Policy
After Three Long Months, the State’s Vaping Ban Is Finally Over
The Massachusetts vaping ban, the most extreme reaction to this year’s spasm of e-cigarette-linked lung illness and death, has officially come to an end. Bad […]
Is Massachusetts Gearing up For a #MassExit?
From Beacon Hill to city halls, local politicians are inching ever closer to launching the state’s first safe injection facilities (SIFs)—and in doing so, igniting […]
The Massachusetts Vaping Ban Will End Early, but There’s a Catch
Vapers of Massachusetts, you may see e-cigarettes return to shelves in the state earlier than you thought: In a surprise announcement, Gov. Charlie Baker said […]
Menthol Ban: State House Bill Gives One More Reason to Go to New Hampshire
In a matter of days, Massachusetts is poised to once again get ahead of the rest of the country when it comes to tobacco laws, […]
Businesses Group Realizes the Obvious: A Gas Tax Would Ease the Transit Crisis
A local business coalition is throwing its weight behind resuscitating a controversial idea for raising revenues: a gas tax. In a message to state lawmakers […]
Massachusetts Might Start Charging Netflix Fees to Pay for Public Access TV
The streaming revolution has not exactly been kind to public access television, which relies on franchise fees the state charges cable companies to keep programming on […]
The Great Massachusetts Beer Garden Backlash Has Arrived
Everyone loves a good beer garden. When it comes to combining the trends in after-hours imbibing, they’re right in the sweet spot: sought-after brews, fresh air, […]
You Can Secretly Record Officials and Police in Massachusetts, a Judge Ruled
In a victory for two very different groups of people, a federal judge has ruled that a Massachusetts law against secretly recording police officers or government officials in […]
The “Sanctuary State” Amendment Is No More
A “sanctuary state” proposal in the budget, which would have prevented local law enforcement from spending limited time and resources helping ICE, has been removed after legislators […]
A City Council Idea Could Slow the Starbucks-ification of Boston
Sick of chains like Starbucks pushing out small businesses and swapping local character for squeaky clean corporate sheen? Boston’s City Council has an idea that would […]
Massachusetts Senate Passes Bill to Add Third Gender Option to State IDs
For some, the stressful part of getting a driver’s license ends as soon as they manage to parallel park a vehicle. But for others, the […]
Massachusetts House of Representatives Passes Automatic Voter Registration Bill
Your reward for waiting in line at the RMV may soon get a whole lot bigger. On Wednesday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed an […]
Charlie Baker Just Signed Off on a $15 Minimum Wage
A $15 minimum wage has long been a goal of activists around the country and in Massachusetts, a hard number to strive for in an […]
Massachusetts Legislature Passes Bill for $15 Minimum Wage
With the flick of Gov. Charlie Baker’s pen, Massachusetts could join New York and California to become the third state in the country with a […]
Protesters Disrupted Kirstjen Nielsen’s Dinner at a Todd English Restaurant in Washington, D.C.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen fled a restaurant led by Boston based-chef Todd English on Tuesday night—but it had nothing to do with his […]