130 incumbents appear to be going without a challenger in either a primary or the general election. Democrats are expected to continue to hold a super-majority in both chambers.
65% of incumbents in Legislature face no opponents
Posted inHousing
Business leaders say housing shortage is top concern
THROUGHOUT THE PANDEMIC, labor shortages and supply chain issues bedeviled Massachusetts businesses. But business leaders say the housing crisis in Massachusetts is now the major existential threat to the state’s […]
Posted inState Government
Cannabis regulator calls intoxicating hemp products a ‘public menace’
“I’ve heard from many of our licensees that [unregulated hemp is] impacting them greatly. It’s a phenomenon known as gas station weed,” said Roy. “These are hemp products that are unregulated, that aren’t tested, that our children can buy. It keeps me up at night, the concerns around this gas station weed.”
Posted inOpinion
PWHL Boston finals bid a triumph of law and policy
In the much-larger Tsongas Arena, the fan base is growing. At each game, there are thousands of people – the majority of them girls and women. The vibe is joyful and positive.
Posted inEnergy
Threading the region’s electricity needle
“The question of whether or not we will be in good shape or not five to 10 years from now is very much going to be a function of whether we can get that offshore wind industry up and going and interconnected into the system. And there are some troubling signs at the moment,” said Gordon van Welie.
Posted inThe Codcast
Decarbonizing New England’s power grid
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon’s Bruce Mohl is joined by Gordon van Welie, president and CEO of ISO New England, to discuss the challenges of moving to a decarbonized grid while maintaining an adequate and affordable electricity supply.
Posted inOpinion
Misinformation threatening efforts to address climate change
As the United States and countries worldwide strive to implement ambitious climate policies to address the climate crisis, they face opposition from factions that exploit environmental policies to advance narrow, often detrimental agendas.
Posted inTransportation
South Coast Rail coming to New Bedford, but not with MBTA assessments
Under state law, communities that are members of both the MBTA and a regional transportation authority can deduct their assessment by the regional transit authority from the assessment of the T. In New Bedford’s case, the city’s $1.4 million assessment by the Southeastern Regional Transit Authority surpasses the MBTA assessment of $750,000, so New Bedford won’t have to pay the T anything.
Posted inOpinion
Dissecting the ‘toxic’ State House culture
The culture incentivizes a Stockholm syndrome-like relationship to power, where reps fall in line for crumbs from leadership, and advocates and organizations fall in line for access to the reps.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: Regan v. City Hall | Campbell correction | The windfall that wasn’t?
Regan has now moved into the policy arena, signing on with people who are clashing with Wu, such as the North End restaurateurs angry over a ban on outdoor dining.
Posted inTransportation
Some MBTA board members call for more funding
Normally, board meetings are highly choreographed affairs where everyone sticks pretty much to a script. At Thursday’s meeting, however, board members made clear that more money is needed for the T, even though Gov. Maura Healey has shown little enthusiasm for new taxes and fees.
Posted inTransportation
Coming this summer, T riders can use credit cards, phones to pay their fares
The start of contactless payment — a feature in place in other major transit systems, including New York City’s subway — will mark a milestone in a delayed, over-budget project to modernize fare collection at the T.
Posted inMarijuana
What does potential fed shift on cannabis mean for states like Mass.?
While proponents of social equity in the marijuana industry are cheering the sentiment, they say these more lenient federal gestures, which are silent on established state cannabis regulations, could create confusion.
Posted inOpinion
For WBUR, GBH, the answer is merge, purge, diverge
For WBUR and WGBH the problems are fundamental. Expenses are up, the number of listeners is down, as is advertising dollars – who knew they had advertising income? – culminating in operational deficits.
Posted inEnergy
Vineyard Wind 1 trying to pick up pace with good weather
The slow pace of construction isn’t a major problem in the long run, but it suggests building a wind farm off the coast, particularly during the winter months when winds are unusually strong, is not easy.
Posted inState Government
After years of scandals, have the State Police turned a corner?
Under the State House’s golden dome, there’s been little interest over the years among legislators to take stock of the theft of public funds and abuse of public trust, and whether the agency has been truly reformed.
Posted inOpinion
Lowering financial hurdles for Black, Latina women
From gender and racial pay gaps to a lack of assets, Black and Latina women often start at a financial disadvantage, lacking the generational wealth which often provides a safety net for their White counterparts.
Posted inHealth Care
‘Concordant care’ called crucial in improving Black childbirth outcomes
A recurring theme was that people of color, and Black women in particular, benefit from having their care provided by someone who looks like them and who understands their experience in the world.