“Transgender could be defined out of existence by Trump administration” read the headline on the New York Times story from Monday, reporting on a leaked memo that showed the Department of Health and Human Services was seeking to define gender on a “biological basis”. On Wednesday, the Justice Department argued to the Supreme Court that […]
Governor Baker
Posted inOpinion
EF grows on backs of cheap labor
A CAMBRIDGE COMPANY, Education First, is a big winner in the race for state business tax credits. The privately owned Swedish company now occupies two buildings (and, thanks to its tax credit, will soon occupy three) in the city’s redeveloped NorthPoint area abutting Charlestown and East Somerville. Of the $15 million in economic development incentive […]
Posted inPolitics
The Codcast: Is Charlie Baker really a Republican?
Gov. Charlie Baker has an R next to his name, but many Republicans don’t think it belongs there. Ed Lyons, a Republican activist who is a big fan of Baker, said the governor’s acceptance of the grand bargain in the recently completed legislative session disturbed many in the GOP. The grand bargain embraced legislation raising […]
Posted inTransportation
Baker, Walsh at odds on T funding
Gov. Charlie Baker and Boston Mayor Marty Walsh may be good friends, but they don’t see eye to eye on the MBTA. Walsh said on CommonWealth’s Codcast this week that the T needs additional revenues, and he suggested a good place to start is with a bigger assessment on the ride-hailing apps Uber and Lyft. […]
Posted inPolitics
Baker says feds reviewing son’s groping charge
STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE THE US ATTORNEY’S OFFICE is reviewing allegations that Gov. Charlie Baker’s son A.J. groped a woman on a plane last week, and state authorities are not involved, the governor said Monday morning. Speaking briefly to reporters in his office lobby, Baker did not discuss details of the allegations, which he said […]
Posted inPolitics
The politics of payback
“Womp womp.” That pretty much sums up the reaction from the Trump administration and its supporters over the uproar of separating children from their parents trying to cross at the Mexican border. “Womp womp,” said former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski while mocking Democratic strategist Zak Petkanas during a discussion on Fox News. Petkanas was relating […]
Posted inGambling
Making book on Beacon Hill
MONDAY’S RULING FROM the U.S. Supreme Court that states are free to legalize sports betting opened the door to the possibility of a further expansion of gaming in Massachusetts, a topic Gov. Charlie Baker is planning to talk about with legislative leaders Monday afternoon. The decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, which the […]
Posted inPolitics
Governor, Senate challengers struggle mightily in quest for attention
A half dozen would-be opponents to Senator Elizabeth Warren and Governor Charlie Baker are building their campaigns, crisscrossing Massachusetts, issuing press releases, hiring staff, making ads, and doing all the other things important statewide campaigns do. Nobody’s watching. So far the two top-of-the-ticket would-be blockbusters have been busts, as voters hit the electoral snooze button […]
Posted inPolitics
Lawmakers refuse to release records
THE LEGISLATURE, THE GOVERNOR, and the judiciary are all exempt in one way or another from the state’s Public Records Law, but the governor and the judiciary sometimes voluntarily comply with requests for information. By contrast, lawmakers take the view that their records are off-limits to the public. CommonWealth tested the willingness of officials from […]
Posted inOpinion
Congress (surprise!) leads way on financial aid
THE SPENDING BILL passed by Congress finally recognizes what educators, students, and business leaders have been saying for years: Without a robust and affordable higher education system, we will not be able to succeed in the increasingly competitive global marketplace. This bill should serve as a model for Massachusetts legislators as they prepare their own […]