THE HOUSE AND SENATE may agree on broad contours of policy, but when it comes to actually passing bills, the devil’s in the details. That truism is on full display this week as the Senate took up a COVID-19 relief bill that previously passed the House, and the House plans to consider a version of […]
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.
Posted inUncategorized
Baker budget includes $700m tax break proposal
IN HIS FINAL budget proposal before leaving office, Gov. Charlie Baker on Wednesday included nearly $700 million worth of tax cuts for Massachusetts residents, setting up a debate over tax policy with the Legislature. Baker touted his proposals as helping those most in need: seniors, renters, low-income taxpayers, and parents of dependent children. “This proposal will help […]
Posted inHealth Care
HPC reins in Mass General Brigham
THE HEALTH POLICY COMMISSION took two decisive steps to rein in Mass General Brigham on Tuesday, ordering the largest and most prominent health care system in Massachusetts to develop a plan to cut its costs and concluding that a $2.3 billion expansion initiative is inconsistent with the state’s health care cost containment goals. The twin […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Commission probes uneven sheriffs’ spending
THE BRISTOL COUNTY sheriff’s department spends around $50,000 per year for each inmate it incarcerates, and around $1,000 per inmate on programming. The Barnstable County sheriff spends twice that – an average of $100,000 per year per inmate – and around $6,000 per inmate on programs. Essex County has less than half a full-time staff […]
Posted inEducation
Making sense of COVID policies in schools
STUDENTS ARE CONTRACTING COVID-19, occasionally in school – but medical experts say school is the safest place for kids. Parents are urged to vaccinate their children against COVID, though children are unlikely to get seriously ill. State policymakers are encouraging schools to increase one form of COVID testing, while ramping down another. Education policy during […]
Posted inPolitics
Costly ballot fights ahead on gig economy, income tax amendment
A BALLOT QUESTION that would classify Uber and Lyft workers as independent contractors while granting them certain workplace benefits is shaping up to be the biggest and most expensive fight on the ballot this November, according to newly filed campaign finance reports, while a campaign to raise the income tax rate on income over $1 […]
Posted inCriminal Justice
Marijuana regulators support updates to drugged driving laws
SINCE MASSACHUSETTS LEGALIZED recreational marijuana, Gov. Charlie Baker has been pushing the Legislature to also update the state’s laws against driving under the influence of drugs. But a lengthy discussion by the state’s marijuana regulators on Thursday illustrated the immense challenges lawmakers will face should they choose to move forward with the governor’s bill. […]
Posted inEducation, Health Care
Baker expands test-and-stay to early childhood centers
GOV. CHARLIE BAKER announced Wednesday that he is expanding the state’s test-and-stay program to early childhood centers, so that children exposed to COVID at daycare do not have to quarantine. The announcement came one day after Baker gave schools the flexibility to eliminate test-and-stay in public K-12 schools, in favor of a weekly at-home testing option. Baker, at a […]
Posted inEducation
House releases $55m bill for COVID testing, school masks
THE HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS Committee on Tuesday released a bill that would allocate another $55 million to expanding COVID testing sites, buying masks for schools, and doing vaccine outreach, even as Gov. Charlie Baker raised questions about what additional money could accomplish beyond what the administration is already doing. “I think the Legislature in doing this is really saying money […]
Posted inPolitics
Gloucester Mayor Greg Verga promises reset of City Hall
One in a series looking at newly-elected mayors across the Commonwealth. GLOUCESTER MAYOR Greg Verga was sworn into office on New Year’s Day promising to reset the tone in City Hall after a contentious term by former mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken. Verga, 53, is a lifelong Gloucester resident who held several jobs. He started working in shipping at an aerospace […]