Following their summer recess, the House and Senate have focused their attention on overriding Governor Baker’s budget vetoes from July. On Wednesday, October 4^th, the House voted to restore all 320 million dollars that Governor Baker had vetoed out of the 2018 Fiscal Year budget which had been proposed to him in July.

Before the legislative winter recess commences on November 15^th, the House and the Senate are hoping to pass two criminal justice bills.

As the Federal Executive Branch denies climate change and separates from the Paris Climate Agreement on behalf of the United States, the states will fill the void. With the pending release of the National Climate Assessment, a report mandated by Congress, the the stakes will be even higher.

The Mayoral seat and all thirteen seats on the Boston City Council are up for election this year. The primary occurs on Tuesday, September 26, 2017 and the final election on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. The City Council consists of four at large seats and nine district seats. The primary election for Mayor will narrow the field to two and voters will then choose one in November to serve as Boston’s Mayor from 2018-2022.

With the recent creation of a special Senate committee on cyber security the Massachusetts legislature committed to assessing the current state of information security. This article reviews current laws, the committee's role and possible future rules.

Participating as an advocate in the public policy arena can be a rewarding and impactful experience. Advocates play an integral role in the legislative process, the direction of policy agendas, and ultimately the ability to create meaningful change. Success as an advocate relies on strong verbal reasoning, amicable character, and offering candid information. Legislative briefings provide a unique opportunity for advocates to meet face-to-face with policy officials and express their concerns as either constituents, thought leaders, or representatives of interest groups.

Massachusetts Alcohol Regulations
By The Brennan Group

Navigating the Massachusetts Legislative Process

By The Brennan Group

Over the course of the coming weeks and months we (Brennan Group) will be publishing a host of articles and blogs that deal with many different public policy and general topics affecting the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Hopefully these articles are informative and stimulating. Some may be better suited for certain groups and individuals but am confident we will issue relevant information for our entire audience at one time or another.  The first post will deal with the navigation of the Massachusetts legislative process.