The Boston Globe – Worries over rail project funding

Proponents of a decades-old plan that would connect Southeastern Massachusetts communities with Boston by commuter rail are encouraged that the project is conversation on Beacon Hill, but worry that if it’s not funded this year, it might never get done.

 Pointing to a recent poll conducted by nonprofit think tank MassINC, Egan said nearly 60 percent of Bay State residents are willing to pay more for investments in road and transit projects, with the majority of those willing to invest more in transit projects.

Brockton Enterprise – Officials discuss expanding regional transit in Brockton

Brockton Area Transit sees roughly 3 million passengers each year – and local officials expect those numbers to grow.

Research group MassINC presented the forum, moderated by Chazy Dowaliby, editor of The Enterprise and The Patriot Ledger of Quincy. The forum, held at the Metro South Chamber of Commerce on School Street, brought together city officials and representatives from Old Colony Planning Council and the Brockton Neighborhood Health Center, among others.

Brockton Enterprise – Brockton officials to talk transit and its role in economic growth

Mayor Linda Balzotti would embrace more public transit to industrial parks and other areas of the city.

Research group MassINC will present the forum, moderated by Chazy Dowaliby, editor of The Enterprise and The Patriot-Ledger. MassInc research director Ben Forman will speak.

The Boston Globe – Special court in Dedham is serving those who served

Adam Matthews has been in and out of jail since his 2010 medical discharge from the Marines for war-related trauma that for so many in the military results in mental health and substance abuse issues when they return home.

Citing a study by the think tank MassINC, he said the state’s bigger problem is that outdated sentencing guidelines lead to longer-than-necessary prison terms, and because the state falters in providing adequate services — like counseling — many wind up back behind bars.

The Eagle Tribune – Tolls on I-93 gain support in Mass.

Tolls are part of a menu of options for an overhaul of how the state funds its transportation system, state officials have said, reviving a discussion about a toll on Interstate 93.

A report on a series of polls and focus groups released March 14 by the Boston think tank MassINC showed that support for income tax increases among the public stood barely at a majority if the revenue would go into the state’s general fund.

Boston Globe – Report on crime, prisons raises awareness
THE “CRIME, Cost, and Consequences” report released last week by MassINC and Community Resources for Justice raises several points worthy of further discussion (“Crime down, prison costs up,” Page A1, March 25).

Boston Globe – New leaders try to fix Mass. Probation Department

Almost three years after the Massachusetts Probation Department patronage scandal swept longtime Commissioner John J. O’Brien and most of his deputies out of their jobs, the agency is being run by people who bucked his unfair hiring system.

Corbett had served as the agency’s second in command in the 1990s when Massachusetts probation had a national reputation for innovation. Commonwealth Magazine referred to the sky-high hopes around the new leader as “the cult of Corbett.”

Springfield Republican – Pioneer Valley Transit Authority launches year-long review of bus routes in Western Massachusetts

The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority has begun a year-long review of routes and services in the 24 communities it serves in response to population shifts and other changes. 

Speakers at the forum sponsored by MassInc and Transportation for Massachusetts stressed the need for expanded mass transit services for quality of life and economic development.

Go Local Worcester – Worcester’s Elected Officials Split Over Senate Special Election

With less than a month before the April 30th U.S. Senate primary special election, and debates just getting underway, some Worcester elected officials have declared their support, while others say that they have yet to decide which of the five candidates they will endorse for the seat previously held by John Kerry.

A WBUR/MassINC poll released on March 26 had Markey leading his Democratic rival Lynch by 11 percentage points. On the Republican side, former Michael Sullivan had the edge over both Winslow and Gomez. However, the poll’s biggest news was that 41 percent of Democrats and 46 percent of Republicans still did not yet know who they would vote for.

The MetroWest Daily News – Editorial: Paying too much for policies that don’t work

Like many states, Massachusetts responded to a crime surge in the 1980s by getting tough.

The report, produced by MassINC, a non-partisan think tank, and Community Resources for Justice, projects that counter-productive policies will cost the state $2 billion in the next decade while doing nothing to make its residents safer.

The Norwood Patch – Do You Support Mandatory Minimum Sentencing Laws?

Mandatory minimum sentence laws remain popular on Beacon Hill.

However, a new study says that such laws cost the state and taxpayers millions each year—and potentially billions in the future—without much return on investment, as Massachusetts’ recidivism rate remains high compared to other states.

Lowell Sun – UMass Lowell to host April 8 debates for U.S. Senate candidates

Democratic candidates for U.S. Senate, and possibly their Republican counterparts, will debate at the University of Massachusetts Lowell on Monday, April 8.

A recent WBUR poll, conducted by The Mass INC Polling Group, showed Markey leading Lynch by 11 percentage points.

Boston Globe – Crime lab scandal underscores ills of injustice
A REPORT commissioned by MassINC (“Crime down, prison costs up,” Page A1, March 25) argues that some Massachusetts inmates, particularly nonviolent drug offenders, should have received shorter sentences. Can we connect the dots with the long-running story about the state crime lab scandal?

South Coast Today – Commuter Rail could be at risk if Patrick’s tax plan not passed in full

State transportation advocates are worried that the SouthCoast commuter rail project could be dead in the water if the Legislature does not approve Gov. Deval Patrick’s proposed income tax increase.

Steve Koczela, president of the MassINC polling group, said polls conducted by his organization give him hope that voters support paying higher taxes for better transportation.

Eagle Tribune – Regional transportation forum open to public

MassINC and Transportation for Massachusetts will hold a public forum and panel discussion on regional transportation investments in Massachusetts Gateway Cities Tuesday, April 2 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the Hartleb Technology Center (Room 103AB) on the Haverhill campus of Northern Essex Community College, 100 Elliott St.

Lowell Sun – Senate hopefuls taking stage

Democratic and Republicans candidates for U.S. Senate are hoping to warm up to the cameras — and more importantly the electorate — when they face off in the first of their televised debates tonight.

A recent WBUR poll, conducted by The Mass INC Polling Group, shows Markey leading Lynch by 11 percentage points. But according to the poll, a high number of likely Democratic voters, 41 percent, remain undecided.

Boston Globe – Mass. Senate candidates debate Wednesday

Candidates for the state’s special Senate election are scheduled to meet Wednesday for the first televised debates of the campaign, back-to-back, half-hour sessions, between the ­Republicans and then the ­Democrats.

US Representative Edward J. Markey is leading the race for the Democratic Senate nomination while former US attorney Michael J. Sullivan is ahead in the battle for the GOP nomination, according to a new WBUR poll released Tuesday.

Sentinel and Enterprise – Candidates go head to head tonight

Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate are hoping to warm up to the cameras — and, more importantly, the electorate — when they face off in the first of their televised debates tonight.

A recent WBUR poll, conducted by The Mass INC Polling Group, shows Markey leading Lynch by 11 percentage points.

WBUR – GOP, Democratic U.S. Senate Hopefuls Face Off In Debate

The five candidates hoping to fill the seat of former U.S. Sen. John Kerry faced off in a live television debate Wednesday night. As the candidates from each party sought to win over voters — or just gain some name recognition – clear differences emerged.

A WBUR poll this week shows Markey with the highest level of support and name recognition among all the candidates. But it also reveals that a healthy chunk of both Republican and Democratic primary voters are still undecided.

Lowell Sun – Senate race can’t shake voters’ apathy

The good news for U.S. Senate front-runners — Democrat Ed Markey and Republican Michael Sullivan — is a double-digit lead over their rivals.

In a new WBUR poll of 610 likely voters conducted by The Mass INC Polling Group, Markey holds a 35-24 lead over Stephen Lynch, while Sullivan leads Dan Winslow, 28-10, and Gabriel Gomez, 28-8.

Springfield Republican – MassInc: Massachusetts mandatory sentencing sends prison costs skyrocketing without improving recividism

A new report on state criminal justice says Massachusetts needs to reconsider its two-decade old approach to mandatory sentencing and lengthy incarceration for many crimes or be prepared to spend an additional $2 billion over the next decade on its growing prison population.

The report, “Crime, Cost and Consequences: Is it Time to Get Smart on Crime?” argues that Massachusetts over the last two decades has been spending more each year on keeping people in prison for longer periods and getting less to show for it. 

Washington Post – Poll shows Markey ahead by 11 in Massachusetts

We’re about a month away from the April 30 primaries in the Massachusetts special Senate election, and Rep. Ed Markey continues to hold a significant-but-not-insurmountable lead over Rep. Stephen Lynch on the Democratic side.

A new WBUR poll from the MassINC Polling Group shows Markey leading Lynch 35 percent to 24 percent, with another 30 percent undecided.

Patriot Ledger – Republicans stake out turf before Wednesday’s Senate debate
As all three Republican candidates for U.S. Senate struggle to make basic connections with voters, Rep. Daniel Winslow and Cohasset businessman Gabriel Gomez’s campaign tussled on Tuesday in advance of two critical debates later in the week.

Fifty-seven percent of 610 likely voters surveyed by MassINC for a poll released Tuesday were unfamiliar with the Winslow, while Gomez, a Cohasset businessman and former Navy SEAL who has never held public office, was unknown by 46 percent of those surveyed. Sullivan, who led Winslow in the poll 28 percent to 10 percent, was the most recognized Republican contender but was still unknown by 35 percent.

Sentinel and Enterprise – Poll: Many undecided in both Dem and GOP U.S. Senate contests

Rep. Dan Winslow, who has graced the cover of Commonwealth Magazine and pursued such unconventional political maneuvers as constructing a Marshmallow Fluff pyramid to illustrate government waste, ranks last in a recent poll of name recognition among candidates for the U.S. Senate.

Fifty-seven percent of 610 likely voters surveyed by MassINC were unfamiliar with the Norfolk Republican.

Springfield Republican – U.S. Rep. Ed Markey and Michael Sullivan lead in primaries for Senate election, new poll finds
U.S. Rep. Edward J. Markey holds a sizable lead in the contest for the Democratic primary in the special Senate election, and former U.S. attorney Michael J. Sullivan is well ahead in the contest for the Republican election, according to a new WBUR poll.

Boston Globe – Markey, Sullivan lead in race for Senate, poll shows

US Representative Edward J. Markey is leading the race for the Democratic Senate nomination while former US attorney Michael J. Sullivan is ahead in the battle for the GOP nomination, according to a new WBUR poll released this morning.

National Journal – Poll: Markey Leads Lynch, But Many Are Undecided
Rep. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Republican former U.S. Attorney Michael Sullivancurrently lead their respective party primaries in the upcoming Massachusetts Senate special election, but significant numbers of voters in both parties remain undecided, according to a new poll conducted for Boston-based NPR affiliate WBUR-FM and released early Tuesday.

WWLP – Crime down, but prison spending up

A new report finds that we are spending more on prisons than in years past, even though violent crimes in our state are generally down.

A report commissioned by the nonpartisan MassInc Research Group finds that the percentage of Massachusetts residents behind bars has tripled since the early 80s. It also found the state is spending an extra $150 million dollars a year keeping people behind bars.

WKZO – Markey retains lead in Massachusetts Senate race, many undecided: poll

Democratic Representative Ed Markey retained the lead among the five candidates seeking the Massachusetts Senate seat previously held by John Kerry, although a large number of likely voters remain undecided, according to a poll released on Tuesday.

Ahead of the April 30 primary, Markey held an 11 point lead over rival and fellow Congressman Stephen Lynch, who had gained some ground after trailing a wider margin in earlier polls, the WBUR/MassInc Polling Group found.

WBUR – Poll: Markey, Sullivan Hold Primary Leads, But Many Are Undecided

A new WBUR poll (PDFs – topline, crosstabs) of the special Massachusetts U.S. Senate election finds it wide open on both the Democratic and the Republican sides.

Markey and Lynch are the best-known candidates. Steve Koczela, of the MassINC Polling Group, finds either one would be the candidate to beat in the general election.