COMMONWEALTH BEACON: House passes Mass Save cuts 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. This week, reporter Jordan Wolman covers the massive energy bill aimed at curbing utility costs that was recently approved by the House and is on its way to the Senate. If passed, the law would slash the budget for Mass Save, a ratepayer-funded program that offers home weatherization and heat pump instillation, by $1 billion. Also this week, teachers debate a new proposed curriculum based on the "science of reading," top Democrats in the legislature are frustrated by numerous ballot questions they say are funded by special interests, and the downtowns of six Gateway Cities get a boost through MassDevelopment’s Transformative Development Initiative. Plus, reporter Chris Lisinski speaks to former transportation secretary Jim Aloisi and Pioneer Institute's Charlie Chieppo on the Codcast about the MBTA's ballooning budget — and whether it will actually result in service improvements for riders. Check out those stories below, and, as always, thanks for reading. — The CommonWealth Beacon team

House passes landmark energy bill with deep cuts to Mass Save, sending it to Senate By Jordan Wolman The legislation reflects the larger tradeoffs around energy policy as Beacon Hill grapples with rising power demand, soaring costs, and quickly approaching climate commitments. READ MORE

Massachusetts is poised to shake up literacy instruction — and some educators don’t like it By Julian Roberts-Grmela The Bay State is poised to enact what its supporters call some of the strongest reading legislation in the nation — and some educators worry it goes too far in imposing new standards that override teacher control of classrooms. READ MORE

Often at odds, Mariano and Spilka united by ballot question frustration By Chris Lisinski As the Legislature prepares to review 11 ballot questions with major policymaking implications, the top two Democrats came together to complain that the process is “fraught with peril.” READ MORE

‘Couldn’t come at a better time’: Six Gateway Cities to get economic boost in downtown districts By Hallie Claflin Malden, Holyoke, Fitchburg, Chelsea, Peabody, and Lowell were selected for the latest round of support last week. Each city will receive a three-year economic development fellow who will provide on-the-ground expertise, leadership, and planning to help support small businesses, real estate development, and arts and culture projects. READ MORE

‘Administrative fat’ or ‘amnesia’: How much should we spend on the MBTA? By CommonWealth Beacon staff This week on The Codcast, we dive into a long-running debate: is the significant growth in state funding for the T an acknowledgment that good public transit requires big public investment, or is it a reflection of out-of-control spending? CommonWealth Beacon senior reporter Chris Lisinski moderates a discussion with former Transportation Secretary Jim Aloisi and Pioneer Institute senior fellow Charlie Chieppo. READ MORE

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