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.
politics
Posted inEnvironment
Ratepayer revolt: Has the affordability debate soured Mass. on climate commitments?
Fighting climate change was once a badge of honor in Massachusetts, embraced by virtually all Democrats and even a lot of Republicans. But as households grapple with soaring energy bills, elected officials have become much more squeamish about the topic.
Posted inThe Codcast
The Legislature breaks for the holidays and ballot season heats up
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporters Jennifer Smith and Chris Lisinski check in as Beacon Hill heads into its winter break. Chris looks back at the end of year lawmaking hustle, and what was left for 2026, then turns to a possibly record-smashing number of ballot questions that could land before voters next November.
Posted inPolitics
‘They’re making a huge bet’: Rent control referendum splits progressives
If a campaign to instate rent control across the Commonwealth makes it to the ballot, voters will need to weigh whether every municipality should adopt a measure more stringent than earlier attempts by Boston, Brookline, and Somerville.
Posted inThe Codcast
The good, the bad, and the uncertain in Trump’s tax bill
CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas talks with reporter Jennifer Smith about a series of stories parsing the sprawling Trump tax and spending bill. They discuss why it’s so hard to know if Opportunity Zones have been effective, and why affordable housing advocates are mixed on the administration’s approach to low-income renters.
Posted inThe Codcast
Massachusetts leans into artificial intelligence
This week on The Codcast, it’s the state angle on artificial intelligence. CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith talks with Sabrina Mansur, director of the Massachusetts Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hub. Mansur explains how she uses AI in her daily life and why keeping Massachusetts competitive means a $100 million taxpayer-funded effort to get into the AI race.
Posted inThe Codcast
Reconsidering school receivership
CommonWealth Beacon executive editor Michael Jonas joins reporter Jennifer Smith to trace the last decade in state takeovers of local school districts. The results, as Jonas has reported, are a far cry from a silver bullet to fix struggling schools.
Posted inThe Codcast
Keeping time with MBTA’s Phil Eng
More than 800,000 people ride the T everyday. This week on the Codcast, reporter Gin Dumcias is joined by Phil Eng, General Manager of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority or “the T” to talk about the state of the system and what lies down the track.
Posted inThe Codcast
The introvert’s guide to being mayor
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Gintautas Dumcius interviews Boston Mayor Michelle Wu about her start in politics and being both an introvert and a politician, why she’s a Democrat, the super PACs crowding this year’s election, and her media diet.
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 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 inPolitics
A push for more transparency on ballot question spending, fundraising
In 2024, it was hard to avoid the barrage of ads making the case for one side or the other of some ballot questions. But it was a very different story when it came to seeing who was funding the campaigns.
Posted inGovernment
Falling office building values still a concern for Boston’s budget, think tank says
The revenue picture now “looks worse than we expected,” according to the report’s author.
Posted inPolitics
Two companies, one roof, and the Boston mayoral race
On a tree-lined street in Medford, tucked away inside a strength training gym, there’s an office that’s been doing some heavy lifting in the Boston mayor’s race.
Posted inPolitics
City finances top of mind in early days for Boston mayoral candidates
FOUR YEARS AGO around this time, mayoral candidates in Boston and elsewhere found themselves staring at computer screens and pitching themselves to voters who were considering who should succeed Marty […]
Posted inPolitics
Wu administration puts City Hall attorney on leave amid his mayoral run
A City Hall spokesperson said the law department must be perceived as non-political by the mayor’s cabinet chiefs.
Posted inPolitics
Wu challenger emerges from inside Boston City Hall
He is currently in-house counsel for City Hall’s treasury department, which handles money, property, and securities acquired by the city.
Posted inPolitics
New Balance chairman drops $1 million on Josh Kraft super PAC
Super PACs are expected to play a large role in this election cycle, as political operatives consider them more impactful at the local level. While donors are limited to contributing $1,000 to a candidate’s campaign committee in a calendar year, super PACs offer the opportunity to donate a larger sum.
Posted inPolitics
Super PAC aligned with Mayor Wu receives six-figure donation
AN OUTSIDE GROUP that worked to help Boston Mayor Michelle Wu elect a slate of City Council candidates two years ago has received a six-figure infusion of cash as she […]
Posted inPolitics
Boston developer Tom O’Brien decides against mayoral run
O’Brien’s friends and acquaintances said he has long wanted to run for the top job inside City Hall.
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.
Posted inPolitics
Political Notebook: The tensions and tangles over federal funding
The saying about New England’s fluid weather – wait a minute, and it’ll change – could also apply these days to the pronouncements coming out of Washington.