Franklin Matters: Beacon Hill

Showing posts with label Beacon Hill. Show all posts

Saturday, December 6, 2025

Banker & Tradesman: Why 2026 Could Be the Turning Point for Housing in Massachusetts

"After decades of stalled reforms, entrenched local resistance, and a political culture that treated housing scarcity as an unfortunate inevitability, Massachusetts appears poised to enter a new phase.

Banker & Tradesman: Why 2026 Could Be
the Turning Point for Housing in Massachusetts

The conversation on Beacon Hill has become sharper and more candid, new polling shows voters want deeper, faster action on housing affordability and local elections are sending pro-housing candidates into office. For the first time in decades, political leadership and public sentiment are aligned, creating a rare moment where transformational housing reform doesn’t just seem possible, but increasingly expected by voters.

Multiple recent opinion polls point to this public shift. A November survey from WCVB and UMass Amherst and a September poll from Abundant Housing Massachusetts both found that housing is now the most important issue for voters statewide."

Continue reading the article By Jonathan Berk -> https://bankerandtradesman.com/why-2026-could-be-the-turning-point-for-housing-in-massachusetts/

Tuesday, August 2, 2022

CommonWealth Magazine: "Here’s what passed in marathon all-night legislative session"

"IN A MARATHON all night session, the Massachusetts Legislature finally finished many of their key priorities of the 2021-2022 legislative session, even as one key priority – tax reform – remained undone. They passed bills on equity in the cannabis industry, legalizing sports betting, and tightening gun licensing laws in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling. While lawmakers typically go into the wee hours of the morning when concluding formal sessions on July 31, in a highly unusual move, this year’s Legislature not only worked through the night but was still going as the Monday workday began.

“The final bill comes before us for its passage,” House Speaker Ron Mariano intoned just before 7 a.m. before breaking into an unscripted comment. “Easier said than done,” he added. "

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/courts/heres-what-passed-in-marathon-all-night-legislative-session/

You can check What's on the Governor's Desk at this page ->

https://www.mass.gov/service-details/on-the-governors-desk

Boston Globe coverage of the last session and what made it or didn't (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/31/metro/billions-tax-relief-sports-betting-gun-control-its-all-line-final-hours-mass-legislative-session/

Read more about the inner workings of the State House by following "Lisa Kashinsky's must-read rundown of what's up on Beacon Hill and beyond"

https://www.politico.com/massachusettsplaybook