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By LIESEL NYGARD

SOUTH DEERFIELD — Before a room filled with local health care professionals, state Sen. Jo Comerford shared details about legislation she’s filed this session in hopes of bolstering the health care system to “do well by” those physicians and, in turn,...

By TANISHA BHAT

The region’s paraeducators could receive additional support from the federal government when it comes to recruitment, training and retention as part of a bill proposed in Congress by Sen. Ed Markey.The bill — called the Preparing and Retaining All...

By DOMENIC POLI

GREENFIELD — Four women representing western Massachusetts in the state Legislature visited Greenfield Community College on Monday for a panel discussion about health care with second-year nursing students.State Sen. Jo Comerford was joined by state...

By ALEXANDER MACDOUGALL and CHRIS LARABEE

SPRINGFIELD — U.S. Rep. Richard Neal touted a new tax relief bill passed by the House of Representatives this week, and shared his views on U.S. foreign policy during a gathering with the press on Friday morning.Speaking at the atrium inside the...

By SCOTT MERZBACH

NORTHAMPTON — Prohibiting PFAS from consumer products sold in Massachusetts remains an objective for Sen. Jo Comerford, who sees a recently advanced legislative bill to protect soil and farms from such contamination as an important first step to...

By BELLA LEVAVI

BOSTON — Multiple Franklin County and North Quabbin residents testified Wednesday in favor of a bill that aims to change forest management and conservation efforts in the state.H.4150, “An act relative to forest protection” filed by state Rep. Carmine...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Most lawmakers seem to agree that something needs to be done about so-called “ghost guns,” but a fierce debate continues about the extent of additional gun regulation such as restricting where legal gun owners can carry and updating the...

By BELLA LEVAVI

BOSTON — Local residents recently shared their opinions with the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government on proposed legislation that would allow for more local control over large-scale solar projects.S.1319/H.2082, “An Act Regarding...

By BELLA LEVAVI

Rural legislators and organizations are working hard to make sure they get a portion of Gov. Maura Healey’s five-year, $4.12 billion housing bond bill that was unveiled earlier this month.Since Healey took office in January, she has created the...

By CHRIS LARABEE

BOSTON — Educators, town officials and students from across the Pioneer Valley appeared before the Legislature’s Joint Committee on Education on Monday to share their support for bills that would codify several recommendations to ensure the stability...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

BOSTON — Grieving family members who have watched the agonizing, slow deaths of their loved ones clashed Friday with members of the disability community and conservative groups over the prospect of legalizing medical aid in dying, resurfacing...

By ALISON KUZNITZ

People could be paid to act as caregivers to spouses with disabilities under proposals promoted at a legislative hearing Monday to address the state’s shortage of personal care attendants.A slew of family members — including children, grandparents,...

By Chris Lisinski

BOSTON — Most House Democrats lined up Wednesday in support of a major overhaul of the state’s firearms laws, easily hurdling over procedural complaints and sending the Senate a measure that has generated incendiary criticism from gun owners and...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Advocates for decriminalizing psychedelic drugs are hoping to get traction on Beacon Hill and in Massachusetts cities and towns this year, though they are taking different approaches to changing the law.Grassroots coalition Bay Staters for...

By MARY BYRNE

Franklin County advocates were among the 21 groups and 258 people to sign a letter sent to the Healey administration on Tuesday, encouraging passage of a bill that would provide funding for a Municipal Reforestation Program. The letter asks that the...

By MADDIE FABIAN

BOSTON — The Senate moved Thursday to give people the option to select a nonbinary “X” identification on their drivers’ licenses and birth certificates, a choice LGBTQ allies have been advocating for years.The Massachusetts Senate unanimously voted to...

By CHRIS LARABEE

Legislators, education association representatives, and school and town officials were briefed Thursday morning on bills proposing to codify numerous recommendations to ensure the long-term sustain ability of rural schools.Bills H.3567 and S.2388,...

By SAM DRYSDALE

BOSTON — Anyone with a cellphone in their pocket can likely be tracked — to the grocery store or the gym, to work or school, to religious services or health care appointments. With prolific data available on Bay Staters’ day-to-day lives, a bill seeks...

By BELLA LEVAVI

ASHFIELD — Inspired by a model being used in Clifton Park, New York, Dalton resident Tom Irwin is going across Massachusetts to drum up support for a bill that would create a statewide paint recycling program.The bill, H.823 and S.551, has been...

By DOMENIC POLI

BOSTON — At least three Greenfield residents and the state senator representing 25 communities in Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester counties have submitted testimony to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary to express support for a bill that would...

By CHRIS LARABEE

DEERFIELD — U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern and Sen. Ed Markey reintroduced a bill Wednesday that would begin the process of designating the Deerfield River as a National Wild and Scenic River.First introduced by McGovern, D-Worcester, in a July 2022...