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Beacon Hill seeks a tax deal; Some lawmakers want to strike one before the November vote

2026/04/13

House Speaker Ron Mariano, traditionally a fierce critic of the ballot initiative process, signaled a major shift last week by expressing a willingness to negotiate on one of the state’s most high-stakes and debated proposals.

Massachusetts lawmakers eye a $1.8B supplemental budget

2026/04/06

Mass. Senate advances a $1.8B supplemental budget splitting surtax funds differently than the House, with less for the MBTA and more for regional aid. Lawmakers brace for clashes ahead of negotiations.

Massachusetts lawmakers wrestle with budget, Fed rates, November tax vote

2026/03/23

House Speaker Ron Mariano expects voters to pass an income tax cut this year. He warns that if it passes, the state may have to hike other taxes or slash spending.

WMass is losing population; Does Beacon Hill have a plan to stop the region's slow drain?

2026/03/16

Population growth is important for a thriving community. A recent UMass Donahue Wayfinders report projected population declines in all four WMass counties between 2020 and 2035.

Healey’s proposed budget forces a choice between transit and trees

2026/03/09

A Legislative budget hearing focused on the Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, Executive Office of Transportation and the Registry of Motor Vehicles will be held this week.

Mass vs. the Feds: Beacon Hill dares a Trump clash while dodging a voter backed audit

2026/03/03

Mass. lawmakers this week take up immigration enforcement. This comes as the Feds continue to sharply restrict legal immigration, and deport legal residents in mass deportation initiatives.

Beacon Hill weighs big spending as the GOP tests voters

2026/02/23

The so-called Bright Act, is a $3 billion bond bill aiming to put at least $2.5 billion of that back into campuses across Massachusetts.

Mass. legislators look at high energy costs, before diving into budget

2026/02/16

Massachusetts lawmakers propose to move an energy measure forward amid high bills, winter chill and a looming budget.

Mass. tax revenue jumps in January, but future budgets could wobble if markets falter

2026/02/09

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s budget boosts spending 3.8% over last year, even as tax revenue growth slows to 2.9%, federal aid is uncertain, and reserves have already been tapped.

Gov. Healey funds federal enforcement while taxpayers wait for a $1.5B fiscal crash

2026/02/03

In her proposed budget released last week, the Mass. governor included a multi million-dollar "down payment" that will staff up and investing in infrastructure that could be used to kick thousands of residents off Medicaid programs like MassHealth, next year.

Healey's agenda meets local reality: Is Charlemont the test case for Beacon Hill?

2026/01/26

A proposal to tax recreation in the Franklin County town of Charlemont will be heard this week on Beacon Hill.

Mass. energy, budgets, and 2026 politics loom over Gov. Healey’s state address

2026/01/19

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey will deliver the annual State of the Commonwealth address on Thursday evening.

A $250M band-aid, child care audits, a marijuana ballot mess: Beacon Hill faces big questions

2026/01/13

This week Massachusetts state executive and Legislative budget officials are expected to release the consensus tax revenue estimate, a figure that is used in fiscal year 2027 budget proposals.

Massachusetts lawmakers ring in 2026 with budgets, ballots and midterms

2026/01/05

The Mass. Legislature begins the second year of its two-year session after ringing in the New Year.

Defining moments, political headlines that shaped Massachusetts in 2025

2025/12/29

A plot line that was developing a year ago, overshadowed 2025 by a long shot: President Donald Trump's arrival and its impact on Beacon Hill.