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Milton Voters Reject Multi-Family Re-Zoning Scheme — Maura Healey’s Side Loses
Milton voters have rejected a re-zoning proposal that would have increased density in the town. The vote was 4,346 for…
Beacon Hill
News and analysis from Beacon Hill, covering the Massachusetts State House, governor, legislature, elections, public policy, state government, and the political decisions affecting people across the Commonwealth.
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State Auditor Moving Ahead With Signature Gathering For Ballot Question On Auditing Massachusetts Legislature
State Auditor Diana DiZoglio says she has 400 volunteers gathering signatures of registered voters to try to get a measure on the…
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Massachusetts Governor’s Council Approves Pardon For Haiti-Born Bank Robber
The Massachusetts Governor's Council has unanimously approved a pardon for Kenny Jean, a Haitian immigrant who robbed a bank in…
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More Pardons Coming, Says Governor’s Council Member – Just Like The Good Old Days
A member of the Governor's Council expressed enthusiasm about Maura Healey's reversal of a longstanding trend among Massachusetts…
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Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka Defends Way-Late State Budget
The Massachusetts fiscal year 2024 budget is late, and Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) is defending its lateness. The new fiscal…
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Climate Activists Deflate Forty-Three Tires On Beacon Hill
Forty-three sport utility vehicles on Beacon Hill had their tires deflated on Wednesday night. The next day, climate activists said they…
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Governor Hints At Coming Regulations for Out-of-State Visitors To Cape Cod – As Cape Businesses Revolt Over Existing Regulations
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker said he's concerned about visitors coming to Cape Cod from states that have seen a recent…
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Everett To Offer Online Hearings for Appeals of City Fines
The city of Everett is planning to start offering "virtual hearings" online for people who want to challenge parking tickets…
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Democrats Thinking Massachusetts Governor’s Race Within Reach — Weekly Recap of Beacon Hill
By Matt Murphy STATE HOUSE NEWS SERVICE Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has the money, the name recognition, the approval ratings, and the…
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Where Is Charlie on Ballot Questions?
Could Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker's high approval ratings be based in part on his refusal to take a stand on…
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Senate President: Might Be Time For Legislature To Get Involved With Massachusetts State Police Scandals
Legislative hearings or changes in policy could be in order to try to deal with the various Massachusetts State Police scandals, the…
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Animal-Display Businesses Worried About Pending Bill on Beacon Hill
The bill would prohibit performances of wild and exotic animals, including fairs and petting zoos. The bill is getting consideration by the…
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AG Healey Joins Beacon Hill Leadership And An 8-Year-Old From Melrose To Rip Trump’s Transgender Policy Shift
BOSTON — President Donald Trump's revocation of a set of public accommodations "guidelines" for how to treat transgender public…
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BACON HILL: Democrats Ram Pay Raise Bill Through House
BOSTON — House lawmakers on Wednesday acted quickly along party lines to ram through a complex $18 million package of legislative, judicial,and…
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Partnership between The Ride and Uber coming for paratransit passengers
BOSTON — As the MBTA looks to cut costs and improve service, a state transportation official on Monday said the T could save…
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Senator says time not right for added flexibility of bar hours
STATE HOUSE — The backer of a bill that would give Greater Boston-area bars the ability to stay open past 2 a.…
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Rep: Chaotic formals finish ‘typical Beacon Hill’
Gov. Charlie Baker and Democratic legislative leaders have been holding near-daily bill signings, crowding together to tout the major laws they…
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Beacon Hill agrees to mindbending look at time zone change
STATE HOUSE — Embedded in the $1 billion economic development bill Gov. Charlie Baker signed Wednesday was a measure that could affect when…
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Baker letter adds to debate over Healey’s weapons crackdown
STATE HOUSE — Gov. Charlie Baker urged Attorney General Maura Healey on Tuesday to clarify her stepped up enforcement of the state'…
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Baker targets union disclosures with direct mail bill amendment
STATE HOUSE — A bill aimed at increasing transparency in political ads is back before the Legislature, after Gov. Charlie Baker proposed an…
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Dozens of lawmakers claim Healey gun directive is ‘whole new law’
STATE HOUSE — Angered by her announcement last week that her office will step up its enforcement of the state's assault…
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Lawmakers reject Baker’s MBTA fare cap change
Senators rejected Gov. Charlie Baker's amendment to a proposed new cap on MBTA fare hikes on a 30-10 vote…
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Physician-assisted suicide bill fails to advance
BOSTON — A controversial bill aimed at legalizing physician-assisted suicide in the Bay State appears to be off the table for the…
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Popular gun measure appears dead on Beacon Hill
STATE HOUSE — The bill that would allow the state to deny a gun license to anyone on the federal government's…
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Beacon Hill pols mostly due for free rides in November, data shows
BOSTON — More than two-thirds of the 188 state lawmakers seeking re-election in the fall are on track to return to…
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Hospital deal squeezes health care watchdog agency
BOSTON – The outgoing head of the health care agency whose funding will be drawn down to pay for an accord over health…
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‘Bathroom bill’ foes ask House lawmakers to protect privacy
BOSTON – Opponents hit Beacon Hill Tuesday to rally against proposals that would mandate access to public bathrooms or changing rooms for individuals…
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‘Millionaire’s tax’ wins key vote on Beacon Hill
BOSTON – It wasn't a question of "if" but rather "how" lawmakers on Beacon Hill would advance…
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As GOP rips ‘millionaire tax,’ Baker remains on the fence
STATE HOUSE — A day after House and Senate Republicans waged an unsuccessful fight against advancing a proposed surtax on households with incomes…
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Both sides readying for next stage of ‘millionaire tax’ fight
Supporters of a proposed constitutional amendment adding a surtax on incomes over $1 million are looking ahead to a year of planning…
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High court: 2008 law requires limits on multiple carbon sources
STATE HOUSE — A unanimous Supreme Judicial Court ruling handed down on Tuesday affirms the state's obligations under a 2008 global…
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‘Millionaire tax’ to see its first vote
BOSTON (AP) — A plan for taxing the wealthiest Massachusetts residents could get its first nudge forward in the coming week when the…
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Golden: House bill may come in ‘south’ of hydro, wind power requests
BOSTON — The omnibus House energy bill will likely come in below Gov. Charlie Baker's proposal for hydropower procurement and below…
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Baker suspends spending on ‘non-essential’ consultants, equipment
STATE HOUSE — The Baker administration on Friday ordered the immediate suspension of all state spending on "non-essential" goods and…
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Mass. delegation in scramble to advance opioid proposals
STATE HOUSE — Echoing a debate that dominated Beacon Hill for the better part of the past year, the U.S. House of…
