From beds to pipes; The infrastructure challenges facing Massachusetts
An examination of how physical and civic strains, from care and rehab bed shortages to old water pipes, shape Massachusetts capacity for gro...
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Beacon Hill in 5
Beacon Hill In 5 is a weekly check-in at the Statehouse from New England Public Radio. Get a quick look at the week ahead in politics and government in Massachusetts with Carrie Healy, NEPR’...
Episodes
20 of 39 episodes
Mass. governor taps the energy playbook to cushion voters before Election Day
Gov. Maura Healey has declared a state of energy emergency to deploy $150 million in home heating relief, as Massachusetts leaders navigate...
From economic scorecards to nursing home scandals, what's on Mass. lawmakers plates before November
Ahead of the Healey-Minogue debate, we unpack state tax policy, affordability. Plus we look at long-term care legislation and proposed refor...
Inside Springfield's $2 billion courthouse battle, the gas tax fight and the cost of living
State House News Service reporter Ella Adams breaks down a demand for a federal probe over the proposed $2 billion courthouse in Springfield...
White House security debate puts Massachusetts’ 9/11 history in focus
Proposed White House security plans raise new questions. What about public access on Beacon Hill? Colin Young explains how Massachusetts’ 9/...
From federal fraud charges to Primary Day: How public trust is shaping up across Massachusetts
Federal fraud indictments for a sitting state representative, Beacon Hill accountability, and EBT card skimming safeguards shape the week ah...
Primary realities versus policy fights: How are the ballots in Massachusetts shaping up?
From immediate primary matchups in Western Mass. to sweeping November ballot initiatives, state voters face critical choices that highlight...
MA median wealth tops $370K, but 1 in 3 can't cover a $400 emergency
A Boston Fed report highlights severe wealth inequality in Mass., prompting lawmakers to evaluate housing reforms and estate tax policies to...
Beacon Hill versus local control: the battle over tiny towns and an empty seat
State House News Service reporter Colin Young deep dives into home rule petitions and how they're aimed at addressing local communities issu...
Massachusetts lawmakers pivot to campaign trail mode as regularly scheduled sessions end
All 160 Massachusetts legislative districts are electing members this fall, while new operating rules keep the current Legislature in sessio...
July 31 isn't the hard deadline anymore, so when will Beacon Hill actually finish up?
Under new rules, Mass. lawmakers can schedule formal sessions to take up any of the numerous bills that they have been dumping into six-pers...
Mass. governor seeks $100M school band aid, while Beacon Hill weighs a WooSox wage carve out
Less than a week after signing the new Massachusetts budget, Gov. Maura Healey filed a supplemental budget seeking an additional $100 millio...
Mass. farm wage battles and a school tax credit fight are set to collide on Beacon Hill
Lawmakers face no strict deadlines to advance the bills in conference other than the end of this two-year session on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2027.
Massachusetts lawmakers eye a new child welfare bill as a high-stakes rent control showdown looms
The deadline for Mass. lawmakers to enact a law related to rent control, in order to remove the question from November's ballot, is swiftly...
Massachusetts political minefields: shelter crises, sludge bans and the Red Sox
A preview of Mass. political strategies on immigration, upcoming gig worker regulatory battles, a sewage sludge ban, and why state lawmakers...
Massachusetts lawmakers serve up immigrant shields, killer bots & $63B 'eggless omelets'
Massachusetts hosts the first of seven World Cup matches on June 13, 2026, but before then, Mass. lawmakers want to shore up immigrant laws,...
Massachusetts leaders pitch tech growth as a shield against tax cuts
Lawmakers debate the "Mass Wins Act" containing tech and business investments, amid tight deadlines, assessing consequences of a decreased i...
The fight for fair aid, rent caps in Massachusetts
The Mass. Senate’s $63.3B budget adds $53M in local aid via a new per-capita formula, and the state's highest court weighs if a rent control...
Beacon Hill takes on critical decisions around data, the census and the budget
Pressure from the Trump Administration to share voter data has Mass. lawmakers concerned.
Massachusetts lawmakers begin the sprint to the finish on Beacon Hill
It'll be May at the end of the week. Massachusetts lawmakers are aiming to have a balanced budget process complete and signed by the Governo...