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Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly expanding and has already entered K-12 schools nationwide. November 2025 data from the Rand Institute show that the majority of teachers and students alike use AI to complete educational tasks. Yet, 80 percent of students do not believe they are adequately trained to use these emerging technologies (Figure 1).

On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled to end Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian and Syrian immigrants, heightening concerns in immigrant communities and sparking the possibility of protections for other immigrant populations being ended as well. Not only is this directly affecting the everyday lives of about 356,000 people nationwide, but also the businesses who employ them. For example, in Massachusetts, about 2,000 direct care workers --- which are professionals who provide hands-on assistance in everyday activities for individuals like the disabled --- in Massachusetts are at risk of losing work authorization. There is even already a shortage of direct care workers in Massachusetts.

BOSTON – A proposal to cut the state income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent over three years would have provided the median Massachusetts household with $1,095 in annual tax savings, grown the state economy by $14.5 billion, created 43,000 new jobs, increased total wages by nearly 2 percent and reduced the state unemployment rate by 0.3 percent, according to a new study published by Pioneer Institute.

On June 26, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced a three-year bachelor’s degree pilot program at Suffolk University and Merrimack College, aiming to cut tuition without sacrificing academic quality. As discussed in my previous blog, tuition costs have soared, and it may be due to the way universities fundamentally operate. In 2023, Massachusetts' average annual tuition neared $54,000 (Figure 1), with elite institutions costing even more.  

Public reporting of state finances that is transparent, reliable, and timely is what the International Monetary Fund defines as fiscal transparency. Not only can the transparency of this information help governments respond appropriately to the ever-changing economy, but it can also help the public hold them accountable.  

Massachusetts has distinguished itself as a national leader in education, health care, and biotechnology. While many other states rely on manufacturing, energy, or tourism as their economic drivers, Massachusetts has built an economy centered around research and innovation at some of the nation’s best academic and medical institutions.

"As the federal ROAD to Housing Act becomes law tonight, it marks the most comprehensive supply-focused federal housing legislation in decades. Pioneer Institute applauds the Act’s focus on spurring housing production and ultimately improving housing affordability nationwide.

BOSTON — Julie Young, the founding CEO of Florida Virtual School, ASU Prep Digital and ASU Prep Global and one of the architects of the modern virtual learning movement has released a new book, Say YES! How Virtual Became Reality. Published in partnership with Pioneer Institute, the book chronicles the mindset shifts and disciplined practices that allowed her and her team to turn a small, grant-funded pilot into a first-of-its-kind national model serving millions of students globally. Young will discuss her journey on Monday, July 13 from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. ET, in a live webinar hosted by edWeb.net.

This month's edition of The House Call breaks down results from the Census Bureau's 2025 Characteristics of New Housing Survey, including affordability, amenities, and production. It also describes the Massachusetts court case that stopped a rent control petition from appearing before voters this fall.

For many years, states without income taxes like Florida, New Hampshire, and Texas have been a big draw for high-wage earners looking to retain more of their salaries and retirement savings. For example, a person with an annual salary of $400,000 who moves from California to Nevada saves roughly $30,000 in income taxes. There is a strong case to be made for moving for tax purposes if a person’s income is higher than $200,000, they reside in a high-tax state, or the person is approaching retirement age with a large investment portfolio. While there are benefits to the taxpayer, these large taxpayer migrations have significant effects on the states themselves.