State House

BOSTON/State House - The Grand Staircase in the State House played host Thursday to a number of labor supporters there to advocate for a new minimum wage bill being considered by state lawmakers. The groups are seeking a new minimum wage in the Bay State of $11 or $12 an hour on top of other labor legislation. Speaking at the event, employee at BJ's Wholesale store spoke of the difficulty of making ends meet on minimum.

BOSTON/State House - Demanding a more equitable transit system Wednesday, demonstrators targeted the State House where the Senate is expected to vote on a transportation bill next week. The bill proposed by the Senate gives more funding to infrastructure than the $500m called for by the House bill, but still falls short of Governor Deval Patrick’s requested $1.9 billion for transportation and education. An MBTA board meeting at the Transportation Building was also picketed by demonstrators as officials met to pass a budget expecting state funding to close a $118 million deficit.

BOSTON/State House – By many measures, Wednesday was not a good day for the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Agency. A fire between Park Street and Downtown Crossing caused a long delay on the Red Line during the morning rush hour. In the afternoon, the Agency’s board voted 4 to 1 to raise fares on the “T” by an average of 23 percent and to cut services as a way of partially closing a budget gap this fiscal year of at least $160 Million.

BOSTON/State House - Over 300 activists representing at least 65 community organizations and unions from around Massachusetts held a rally in front of the State House today in opposition to a proposed "Three Strikes" bill that they say will disproportionately affect low income communities of color and cause already overcrowded prisons to become even more overcrowded.