BOSTON MAYOR MARTY WALSH signed an executive order Monday to limit potential conflicts of interest on the city’s Zoning Board of Appeal, an effort to put behind him a scandal that laid bare the problems that critics say have long plagued the panel charged with approving everything from backyard decks to housing development plans. New rules issued […]
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DOC says prisoner suing agency assaulted officers
THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTION on Wednesday tried to turn the tables on a prisoner who alleged the agency violated his civil rights and assaulted him by accusing the inmate of attacking officers during a cell search by a tactical team. The surprise accusation surfaced during the cross-examination in Suffolk Superior Court of Robert Silva-Prentice, […]
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House revises marijuana law
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE STATE MARIJUANA REGULATORS would be empowered to “review, regulate, and enforce” the legally-required contracts between marijuana businesses and their host communities under legislation adopted by the House on Wednesday evening. Taking significant legislative action on marijuana for the first time since the Legislature rewrote the 2016 legalization ballot law in the […]
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House jumps back into pot policy
It’s been five months since House Speaker Robert DeLeo said he was unaware of any legislation filed by the Cannabis Control Commission seeking to change state laws around agreements between marijuana companies and their host communities. A month before that, a legislative committee (with DeLeo-appointed co-chair Rep. David Rogers) held a public hearing on a bill that […]
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What’s getting me through tough times
IT’S BEEN a rough time. In September, my mother died. She was 93 and lived a long life but we were very close, and her death (following a horrific week in the MGH neurology ICU) was a blow. In her later years, during various hospitalizations, I took on the job of navigating her care, getting […]
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MTF projects $900m funding gap in FY21
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE WITH A SLOWDOWN in tax revenues expected and spending pressures escalating, Gov. Charlie Baker and the Legislature will grapple with a gap between likely revenues and spending of nearly $900 million, according to a new report. The Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation on Wednesday predicted the upcoming budget cycle will differ significantly from […]
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Rent control draws crowd to State House
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE A LYNN WOMAN told lawmakers she may have to move her family after a 35 percent rent increase. A Mattapan great-grandmother said she will go to court to fight a $700 rent hike that she cannot afford on a fixed income. A Chelsea college student worries about becoming homeless. The solution, […]
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Schoenberg joining CommonWealth
VETERAN STATE HOUSE REPORTER Shira Schoenberg is joining the staff of CommonWealth magazine later this month. She will be replacing Andy Metzger, who moved to Philadelphia at the end of 2019. I hope she will be the first of several hires as the magazine looks to expand its reach and coverage and develop innovative ways […]
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Metro Boston, free subway paper, shuts down
Metro Boston, the free daily tabloid known for its provocative front pages, abruptly ceased operations Wednesday after providing commuters with news for nearly two decades. The Boston Business Journal’s Don Seiffert broke the story, reporting that the subway publication shut down following the sale of its sister newspapers, Metro New York and Philadelphia, to Schneps Media. […]
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Offshore wind tax credit doesn’t make cut
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE CLIMATE ADVOCATES and industry groups were critical of the US House this week after a long-term extension of a tax credit designed to assist offshore wind energy developers did not come to pass as part of spending bills, but some wind watchers said offshore projects might still be able to claim […]