POLITICS
CommonWealth Beacon takes the pulse of Massachusetts politics by examining the policies, personalities, and pressing issues shaping moves in local governance, on Beacon Hill, and among the state’s congressional delegation in Washington.
Two companies, one roof, and the Boston mayoral race
On a tree-lined street in Medford, tucked away inside a strength training gym, there’s an office that’s been doing some heavy lifting in the Boston mayor’s race.
On reproductive and transgender care, Massachusetts urged not to rest on its laurels
Advocates and care providers are asking the state to bolster and expand its nation-leading abortion and transgender care shield law. Better data security and limiting who can share patient information are key, they say, as other states ramp up efforts to prosecute doctors across state lines.
‘Pay now or pay greater later’: Mass. health centers CEO warns Medicaid cuts will lead to higher costs and strain to health system
Thirty percent of the Massachusetts population (2.1 million residents out of 7.1 million) are on Medicaid.
Senators get ‘enough yeses’ to add $43.5 million to budget
The Senate Ways and Means Committee proposed an underlying budget that started at $61.32 billion, as Democrats forge ahead with their spending appetite despite modest state tax revenues and federal funding uncertainty.
New England AGs to Trump: ‘Bring it on’
Attorneys general, advocacy organizations, and individuals have leveled dozens of lawsuits at the Trump administration. They say that executive actions targeting immigration, the global economy, public health and scientific research funding, higher education, and marginalized groups are “unlawful” and “damaging.”
City finances top of mind in early days for Boston mayoral candidates
FOUR YEARS AGO around this time, mayoral candidates in Boston and elsewhere found themselves staring at computer screens and pitching themselves to voters who were considering who should succeed Marty Walsh as the city’s next chief executive. The Covid pandemic that drove changes to public and political life may have dissipated, but its ripple effects…
Spending push interrupted by executive branch hiring freeze
Gov. Maura Healey on Wednesday paused executive branch hiring due to what her office described as “widespread economic uncertainty at the national level and a tightening budget outlook.”
Boston pushes forward on ranked-choice voting
Boston City Councilors voted 8-4 in favor of a home rule petition that would begin the process of implementing ranked-choice voting in the capital city, setting up a potential clash with an often disinterested Legislature.
Voters support more action to boost housing, new poll finds
Some 57 percent of voters think that the cost of housing is a “a big problem” in their own communities, according to a new poll conducted by the MassINC Polling Group for Abundant Housing Massachusetts, and 68 percent think there aren’t enough affordable homes in their own cities or towns.
Wu administration puts City Hall attorney on leave amid his mayoral run
A City Hall spokesperson said the law department must be perceived as non-political by the mayor’s cabinet chiefs.
Former state senator defends position at nursing home in receivership
The judge’s initial concerns came days after a hearing in which Dianne Wilkerson and Joseph Feaster, the court-appointed receiver, took the stand.
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