State House Takeout State House News Service

The annual state budget process moved into the next stage this week with the release of the House Ways and Means fiscal year 2022 proposal. With many factors looming over state spending -- policy changes from the Biden administration, billions in federal aid dollars, and an evolving revenue picture -- the News Service's Chris Lisinski talks with Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation Executive Vice President Doug Howgate and Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center Policy Analyst Monique Ching to dive into how House lawmakers are suggesting the state spend $47.65 billion. Tune into this week's "State House Takeout" to hear about surprises in the House Ways and Means proposal, impact of revenue outlooks, and gaps in the spending recommendations.

Advocates and public officials alike have been pushing for the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines even before the state announced its vaccination plan. On this week's "State House Takeout," reporter Katie Lannan sits down with Dr. Atyia Martin and Eva Millona of the Vaccine Equity Now! Coalition to discuss the group's demands and how the state can fairly get shots into residents' arms.

As the one-year anniversary approaches of Massachusetts' COVID-19 state of emergency, the SHNS reporters recount their memories from March 2020, recap the news of this week, and look ahead to the vaccination outlook for March 2021.

After the state's vaccine appointment website crashed the day that approximately 1 million residents became newly-eligible for shots, Gov. Charlie Baker took to GBH on Thursday to say his "hair is on fire about the whole thing." On this week's "State House Takeout," GBH's Mike Deehan, the Boston Herald's Erin Tiernan, and SHNS' Katie Lannan and Sam Doran round up the latest vaccination news.

On this week's "State House Takeout," reporter Chris Lisinski dives into new election reform efforts and legislation with Sen. Cynthia Creem and MassVOTE Policy and Communications Manager Alex Psilakis. Tune in this week to hear about the senator's new bill, dubbed the VOTES Act, the effort to implement same-day voter registration, and make voting by mail permanent in Massachusetts.

Wondering how lobbyists manage to serve their clients during a pandemic where face-to-face interactions have been forced into the virtual realm? Ben Fierro of Lynch & Fierro, LLP joins State House News Service's Matt Murphy on this week's "State House Takeout" to talk about the pandemic's impact on the lobbying world and what it's been like to keep an eye on and in contact with legislators from afar. Fierro is a 40-year veteran of the lobbying world and first started on Beacon Hill in 1981 when former Gov. Ed King was in office.