Government & Politics

Gov. Maura Healey signed a law Wednesday that bans the sale of puppies and kittens under eight weeks old, as well as the roadside sale of animals, her office said. 

In a decision with massive implications for the state's effort to build more housing, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled that the zoning reform law does not run afoul of the state Constitution.

The bill intends to protect Massachusetts from another crisis like the Steward Health Care bankruptcy saga, which led to the closure of Nashoba Valley Medical Center in Ayer.

The largest driver: immigration, estimated at 90,217 incoming immigrants between 2023 and 2024.

“After a thorough and thoughtful review, we determined that closing this location was necessary to align our resources with the needs of the broader market,” Blaine Bringhurst, president of Market 32/Price Chopper, said.

Gov. Maura Healey filed a supplemental spending bill Monday, seeking another $425 million from a reserve account to keep the maxed-out emergency assistance shelter program running for the next six months.

The state auditor found a key industry watchdog was not properly holding the hospitals to account, which are claims the watchdog agency disputes.

This second round of funding awarded on Dec. 23 followed an application process announced in September. 

The governor's office said about 280 people who were facing disqualification will be sent letters starting Thursday informing them that they no longer need to worry due to the new law. Another 65 drivers will benefit from the law after they address other outstanding obligations, Healey's office said.

Lawmakers rushed a hospital oversight bill to Gov. Maura Healey on Monday, agreeing on policy responses to the Steward Health Care crisis that aim to better regulate private equity firms and stiffen penalties for entities that fail to submit required information.