Politics

In April Massachusetts Department of Revenue tax collectors hauled in more than $2 billion more than what was expected during the month, giving Gov. Charlie Baker cause to press his case for the Legislature to take up his proposals to provide roughly $700 million in tax relief to residents. Collections …

Katie Lannan State House News Service Starting one year from Tuesday, the standard Massachusetts driver’s license will no longer be accepted as an ID valid for boarding domestic flights or entering certain federal buildings. The Registry of Motor Vehicles issued a reminder that effective May 3, 2023, domestic travelers will …

Michael P. Norton State House News Service Gas prices in Massachusetts crept higher in recent days as the wait continues for some kind of tax relief plan from the state Legislature. House and Senate Democrats have nixed gas tax relief proposals but have continued to suggest that tax relief of …

Colonel Christopher S. Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police, announced that a “Sobriety Checkpoint” will be implemented by the Massachusetts State Police on a Public Way in Bristol County between Saturday, April 16, 2022 into Sunday, April 17, 2022. The purpose is to further educate the motoring public and …

By Chris Van Buskirk State House News Service A new voter education campaign from ACLU Massachusetts aims to boost awareness around the role of county sheriffs after a poll commissioned by the organization found a vast majority of Bay Staters are not familiar with the elected position. The poll of …

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division today filed a complaint and a proposed consent decree with the City of Springfield, Massachusetts to resolve its investigation of the Springfield Police Department’s Narcotics Bureau. This is the first pattern or practice …

By Chris Lisinski State House News Service Thomas Koonce, one of two men who received the Bay State’s first commutations for murder in a quarter-century, will soon depart prison after 31 years behind bars. The Parole Board on Tuesday voted unanimously to award parole to Koonce, a decision that will …

By Matt Murphy State House News Service The erosion of government support for higher education over the past 20 years has made obtaining a four-year degree increasingly inaccessible to low-income students in Massachusetts, particularly students of color, as tuition and fees increases have required greater borrowing, a new report shows. …

By Colin A. Young State House News Service Wide-ranging marijuana legislation that targets some of the most persistent issues that activists, regulators, businesses and municipalities have said are holding Massachusetts back from realizing the full potential of the 2016 legalization law cleared the Senate unanimously Thursday afternoon with senators pitching …

By Chris Lisinski State House News Service Ending chronic homelessness in Massachusetts does not depend on discovering some still-unknown strategy, but instead requires amassing the “political will” to shift away from the existing shelter-centered approach, a top expert said Tuesday. Sam Tsemberis, who helped pioneer a “housing first” model emphasizing …