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State watchdog calls on Mass. lawmakers to appoint receiver for ‘rudderless’ cannabis commission

The request marked the latest escalation of scrutiny of the Cannabis Control Commission, which has been beset by a series of scandals, high-profile job vacancies, and resignations.

Is ranked-choice voting a good idea for Boston elections? City Council President Louijeune thinks so.
Though a ballot measure to implement ranked-choice voting in Massachusetts failed statewide in 2020, more than 60 percent of Boston voters supported the idea.

Boston could transform its disjointed rail system with a connection that runs through North and South stations
Congressman Seth Moulton has become a massive proponent of an almost 3-mile stretch of tunnel that would connect the north and south sides of our severed commuter rail system.

Despite ongoing concerns with the district, City Council approves $1.5 billion budget for Boston Public Schools

Councilors noted concerns about ongoing inequities in the district, the lack of a long-term facilities plan, declining enrollment, and worrisome student performance.

YVONNE ABRAHAM
A different kind of incubator
“Everything we’re doing is designed to make more high-quality child care available for families,” said Laura Perille, president of Nurtury.

‘It’s heartbreaking that it’s taken this long.’ Mass. poised to become 49th state to ban ‘revenge porn.’
The proposal would make South Carolina the only state left to not explicitly make it illegal for former partners and others to disseminate sexually explicit images of another person without consent.

State says migrant, homeless families will start getting notices to leave shelters in July
The nine-month limit on how long the state should provide a place for homeless families to sleep marks the first restrictions on the system since the inception of Massachusetts’ right-to-shelter law.

Representative Ayanna Pressley raises concerns on Project 2025
During a hearing on Supreme Court ethics, Pressley expressed concerns about Project 2025, which seeks to promote conservative policies if Trump is elected.

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For years, mothers were reported to DCF simply for taking addiction medication. Massachusetts lawmakers are seeking to end that.

The proposal pushed by Massachusetts House leaders would offer a dramatic shift in the state’s approach to child welfare reporting.

Negotiators appear to have deal on legislation that would make Mass. 49th state to outlaw ‘revenge porn’

Nithya Badrinath, policy director of Jane Doe Inc., one of the organizations pushing for the bill’s enactment, said there had been “chatter that some deal is going to come out soon” in recent weeks.

‘We do not have the luxury to wait.’ With delayed school closure plan, Mayor Wu draws criticism, sympathy on tough issue.

Mayor Michelle Wu’s approach to school closures underscores that even as she aims to lead a new kind of administration, she can’t avoid the challenges that dogged her predecessors.

Boston-area beaches ‘among the safest’ water quality for beachgoers in 2023, advocacy group says

The overall water quality rating for Boston Harbor-region beaches was 86 percent in 2023, according to Save the Harbor/Save the Bay’s annual Metropolitan Beaches Water Quality Report Card.

Mayor Michelle Wu vetoes changes to police, fire budgets made by City Council, frustrating some members

The council had cut down Wu’s proposed increases to the Boston Police Department by around $3 million, and the Boston Fire Department by about $735,000.

YVONNE ABRAHAM

In the abhorrent Karen Read circus, the forgotten victims

The two teens John O’Keefe was raising before prosecutors say Read killed him have already known enough pain for a lifetime.

City Council approves $15 million of line item changes to Wu’s $4.6 billion budget plan for next year

After contentious deliberations, the council also voted to approve more than $450 million for capital projects, but delayed making a decision on the Boston Public Schools budget.

In a win for Mayor Wu, Boston City Council passes controversial property tax proposal

While a necessary step, the council vote is not the end of the debate; the proposal, which would give Wu the power to temporarily increase commercial property tax rates, requires sign-off by the state Legislature.