It seems that four of the members of the Governor's Council, that vestigial organ of state government, are throwing their sippy cups at the news that Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito intends to preside at this summer's hearings for Governor … [Read more...]

With the Legislature's 2015-2016 session down to its last six weeks, it's time to begin recording casualties -- bills that just aren't going to make it into law.  The list is not a short one, so we better get started. First up: a bill to … [Read more...]

The Council on State Governments, at the request of the Governor and other state leaders, is taking a year-long dive into our state's criminal justice system. A preliminary report shows we have a recidivism problem: three out of four … [Read more...]

To cut to the chase: the so-called "millionaires' tax" constitutional amendment to impose a four percent surcharge on taxable incomes over one million dollars was approved by a vote of 135-57. Fifty yes votes were needed to advance the … [Read more...]

The proposed state constitutional amendment to impose an additional four percent tax on taxable incomes over one million dollars will receive its first vote in the Constitutional Convention that's being held on Wednesday. Here's the … [Read more...]

The State Senate is debating the transgender public accommodations bill tomorrow. And just in time, Senator Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) has come up with a new approach. We don't often think of the Senator as an advocate of increased … [Read more...]

It's looking like the film tax credit is going to be with us for quite a while longer. Last year the Governor's idea of scrapping it altogether in favor of a tax credit for working poor families met with very stiff resistance from film tax … [Read more...]

Today the State Senate debates the charter school bill its Ways and Means Committee released last week. The Senate declined to take up a House bill increasing the current cap on charter schools during the last legislative session, and … [Read more...]

On Tuesday the state's Supreme Judicial Court will hear an appeal by the Middlesex District Attorney's office challenging a trial judge's decision to depart from the mandatory minimum sentence set by statute for a drug crime and to impose a … [Read more...]