By Bob Katzen

“We are asking for the ability to form a committee to start a captive insurance plan or start a plan that would allow us to get assistance to fix these foundations. We are mirroring a plan that’s already in place and working in the state of Connecticut. They’ve replaced over 1,000 homes. They use a $1 a month surcharge on homeowners’ policies, no more than $12 a year. The first year alone, if we were able to put that together in Massachusetts, we’d raise close to $22 million.”

—Cynthia Poirier, an assessor in Brimfield and Holland, urging Gov. Healey to issue an executive order to create a committee to develop recommendations on providing assistance to the many Bay State homeowners dealing with crumbling concrete foundations, caused by pyrite or pyrrhotite minerals, which could eventually render their houses unlivable.

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration recognizes the importance of providing support to homeowners whose concrete foundations are crumbling. We will continue to work together with our partners in the Legislature to evaluate potential solutions that would provide relief to homeowners.”
—Karissa Hand, spokesperson for Gov. Healey, responding to a State House News Service question asking whether the governor is willing to issue the executive order to create a committee to explore providing assistance to homeowners dealing with crumbling concrete foundations.

“The public should expect strong, clear and specific recommendations when our work is complete. We will approach thorny questions humbly, diligently and with an open mind. We will do our best to draw in voices that are not already represented on this commission, including but not limited to, Orthodox Jews, Israeli Jews and those who may have differing opinions about what counts as antisemitism.”
—Rep. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord) co-chair of the newly established Special State Commission for Addressing Antisemitism, which held its first meeting last week.

“The latest report … underscores the main issue driving residents out of Massachusetts. Oppressive taxes aren’t just a business community concern. This is a quality of life issue for everyone in the commonwealth. Our polling shows 80 percent of people agree Massachusetts taxes are too high. The long-term consequences aren’t hypothetical. If we don’t turn the tide, we will continue to lose talented residents, families and entrepreneurs to states with more competitive taxes.”
—Chris Anderson, president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, on the release of the Tax Foundation 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, which ranked Massachusetts among the 10 worst states in the country (41st out of 50).