Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s property tax shift proposal, which drew intense opposition from real estate interests, appeared dead, as did overrides of Gov. Healey’s vetoes from the $58 billion fiscal 2025 budget.
Legislature
Posted inEnergy
Finger-pointing galore as climate legislation stalls
The House was content with a bill that did the siting and permitting changes and little else, but the Senate had additional priorities, including language that would begin to rein in the natural gas industry, eliminate the retail electricity industry, and overhaul the way clean energy is procured.
Posted inState Government
Spilka throws Mariano’s own words back at him
Unlike other state houses, it’s not Democrats fighting Republicans, or the executive branch battling the legislative branch. It’s the House versus the Senate.
Posted inPolitics
Why are so many amendments being withdrawn on Beacon Hill?
A lawmaker gets up to make a speech, notes how important it would be for his or her colleagues to pass the amendment, and then withdraws the very amendment that was supposed to be so important.
Posted inHousing
BlueHub court battle shifts to Legislature
The legislative push comes as the legal battle in Suffolk Superior Court appears to be nearing a resolution, with both sides seeking summary judgments that they are in the right. Both sides can point to customers on their side, some saying they were ripped off and others who insist BlueHub helped save their house.
Posted inState Government
Crunch time is coming to Beacon Hill
“It’s always been part of the process that no matter what you do, or who’s doing it, that there will be a lot of serious work left for the last few days of session,” said Marc Pacheco, a Taunton Democrat who is leaving the Senate after 32 years in the chamber.
Posted inPolitics
65% of incumbents in Legislature face no opponents
130 incumbents appear to be going without a challenger in either a primary or the general election. Democrats are expected to continue to hold a super-majority in both chambers.
Posted inOpinion
Dissecting the ‘toxic’ State House culture
The culture incentivizes a Stockholm syndrome-like relationship to power, where reps fall in line for crumbs from leadership, and advocates and organizations fall in line for access to the reps.
Posted inCourts
On 20th anniversary of same-sex marriage, here’s the story of how it almost did not happen
The story of how we stopped the “Defense of Marriage” amendment before the Goodridge ruling has never been fully told. And it’s a real banger of a tale.
Posted inState Government
Lawmaker who sent out phony mailer resigns job at Cape association
First-term state Rep. Chris Flanagan last week stepped down from his job as executive officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Cape Cod, the group said in a press release.