Government & Politics

Cries of "shame" echoed in front of the State House as speakers like Rebekah Gewirtz of the National Association of Social Workers deplored how the cuts will mean "more desperately hard times" for residents including "the most vulnerable kids."

The Department of Public Health is working to implement a new classification system into its hospital licensing regulations, which would specify the types of facilities that are suited to treat pregnant patients depending on their risk levels.

More and more patients have turned to walk-in appointments at these clinics for issues such as colds or sprains, where they may have previously either gone to the emergency department or made an appointment with their doctor.

The Senate president has said that she hopes to make the state's 15 community colleges free for all by the fall of 2024, but her goal may be affected by the state's changing fiscal environment.

Healey signed the tax relief into law on Oct. 4, less than a year after voters approved a new income surtax -- which Healey and legislative Democrats supported -- on high earners designed to generate more revenue for transportation and education investments.

"I think one way the commission can be helpful is to help us promote that tax credit because it's only been on the books for ... really a couple of fiscal years. I don't think people are aware of it as perhaps they can be," Cutler told the Legislative and Budget Subcommittee of the Commission on the Status of Persons with Disabilities.

The Central Massachusetts Business Confidence Index rose slightly from 49.6 to 50 in December, indicating local companies have mixed views regarding prospective business conditions as they head into the new year.

Heeding Gov. Maura Healey's calls for the Bay State to better compete for federal dollars, legislators are moving ahead with one of the governor's plans to attract more funds from the feds into the state.

Since 2018, professional men’s or women’s soccer teams have been announced or launched in Boston, Hartford, Pawtucket, and Portland, while New England’s second-largest city has been sitting on the proverbial sidelines.

The Department of Energy Resources gave seven communities the final green light to begin a groundbreaking experiment: they will require new construction and major renovation to embrace fossil fuel-free infrastructure for uses like heating and cooling.