Karen Spilka

Massachusetts lawmakers finished their work on a compromise police reform bill Monday, filing an updated version of the landmark legislation that Democratic leaders praised as “one of the most comprehensive approaches to police reform and racial justice” in the country. Details of the conference committee’s bill — crafted in closed-door negotiations over the last four months — were not immediately…

Massachusetts lawmakers finished their work on a compromise police reform bill Monday, filing an updated version of the landmark legislation that Democratic leaders praised as “one of the most comprehensive approaches to police reform and racial justice” in the country.

A bill moving through the Senate Ways and Means Committee would create a new Police Officer Standards and Accreditation Committee that would certify law enforcement and be able to revoke or modify that certification, along with investigating misconduct complaints. Officers would need to be re-certified every three years, under the bill, and the committee would have to maintain a publicly…

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker addressed calls for police reform with new legislation.

Massachusetts would eliminate carry-out plastic bags from retail stores around the state under a new bill set for debate this week in the State Senate. Released on Monday, the proposal would expand on measures already adopted in over 100 cities and towns across the commonwealth, according to the office of Senate President Karen Spilka.

Massachusetts residents can now have a non-binary gender designation on state driver’s licenses. The state’s Registry of Motor Vehicles says it now recognizes three gender designations: “male,” “female,” and “non-binary.” The change took effect Tuesday.

Flanked by pictures of a dozen Massachusetts residents killed or injured in distracted-driving crashes, residents demanded Thursday that the Legislature take up a simple handheld device ban as soon as possible if negotiators can’t reach a compromise Thursday on a bill that also includes language aimed at monitoring for racial profiling. Speakers told harrowing stories of loss, recounting loved ones...

The state’s two top Democratic legislative leaders say they’re sticking by their earlier endorsements of U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, who is facing a possible Democratic primary challenge from U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy. Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Robert DeLeo both said Monday they’re not wavering in their support of Markey.

Gov. Charlie Baker is saying he’ll take his cues from the state’s Cannabis Control Commission on any proposed changes to the state’s marijuana law. The Republican was asked Monday if any changes were needed after Fall River Mayor Jasiel Correia was arrested last week on charges he conspired to extort hundreds of thousands of dollars from companies seeking to operate...

The Massachusetts Legislature may renew a longstanding debate over whether the state should move to a graduated income tax.

Expanding road tolls across Massachusetts and to the state’s borders could be a way to generate new revenue to address growing transportation woes, Senate President Karen Spilka said Thursday. In remarks at a Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce breakfast Thursday, Spilka, an Ashland Democrat, told business leaders that tolls similar to those along Interstate 90 deserve consideration for other places.

The Massachusetts Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill Thursday to allow state residents to make a gender-neutral designation on their driver’s licenses and birth certificates. The bill, which passed by a 39-1 vote, would allow people to choose “X” rather than “M” or “F” on the state documents.

The Massachusetts Senate has scheduled a debate on a proposal that would allow an individual to list a non-binary gender designation on their driver’s license. The bill on the calendar for a Senate session on Thursday would provide a choice of listing gender as “X” instead of male or female. In addition to driver’s licenses, the proposed change would also...

It was a morning full of laughs at the annual St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in Boston. Sen. Nick Collins (D-MA) hosted the event. It was the first time the senator took over hosting duties. It was also the first time the event was held at Flynn Cruiseport on South Boston’s waterfront.

Though he vetoed a similar measure last year, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is proposing the elimination of a welfare rule that denies benefits to children born into families already receiving public assistance.

Gov. Charlie Baker is preparing to present lawmakers with ideas about how Massachusetts could help federal workers who are furloughed or working without pay because of the partial federal government shutdown.

As they exited their first meeting of 2019, Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Karen Spilka put up a cohesive front.

Members of the Massachusetts Legislature have been sworn-in to a new two-year term on Beacon Hill. Republican Gov. Charlie Baker first administered the oath to 40 senators in the ornate Senate chamber that reopened Wednesday for the first time in more than 18 months after undergoing a $20 million renovation.

Gov. Charlie Baker and other top state politicians are planning to join representatives of Massachusetts’ Jewish community to light an 18-foot (5.5-meter) menorah in the Statehouse to mark the beginning of Hanukkah.

The Massachusetts House has voted to repeal a series of antiquated state laws, including a ban on abortion with origins dating to 1845. Supporters describe the move as a hedge against possible future rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican President Donald Trump’s nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the court has raised the possibility the 1973 Roe v. Wade...