Gov. Charlie Baker reaffirmed his support for no new taxes on Monday, disavowing statements last week and making clear he is not as progressive as many in Massachusetts seem to […]
Baker reaffirms no new taxes
Posted inTransportation
T notes
MBTA Police Superintendent Richard Sullivan said staff overtime and crime are both down at the T, and fare evasion citations are up 51 percent so far this year. In a […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion, Politics
Prison is no place to treat mentally ill
IN APRIL, LEO MARINO, a 43-year-old man with a long history of suicide attempts, killed himself in an isolation unit at Bridgewater State Hospital (BSH). He’d managed to choke himself […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Shame on enviro group
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, the New Hampshire Legislature has debated and killed repeated efforts to require that transmission line be buried in New Hampshire. Fueled by opposition to the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker flip-flops on Airbnb tax
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER, admitting Monday that he spoke too soon last week when he endorsed a Senate plan to tax short-term housing rentals, showed himself to […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Healey gun order prompts political backlash
The political backlash to Attorney General Maura Healey’s crackdown on what she calls illegal copycat assault weapons began over the weekend, as legislation was filed to strip her of her […]
Posted inGun ownership, Guns, Opinion, Politics
56 lawmakers to Healey: Back down
What follows is a letter 56 House and Senate lawmakers sent to Attorney General Maura Healey on Saturday and released to the press on Sunday. The lead signers were the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Legislature approves pay equity bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WHEN GOV. CHARLIE BAKER returns to the State House on Monday, he will have on his desk legislation to ensure that men and women are paid […]
Posted inTransportation
Union blasts Baker on armored car sunroofs
MBTA WORKERS BLASTED Gov. Charlie Baker for asserting someone at the agency cut sun roofs into two armored cars which the union said were in the vehicles since they were […]
Posted inGun ownership, Guns
Healey clears gun buyers
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEYÂ decided to allow those who bought nearly 2,300 assault weapons in Massachusetts to keep their new guns even though they were purchased after she ordered the sales […]
Posted inGambling
DEP chief OKs Wynn permit
THE COMMISSIONER of the Department of Environmental Protection issued a two-page decision on Friday affirming the issuance of a key environmental permit to Wynn Resorts for its $2 billion hotel-casino […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 12: Baker and the T
Baker this week waded into the weeds at the MBTA and tried to adjust public expectations, warning that the turnaround at the T would take years to accomplish. Eileen McAnneny, […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
The Codcast: Baker and the T
There’s no consensus about what specific actions the MBTA should take to right itself, but so far everyone seems to appreciate the work of the all-volunteer Fiscal Management and Control […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Make America hate
IF IT WASN’T exceedingly clear before last night, Donald Trump doesn’t want to make American strong again. He wants to take it back to a divided past with a contorted […]
Posted inGun ownership, Guns
Healey triggers gun-buying frenzy
A GUN-BUYING FRENZY that resulted in 2,500 assault weapons being purchased Wednesday – one-fourth the total sold all of last year – has forced Attorney General Maura Healey into threatening dealers […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Branches reach deal on pay equity bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ONE DOWN, FIVE TO GO. The Massachusetts House and Senate on Thursday reached an agreement on legislation to ensure that men and women are paid the […]
Posted inEconomy, Politics
More bad news on tax front
STATE OFFICIALS CONTINUED to insist that the Massachusetts economy is showing healthy signs of growth even as tax revenues in June were down slightly from a year ago and $173 […]
Posted inOpinion
Crunch time for Massachusetts energy debate
WITH ONLY DAYS left before the Legislature adjourns for the year, lots of eyes are on a House-Senate conference committee working on a sweeping energy bill that will touch on […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Mass. on verge of energy greatness
IN CASE YOU MISSED THE NEWS, the Massachusetts House and Senate just did something big that we should all celebrate. By passing major energy bills, they have set the Bay […]
Posted inOpinion
AIM: Energy bill will raise electric rates
What follows is a letter sent by Associated Industries of Massachusetts to the six lawmakers working to resolve differences between the House and Senate on energy legislation. WE SUPPORT THE […]
Posted inOpinion
Northern Pass is a clean energy solution Â
CARBON EMISSIONS IN New England rose by 5 percent in 2015 after falling for several years. According to the regional grid operator, ISO-New England, this uptick is due to the […]
Posted inOpinion
More natural gas needed to rein in energy costs
CONSUMERS IN MASSACHUSETTS pay over 50 percent more for electricity than the national average. As a matter of fact, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says that Bay State consumers pay […]
Posted inOpinion
New England is a leader in fighting climate change
NEW ENGLAND STATES once again find themselves in the vanguard of our national efforts to stop climate change. The region has long been a leader in driving forward progress in […]
Posted inThe Back Story, Transportation
No layoff clause angers T board
The folks at the MBTA are all about transparency these days, but on some issues they are as secretive as ever. One of those issues is the contract negotiations with […]