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Author Archives: State House News Service

U.S. Supreme Court won’t hear remote work tax case

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 28 declined to take up a lawsuit New Hampshire filed challenging Massachusetts’ application of its income tax on residents working remotely from other states during the pandemic, a case that financial analysts said could ...

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Massachusetts bill would mandate pay scale disclosure if applicants ask

Five years ago, Massachusetts became the first state in the nation to bar employers from asking a job applicant’s salary history before offering them a job. The historic step toward closing the wage gaps that exist between men and women ...

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U.S. Supreme Court review sought of governor’s pandemic orders

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker is less than three months away from lifting all remaining COVID-19 restrictions, but critics who believe the Republican governor overstepped his authority are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to declare Baker’s actions to date a violation ...

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Mass. AG’s suit vs. Uber, Lyft survives motion to dismiss

Massachusetts Attorney General Maura T. Healey’s lawsuit against Uber and Lyft will continue after a judge on March 25 denied the ride-hailing companies’ request to toss the case, keeping in play the chances of an industry-shifting ruling about driver classification. ...

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Suit: new Title IX rule strips sex harassment protections

The attorneys general of 18 states filed a lawsuit on June 4 alleging a new federal rule “strips away longstanding protections against sexual harassment” and will leave schools less equipped to keep students safe. The lawsuit takes aim at regulations around the ...

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Mass. secretary of state finalizes broker-dealer conduct regulations

Resisting calls to delay his plan, Massachusetts Secretary of State William F. Galvin on Feb. 21 filed new regulations affecting broker-dealers in the state. Galvin, in a press release, said the new fiduciary conduct standard regulations, which will take effect March 6, will ...

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Massachusetts au pair agency reaches settlement to rebate host families

An au pair agency based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, will offer $4.4 million in refunds to Massachusetts host families as part of a settlement reached on Feb. 7 with state Attorney General Maura T. Healey’s office. Cultural Care Au Pair will offer the ...

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More than 3,000 employers seek Mass. leave law exemption

More than 3,000 employers have asked a Massachusetts agency to be excluded from the state’s new Family and Medical Leave Program, opting instead to find a private alternative or a way to offer their workers the same benefits themselves. By the Dec. ...

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Suits question legality of governor’s vape ban

Federal lawsuits have been filed challenging the emergency four-month ban in Massachusetts on sales of e-cigarette products. Vapor Technology Association and some of its member retailers filed suit in U.S. District Court on Oct. 1, days after three vape shops sued Gov. ...

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Massachusetts Legislature overrides veto to approve ‘Janus’ response bill

Massachusetts has a new law enabling public sector unions to recover costs associated with representing non-members after the state Legislature completed an override of Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of the so-called Janus bill. The state Senate voted 39-1 on Sept. 19 to ...

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