Governor Healey will have to consider a proposal from a major Canadian pipeline company to expand gas in the Bay State as she works to balance energy affordability against ambitious climate goals and efforts to cut fossil fuels – all amid her 2026 reelection bid. buff.ly/Kd1fhct

Healey sounds alarm on energy costs — but a legislative solution remains elusive for now

Healey’s decision to speak specifically on energy policy as the Legislature scrambled elsewhere in the State House to tackle other priorities is the latest sign of urgency from the governor to…

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Patients in the Boston area had the longest wait times in the country when booking a physical with a new provider, averaging 69 days, according to a survey of 15 cities. Proposed legislation could boost investments in the struggling primary care industry if lawmakers can find common ground.

Three wealthy donors have poured almost $1.4 million into a Massachusetts ballot question that would channel tax revenue to nature conservation. Yet critics are raising questions about how effective the measure would be in practice. commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...

An effort to boost nature, backed by big-money donors, lands in the middle of Mass. ballot question mania

As the campaign shifts from ballot-qualifying to general election mode, what the end result will be of all the money raised and spent, all the signatures collected and ads likely to come, and all the…

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How do you fit up to nine major policy decisions onto one ballot? Massachusetts election officials are wrestling with that question ahead of November. buff.ly/rSIMVvd

The tricky calculus of designing a ballot with nine questions

While law sets clear patterns for most of the ballot, officials need to lean more on the skills used by magazine or newspaper layout editors when it comes to statewide questions.

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With electricity prices in Massachusetts reaching double the national average, Governor Healey is pushing aggressive action to lower utility bills. Yet competing priorities and divisions in the Legislature give no indication of when lawmakers will move on the issue. buff.ly/Kd1fhct

Healey sounds alarm on energy costs — but a legislative solution remains elusive for now

Healey’s decision to speak specifically on energy policy as the Legislature scrambled elsewhere in the State House to tackle other priorities is the latest sign of urgency from the governor to…

commonwealthbeacon.org

#OPINION Towns along the Quabbin Reservoir are protecting the drinking water for Greater Boston – yet these same towns are struggling to stay afloat financially, writes Matteo Pangallo, land use clerk for Shutesbury. buff.ly/tOqxoGb

Towns surrounding the Quabbin Reservoir protect the water for 2.7 million people in Eastern Mass. They're getting financially starved in the process.

The state’s payments in lieu of taxes system treats Quabbin land as nearly worthless. In reality, it's the most valuable land in Massachusetts: Without it, more than 2.7 million people across Eastern…

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State lawmakers are poised to reform health care in Massachusetts. Proposed legislation would more than double primary care spending in an effort to reshape an industry that doctors, patients, and advocates have warned for years is in a precarious position. buff.ly/Iv092JD

With House vote, Beacon Hill inches closer to landmark primary care reforms

Negotiations on a final compromise could prove arduous, but the House and Senate agree on the fundamental idea of more than doubling the share of health care spending that goes toward primary care to…

commonwealthbeacon.org

Three wealthy donors have poured almost $1.4 million into a Massachusetts ballot question that would channel tax revenue to nature conservation. Yet critics are raising questions about how effective the measure would be in practice. buff.ly/twJiyts

An effort to boost nature, backed by big-money donors, lands in the middle of Mass. ballot question mania

As the campaign shifts from ballot-qualifying to general election mode, what the end result will be of all the money raised and spent, all the signatures collected and ads likely to come, and all the…

commonwealthbeacon.org

As e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds grow in popularity, so do safety concerns. Massachusetts lawmakers are working to replace a patchwork of local regulations with a statewide framework designed to adapt to rapidly evolving transportation technologies. buff.ly/fAUueGE

Mass. lawmakers move to create statewide framework for e-bikes and scooters

The rapid adoption and quickly changing technology of smaller vehicles has outpaced the ability of regulations to keep up, leaving riders, local officials, and law enforcement without a clear…

commonwealthbeacon.org

A campaign finance debate Massachusetts voters never got to settle is now playing out in federal court. Judges are considering whether Maine's voter-approved $5,000 cap on super PAC donations can withstand constitutional scrutiny. buff.ly/fLYm7G4

Appeals Court judges seem open to Maine limits on super PAC contributions

Backers of the Maine law argue that super PAC spending is rapidly ballooning, and becoming so associated with particular candidates and their pet issues that the principle of limiting campaign…

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#OPINION Mass. must continue its pioneering efforts to provide health care coverage for all while finding cheaper ways to pay for that coverage. Christopher Koller offers lessons for the state from his time as the country’s first health insurance commissioner in Rhode Island. buff.ly/FN25LyC

As a physician providing abortion care in Maryland, I see Massachusetts families on their hardest days.

I trust my patients—and Massachusetts legislators should, too.

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In his more than three decades as mayor of Leominster, Dean Mazzarella has survived challenges and controversies that might have ended other political careers. Local leaders and residents marvel at his staying power.

Massachusetts is facing a collision of rising energy demand and growing affordability concerns. How is New England’s grid operator navigating this moment?

Gov. Healey negotiated a 10.4 percent increase in health insurance premiums for small businesses and some individuals, down from the initially forecast 12.9 percent increase.

One of this election cycle’s largest individual donations is backing a ballot measure to create a nature conversation fund, showing environmental causes can still attract major financial supporters in the Bay State.

An effort to boost nature, backed by big-money donors, lands in the middle of Mass. ballot question mania

As the campaign shifts from ballot-qualifying to general election mode, what the end result will be of all the money raised and spent, all the signatures collected and ads likely to come, and all the…

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Does Leominster's mayor hold the secret to electoral longevity? After 32 years in office, Dean Mazzarella has quietly become the longest-serving mayor in Massachusetts history.

Most lots in Massachusetts could become three-unit parcels, at least on paper. State senators say a proposed change to allow more small multi-family housing could ease cost pressures in the Commonwealth as the state works to curb an outflux of young residents. buff.ly/ATmzKoR

Layered over ADU law, Senate duplex bill would allow three units on most residential lots

Lawmakers “could, say, take another 10, 20 years to ask cities and towns to legalize duplexes,” said Amy Dain. “We have learned that is not possible. You could spend 50 years on it and you would only…

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Reach the right candidates where they’re already engaged. Share your open role with CommonWealth Beacon readers through our website and daily newsletters. Learn more about our Job Board:

Job Board - CommonWealth Beacon

JOB BOARD Hire smarter. Reach Massachusetts leaders. Connect with high-quality candidates through CommonWealth Beacon. Reach 12,000 readers via our daily

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#OPINION Massachusetts has an opportunity to be a leader in protecting reproductive freedom. Removing gestational bans would protect patients' ability to make their own health care decisions and access the care they need at home.

As a physician providing abortion care in Maryland, I see Massachusetts families on their hardest days.

I trust my patients—and Massachusetts legislators should, too.

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The ROAD to Housing Act marks a significant shift in the federal government’s previously hands-off approach to the country’s housing crisis, but it is unlikely to spark meaningful change on high home prices in the Bay State.

Federal housing bill includes modest help for Mass., but buzzy investor limitation unlikely to have much impact here

"It's not very tailored to Massachusetts related-housing concerns," said Andrew Mikula, senior housing fellow at the Pioneer Institute. "The bill nibbles at the edges on a number of process and…

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A moratorium on data centers in the Bay State didn’t advance in the Senate as policymakers navigate conflicting priorities on the issue, bringing jobs and revenue to the Commonwealth versus further straining already stretched energy demands.

A proposed moratorium on data centers hits resistance in Mass. Senate

The back-and-forth nature of data center policy in Massachusetts raises the question: Do Bay State policymakers want to draw in these facilities, which can provide some jobs and property tax…

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In 2024, 63 percent of Bay State households had one or two people, but just 44 percent of occupied housing units had two or fewer bedrooms. A new report proposes smaller, denser residential development to address Massachusetts’s housing crisis. buff.ly/WQoMcdZ

#OPINION Primary care is the only health care service where increased supply can increase lifespan, writes Christopher Keller, the country’s first state health insurance commissioner. Mass. must funnel more dollars into its weakening primary care system.

I led efforts to increase primary care spending in Rhode Island. Here are the things Massachusetts must get right.

High-quality primary care must be a common good for all Massachusetts residents. It is the most important part of a health care system, and it needs to be treated as such.

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Standardized testing could be making its way back to Massachusetts high schools less than two years after voters chose to remove MCAS exams as a graduation requirement. Saaya Daga has more on the new tests state officials have proposed:

Proposed graduation requirements revive debate over standardized testing

The K-12 Statewide Graduation Council recommends in a new proposal that students complete state-designed and administered end-of-course assessments, sparking debate over whether Massachusetts is…

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A provision nested in a sweeping economic bill now under negotiation would allow developers and homeowners to turn single-family lots into multi-family homes. Backers see it as a significant step for Massachusetts’s housing affordability crisis. buff.ly/fvlZSV0

Layered over ADU law, Senate duplex bill would allow three units on most residential lots

Lawmakers “could, say, take another 10, 20 years to ask cities and towns to legalize duplexes,” said Amy Dain. “We have learned that is not possible. You could spend 50 years on it and you would only…

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#OPINION The MA Office of Campaign and Political Finance has quietly changed its interpretation of an existing law. The result? Organizations that have spent years educating the public about public policy could face a choice: disclose their donors or stop talking. buff.ly/VCozRbu

Massachusetts is making free speech a guessing game

This isn't about whether donor disclosure has a role in elections; It's about whether government can expand those rules through vague interpretations that leave ordinary civic organizations guessing…

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E-bikes, scooters, and mopeds are becoming increasingly common on Massachusetts roads. Now, lawmakers are responding to growing calls for clearer regulations governing the devices. Saaya Daga has more:

Mass. lawmakers move to create statewide framework for e-bikes and scooters

The rapid adoption and quickly changing technology of smaller vehicles has outpaced the ability of regulations to keep up, leaving riders, local officials, and law enforcement without a clear…

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Low-income communities are disproportionately impacted by air pollution and the health outcomes that come with it – including the state’s 26 Gateway Cities. Yet one-third of these former industrial cities still lack state-operated air quality monitors to track that information.

Despite being disproportionately impacted by air pollution, many Gateway Cities don’t have state-run air quality monitors

Of these 26 former industrial cities, 17 do not have state-operated air quality monitors. At a time when environmental justice communities are even more at risk due to federal rollbacks to clean air…

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Senate President Karen Spilka’s vow to “go all in on housing” is seeing movement in the State House, if new duplex legislation joins earlier accessory dwelling legalization to nearly triple the base zoning for most single-family home lots. buff.ly/ATmzKoR

Layered over ADU law, Senate duplex bill would allow three units on most residential lots

Lawmakers “could, say, take another 10, 20 years to ask cities and towns to legalize duplexes,” said Amy Dain. “We have learned that is not possible. You could spend 50 years on it and you would only…

commonwealthbeacon.org

#OPINION Massachusetts already has a wealth of untapped and underutilized talent. Now, it just has to build the infrastructure to match these skilled workers with jobs.

In the panic over a talent exodus, Massachusetts is forgetting the underutilized talent it has

Most states compete for the workers everyone else wants. Talent activation is a different discipline. It starts not with who might move to the state, but with who is already here.

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