Matt Murphy, State House News Service

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Despite helping to stimulate job growth in the clean energy sector and reduce carbon emissions, the state's 2008 Green Communities Act has come at a cost to consumers, which is expected to grow by up to $4 billion over the next four years, according to Attorney General Martha Coakley.

A multi-state compact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a cap-and-trade system has contributed nearly $500 million to the Massachusetts economy and created almost 3,800 in-state jobs over the past three years, according to a new report.

House and Senate negotiators finalized a deal on Monday night to increase the minimum state retirement age to 60 as part of a broad overhaul of the state pension system that proponents say would save more than $5 billion over the next 30 years.

Governor Deval Patrick Monday signed a sales tax holiday bill he described as not particularly fiscally prudent.

A deal between House and Senate leaders on health care reform would give cities and towns the option to make changes to employee health coverage

The Patrick administration has opted against signing onto the federal Secure Communities initiative, citing a "lack of clarity" and inconsistent implementation of a national program that uses locally gathered fingerprinting information to verify the immigration status of those arrested in Massachusetts.

Spearfishing for striped bass, now prohibited under state law, would be legalized under legislation filed by Rep.

Weeks after labor leaders ripped a House plan to restrict their bargaining rights over municipal health insurance plan details, the Senate on Wednesday rolled out a counter-proposal that would give unions a comparatively larger role in negotiations over plan changes while still offering the promise of $100 million in savings to cities and towns.

As Gov.

As environmental advocates rolled out their legislative agenda at multiple events Tuesday, Rep.