As the Massachusetts Legislature races toward the end of its session later this month, a flurry of housing policy proposals is moving through Beacon Hill. Here's a quick rundown of what's happening. On July 9, Governor Healey signed the FY2027 budget (Chapter 137 of the Acts of 2026). Buried within it was the most significant overhaul of the Massachusetts Zoning Act in years. Because the legislation included an emergency preamble, the changes took effect immediately. Taken together, they send...

A Tweet ( an "x...?" I don't know, I still call it Twitter like everyone else ) I posted about Marblehead's public school troubles this week hit a nerve I didn't fully expect. From shock to outrage to disbelief to finger pointing at all sorts of different causes. The numbers are stark. Since the 2016–2017 school year, enrollment in Marblehead Public Schools has fallen from 3,144 students to roughly 2,389, a 24% decline. Over the same stretch, the share of residents 65 and older climbed from...

Why the Commonwealth we love is at a turning point Brian Halligan’s recent take on Massachusetts should be a gut check for anyone financially, emotionally or personally invested in the Commonwealth’s future. The HubSpot co-founder and MIT lecturer didn’t sugarcoat the situation: biotech losing momentum, AI companies choosing other regions, federal research cuts threatening flagship institutions, and young talent questioning whether this place is even “cool” enough to justify the soaring cost...