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.
State Government
Posted inHealth Care
AG pushes back on federal abortion medication restrictions
Campbell implored federal regulators Thursday to eliminate medication abortion restrictions on prescribers and pharmacies.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commission remains short-handed as the agency works on social consumption and other pressing issues
The Cannabis Control Commission is down to just 3 members, with no timeline for appointing a new chair or commissioner with big decisions – including social consumption rules – ahead.
Posted inState House News Service
Feds blame ‘sanctuary policies’ in Milford teenager’s immigration arrest
A Milford High School junior was not the target of a federal immigration enforcement investigation and his arrest was the byproduct of “sanctuary policies,” federal officials said.
Posted inImmigration
As ICE touts island arrests, Healey highlights ‘fear’ and ‘anxiety’
Gov. Maura Healey at an unrelated press conference Wednesday raised questions about due process and a lack of information about those arrested.
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 inHealth Care
‘Pay now or pay greater later’: Mass. health centers CEO warns Medicaid cuts will lead to higher costs and strain to health system
Thirty percent of the Massachusetts population (2.1 million residents out of 7.1 million) are on Medicaid.
Posted inState Government
Senators get ‘enough yeses’ to add $43.5 million to budget
The Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed an underlying budget that started at $61.32 billion, as Democrats forge ahead with their spending appetite despite modest state tax revenues and federal funding uncertainty.
Posted inState Government
Spending push interrupted by executive branch hiring freeze
Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday paused executive branch hiring due to what her office described as “widespread economic uncertainty at the national level and a tightening budget outlook.”
Posted inEnergy
Healey unveils new energy affordability legislation
“I believe that this legislation is going to give us the tools that we need to create more accountability for our utilities and maximize every single ratepayer dollar,” said Gov. Maura Healey, at a press conference announcing her new energy affordability legislation in Leominster.
Posted inMarijuana
Cannabis commission, elected leaders out of sync on budget ask
“You’ve got plenty of money. Stop the nonsense and start figuring it out and start rolling up your sleeves,” said Rep. Michael Soter in response to the Cannabis Control Commission’s ask for more money.
Posted inMarijuana
Legislators are pushing for more forceful action on intoxicating hemp-derived products
With an uneven crackdown on hemp-derived products, which contain the same active ingredient as cannabis but are not regulated the same way, legislators are looking to put the Cannabis Control Commission in charge.
Posted inState Government
Senate budget panel recommends 6.3% annual spending increase
The draft budget bill, which will be up for debate in the Senate starting May 20, does not feature any tax increases.
Posted inHousing
Eviction records can now be sealed in Massachusetts
Eviction court records are publicly available on the state Trial Court’s website, so even if a tenant won their case or it was dismissed, the record is accessible to everyone.
Posted inState Government
Weekly roundup – budget bonanza
The House-approved annual budget bill reveals policy and political fault lines
Posted inThe Codcast
No man is an island: The collective climate challenge of coastal Massachusetts
This episode of the Codcast is a recording of a live event that took place April 30 in Provincetown, Mass., co-moderated by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith and Eve Zuckoff of CAI (the Cape and Islands NPR station). Together with a panel of conservation, planning, and community development experts, they discussed what it means to live and plan responsibly on the Cape and Islands, understanding the realities of climate change and the housing crunch as a collective crisis.
Posted inEnvironment
How these Massachusetts communities are pushing forward to meet state climate goals
In the absence of federal funding and support, municipalities feel added challenges on their paths to net zero but many chug along with the state’s help in projects to decarbonize buildings, municipal fleets, and put up solar arrays.
Posted inEducation
Tutwiler: Immigration chill leading to “extended absences”
According to the state’s top education official, some Mass. schools have reported “extended absences” for students as a result of the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement.
Posted inEnvironment
Utility companies target heat pump incentives for cuts to pare back Mass Save budget
“These cuts represent some of the best options of bad options,” said Kyle Murray, the Massachusetts program director at the Acadia Center about the new compliance plan for Mass Save, which reduces the budget for heat pump incentives and program to help residents use one vendor for energy efficiency upgrades.
Posted inThe Codcast
UMass Pres. Meehan on higher ed crisis response
CommonWealth Beacon reporter Jennifer Smith is joined by Marty Meehan, president of the University of Massachusetts system, to discuss UMass’s work in climate technology and its response to the federal government’s attacks on higher education.
Posted inOpinion
Abundance with input: We can build housing and energy systems without ignoring community concerns
Collaborative processes structured to include the needs and expertise of citizens can lead to sustainable and effective outcomes when paired with clear policy goals, firm process constraints, and effective leadership.
Posted inEnvironment
Massachusetts postpones rule requiring truck makers to sell electric vehicles
After pressure from industry groups, Massachusetts has delayed the enforcement of a truck emissions rule that Trump administration is trying to eliminate.
Posted inOpinion
The case of the State House cod caper
Posing as tourists, the thieves entered the State House late in the afternoon and headed for the fourth-floor gallery overlooking the House chamber.
