Editions

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr passed a note to Democrat budget chief Michael Rodrigues as budget debate wrapped yesterday that spelled out in bold letters “I.O.U. $575 million.” It was a symbolic nod to one of the biggest still-lingering questions on next year’s spending: What kind of tax relief will state lawmakers deliver to Bay Staters? Senators […]

More than a year after police departments from Cape Cod to Boston began issuing warnings about rising reports of drink spiking at local bars, state senators have taken a first step toward addressing the issue. But advocates say to stop people from getting “roofied,” officials still need to grasp the full scope of the crisis. Boston […]

Budget watchdogs bent on shining a little light on a budget process that’s conducted largely out of public view on Beacon Hill are bringing Bay Staters a debate recap in real-time as the Senate digs in this week. Senators added $29.1 million in spending on Tuesday as they began to wade through 1,049 proposed amendments after introducing […]

Of the 1,049 amendments tacked onto the Senate budget, one that aims to legalize online state lottery sales appears dead on arrival as debate opens on Tuesday. But iLottery is still in the cards for Massachusetts, lawmakers said. House Democrats already approved online lottery sales as part of a $56.2 billion state budget proposal. Gov. Maura […]

We’re still waiting on cannabis cafés in Massachusetts  Seven years after voters legalized recreational cannabis — including social consumption — there’s still no public place to smoke, vape or consume pot in a state where it can be legally bought. But Massachusetts may be inching closer to opening its first cannabis cafés — think bars but […]

Taylor Swift plus thousands of fans plus the MBTA. What could possibly go wrong? The Swift Express leaves the station starting tonight. In Massachusetts, the MBTA has completely sold out of special-event train tickets for added commuter rail trains scheduled around the concerts to get attendees back and forth from Gillette. Foxboro has been preparing for […]

How much does timing matter for endorsements, especially after a candidate has already all but won the race? Costas Panagopoulos, head of Northeastern’s political science department and editor of American Politics Research has argued that “endorsements can make a difference primarily at the edges, and in very close races.” But in Boston’s uncontested 9th Suffolk District race, […]

Should there be limits on how much money someone can donate to a super PAC? It’s a question Massachusetts voters likely won’t get a chance to consider anytime soon after the state’s high court opted not to rule on a case that would have put the issue on the 2024 ballot. Justices in their Tuesday ruling […]

There may be few winners when dealing with the ever-worsening impacts of climate change, but there are definitive losers, says Stephen Long, director of government relations for The Nature Conservancy. And all too often, he says, the losers are “the poorest and most vulnerable” in society.  Dianne Hills, executive director of My Brother’s Table in Lynn says […]

Fentanyl has found its way into nearly every illicit drug bought on the black market, pushing the number of deadly overdoses up in Massachusetts. The Bay State saw a nearly 10% bump in the number of fatal opioid overdoses in 2021 — with fentanyl playing an increasing role, state health data show. The deadly synthetic opioid was present in […]