Policy Center

On April 9th, we announced the inaugural cohort of Greg Torres Senior Fellows that will help broaden our capacity, impact, and networks across key issues facing the Commonwealth. In recognition of Greg Torres’s visionary leadership and legacy, the five Senior Fellows joining us represent a diversity of lived and professional experiences from various cultural, geographic, and sector backgrounds. The 2024-2026 cohort consists of:

• Dina Fein– Retired judge, Massachusetts Trial Court, Housing Court Department, Western Division

• Charlotte Golar Richie– Former state representative, former commissioner on the Mass. Commission Against Discrimination, and former senior executive at YouthBuild USA

• Pema Latshang– Founding Executive Director, Teach Western Mass

• Mary Wambui– Asset Manager, Planning Office for Urban Affairs (POUA) and member of the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Advisory Council

• Leverett Wing– President and CEO, Commonwealth Seminar

Report Releases

Past Events

MassINC in the Media

Upcoming Events 📅

• May 14- MassINC Polling Group Beyond Words: Parent Perceptions on Early Literacy | Register 

• May 16- MassINC Polling Group Small Business Survey Release @ State House 1-3 PM

• May 20- CommonWealth Beacon Birthing Justice: Finding a New Way Forward @ GBH Studios 6-7 PM | Register

Gateway Cities Innovation Institute

MassINC staff continue to support its network of Gateway City municipal leaders in the final stretch of the legislative session ending July 31. Priorities identified include:

• The Downtown Vitality Act, which would dedicate up to 5% of online sales tax collected by the state to a fund that would invest in local small business districts through district management;
• Exploring ways to mitigate adverse impacts of new Massachusetts Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) rules that make it more expensive and time-consuming to conduct urban redevelopment activities; and
• Researching the rules governing renovations and code requirements that may discourage property owners in weaker markets from reinvesting in their properties.

Past Events

• Downtown Vitality Legislative Briefing with MassCreative, Mass Cultural Council, and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) | State House (March 26)

• MassINC & New Gateway City Mayors Introduction | Zoom (March 5)

CommonWealth Beacon

Awards

The CommonWealth Beacon team took home five awards in March during the annual New England Newspaper Competition, held by the New England Newspaper & Press Association. Executive Editor Michael Jonas earned four total awards, highlighted by two first place finishes for his work covering Arts & Entertainment (read article here) and Government Reporting (read article here). Reporter Jennifer Smith won third place for Best Podcast for her conversation with Nikki Stewart, executive director of Old North Illuminated, on the Codcast episode, “Old North Church grapples with slavery.”

CommonWealth Beacon’s Michael Jonas at the New England Newspaper Competition

Collaboration

CommonWealth Beacon, GBH, and The MassINC Polling Group joined forces earlier this month to produce its latest poll of Massachusetts residents. The collaborative effort covered a wide range of topics from sports betting trends and early stances on ballot questions to climate change views from young people and whether THC products need a closer examination. You can read the complete series in CommonWealth Beacon’s By the Numbers.

Membership Events

CommonWealth Beacon Celebration- On March 12th, CommonWealth Beacon held an event hosted by WilmerHale to celebrate its recent launch. The evening brought together a community of supporters who helped make the launch successful and featured an insightful conversation with Dan Kennedy, co-author (with Ellen Clegg) of the book “What Works in Community News,” about local news trends across the country. Click here to view the photos from the event.

Author Dan Kennedy and CommonWealth Beacon Editor Bruce Mohl

The MassINC Polling Group

• MPG worked with the Boston Museum of Science to survey middle and high school students nationally about climate change. The poll is part of the Museum’s yearlong “Earthshot” programming.

• MPG crisscrossed the state for events marking the release of the third wave of the Massachusetts small business climate survey. Conducted for the Coalition for an Equitable Economy with support from Mass Growth Capital Corporation and Eastern Bank Foundation, this year’s survey highlight challenges small business are facing hiring new employees and seeking funding to grow their businesses.

• MPG also continued its long work on transportation issues in the Commonwealth releasing a pair of polls about fare-free bus service at two of the state’s Regional Transit Authorities. A March poll of residents served by WRTA found a majority “strongly support” continuing fare-free service for a record 5th year. And on May 1st, MPG is releasing a poll of residents served by the Southeast Regional Transit Authority, which is currently piloting free fares. The poll found two-thirds support for continuing free fares past the pilot period. Both RTA polls were conducted with support from The Barr Foundation.

• The Horse Race, co-hosted by MPG president Steve Koczela and CommonWealth Beacon‘s Jenn Smith, marked its 300th episode covering Massachusetts politics and policy in typical irreverent fashion: by taste-testing the Dunkin’ orders of various #mapoli luminaries.

Additional Poll Releases

• Poll: Massachusetts residents take stock of marijuana legalization (April 24)

• GBH News, CommonWealth Beacon partner on new poll (April 8)

Past Events

• Statewide Small Business Survey Launch | Worcester, State House, Springfield (April 23, 24, 25)

Most listened to Horse Race Episode

MassINC Polling Group in the Media