LEGISLATIVE BUDGET writers vastly increased their estimate of how much tax revenue the state will get next year in order to fund the priorities of both the House and Senate in a $52.7 billion fiscal 2023 state budget that was released from conference committee Sunday evening. The House and Senate could vote on the budget […]
State Government
Posted inState Government
Negotiators reach agreement ‘in principle’ on state budget
TWO WEEKS INTO the fiscal year, legislative budget writers have reached an agreement on the fiscal 2023 state budget. Ways and Means chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues issued a joint statement Thursday evening saying House-Senate negotiators have “reached an agreement in principle” resolving the differences between the House and Senate versions of […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Abortion bill nears finish line, with one hurdle left
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE MASSACHUSETTS LAWMAKERS can get to work crafting a final reproductive rights bill following the Senate’s unanimous vote Wednesday, and distance between the branches on an approach to late-term abortions looms as a speedbump with the window for action closing. In the latest state-level volley prompted by a US Supreme Court decision […]
Posted inState Government
Money for crime victim services in budget limbo
WHEN IT IS fully staffed, the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center employs 50 people who run its hotline for sexual assault victims, provide referrals, offer counseling, support survivors in the hospital, and conduct education and prevention programs. Now, the crisis center is down to 35 people, due to general labor shortages and factors specific to […]
Posted inState Government
New tax credit for live performances surfaces again
HOUSE LEADERS are trying once again to launch a new tax credit to lure live theater, dance, and musical productions to Massachusetts. The so-called live performance tax credit received little attention on Monday when House Speaker Ron Mariano and his Democratic colleagues rolled out economic development legislation containing a tax relief package of more than […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
A new women’s prison is not the answer
LAST MONTH, three days before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade, women in Massachusetts lost another opportunity for bodily autonomy and personal dignity when the Massachusetts Department of Correction (DOC) released a “Strategic Plan for Women Incarcerated in Massachusetts,” commissioned for $225,000 from the Ripples Group, a “boutique management consulting firm.” The strategic plan […]
Posted inPolitics, State Government
House proposes $1b in short and long-term tax relief
HOUSE LEADERS rolled out a $523.5 million package of permanent tax breaks on Monday that, when combined with $510 million in one-time payments to middle-income residents proposed last week, would yield more than $1 billion in tax relief for Massachusetts residents. House and Senate officials released a statement saying they were in agreement on the […]
Posted inCourts, Politics, State Government
SJC upholds no-excuse voting by mail
THE SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT will uphold the VOTES Act, the new law that allows Massachusetts residents to vote early by mail for any reason. The court on Monday announced that it will reject a challenge by a group of Massachusetts Republican Party leaders and side entirely with Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin to keep […]
Posted inCourts, Criminal Justice, State Government
Governor’s Council candidate would seek pro-choice, anti-racist judges
IF MARA DOLAN were interviewing a judicial nominee, she would want to know three things: whether the person supports abortion rights, whether they understand substance use disorders, and whether they are anti-racist. “Now that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe versus Wade, it’s essential that everyone working within the criminal justice system and in our […]
Posted inState Government
Legislature releasing $500 million tax break package
HOUSE AND SENATE LEADERS will roll out a $500 million package of tax breaks that will address many – though not all – of the tax cuts that Gov. Charlie Baker has sought to implement. House Speaker Ron Mariano, Senate President Karen Spilka, and Ways and Means chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues will announce […]