“Achievement gaps between demographic groups persist, early literacy scores remain deeply concerning with many elementary students off grade level, and districts from Boston to the Berkshires are grappling with educator layoffs and shrinking student enrollment.”
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Posted inState Government
Negotiator confident that literacy reforms within reach
“Sen. Sal DiDomenico of Everett said the formal negotiation process for the House and Senate bills addressing literacy education will start ‘in the next couple weeks’ as advocates at the State House again rang the alarm of the urgency to address declining reading proficiency in Massachusetts.”
Posted inState Government
Healey, Ayotte drawn to immigration, competitiveness debates
Appearing Sunday on WCVB’s “On the Record” program, Healey called for Ayotte to oppose the proposed detention facility in the Granite State. When asked about the proposed ICE detention facility in Merrimack, Healey did not mince words: “Absolutely not. That’s crazy.”
Posted inState Government
Budget chief warns tax collection margins could shrink
“While revenues may be above benchmark as of this date, I think almost two-thirds of all of our revenues are back loaded. March and April are our biggest revenue months, and so we have a lot of collections left to go,” said Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz.
Posted inState Government
DiZoglio sues Beacon Hill leaders for snubbing voter-approved audit
In the more than a year since the law took effect, legislative leaders have continued to refuse to turn over any documents, and DiZoglio hopes to force a constitutional reckoning before the state’s highest court.
Posted inCriminal Justice
Parole rates in Massachusetts on the rise
The 2024 paroling rate in Massachusetts was 68%, according to a presentation by Gomez to the Commission on Correctional Consolidation and Collaboration. The body of lawmakers, stakeholders and officials has been tasked with determining options for collaboration and consolidation among the Department of Correction, county sheriffs, the Parole Board and the Office of Community Corrections.
Posted inHealth Care
Report: Health insurers denied one in five claims in 2024
“Out of 45.9 million total claims in 2024, 20.4% were denied by health insurers in Massachusetts, the Health Policy Commission said in a report released Thursday. Denials due to ‘strictly clinical reasons’ like medical necessity represented ‘at most’ 1% of denied requests.”
Posted inState House News Service
Galvin to seek record ninth term as state secretary
In a letter to members of the Democratic State Committee, Galvin, 75, said he is “seeking to extend my service as Secretary of State through 2030.” In anticipation of the 2028 presidential election, Galvin said he is “greatly concerned with federal efforts to interfere with the conduct of the election.”
Posted inState House News Service
Providers seek $115 million to care for homeless adults
Individuals without children do not have the same emergency housing protections as families do under the state’s Right to Shelter Law, said Michael Libby, executive director of the Somerville Housing Coalition. Funding streams are also different for individual homelessness supports and the emergency assistance family shelter system, which previously saw exploding costs amid a surge of migrant arrivals.
Posted inImmigration
Healey calls on Homeland Security chief Noem to resign
Healey on Monday escalated her criticism of the administration, calling on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign, alleging agencies under her purview are “harming public safety.”
Posted inImmigration
Lawmakers criticize Trump administration’s plan to end protections for Haitians
The Trump administration’s plan to let Temporary Protected Status expire for Haitian immigrants would put roughly 4,700 people in Massachusetts at risk of deportation.
Posted inEnergy
Vineyard Wind joins in as second project wins court relief
The company claims that the order “will lead to immediate and irreparable harm to the project, and to the communities who will benefit from this critical source of new power for the New England region.”
Posted inHealth
State recommends vaccine schedule backed by pediatricians’ academy
The move deviates from changes in vaccine recommendations issued by the Centers for Disease Control under the direction of the Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Posted inState Government
Mass. child care payments unaffected by federal fraud allegations
Massachusetts is not facing disruption to its $293 million share of federal child care payments.
Posted inBallot Questions
Four more initiative petitions clear signature hurdle for 2026 Mass. ballot
The secretary of state’s office has now cleared nine initiative petitions to advance toward the 2026 statewide ballot.
Posted inBallot Questions
Lawmakers push for tighter disclosure rules on ballot question funding
The votes signal interest among lawmakers in updating laws that critics say have not kept pace with the scale and sophistication of modern ballot campaigns
Posted inEnergy
US pauses offshore wind projects over security, radar concerns
The announcement applies to the Vineyard Wind 1 project that has been moving ahead off the Nantucket coast and is currently delivering about 400 megawatts of energy to the New England electric grid.
Posted inImmigration
Guv urges ICE to halt deportation flights out of Hanscom
Healey demanded the agency “immediately stop using any Massachusetts airports and private jets to deport residents and obstruct due process, and to halt this practice across this country.”
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis Control Commission approves framework for social cannabis use sites
The rules outline how marijuana can be legally consumed at events and social settings, authorizing businesses with licenses to let customers use their products on site.
Posted inCourts
Mass. courts weigh AI efficiency, ethics angles
Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd noted questions surrounding the reliability, confidentiality and cost of using GenAI in courtrooms.
Posted inPolitics
Democrats from Gloucester, Rockport plan to seek open House seat
Both Democrats filed papers Monday to set up candidate committees in the House district that includes Essex, Rockport, Manchester-by-the Sea and Gloucester.
Posted inEducation
Graduation framework recommends new high school tests
Initial recommendation documents released by the council on Monday include a “demonstration of mastery” that has two components: exams administered by the state, taken at the end of courses; and capstones or portfolios that are designed, administered and scored locally.
Posted inEducation
Controversial curriculum swept up in literacy reform debate
Science-of-reading advocates describe the activity as a “back-door effort”
Posted inTransportation
Forced labor reviews influencing MBTA train deliveries
So far, the T has received 58 new Red Line cars, with two more expected in December. Those vehicles — part of a 252-car replacement fleet — are running years behind schedule.