Emma Platoff and Laura Crimaldi, “In the Massachusetts Legislature, nearly everyone is a leader. Just look at their paychecks.,” Boston Globe, August 5, 2024.

“The resultof this expansion has been to inflate the ranks of leadership, while, somewhat conversely, concentrating more power than ever in the hands of the House speaker and Senate president. Because they dole out the leadership stipends to Democrats, those two leaders can effectively determine the salaries of most of their colleagues — and, critics say, expect loyalty in return.”

Sabrina Shankman, “Mass. prides itself on being a leader on climate issues. So what happened to the climate bill?,” Boston Globe, August 3, 2024.

“But advocates are still reeling, left wondering how a system could be so broken that in a state that prides itself on being a climate leader, a legislative session could close without any significant action on the issue.”

Joseph Curtatone, “We’ll pay a steep price if climate bill doesn’t get done,” CommonWealth Beacon, August 3, 2024.

“It sends a troubling message that urgent climate action can be derailed by inertia and divisive politics, even in states with a history of progressive environmental leadership. This failure undermines our efforts to combat climate change and sends a strong message to presidential candidates that the climate economy can easily be undermined.”

Kelly Turley, “Shelter Policy is Cruel and Harmful,” Boston Globe, August 3, 2024.

“Anyone who lives in Massachusetts knows that it will be impossible for most families who have nowhere else to go to find a safe place to live within five days.”

Editorial Board, “Who’s Their Best at 3 am. Not the Massachusetts Legislature,” Boston Globe, August 2, 2024.

“Legislative leaders did find time to pass hundreds of thousands of dollars in state budget earmarks benefiting their districts, the Globe reported. Democratic senators found time to hold a 9:30 a.m. fundraiser on July 31, according to State House News Service. It’s a shame they couldn’t find time to pass vital legislation affecting the health, environment, and economic prosperity of the people of Massachusetts.”

Giulia McDonnell Nieto del Rio and Mike Damiano, “As Mass. shelter system shuts them out, migrant families wander Boston streets at night, seeking a place to sleep.,” Boston Globe, July 29, 2024.

“We think we’re going to be on the street again,” Christy, 10, told a reporter in Spanish. “I don’t like to sleep in the street. I like to sleep at home,” his brother Steeve, 5, said.’

Matt Stout and Samantha Gross, “Behind closed doors, Mass. Senate President Spilka won $3.4 million in earmarks for her district,” Boston Globe, July 29, 2024.

“With the padded spending, the budget plan Governor Maura Healey is expected to act on Monday would funnel at least $3.4 million to groups, nonprofits, or towns in Spilka’s district through Senate-passed earmarks or line items, according to a Globe analysis. That includes $1.5 million for a conference center and wedding venue in Spilka’s hometown of Ashland, which the Senate has now passed — and negotiators have included in the final budget — for four straight fiscal years.”

Deirdre Fernandes, Samantha J. Gross, and Stephanie Ebbert, “Healey administration pays consultants millions to help limit duration and cost of shelter stays,” Boston Globe, July 25, 2024.

“The policies that have been developed are really tone deaf and don’t reflect the needs of families,” Turley said. The policies “don’t really put families on a path to greater housing stability.”

Adrian Walker, “‘Raising the age’ for juvenile offenders makes sense,” Boston Globe, July 16, 2024.

“Also, they point to the fact that those 18-year-olds who now enter the adult criminal justice system commit more crimes at a significantly higher rate. Keeping these kids in school and focusing on rehabilitation is the way to steer them away from bad behavior, which will improve public safety for everybody.”

Adrian Walker, “Beacon Hill powerbrokers say they spend lavishly to build camaraderie. But who’s picking up the tab?,” Boston Globe, July 12, 2024.

“Who, you may wonder, donates their hard-earned cash to the campaigns of people who never have a campaign?…Hint: For the most part, it’s not folks like you or me. It’s lobbyists, developers, and other insiders who need to have access to the small circle of people who really decide what happens at the State House. The usual people who pay to play.”

The Editorial Board, “How to Prevent Foreclosures,” Boston Globe, July 12, 2024.

“Sixteen states plus Washington, D.C., have foreclosure mediation, according to the National Consumer Law Center, including every other New England state except New Hampshire. It is time for Massachusetts to join them.”

Matt Stout and Samantha J. Gross, “Fine dining, cigar lounges, and TD Garden suites: Here’s what happens when Beacon Hill’s most powerful pick up the tab,” Boston Globe, July 11, 2024.

“It is, quite literally, a smoke-filled room where a select corps of state lawmakers ostensibly does some sort of public business. All of it paid for with political donations.”

Samantha J. Gross, “Amid buckling shelter system, Healey rolls up the migrant welcome mat,” Boston Globe, July 3, 2024.

“Etel Haxhiaj, a longtime homeless and housing advocate and city councilor in Worcester, said the administration’s recent actions “send the wrong message.” Instead of limiting the number of people in shelters, she said, they should invest more resources in affordable housing and ways to transition people out of shelters…“The right to shelter seems to be getting diluted,” she said. “They might as well remove it instead of putting limits that don’t really resolve the issue.””

Lindsay Crudele, “Eviction takes its toll on more than one’s finances,” Boston Globe, July 3, 2024.

““You fall asleep thinking about that, and then … the minute your eyes open, that’s the first thing you think about,” said Annie Gordon, who has lived for 48 years in Mattapan’s Fairlawn Apartments (rebranded as “SoMa Apartments at the T”). In 2018, DSF Group purchased the 347-unit building for $65 million, after which Gordon received a rent increase, followed by eviction proceedings.”

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.”

Editorial Board, “Healey’s ADU proposal: small homes, big impact,” Boston Globe, May 1, 2024.

“It is essential, then, for lawmakers to recognize that the housing crisis is one shared by everyone in this state. Every town’s resistance to reasonable housing development will only worsen every other town’s shortage.”

Katie Lannan, “‘Raise the age’ bill, free community college are top priorities for the state Senate,” WGBH, April 222, 2024.

“I would love to raise the age to 21,” said Spilka, an Ashland Democrat. “All research shows that emerging adults’ brains really aren’t formulated till almost 25, so 21 makes sense, but at the very least, we’re trying to work on raising it to include 18-year-olds.”

Dana Gerber and Kirkland An, “People are leaving Massachusetts in droves. Who are they?,” April 18, 2024.

“It’s always hard to pin any one reason down,” Ciurczak said, “but certainly, housing seems to be a big one.”

Taylor Dolven, “With soaring ridership levels, Worcester considers another year of fare-free transit,” Boston Globe, April 10, 2024.

“But in Worcester, last year’s ridership exceeded its pre-pandemic level by about 30 percent, one of only three RTAs that had more riders last year than before the pandemic. One of the other two, Merrimack Valley Transit, is also fare-free.”

Samantha Gross, “With cuts to child-care grants looming, providers worry about future of program,” Boston Globe, April 7, 2024.

“If a budget is a statement of values, we need our government to demonstrate the value of early education and care to the Commonwealth through their investments. [Cuts] could be no less than catastrophic.”

“Letter: Why can’t US match other countries on basically free higher ed?,” Boston Globe, April 8, 2024.

“Are these countries dupes or do they realize that education is the best investment regardless of national origin? Horace Mann began free elementary education in the United States here in Massachusetts. Eventually the United States went to free secondary education, but we went astray and failed to keep up with much of the rest of the developed world more than a generation ago. We can do better.”

Victoria Law, “After Reforms to Solitary Confinement, Massachusetts Prisoners Say Officials Just Renamed It,” Bolts, March 29, 2024.

“People who remain in long-term isolation and lawmakers who want to reduce solitary claim that lockups have simply renamed the practice.”

Andrew Brinker, “‘It’s an invasion.’ In towns across Eastern Mass., resistance grows against ambitious state housing law.,” Boston Globe, March 3, 2024.

“If we don’t have enough thoughtful people who understand what’s really going on here, [a zoning proposal] will be defeated, because there will be people who just don’t want any change at all,” said Shaw, who says Rockport needs more housing to maintain its economic vitality. “It is pretty easy to imagine a group getting 30 or 40 people to go to Town Meeting and vote, and kill this zoning.”

Shannon Larson, “These 10 homes were among the most expensive sold in Massachusetts in 2023,” Boston Globe, March 1, 2024.

Imagine the revenue that could be raised for affordable housing if these communities were allowed to pass a real estate transfer fee.

Jennifer Smith, “AG Campbell sues Milton over MBTA Communities law,” Commonwealth Beacon, February 27, 2024.

“The housing affordability crisis affects all of us: families who face impossible choices between food on the table or a roof over their heads, young people who want to live here but are driven away by the cost, and a growing workforce we cannot house,” Campbell said in a statement. “The MBTA Communities Law was enacted to address our region-wide need for housing, and compliance with it is mandatory.”

Matthew Ferreira, “It’s official: New Bedford stands against MCAS as a graduation requirement. Here’s why.,” The Standard Times, February 21, 2024.

“I knew a lot of students that were dropping out after they failed the MCAS in 10th grade because they were like, I’m not going to graduate anyways,” said first-year New Bedford High geometry teacher and 2019 graduate Taryn Padilla. “Now teaching geometry, I see everyday how the constraints and pressure of this test are not only hindering student engagement in classes but hindering teachers’ ability to actually create engaging lessons….”

C.J. Polychroniou, “To Democratize Finance, We Must Take the Banks Away From the Bankers,” Truth-Out, February 17, 2024.

“One possible way to accomplish this dual feat is by creating an alternative banking system that democratizes finance. In fact, the movement for public banking — a system where banks are owned by the people rather than the wealthy elite — is gaining momentum in many parts of the country.”

Samantha Gross, “Two years after pay structure revamp, Mass. Senate to boost pay for staffers,” Boston Globe, February 14, 2024.

“Senate staff pay was a central tenet of a nascent unionization effort among staff, who announced their intent to form a union in 2022. Spilka, however, has not recognized the union. While Massachusetts has a long pro-labor tradition, state law carves out legislative staff from the definition of public employees who may collectively bargain.”

Taylor Dolven, “The T is on track to be broke soon. There’s no long-term fix.,” Boston Globe, February 12, 2024.

“The answer is straightforward, there are clear funding solutions out there,” said Yonah Freemark, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute and author of a recent report about how states can increase public transit funding. “The agency is being tasked with waiting another few years to solve problems that were caused by previous administrations.”

Senator Joanne Comerford, “Taking on the free community college critics,” Commonwealth Beacon, February 11, 2024.

“Community college students deserve the chance to learn and to climb a meaningful career ladder with a well-lit path to economic mobility….Investments made today will be directly linked to their success and to the long-term well-being of public higher education and our state — for generations to come.”

Ashley Shook, “Amherst supports bill for fully funded public higher education,” WWLP, February 8, 2024.

“Amherst follows the lead of Boston which was the first Massachusetts city to vote in support of the bill to make higher education more accessible in the state. The Cherish Act includes fully funded community colleges and state universities, fair wages, better working conditions, and extra support for students.”

John Keenan, “I visited supervised consumption sites in six cities. Here’s what I found.,” Boston Globe, February 5, 2024.

“What I saw and learned in Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto, Quebec City, Philadelphia, and New York leads me to believe that Massachusetts should allow any community that chooses to host a supervised consumption site to do so as a pilot program, using the experience and data to better inform Massachusetts policy makers and residents of the role such facilities can play in efforts to combat the drug epidemic. They can save money, and they will save lives.”

Bhaamati Borkhetaria, “Legislators push to restore felon voting rights,” CommonWealth, January 30, 2024.

“Inmates with voting rights also become another constituent group that gets attention from elected officials, said Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, a Somerville Democrat and cosponsor of House versions of the measures to restore felon voting rights. “When incarcerated individuals had the right to vote, there were [many] more legislators going in and out of prisons and jails because there are voters there,” she said.”

Sarah Betancourt, “In key election year, prisoners with felonies seek right to vote in Massachusetts,” WGBH, January 29, 2024.

“State Sen. Liz Miranda, a Democrat from Roxbury, says she filed legislation as “a matter of racial justice.”…“The disenfranchisement of these citizens, our people, perpetuates the racial injustices already present in the entire system,” Miranda said. “It’s effectively diluting the political voice of entire communities.”

Joanna Gonsalves, “Letter: State can make a debt-free education possible,” Boston Globe, January 28, 2024.

“Economists have shown that investment in high-quality, debt-free public higher education is one of the best ways to advance individual and community prosperity. With passage of the Fair Share Amendment, Massachusetts has dedicated annual education funding that could be put toward this goal.”

Yvonne Abraham, “Tenants facing eviction need legal representation. Let’s give it to them.,” Boston Globe, January 20, 2024.

“So many parts of this state’s crippling housing crisis seem impossible to solve, meaningfulfixes many years and billions of dollars down the road. Here is something we can do, and right now. It’s right, we know it works, and it will keep thousands of families in their homes.”

Molly Dickens and Lucy Hutner, “What the Child Care Crisis Does to Parents,” New York Times, January 16, 2024.

“We know inadequate child care is an economic issue, costing states, families and businesses billions of dollars every year. We know it’s a gender issue that contributes to a widening pay gap. We know it’s a policy issue, made worse by the absences of a federal pre-K program and a federal paid-leave policy. But here is another critical consideration worth pushing for: Our country’s inadequate child care system is also a health care issue.”

Rebekah Gerwitz, “Letter: Our state’s most vulnerable children will feel the effects,” Boston Globe, January 9, 2024.

“The Lift Our Kids Coalition, of which our organization is a member, has worked for years with families, teachers, lawyers, social workers, service providers, and others on the front lines to pass an increase in subsistence benefits to lift families out of poverty. The Legislature agreed in this year’s state budget to a much-needed and very modest increase, set to go into effect in April. With a stroke of the governor’s pen, the increase is now erased.”

Gabrielle Gurley, “The Fight for $15 Can Take a Bow,” The American Prospect, January 11, 2024.

“Massachusetts has a persistent unaffordability dynamic in play. Child care is more expensive than a state-college education. The state has some of the highest annual child care costs for toddlers at $19,961, representing more than 50 percent of the median single mother’s income, and close to 15 percent for a married couple with children. In-state tuition at University of Massachusetts Amherst is $17,364 for the current academic year.”

Walter Wuthmann, “$1.5 billion in estimated revenue: A look at the Mass. ‘millionaire’s tax’ first year,” WBUR, December 28, 2023.

“The money is going where it was promised,” said Raise Up MA Coalition spokesperson Andrew Farnitano in an interview. He said such investments are “only possible because the voters passed this constitutional amendment and we created this new tax.”

Zeninjor Enwemeka, “Mass.’ minimum wage will stay at $15 this year. There’s a new push to raise it to $20,” WBUR, December 27, 2023.

“After they take out my health insurance, after they take out my taxes, I’m making $5 an hour,” Stevens, 41, said. He lives in Peabody with his wife and two kids.””After they take out my health insurance, after they take out my taxes, I’m making $5 an hour,” Stevens, 41, said. He lives in Peabody with his wife and two kids.”

Macie Parker, “Communities at climate risk need help, but state dollars are hard to come by,” Boston Globe, December 25, 2023.

“There are proven solutions to climate impacts….We just need the funding and technical assistance to implement those solutions.”

Rebecca Ostriker and Mark Arsenault, “A Boston Building, Scattered Souls, and Rent Control Revisited,” Boston Globe, December 17, 2023.

“The story of the Hotel Hemenway is the story of acity transformed, and also of the state’s on-again, off-again history with rent control. And that story continues, with intensity, today. Twenty-nine years after Massachusetts voters ended rent control in a ballot initiative, there’s an escalating political battle over resurrecting government controls, a response to the region’s unprecedented housing crisis that has pushed costs out of reach for many working people.”

John Micke, “Healey: Mass. cities, towns in line for $100M in infrastructure aid through millionaires’ tax,” MassLive, December 15, 2023.

“Days before Christmas, Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns are in line for $100 million in state aid to help them cover local infrastructure costs, according to Gov. Maura Healey’s office.”

Editorial Board, “Give supervised consumption sites a chance to reduce drug-related deaths,” Boston Globe, December 15, 2023.

“On Wednesday, Governor Maura Healey’s Department of Public Health released two reports that provide a rationale for opening supervised consumption sites and a practical blueprint for doing so. The state Legislature should take the next step and create a legal framework that would let public health professionals oversee these efforts without fear of state-level professional or legal liability.”

Phyllis Keenan, “My Turn: Restoring the promise of Massachusetts’ community colleges,” The Greenfield Recorder, December 12, 2023.

“By addressing the needs of adjunct faculty, relieving students of crippling debt, and improving campus infrastructure, lawmakers can make good on the promise of our public higher education system. It’s time for Massachusetts to prioritize the education of its citizens. Passing the CHERISH Act is a crucial step in the right direction.”

Annette Duke and Trevor Samios, “Tenants facing eviction need lawyers,” CommonWealth, December 7, 2023.

“Landlords and tenants, organizations fighting homelessness, healthcare leaders, faith-based organizations, and mayors all agree it is time Massachusetts stepped in with legal help for those facing the trauma of eviction.”

Miriam Wasser and Colin Young, “Mass. outlines new strategy for getting customers and utilities off of natural gas,” WBUR / State House News Service, December 7, 2023.

“At its heart, the order is a strategy to help steer the state toward a cleaner energy system that is safe, reliable and affordable for all. It says that utilities can’t charge gas customers for new gas infrastructure if there are viable non-gas alternatives. It changes the existing cost recovery process that incentivizes adding new gas customers. And it prohibits utilities from using ratepayer money to “promote” natural gas.”

Stefanos Chen, “New York’s Millionaire Class Is Growing. Other People Are Leaving.,” New York Times, December 5, 2023.

“Now, a new report based on the latest census and state tax filing data has found a reversal: The ranks of millionaires have come surging back, while lower- and middle-income New Yorkers are heading for the exits, according to the study, published Tuesday by the Fiscal Policy Institute, a left-leaning policy group.”

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Ayanna Pressley, “Massachusetts can improve equity in higher ed by passing CHERISH Act,” MassLive, December 5, 2023.

“Building on Gov. Healey’s work to expand financial aid access and enable more students to attend college tuition-free, the CHERISH Act would create a path for debt-free college in Massachusetts, expand student support services, provide funding to repair crumbling campus buildings and improve wages and working conditions for staff.”

Andrew Brinker, “Investors snagged 1 in 5 homes for sale in Greater Boston, worsening housing crisis, report finds,” Boston Globe, December 3, 2023.

“Even more challenging though will be figuring out how to pump the brakes on the trend, said Draisen. A real estate transfer tax could help, he said, because it could discourage speculators from buying and selling homes in quick succession. And it would provide funding for more affordable housing efforts.”

Miriam Wasser, “Mass. is on track to meet its near-term climate goals, but the hardest work lies ahead,” WBUR, December 1, 2023.

“So how is the state doing on all of this? On Friday, the Healey administration revealed in its first annual climate report card that the state is on track for its 2025 goals….But, when it comes to meeting the 2030 and 2050 goals, a lot more work (and funding) is needed. And success is far from a sure thing.”

Samantha Gross and Matt Stout, “Mass. Legislature closes out least productive period in decades,” Boston Globe, November 29, 2023.

“In the House, where any spending bill must originate, lawmakers have taken fewer votes at this point in their two-year session than any other going back two decades, a Globe review found.”

Diti Kohli, “With funding challenges looming, Mass. child care could be in jeopardy,” Boston Globe, November 28, 2023.

“But providers said the child-care industry is so broken that it requires a more permanent funnel of government money that goes directly to providers, such as the Commonwealth Cares for Children grants that came through during COVID-19.”

Lisa Guisbond, “Myopic focus on test prep means students are missing out (Letter),” Boston Globe, November 24, 2023.

“If Massachusetts weren’t so myopically focused on prepping students for standardized MCAS exams, there would be more capacity to assess student learning through project-based performance assessments that have been shown to help prepare students for college, career, and civic life.”

Andrew Brinker, “A housing crisis in Massachusetts: A look at single family homes,” Boston Globe, November 22, 2023.

“Roughly 950,000 homes in Massachusetts have large enough yards to accommodate at least one ADU in their backyard…”

Sarah Betancourt, “Massachusetts becomes fifth state in nation to make prison calls free,” WGBH, November 17, 2023.

“Ensuring that individuals in state and county prisons can keep in contact with their loved ones is key to enhancing rehabilitation, reducing recidivism, and improving community safety,” Healey said in a written statement. “I’m proud to sign this important legislation and grateful to the Legislature and advocates for their partnership.”

Rep. Andy Vargas and Sen. Lydia Edwards, “It’s time to protect gig workers and consumers,” CommonWealth, November 15, 2023.

“These are not impossible standards. Most are already the current laws of Massachusetts. Every other company that chooses to do business here has to follow our laws, which include a minimum wage and the worker protections that come with the presumption of employee status.”

“Big College Aid Expansion Will Lift 25,000 Students,” State House News Service, November 15, 2023.

“The governor announced that $62 million in new program funding included in the fiscal year 2024 budget she signed this summer will go toward expanding the MASSGrant Plus program, which her administration says will benefit approximately 25,000 students attending the state’s community colleges, state universities and the University of Massachusetts.”

Gregg Croteau and Mary Gomez, “To reduce recidivism, raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction,” CommonWealth, November 14, 2023.

“Raising the Age does not remove accountability….Rather, it allows for learning and growth in a different setting so that the likelihood of further criminal activity is dramatically reduced as brain development advances. When we do this, we’ll be giving every young person the opportunity for redemption and to be part of the solution moving forward. And our communities will be that much safer.”

Enid Eckstein, Steve Dubb and Lydia Lowe, “Boston’s large nonprofits fall short once again,” CommonWealth, November 12, 2023.

“Yet each year contributions have failed to meet even this modest standard. While some smaller institutions may be financially challenged, many larger institutions also consistently fall short.”

Zeninjor Enwemeka, “How Greater Boston’s zoning decisions reverberate a century later,” WBUR, November 8, 2023.

“Zoning causes us to have areas of concentrated advantage and areas of concentrated disadvantage,” said Amy Dain, who researched and wrote the report for Boston Indicators. “So, if you’re living in an area of concentrated disadvantage, you are missing out on the social networks, the best schools, the access to certain jobs that will help you to advance economically in life.”

Matt Stout, “Healey, promising more compassion, overhauls state’s guidelines for pardons, commutations,” Boston Globe, October 31, 2023.

“Healey, the state’s first openly gay governor, saidin weighing a petition for a commutation — or reducing a sentence — she intends to also consider whether a person is LGBTQ+, as well as a survivor of sexual assault, domestic violence, or human trafficking.”

“Investor eyed Boston. Then he considered his workers’ housing costs.,” Boston Globe (Letters), October 29, 2023.

“Wistful for my youth, I looked recently at investing in Boston and building a genetics lab. But what of my employees, whose salary would be consumed by one of the priciest real estate markets in the nation? I couldn’t do that to them or their families.”

Bahar Akmar Imboden, “Tracing the origins of our college affordability crisis,” CommonWealth, October 27, 2023.

“Let’s imagine a future where student loans are the exception, not the rule. Let’s demand a reality where high-quality, debt-free higher education is attainable for every aspiring student in the state.”

Bhaamati Borkhetaria, “Senate passes menstrual period equity bill,” CommonWealth, October 27, 2023.

“We have hundreds of years of stigma to combat to make it a top of mind priority so [that] when legislators are thinking about basic needs, they are thinking of period products,” said Goodfriend, the Mass NOW official.

The Editorial Board, “Statewide zoning could boost accessory dwelling unit construction,” Boston Globe, October 22, 2023.

“But there’s no substitute for a strong statewide policy. Rules for ADUs that are generally the same everywhere in Massachusetts should also attract more builders and lenders to create what is now still largely a bespoke product.”

Ian Rhodewalt, “Student Debt Is Haunting Us,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, October 17, 2023.

“There is currently legislation at the State House — the Cherish Act and the Debt Free Future bill — that will continue to use Fair Share Amendment funds to make high quality public higher education available for all. Call and write your legislators to make sure that they support these.”

Diti Kohli, “The median Uber and Lyft driver in Mass. makes $12.82 an hour, report finds,” Boston Globe, October 17, 2023.

“The study, based on third-party data from one million ride-hail trips in the state from June 2022 to July 2023, found that nearly three of five drivers made less than $15 an hour — the state minimum wage for hourly employees — and that half of ride-hail earnings were taken up by expenses such as gas and vehicle maintenance.”

Max Page and Debt McCarthy, “State needs to end MCAS as a graduation requirement,” Boston Globe, October 2, 2023.

“Educators, parents, students, and community allies have won big gains for school funding and greater economic equality. We need to reclaim real teaching from destructive high-stakes testing so that every child has the opportunity to receive the great public education they deserve.”

Alison Kuznitz, “Bill would ensure tenant access to lawyers in eviction cases,” State House News Service, September 27, 2023.

“I know the difference a lawyer can make,” Spencer said at the hearing. “It feels like when you’re by yourself in an eviction, you don’t have a chance at all.”

Lindsay Schachnow, “Advocates call for increased minimum wage in Mass.,” Boston Business Journal, September 26, 2023.

“Many local business owners in Massachusetts understand that raising the minimum wage means their customers have more money in their pockets to spend at their businesses,” he said. “Every dollar minimum wage increase represents a dollar in the pocket of a worker who’s gonna spend in their community and that is money that’s gonna circulate in our local economy.”

James Aloisi, “The MBTA is in crisis. Let’s treat it that way.,” CommonWealth, September 23, 2023.

“Without a high functioning transit and rail system, Massachusetts will not meet any of its climate, public health, or equity goals, because mode shift and transit access are critical elements of those goals.”

Jamie Eldridge and Steve Owens, “Polluters should fund measures to combat climate change,” CommonWealth, September 22, 2023.

“We must ensure that the responsibility of handling this cost does not rest on the residents of the Commonwealth but rather the oil and gas companies most responsible for the damage….Our bill would ensure that all parties engaged in the business of extracting fossil fuels, or refining crude oil, are held accountable for more than 1 billion tons of covered greenhouse gas emissions.”

Bhaamati Borkhetaria, “Another union push from legislative staffers,” CommonWealth, September 21, 2023.

“I have spoken to dozens of Senate staffers about why they’ve joined the union,” she testified. Simko said staffers have talked to her about “being unable to afford to live in Boston, experiences of harassment, and being shut down if they try to advocate for change…Every story I heard had a common thread running through it. Staff desperately need a seat at the table.” 

Gregg Hersh, “My Jewish faith spurs me to back prison moratorium,” CommonWealth, September 20, 2023.

“The Massachusetts criminal legal system is also rife with stark racial disparities, with spending on incarceration outpacing investment in wellbeing depending on the zip code. Is that the best use of our tax dollars?”

Sophie Hauck, “Holyoke School Committee seeks end to state receivership of school district,” Daily Hampshire Gazette, September 20, 2023.

“We’re, from the bottom of my heart, certainly ready,” Garcia said after reading a series of metrics to demonstrate growing student achievement in Holyoke. “There’s a lot of improvements [to come], but we’re ready to do that on our own.”

Alison Kuznitz, “Debt-free college framed as cure for workforce woes,” State House News Service, September 18, 2023.

“Even after a good semester, I feel ashamed of what little has come from my investment in my education,” Parkison said. “The funding that the CHERISH Act seeks would get me closer to dignified working conditions.”

Alvin Buyinza, “Debt-free college? Mass. advocates say its time has come,” MassLive, September 19, 2023.

“State funding cuts toward higher education have forced the commonwealth’s public colleges to take more from students’ wallets. After accounting for inflation, tuition and fees at four-year colleges in Massachusetts have skyrocketed 135% over the past two decades, according to a report from the Hildreth Institute, a Boston-based education think tank.”

Niki Griswold, “Mass. approves new health and sex ed guidelines for the first time since 1999,” Boston Globe, September 19, 2023.

“The new framework emphasizes skills like healthy decision-making and problem solving, social awareness, media literacy, and communication and relationship skills, as well as topics like the difference between sexual orientation and gender identity, and sexual health.”

Adam Reilly, “Healey unveils ‘groundbreaking’ policies on biodiversity and single-use plastic,” WGBH News, September 18, 2023.

“She announced that, later this week, she’ll sign an executive order directing the state to create new biodiversity conservation goals for 2030, 2040 and 2050, as well as strategies for meeting them. Those targets, which will include coastal and marine habitats, will be “the strongest in the nation,” Healey vowed.

In addition, Healey said, she’ll sign another executive order that immediately bans the purchase of single-use water bottles by state agencies, a step she described as unprecedented among U.S. states.”

Phil Johnston, “Today’s UMass students deserve the same opportunities I had,” CommonWealth, September 19, 2023.

“As much as students like me have counted on public higher education to help us secure our futures, the state is also counting on those colleges and universities to secure the economic future of the commonwealth.”

Vick Mohanka, “Utilities need to stop building natural gas infrastructure,” CommonWealth, September 13, 2023.

“Rather than spending billions of dollars on unnecessary fossil gas infrastructure, Massachusetts should pause fossil gas expansion and pipe replacement projects (except where necessary for safety) and prioritize electrification of building heating instead.”

Alison Kuznitz, “Student hails new free community college program as ‘life-changing,'” State House News Service, August 24, 2023.

“I got called and was told that I was eligible for this program, which is going to be life-changing for me,” said Mends, who attended Needham Public Schools, at a press conference in Wellesley. “It’s been a long road and to have this financial burden lifted is amazing. And I’m excited for the opportunities that are going to open up and the things that are going to change my family.”

“New program will allow undocumented students in Massachusetts to get in-state tuition rates,” CBS News, August 22, 2023.

“This is a big step forward for students who have been growing up here, learning here, living here, working hard here, following their dreams right here in Massachusetts,” Healey said a press conference Tuesday. “It’s nothing more than what is fair and what is right. They’re going to be able to continue their journey on the same terms as their peers in a place that is their home.”

Matt Stout, “Massachusetts to change how Asian, Black, and other populations are counted in ‘most expansive’ effort in country,” Boston Globe, August 21, 2023.

“If we’re able to break down that data, we can target messages better, we can understand where there are disparities in health, disparities in education,” said Gary Chu, chairperson of the state’s Asian American & Pacific Islanders Commission. “No group is a monolith.”

Ayana Archie, “A 4% income tax on millionaires will make lunch free for Massachusetts K-12 students,” NPR, August 18, 2023.

“Massachusetts’ new budget will provide free school lunches for K-12 students, thanks to an additional 4% income tax on state residents’ incomes above $1 million….The extra tax, known as the Fair Share Amendment, was approved by voters in November 2022. It is generating an extra $1 billion for the state. Of that, $224 million will go to K-12 programs, including free lunch and implementing “clean energy” in schools, the governor’s office said.”

Andrew Brinker, “State may deny grants to communities that don’t comply with new MBTA housing law,” Boston Globe, August 17, 2023.

“The new rules threaten towns that avoid rezoning under the new law with losing out on more than a dozen state grant programs, which combined provide tens of millions of dollars to communities for an array of local planning and development programs. That’s on top of two major programs — MassWorks and Housing Choice — from which state officials could already withhold money, as well as the threat of legal action from community groups and the attorney general.”

Christian MilNeil, “A More Generous State Budget Means Better Service Is Coming to Regional Transit Authorities,” StreetsBlog Mass, August 16, 2023.

“But in the meantime, the RTA administrators we spoke with say they’ll likely use the funding to expand their service hours into evenings and weekends, and to expand fare-free programs, which heretofore have relied on dwindling federal pandemic relief funds.“

Emily Piper-Vallillo, “‘Food is the biggest expense’: Mass. families welcome permanent free school meals for students,” WBUR, August 15, 2023.

Right now 26% of families with children in Massachusetts are food insecure. And when you take a look across those families, one in four of them don’t qualify for free or reduced pricing meals,” she said. “They make too much, but they’re still struggling to put food on the table.”

Taylor Dolven, “Massachusetts’ goal to reduce driving lags behind other states,” Boston Globe, August 13, 2023.

“Massachusetts is aiming to reduce the number of miles driven per household by just 3 percent from 2015 to 2030 as part of its climate plan, according to figures provided by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. Minnesota, by contrast, is aiming to reduce vehicle miles traveled per person by 7 percent in that time frame. In Colorado, the goal is 8 percent. In Washington, the goal is around 16 percent. And in California, the goal is 20 percent.”

Margaret Monsell, “Maybe the Globe should take a look at itself,” CommonWealth, August 5, 2023.

“But this recent Globe trip on the Wayback Machine suggests a possibility that its editorial melancholy about our degraded legislative democracy hasn’t yet considered: Has the downsized State House coverage by the Globe itself helped to bring about this lamentable state of affairs?”

Marcela García, “The simple card that’s changing undocumented immigrants’ lives,” Boston Globe, July 31, 2023.

“People like Mayra and her cousin know very well that a driver’s license is issued for public safety purposes only. But the card exemplifies other intangibles for them: relief, gratitude, hope, a sense of belonging — and the feeling ofbeing a little less invisible to the rest of Massachusetts.”

Nik DeCosta-Klipa, “What is — and isn’t — in the (again-late) Mass. budget deal,” WBUR, July 31, 2023.

What’s in it: The massive spending bill includes some big policy changes. Here are the ones that made the final cut.

• Free community college: The budget includes $38 million to offer free community college for students 25 or over, plus another $12 million to cover all costs for those in community college nursing programs, beginning this fall.
• In-state tuition for undocumented immigrants: The deal also covers the Senate’s proposal to make students without legal immigration status eligible for in-state tuition and state financial aid at Massachusetts’ public colleges. The condition is that they attended an in-state high school for at least three years or got their GED here.
• Free school lunch: Meanwhile, the House got its way on extending the state’s pandemic-era universal free school meal program for another academic year.
• Prison phone calls: The budget deals would also eliminate the costs of making phone calls for inmates in state and county prisons. (Former Gov. Charlie Baker vetoed a similar proposal last year, but Healey has been supportive.)

Ashley Nellis, “It’s time to end eternal punishment for young adults,” CommonWealth, July 27, 2023.

“The racial dynamics at play in extreme sentences cannot be overlooked. The Sentencing Project’s study finds that a shocking two thirds of young people sentenced to LWOP are Black (including Semedo). At the time of his crime, the media was blatantly contributing to racist portrayals of Black people through racially charged descriptors like savage, animalistic, and superpredator. These misrepresentations of Black people have surely contributed to the high representation of them in our prisons, especially when we look at those with the harshest penalties.”

Sen. Pat Jehlen, “Some thoughts on where we need to be competitive,” CommonWealth, July 26, 2023.

“Some urge us to reduce the tax on short term capital gain, but 80 percent of the benefits would go to the top 1 percent, widening the income gap. It would contribute nothing to economic growth. It would cost $130 million a year that can’t be spent on housing, childcare, transit, childcare, and other things that would help businesses, families, and competitiveness.”

Editorial Board, “Free prison calls provide a lifeline for inmates, families,” Boston Globe, July 25, 2023.

“Keeping those who are incarcerated connected to their families is one of the simplest ways to encourage rehabilitation and, therefore, enhance public safety. This tiny bit of progress is already a year overdue. It shouldn’t have to wait any longer.”

Margaret McKenna, “Our state hasn’t achieved anything resembling educational equity,” Boston Globe, July 17, 2023.

“The basic principle in the 1993 Education Reform was that all students should be educated to meet high standards and that progress should be measured. In order to achieve that, we need to recognize that students come from different environments, have different learning styles and needs. Treating all students equally does not produce equity. Students are much more than what is measured with a group of narrow subject matter tests.”