The death of 1st Hampshire Representative Peter Kocot has become the latest upheaval in the Upper Pioneer Valley’s legislative delegation. Kocot, 61, died last week of an undisclosed illness. His death has hit state and local pols to a degree that matches or exceeds the
On the one hand, Tuesday’s hearing on Beacon Hill for Senator Eric Lesser’s rail study bill is a familiar ritual for the Longmeadow Democrat. The legislature’s Joint Transportation Committee has favorably reported it before. The Massachusetts Senate has included it in the budget more than
Leadership in the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate released their committee assignments for the session that began last month. With thousands of bills to consider, committees can begin parse now that they have leaders and membership. The Western Massachusetts delegation received some plum assignments.
Governor Charlie Baker, an arm hoisted skyward, smiled and merrily snapped one of his famous selfies with the pols and construction workers at the CRRC railcar plant topping-out. The August scene was classic Baker, happily schmoozing and riding high on heady polling numbers that yielded,
UPDATED 11/23/15 5:23PM: Gov. Baker has signed Velis’ bill into law. WESTFIELD—The dreary, rainy fall night enveloping a former auto dealership along Route 20 belied the party inside. Bright arc lights flooded the service bays, now filled with the Shortstop Bar & Grille’s batting cages.
This is the fourth in a series of posts on the new 189th Massachusetts General Court sworn on January 7. SPRINGFIELD—Three and a half years after Jose Tosado suffered a devastating loss in 2011’s mayoral election here, the reserved, former councilor’s decision to reenter the political
Put Another Way: Tragedy May Not be in Resignations… As you may or may not know, New York Congressman Anthony Weiner has resigned. His resignation is an ominous sign beyond the destruction of an otherwise promising political career and a recent dust-up in Massachusetts (we
Beacon Hill (WMassP&I) Yesterday, the Massachusetts House of Representatives effectively voted to give cities and towns the unilateral right to set deductibles and co-pays for their employees health insurance. Additionally, communities would no longer required to seek public employee approval to transfer insurance to the
So comes again another year the wide world of Springfield. As is tradition, WMassP&I will recount the events and news that made 2010 different from 1876 in Springfield. As both a city and as one of 351 parts of Massachusetts, Springfield saw its share of ups and
Fallout from the release of a damning report on the administration of the commonwealth’s Probation Department has finally landed on the head of State Representative Thomas Petrolati. The Ludlow Democrat, whose district includes Indian Orchard in Springfield was the Speaker Pro Temp of the Massachusetts