STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ON THE EVE of House debate on the issue, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday he would sign transgender anti-discrimination legislation crafted by House leaders. “No one […]
Baker: I’d sign House transgender bill
Posted inEducation
Symbolism key to Walsh’s community college plan
The true power of the tuition-free community college plan announced by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh lies not in the nominal financial relief it will provide but rather in its symbolism. […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
Weld pledges fealty to Libertarian Party
It’s true Gary Johnson and William Weld struggled to become the Libertarian Party’s nominees for president and vice president in Orlando over the weekend, but that’s probably a good thing, […]
Posted inThe Codcast
Episode 4: Stirring the pot over the marijuana initiative
Will Luzier, leading the campaign for legal marijuana, and Corey Welford, of the anti-referendum group, make their cases.
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The Codcast: Stirring the pot over the marijuana initiative
Is legal marijuana too much too soon, putting the state imprimatur on use of a potentially addictive drug that could have unpredictable ripple effects? Or is it about time to […]
Posted inUncategorized
Wholesale electricity prices fell by third in 2015
THE OPERATOR OF THE REGION’S POWER GRID said on Thursday that the wholesale price of electricity fell by more than a third in 2015, primarily because of lower prices for […]
Posted inEducation, The Back Story
The ‘third way’ in education
POLARIZATION AND TRENCH WARFARE, the partisan watchwords these days in Washington, have also come to define education debates. In Massachusetts, as much as $30 million could be spent between now […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download
Can Brigham president be a fair NFL referee?
The NFL is a multibillion-dollar enterprise whose very existence depends on warding off any idea that those riches amount to blood money that comes at the expense of its oversized […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, State House News Service
Deal would avoid hospital pricing ballot fight
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A DEAL BROKERED by Beacon Hill leaders between labor and the hospital industry to avert a contentious hospital pricing disparity ballot question this fall would reenergize […]
Posted inTransportation
T parking data raises lots of questions
PARKING REVENUE at a number of major MBTA lots jumped dramatically in March and April after the transit authority began investigating receipt discrepancies. The numbers suggest the loss of parking […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Senate nixes med marijuana fees for vets
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Veterans who qualify to access medical marijuana through the state’s dispensary program would no longer have to pay annual registration fees under a rider that the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Public records bill sent to Baker
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE AND SENATE each voted unanimously Wednesday to advance to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk a compromise bill that represents the first major overhaul of […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker moves to curb sick leave accrual
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN THE WAKE OF REPORTS of long-time state employees walking into retirement with lucrative compensation packages boosted by payouts for unused sick time, Gov. Charlie Baker […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download, Transportation
Taxi medallion owners under water and drowning
Few tears are being shed for taxi medallion owners but there’s no denying they’re being squeezed into oblivion by Uber and Lyft. But the ripple effects are going beyond, with […]
Posted inUncategorized
Electricity consumption on the rise
EVERSOURCE ENERGY says the average monthly electricity usage of its typical customer is now 600 kilowatt hours, up from the 500 kilowatt-hour estimate the company has used for years. The […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Politics
Medical pot dispensaries can cash in with ballot question
THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY in Massachusetts, which has been struggling to get off the ground, could hit the jackpot if voters this fall approve a ballot question legalizing the commercial […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Pioneer Institute report misses real problem
A critical report by the Pioneer Institute says growing out-of-state enrollment at the University of Massachusetts is bad for in-state high school graduates, but the report does not address the […]
Posted inState House News Service, The Download
Cape Wind is skunk at offshore wind party
Cape Wind, once the darling of the environmental movement, is officially persona non grata on Beacon Hill. House leaders on Monday unveiled their long-awaited energy bill, and crafted it in […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
MBTA GM DePaola, fighting cancer, stepping down
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MBTA GENERAL MANAGER FRANK DEPAOLA has been battling cancer and plans to retire June 30, state officials announced on Monday. “As some of you know, Frank […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House-Senate negotiators reach accord on public records
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A COMPROMISE PUBLIC RECORDS BILL agreed to Monday by a conference committee was cheered by open government advocates as a move towards making it faster and […]
Posted inOpinion, Transportation
Time for vision at the MBTA
GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER said, “Where there is no vision, there is no hope.” If ever there was an entity in need of some hope, it is the MBTA. Fortunately, this […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Why cultural competency matters for teachers
I BECAME A teacher because I wanted to make a difference, to shape young minds, to be a teacher for social justice. White people today comprise over 80 percent of […]
Posted inEnvironment
Energy bill includes offshore wind, hydro
A HOUSE COMMITTEE released a long-awaited energy bill on Monday that calls for the state’s utilities to negotiate long-term contracts for large amounts of offshore wind and Canadian hydroelectricity, although […]
Posted inEducation, The Download
The private college trap
The Globe Magazine over the weekend carried a provocative headline: “Work hard. Go to college. Get ahead…and other bad advice we’re giving low-income students.” The story by Neil Swidey doesn’t […]