Beacon Hill in 5

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Beacon Hill In 5 is a weekly check-in at the Statehouse from New England Public Radio. Get a quick look at the week ahead in politics and government in Massachusetts with Carrie Healy, NEPR’s Morning Edition Host, and Matt Murphy with the State House News Service.

Carrie Healy


    • May 19, 2025 LATEST EPISODE
    • weekly NEW EPISODES
    • 5m AVG DURATION
    • 245 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Beacon Hill in 5

    Rules confusion clouds the Massachusetts legislative process

    Play Episode Listen Later May 19, 2025 5:21


    More than four months into the Legislative session, lawmakers on Beacon Hill have not agreed on a rules package, and that's beginning to affect western Mass. residents.

    WMass doctor warns lawmakers about healthcare breaking point

    Play Episode Listen Later May 12, 2025 5:38


    A western Massachusetts family practice doctor has testified at seven hearings on Beacon Hill. Meanwhile, lawmakers have not enacted meaningful changes to enable her to keep from laying off staff.

    Massachusetts hits a solar milestone, but can the grid handle the heat?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2025 5:44


    There are days when the demand for electricity falls at midday and then rises through the evening and into the night. Grid operator, ISO New England, points out that when you look at charts of those days, it sort of looks like the profile of a duck. So, they call these days "duck curve days."

    Mass. House lawmakers push big spending hike despite federal funding fears

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2025 5:41


    The Mass. House Ways and Means Committee released its $61.4 billion fiscal 2026 budget. Floor deliberations are planned for the week of April 28.

    Proposed cuts to state's mental health program for youth has WMass lawmakers furious

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2025 4:34


    The Mass. House budget will be released this week. Many are hoping it continues to fund children's mental health, unlike the budget proposed by Gov. Maura Healey.

    Surtax debate heats up as Massachusetts lawmakers tackle 'geographic equity' in funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2025 5:31


    Some western Mass. lawmakers object to the T — the Boston area subway — receiving the bulk of revenues collected from high wage earners.

    Western Mass. lawmakers seek a speedy fix by Gov. Healey in filling judicial vacancies

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2025 6:20


    The slow start of the new term in the Judicial Nominating Commission and Governor's Council could be the cause of the delayed appointments.

    Budget hearings resume as Mass. lawmakers hear from education reps

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2025 6:03


    Following cuts to the U.S. Department of Education, Massachusetts lawmakers take testimony from state education officials as FY26 budget-making resumes, following a week off.

    Mass. lawmakers call for stronger health care regulation, action

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2025 6:26


    Affordability is top of mind for Massachusetts residents. A new report showed that health care costs in Massachusetts surged last year strained household budgets.

    Mass. lawmakers have months of tough decisions ahead as 2026 budget talks begin

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2025 5:33


    Lawmakers face the challenge of addressing the potential loss of $16B in federal funding in next year's Mass. budget, which may require significant Legislative action.

    Western Mass. lawmaker promoted as House speaker puts more women in leadership posts

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 4:55


    Massachusetts state Rep. Natalie Blais of Deerfield was named to co-lead the Legislature's Agriculture Committee.

    Back from vacation, Mass. lawmakers confront the $425M shelter crisis, again

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2025 6:24


    Movement is expected on the mini-budget and shelter program reform bill that has been in play since early last month. The House and Senate passed similar versions.

    Voters demanded transparency. Is that what the Massachusetts Senate delivered?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 17, 2025 6:03


    Mass. Senate lawmakers passed some session rules aiming to make the legislative process a little easier for people in the Commonwealth to understand.

    Slow start, rushed finish: Mass. senators weigh rules changes amid a transparency push

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2025 6:16


    This week, six weeks into the new Legislative session in Massachusetts, state senators are planning to consider setting the rules to govern the two-year session.

    Happy New Year 2025: A new year brings new laws to Massachusetts

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 4, 2025 5:23


    With the New Year, there are a few changes coming for Massachusetts residents. There are new laws, some taking effect Jan. 1, others later this year.

    Mass. lawmakers consider cuts and regulation to shelter, food and water amid budget challenges

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2025 5:35


    On the shelter front, Mass. lawmakers have requested information about the impact of change on the state's shelter system, before they authorize necessary, requested funding.

    Mass. lawmakers are split between tradition and defiance over Trump's inauguration

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2025 5:52


    A number of Democrats representing Massachusetts have opted to mark Martin Luther King Jr. day, rather than attend the presidential inauguration.

    Beacon Hill's budget balancing act: Tax revenue rises, but storm clouds loom for next year

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2025 5:21


    Mass. lawmakers are planning for a 2.2% increase in tax revenue to spend in the fiscal year 2026 budget. There is uncertainty beyond that.

    After much criticism, Massachusetts lawmakers signal change is ahead

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 5:58


    The new Mass. Legislative session opened on January 1, 2025. Top lawmakers signals changes were ahead, and bemoaned unspecified negative press coverage.

    Happy New Year 2025: A new year brings new laws to Massachusetts

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 5:23


    With the New Year, there are a few changes coming for Massachusetts residents. There are new laws, some taking effect Jan. 1, others later this year.

    Unwrapping the gifts Massachusetts lawmakers handed constituents in 2024

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 6, 2025 5:21


    We take a look at the biggest political and government stories of the year.

    Trump's White House return raises uncertainty for Massachusetts higher education officials

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2024 5:21


    The UMass Board of Trustees meets this week. Among the agenda items — discussion of a five-year financial forecast.

    Western Mass. could see economic benefits from passenger rail service along Route 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2024 5:33


    Six options for passenger rail service along the Route 2 corridor were considered; options come at a cost of as much as $3 billion dollars.

    What's happening in Mass. to protect transgender residents before Trump proposals go into effect?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 2, 2024 5:10


    State lawmakers are supposed to only take up non-controversial matters during this informal session period.

    Saying ‘mark my words,' Mass. governor tries to move like the wind — with offshore wind

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 25, 2024 4:06


    Gov. Maura Healey got her top priorities in a climate bill — namely, language to reform the siting and permitting of clean energy.

    Mass. lawmakers are looking for some new perspectives on health care in Cuba

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2024 4:28


    Massachusetts House Speaker Ron Mariano, Aaron Michlewitz, and other House leaders are sharing the successes of Mass. healthcare and life science industries, and learning about Cuban healthcare.

    A look at the president-elect's agenda and how state lawmakers brace for impacts in Mass.

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 11, 2024 5:02


    The Massachusetts business climate, immigration, and reproductive policies likely to re-emerge as priorities for lawmakers, as Donald Trump assumes the Presidency again.

    Poll workers across western Mass. say they're ready for voters Tuesday

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 4, 2024 4:59


    Some Hampshire County Town Clerks say that despite a lot of early votes, they expect record-breaking voter turnout.

    Are Mass. legislative leaders leaving the door open to ignoring the will of the voters?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 28, 2024 4:52


    Senate President Karen Spilka and Speaker of the House Ron Mariano haven't ruled out changes to laws coming from potential voter-approved ballot questions.

    With Mass. early voting in progress, lawmaking continues at the Statehouse

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 21, 2024 5:14


    With sitting Mass. lawmakers working in a pre-election mode at the Statehouse, local election offices collect mailed in ballots, as we near election day.

    Massachusetts voters have two chances to hear from U.S. Senate candidates this week

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 14, 2024 4:34


    Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Republican attorney John Deaton will debate Tuesday in eastern Mass. and Thursday in western Mass.

    Pulling apart some election-related messaging western Mass. residents are seeing

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 5:24


    Campaigns are making the most of their opportunities to garner support from Massachusetts voters.

    Healey administration has cautious optimism in Mass. economic outlook

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 5:12


    Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz says he expects lackluster tax collections to continue with "unavoidable deficiencies" on the horizon.

    Cannabis Control Commission leadership troubles continue as regulators say they need more funding

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2024 4:41


    Massachusetts cannabis regulators last week were led by Commissioner Bruce Stebbins as the commission's acting chair. At that meeting, they also identified a nearly $3 million budget shortfall for this year.

    Effort to repeal new Mass. gun law pushes on, with thousands of signatures still to collect

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2024 6:08


    Opponents of the new gun law in Massachusetts are deep into their campaign to get it repealed, but they have a lot of work ahead.

    Looking ahead to November election: Massachusetts lawmakers, ballot questions and more

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 9, 2024 4:18


    Campaigns for and against statewide ballot questions have begun running advertising campaigns to educate voters.

    Who's excited? State primary day in Massachusetts brings few contested races

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2024 5:56


    The Massachusetts presidential primary in March attracted about 1.2 million voters. But on Tuesday, voters will pick nominees for state- and county-level offices. And it's been a sleepy political season so far in many parts of the state.

    Mass. lawmakers say they're still working on logjammed bills, but it looks like a standstill

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2024 6:21


    Massachusetts House and Senate members largely vacated the Statehouse after their underwhelming finish to formal sessions on Aug. 1, saying they'd continue working on the bills they couldn't agree on.

    Formal lawmaking sessions in Mass. ended with criticism and frustration. So what now?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 5:58


    The Massachusetts Legislature has begun a five-month stretch of informal sessions following the end of formal sessions last week.

    Mass. Democrats pumped for Harris as the governor signs gun bill and Legislature nears finish line

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2024 5:22


    Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign paid a visit to western Massachusetts this weekend, raised a bunch of Berkshire bucks and rallied the state's Democrats.

    Once again, Massachusetts begins a new fiscal year with no budget deal in place

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 1, 2024 5:10


    It's now 14 years that Massachusetts lawmakers have not agreed on a full-year budget before the start of the state's fiscal year. But that doesn't mean state office buildings are shut down.

    Massachusetts lawmakers' stack of unfinished business grows

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 17, 2024 4:46


    Bills dealing with the climate, and guns only have until July 31st to be dealt with by Mass. legislators. The end of formal sessions of the two-year General Court are just weeks away.

    Can a push to make Massachusetts housing more affordable keep workers here?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2024 5:26


    Housing is the number one issue on the minds of Mass. residents. Can lawmakers pass a measure before the end of this session that will turnaround the current housing crunch driving so many people away?

    Trump conviction takes back seat in Mass. as legislators tackle bills on deadline

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 3, 2024 4:35


    The felony conviction of former President Donald Trump is expected to cause little to no reverberations in Massachusetts, a dependably blue state, where state house lawmakers have a mountain of bills to tackle before the end of the Legislative session.

    Are Massachusetts lawmakers warming to the idea of expanded tolls?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 27, 2024 5:03


    Experts say road congestion is back to pre-pandemic levels in Massachusetts. Will state lawmakers be more receptive to adding tolls?

    Massachusetts lawmakers have a long to-do list — and it's growing

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2024 5:05


    About two months remain in the calendar for the Massachusetts Legislature. The state House last week passed a major hospital oversight proposal. This week, state senators will debate their proposed spending plan.

    Workforce shortages in WMass. How are lawmakers addressing the issue?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 13, 2024 5:57


    Employers and the economy in Massachusetts are being affected by too few workers. We take a look at the Senate's proposed spending plan through the lens of the workforce.

    Mass. officials at odds over liquor license oversight at the state's 3 casinos

    Play Episode Listen Later May 6, 2024 5:47


    Alcohol oversight has traditionally all been done by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, until the House's spending plan re-assigned oversight at casino restaurants last month.

    Mass. lawmakers propose installing guardrails on A-I aimed at transparency in political messaging

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2024 5:34


    Legislators in the Massachusetts House passed a bill, among hundreds attached in amendments to the budget, aimed at disclosing the use of artificial intelligence in political messages.

    On tap for the Mass. House: a budget debate including about 1,500 amendments

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 22, 2024 5:06


    Deliberations on hundreds of amendments to the $57.9 billion Mass. House Ways and Means committee budget for fiscal 2025 are set to consume attention this week.

    Sizable shelter funding gap between projected costs and Mass. House lawmakers' proposed budget

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2024 5:52


    The Massachusetts House budget makes $500 million available to cover emergency assistance shelter costs for FY'25. The House budget debate is set for Wednesday, April 24.

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