Politics

By Michael P. Norton State House News Service The “red flags are waving” across Massachusetts, with housing, transportation and migration patterns continuing to trend in the wrong direction, according to a new report. Massachusetts had the lowest rental vacancy rate in the U.S. in 2022 and the second-highest median rents, …

Sam Drysdale State House News Service Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Commissioner Jeffrey Riley announced Tuesday that the department will “likely” create a matching grant program of up to $1 million for districts that pilot a cellphone restriction policy. This is “not a mandate at this time,” he said, …

By Sam Drysdale State House News Service As opioid overdose deaths remain high across the state, substance abuse treatment providers say that increasing reimbursement rates for Medicaid patients may be necessary to avoid closing available beds at addiction and recovery facilities. MassHealth and the Executive Office of Health and Human …

“New Bedford, Massachusetts – Mayor Jon Mitchell presented his Fiscal Year 2024 City Budget to the New Bedford City Council on Wednesday, May 17, 2022. In total, the Fiscal Year 2024 budget totals $513,169,319, of which the General Fund is the largest component at $458,910,392. A Careful, Conservative Spending Blueprint …

By Sam Drysdale State House News Service Prostitution would be decriminalized in Massachusetts under bills discussed before the Judiciary Committee this week, though there is a deep divide among sex workers and activists about how far that decriminalization should go. Two bills filed this session would decriminalize prostitution. One, however, …

By Chris Lisinski State House News Service MAY 16, 2023…..Rachael Rollins, a former Suffolk County prosecutor who quickly rose in political prominence and often drew the ire of Republican lawmakers, will resign her role as U.S. attorney for Massachusetts this week because “her presence has become a distraction,” her attorney …

“The City of New Bedford will host a Public Engagement Open House at Normandin Middle School (81 Felton Street, New Bedford, MA 02745) on Wednesday, May 17th from 6 PM to 8 PM. All community members are invited to learn about the Citywide Comprehensive Plan process and contribute by sharing …

By Sam Doran State House News Service While he hasn’t publicly indicated an interest in the seat, former Gov. Charlie Baker holds a significant lead over U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren in a hypothetical U.S. Senate matchup, according to newly-released poll results. Released Thursday by the conservative-leaning Fiscal Alliance Foundation, the …

By Michael P. Norton State House News Service After taking feedback for 18 months, a state commission concluded in a new report that many people of color, individuals with disabilities, and non-native English speaking people feel “unwelcome and uncomfortable” on the string of public beaches that line the coast in …

By Sam Drysdale State House News Service With a champion for eviction record sealing now chairing the Joint Committee on Housing, tenants rights advocates are feeling a renewed hope for passage of the “HOMES Act” this session. The bill (S 956 / H 1690), which has been filed in two …