STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE FOLLOWING A PEDESTRIAN safety assessment that showed almost half of all Massachusetts pedestrian fatalities or serious injuries happened within 300 feet of a bus stop, the Department of Transportation is looking to use federal funds to make safety improvements at bus stops across the state. Pedestrian fatalities, serious injuries and cyclist […]
Sam Drysdale // State House News Service
Posted inEducation
MTA gearing up to push for new ballot questions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS VOTERS in 2024 could be asked to settle two major education debates, but retailers may pass on bringing tax cuts to next year’s ballot. The state’s largest teacher’s union is considering ballot questions that would eliminate the graduation requirement associated with statewide standardized testing and create a “debt free college […]
Posted inCourts, Education, State House News Service
Supreme Court strikes down use of race in admissions
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE NATION’S HIGHEST COURT on Thursday declared that two major colleges violated the Constitution by considering a student’s race as a factor in admissions, a landmark decision that sent shockwaves through the higher education industry and generated condemnation, disappointment, and criticism from many corners. The US Supreme Court’s conservative majority restricted […]
Posted inEducation
State looks to limit cellphones in schools
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S K-12 education department is encouraging districts to restrict or ban students’ cellphone use in schools, possibly moving toward a statewide mandate in the future. Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced Tuesday that the department will “likely” create a matching grant program of up to $1 […]
Posted inHousing, State Government, State House News Service
Healey names former Worcester city manager as housing secretary
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. MAURA HEALEY named Edward Augustus as state housing secretary on Monday, turning to a former state senator and Worcester city manager to serve as point person on one of her top priorities. The governor created the position earlier this year after she promised to make housing a priority on the […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Tax forecast misses mark, but Healey says that was expected
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. MAURA HEALEY doubled down on her tax relief plan on Friday, insisting that a shortfall in state revenue that has plunged this year’s state budget into the red was predicted and accounted for in her fiscal 2024 budget. “We put together our budget and our tax relief package — we […]
Posted inEducation
Licensing changes eyed to address teacher shortage
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE EDUCATION board is exploring new ways to address the statewide teacher shortage through more “flexible” regulations for specialized educators. Board members voted Tuesday to start the process of amending education licensure regulations to create an easier pathway for already-licensed teachers to be able to teach special education and English […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Convention center tosses redevelopment proposals
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S INDEPENDENT convention center authority canceled and rejected controversial redevelopment proposals for a piece of land in South Boston after officials accused it of using “false pretenses” to craft the plans. The mostly unbuilt 6.2 acres of asphalt along D and E Streets, across the street from the Boston Convention […]
Posted inHealth Care
Travel nurses fill a gap but also create problems
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE AN INCREASING RELIANCE on travel nurses is contributing to high turnover rates among nurses in Massachusetts, as health care remains strapped by labor shortages here and around the country, according to a Health Policy Commission report. Registered nurse vacancy rates in Massachusetts hospitals doubled from 6.4 percent in 2019 to 13.6 […]
Posted inEducation
METCO students, parents lobby for more funding
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS and parents roamed the halls of the State House this week to ask state lawmakers to support increased funding for the largest school integration program in the country. Advocates want to bump up the Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity’s (METCO) line item amount in the fiscal year 2024 […]