House pivots on climate change and four more stories

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The Saturday Send

Welcome back to the Saturday Send, a weekly digest of stories from CommonWealth Beacon that you may have missed.  After breaking the news that the House was considering a sweeping energy bill that would weaken the state's 2030 climate goals, Jordan Wolman spent much of this week digging into the process and personalities behind this major policy change. Plus: the outlook for the state's health care system continues to darken, a Springfield medical center announces a temporarily halt in maternity services, and State Auditor Diana DiZoglio donates $150k to the ballot campaign that would subject both the Legislature and the governor’s office to the state public records law. Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading. — The CommonWealth Beacon team

GATHER YOUR INFORMATION! THIS PROPOSAL CUTS ENERGY FUNDS! PLEASE DON'T LET IT PASS! LOTS OF UTILITY CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS BY LOBBYISTS PROMOTING THIS! Sweeping energy bill to weaken 2030 climate goals clears key House committee By Jordan Wolman The measure is ushering in an unexpected — and messy — debate over the state’s overall policy push to meet its 2030 climate commitments as Gov. Maura Healey’s energy affordability package filed earlier this year is thrown into disarray. READ MORE

‘Potential devastation’: At health industry’s annual checkup, federal changes shift the diagnosis from bad to worse By Chris Lisinski It’s been nine months since a top senator warned that the state’s health care system is “falling apart,” and the slew of federal policy changes since then have only made the outlook darker — in the process amplifying calls for policymakers to act. READ MORE

DON'T LET THE ENERGY INDUSTRY DETERMINE ENERGY POLICY! Energy industry pads key lawmaker’s campaign coffers as major bill advances By Jordan Wolman Cusack’s legislation would lower the amount of renewable energy the utilities would be required to purchase and cut the state’s energy efficiency initiative, which is funded through the utilities’ ratepayers, by $500 million. READ MORE

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Suspension of maternity services at Mercy Medical Center sparks fears of permanent closure By Hallie Claflin Mercy Medical Center in Springfield announced last week that it plans to temporarily halt maternity and newborn services at its Family Life Center starting December 8, sparking fears the hospital will be next in a decade-long trend of statewide maternity unit closures in a region where labor and delivery options have already dwindled. READ MORE

DiZoglio’s effort to audit the Legislature remains stalled. So she wants voters to change the law, again. By Chris Lisinski The nascent ballot question campaign seeking to subject the Legislature and the governor’s office to the public records law has a new leader: Auditor Diana DiZoglio, who views the measure as a way to circumvent opposition to her effort to audit the House and Senate. READ MORE

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Municipal budgets at the breaking point Massachusetts Municipal Association Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine, Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove, and Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Executive Director Paul Craney join The Codcast to dive deep on the world of municipal finances in a panel discussion moderated by CommonWealth Beacon reporter Chris Lisinski. Guests unpack the various dynamics putting pressure on city and town budgets, consider the value of the tax-cap law known as Proposition 2½, and ponder who might be best equipped to provide relief. LISTEN NOW

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