The Download: The most interesting part of your 2024 ballot could deal with this obscure panel
Amid housing crisis, let’s save older homes
Massachusetts needs many more new, affordable homes built to address our housing crisis. But we must also consider the condition of existing homes. With the second oldest housing stock in the country, timely repairs are critical to protect residents’ health and reduce loss of homes to disrepair. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of homes in Massachusetts are essentially “out of circulation” for families with young children due to lead-based paint that is still present, despite having been banned in 1978.
Lawmakers from Lowell, Springfield say cities would welcome economic jolt
Two Democrats who have a chance to stamp their mark on Gov. Maura Healey’s plan to reinvigorate the state’s business climate want the benefits to stretch beyond the Boston metropolitan area.
Shrinking the transportation gap with micro-transit
Once a person gets west of Worcester, the best connection between regional transit bus systems might be a small van network overseen by a scrappy community organization.
Micro-transit and rural accessibility
OVERVIEW
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Jennifer Smith is joined by Jen Healy, rural transit program manager for the Quaboag Valley Community Development Corporation, to talk about the place of micro-transit in Massachusetts’ transportation systems. They discuss different models of micro-transit service, how it’s funded, how it connects with other transit modes, and what impact West-East Rail service will have.
Should we give school librarians more control over book selection, while limiting the say of school committees and parents?
Some argue that we should largely allow school librarians to decide what books are available to students, while others say school committees, parents, and others have every right to have a say in the issue.
Vineyard and Nantucket pot shops on the ropes
Marijuana outlets on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket say they are facing an untenable fiscal squeeze because of a ban on transporting cannabis through federal waters.
Political Notebook: Cain skips vote | Anonymous donor | Ballot title battle
Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain, who recently called his rival for the Republican US Senate nomination, John Deaton, evasive for brushing off a call to debate, did some evading of his own this week, skipping a council vote on the massive pay raise approved for Quincy’s mayor.
Legislature should act quickly on ‘muni empowerment’ opportunity
Gov. Maura Healey’s Municipal Empowerment Act would make a huge difference in people’s daily lives, while allowing local government to address strained finances by adopting small increases in meals and lodging taxes and an impose a new vehicle excise surcharge.
‘Terrible options’ if T budget isn’t straightened out, watchdog says
Public transportation is on the verge of an “existential crisis,” cities and towns that help fund the system warned, as the MBTA moves ahead with a budget plan that drains its reserves in the face of a looming deficit.
Bill to allow campaign funds for childcare on the move
While everything from pricey steakhouse dinners to travel to far-off conferences can be paid with campaign funds under the broad definition of allowable spending that furthers a candidate’s political career, childcare falls outside that interpretation.
To stay ahead, Massachusetts needs science of reading legislation
37 states have adopted some type of science of reading legislation, but Massachusetts is not one of them. We need to change that.
Top Dem says talks occurring on rideshare, MCAS question alternatives
The Legislature last month ruled out acting on any of the 2024 ballot questions as proposed by the petitioners, but lawmakers have not ruled out the idea of intervening to keep some of the questions from being decided this fall by voters.
Inside Wu fundraiser, 2025 is already underway
Michelle Wu has held off on a formal reelection launch, but the scene inside the Omni Parker House had the unmistakable vibes of a Boston mayor gearing up to defend her seat.
Health centers seek relief from ‘deep challenges’
Massachusetts community health centers are facing pressure from wait times, workforce crunch, and migrant care.
It’s time to hold social media companies accountable
Just as we eventually recognized the dangers of lead paint, asbestos, and cigarettes and took action through public policy, it’s time to hold companies accountable and take steps to mitigate the impact of social media on young people’s well-being.
Lawmakers are hopeful about a climate bill. Advocates are skeptical
With the end of the Legislature’s two-year session drawing near, lawmakers say they’re hopeful that a climate change bill will still emerge and get signed into law, but advocates are more skeptical.
Business groups cheer, progressives knock House axing transfer fees
The House offered up a version of Gov. Maura Healey’s housing bond bill that leaves out a local-option transfer tax on high-end home sales, disappointing housing advocates and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the levy’s most prominent booster, and setting up a potential clash with the the more liberal Senate.
The affordable housing problem in Massachusetts might be even worse than we thought
The state affordable housing count includes all units — affordable and market-rate — in a development built under the Chapter 40B affordable housing law. It’s time to consider changes to that policy.