STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE SENATE LEADERS PLAN a vote next week to repeal a state law mandating that anyone convicted of a drug offense, regardless of whether their crime involved the operation of a motor vehicle, have their driver’s license suspended. The law has been criticized for having little to no impact in deterring drug offenses […]
Matt Murphy
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
Taxi regulations could also change
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A MODERNIZATION OF THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY could be integrated into legislative efforts to regulate ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, according to a House lawmaker who will play a significant role in shaping the future of a bill that aims to “level the playing field” for cabs and alternative ride-for-hire […]
Posted inEnvironment, State House News Service
Baker defends push for hydro contracts
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOPING TO PUSH two energy bills through the Legislature this fall, Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday defended his push to encourage the purchase of large-scale hydropower against industry criticism that his bill represented government overreach into the market. Baker addressed ISO New England’s annual meeting at the World Trade Center, describing […]
Posted inBallot Questions, Politics
Healey approves 20 ballot questions for 2016
TWENTY PETITIONSÂ proposing new laws that would, among other things, legalize recreational marijuana, expand the state’s authority to license charter schools, and protect whales from fishing nets, passed their first legal test after Attorney General Maura Healey on Wednesday certified the initiative petitions, clearing a path toward the 2016 ballot. Healey also certified two proposed amendments […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Democrat Ash loads up on GOP staffers
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. CHARLIE BAKER has won plaudits for bringing Democrats into the fold as he built a senior team around him, but the governor’s administration has also provided refuge for some loyal party activists and several failed Republican candidates looking to regroup after faltering at the ballot box. The latest examples come […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
DeLeo vows more T reforms
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE HOUSE SPEAKER ROBERT DELEO said the body will continue to fight for MBTA management reforms favored by Gov. Charlie Baker both in ongoing budget negotiations and in a separate bill being reported out of committee. The Joint Committee on Transportation on Monday unveiled a reform bill that would expand the Massachusetts […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Baker unveils plan on opioid addiction
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLEAR IN HIS AIM to reframe substance abuse as a public health crisis that can’t be solved by law enforcement alone, Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday detailed a suite of options to reverse the trend of opioid addiction that last year claimed the lives of over 1,000 residents across the state. […]
Posted inCriminal Justice, State House News Service
Sentencing reform takes over Beacon Hill
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE STATE’S TOP JUDGE AND PROSECUTORS, who are sparring over sentencing reform proposals, brought their battle to Beacon Hill on Tuesday as activists flooded the capitol building chanting “jobs not jails.” The activists pushing for the elimination of mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug crimes packed the third floor, visiting the […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service, Transportation
Senate approves tweaked T control board
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE late Thursday night agreed to put the MBTA under the management of a fiscal control board, tucking that measure into a $38.1 billion fiscal 2016 that was approved after midnight. Democrats and Republicans unanimously signed off on the control board compromise brokered between Sen. Thomas McGee and Senate […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Senate backs boost in EITC, exemption
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE MASSACHUSETTS SENATE on Tuesday approved a package of tax cuts aimed at helping the working poor and middle class, dismissing objections from Republicans and some Democrats that their vote would renege on a 15-year-old promise to voters to gradually roll back the income tax to 5 percent. To pay for […]