State House Takeout, the News Service's weekly podcast, is back! On this week's edition, Chris Lisinski talks transportation funding with a trio of advocates: Chris Dempsey of Transportation for Massachusetts, Stacy Thompson of LivableStreets, and Jarred Johnson of TransitMatters. Catching up on the last few months, the Takeout kicks off with analysis from Matt Murphy and Sam Doran on what's been happening atop Beacon Hill, and what remains on the Legislature's plate as the scheduled end of form...
Jul 17, 2020•42 min
It's all coronavirus news this week on the Takeout because the pandemic has touched all aspects of daily life for state government and Massachusetts residents. An emergency declaration and $15 million in preparedness funding were part of the government's response, and the SHNS crew looks ahead to what else we might see coming up next week.
Mar 13, 2020•22 min
The crew tackles dual House transportation sessions, Super Tuesday results, and the very latest updates on coronavirus cases in Massachusetts and the state's response.
Mar 06, 2020•34 min
The SHNS crew has a three-course Takeout this week: reporter Katie Lannan talks COVID-19, Matt Murphy and Chris Lisinski discuss the House transportation funding bill, and Colin Young touches on recent developments with Columbia Gas ... that and more on this week's State House Takeout!
Feb 28, 2020•35 min
On this week's episode, the Takeout crew dives into the federal charges against Lowell Rep. David Nangle, along with analysis of the Markey-Kennedy debate and a rundown of the new safe driving law that takes effect this Sunday. Stick around for an informed discussion on the best places to get takeout in Lowell from several former Lowell Sun reporters.
Feb 21, 2020•28 min
The Takeout crew filed into the studio this week for another episode of your favorite podcast. With Matt Murphy sitting in for Sam Doran (don't worry, he's just feeling under the weather), the gang talked about a mental health bill the Senate unanimously passed Thursday, updates to the state's various wind projects, and the unofficial holiday on Beacon Hill -- nomination paper pulling day. Stick around to hear about the exciting plans these reporters have for Valentine's Day.
Feb 14, 2020•26 min
Some were favorable... some died... some lived to be reported on another day. Many bills' fates were decided Wednesday, and new deadlines were set for scores of others. The SHNS crew looks at where the high-profile issues fall in the wake of "Joint Rule 10 Day," and talks about the effectiveness of deadlines.
Feb 07, 2020•20 min
This week's Takeout is all about the Senate's climate policy debate. Why did the Senate choose this "dramatic" three-bill approach? How far do senators' proposed climate measures go, and could they go farther? What are Speaker DeLeo and Gov. Baker going to make of what Sen. Barrett called a "radical" bill? And, hey, let's step back and ask, to quote the posterboard Sen. Bruce Tarr held aloft during Thursday's session... "What Does This Do?" The Takeout is hosted by Sam Doran and produced by Chri...
Jan 31, 2020•26 min
On this week's Takeout, the reporters dig into Gov. Baker's State of the Commonwealth speech: what he said, what he didn't say, and what effect it may have on Beacon Hill action in 2020. Also: education and transportation themes in Baker's budget proposal, and takeaways from the Senate's climate package up for debate next week. And, a little talk about what's going on in Washington.
Jan 24, 2020•29 min
The Takeout team digs into packed hearings about the housing crisis and carbon emissions, along with further challenges to the Transportation and Climate Initiative and mounting pressure on next year's budget, then steps back to talk about the crowded, often chaotic nature of State House committee hearings. Jan. 17, 2020.
Jan 17, 2020•20 min
As Beacon Hill table-setting for 2020 continues, mayors like Marty Walsh in Boston are pushing their local legislative agendas. The SHNS crew also looks to leaders of other New England states for clues to the future of the Transportation Climate Initiative pact. Colin A. Young has updates on long-term clean energy planning, with news on Canadian hydropower and offshore wind.
Jan 10, 2020•17 min
Here's what to watch as 2020 dawns on Beacon Hill. The SHNS crew previews what we might expect from Gov. Baker's State of the Commonwealth speech, and legislative debates on transportation funding and climate change initiatives.
Jan 03, 2020•17 min
Count down the Top 10 Beacon Hill stories of 2019, as voted on by members of the State House Press Association. The SHNS crew analyzes the last 12 months along with the big stories of the last decade.
Dec 27, 2019•28 min
For this week's Takeout, the News Service gathered a venerable band of State House reporters, past and present, to discuss changes they've seen in journalism under the Golden Dome. Panelists are Mark Leccese of Emerson College, Craig Sandler of SHNS, Steve LeBlanc of The Associated Press, and Peter Lucas of the Lowell Sun and Boston Herald. This week's special podcast covers a wide range of topics including camaraderie in the Press Gallery and the changing nature of press secretaries.
Dec 20, 2019•47 min
Holiday spirit abounds, and the House and Senate finally came together on a supplemental budget compromise - under pressure from the comptroller, a Gov. Baker appointee. Also: a sharp report on MBTA safety failings was unveiled, and the ban on sales of vaping products in Massachusetts is largely in the rear-view mirror.
Dec 13, 2019•16 min
The Takeout crew takes stock of economists' predictions for next fiscal year, and ruminates on lawmakers' inability to wrap up last fiscal year's accounts. Also: a hangup in setting a special election date for the open Senate seat on the South Shore.
Dec 06, 2019•26 min
The Takeout team runs down the final formal sessions of the year, where lawmakers sent Gov. Charlie Baker a cornucopia of bills banning flavored tobacco and taxing e-cigarettes, injecting $1.5 billion in K-12 public education, requiring drivers to put down phones behind the wheel, and more. The crew also ponders the fate of the fiscal year 2019 closeout budget that failed to emerge and what pathway forward there is at this late time of year.
Nov 22, 2019•24 min
The Takeout crew reviews the ethics report on Sen. Michael Brady and the punishment he faced Thursday, along with progress on vaping and flavored tobacco legislation, a look ahead to the final week of 2019 formal sessions, and other tidbits from a long four-day week.
Nov 15, 2019•28 min
There's always fresh vaping news, and the Takeout crew this week digs into legal and regulatory moves imminently affecting medical marijuana vapers. Also on this week's episode: municipal elections and their effect on the House and Senate ranks, and a sweeping vision for the future of Massachusetts railroads.
Nov 08, 2019•21 min
In a post-Halloween edition, the Takeout team talks about the specter of an overdue fiscal year-end budget, the debate over inclusion of menthol in the proposed ban on flavored tobacco products, and all the ideas floating around for new revenue.
Nov 01, 2019•27 min
The SHNS crew digs in to what comes next for Gov. Charlie Baker's ban on sales of vaping products. The team also digests unanimous votes in the House, for a $1.5 billion education funding reform bill, and in the Senate, on a $780 million closeout spending bill.
Oct 25, 2019•20 min
The SHNS crew breaks down the expansive health care bill that Gov. Charlie Baker rolled out Friday afternoon and looks ahead to the Health Policy Commission's "Super Bowl of health care" next week, where the governor's bill will surely be a topic of conversation. Chris Lisinski details the supplemental budget bill the House passed this week and what to expect when the Senate takes it up next week. To wrap up, the gang previews one of next week's main events: the House's consideration of a major ...
Oct 18, 2019•21 min
The Bay State economy, and what it means for Beacon Hill's spending and revenue plans: Colin A. Young shares takeaways from this week's Associated Industries of Massachusetts and MassBenchmarks reports, and Chris Lisinski reports on the first step in this fall's transportation funding discussion.
Oct 11, 2019•20 min
The Takeout team examines the Senate's education funding debate and questions about projected district-level numbers. Also: a courtroom advance for supervised drug injection sites, and the shifting candidate field in the 4th Congressional District.
Oct 04, 2019•27 min
The SHNS reporters look at Gov. Baker's decision to temporarily ban all vaping products, and the pushback he's gotten from consumers and businesses. Also: options for moving forward on a distracted driving ban, and Sen. Pacheco's push to add climate legislation to the agenda.
Sep 27, 2019•23 min
The reporters of SHNS dig into the Legislature's freshly-delivered education funding reform bill, along with the state's developing 2020 Congressional races and Gov. Charlie Baker's plans for the state's two Boston convention centers.
Sep 20, 2019•25 min
From vaping to voting... The SHNS team talks about the health concerns around vaping that extended to the state Department of Public Health and a meeting of Massachusetts' marijuana regulators. Election news includes Maura Healey backing Elizabeth Warren's presidential campaign, a check-in on the potential Markey-Kennedy matchup, and Secretary William Galvin's idea for a new system to replace traditional primaries.
Sep 13, 2019•28 min
The SHNS team looks ahead to this fall's legislative possibilities, including education funding reform, the governor's housing production bill, and the hunt for transportation funding sources.
Sep 06, 2019•20 min
The News Service crew recaps a newsy August, touching on the stalled Vineyard Wind project, developing 2020 races, an off-track summer for the MBTA, and more.
Aug 30, 2019•21 min
Katie Lannan and Chris Lisinski run through highlights of the Baker administration's traffic congestion study, and Gov. Baker's effect on the Taunton mayor's race. Colin A. Young pops in after chasing down a lead on Vineyard Wind to talk about the offshore wind project's latest delay. Programming Note: The Takeout is taking a short summer recess, with plans to return on Friday, Aug. 30.
Aug 09, 2019•24 min
