Chris Van Buskirk
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Chris Van Buskirk
@bychrisvan.bsky.social
700 followers 100 following 240 posts
Covering Massachusetts state politics for WBUR | [email protected]
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Reposted by Chris Van Buskirk
bethhealy.bsky.social
Beth Healy @bethhealy.bsky.social · 6d
Mass. state lawmakers want to investigate sheriff spending - and withhold $120 million in supplemental funding. Sheriffs say they went over budget for union raises, medical care for prisoners + free phone calls @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social
www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...
Mass. sheriffs point to labor, medical, phone call expenses amid budget scrutiny
Massachusetts street lawmakers threatened to withhold funds from county sheriffs and investigate their spending last week amid scrutiny on overspending. But sheriffs said budget overruns were largely ...
www.wbur.org
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Reposted by Chris Van Buskirk
bethhealy.bsky.social
Beth Healy @bethhealy.bsky.social · 8d
Trump admin pauses Cape Cod bridge funding @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...
Trump administration pauses Cape Cod bridge funding
The federal government said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers would be “immediately pausing over $11 billion in lower-priority projects and considering them for cancellation” as a result of the federal...
www.wbur.org
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Reposted by Chris Van Buskirk
bethhealy.bsky.social
Beth Healy @bethhealy.bsky.social · 10d
Republican super PACs bringing in big bucks to oppose @massgovernor.bsky.social @wbur.org @bychrisvan.bsky.social

www.wbur.org/news/2025/10...
Super PAC targets Gov. Healey as Republican race ramps up
The super PAC, dubbed Commonwealth Unity, has more than $1 million since it was created in May, records show. It has spent just over $34,000 to oppose Healey thus far.
www.wbur.org
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · 14d
SHELTER DATA: Gov. Healey’s administration no longer publishes a public, regular accounting of how much the state is spending in the current fiscal year on emergency shelters housing homeless families because a state law mandating the data expired. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/12/g...
Healey stopped publishing regular accounting of state-run shelter spending
The lack of information about fiscal year 2026 spending comes as the Healey administration spent $978.2 million in fiscal year 2025 on the emergency assistance program and related services.
www.bostonherald.com
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · 19d
LOAN LIMIT: GOP gov hopeful Mike Kennealy plans to continue ignoring a state law that limits the amount of cash a candidate for governor can loan themselves each election, even after regulators started to scrutinize the money, his lawyer said. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/10/07/m...
Mike Kennealy plans to continue ignoring Mass. loan limit law, lawyer tells regulators
Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Kennealy plans to continue ignoring a state law that limits the amount of cash a candidate for governor can loan themselves each election, even after regulator…
www.bostonherald.com
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · 23d
I’m very grateful for the time I’ve spent at The Boston Herald. I’ve learned so much under the editors and reporters here. For now, I have a few days left at the Herald, so stay tuned, and feel free to reach out! #mapoli
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · 23d
📻📻 I’m very excited to say that in a few weeks I’ll be starting at @wbur.org as their state politics reporter. I’m looking forward to continuing to cover power and policy on Beacon Hill and the 2026 elections. I’m also excited to work with a very talented group of editors and reporters. #mapoli
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · 28d
LOBBY $$: Applegreen, an Irish company at the center of a now-defunct deal to redevelop travel plazas along state highways, shelled out tens of thousands of dollars between 2024 and 2025 to a powerful Beacon Hill lobbying shop, state records show. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/28/a...
Applegreen spent tens of thousands on lobbyists amid controversial travel plaza deal
Applegreen, an Irish company at the center of a now-defunct deal to redevelop travel plazas along state highways, shelled out tens of thousands of dollars between 2024 and 2025 to a powerful Beacon…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Sep 25
STATE FLAG: Senate President Karen Spilka said she believes Massachusetts needs a “more inclusive” flag, throwing her support behind an effort to replace the version that features a colonist’s arm holding a sword over a Native American. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/25/s...
Senate President Karen Spilka says Massachusetts needs a ‘more inclusive flag’
Senate President Karen Spilka said she believes Massachusetts needs a “more inclusive” flag, throwing her support behind an effort to replace the version that features a colonist’s arm holding a sw…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Sep 14
POLL WARS: A top advisor to Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy lashed out at a poll conducted by MassINC that found favorable approval numbers for Gov. Maura Healey. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/14/p...
Pols & Politics: Kennealy advisor lashes out at Healey approval numbers
A poll testing Gov. Maura Healey’s approval ratings drew a testy response from one of her Republican opponents, Mike Kennealy.
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Sep 14
TRAVEL TIME: Elected officials across Massachusetts government were treated to thousands of dollars’ worth of trips this summer on other organizations’ dimes, including an excursion to St. Thomas, according to ethics records released to the Herald. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/09/14/t...
Thousands spent for Massachusetts politicians to travel this summer, records show
Elected officials across Massachusetts state government were treated to thousands of dollars’ worth of trips this summer on other organizations’ dimes, including an excursion to St. Thomas in…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 25
The spending by the technology secretariat was in addition to tens of thousands of dollars that Healey’s office charged to publicly funded credit cards to pay for multiple four-star accommodations in D.C., and an island resort in Newport. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/24/h...
Healey’s tech secretary used taxpayer-funded credit cards to hire high-end chauffeurs
Gov. Maura Healey’s technology services and security secretary spent thousands on taxpayer-funded credit cards last fiscal year to stay at a four-star hotel in Barcelona and hire on-demand chauffeu…
www.bostonherald.com
bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 25
Gov. Maura Healey’s technology secretary spent thousands on taxpayer-funded credit cards last fiscal year to stay at a four-star hotel in Barcelona and hire on-demand chauffeur services that promised to “upgrade your travels.” #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/24/h...
Healey’s tech secretary used taxpayer-funded credit cards to hire high-end chauffeurs
Gov. Maura Healey’s technology services and security secretary spent thousands on taxpayer-funded credit cards last fiscal year to stay at a four-star hotel in Barcelona and hire on-demand chauffeu…
www.bostonherald.com
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 25
CASINO CASH: Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and state offices used taxpayer-funded credit cards to collectively spend tens of thousands of dollars last fiscal year at casinos across the country, according to public data. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/25/p...
Public agencies in Mass. spent thousands at casinos using taxpayer-funded credit cards
Massachusetts law enforcement agencies and state offices used taxpayer-funded credit cards to collectively spend tens of thousands of dollars last fiscal year at casinos across the country, accordi…
www.bostonherald.com
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bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 14
DRIVING RECORDS: Gov. Maura Healey filed a bill Thursday that would give the public access to driving records more than two years after Beacon Hill Democrats sealed off motor vehicle histories as part of an immigrant driver's license law. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/14/g...
Gov. Healey pitches public driving records after immigrant license law sealed access
Gov. Maura Healey filed a bill Thursday that would give the public access to driving records more than two years after Beacon Hill Democrats sealed off motor vehicle histories as part of a law that…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 13
TOMPKINS + RCC: Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins resigned from the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees, where he serves as chair, days after he was arrested in Florida on charges that he extorted a Boston-based cannabis company. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/13/s...
Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins resigns from college board amid extortion charges
Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins resigned from the Roxbury Community College Board of Trustees, where he serves as chair, days after he was arrested in Florida on charges that he extorted a Bo…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 11
ANOTHER MARKEY CHALLENGER? A former town councilor from West Springfield and candidate for Congress is considering running against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey as a Republican during the 2026 midterm elections. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/10/p...
Pols & Politics: Another potential Republican challenger to US Sen. Ed Markey emerges
Nathan Bech, a former town councilor from West Springfield and candidate for Congress, is considering running against U.S. Sen. Ed Markey as a Republican in 2026.
www.bostonherald.com
bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 5
2026 CASH DASH: Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy, a former cabinet secretary under Gov. Charlie Baker, raised the most cash last month, but most of that money came from a $200K loan he gave his campaign. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/05/m...
Mike Kennealy leads July fundraising in 2026 governor’s race because of loan to campaign
Republican candidate for governor Mike Kennealy, a former cabinet secretary under Gov. Charlie Baker, raised the most cash last month, but nearly all of that money came from a $200,000 loan he gave…
www.bostonherald.com
bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 5
Gov. Baker’s administration warned Gov. Healey about a surge of migrants and dwindling shelter capacity in 2022, or months before she took office, according to a doc approved by Mike Kennealy when he was secretary of housing and economic development. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/05/g...
Gov. Maura Healey received written warning about surge of migrants in transition document
It painted a bleak picture of a struggle to build enough housing as the cost of living was putting Massachusetts at a “significant disadvantage.”
www.bostonherald.com
bychrisvan.bsky.social
Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 4
2026 BALLOT Q: A group focused on transparency in elections plans to pursue two ballot questions in 2026 that would require voter identification at the polls and strip away MA residents’ ability to participate in no-excuse mail-in voting. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/04/e...
Election transparency group eyeing voter ID, mail-in voting ballot questions for 2026
A group focused on transparency and accountability in elections plans to pursue two ballot questions in 2026 that would require voter identification at the polls and strip away Massachusetts reside…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 1
The end of the emergency is the latest sign that a crisis that consumed Healey’s first years in office is subsiding after billions were spent and Beacon Hill approved restrictive policies that barred people from accessing state shelters. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/08/01/g...
Gov. Healey ends state of emergency used to handle surge of migrants into shelters
Gov. Maura Healey said she is “formally terminating” the nearly two-year-long state of emergency she declared in August 2023 to deal with a rising influx of migrants into Massachusetts and a severe…
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Aug 1
HEALEY ENDS STATE OF EMERGENCY: Gov. Maura Healey said she is "formally terminating" the state of emergency she declared in August 2023 as shelter caseloads rapidly increased amid an influx of migrants. Healey also said all hotel shelters have been closed. #mapoli
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Jul 29
SHELTER SPENDING: Gov. Healey’s administration spent just over $940M on emergency family shelters and related services last fiscal year, but the final total is projected to increase by tens of millions more as officials work to settle payments. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/29/m...
Mass. emergency shelter spending over $940M for FY25, latest state data shows
Gov. Maura Healey’s administration spent just over $940 million on emergency family shelters and related services last fiscal year, but the final total is projected to increase by tens of millions …
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Jul 28
CHRIS FLANAGAN: A judge agreed last week to bar Rep. Chris Flanagan, a Dennis Port Democrat facing fraud charges, from gambling, incurring large credit card charges, or opening any additional lines of credit over $5K without prior approval. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/28/d...
www.bostonherald.com
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Chris Van Buskirk @bychrisvan.bsky.social · Jul 13
BIZ CASH: The two Republicans running for governor of Mass. have tapped their business connections for thousands of dollars since launching their campaigns in attempts to shore up their bank accounts ahead of the 2026 election, state data shows. #mapoli www.bostonherald.com/2025/07/13/r...
Republicans running for governor of Massachusetts tap business connections for cash
The two Republicans running for governor of Massachusetts have tapped their business connections for tens of thousands of dollars over the past several months in attempts to shore up their campaign…
www.bostonherald.com
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