Political activist Tim Kushi and Lift Every Vote founder Joyce Hackett, under the umbrella of the Berkshire Democratic Brigades, have organized public watch parties for the first Democratic presidential debates of the 2020 campaign season.
Grants were provided to eight land trusts through the Conservation Partnership Grant Program, 11 communities through the Local Acquisitions for Natural Diversity (LAND) Grant Program, and eight projects through the Conservation District Innovative Projects Grant Program.
The audit, which was requested by former District Attorney Paul Caccaviello shortly after his March 2018 appointment, provides newly sworn-in District Attorney Andrea Harrington with recommendations to address these areas.
In her letter Beth Carlson of Stockbridge writes: “As District Attorney Andrea Harrington will be a strong advocate for justice and an asset to the county."
The audit shows that the Department of Conservation and Recreation did not keep an accurate official record of its use agreements and did not have an adequate billing collections system, policies or procedures to effectively collect fees.
The bill implements the recommendations of the bipartisan Foundation Budget Review Commission, which found that the foundation budget formula is drastically underestimating education costs.
Caccaviello was sworn in as Berkshire district attorney March 15 after serving as first assistant district attorney under former Berkshire District Attorney David Capeless.
The driving force behind regional school reform is enrollments, which are dropping at an alarming pace. Berkshire County school districts saw enrollment losses of 22 percent between 2000 and 2015.
The task force’s purpose is to advise the governor on issues relating to the prevalence, deterrence and prevention of hate crimes in the Commonwealth and the support of victims of hate crimes.
Auditor Suzanne M. Bump Monday released an audit of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that assessed the controls and planning at its Massachusetts Broadband Institute.
Hinds sponsored eight bills focused on issues of priority for the rural communities and working families of western Massachusetts. He co-sponsored 77 proposals filed by colleagues in the House of Representatives and Senate.
To bolster state-municipal collaboration, a study recommends Governor Baker convene a statewide summit to educate localities about the infrastructure challenges presented by climate change and the steps needed to protect their water systems.
“At a time when there is an increased focus on improving our criminal justice system, essential information about the county corrections experience is not being made available." --State Auditor Suzanne Bump
The audit found that, despite the Massachusetts Gaming Commission having the ability to examine if Plainridge Park Casino was meeting its hiring benchmarks, it had not done so.
