The Medford Police Department proudly announces the retirement of Lieutenant Michael Fahey after 40 years of honorable and dedicated service to the City of Medford.
Continue reading Medford Police Lieutenant Michael Fahey Retires After 40 Years of Honorable and Dedicated Service →

By Bob Katzen

“Policymakers assumed that lowering drug prices at the federal level would translate directly into lower costs for patients. Our findings show that patients can pay more at the pharmacy counter depending on how plans and Pharmacy Benefit Managers structure benefits.”
—Dr. William Smith, co-author of a study by the Pioneer Institute which shows that many Medicare seniors paid higher out-of-pocket costs in 2025 for widely used prescription drugs—despite a federal law intended to lower them.
Continue reading THIS WEEK’S QUOTABLE QUOTES ON BEACON HILL →

By Bob Katzen

The Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight will hold a hearing on May 20th on a bill that would make the American lobster the official state crustacean.
Continue reading OFFICIAL STATE CRUSTACEAN (H 5335) →

By Bob Katzen

The Revenue Committee held a hearing on legislation that would extend the state tax treatment currently applied to Social Security income to public retirement income earned abroad. Under current law, Social Security benefits are exempt from state taxation, but foreign public pensions are not.
Continue reading “FOREIGN” SOCIAL SECURITY (H 5260) →

The initiative petition to reform the system under which lawmakers receive extra pay for serving in a leadership position and as committee chairs will not proceed to the ballot following the Supreme Judicial Court’s opinion that it is unconstitutional, according to Assistant Attorney General Anne Sterman who sent a letter to Secretary of State Bill Galvin last week saying the measure “may proceed no further.” Ironically in August, Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office originally certified the measure as eligible for the ballot, but the letter nixes the proposal in light of the court opinion. The advisory opinion was sought by the State Senate which opposes the measure.
Continue reading LEGISLATIVE STIPENDS →

By Bob Katzen

Senate 10-29, rejected an amendment to a section of the bill that prohibits local and state police from participating in civil federal immigration enforcement.
Continue reading ALLOW SOME WORKING RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS (S 3072) →

By Bob Katzen

Senate 37-3, approved its own version of the PROTECT Act that supporters said would establish statewide standards governing interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. The House has already approved its own version of the measure and a House-Senate conference committee will eventually hammer out a compromise version.
Continue reading GET OPINION OF SUPREME JUDICIAL COURT (S 3083) →

By Bob Katzen

Senate 37-3, approved its own version of the PROTECT Act that supporters said would establish statewide standards governing interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. The House has already approved its own version of the measure and a House-Senate conference committee will eventually hammer out a compromise version.
Continue reading THE “PROTECT ACT” (S 3072) →