Chris Lisinski, “Mass. House unanimously approves Parentage Equality Bill,” State House News Service, June 12.
“The bill , long a priority for civil rights and LGBTQ activists, would create new pathways and clearer standards for Bay Staters to establish parentage over a child through birth as well as other means such as adoption, surrogacy and marriage.”
Taylor Dolven, “MBTA budgets ‘totally incapable of getting us where we need to be,’ board member says,” Boston Globe, June 11.
“It’s very troubling to know we are struggling to even keep our head above water here,” said director Tom McGee. “We continue to get farther and farther behind.”
The Editorial Board, “No-heavy-lifting committees a symptom of a bigger problem in Beacon Hill,” Boston Globe, June 9.
“The Massachusetts system is out of control and so are its consequences — a Legislature where power is concentrated at the very top, debate is a thing of the past, and real democracy is a distant memory.”
Andrew Brinker, “A tax on high-dollar home sales had a clear path on Beacon Hill. Then the real estate industry stepped in.,” Boston Globe, June 7.
“What happened was what we knew was going to happen,” said Mark Martinez, who leads a coalition supporting the fee. “The real estate industry has come out in full force against the transfer fee and they are spreading misinformation. Simply put, they have a lot more money than we do. It’s challenging to battle that.”
Liza Featherstone, “Here’s How We Know That Vermont’s New Climate Law Will Work,” The New Republic, June 7.
“All these developments suggest that many policymakers know the value of the venerable polluter pays principle and are undaunted by the red tape of the looming right-wing judicial hellscape. Holding environmental perps accountable and incentivizing better behavior is still popular, practical, and possible.”
Michael Jonas, “Bill to allow campaign funds for childcare on the move,” CommonWealth Beacon, June 6.
“More than three decades later, Jehlen is pushing an election law change that would make it easier for parents of young children to run for office without shelling out lots of money or relying on the kindness of friends and family.”
Adrian Walker, “Do-nothing committees show the inner workings of the State House,” Boston Globe, June 4.
“It’s all a reflection of a seriously broken system. Committees traditionally have served a significant role as a starting point for significant legislation. Chairs of important committees had real juice. Hearings were an avenue for the public to be heard.”
Suchita Nayar, “Behind the battle for a full $15 minimum wage for restaurant servers,” Boston Globe, June 3.
“Knowing how much money you’re going to account for every week, no matter if it rains and the restaurant’s slow, that was super important,” said Galvis, who immigrated from Bogota, Colombia, when she was 15, and has lived in Boston since July 2023.
The Editorial Board, “Get ready for the Beacon Hill logjam,” Boston Globe, June 3.
“To an outsider, it can all seem a bit arcane — who really cares when the Legislature approves the state budget, for instance, as long as it does? But doing legislative business the same way college students write term papers has real drawbacks because it leads to rushed and secretive policymaking, keeps agencies that need to plan their own budgets waiting, and inevitably dooms some worthy legislation.”
Samantha Gross, “#MeToo exposed a history of sexual harassment in the Mass. House. A key position to address it has been empty for years.,” Boston Globe, June 2.
“While the mandatory harassment training is a welcome update, staff say, they remain troubled about leaders’ failure to act on the broader concern that if House staffers feel unsafe on Beacon Hill, the only people they can turn to for help work for the very lawmakers they might be complaining about.”
Travis Benson, “Dissecting the ‘toxic’ State House culture,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 25.
“There is a toxic culture in the State House, particularly in the House, stemming from the speaker’s consolidation of power, which trickles down to leadership, to rank-and-file reps, and, lastly, to the advocates and organizers themselves. 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.”
Jared Nicholson and Dominick Pangallo, “As mayors, we need more tools to boost housing production,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 20.
“Cities like Lynn and Salem want to be active partners in the housing solutions our residents need, and that means statewide investments must be paired with the ability to generate local resources to help make that housing a reality. If communities like ours are not able to raise funds through tools like the transfer fee, we will continue to lack the ability to support the creation of affordable homes.”
Matt Stout, “‘Millionaires tax’ has already generated $1.8 billion this year for Massachusetts, blowing past projections,” Boston Globe, May 20.
“State officials said Monday that the voter-approved surtax on high earners has generated more than $1.8 billion in revenue this fiscal year — with still two months left to go — meaning state officials could have hundreds of millions of surplus dollars to spend on transportation and education initiatives.”
Jarred Johnson, “Troubling signs at Healey’s transportation funding task force,” CommonWealth Beacon, May 18.
We need leadership, not indecision. Voters are weary of endless options devoid of vision. If the task force merely presents a menu of choices without any recommendation, the administration can’t pretend to value competitiveness. We need “all of the above” solutions learned from the reports already written and from regions that have addressed deficits and have bold-funded visions for their transportation futures.
Taylor Dolven, “After decrying ‘disinvestment’ in the MBTA, proposals by Healey and the Legislature fail to fully fund the agency,” Boston Globe, May 12.
“For months, the cash-strapped transit agency has been warning that it needs about $600 million more than it has to cover its operating expenses for the fiscal year that starts in July. These funds pay for day-to-day operations, including wages and benefits for employees, fuel and supplies, the T’s contract with Keolis for commuter rail operations, and debt repayment for capital projects….But Healey’s proposal would provide just $172 million toward filling that gap. The House of Representatives’ proposal would give the agency $257 million, the Senate’s proposal just $157.5 million.”
Samantha Gross and Matt Stout, “A few Mass. Democrats put $5m into the budget for dog parks, a castle, and more. And they did it in secret.,” Boston Globe, May 9.
“And this all played out largely in secret. House leaders tucked the largesse into sweeping budget amendments assembled in a private,wood-paneled lounge down the hall from the House chamber….These stealth earmarks are not illegal; rather, they are a coveted, traditional perk of legislative heavyweights, allowing the most powerful to funnel money to hand-picked projects before other members or the voters who elected them realize it.”
