New England Public Radio

Carrie Healy

The Week Ahead On Beacon Hill

This week, a state commission in Massachusetts will meet to set the official health care cost benchmark. This system was put into place a number of years ago to keep a close watch on rising health care costs. For more, we checked in with State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy, as we do most Mondays.

Also this week:

  • The legislature’s transportation committee takes up road construction funds.
  • Governor Charlie Baker’s $40.5 billion state budget proposal gets its first public hearing on Thursday.

Click the audio player above to hear Carrie Healy’s conversation with Matt Murphy about the week ahead on Beacon Hill.

Study: Emails To Legislators Often Don’t Work

The arrival of the Trump Administration in Washington brought with it a huge volume of phone calls and emails. Congressional offices have said they’ve never seen so much correspondence from constituents — many who’re opposed to President Trump’s cabinet nominees and early policy announcements.

But new research finds this might not be the best way to influence your representatives — at least in state legislatures.

Click the audio player above to hear New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy interview with UMass Lowell political scientist John Cluverius.

The Short List: Sarno Again Scolds Refugee Agency, Warren Gets Silenced — Kinda, Blumenthal Earns Trump Tweet

NEPR'S WEEK IN REVIEW

What made The Short List this week?

  • Jewish Family Service is defending itself from Mayor Domenic Sarno’s accusation that his office was kept in the dark about the expected arrival of refugees in Springfield or nearby communities. (NEPR)
  • Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted to silence Massachusetts Democrat Elizabeth Warren for “impugning the motives” of attorney general nominee Jeff Sessions, a GOP senator from Alabama. (NPR)
  • U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal found himself on the receiving end of tweets from President Donald Trump, after the Connecticut Democrat publicly shared part of his conversation with Trump’s Supreme Court pick. (NPR)

Click the audio player above to hear New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy explore these issues with Matt Szafranski of Western Mass Politics & Insight  and the Reminder newspapers’ Mike Dobbs. 

Late 19th Century Paris Art Scene At Center Of Greenfield Author’s Debut Book

Greenfield, Massachusetts, author Serena Burdick’s “Girl in The Afternoon” takes you to 1870’s Paris — right in the middle of a family drama set in the art world. The book features a female impressionist painter, whose life intertwines with that of painter Edouard Manet.

Click the audio player above to hear Burdick’s conversation with New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy, starting with the author explaining why she chose Manet.

The Week Ahead On Beacon Hill

President Donald Trump’s first full week in office began today, and we still know little about the magnitude of the cuts and changes he’ll make to measures passed under the Obama Administration. Will the changes make a big difference to the budget Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker lays out this week? As we do most Mondays, we turned to State House News Service reporter Matt Murphy.

Also this week:

  • Governor Baker may not be able to exclude non-recurring revenues from the state budget.
  • This week Massachusetts lawmakers could begin discussions to beef up their own salaries.

Click the audio player above to hear Matt Murphy and New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy discuss the week ahead on Beacon Hill.

The Short List: Warren Grills Carson, Massachusetts Standard Time, Under The Radar

NEPR's Week In Review

What made The Short List this week?

  • Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren sought assurance from U.S. Housing Secretary appointee Ben Carson that the Trump family would not financially benefit from HUD grants at his Confirmation Hearing this week. She wasn’t assured.
  • The state has a commission looking at time: getting rid of “springing forward” and “falling back.” Are there benefits?
  • And the panel looks at two stories that they believe flew under the radar this week.

Click the audio player above to hear New England Public Radio’s Carrie Healy explore these issues with Rick Hurst of The African American Point of View and Mike Dobbs of the Reminder newspapers.