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By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Health care costs in Massachusetts surged at “unsustainable” levels in 2023, adding more pressure to already-strained household budgets, according to new state data.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON – A bill pumping another $425 million into the state’s overburdened emergency family shelter system landed on Gov. Maura Healey’s desk Wednesday, more than three weeks after administration officials said they ran out of funding to pay providers for new services.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Two years after policymakers enacted mental health care reforms designed to mitigate the problem, the share of patients experiencing long waits in Massachusetts emergency departments remains elevated, according to new state research.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

The Healey administration moved to overhaul the way vocational and technical schools admit students after years of criticism that the system excludes applicants from certain backgrounds, but some advocates who sought the changes are concerned the proposal will lead to “the same discriminatory selection pattern.”

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Gov. Maura Healey’s proposal to increase state funding for local road and bridge projects also overhauls the way those dollars are distributed, and includes major boosts for smaller and rural communities with smaller property tax bases but more road miles to care for.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — The opioid epidemic has affected tens of thousands of people across Massachusetts, and later this year, vehicles on the state’s roads will be able to offer reminders that survivors and grieving families are all around us.

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Top Democrats needed a few extra months to reach agreements on major laws this session, but wrapped up business for the term with almost a day to spare and New Year’s Eve plans intact.The House and Senate adjourned their last meetings of the 2023-2024...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON – Reforms in a bill that could clear the Legislature soon would “dramatically” improve efforts to monitor street-level drug supplies for dangerous contaminants, according to one expert.As lawmakers prepare to send Gov. Maura Healey a...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

President-elect Donald Trump continues to pledge large-scale deportations of foreign-born residents, stoking concerns about massive economic consequences and reigniting debate in Massachusetts about law enforcement cooperation.Trump spent much of his...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Running consistent passenger rail service for 140 miles through northern Massachusetts communities to connect North Adams and Boston could attract hundreds of riders per day, but would also require hundreds of millions of dollars in up-front capital...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Gov. Maura Healey spent months clamoring for lawmakers to finish work on a sweeping jobs package she filed in March, and she wound up needing only about 60% of the time allotted for her review before making it law.Healey on Wednesday signed her...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — The House on Thursday moved to overhaul audits of the chamber’s business after voters overwhelmingly said the state auditor has the power to audit the Legislature. Representatives voted 135-10 to adopt a House rule change that provides...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Bay Staters should conserve water and avoid burning anything outdoors amid an “unprecedented” wildfire season that likely will not abate until significant rain — or seasonal frost — arrives, state and local fire officials said this...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Democrats plan next week to finish their work on a stalled jobs bill designed to supercharge the state’s economy, especially the life sciences and climate technology industries.More than three months after they ended scheduled formal sessions for the...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

BOSTON — Auditor Diana DiZoglio on Monday escalated her long fight with the Legislature, publishing a report slamming lawmakers for a lack of transparency that the top House Democrat derided as “pure political self-promotion and...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Massachusetts voters have a lot of big decisions to make this election season, including who should serve as the next president, whether U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren gets a third term, and the fate of five proposed laws.Those stakes do not extend all...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Health care spending in Massachusetts continued to grow faster than household incomes, according to new research, fueling concerns about access to care, even before accounting for the recent upheaval inflicted by Steward Health Care’s bankruptcy.The...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

The fight over the fate of a sweeping new gun law expanded to another front late last week with a second lawsuit challenging the measure’s constitutionality.Gino Recchia and the Bellingham gun shop he owns, Mass Armament, filed a complaint in federal...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

While the problems at Steward Health Care absorbed the spotlight over the past nine months, many other hospitals across Massachusetts continued to struggle financially in what an industry group called a “deeply troubling” trend.New financial data...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Ten years ago, Sara Guttierez dropped out of college because she could not make the finances work.It was a hard, stressful decision, she recalled Wednesday, one that left her feeling “lost and uncertain” about the future. But today, Guttierez is back...

By CHRIS LISINSKI

Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday that she plans to immediately implement a sweeping gun reform law, in the process blocking opponents who appear to be on the verge of suspending the law for more than two years until voters get the final say.A...