THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS Committee on Tuesday released a bill that would allocate another $55 million to expanding COVID testing sites, buying masks for schools, and doing vaccine outreach, even as Gov. Charlie Baker raised questions about what additional money could accomplish beyond what the administration is already doing. “I think the Legislature in doing this is really saying money […]
Charlie Baker
Baker urges schools to adopt new testing regime
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER is urging Massachusetts schools to adopt a new COVID testing regime that relies on at-home testing once a week. Currently, the state operates a pooled testing program and a test-and-stay program, where those who have come in close contact with students who test positive are tested for five days to determine whether […]
Baker commutes sentences of two men convicted of murder
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER on Wednesday commuted the sentences of two men who were convicted of murder. the first commutations the Republican governor has issued since he took office. “I believe both men, having taken responsibility for their actions and paid their debt to the Commonwealth by serving sentences longer than most individuals found guilty of […]
Offshore wind policy fight takes center stage
A LONG-BREWING fight over state energy policy moved into the spotlight on Tuesday as key players laid out their positions in what promises to be an interesting debate over the best way to propel the state’s offshore wind industry into the future. The starting point is a bill filed by Gov. Charlie Baker that would […]
Baker, Democratic legislators clash on virus response
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER often says he and his political opponents will “agree to disagree.” That could have been the mantra of Tuesday’s oversight hearing of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management. As the Omicron variant of COVID-19 surges through Massachusetts, overwhelming hospitals, lawmakers monitoring the state’s response questioned Baker and […]
Baker prioritizes rapid tests, buys 26m more
MASSACHUSETTS WILL GET 26 million rapid antigen tests over the next three months, which it will distribute primarily to K-12 schools and childcare facilities, Gov. Charlie Baker announced Tuesday. “Rapid tests are convenient and efficient, they can be completed at home with results in 15 minutes, and they are also accurate in detecting when someone […]
Mariano eyes vaccine mandate for public access to State House
HOUSE SPEAKER Ron Mariano said on Monday that lawmakers will likely require members of the public to show proof of vaccination if and when the State House reopens. Mariano made his remarks alongside Gov. Charlie Baker, whose administration earlier in the day unveiled a digital portal where Massachusetts residents can download a QR code showing […]
Mass. offers QR code to prove COVID vaccine status
THE BAKER ADMINISTRATION on Monday released a new technology that state residents can use voluntarily to provide digital proof of their COVID-19 vaccination status. A portal on a state-run website called My Vax Records will now let residents access their state vaccine records online and obtain a QR code that can be scanned to prove […]
School struggles getting worse amid virus surge
Amid the surge of COVID-19 cases, Cambridge Public Schools closed Monday and Tuesday to test 3,500 students. Superintendent Victoria Greer wrote to families Tuesday that 157 of 362 pools tested positive – meaning somewhere between 157 and over 1,000 students had COVID. But the district had not received individual results, so no one knew which […]
School struggles getting worse amid virus surge
AMID THE SURGE of COVID-19 cases, Cambridge Public Schools closed Monday and Tuesday to test 3,500 students. Superintendent Victoria Greer wrote to families Tuesday that 157 of 362 pools tested positive – meaning somewhere between 157 and over 1,000 students had COVID. But the district had not received individual results, so no one knew which […]