Massachusetts is one of about a dozen states where residents can choose to buy electricity from a supplier other than their default utility. The hope was that competitive electric suppliers would save people money; instead, residents are paying more.
A bill to increase tax credits in the Commonwealth is backed up by research showing the credits lead to better nutrition for working families and better long-term health outcomes for children. Lawmakers want to expand the state Earned Income Tax Credit and streamline other existing dependent tax credits to help put even a few hundred dollars back in the pockets of working people, including immigrants and many essential workers. Democratic State Senator Jamie Eldridge said while food, energy and housing prices are up significantly, the bill is about more than just rebates. .
Advocates for low-income workers in the Commonwealth said today is a reminder of the need to continue to advance Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. s dream of economic justice for all, including an increase to the minimum wage and more affordable housing. The Poor People s Campaign was mobilized by Dr. .
Community service agencies say many low- and moderate-income homes in the Commonwealth are unprepared for the winter cold and could benefit from a number of free weatherization and heating services, including window sealing, attic insulation, new appliances and repairing or replacing home heating systems. Eva Haynes, who lives in Brockton, said she is grateful for the help she received two years ago, when her furnace stopped working, and she spent nine days at home alone in the cold. "I had googled, How to keep your house warm when you have no heat, " Haynes recounted. " .