News

The Pioneer Public Interest Law Center (Pioneer Law Center) today announced its strategic alliance with the New England Legal Foundation (NELF), as the Pioneer New England Legal Foundation (PNELF). Building on a common mission of advancing educational opportunity, government transparency and free enterprise, PNELF will expand services to defend and promote these freedoms across and beyond New England. 

Pioneer Institute has released a new Urban Voc-Tech Toolkit  aimed at helping Boston’s Madison Park Technical Vocational High School reach its full potential as a driver of opportunity for high-need students. Drawing on the successes of vocational-technical schools in Worcester, Springfield, and across Massachusetts, the toolkit outlines strategies based on high academic standards, strong industry partnerships, and increased school autonomy. The toolkit was coauthored by a group of five nationally recognized education leaders.

This edition of The House Call dives into the 2024 results from the U.S. Census Bureau's Building Permit Survey, including that Massachusetts permitted fewer new homes than it did in each year from 2013-2022. The newsletter also explains why the state's efforts to increase production of small, owner-occupied "starter homes" have thus far resulted in no new starter homes under official programs.

A new data tool from Pioneer Institute reveals that federal drug price controls—intended to reduce out-of-pocket costs for seniors—are instead making many prescription drugs more expensive for Medicare beneficiaries.  

A new Pioneer Institute study finds that while rent control can lower rental housing costs and help vulnerable tenants remain in their homes, it also carries steep long-term consequences—including reduced housing quality, lower property values, fewer new housing units, and higher rents for non-controlled apartments. 

While nearly every state has expanded private sector employment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts is an outlier in experiencing a net decline in private sector job growth, posing significant risks to the state’s economic health and long-term prosperity, according to a new policy brief published by Pioneer Institute. 

Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios submitted testimony highlighting the success of Massachusetts’ vocational-technical high schools and urging policymakers to focus on expanding capacity rather than altering existing admissions policies. 

New report urges maximizing tax-credit value to expand educational opportunity and boost private contributions

The Institute for Policy Studies’ report on millionaire surtaxes reads much the same way: a rosy story spun from selective numbers, wishful thinking, and an eagerness to ignore the warning signs. The new study claims that Massachusetts’ 2022 surtax on millionaires has produced a windfall of new revenue — without scaring away the wealthy. According to the report, higher taxes have coincided with an increase in the number of millionaires and a surge in overall wealth. It sounds like a fairy tale. Unfortunately, it’s one painted with numbers that don’t hold up under scrutiny.

The April edition of The House Call provides an update regarding the MBTA Communities Act's implementation, with some communities amending their zoning via either referendum votes or Town Meeting this spring. The newsletter also includes a discussion of communities that have eliminated minimum parking requirements in recent years.