News
Massachusetts health care reform met the moral moment
13+ hour, 55+ min ago (563+ words) by John E. Mc Donough, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 SUPREME COURT JUSTICE Louis Brandeis's 1932 observation that states can function as "laboratories of democracy" has been repeated so often that it borders clich. And it still works: "a single courageous'State may, if…...
Chapter 58 has made health care unaffordable for families and small businesses
13+ hour, 57+ min ago (529+ words) by Jeffrey Gold and Jon Hurst, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 THIS MONTH MARKS the 20th anniversary of the Massachusetts health care reform law, Chapter 58, which became the model for the federal Affordable Care Act enacted four years later. The goal of…...
20th Anniversary
1+ week, 21+ hour ago (109+ words) The state's landmark 2006 law was the model for the Affordable Care Act. What is its legacy? sponsored by The Boston Foundation Common Wealth Voices aims to be a beacon of robust discourse, offering a platform for analysis and advocacy on…...
We declared that access to health coverage should not be left to chance or circumstance
13+ hour, 56+ min ago (571+ words) by Jeffrey S'nchez, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 I DID NOT come to the Legislature as a health care policy expert. I came as a witness. I grew up in the Mission Main public housing development, as Boston grappled with school…...
Our history-making reform extended coverage to immigrants. That is now under threat.
13+ hour, 59+ min ago (613+ words) by Tiffany Joseph, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 IN 2006, Massachusetts made history as the first state to pass comprehensive health reform, creating a national model for near-universal health coverage. Even more remarkable, the Commonwealth extended that coverage to noncitizen residents at…...
The Massachusetts Health Connector has been a resilient " and flexible -- foundation for a bold experiment
17+ hour, 58+ min ago (419+ words) by Audrey Morse Gasteier, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 TWENTY YEARS AGO this month, Massachusetts set out to tackle one of the most vexing health care policy challenges of its time " the problem of the uninsured. A solution to the problem…...
Should a community be able to reject a solar project to protect its trees? The SJC wades into the controversy in central Mass.
18+ hour, 34+ min ago (1080+ words) by Jordan Wolman, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 THE STATE'S HIGHEST COURT pressed lawyers representing a solar company and a small central Massachusetts town on Wednesday over a denial of a large solar proposal, wading into growing tensions between developers and…...
Worcester pilot program provides early childhood educators with rent-free space to start their businesses
20+ hour, 4+ min ago (653+ words) by Hallie Claflin, Common Wealth Beacon April 8, 2026 "We serve Brazilian families, Latin American families, immigrant families," she said. "They feel comfortable to see that we can speak the same language and we have the same traditions." Caba Toribio will be…...
The Download April 7, 2026
1+ day, 21+ hour ago (372+ words) New from Common Wealth Beacon CODCAST: The Healey administration is steering into artificial intelligence, and there's more at stake than just jobs or economic growth " all sorts of personal data are involved, with some contractual protections in place. Reporter Jennifer…...
Di Zoglio-Campbell feud hurtles toward Supreme Judicial Court
1+ day, 19+ hour ago (612+ words) by Chris Lisinski, Common Wealth Beacon April 7, 2026 ALL OF THE ESSENTIAL DYNAMICS of Diana Di Zoglio's insurgent campaign to dig into the doings of the Massachusetts Legislature were captured in miniature over the course of a single day in March....