STATE HOUSE NEWS A scaled-down version of Gov. Charlie Baker’s economic development bill cleared a key House-Senate committee on Wednesday and included a new provision that would allow families […]
Massachusetts Legislature
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, Uncategorized
DeLeo: Policy differences could hinder budget deal
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE House Speaker Robert DeLeo on Wednesday said policy differences between the House and Senate loom as an even larger obstacle than a revenue shortfall to a […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
The House’s non-debate on energy
The Massachusetts House debated the state’s energy future in public on Wednesday (the session was even streamed live over the internet), but the real negotiations took place in private out […]
Posted inEnvironment, Politics, State House News Service
House OKs hydro, offshore wind bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE House lawmakers voted near unanimously on Wednesday to diversify the state’s state energy mix by requiring utilities to solicit and enter into long-term contracts for large-scale […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House backs transgender bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE IN A MAJOR VICTORY for equal rights activists, legislation aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender individuals in all public places, including bathrooms, passed the House on […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, Politics
Gants calls off DeLeo leak inquiry
AFTER FEDERAL AND STATE law enforcement officials said they didn’t do it, the Supreme Judicial Court is calling off its inquiry into who leaked to the press the confidential transcript […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Baker: I’d sign House transgender bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE ON THE EVE of House debate on the issue, Gov. Charlie Baker said Tuesday he would sign transgender anti-discrimination legislation crafted by House leaders. “No one […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics, State House News Service
Deal would avoid hospital pricing ballot fight
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A DEAL BROKERED by Beacon Hill leaders between labor and the hospital industry to avert a contentious hospital pricing disparity ballot question this fall would reenergize […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Public records bill sent to Baker
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE AND SENATE each voted unanimously Wednesday to advance to Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk a compromise bill that represents the first major overhaul of […]
Posted inEducation, Opinion
Pioneer Institute report misses real problem
A critical report by the Pioneer Institute says growing out-of-state enrollment at the University of Massachusetts is bad for in-state high school graduates, but the report does not address the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House-Senate negotiators reach accord on public records
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A COMPROMISE PUBLIC RECORDS BILL agreed to Monday by a conference committee was cheered by open government advocates as a move towards making it faster and […]
Posted inEnvironment, The Back Story
Solar cap clamor resurfacing already
It’s starting again. A little over a month ago, Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a bill that lifted the cap on solar net metering credits, making it possible for […]
Posted inPolitics
Millionaires’ tax gains strong backing
THE MASSACHUSETTS LEGISLATURE, which has shown no interest in raising taxes for several years, voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to greenlight a constitutional amendment that could give voters the chance to […]
Posted inHealth Care, Politics
Groups raise concern on hospital pricing talks
THE HEADS OF NINE BUSINESS AND INSURANCE GROUPS sent a letter to top Beacon Hill leaders on Tuesday raising concerns about some of the proposals being considered to forestall a […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Senate passes transgender bill 33-4
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE BY A 33-4 VOTE, the Massachusetts Senate on Thursday afternoon passed legislation establishing protections for transgender people using public accommodations. The bill (S 735) bans discrimination […]
Posted inPolitics, The Download
South Shore Senate race decided — for now
Patrick O’Connor will be the new state Republican state senator from the Plymouth and Norfolk District, but the 31-year-old Weymouth town council president may want to hold off on new […]
Posted inTransportation
T takes risk with new construction method
IN AN ECHO of the recent debacle over ballooning costs for the Green Line extension, the MBTA is eyeing yet another public construction method the agency has little experience with […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Mass GOP to compete in 40% of legislative races
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S POLITICAL HISTORY being what it is, the Massachusetts Republican Party hopes to make modest electoral gains at the state level this year, favoring a […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Committee votes on transgender bill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MARKING A POTENTIAL BREAKTHROUGH on the issue, the long-awaited Judiciary Committee vote on transgender rights legislation has commenced, with House Speaker Robert DeLeo expressing confidence that […]
Posted inOpinion, Politics
Parents of transgender children want vote on bill
AS PARENTS OF TRANSGENDER CHILDREN in Massachusetts, we’ve been closely following the movement of  the transgender protections bill pending in the Legislature. As you can imagine, this bill would have […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House passes budget 156-0
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE passed a $39.56 billion fiscal 2017 budget Wednesday afternoon, shipping its spending plan to the Senate which plans in May to debate its […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
House nixes gas tax hike, film tax credit cut
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS HOUSE on Monday shot down proposals to increase the gas tax and put a cap on the state’s film tax credit program as they […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Retirement board ordered to give DiMasi $127,000
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FORMER HOUSE SPEAKER SALVATORE DIMASI, now serving out an eight-year prison sentence for federal corruption charges, is entitled to the return of about $127,000 in contributions […]
Posted inThe Download, Transportation
Uber and out for taxi protectionism?
Years from now, public policy students or perhaps cultural anthropologists will sift through the history of the current debate in our capital city over what have become known as ride-hailing […]