CommonWealth Beacon

CommonWealth Beacon The trusted source for in-depth news & original reporting on policy, politics, & civic life in MA.
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CommonWealth Beacon is the trusted source for in-depth news, analysis, and original reporting on policy, politics, and civic life in Massachusetts. We are nonprofit, non-partisan, and make our work available for free to all, with no paywall.

06/07/2024

Ma*****na outlets on Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket say they are facing an untenable fiscal squeeze because of a ban on transporting cannabis through federal waters....

The Download: Political Notebook – Cain skips vote | Anonymous donor | Ballot title battle
06/07/2024

The Download: Political Notebook – Cain skips vote | Anonymous donor | Ballot title battle

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under...

Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain, who recently called his rival for the Republican US Senate nomination, John Deaton, evas...
06/07/2024

Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain, who recently called his rival for the Republican US Senate nomination, John Deaton, evasive for brushing off a call to debate, did some evading of his own this week, skipping a council vote on the massive pay raise approved for Quincy's mayor....

Quincy City Councilor Ian Cain, who recently called his rival for the Republican US Senate nomination, John Deaton, evasive for brushing off a call to debate, did some evading of his own this week, skipping a council vote on the massive pay raise approved for Quincy's mayor.

Gov. Maura Healey's Municipal Empowerment Act would make a huge difference in people's daily lives, while allowing local...
06/07/2024

Gov. Maura Healey's Municipal Empowerment Act would make a huge difference in people's daily lives, while allowing local government to address strained finances by adopting small increases in meals and lodging taxes and an impose a new vehicle excise surcharge....

Gov. Maura Healey's Municipal Empowerment Act would make a huge difference in people's daily lives, while allowing local government to address strained finances by adopting small increases in meals and lodging taxes and an impose a new vehicle excise surcharge.

Public transportation is on the verge of an "existential crisis," cities and towns that help fund the system warned, as ...
06/06/2024

Public transportation is on the verge of an "existential crisis," cities and towns that help fund the system warned, as the MBTA moves ahead with a budget plan that drains its reserves in the face of a looming deficit....

Public transportation is on the verge of an "existential crisis," cities and towns that help fund the system warned, as the MBTA moves ahead with a budget plan that drains its reserves in the face of a looming deficit.

While everything from pricey steakhouse dinners to travel to far-off conferences can be paid with campaign funds under t...
06/06/2024

While everything from pricey steakhouse dinners to travel to far-off conferences can be paid with campaign funds under the broad definition of allowable spending that furthers a candidate’s political career, childcare falls outside that interpretation. ...

While everything from pricey steakhouse dinners to travel to far-off conferences can be paid with campaign funds under the broad definition of allowable spending that furthers a candidate’s political career, childcare falls outside that interpretation.

The Download: Bill to allow campaign funds for childcare on the move
06/06/2024

The Download: Bill to allow campaign funds for childcare on the move

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Comm...

37 states have adopted some type of science of reading legislation, but Massachusetts is not one of them. We need to cha...
06/06/2024

37 states have adopted some type of science of reading legislation, but Massachusetts is not one of them. We need to change that....

37 states have adopted some type of science of reading legislation, but Massachusetts is not one of them. We need to change that.

The Legislature last month ruled out acting on any of the 2024 ballot questions as proposed by the petitioners, but lawm...
06/05/2024

The Legislature last month ruled out acting on any of the 2024 ballot questions as proposed by the petitioners, but lawmakers have not ruled out the idea of intervening to keep some of the questions from being decided this fall by voters....

The Legislature last month ruled out acting on any of the 2024 ballot questions as proposed by the petitioners, but lawmakers have not ruled out the idea of intervening to keep some of the questions from being decided this fall by voters.

Michelle Wu has held off on a formal reelection launch, but the scene inside the Omni Parker House had the unmistakable ...
06/05/2024

Michelle Wu has held off on a formal reelection launch, but the scene inside the Omni Parker House had the unmistakable vibes of a Boston mayor gearing up to defend her seat....

Michelle Wu has held off on a formal reelection launch, but the scene inside the Omni Parker House had the unmistakable vibes of a Boston mayor gearing up to defend her seat.

The Download: Inside Wu fundraiser, 2025 is already underway
06/05/2024

The Download: Inside Wu fundraiser, 2025 is already underway

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons licen...

Massachusetts community health centers are facing pressure from wait times, workforce crunch, and migrant care....
06/04/2024

Massachusetts community health centers are facing pressure from wait times, workforce crunch, and migrant care....

Massachusetts community health centers are facing pressure from wait times, workforce crunch, and migrant care.

Just as we eventually recognized the dangers of lead paint, asbestos, and ci******es and took action through public poli...
06/04/2024

Just as we eventually recognized the dangers of lead paint, asbestos, and ci******es and took action through public policy, it's time to hold companies accountable and take steps to mitigate the impact of social media on young people's well-being....

Just as we eventually recognized the dangers of lead paint, asbestos, and ci******es and took action through public policy, it's time to hold companies accountable and take steps to mitigate the impact of social media on young people's well-being.

06/04/2024

With the end of the Legislature's two-year session drawing near, lawmakers say they're hopeful that a climate change bill will still emerge and get signed into law, but advocates are more skeptical....

06/04/2024

The Download: Business groups cheer, progressives knock House axing transfer fees

The House offered up a version of Gov. Maura Healey's housing bond bill that leaves out a local-option transfer tax on h...
06/04/2024

The House offered up a version of Gov. Maura Healey's housing bond bill that leaves out a local-option transfer tax on high-end home sales, angering housing advocates and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the levy's most prominent booster, and setting up a potential clash with the the more liberal Senate....

The House offered up a version of Gov. Maura Healey's housing bond bill that leaves out a local-option transfer tax on high-end home sales, angering housing advocates and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, the levy's most prominent booster, and setting up a potential clash with the the more liberal Senate.

The state affordable housing count includes all units -- affordable and market-rate -- in a development built under the ...
06/04/2024

The state affordable housing count includes all units -- affordable and market-rate -- in a development built under the Chapter 40B affordable housing law. It's time to consider changes to that policy....

The state affordable housing count includes all units -- affordable and market-rate -- in a development built under the Chapter 40B affordable housing law. It's time to consider changes to that policy.

06/03/2024

With sky-high sale prices and rents suffocating residents, the House will try to shift the tide by pumping more money into existing housing programs and rolling out a few new strategies....

The Download: Taking aim at barriers for underrepresented developers
06/03/2024

The Download: Taking aim at barriers for underrepresented developers

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Comm...

Rather than waiting for underrepresented groups to become eligible for traditional housing funding sources, a new fund i...
06/03/2024

Rather than waiting for underrepresented groups to become eligible for traditional housing funding sources, a new fund is “just doing away with this chicken and egg thing."...

Rather than waiting for underrepresented groups to become eligible for traditional housing funding sources, a new fund is “just doing away with this chicken and egg thing."

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Moddie Turay, president and CEO of the Massa...
06/03/2024

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Moddie Turay, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, to discuss the Equitable Developers Fund, and how to build enough housing to supply the current shortage while addressing community needs.

This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon's Jennifer Smith is joined by Moddie Turay, president and CEO of the Massachusetts Housing Investment Corporation, to discuss the Equitable Developers Fund, and how to build enough housing to supply the current shortage while addressing community needs.

On Nantucket, the average price of a home is nearing $4 million. Visitors will spend $20,000 or more a week to rent a ho...
06/02/2024

On Nantucket, the average price of a home is nearing $4 million. Visitors will spend $20,000 or more a week to rent a house – making a year-round rental for a police officer virtually impossible....

On Nantucket, the average price of a home is nearing $4 million. Visitors will spend $20,000 or more a week to rent a house – making a year-round rental for a police officer virtually impossible.

Based on both the Jewish values I was raised on and my experience living in Israel, I believe Israel is a fundamentally ...
06/01/2024

Based on both the Jewish values I was raised on and my experience living in Israel, I believe Israel is a fundamentally racist state. This is exemplified by its anti-miscegenation marriage law, a segregated school system that severely underfunds non-Jewish schools, and legally segregated towns....

Based on both the Jewish values I was raised on and my experience living in Israel, I believe Israel is a fundamentally racist state. This is exemplified by its anti-miscegenation marriage law, a segregated school system that severely underfunds non-Jewish schools, and legally segregated towns.

The state’s energy efficiency programs continue to price out and leave behind low and moderate-income residents—a failur...
05/31/2024

The state’s energy efficiency programs continue to price out and leave behind low and moderate-income residents—a failure that is not only bad for our communities but a fatal flaw in our state’s efforts to meet our climate goals. ...

The state’s energy efficiency programs continue to price out and leave behind low and moderate-income residents—a failure that is not only bad for our communities but a fatal flaw in our state’s efforts to meet our climate goals.

The notice from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Agricultural Resources made explicit that the “add...
05/31/2024

The notice from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Agricultural Resources made explicit that the “addition of CBD and/or THC to food manufactured or sold in Massachusetts is illegal.”...

The notice from the Department of Public Health and the Department of Agricultural Resources made explicit that the “addition of CBD and/or THC to food manufactured or sold in Massachusetts is illegal.”

"Chief Justice Gants has said that if he couldn't have played for the Red Sox, being chief justice ultimately was a good...
05/31/2024

"Chief Justice Gants has said that if he couldn't have played for the Red Sox, being chief justice ultimately was a good second, solid choice," Gov. Maura Healey said....

"Chief Justice Gants has said that if he couldn't have played for the Red Sox, being chief justice ultimately was a good second, solid choice," Gov. Maura Healey said.

The Download: Political Notebook – Judicial mischief | Incumbent stronghold | Home equity reckoning
05/31/2024

The Download: Political Notebook – Judicial mischief | Incumbent stronghold | Home equity reckoning

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished h...

Currently, private development is tasked with assessing the impact of their proposals. If this became a state-driven cos...
05/31/2024

Currently, private development is tasked with assessing the impact of their proposals. If this became a state-driven cost benefit analysis, we could standardize impact and support towns that lack resources and help residents to understand pros and cons associated with development....

Currently, private development is tasked with assessing the impact of their proposals. If this became a state-driven cost benefit analysis, we could standardize impact and support towns that lack resources and help residents to understand pros and cons associated with development.

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OPINION | Drugs extending my life, but Boston institute disagrees. I'm fighting ALS -- and the Institute for Clinical and Economic Review https://buff.ly/3Qq8p0I

Moulton doesn’t mince words
Moulton doesn’t mince words

The phrase “mealy-mouthed politician” often seems redundant, so closely do we associate political figures with an aversion to direct answers that cut through the usual fog. That does not describe Seth Moulton, the second-term Democratic congressman from Salem. Moulton answers questions with a degree of candor that is refreshing and sometimes jarring. When CommonWealth sat down with him for this Conversation interview in November 2014, just after his election, Moulton said he was now wearing the politician badge reluctantly. When Bruce Mohl and I talked to him for this week’s Codcast, he still seemed to be in full candor mode. Moulton has become a huge booster of the North-South Rail Link, and we dug into the details of why. (The project still looks like a longshot -- but Moulton is a pretty good salesman.) He had nothing positive to say, however, about the MBTA and its ability to constructively lead the way on the effort. “The T is very wedded to this old-fashioned 1950s-era diesel-powered commuter rail system,” he said. “I’m just afraid they’re really out of touch with what’s going on in the rest of the world.”

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Does Giving People Money Make for Good Policy?
Does Giving People Money Make for Good Policy?

Is poverty a policy choice? Check out CommonWealth's Town Hall on Guaranteed Income, where editor Bruce Mohl talks to panelists about the state of poverty in Massachusetts - and whether we have the ability to alleviate it through policy action.

Is poverty a policy choice? Check out CommonWealth's town hall on guaranteed income. CW Editor Bruce Mohl talks with panelists about the implications of guaranteed income, poverty, and the challenges that Massachusetts faces post-pandemic.

Is poverty a policy choice? Check out CommonWealth's Town Hall on Guaranteed Income, where editor Bruce Mohl talks to panelists about the state of poverty in Massachusetts - and whether we have the ability to alleviate it through policy action.

Is poverty a policy choice? Check out CommonWealth's Town Hall on Guaranteed Income, where editor Bruce Mohl talks to panelists about the state of poverty in Massachusetts - and whether we have the ability to alleviate it through policy action.

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