TOP OFFICIALS AT HYDRO-QUEBEC said on Wednesday in Boston that the company’s Northern Pass project represents the best, most complete solution to New England’s need for clean energy. Eric Martel, […]
Hydro-Quebec officials push Northern Pass
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, Uncategorized
DeLeo: Policy differences could hinder budget deal
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE House Speaker Robert DeLeo on Wednesday said policy differences between the House and Senate loom as an even larger obstacle than a revenue shortfall to a […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion, Politics
Teacher licensure system needs overhaul
TEACHER LICENSURE IN the Commonwealth is a time-consuming, complex system, costing millions of dollars each year, and it is in need of reform. Massachusetts offers 47 different kinds of teacher […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
House energy bill must be scaled up
IN THE NEXT TWO MONTHS, Massachusetts has the opportunity to reorient the energy system away from risky over-reliance on fossil fuels and toward a stable clean energy future. The opportunity is […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
SJC decision raises emissions questions
WE ARE FACING the daunting challenge of meeting the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets of the Global Warming Solutions Act. And now the recent Supreme Judicial Court decision, Kain v. […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download
Ortiz sides with Walsh on records
US Attorney Carmen Ortiz, whose office is suspected of being the source of leaks for Boston Globe stories about her investigation of union strong-arming tactics, is now saying that investigation […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker names Budd, Gaziano, Lowy to SJC
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Announcing his three Supreme Judicial Court nominees on Tuesday, Gov. Charlie Baker said the moment marked a unique opportunity for a first-term governor to begin establishing […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
State budget hole grows larger
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE DEALING A SEVERE BLOW to legislative negotiators charged with reaching a state budget accord this month, the Baker administration disclosed Tuesday this year’s state budget hole […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, The Download
The unobstructed view of hindsight
In the aftermath of the Orlando massacre, fingers are being pointed and questions asked about why federal law enforcement officials didn’t detain — or at the least keep track of […]
Posted inTransportation
T outsources security at revenue facility
STATE HOUSE NEWS FOLLOWING IDENTIFIED VULNERABILITIES at its Charlestown revenue facility, the MBTA shifted security from the MBTA Transit Police Department to the private firm G4S, which is in the […]
Posted inTransportation
Problems with privatization at T parking lots
MBTA OFFICIALS made the case on Monday for privatizing the agency’s warehouse and parts operations even as they continued to investigate what appears to be a major loss of money at […]
Posted inTransportation
T warehouses called management failure
MBTA OFFICIALS ON MONDAY described a massive management failure at the agency going back decades that has left the authority with a costly and inefficient warehouse system that often leaves […]
Posted inThe Download, Uncategorized
A toxic mix ignites again
Vigils and makeshift memorials will dot the country today as Americans try to reckon with the worst mass shooting in the nation’s history. But such expressions of unity and concern […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Bringing the real world into the classroom
IN HIS REMARKS on General Electric’s relocation to Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh heralded a new era for public-private partnerships in education, saying that with GE’s help “we’re going to reinvent […]
Posted inEnvironment, Opinion
Clearing the air on natural gas
WANT TO KNOW how Massachusetts can lower electric bills while safeguarding the health of not just our own children but everyone else’s children, too? By following our existing state and […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, The Download
Elizabeth Warren, queen of the trolls
Was there ever any thought Sen. Elizabeth Warren wouldn’t endorse the Democratic party’s nominee? She apparently was just waiting to see who it was. One thing is certain, though, and that […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
‘Third way’ in education not the answer
IS THERE A “Third Way” to close the charter-district school divide? A recent CommonWealth article suggested there might be. I’d like to add my two cents concerning that possibility and even suggest there might […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics, The Back Story
Weld’s views ‘developing’ on criminal justice reform
WHEN HE RAN for governor in Massachusetts 26 years ago, Republican Bill Weld cut a more moderate profile on many social issues than his Democratic opponent, John Silber – a […]
Posted inTransportation
Carmen’s Union grieves T absenteeism policy
A correction was added to this story regarding the language of the Family and Medical Leave Act. THE BOSTON CARMEN’S UNION has filed a grievance over the MBTA’s new absenteeism […]
Posted inHealth Care, Opinion
Children’s Hospital expansion won’t cut costs
IN 2008, A SEMINAL ARTICLE was published in Health Affairs by Donald M. Berwick, Thomas W. Noland, and John Whittington, entitled “The Triple Aim: Care, Health, And Cost.” Its conclusions […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The House’s non-debate on energy
The Massachusetts House debated the state’s energy future in public on Wednesday (the session was even streamed live over the internet), but the real negotiations took place in private out […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, State House News Service
House OKs hydro, offshore wind bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE House lawmakers voted near unanimously on Wednesday to diversify the state’s state energy mix by requiring utilities to solicit and enter into long-term contracts for large-scale […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Politics
SJC hears appeals on marijuana ballot question
OPPONENTS OF THE BALLOT QUESTION to legalize marijuana argued before the state’s highest court Wednesday that the initiative should be shelved for a number of reasons, including the fact that […]
Posted inGambling
Wynn: Curtatone appeal not delaying casino
STEVE WYNN said Somerville Mayor Joe Curtatone’s appeal of an environmental permit for his company’s proposed Everett casino is groundless, but he no longer is saying the legal challenge is […]