Rideshare safety was front and center at the Massachsuetts State House Friday as lawmakers consider a crackdown on the services. The legislation that was introduced by Gov. Charlie Baker includes more protections for a rider’s personal information, stiffer penalties for what’s known as “account renting” and more trip data collection. Those in favor of the bill said the data...

The safety of people who use rideshare services like Uber and Lyft is front and center on Beacon Hill.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has been dethroned as America’s most-popular governor, according to a recent Morning Consult poll. The governor’s approval rating among all voters dropped from 73% to 69% in the fourth quarter, according to the poll. Baker is now the third most popular governor, behind Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Baker often receives praise…

Amid an ongoing reform to the Massachusetts State Police Department, Gov. Charlie Baker and Col. Christopher Mason announced Thursday a new bill that would improve accountability and discipline in the department. Under the bill, swifter action will be taken against troopers who violate the public’s trust and they will face more severe penalties. Officers charged with serious offenses will...

Over the weekend, Gov. Charlie Baker visited with the corrections officers hurt Friday in an attack at a prison in Shirley, Massachusetts. The attack at the Souza-Baranowski Correctional Center, which began when an officer was surrounded and assaulted by inmates in a general population housing unit, left that officer hospitalized along with two others who intervened. Baker spoke with the…

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday signed a bill that gives churches, synagogues and other places of worship more power to fight a recent surge in hates crimes and other violence aimed at religious groups being seen nationwide.  The bill adds $1.5 million in funding to the Commonwealth Nonprofit Security Grant Program.  The additional funding, which will be used to…

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed a bill Monday that gives places of worship more power to fight hate crimes.

A Massachusetts political action committee has agreed to pay $45,000 after making excess in-kind contributions to six candidates during last year’s elections. Campaign finance officials said the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union PAC made its largest contribution to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. The more than $23,000 went in part to campaign signs and bumper stickers….

Boston-area lawmakers and some 2020 presidential hopefuls belted out a Christmas classic for Alison King’s annual tradition.

Massachusetts is using money it received from a nationwide settlement with Volkswagen to help electrify the state’s transportation sector and reduce air pollution.

Massachusetts lawmakers approved a spending plan Thursday for more than $1 billion in surplus tax revenue from the last fiscal year. House and Senate lawmakers sent the budget to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker’s desk in the early morning. Lawmakers approved $541 million in spending. The remaining money was deposited in the state’s rainy day fund, bringing that fund’s total...

State marijuana regulators on Thursday eased their ban on vaping product sales, allowing certain types of products to return to store shelves one day after state public health officials backed off a ban on nicotine vape sales. As of 2 p.m. Thursday, the Cannabis Control Commission permitted licensed marijuana retailers to sell devices that vaporize marijuana flower for medical marijuana…

Retailers in Massachusetts will once again be allowed to sell unflavored vaping products after state officials on Wednesday ended an emergency ban on their sale and approved new restrictions on flavored vaping products. The state’s Public Health Council on Wednesday voted to rescind a temporary ban on the sale of all vaping products that was imposed by Republican Gov....

Massachusetts’ Public Health Council will vote on Gov. Charlie Baker’s vape ban and regulations surrounding the ban on flavored tobacco products.

Six Massachusetts residents with probable cases of vaping-related lung illnesses said they used products purchased from state-licensed marijuana dispensaries, according to information released Thursday. It is the first time the state Department of Health has linked illnesses to vaping products bought at dispensaries. The state has flagged 90 probable and confirmed cases of vaping-related lung illnesses. Three of those people…

Massachusetts became the first state to ban flavored tobacco and nicotine vaping products, including menthol cigarettes, after Republican Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law on Wednesday a bill that’s meant to reduce the appeal of the products to young people amid a rash of illnesses and deaths linked to vaping. Anti-smoking groups hailed the ban, which restricts sale and consumption...

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has signed into law a bill that would provide $1.5 billion in new spending on the state’s K-12 education system when fully phased in over seven years. Supporters of the measure say it will help ensure schools have the resources needed to provide high quality education for students across Massachusetts, regardless of zip code or income...

Fallen Worcester firefighter Christopher Roy, who died battling a fire in 2018, was among those honored Tuesday at Massachusetts’ ‘Firefighter of the Year’ Awards. Officials including Gov. Charlie Baker were on hand for the 30th annual event at Mechanics Hall in Worcester to honor firefighters from fire departments who undertook heroic acts of bravery and public service across the state in 2018.

Gov. Charlie Baker has made the hands-free law official in Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker signed the long-awaited bill Monday that would make it illegal to hold a cellphone while driving in the Bay State. Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved the hands-free driving bill with a 38-1 vote in the Senate and 153-1 vote from the House. Baker signed the bill just after 3 p.m.