New England News

Advocates for expanding the bottle deposit law in Massachusetts are lobbying hard  get it through the state legislature after nearly two decades of frustration.  WAMC’s Paul Tuthill reports.

   The Massachusetts Senate has approved a bill  to require a nickel deposit on bottles of water, juices and sports drinks, just as the law has required for soda and beer for 30 years.  It passed on a voice vote as an amendment to a housed passed  jobs bill . Its fate is in the hands of a conference committee, according to State Rep. Stephen Kulik of Worthington.

A Nevada based gaming company says it is ready to build a casino on a former industrial site in Springfield Massachusetts.  The company says it has come up with a plan to address traffic concerns about the project, but it faces competition for a casino license.  WAMC”s Pioneer Valley Bureau Chief Paul Tuthill reports.

A Congressional hearing was held Tuesday looking at the Supreme Court decision declaring that corporations are people and can spend unlimited amounts of money in elections.  Both of Vermont’s Senators testified before a subcommittee of the Judiciary Committee that discussed the need for a Constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United.

Figures released in Massachusetts Tuesday show the city of Springfield had the 5th highest unemployment rate last month of any city or town in the state.  WAMC”s Paul Tuthill reports.