Commonwealth Magazine

GOV. MAURA HEALEY tried to have it both ways on the state’s right to shelter law Monday, insisting her administration is not backing away from requirements of the law while acknowledging that shelter capacity will max out by the end of this month and after that placements in the program will not be guaranteed. The(...)

CAN POLICE TURN a perceived nuisance into an opportunity? Can they benefit from the efforts of smartphone-wielding “cop watchers” who dog them at crime and emergency scenes? The answer is yes. The images and words captured from these encounters could, as part of a larger reform, help to improve police practice. Police are on camera(...)

THE LATEST MCAS scores are definitely alarming.Scores are significantly below pre-pandemic levels. At current trends, it would take at least eight years for Massachusetts students to catch up. Here at home, Boston Public Schools (BPS) students performed below the Massachusetts average across all grade levels and all subjects measured by the exam—and Black, Latino, and(...)

WITH A CRITICAL VOTE nearing in a divided town, the Healey administration urged officials in Somerset to keep moving forward with a factory at Brayton Point that could become a major supplier to the US offshore wind industry. At a press conference on Monday, Gov. Maura Healey was asked if she has a message for(...)

THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Avangrid told financial analysts on Thursday that he was very pleased the company was able to terminate offshore wind power purchase agreements in Massachusetts and Connecticut “at minimum cost” but was noncommittal about whether the firm will be able to sign future deals at prices that will be acceptable to(...)

A PROPOSED TRANSMISSION cable manufacturing plant in Somerset to serve the US offshore wind industry cleared a major hurdle on Thursday when the town’s Zoning Board of Appeals voted unanimously to revise one of the conditions that had become a sticking point with the company. The board in mid-September voted unanimously to require Prysmian to(...)

THE NEW MASSACHUSETTS state auditor won the Democratic nomination for the job in 2022 with an aggressive campaign centered on making the auditor the chief legislative transparency officer at the State House. At present, state Auditor Diana DiZoglio is attempting to sue the state Legislature into cooperating with her, while simultaneously supporting a proposed 2024(...)

Encourages governor to make ‘temporary policy changes’ in 1983 law

Kenzie Bok says housing shortage no accident

A SUPERIOR COURT JUDGE is expected to rule by the end of the day Wednesday on whether to block Gov. Maura Healey from putting a cap on shelter placements and waitlist families looking for emergency shelter. Judge Debra Squires-Lee on Tuesday heard arguments at an emergency hearing in Suffolk Superior Court. Lawyers for Civil Rights,(...)