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 […]
Crunch time for Massachusetts energy debate
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
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 […]
Posted inThe Download
Why are tax forecasts off?
The state’s economy is humming along. Unemployment is 4.2 percent, well below the national rate. The state’s gross domestic product grew at an annual pace of 2.3 percent in the […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker defends MBTA expansion efforts
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday defended the MBTA’s pursuit of new commuter rail service to Fall River and New Bedford at a time when the agency is struggling to provide […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker: T in early stages of turnaround
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday said the MBTA is just beginning the second phase of a three-step turnaround, a process that could take years to complete. At a State House […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker’s statement on the MBTA
IT’S BEEN A YEAR since the Fiscal and Management Control Board of the MBTA met for the first time. We’ve all learned a lot, and done a lot. But much […]
Posted inGun ownership, Guns, Politics
Healey clamps down on assault weapon sales
ATTORNEY GENERAL MAURA HEALEY has drawn a line in the sand: Beginning immediately, Massachusetts gun dealers are on notice that selling a semi-automatic rifle that doesn’t comply with the state’s […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Opinion
All kids deserve a second chance
“DO YOU BELIEVE in second chances?” That is the most commonly asked question I receive when I speak to students as part of judicial-school outreach. My answer is always the […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
I’m a pro-charter school Obama and Sanders Democrat
AS DEMOCRATS NATIONALLY unite behind our nominee in Philadelphia next week, Massachusetts Democrats have the opportunity to unite behind a ballot initiative that would provide more high quality schools, especially […]
Posted inThe Download
Are you a good tax or are you a bad tax?
Gov. Charlie Baker is a fiscal conservative, there is no doubt, preaching that the state has to live within its means like all the families that have to pay taxes. […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Lawmakers send fare cap plan back to Baker
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE UNPERSUADED BY HIS arguments for greater flexibility in setting fares, lawmakers on Tuesday sent back to Gov. Charlie Baker legislation strictly capping MBTA fare increases at […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Baker’s absence in Cleveland speaks volumes
AS PROMISED, Gov. Charlie Baker didn’t show up for the start of the Republican National Convention in Cleveland yesterday. But Baker did weigh in on critical issues relating to race and […]
Posted inHealth Care, State House News Service, The Download
Irony abounds in health agency cuts
Sure, if you’re highlighting irony in this irony-filled world of ours, the easy stop is Cleveland, where the opening night of a GOP convention that is about to nominate a […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
MBTA police plan to privatize dispatch services
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MBTA PLANS to move its Transit Police dispatching function to the private vendor IXP Corporation, freeing up 15 officers to move to patrol as […]
Posted inEconomy, Opinion
Time for action on high cost of electricity
THE HIGH COST of electricity is a major issue impacting Massachusetts businesses and residents alike. Cheap electricity is available throughout much of the United States. That is not the case […]
Posted inThe Download
The thin blue target
There have probably been better times to be a cop, possibly some worse, but has there ever been a more tense and dangerous time than now? Police are under fire, […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Education, Opinion
Missed opportunities in Channel 5 forum on race
THE CONVERSATION ON race in Boston hosted by Channel 5 and the Boston Foundation on Thursday offered a tremendous opportunity to confront prejudice and systemic discrimination in Boston. Sadly, people talked around […]
Posted inGambling
Wynn prevails in Somerville permit challenge
WYNN RESORTS on Friday moved a big step closer to beginning construction on its $2.7 billion hotel and casino in Everett when a state hearing officer said the Las Vegas company […]
Posted inEducation
Democrats’ ed reform pivot
LESS THAN TWO weeks before they will anoint Hillary Clinton as the party’s new standard-bearer, Democrats are putting the finishing touches on a party platform that signals a big shift […]