Matt Stout

The Massachusetts House on Wednesday unveiled a nearly $58 billion state budget proposal , which represents a 3.3 percent increase in spending from the last fiscal year.

Local officials in more than a half-dozen greater Boston communities have either passed bans or begun considering them just weeks after the Supreme Judicial Court upheld Brookline’s own groundbreaking bylaw.

Massachusetts legislative leaders said Wednesday they reached a deal on a long-debated spending package that could limit how long homeless and

The Massachusetts House passed a measure Thursday that would require political candidates, super PACs, and others to disclose whether they use

“We gotta start having this conversation because we’re going to be chasing our tail if we don’t start thinking about it now," said the Massachusetts House's top Republican.

In a good surprise for once, Massachusetts collected $1 billion more in tax revenue than it projected in April, helping steady the state's uncertain fiscal picture as the Legislature builds the state budget for next fiscal year.

Under the Senate’s plans, the new program would cover community college tuition and fees for all residents, while some could receive a stipend of up to $1,200 to cover books, supplies, and other costs.

The Massachusetts Senate plans to begin debate on the $58 billion budget on Monday, May 20.

| State secrets | After months of preaching fiscal restraint, five of the Massachusetts House's highest-ranking Democrats slipped at least $5

| State secrets | As it crafted a budget proposal for next fiscal year, powerful leaders in the Massachusetts House packed the $58 billion