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Massachusetts has one of the most restrictive ballot initiative systems in the country. So why are lawmakers considering new barriers instead of fixing what's broken?

The federal 340B program was introduced to aid safety-net hospitals – institutions that serve a disproportionate share of low-income patients – through access to heavily discounted drugs at the manufacturers’ expense. The program has grown into a $100 billion enterprise, surpassing Medicaid...

What is it about education that causes otherwise disciplined people from business and philanthropy to forget the very lessons that made them successful? Focus on the core business, measure results, and change course when something isn't working. Yet in education there is a recurring temptation to broaden the mission, multiply the objectives, and assume that addressing more of the problems surrounding children will eventually produce better academic results.

BOSTON: In a significant move, the U.S. Supreme Court has ordered Massachusetts to respond to a case challenging a state rule that blocks children with disabilities from getting special education services at the private schools their parents chose for them.

A conference committee is deciding whether Massachusetts remains the only New England state that taxes rolling stock at its full sales tax rate, with no exemption and no limit. The House version of the Mass Ready Act would exempt rolling stock (the trucks, tractors, and trailers common carriers use to move goods in interstate commerce) from the 6.25 percent sales and use tax (H.5518, Sections 22A through 22D).1 The Senate version contains no such language.2 The House passed its bill 151 to 0.3 The conferees should keep the House provision and take an easy step toward making Massachusetts more competitive.

A Response to Heather Cox Richardson’s Letters from an American Substack Like most Americans, I am fascinated with history but have not had a chance to follow the work of Heather Cox Richardson with any frequency. Because I work in education policy,...

City records produced in litigation show a broader alleged practice than previously known BOSTON — Pioneer New England Legal Foundation has hand-delivered a fourth letter to Massachusetts Commissioner of Revenue Geoffrey E. Snyder, urging him to reopen an investigation into the City...

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is about to become significantly more expensive for states as they take on new responsibilities imposed by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. For the first time in program history, states will shoulder a portion of costs based on their payment error rates. Massachusetts registered a 12.5% error rate in the 2025 fiscal year, meaning the Commonwealth could be on the hook for upwards of $350 million.

Nationally, Massachusetts has among the highest housing prices, with a median sale price of $667,628 for all homes compared to the national average of $398,771. Between October 2016-2025, Massachusetts single-family home prices went up 80.5%, mirroring the climb of housing prices across New England following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2026, Massachusetts has the nation’s third highest average rent at $2,259 a month. House prices nationally surged in 2021. This was mainly attributed to increased housing demand resulting from remote work, federal stimulus payments, and low interest rates coupled with increased supply chain disruptions that raised the cost of building and limited construction of new homes.

This edition of The House Call describes a proposed zoning reform that would make it easier to add housing to existing properties in Hyde Park, Roslindale, and West Roxbury. It also provides an update about pending state legislation related to housing.