Massachusetts Legislature

Following the death of Freddie Gray in police custody in Baltimore eight years ago, Leonore Dluhy and her father, Dr. Robert G. Dluhy, began to wonder what right to health care people have when they encounter police officers. Discussions with legal experts led them to conclude that no legal right to request medical care while in contact with the police exists anywhere in the country.

Hundreds of activists, organized under the banners of Homes for All Massachusetts and Right to the City Boston, gathered in front of the Massachusetts State House last Saturday to rally in support of legislative bills introduced in the state House and Senate last week that would lift the state’s decades-old ban on local rent control measures.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu is promoting her agenda for action at the state level as a new legislative session begins on Beacon Hill.

A day after preliminary details of Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s long-awaited local rent control policy emerged, elected officials who may soon vote on the issue began contending with what it will ultimately look like.

In her most detailed speech since declaring her candidacy last year, Gov. Maura Healey last Thursday outlined policies and legislative goals her administration plans to pursue, speaking to lawmakers during her swearing-in ceremony in the House chamber.

Christopher Worrell was elected Nov. 8 to represent the 5th Suffolk District in the Massachusetts Legislature. The child of Jamaican and Bajan parents, Worrell was born and raised in Dorchester and graduated from Bunker Hill Community College. His brother, Brian Worrell, was elected in 2021 to represent Dorchester-based District 4 on the City Council.

With a new gubernatorial administration comes the promise of new priorities for state government, and with the passage of the so-called millionaires tax, the promise of funding to make things happen.

After months of sustained activism by prison abolitionists to block the construction of new detention facilities in Massachusetts, a veto by Governor Charlie Baker has struck a blow to the advocates’ campaign.

After a marathon legislating session over the weekend, Massachusetts lawmakers have a slew of bills headed to the governor’s desk for final approval. However, some key pieces of legislation proposed by members of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus failed to make it over the finish line before both body’s sessions ended July 31.

With enough support to withstand a potential veto from the governor, the state Senate passed a bill Thursday that would allow residents without legal immigration status to apply for standard driver’s licenses.

With Massachusetts residents continuing to struggle in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, advocates and lawmakers have taken the opportunity to promote an out-of-the-box solution — putting banking power, primarily lending capabilities, in the hands of the state.

With the departure of several elected officials from legislative seats in Boston area districts and one challenger to an incumbent, political turnover in 2022 will likely include new blood in areas dominated by residents of color.