state senate

The Massachusetts Senate has approved a compromise bill that would hike the state's current $8-per-hour minimum wage to $11 per hour by 2017, but would not tie future increases to inflation. The 35-4 vote on Thursday came less than 24 hours after House and Senate negotiators hammered out a deal on the minimum wage...

State senators hope to complete work on a $36.2 billion state budget before the Memorial Day weekend.

The Massachusetts House is giving a boost to fishery research programs at UMass Dartmouth's School of Marine Science and Technology. Rep. Antonio Cabral of New Bedford has added an amendent to the state budget sending $450,000 to SMAST to study yellowtail flounder and cod populations...

The Massachusetts House has approved a limited tax amnesty program for delinquent taxpayers. The House voted overwhelmingly on Monday to add the measure, sponsored by Republican leader Brad Jones, as an amendment to the state's $36.2 billion budget for the state fiscal year that begins on July 1...

The race to collect voter signatures ahead of next week's deadline in the Massachusetts special Senate election is heading into a final, stormy weekend.