STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A CRIMINAL TRIAL can proceed against two former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home officials accused of negligence that led to the deaths of elderly veteran residents early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the state’s highest court ruled Thursday. In a 5-2 decision that reversed a lower court’s dismissal of grand jury indictments, the Supreme […]
State House News Service
Posted inPolitics
House approves budget amendments with little or no debate
THE HOUSE on Wednesday approved a spending plan for the coming fiscal year after three days of deliberations, with most of the serious discussions taking place out of sight. As they have in years past, House members met privately and decided which of the more than 1,500 budget amendments would pass and then lumped them […]
Posted inState Government, State House News Service
Healey hangs empty picture frame by her desk
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE INSTEAD OF HANGING a portrait of an individual by her desk, Gov. Maura Healey is instead opting for a minimalist gold frame, a move proposed by students that the governor hopes will inspire young people to envision themselves inside the frame. Following a statewide student essay competition, Healey and Lt. Gov. […]
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 inThe Download
Antiracist think tank emerges in Northampton
Think tanks come in all shapes and sizes, with political philosophies that range left, right, and center. The new Western Massachusetts Policy Center in Northampton is setting out to be different. Its geographic focus is the four western counties of Massachusetts and its purpose is turning the power structure upside down through research and by […]
Posted inTransportation
Healey appoints new transportation safety czar
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. MAURA HEALEY on Monday appointed veteran transit official Patrick Lavin, who worked on a 2019 independent report highlighting widespread safety problems at the MBTA, to a newly created safety role linking the T and other state transportation departments. Lavin will become the first-ever chief safety officer at the Department of […]
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 inGambling
Healey backs moving Lottery games online
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE GOV. MAURA HEALEY is on board with the House’s push to legalize online Massachusetts Lottery sales, a stance that could ramp up pressure on the Senate to approve another gambling expansion shortly after sports betting launched. Saying that her answer might leave host Jim Braude “shocked,” Gov. Maura Healey told GBH’s […]
Posted inHealth Care
Health Policy Commission sticks with benchmark
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH CONSUMERS experiencing higher health care outlays and some putting off care because of it, a state commission on Wednesday stuck with the annual state health care cost growth benchmark, which is a target rather than a binding cap on price or spending escalation. The Health Policy Commission voted to keep […]
Posted inThe Download
For Wu and Healey, reproductive rights become a selling point
Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu are starting to make the case that the national fight over abortion could make the state a magnet for people concerned about their reproductive rights. At events on Beacon Hill on Monday, the governor and mayor suggested the strong support in Massachusetts for reproductive rights could lure […]