BOSTON – Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker used his first State of the State speech to appeal for bipartisanship in solving ongoing challenges in agencies such as the MBTA and the Department of Children and Families, while reiterating a call for the expansion of charter schools.
"Giving parents in underperforming districts more opportunity to choose a better school is nothing less than any of us would demand for our own children," Baker said in his prepared text. "More than 40,000 kids – most from communities of color – are excelling in public charter schools."
BOSTON – Following up on a 2010 law that critics say has been ineffective, the Massachusetts Senate on Thursday approved a ban on the use of hand-held cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.
After an afternoon of debate on more than 20 amendments, the Senate passed the measure that would expand the current state law that bans texting while driving to prohibit the use of all electronic devices behind the wheel, except for those used in hands-free mode. The bill was approved on a voice vote, without votes recorded for each member.
