BUDGETS

Massachusetts hosts the first of seven World Cup matches on June 13, 2026, but before then, Mass. lawmakers want to shore up immigrant laws, begin reconciling the state budget and other timely matters.

Lawmakers debate the "Mass Wins Act" containing tech and business investments, amid tight deadlines, assessing consequences of a decreased income tax and state budget talks.

The Mass. Senate’s $63.3B budget adds $53M in local aid via a new per-capita formula, and the state's highest court weighs if a rent control ballot bid illegally exempts religious groups.

A look at how lawmakers frame their funding, as Mass. plans for a $3-billion higher education infrastructure upgrade. At the same time towns are hitting tax limits, and rejecting override votes to raise taxes.

Today, Rundown panelists dig into Hampshire College's announcement to close its doors, AI use in Mass. government departments and the need for state funding for rural areas.

House Speaker Ron Mariano, traditionally a fierce critic of the ballot initiative process, signaled a major shift last week by expressing a willingness to negotiate on one of the state’s most high-stakes and debated proposals.

Mass. Senate advances a $1.8B supplemental budget splitting surtax funds differently than the House, with less for the MBTA and more for regional aid. Lawmakers brace for clashes ahead of negotiations.

Today on The Rundown, we break down the Hampden County Sheriff announcement of 50 job cuts and $4 million budget reduction, Springfield's effort to get back climate grants that were cut by the Trump administration, and complaints by lawmakers about school funding.

Massachusetts lawmakers on Monday pressed state officials to confront longstanding concerns with the state's K-12 school funding formula, signaling growing momentum for a long-delayed review.

A group of rural educators and elected officials from around Massachusetts are sending a week-long SOS to Beacon Hill lawmakers, letting them know, not for the first time, the destructive consequences of underfunding the state's rural schools.