Latest Massachusetts Headlines
All the headlines from our Massachusetts Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Hands-Free Law Urged for Massachusetts Drivers
Aug 21 2015 // Welcome to Massachusetts signs can mean more to drivers than just crossing a state line. For some, they also signal that it’s OK to pick up their cellphones, punch in a phone number and make a call. That’s...
Massachusetts Senate to Probe Home Insurance Rate Hikes
Aug 17 2015 // The Massachusetts Senate’s oversight body is launching an inquiry into homeowners insurance rate increases approved by the Division of Insurance (DOI) this year after a brutal winter led to increased claims...
Mass. Faces Legal, Logistical Obstacles in Introducing Police Body Cameras
Aug 11 2015 // In light of recent events nationwide involving police and the use of force, everyone seems to have fallen in love with the idea of fitting police with body-worn cameras to record activity. But in all likelihood, it will be...
Report: Strict GDL Penalties Reduced Crashes
Aug 3 2015 // A new report shows that implementing strict penalties for violating the graduated driver-licensing (GDL) law that restricted unsupervised night driving significantly reduced teen driver crashes in Massachusetts. The...
Massachusetts Home Insurance Rates Soar After Harsh Winter
Aug 3 2015 // Massachusetts homeowners are paying for last winter’s record-setting snowfall with insurance premiums that are jumping by about 9 percent, much higher than in most years. The increases could translate to an...
Massachusetts Senate to Launch Inquiry Into Home Insurance Rate Hikes
Jul 31 2015 // The Massachusetts Senate’s oversight body is launching an inquiry into homeowners insurance rate increases approved by the Division of Insurance (DOI) this year after a brutal winter led to increased claims...
New Mass. Police Policy Questioned by Transparency Advocates
Jul 28 2015 // Kelly Young was driving down Route 28 in Milton, Massachusetts, when a sedan traveling in the other direction rear ended another car and veered into Young’s lane, hitting his car head on, police say. Young, 56, a...
Massachusetts Senate OKs Bill to Prep for Changing Environment
Jul 27 2015 // The Massachusetts Senate has approved a bill supporters say will help the state better adapt to a changing environment while encouraging the growth of solar energy. The bill, which passed the Senate July 23, would require...
Massachusetts Lowers Work Comp Assessment Rate
Jul 20 2015 // The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) reduced the assessment that private employers pay to the state on workers’ compensation policies to 5.75 percent of the policy premium for the new fiscal...
Report: Strict Penalties for Violating GDL Laws Reduced Teen Crashes in Mass.
Jul 15 2015 // A new report shows that implementing strict penalties for violating graduated driver-licensing (GDL) laws — including restrictions on unsupervised night driving — significantly reduced teen driver crashes in...
Suit Charges Wal-Mart with Discrimination Against Gay Employees Over Health Benefits
Jul 15 2015 // Wal-Mart Stores Inc. was accused of discriminating against gay employees in a lawsuit that pits the biggest U.S. retailer against rights activists just weeks after same-sex marriage was legalized nationwide. In a proposed...
Home Insurance Rates in Massachusetts Rising After Harsh Winter
Jul 14 2015 // Some of the largest home insurers in Massachusetts are raising premiums by about 9 percent to recoup what they paid out in claims for damage caused by last winter’s record-setting snowfall. The Boston Globe reports...
Mass. Dept. of Industrial Accidents Assessment Rate Lowered to 5.75%
Jul 6 2015 // The Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) reduced the assessment that private employers pay to the state on workers’ compensation policies to 5.75 percent of the policy premium for the new fiscal...
Mass. Court Orders Hearing on Breathalyzer’s Reliability
Jul 6 2015 // Massachusetts’ highest court in June ordered a hearing on the reliability of breathalyzer device Alcotest 7110 MK III-C. The ruling involves a drunk driving case where the defendant – along with 61 other defendants...
Task force: Massachusetts Is in Midst of Opioid Abuse Epidemic
Jun 24 2015 // Massachusetts is in the midst of an epidemic of deadly opioid abuse, according to a task force created by Gov. Charlie Baker that said Monday that drug addiction must be considered a medical disease. The 18-member group...
Owner of Mass. Asbestos Abatement Firm Indicted for Work Comp Fraud
Jun 22 2015 // A Massachusetts man who owns an asbestos abatement company has been indicted for allegedly failing to accurately report the nature of his company’s work to avoid paying thousands of dollars in insurance...
Brown & Brown Acquires Assets of Strategic Benefit Advisors in Massachusetts
Jun 17 2015 // Brown & Brown Inc. announced today that its subsidiary Brown & Brown of Massachusetts LLC has acquired certain assets of Strategic Benefit Advisors Inc., a health and welfare benefit advisory and brokerage firm...
Mass. High Court Orders Hearing on Alcotest Breathalyzer’s Reliability
Jun 16 2015 // Massachusetts’ highest court has ordered a hearing on the reliability of breathalyzer device Alcotest 7110 MK III-C in a drunk driving case where the defendant — along with 61 other defendants in similar cases...
Former Mass. Brokerage Owner Pleads Guilty to Stealing $10M From Aetna
Jun 3 2015 // A former insurance brokerage owner has pleaded guilty on June 2 in federal court in Hartford, Connecticut, to wire fraud and money laundering charges stemming from her theft of more than $10 million from Hartford-based...
Former Mass. Jail Officer Sentenced for Fraudulently Collecting Benefits
Jun 1 2015 // Massachusetts authorities announced that a former Suffolk County correctional officer has pleaded guilty and been sentenced for fraudulently collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars in workers’ compensation,...
