A state commission assembled to review a $26 billion budget of tax breaks, deductions, and expenditures unanimously approved recommendations on Monday calling for periodic reviews to assess the effectiveness of current tax expenditures and for certain breaks to sunset every five years. If the recommendations of the Tax Expenditure Commission are embraced by the Legislature […]
Matt Murphy
Posted inEconomy, Politics
Patrick credits stimulus for 90,000 Mass. jobs
Gov. Deval Patrick defended President Barack Obama’s handling of the economy this morning, blaming a “sclerosis” in Congress for impeding the president’s ability to make the type of investments that have been successful in Massachusetts. Describing his administration’s three-legged stool for economic development – education, innovation and infrastructure – Patrick pointed to 23,000 jobs created […]
Posted inEconomy
Patrick aide calls for tax break reviews
Gov. Deval Patrick’s budget chief on Tuesday proposed that certain tax credits sunset after five years without legislative reauthorization, offering a blueprint for the state to systematically review its $26 billion tax expenditure budget. Secretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez presented a proposal to the Tax Expenditure Commission that called for eight tax credit […]
Posted inPolitics
Coakley closes DiPaola probe
Despite evidence of a “pay-to-play culture” in the Middlesex County Sheriff’s office under the late James DiPaola, Attorney General Martha Coakley today announced the conclusion of an investigation into public corruption that led to no criminal charges. Coakley said interviews with dozens of sheriff’s office employees revealed that they frequently made donations to DiPaola as […]
Posted inState House News Service, Transportation
MBTA outlines possible fare hikes
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Updated January 4, 2012 The MBTA over the next several months will consider a mix of sharp fare increases and service reductions that would eliminate some bus routes, cancel weekend commuter rail service and spike the cost of a subway ride to $2.40 in order close the agency’s latest budget gap, […]
Posted inPolitics, State House News Service
Lt. Gov. to release black box data
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Lt. Gov. Timothy Murray today directed the State Police to release the data contained on the “black box” of the car he was driving the morning of his crash in Sterling last month when Murray said he was out early surveying storm damage. Murray told reporters after the crash that he […]
Posted inPolitics
DeLeo benches Murphy during tense caucus
House Majority Whip Charles Murphy resigned today from his leadership post moments before he was about to be removed from that position by House Speaker Robert DeLeo, who elevated three Boston delegation representatives on his leadership team. “The speaker and others in his leadership team are not happy that I have the audacity to speak […]
Posted inUncategorized
DeLeo sets caucus of House Democrats
House Speaker Robert DeLeo today summoned his Democratic members back to Beacon Hill for a caucus tomorrow amidst speculation that he intends to reshuffle his leadership team and demote House Majority Whip Charley Murphy. DeLeo informed the House’s Democratic members of the caucus through an email that did not specify the reason for calling them […]
Posted inPolitics
Olver alters math of redistricting
Congressman John Olver of Amherst plans to retire at the end of the current session, the 11th term Democrat announced Wednesday, altering the dynamics facing state lawmakers as they look to carve up the state’s 10 Congressional districts. Olver’s decision could change the way members of a Redistricting Committee reconfigure the boundaries of the districts […]
Posted inEconomy, Health Care, State House News Service
House health vote enrages union officials
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Labor unions were in open revolt Tuesday against the Democratic leaders of the House, promising political consequences for House Speaker Robert DeLeo and other state representatives who voted during a late night session to slash the collective bargaining power of municipal workers. Calling the vote to an assault on workers’ rights […]