Massachusetts Legislature

Families who lost loved ones during the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will testify before state lawmakers Tuesday. Meanwhile, the facility is suspending visits until further notice after one of its residents tested positive again for coronavirus. The beleaguered veterans’ care center has been the subject of several major investigations after the site became of one of the…

Families who lost loved ones during the coronavirus outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home will share their stories during an 11 a.m. hearing Tuesday morning as part of an investigation being conducted by a special committee of Massachusetts legislators.

A proposed bill is working its way through Beacon Hill in an effort to put the MCAS graduation requirement for students on hold.

A graduation requirement for high school seniors could be put on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic if a bill is passed on Beacon Hill. The Joint Committee on Education will accept written testimony on a bill that would keep schools from using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as “MCAS” tests, as a condition for students in order…

The Joint Committee on Education will accept written testimony on a bill that would keep schools from using the Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System, also known as “MCAS” tests, as a graduation requirement amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Massachusetts’ Senate unanimously approved legislation Tuesday creating a special commission to review the state motto, flag and seal, which includes a controversial depiction of a Native American man. The seal depicts a Native American man, a colonist’s arm brandishing a sword, and a Latin phrase that reads, in part, “By the sword we seek peace.” The bill still needs...

And on the third day, after sessions that ran for a collective 35 hours, the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a sweeping police reform and accountability bill that seeks to certify all law enforcement officers in the state and curb the use of force tactics by police. The bill, representing the House’s attempt at addressing calls to counter systemic racism…

The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a sweeping police reform bill Friday night that would create a new system to license cops and enforce limits on the use of force, like chokeholds and tear gas.

Massachusetts lawmakers are debating a sweeping police reform bill Wednesday that would create a new system to license officers and enforce limits on the use of force, despite criticism from police chiefs who call such legislation “a knee-jerk reaction.” The deliberations in the House of Representatives comes after the House released their own version of a Senate police reform bill…

The Massachusetts House of Representatives has taken up the debate over police reform legislation.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is expected to debate a police reform bill Wednesday as police chiefs criticize the move as far reaching.

Recent calls for police reform sparked by the death of George Floyd include a controversial demand to remove police officers from schools, but some are speaking out against it. “They should not get rid of school police,” Charlestown High School graduate Danny Munoz said. Munoz believes removing school police would be harmful for students. The 2019 graduate was mentored by…

Some are speaking out against a call to remove police from schools after the Massachusetts Senate passed a bill to make resource officers optional.

Advocates are urging lawmakers to pass legislation in a renewed call to change the Massachusetts state flag. The flag features a colonial broadsword held over the head of a Native American. A group of advocates, legislators, and supporters are holding an 11 a.m. press conference on the steps of the State House Thursday in support of three bills that are…

Officials from more than two dozen cities plan on sending a letter later today pushing state lawmakers to keep increased funding measures in place for schools despite the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the economy. According to the Boston Globe, city officials plan on sending a letter to state lawmakers Tuesday arguing that a loss in school funding…

City officials are calling on state lawmakers to keep increased funding measures in place for schools despite the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on the economy.

Massachusetts lawmakers are preparing legislation to reform police departments throughout the state.

Massachusetts lawmakers say the stay-at-home advisory has not prevented them from doing their jobs amid the coronavirus crisis, despite a deserted State House. “On any given day, it’s like a beehive of activity under that gold dome,” Provincetown State Rep. Sarah Peake said, “even though there may not be many bees who are actually buzzing around in that hive.”...

State politicians say they are still getting government business done despite having to work from home during the coronavirus outbreak.

Lawmakers in Massachusetts made a surprise agreement Friday night on a hands-free driving bill. The deal is being praised by families who have lost loved ones to distracted driving. The agreement by the House and Senate will restrict the use of handheld devices while driving.