The Massachusetts House budget makes $500 million available to cover emergency assistance shelter costs for FY'25. The House budget debate is set for Wednesday, April 24.

While an expected Massachusetts House budget redraft is expected, and talks are ongoing over a FY'24 spending bill, the solar eclipse might distract lawmakers, if only for a few moments, from focus on these and other pressing legislation.

Gun reform lawmaking in Massachusetts will continue with urgency behind closed doors. We get the scoop on that and other stories from State House News Service reporter Chris Lisinski.

As lawmakers around the country struggle with an over-capacity emergency shelter crisis, Mass. lawmakers wrestle with reform and time limits in the only state in the country that guarantees access to shelter.

The Massachusetts Senate this week takes its second run in three years at a bill to expand access to early education and fortify that sector's workforce.

Voters will cast ballots for a presidential candidate and vote for party representation in many districts across the commonwealth.

On Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate will take up a bill to reform and codify the state's framework for sexual health education. The chamber has passed similar legislation four times previously.

The confirmation hearing for Gabrielle R. Wolohojian on Wednesday will be the second Supreme Judicial Court pick by Gov. Maura Healey of a nominee from eastern Mass. The last SJC justice from western Mass, Francis Spina, stepped down in 2016.

An attempt by Congress to sort out the immigration issue fell apart last week. The question of how Massachusetts' governor will handle the ever increasing number of unhoused families seeking shelter in the Commonwealth, continues to be top-of-mind for many across the Baystate.

There are a number of key differences between the bill approved by the Massachusetts House last fall, and what the Senate passed last week. That could lead to a lot of work for a conference committee between early February and late July.