Shira Schoenberg

Reporter, CommonWealth

About Shira Schoenberg

Shira Schoenberg is a reporter at CommonWealth magazine. Shira previously worked for more than seven years at the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com where she covered state politics and elections, covering topics as diverse as the launch of the legal marijuana industry, problems with the state's foster care system and the elections of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Charlie Baker. Shira won the Massachusetts Bar Association's 2018 award for Excellence in Legal Journalism and has had several stories win awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Shira covered the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary for the Boston Globe. Before that, she worked for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, where she wrote about state government, City Hall and Barack Obama's 2008 New Hampshire primary campaign. Shira holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

About Shira Schoenberg

Shira Schoenberg is a reporter at CommonWealth magazine. Shira previously worked for more than seven years at the Springfield Republican/MassLive.com where she covered state politics and elections, covering topics as diverse as the launch of the legal marijuana industry, problems with the state's foster care system and the elections of U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Gov. Charlie Baker. Shira won the Massachusetts Bar Association's 2018 award for Excellence in Legal Journalism and has had several stories win awards from the New England Newspaper and Press Association. Shira covered the 2012 New Hampshire presidential primary for the Boston Globe. Before that, she worked for the Concord (N.H.) Monitor, where she wrote about state government, City Hall and Barack Obama's 2008 New Hampshire primary campaign. Shira holds a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Stories by Shira Schoenberg

Step therapy bill moving in informal sessions

Passage still uncertain as insurer concerns remain

Trulieve defends response to worker’s death

Says Lorna McMurrey was offered paid time off

Cannabis regulators confirm agency was told quickly of worker’s death

Investigation into Trulieve conditions began before Lorna McMurrey’s passing

Cannabis commissioners learned ‘through the media’ about Holyoke death

Company says regulatory staff were notified immediately of incident at cultivation facility

Marijuana regulators grapple with chair’s former company ownership 

Cannabis commission postpones decision on Greenfield Greenery  

Auditor identifies $1.2 billion in unfunded mandates 

Biggest chunks relate to school transportation, special ed 

Early data finds telehealth is largely cost neutral

Virtual visits remain popular for mental health

Baker pardons four men for decades-old offenses 

Most were for relatively minor charges 

Gaming Commission struggling with when to launch sports betting

Regulators float timeline to start placing bets in January

Massachusetts gets $145 million to expand broadband  

ARPA funding approved by White House 

Advocates say Baker trying to gut prison mental health law

Governor ‘s proposal seeks to limit transfers to psychiatric facilities

Worker dies at Holyoke cannabis cultivation facility

OSHA fines Trulieve $35,000 after employee’s death

Business versus business in millionaire’s tax fight?

New ad features brewery owner supporting tax hike

MCAS scores show major drop since 2019 

Slight boost over last year in math and science 

Polito praises Driscoll’s experience – but won’t endorse

LG redefined role as municipal liaison

Medicaid waiver makes money available for housing, nutrition

$67b agreement also supports primary care, behavioral health

Two surgeons who are moms jump into politics

Form PAC to elect Democratic health care workers to Congress

Sports betting regulators confront licensing quirks

Applicants say temp licenses, head starts don’t make sense

Ballot question would shift profits from insurers to dentists

New report says policy could lead to higher prices

07/30/20, immigration, driver's licenses, drivers license

Filings flesh out opposing sides in immigrant driver’s license fight

Unions back law, while Mass Fiscal Alliance leads opponents

White House says 813,000 in Mass. eligible for student debt relief

Nearly half can get up to $20,000 in loans canceled

How much is Massachusetts spending on primary, behavioral health care? 

Baker had hoped to reorient health care spending 

Innovative court program helps people navigate addiction services 

'It’s not like anything we’ve ever done before'

Barnstable commissioner candidate minimizes ties to Oath Keepers

Beaty says he gave small donation to far-right group in 2014

Marijuana delivery companies seek repeal of two-driver rule

Businesses struggle with profitability; ‘It’s literally impossible’

Why are migrants being flown to Martha’s Vineyard? 

An explainer on the border crisis and how Mass. has been drawn into the fray

Mail-in voting didn’t boost primary turnout

Wealthier suburbs tended to use new voting method

Demand picking up a bit for new Omicron booster shots

Mass. reports 91,400 vaccine doses administered last week

Federal judge won’t intervene in Tran prosecution

Dismisses claims alleging political bias against Healey

Half of primary ballots cast before Election Day

Turnout was 21.8 percent with 1 million votes cast