Massachusetts housing advocates hangry for a drop in soaring prices, say a debate over rent control in Boston — where costs are among the nation’s most expensive — is slowly making the controversial policy “more palatable” on a statewide level. Voters banned rent control policies across the commonwealth in a 1994 referendum, but Cambridge Rep. Mike […]

Erin Tiernan
MASSterList editor Erin Tiernan is an award-winning reporter who brings a decade's worth of experience covering state and local politics from the halls of the State House to city streets. Her work can be found in The Boston Herald, The Patriot Ledger, MassLive and Wicked Local. She was the New England Newspaper and Press Association's 2019 Reporter of the Year.
Back in business: Beacon Hill ready to legislate
Keller at Large Steve Kerrigan inherits a juggernaut when he soon heads the Massachusetts Democratic Party. But as our columnist reminds us, a potential political minefield awaits all the same with the risks inherent in one-party rule. MASSterList Today’s News Beacon Hill is finally ready to get down to business. Sure the legislative session opened a […]
New editor in town: Erin Tiernan of MASSterList
Hello MASSterList readers! You might have noticed a new byline atop your favorite morning state politics newsletter. That would be me: Erin Tiernan. My goal is to greet your inbox with the biggest headlines from across Beacon Hill every morning. I’m no stranger under the Golden Dome. While the world shut down at the height […]
DeLeo’s dollars: War chest of over $500K among Beacon Hill’s largest
Former Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo left the State House two years ago, yet remains one of the state’s top-funded politicians, thanks to a war chest a half-million dollars strong. The Winthrop Democrat who ruled the House for 11 of his 30 years of service traded in his gavel in December 2020. But by […]
New minimum wage war? An open question in Healey’s affordability push
When it comes to the promise of a “more affordable” Massachusetts, Gov. Maura Healey said she’s prepared to put her money where her mouth is — but she’s likely to leave the minimum wage war to the Legislature While teasing her yet-to-be revealed bundle of progressive tax relief proposals, Healey was noncommittal when asked if […]
Gambling goof-up may reflect quirky exception to state’s college betting rule
Barely one week into the rollout of legal sports betting in Massachusetts, two of the state’s three casinos have already admitted foul play when it comes to college wagering. State gaming officials on Thursday said bets were illegally placed on a Merrimack College men’s basketball game at Plainridge Park Casino and a Boston College women’s basketball […]
Transparency challenges on Beacon Hill
For folks seeking greater transparency on Beacon Hill in the Maura Healey era, watchdogs say: Don’t hold your breath. Debate déjà vu is brewing in the Legislature, where state senators today will take up a pair of bills governing the rules of engagement for the current two-year legislative session. The rules determine the lawmaking process […]