Western Mass Politics & Insight https://www.wmasspi.com/ Springfield...and the World... Sat, 04 Jul 2026 15:06:50 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://wmasspi.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/cropped-wmasspilogo-32x32.jpg Western Mass Politics & Insight https://www.wmasspi.com/ 32 32 Analysis: With Liberty Street Site for Courthouse, Springfield Faces Its Own Junction… https://wmasspi.com/2026/07/analysis-with-liberty-street-site-for-courthouse-springfield-faces-its-own-junction.html https://wmasspi.com/2026/07/analysis-with-liberty-street-site-for-courthouse-springfield-faces-its-own-junction.html#respond Fri, 03 Jul 2026 03:58:49 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25661 The selection of Liberty Junction, the proposal for a new Springfield courthouse at 125 Liberty Street, closes a contentious chapter in state-city relations. Replacing the ailing Roderick Ireland Courthouse was a major priority for officials from 36 Court Street to Beacon Hill. Yet, the basest

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]]> https://wmasspi.com/2026/07/analysis-with-liberty-street-site-for-courthouse-springfield-faces-its-own-junction.html/feed 0 Laying It on a Little Ethic in the 12th Hampden Primary… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/laying-it-on-a-little-ethic-in-the-12th-hampden-primary.html https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/laying-it-on-a-little-ethic-in-the-12th-hampden-primary.html#respond Wed, 01 Jul 2026 03:58:32 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25653 The primary challenges to incumbent Democrats in Western Mass are heating up as candidates battle for attention and votes. In Springfield, however, the latest back-and-forth in one race comes amid waves of ethical finger-pointing at City Hall and discontent with many incumbent Democrats nationally.

Michael Lachenmeyer, an educator and activist, has accused his opponent, Springfield State Rep Angelo Puppolo, of failing to properly disclose information on his statement of financial interest (SFI).

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]]> https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/laying-it-on-a-little-ethic-in-the-12th-hampden-primary.html/feed 0 Take My Council, Please: The Next Best Thing to Being There… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/take-my-council-please-the-next-best-thing-to-being-there.html https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/take-my-council-please-the-next-best-thing-to-being-there.html#respond Mon, 22 Jun 2026 06:06:20 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25646 At its June 15 outing, the Springfield City Council took a significant step toward curbing councilors’ remote participation at meetings. Formally, the item was a resolution and not a rule change. Therefore, the body did not bind its members. Yet, the push marks an attitude shift for the body, which was among the last to return to any in-person operations.

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]]> https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/take-my-council-please-the-next-best-thing-to-being-there.html/feed 0 STCC’s Outgoing President Will Start Cooking at UMass Later This Month… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/stccs-outgoing-president-will-start-cooking-at-umass-later-this-month.html Sat, 20 Jun 2026 05:09:36 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25631 Nearing the end of his at times controversial tenure as STCC's president, Cook told affiliates he was “honored” to share an update. He forwarded a message Fouad Abd-El-Khalick, the Provost and Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst had sent campus affiliates. The provost announced that Cook would be taking on the role of Vice Provost for Lifelong, Interdisciplinary, and Digital Programming.

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]]> Our One Hundredth: Moulton’s Moves to Win Western Mass Votes… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/our-one-hundredth-moultons-moves-to-win-western-mass-votes.html Tue, 16 Jun 2026 04:30:52 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25620 LONGMEADOW—Only standing astride the Commonwealth can one hope to win it.

That calculus has guided many statewide candidates and Seth Moulton, the congressman challenging Senator Ed Markey for the Democratic primary, has taken this to heart, too. He boasts of dozens of stops across the Commonwealth, including many in the 413.

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]]> Take My Council, Please: Youth Commissioning in Revolt… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/take-my-council-please-youth-commissioning-in-revolt.html Mon, 08 Jun 2026 20:00:42 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25611 SPRINGFIELD—The first City Council meeting of June featured an agenda of the usual fare. Grants and orders were plentiful but typical. There was an appointment to the Springfield Redevelopment Authority (SRA), one of the few positions where the Council has a gatekeeper role. However, there

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]]> Analysis: With Swan’s Passing, a Generation That Changed Springfield, Slips into Memory… https://wmasspi.com/2026/06/analysis-with-swans-passing-a-generation-that-changed-springfield-slips-into-memory.html Fri, 05 Jun 2026 02:44:20 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25603 When former State Representative Benjamin Swan passed away on Memorial Day, Springfield lost more than an ex-pol. He was the last of a generation of civil rights leaders in the city which pressed for change. Then, they achieved political power themselves.

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]]> DOJ Sues Mass for Refusing to Help Immigration Feds Operate in Secret… https://wmasspi.com/2026/05/doj-sues-mass-for-refusing-to-help-immigration-feds-operate-in-secret.html Fri, 29 May 2026 04:47:37 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25594 In a spasm of suits, the United States Department of Justice challenged four states’ policies that blocked the feds’ use of confidential license plates. Last week, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey announced the Registry of Motor Vehicles would not provide Immigration & Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection with civilian plates to conceal their civil immigration operations.

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]]> Take My Council, Please: Hungry, Hungry HIPAAs… https://wmasspi.com/2026/05/take-my-council-please-hungry-hungry-hipaas.html Tue, 26 May 2026 02:50:32 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25582 The Springfield City Council had a debate May 18 that no one could miss. It was the first time since the shroud of the coronavirus fell upon the city that all 13 serving councilors had assembled in person for a regular meeting. Full in-person attendance had its advantages, including procedural efficiencies the Council had gone without for six years.

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]]> Former Springfield City Clerk among Healey’s Picks for Revised Cannabis Panel… https://wmasspi.com/2026/05/former-springfield-city-clerk-among-healeys-picks-for-revised-cannabis-panel.html Thu, 21 May 2026 02:09:33 +0000 https://wmasspi.com/?p=25569 Following a change of law that granted her sole authority to appoint the Cannabis Control Commission, Governor Maura Healey has announced her choices to run the revised and often troubled agency. In a release, Healey announced the appointment of three new commissioners including. One name is quite familiar to Western Mass and Springfield in particular.

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