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Gintautas Dumcius chats about the Massachusetts ballot question wars with political consultants Lynda Tocci of Dewey Square Group and Conor Yunits of Issues Management Group. They discuss what makes a successful ballot campaign, the past and present challenges of galvanizing votes, and compare pre- and post-pandemic ballot campaigns.
Posted inPolitics
Harris with huge lead in deep-blue Massachusetts
Kamala Harris has a 28-point lead over Donald Trump in Massachusetts, according new polling, a dramatic increase in the Democratic margin compared with polling in March with President Biden at the top of the ticket.
Posted inPolitics
Poll shows a romp for Elizabeth Warren
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a two-term Democrat, holds a wide lead over her Republican challenger, John Deaton, in a new CommonWealth Beacon/WBUR poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group.