SHELTER SPENDING: Months after Gov. Maura Healey's administration stopped regularly publishing shelter data, public records released to @wbur.org show the state has so far shelled out roughly $109M in FY26 on the emergency assistance program and related services. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...

Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch’s campaign has paid a $55K penalty to resolve allegations that it received thousands of dollars in illegal corporate contributions, anonymous donations, prohibited checks and donations where the true source of the money was not clear. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...

LEGISLATIVE AUDIT: A year after voters gave State Auditor DiZoglio the green light to audit the Legislature, she remains locked in a stalemate with lawmakers who oppose the effort and with AG Campbell, who has yet to agree to let DiZoglio file a legal challenge. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...

MINOGUE MONEY: Michael Minogue, a wealthy former biotechnology executive, poured $1.5M of his own money into his campaign for governor and raised more than $373K from individual donors during his first month in the race, according to state records and his spox. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...

BEACON HILL EFFICIENCY? With just weeks left before they close out formal business for the first half of the two-year term, legislative Democrats have managed to send a brief list of major bills to Gov. Maura Healey's desk. Critics expected more. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/11...

Gov. Healey raised thousands of dollars for her reelection from a group of Florida lawyers from Morgan & Morgan @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...

HEALEY’S CABINET: Gov. Maura Healey’s cabinet has seen major turnover this year, in roles from veteran services to transportation, as the first-term Democrat faces reelection in 2026 and a continuing onslaught from the Trump administration. #mapoli www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...

Mass. state lawmakers want to investigate sheriff spending - and withhold $120 million in supplemental funding. Sheriffs say they went over budget for union raises, medical care for prisoners + free phone calls @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...

Trump admin pauses Cape Cod bridge funding @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...

Republican super PACs bringing in big bucks to oppose @massgovernor.bsky.social @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...

SHELTER DATA: Gov. Healey’s administration no longer publishes a public, regular accounting of how much the state is spending in the current fiscal year on emergency shelters housing homeless families because a state law mandating the data expired. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/12/g...

LOAN LIMIT: GOP gov hopeful Mike Kennealy plans to continue ignoring a state law that limits the amount of cash a candidate for governor can loan themselves each election, even after regulators started to scrutinize the money, his lawyer said. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/07/m...

📻📻 I’m very excited to say that in a few weeks I’ll be starting at @wbur.org as their state politics reporter. I’m looking forward to continuing to cover power and policy on Beacon Hill and the 2026 elections. I’m also excited to work with a very talented group of editors and reporters. #mapoli

LOBBY $$: Applegreen, an Irish company at the center of a now-defunct deal to redevelop travel plazas along state highways, shelled out tens of thousands of dollars between 2024 and 2025 to a powerful Beacon Hill lobbying shop, state records show. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/28/a...

STATE FLAG: Senate President Karen Spilka said she believes Massachusetts needs a “more inclusive” flag, throwing her support behind an effort to replace the version that features a colonist’s arm holding a sword over a Native American. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/25/s...

POLL WARS: A top advisor to Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy lashed out at a poll conducted by MassINC that found favorable approval numbers for Gov. Maura Healey. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/14/p...

TRAVEL TIME: Elected officials across Massachusetts government were treated to thousands of dollars’ worth of trips this summer on other organizations’ dimes, including an excursion to St. Thomas, according to ethics records released to the Herald. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/14/t...

Gov. Maura Healey’s technology secretary spent thousands on taxpayer-funded credit cards last fiscal year to stay at a four-star hotel in Barcelona and hire on-demand chauffeur services that promised to “upgrade your travels.” #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/24/h...

CASINO CASH: Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and state offices used taxpayer-funded credit cards to collectively spend tens of thousands of dollars last fiscal year at casinos across the country, according to public data. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/25/p...

DRIVING RECORDS: Gov. Maura Healey filed a bill Thursday that would give the public access to driving records more than two years after Beacon Hill Democrats sealed off motor vehicle histories as part of an immigrant driver's license law. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/14/g...

TOMPKINS + RCC: Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins resigned from the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees, where he serves as chair, days after he was arrested in Florida on charges that he extorted a Boston-based cannabis company. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/13/s...

ANOTHER MARKEY CHALLENGER? A former town councilor from West Springfield and candidate for Congress is considering running against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey as a Republican during the 2026 midterm elections. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/10/p...

2026 CASH DASH: Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy, a former cabinet secretary under Gov. Charlie Baker, raised the most cash last month, but most of that money came from a $200K loan he gave his campaign. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/05/m...

Gov. Baker’s administration warned Gov. Healey about a surge of migrants and dwindling shelter capacity in 2022, or months before she took office, according to a doc approved by Mike Kennealy when he was secretary of housing and economic development. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/05/g...

2026 BALLOT Q: A group focused on transparency in elections plans to pursue two ballot questions in 2026 that would require voter identification at the polls and strip away MA residents’ ability to participate in no-excuse mail-in voting. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/04/e...

HEALEY ENDS STATE OF EMERGENCY: Gov. Maura Healey said she is "formally terminating" the state of emergency she declared in August 2023 as shelter caseloads rapidly increased amid an influx of migrants. Healey also said all hotel shelters have been closed. #mapoli

SHELTER SPENDING: Gov. Healey’s administration spent just over $940M on emergency family shelters and related services last fiscal year, but the final total is projected to increase by tens of millions more as officials work to settle payments. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/29/m...

CHRIS FLANAGAN: A judge agreed last week to bar Rep. Chris Flanagan, a Dennis Port Democrat facing fraud charges, from gambling, incurring large credit card charges, or opening any additional lines of credit over $5K without prior approval. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/28/d...

BIZ CASH: The two Republicans running for governor of Mass. have tapped their business connections for thousands of dollars since launching their campaigns in attempts to shore up their bank accounts ahead of the 2026 election, state data shows. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/13/r...

Top Beacon Hill Dems focused on the judiciary accused attorneys on a more than month-long work stoppage of not talking to lawmakers about the hourly rate they’re paid to take on the criminal cases of people who are unable to afford representation. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/09/m...

FUNDRAISING FIGHT: Mike Kennealy, a Republican running for governor of MA, accused Brian Shortsleeve, another conservative gubernatorial candidate, of inflating his fundraising numbers in a pair of public announcements over the past two months. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/09/r...

MASS. CELL PHONE BAN? Senate Democrats were preparing to advance legislation Tuesday that requires all public schools to implement a “bell-to-bell” ban on student access to personal electronic devices like cell phones during the school day. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/08/m...

DIRE WARNING: Gov. Healey said she is ready to slash earmarks for local projects and will seek the extraordinary power to cut spending across all state gov in an effort to prep for potential federal funding cuts that could spell disaster for MA. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/04/m...

HEALEY OUTRAISES GOP CHALLENGERS: Gov. Maura Healey, a first-term Democrat running for reelection, outraised her two potential Republican opponents in June, according to fundraising data provided by the three campaigns Wednesday. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/02/m...

BROKER'S FEES: Gov. Maura Healey said plans to sign the FY26 state budget "in the coming days," and will leave intact a provision reforming brokers' fees. "The days of renters being forced to shell out upwards of $10,000 before they can even move into an apartment are over," she said. #mapoli

SHELTER $$: Gov. Maura Healey estimates the final tally for how much the state spent on shelters over the last year will come in less than originally anticipated, but costs for the fiscal year that ended Monday are still on track to approach $1B. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/02/g...

The group that backed a successful ballot q to end the use of the MCAS as a high school graduation requirement paid a $4K penalty to resolve accusations that officials did not report $2.3M in contributions in a timely manner ahead of the 2024 election. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/01/m...

HOMEBASE OVERLOAD: Gov. Maura Healey plans to pause some rental assistance to families receiving benefits through the HomeBase program after total caseloads increased by more than fivefold between 2023 and 2025, according to state officials + data. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/26/m...

WAR OF WORDS: The two conservatives running for governor of Massachusetts ramped up attacks this month on each other’s past work and credibility, including in dueling missives that paint different pictures of the race. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/25/r...

FLOUTING LOAN LIMIT: Mike Kennealy, a Republican running for governor of Massachusetts, has loaned his campaign double the amount allowed under state law since launching his bid in April, a move that could set up future legal action. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/25/g...

SHELTER CASH: Gov. Maura Healey’s administration has spent nearly $830M this fiscal year on the state-run emergency shelter system housing local families and a declining number of migrants from outside of Massachusetts, according to a state report. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/18/g...

MODULAR HOUSING: Gov. Healey’s administration is preparing an executive order that targets modular housing, or homes that are designed and constructed in a factory to be quickly assembled at a desired location, according to an ethics disclosure. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/12/m...

'OUTRAGEOUS' DEPLOYMENT: President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize the California National Guard in response to protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions in Los Angeles is “wrong,” Gov. Maura Healey said Wednesday. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/11/g...

Auditor Diana DiZoglio wants to charge $2K to fulfill a public records request for documents that detail the behind-the-scenes work of an audit into the state-run shelter system, an inquiry her office’s top lawyer called a “fishing expedition.” #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/09/a...

CAMPAIGN CASH: Brian Shortsleeve, a venture capitalist and former MBTA official running a Republican campaign for governor, outraised his potential primary opponent, Mike Kennealy, and Gov. Maura Healey last month, according to state records. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/05/r...

House lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that overhauls oversight at the beleaguered Cannabis Control Commission, handing the governor of Massachusetts the power to appoint all commissioners while cutting down the number from five to three. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/04/m...

Federal immigration authorities offered few details Monday about the nearly 1,500 people arrested in Massachusetts last month as part of a monthlong “enforcement operation” that targeted individuals accused of living in the United States illegally. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/06/02/i...

Less than half of Massachusetts residents approve of Gov. Maura Healey’s performance as governor, and far fewer say she “deserves to be reelected” in 2026, according to a survey released by the University of New Hampshire this week. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/05/31/l...

HEALEY BLASTS ICE: Gov. Maura Healey slammed ICE officials Wednesday after the agency helped arrest around 40 people on Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket who are accused of living in the United States illegally. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/05/28/g...

POLS & POLITICS: How many ways can an elected official in Massachusetts dance around a question during a minute-long hallway interview? For Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, its about five when talking about his interest in running for governor. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/05/25/p...