Your weekly look at politics, policy and elections in Massachusetts
6/19/20--As we near the official start of summer, Massachusetts continues with Phase 2 of its reopening plan, with malls and hotels open for business, as well as restaurants for outdoor dining and drinking.
No sign yet that Massachusetts will need to backtrack on the reopening, as state officials confirm downward trends continue on each of the four key coronavirus metrics they're tracking.
In Supreme Court news, three significant developments were made this week. LGBTQ workers were granted a historic victory when the Supreme Court ruled Monday that the federal law that bars sex discrimination in employment does apply to LGBTQ employees. In a decision that impacts Massachusetts gun laws in particular, justices turned down petitions from 10 challenges to state laws established to limit the availability and accessibility of some firearms and when they can be carried in public. Lastly, on Thursday, the Supreme Court blocked the Trump administration's attempt to end DACA, finding this move unlawful. This decision keeps 640,000 people safe from deportation.
State Representative Liz Miranda stops by The Horse Race to discuss legislation she filed alongside Senator Cynthia Creem, An Act to Save Black Lives.
The bill, Miranda says, is designed "to really look at use of force guidelines, creating a duty to intervene."
It also bans dangerous police tactics such as chokeholds and the use of rubber bullets and tear gas. Independent oversight is called for in the bill, with Miranda naming the attorney general's office as a potential arbiter, saying that while some people turn to civilian review boards when police misconduct is committed, "I looked at the duty of the attorney general and said that there's a real opportunity here to have oversight come from that."
1/21/2021-- This week, we bring you an all-transit episode of The Horse Race.
This is also the first episode under the new Biden administration, and we plan to publish an episode exploring …
1/13/21--The U.S. House Representatives moves to impeach President Donald Trump today. This comes after last week’s insurrection on the Capitol by …
1/7/21-- Steve, Jenn, and Stephanie are back in The Horse Race bunker, this time to rehash the unsettling events that took place Wednesday in D.C. when pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed …
12/30/20-- Farewell, 2020! Can't say we'll miss you, but as you can tell from this week's episode, there were some fun moments after all. Please enjoy this end-of-year blooper reel, and …
12/23/20-- Happy Holidays, Horse Racers! We are guilty of claiming last week was our last episode of 2020, but as soon as we hit 'publish,' there was …
12/16/20-- This week, we are both celebrating a new development that is the first COVID-19 vaccinations making their way to U.S. citizens, as well as passing a grim milestone that is …
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