“Legalization 2.0: Massachusetts Senate approves overhaul of marijuana laws,” Boston Globe
“With this bill, Massachusetts will reclaim our leadership role, carving a path to make equity a reality in the cannabis industry,” said Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, a Democrat, who championed the legislation as co-chair of the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Cannabis Policy. “Lowering entry costs and opening up new avenues to capital will put this multibillion-dollar industry within reach for many talented equity entrepreneurs.”
“Opinion: Transfer fees on high-end real estate sales could fund affordable housing,” Cape Cod Times
“Do we really want to spend another year watching neighbors move away to somewhere they can actually afford to live? The pandemic allowed us all to see that everyone who makes up our communities are essential personnel, and the sense of community that once marked every single one of our towns is dying.”
Tanisha Sullivan, “How Secretaries of State Can Lead the Fight to Strengthen Democracy,” Democracy Docket
“Massachusetts deserves a secretary who takes up the mantle of leadership and embraces a shared vision for a stronger, more vibrant and more expansive democracy for all of us. Voting rights and access is about more than just the laws on the books; it’s about giving people a pathway into our democracy and a reason to engage.”
“Election day voter registration in Mass. shouldn’t be this hard to achieve,” Boston Globe
“Some lawmakers think they need to be the gatekeeper, to choose their voters,” said Beth Huang, head of Massachusetts Voter Table, a civic advocacy group. “Everything about this reflects how power is weighted against people who are more transient, younger, low-income, and often Black and brown.”
“As Beacon Hill moves toward undocumented drivers’ licenses, big-city mayors voice support,” WGBH News
“The experiences of undocumented communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit them especially hard, may have boosted the proposed reform’s prospects on Beacon Hill. Many undocumented individuals worked in-person providing essential services throughout the pandemic, and there’s some evidence that carpooling linked to the drivers’ license status quo helped spread the virus.”
“Massachusetts election reform conference to hold first meeting this week,” State House News Service
“Lawmakers tasked with reaching compromise on legislation to make mail-in voting a permanent part of the Massachusetts electoral landscape are set to hold their first meeting Thursday, more than two months after they were appointed to hash out differences between the House and Senate bills.” (They need to include Election Day Registration!)
“A Millionaire Tax is Necessary to Advance Critical Education Investments in Massachusetts,” MassBudget
“Federal pandemic relief has helped avert education cuts and added significant funds to expand services during the pandemic, particularly in K-12 schools. But it is insufficient and too short-term to meet the Commonwealth’s existing promises to improve education, much less to make bold new investments in early education, K-12 schools, or on higher education campuses.”
“From #MeToo to #WhoMe? on Beacon Hill,” Boston Globe
“Most successful organizations in this state thrive because they recognize talent, protect and nurture employees, and ensure a respectful work environment where merit, not privilege, drives promotions and allocation of resources. We deserve better from our elected officials.”
“The Three E’s: Greater Transportation Funding Can Improve the Economy, Equity, and Environment,” Mass Budget
“Massachusetts has long underinvested in our transportation systems. Our roads, bridges, trains, buses, ferries, and bike paths are not in the condition they should be. Opportunities to expand and improve these systems are stalled due to lack of dedicated funds. These funding shortfalls create serious harm for Massachusetts’ “three E’s:” the economy, equity, and environment. New sustaining revenue is needed, and no source of new funding is better scaled to meet the size of these unfunded needs than the Fair Share Amendment, which voters will decide on at the November 2022 ballot.”
“Waiting for the governor’s race to get going,” CommonWealth
“Those stances and comments reveal a lot about Healey, but voters need more from a candidate for governor. A governor deals with a multitude of issues, from education funding to public transportation, from prisons to the State Police, from public health to climate change. Sorting out where candidates stand is what campaigns are all about.”
“Charts: How much did housing costs go up in your town?,” Boston Globe
“The survey also found rapidly rising home values in Greater Boston, with some cities, including Boston and Cambridge, reporting home values about 50 percent higher than they were in 2010, the last time a similar survey was released. In Boston, the median owner-occupied home value was $581,000 in 2020, up from $395,000 in 2010. In Cambridge, the median owner-occupied home value was $843,000, compared to $560,000 in 2010. In Somerville, prices rose even higher, from $454,000 in 2010 to $710,000 in 2020 — a 56 percent hike.”
“Four takeaways from the latest report on the Future of Work in Mass.,” Boston Globe
“Most office jobs at big employers will be hybrid or largely remote, for the foreseeable future. For that reason, the MBTA should offer more flexible fare options that aren’t tied to five days a week of commuting. State officials should extend passenger rail service to the South Coast or Western Massachusetts where housing is cheaper. The thinking: People might be more willing to settle down further from their office, if they don’t need to commute every day, and instead take “longer distance, lower frequency trips tied to specific purposes.””
“What if College Were Free? This State Is Trying to Find Out.,” New York Times
“As universities across the United States face steep enrollment declines, New Mexico’s government is embarking on a pioneering experiment to fight that trend: tuition-free higher education for all state residents….After President Biden’s plan for universal free community college failed to gain traction in Congress, New Mexico, one of the nation’s poorest states, has emerged with perhaps the most ambitious plans as states scramble to come up with their own initiatives.”
“Massachusetts Senate passes CROWN Act,” Boston25News
“The CROWN Act ensures that discrimination based on one’s hair style, which largely impacts Black residents, has no place in professional or school settings in the Commonwealth,” said Senate President Karen Spilka. “We must never forget how long and hard the struggle for true racial justice has been for Black and brown residents of Massachusetts.””
