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...
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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 34 episodesPrimary 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...
Mass. college campuses get a $3 billion facelift while local schools and libraries look for help
A look at how lawmakers frame their funding, as Mass. plans for a $3-billion higher education infrastructure upgrade. At the same time towns...
Beacon Hill seeks a tax deal; Some lawmakers want to strike one before the November vote
House Speaker Ron Mariano, traditionally a fierce critic of the ballot initiative process, signaled a major shift last week by expressing a...
Massachusetts lawmakers eye a $1.8B supplemental budget
Mass. Senate advances a $1.8B supplemental budget splitting surtax funds differently than the House, with less for the MBTA and more for reg...
Massachusetts lawmakers wrestle with budget, Fed rates, November tax vote
House Speaker Ron Mariano expects voters to pass an income tax cut this year. He warns that if it passes, the state may have to hike other t...
WMass is losing population; Does Beacon Hill have a plan to stop the region's slow drain?
Population growth is important for a thriving community. A recent UMass Donahue Wayfinders report projected population declines in all four...