Massachusetts politics

In the midst of a global pandemic, the primary battle between U.S. Rep. Joe Kennedy and Sen. Edward Markey bears few of the hallmarks of an ordinary campaign. Among the more extraordinary developments: Voters are already casting their ballots, four weeks before the September 1 primary date.

In a virtual town hall, democratic candidates for the Massachusetts House of Representatives 12th Suffolk seat answered questions Saturday about wealth disparities, housing justice, health care and more.

Although the Legislature was scheduled to wrap up its business on Friday, July 31, the House and Senate agreed on July 29 to extend the session.

With just days to go before mail-in ballots begin arriving in voters’ mail slots, U.S. Senator Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III crisscrossed the city appealing for votes Sunday.

Black elected officials’ long-sought efforts to reform police practices are getting a new hearing after more than a week of demonstrations across the nation over the police killing of Minneapolis resident George Floyd.

U.S. Reps. Ayanna Pressley and Barbara Lee probed the “State of Black America” during the Congressional Black Caucus’s first-ever visit to Massachusetts. Both representatives spoke with the Banner last Friday about Pressley’s decarceration initiative — the People’s Justice Guarantee — and advocated for the Ending PUSHOUT Act, legislation focused on keeping black girls in school and reducing unjust expulsions.

A bill that would outlaw use of hand-held phones while driving in Massachusetts remains stalled due to legislators’ concerns about increased racial profiling that could stem from increased enforcement.

The Massachusetts Senate Ways and Means Committee has proposed increased funding for education in its fiscal year 2020 budget proposal, but with few new revenue sources, advocacy groups are questioning whether it goes far enough.

Legislation currently under consideration in the Massachusetts State House would provide new overtime protections or strengthen current protections for 435,000 salaried workers across the state, approximately 330,000 more than similar federal legislation proposed by the Trump administration, according to a report released last week by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

An amendment to the state constitution that would create an additional tax on Massachusetts’ highest incomes received wide support from activists, legislators and the public at a State House hearing last week.

Progressive Massachusetts, a statewide grassroots organization, held its annual lobbying day April 3 at the State House, where more than 100 activists discussed their priorities for the state’s 191st legislative session.

The Massachusetts Latino population is projected to reach 1.5 million in 2035, up from 757,000 in 2015, according to a study released last week by the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy. By 2035, Latinos are expected to account for 15 percent of the state’s population.