By Bob Katzen

“This new program is paramount for nurturing a thriving creative ecosystem across the commonwealth. This funding is a catalyst for innovation, offering the recipients the freedom to explore new ideas, take risks, and push the boundaries of their craft.”

—Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of Mass Cultural Council, announcing $1.9 million in $5,000 grants to 385 Massachusetts artists, culture bearers and creative practitioners from the fiscal year 2024 Grants for Creative Individuals.

“These predatory for-profit schools harmed vulnerable students for their own financial gain, leaving student borrowers burdened with debt and without viable job or financial prospects. Thanks in part to the diligent work of my office, I, alongside the Department of Education, am tremendously proud to announce meaningful debt relief for former students of The Art Institutes and help advance consumer and economic justice for these struggling borrowers.”
—Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing $80 million in federal student loan debt will be discharged for over 3,500 former Massachusetts borrowers who attended the Art Institutes, including the New England Institute of Art, a Brookline-based predatory for-profit school that made false promises and misleading enrollment claims.

“It is welcome news for small businesses and residents alike that Gov. Healey is not pursuing any tax increases for the foreseeable future. The more money we keep in the pockets of employers and consumers the better as the effects of prolonged inflation persist.”
—Christopher Carlozzi, State Director for the Nation Federation of Independent Business in Massachusetts.

“Massachusetts consumers, restaurants and bars can all toast to the fact that cocktails to-go are here to stay. During the pandemic, cocktails to-go were a critical source of revenue for many businesses, and now, the increased convenience and stability they offer is permanent.”
— Andy Deloney, senior vice president at the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States on Gov. Healey signing a supplemental budget that keeps in place some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out.