NEWS
CommonWealth Beacon cracks open the stories, personalities, and political machinations that impact residents across the state.
Explore sharp, thoughtful reporting that explores local dust-ups, statewide legislative trends, transformative court rulings, and policies that shape life in Massachusetts.
Worcester’s ‘A Better Life’ housing program helps break generational poverty by promoting self-sufficiency
Last month, Trump administration officials announced a long-awaited proposed rule that encourages, but does not require, all public housing authorities and private property owners who rent to people using a Section 8 housing voucher to implement a work requirement and time limits for non-disabled, non-elderly adults in federally-funded housing.
Where the rubber meets the road: MBTA questions if electric bus mandate is worth the tradeoffs
State law requires the MBTA to purchase only zero-emissions buses starting in 2031 and to have the entire fleet transitioned by 2041. Now, to the ire of a key lawmaker, agency leaders want to kickstart a public discussion about whether that hard-to-accomplish change is still in the state’s best interest.
PROTECT Act will disrupt ‘soft diplomacy’ between ICE, state courts
Chief Justice of the Trial Court Heidi Brieger described for lawmakers the more informal relationships that she said she and Court Administrator Thomas Ambrosino have had “at a very deep level” with various leaders of ICE in New England.
Mass. bottle deposit system continues nosedive, hitting new low last year
Out of the 10 states that have a “bottle bill,” including neighboring New York, Vermont, and Connecticut, Massachusetts has the lowest redemption rate.
‘Blunt optimist’: Mass. insurance commissioner Michael Caljouw tries to manage sea change in the industry
Caljouw sat down to discuss how his office is navigating a changing landscape.
House Republicans have a big decision in 2027 after Brad Jones retires
House Minority Leader Brad Jones will not seek another term, creating a vacuum atop the chamber’s small GOP caucus for the first time since George W. Bush’s first term with major implications on how Republicans work with the Democratic supermajority.
Dueling housing ballot measures collide with frustrated lawmakers
While rent control proponents acknowledged the need for more housing production, they argued that the state cannot build its way out of the crisis and that supply-oriented solutions like the starter home proposal are not sufficient on their own. Rezoning proponents, meanwhile, warned that if lawmakers did not enact the lot size change, voters may opt for price controls on rents they say would stifle the housing production market.
Political Notebook: Eager to be counted — on largely symbolic vote
The House’s vote on cuts to the Mass Save energy efficiency program provided a chance for several representatives in the midst of election fights to stake out a position they might soon tout on the campaign trail.
Tucked in House energy bill, a ‘big breakthrough’ on competitive electric suppliers
Now that the House took concrete steps to rein in competitive suppliers through the current energy legislation under debate, there could be a path forward this year to taking action.
Shifting politics around data centers scramble Healey AI push
A backlash to data centers is scrambling whether and how the AI industry takes hold in Massachusetts, how it plays politically for Democrats in a deep-blue state, and how state officials manage the tradeoffs.
Underappreciated and poorly understood, Evacuation Day commemorates a pivotal moment in American history — and an unsung Boston hero
What is Evacuation Day anyway, and why is it such a big deal that it’s a holiday (in Suffolk County)? That question has long bewildered newcomers to Massachusetts – and more than a few long-term and lifelong denizens as well.
More than paychecks at stake in legislative stipend ballot question
A ballot question aiming to reform the Legislature’s controversial system of stipends would reach beyond capping the value or number available. It would also require legislative committees to follow new review and voting procedures as a prerequisite to earning bigger paychecks.
Supreme Judicial Court says it’s up to Legislature, not judiciary, to set pay for court-appointed lawyers
Justices were wary of overstepping the “separation of powers” in a bid for courts to increase pay for attorneys who represent indigent defendants.
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