Executive Privilege is a series about the 2014 races for Constitutional offices in Massachusetts. HOLYOKE—With only a week left, the race to the state Democratic Convention in Worcester has turns into an outright scramble. Democrats here offered what may be one of the last opportunities
Next week the State Ballot Commission is expected to take up ballot challenges ahead of the Fall races. Among the things on its plate is the objection to Eric Lesser’s eligibility for the 1st Hampden & Hampshire Senate seat. One of Lesser’s opponents, Springfield City
Minor tremors of political news in the Pioneer Valley as District Attorney Mark Mastroianni finally received US Senate confirmation as a US District Court Judge. Meanwhile, the Springfield City Council advanced bonding authorization to clear out a deficit for the construction of the new Putnam
UPDATED 6/4/14 6:15PM: The Springfield City Council gave final approval to the Putnam Bonds after brief debate. The vote was 11-2. More details here. SPRINGFIELD—Facing an agenda laden with some heavy issues, for the first time in a while, the Council stayed in session late
…And the World: We begin today in Spain, where King Juan Carlos I has announced his abdication after 39 years on the throne. The Spanish king, who gained the throne after the reign of dictator Francisco Franco ended, said it was time to pass the
To many political insiders in and around Springfield, the top cop is the second most important position in the city after the mayor. In a large (by New England standards) minority-majority city of 150,000, which, to many, has seen its revival bedeviled by both the
Longmeadow Daze is an occasional series reporting on and analyzing Longmeadow government and politics. LONGMEADOW—Stretching along the Town Green, the preeminent social, creative and civic event (after Town Meeting) of one of Springfield’s most prominent suburbs offered a view, if at times an ironic one, of
We hope you all had a safe & happy Memorial Day Weekend! …And the World: We begin today in the Ukraine, where Petro Poroshenko, a pro-European businessman, won the nation’s presidency with a majority thus avoiding a runoff. As Ukrainian forces seemingly ousted separatists from
SPRINGFIELD—Another light agenda greeted the City Council Monday night shortly after it city finance officials presented the budget for fiscal year 2015, which begins on July 1st. Few if any items engendered much discussion most had virtually no opposition ahead of the beginning of the Council’s
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post is a version of the May 19 story published immediately after the budget press conference, updated with subsequent reporting. The original post has been archived and is accessible here. SPRINGFIELD—Less gloomy than usual, the annual release of the municipal budget by Mayor