Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt suddenly resigned Thursday, prompting the governor to ask the head of the MBTA and the state’s highway administrator — a pair of trusted veterans — to work two jobs simultaneously.
Maura Healey
Posted inGovernment
Municipalities crank up the heat with report warning of financial ‘perfect storm’
A new report from the Massachusetts Municipal Association could put more pressure on Beacon Hill to reconsider stalled reforms amid bigger-picture economic uncertainty and a persistent “affordability” debate.
Posted inHealth Care
‘The gaps have become too big for too many’
Physicians, policymakers, and advocates hope to make a breakthrough this term on legislation that would boost the share of health care dollars that go toward primary care amid provider burnout and growing wait times for appointments.
Posted inHealth Care
Healey signs bill expanding reproductive, transgender care protections
SURROUNDED BY HEALTH CARE advocates and curious tourists peering into Nurses Hall, Gov. Maura Healey signed an expanded shield law giving patients and providers in Massachusetts a new layer of defense against out-of-state intrusion into reproductive and transgender care.
Posted inTransportation
Federal funding for I-90 Allston project in jeopardy
The massive package of tax and spending cuts President Trump signed into law on July 4 contains a provision that eliminates a federal transportation grant program that set aside $335 million last year for the nearly $2 billion I-90 Allston highway project in Boston.
Posted inEnergy
Healey again puts offshore wind on back burner
Bowing to opposition from President Trump, the Healey administration on Monday put its offshore wind plans on hold yet again and said it is committed to an “all-of-the-above approach to energy.”
Posted inEnergy
Healey’s energy affordability bill gets support, tough questions on Beacon Hill
At a hearing on Beacon Hill, Gov. Maura Healey’s energy affordability bill was met with praise from lawmakers, but Sen. Barrett and Rep. Turco raised questions about Mass Save and the overall affordability of the green energy transition.
Posted inEconomy
‘Open for business’: Despite tariffs, leaders from northeastern states and Canada pledge to work together
The gathering grew out of a meeting Gov. Maura Healey had with Maine Gov. Janet Mills, who traces her ancestry back to Nova Scotia.
Posted inThe Codcast
Decoding the state budget with Doug Howgate
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks to Doug Howgate, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation, about the Fiscal Year 2026 state budget. They break down differences between the House and Senate plans, discuss why some parts of the process always happen behind closed doors, and consider the future of the wealth surcharge split between education and transportation.
Posted inGovernment
Could the Trump administration’s border policies affect 2026 World Cup tourism in Massachusetts?
The World Cup could bring more than $1 billion in economic activity, and plenty of tourists, to Massachusetts. Here’s what some are worrying about as the soccer games are a year out.
Posted inThe Codcast
Chief Justice Kimberly Budd makes the case for the state courts
This week on The Codcast, Supreme Judicial Court Chief Justice Kimberly Budd sits down for a wide-ranging interview with CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith. They discuss trust in the judiciary, the role of the trial courts and the SJC, and if independence feels more achievable for state courts than the federal bench.
Posted inThe Codcast
‘Forewarned is forearmed’ on housing voucher cuts
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Kenzie Bok, head of the Boston Housing Authority, to discuss the threat of President Trump’s budget on rental assistance spending.
Posted inThe Codcast
How does public media survive threats from inside and out?
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Margaret Low, CEO of WBUR, to discuss the role of NPR in the news ecosystem, defending journalistic institutions and values while upholding rigorous standards, and the upcoming WBUR Festival.
Posted inEnvironment
DEP delays electric vehicle sales requirements for two years
The Healey administration announced it will not enforce minimum electric vehicle sales requirements for model years 2026 and 2027.
Posted inThe Codcast
‘Always been a free market guy’: Mike Kennealy talks running for governor and being a Republican in Mass.
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporter Gintautas Dumcius talks with gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy about running as Republican against Gov. Maura Healey, his platform, and his history in the Baker administration.
Posted inState Government
Opponents knock Healey’s youth mental health plan
With three state-funded youth mental health programs at risk of closing, lawmakers and providers ramped up their opposition this week to Gov. Healey’s proposed budget cuts.
Posted inHealth Care
State orders open access to free prenatal vitamins, birth control
“We know that prenatal vitamins and birth control play an essential role in women’s health. No one should be prevented from getting the care they need because of cost or because they are waiting for a prescription,” Healey said in a statement.
Posted inGovernment
The pandemic led to more access to local town meetings. Beacon Hill will decide what comes next.
If local officials weren’t livestreaming democracy before the pandemic, Massachusetts officials smoothed the path to the new paradigm by creating new provisions under the state’s Open Meeting Law.
