The Download: Senate considering new model for developing clean energy
Senate considering new model for developing clean energy
The senator said the proposal is essentially a new business model for developing clean energy, one that does away with the current plodding procurement process involving the Legislature and utilities and instead gives the governor near-total control.
Healey telling migrants Mass. shelters are full
“This trip is an important opportunity to meet with families arriving in the US and the organizations that work with them at the border to make sure they have accurate information about the lack of shelter space in Massachusetts,” said Emergency Assistance Director General Scott Rice, who is leading the five-member team.
Senate unveils housing plan with no real estate transfer tax
The bill, based on legislation Gov. Maura Healey filed in October, would prompt the creation of 40,000 housing units, according to Senate Housing Committee Chair Lydia Edwards, chipping away at the 220,000-unit shortage Massachusetts is expected to experience by the end of the decade.
Addiction in mind, Mass Gaming officials mull stricter advertising regulations
Researcher Rachel Volberg advised restricting celebrity endorsements to reduce their appeal to young people and problem gamblers. Volberg emphasized the importance of monitoring emerging forms of advertising on social media platforms, which can be more insidious and harder to regulate.
Cannabis oversight agency needs a ‘different direction,’ Healey says
In a statement, Treasurer Goldberg acknowledged there are “many areas of concern” at the agency. “Although my office’s purview is limited to appointing one commissioner and jointly appointing two others, we recognize the need to address those concerns,” she said.
Moulton again is championing the idea of a ‘Rail Link’
“We are not going to fix Massachusetts transportation problems by thinking small. We’ve got to think big,” Congressman Seth Moulton said on The Codcast. “I mean it just makes no sense – the system we have today. So it has to be transformed, and if Massachusetts is ever going to fix our infamous transportation problems, this is the approach we need to take.”
Moulton explains “transformative” Rail Link
This week on the Codcast, Congressman Seth Moulton talks to CommonWealth Beacon’s Bruce Mohl about his support for the proposed Rail Link that would allow trains to run between Boston’s North and South Stations, and why he believes it would revolutionize travel across all of Massachusetts.
The transition away from natural gas has to get started
We tolerated gas explosion risks because we believed gas had lower emissions than other heating options. However, after accounting for methane leaks from the entire gas distribution system, heating with gas is actually worse for the climate than heating with oil or propane.
The time is now for same-day voter registration
Same-day voter registration is long overdue in Massachusetts, where there is broad support for the reform and arguments against it don’t hold water.
Political Notebook: ‘Tool kit’ transportation revenues | Cold shoulder for Wu tax plan | Healey ethics disclosure
Hayes Morrison, the undersecretary of transportation, gave an update on the transportation revenue task force’s progress at this week’s MassDOT board meeting that made it sound as if it started pretty much from scratch using a very touchy-feely approach.
CCC acting chair balks at IG’s call for receiver
The challenges at the Commission are far from secret. We are committed to resolving them. In fact, we have a blueprint for a governance structure that is in its final stages of legal review and will be taken up at a public meeting.
SJC clerk candidate steps into MBTA Communities fight that’s now before the court
As the SJC weighs the MBTA Communities rezoning law, Erin Murphy has stepped into the political fight over it. While seeking votes in Winthrop earlier this month, Murphy joined a roadside rally taking aim at the law. Signs at the rally said, “Stop State Mandated Zoning.”
Questioning competitiveness
Through 200 years of manufacturing in the South Coast communities of Fall River and New Bedford, Shaun Nichols outlines cycles of growth and decline in multiple industries, raising compelling and uncomfortable questions about regional economic development.
Tibbits-Nutt comments raise questions about I-90 Allston funding
“I don’t want this to be characterized as an oversight by our staff because it wasn’t,” said Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt.
Legislature should appoint Cannabis Control Commission receiver
At this point, I respectfully submit that there is an urgent need for the legislative leadership to take immediate action to statutorily authorize the appointment of, and appoint, a receiver with clearly delineated authority to manage the day-to-day operations of the CCC.
The artificial intelligence frontier hits health care
A panel moderated by Rahsaan Hall, president and CEO of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts, considered the practical applications and equity red flags of incorporating artificial intelligence into regular practice.
Rename Logan Airport for Celtics legend Bill Russell? Mass. officials don’t rule it out
“Naming the airport for Russell would send a powerful message about the region it serves,” wrote Mark Leibovich.
Flooding is only getting worse. The time to begin addressing it is now.
For people across Massachusetts, flooding from storms and sea-level rise presents an existential threat to their homes, businesses, and communities. The Commonwealth must engage in long-term planning to mitigate flood risk, increase resiliency for communities, and, for those who are ready, move people to safer places.
Senate to go first on climate legislation with wide-ranging bill
Two bills are expected to come up for votes on Thursday, one dealing with nitty gritty aspects of the clean energy transition and another more narrowly focused measure attempting to curb the use of plastics in everyday life.