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CommonWealth Beacon
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Politics, ideas, & civic life in MA. CommonWealth Beacon's in-depth coverage is a primary news & information source for policymakers, civic leaders & citizens. www.commonwealthbeacon.org
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NEW: Bill to prioritize teacher quality over seniority faces uphill battle

commonwealthbeacon.org/education/bi...
Bill to prioritize teacher quality over seniority faces uphill battle - CommonWealth Beacon
The proposal aims to revise how districts decide which teachers get laid off when budgets shrink or enrollment drops.
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 3, 2025 at 1:01 AM
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New in OPINION: Nuclear energy should be part of our carbon-free future

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Nuclear energy should be part of our carbon-free future - CommonWealth Beacon
Nuclear technology has evolved dramatically since the Pilgrim-era reactors started operation in the 1970s.
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 3, 2025 at 12:52 AM
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December 2, 2025 at 6:15 PM
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“I can’t worry about it because there’s little that I can do about it,” Kress said when asked if she’s concerned that disclosing her home’s flooding history could impact its value. “But I would want the next owner to know. People have a right to know.”
December 2, 2025 at 5:06 PM
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BALLOT QUESTIONS: Graduation framework recommends new high school tests
Graduation framework recommends new high school tests - CommonWealth Beacon
Initial recommendation documents released by the council on Monday include a "demonstration of mastery" that has two components: exams administered by the state, taken at the end of courses; and capstones...
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December 2, 2025 at 4:41 PM
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NEW: ‘People have a right to know’: Flood disclosures poised to step into legislative limelight next year

commonwealthbeacon.org/environment/...
‘People have a right to know’: Flood disclosures poised to step into legislative limelight next year  - CommonWealth Beacon
As flooding touches more Massachusetts households, Gov. Maura Healey is proposing a new requirement to mandate the flood disclosures as a means of steering people out of harm’s way in the first...
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 2, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. Yes, building more housing does lower rents, study says commonwealthbeacon.org/housing/stud...
Yes, building more housing does lower rents, study says - CommonWealth Beacon
Does increasing the supply of housing, even if it’s mainly higher-cost, market-priced units, temper the runup in costs that has so many residents straining to make ends meet? The idea follows the basic...
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December 2, 2025 at 11:42 AM
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NEW: Graduation framework recommends new high school tests

commonwealthbeacon.org/education/gr...
Graduation framework recommends new high school tests - CommonWealth Beacon
Initial recommendation documents released by the council on Monday include a "demonstration of mastery" that has two components: exams administered by the state, taken at the end of courses; and capstones...
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 1, 2025 at 8:58 PM
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ICYMI: How a 1940 electoral system reform in Cambridge made its 2025 housing breakthrough possible #OPINION
How a 1940 electoral system reform in Cambridge made its 2025 housing breakthrough possible   - CommonWealth Beacon
This is more than just a housing “win.” It’s a triumph for Cambridge’s unique brand of representative democracy—one that balances citywide priorities with fair representation for diverse communities.
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December 1, 2025 at 5:34 PM
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New on the Codcast: The Legislature breaks for the holidays and ballot season heats up

Listen now: commonwealthbeacon.org/the-codcast/...
The Legislature breaks for the holidays and ballot season heats up - CommonWealth Beacon
This week on The Codcast, CommonWealth Beacon reporters Jennifer Smith Chris Lisinski check in as Beacon Hill heads into its winter break. Chris looks back at the end of year lawmaking hustle, and what...
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 1, 2025 at 2:27 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters - CommonWealth Beacon
As the secretary of state's office certifies hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed 2026 ballot questions, campaigns and ballot initiative veterans estimate about half...
commonwealthbeacon.org
December 1, 2025 at 1:04 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters - CommonWealth Beacon
As the secretary of state's office certifies hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed 2026 ballot questions, campaigns and ballot initiative veterans estimate about half...
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 30, 2025 at 11:46 AM
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OPINION: This is more than just a housing “win.” It’s a triumph for Cambridge’s unique brand of representative democracy—one that balances citywide priorities with fair representation for diverse communities.
How a 1940 electoral system reform in Cambridge made its 2025 housing breakthrough possible   - CommonWealth Beacon
This is more than just a housing “win.” It’s a triumph for Cambridge’s unique brand of representative democracy—one that balances citywide priorities with fair representation for diverse communities.
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November 29, 2025 at 11:01 PM
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New in OPINION: How a 1940 electoral system reform in Cambridge made its 2025 housing breakthrough possible

commonwealthbeacon.org/opinion/how-...
How a 1940 electoral system reform in Cambridge made its 2025 housing breakthrough possible   - CommonWealth Beacon
This is more than just a housing “win.” It’s a triumph for Cambridge’s unique brand of representative democracy—one that balances citywide priorities with fair representation for diverse communities.
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 29, 2025 at 5:33 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. Cannabis Commission chooses former employee as executive director commonwealthbeacon.org/marijuana/ca...
Cannabis Commission chooses former employee as executive director - CommonWealth Beacon
David Lakeman is currently the head of the cannabis division at the Illinois Department of Agriculture – a position he has held since September 2020. He is familiar with cannabis policy in Massachusetts...
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 29, 2025 at 11:31 AM
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ICYMI: Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans
Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans - CommonWealth Beacon
In May, a federal judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction in the consolidated case, blocking the administration’s efforts, including a reduction in force effort at the agency.
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November 28, 2025 at 10:48 PM
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ICYMI: Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters
Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters - CommonWealth Beacon
As the secretary of state's office certifies hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed 2026 ballot questions, campaigns and ballot initiative veterans estimate about half...
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November 28, 2025 at 3:36 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. ‘They’re making a huge bet’: Rent control referendum splits progressives commonwealthbeacon.org/politics/the...
‘They're making a huge bet’: Rent control referendum splits progressives - CommonWealth Beacon
If a campaign to instate rent control across the Commonwealth makes it to the ballot, voters will need to weigh whether every municipality should adopt a measure more stringent than earlier attempts by...
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 28, 2025 at 11:43 AM
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ICYMI: The Gettysburg Address (revised) #OPINION
The Gettysburg Address (revised)  - CommonWealth Beacon
President Abraham Lincoln delivered his 272-word Gettysburg Address during the Civil War on November 19, 1863, at the dedication of the Gettysburg
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November 28, 2025 at 2:06 AM
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ICYMI: Controversial curriculum swept up in literacy reform debate
Controversial curriculum swept up in literacy reform debate - CommonWealth Beacon
Science-of-reading advocates describe the activity as a "back-door effort"
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November 27, 2025 at 8:21 PM
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ICYMI: State audit claims 2023 maternity unit closure in Leominster was preventable
State audit claims 2023 maternity unit closure in Leominster was preventable - CommonWealth Beacon
The issue appears to be a spat about accounting records, but it highlights the struggles health providers had during the height of the first COVID waves, when frontline medical personnel were stretched...
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November 27, 2025 at 2:51 PM
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COURTS: Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans
Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans - CommonWealth Beacon
In May, a federal judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction in the consolidated case, blocking the administration’s efforts, including a reduction in force effort at the agency.
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November 27, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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☀️ Good morning, Massachusetts! Here are today's most popular stories:

1. Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters commonwealthbeacon.org/ballot-quest...
Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters - CommonWealth Beacon
As the secretary of state's office certifies hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed 2026 ballot questions, campaigns and ballot initiative veterans estimate about half...
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 27, 2025 at 11:32 AM
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BALLOT QUESTIONS: Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters
Ballot measures must clear courts, lawmakers, and voters - CommonWealth Beacon
As the secretary of state's office certifies hundreds of thousands of signatures submitted on behalf of the proposed 2026 ballot questions, campaigns and ballot initiative veterans estimate about half...
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November 26, 2025 at 11:01 PM
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NEW: Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans

commonwealthbeacon.org/education/su...
Suit to block Education Department closure expanded amid agency transfers plans - CommonWealth Beacon
In May, a federal judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction in the consolidated case, blocking the administration’s efforts, including a reduction in force effort at the agency.
commonwealthbeacon.org
November 26, 2025 at 10:48 PM