--Are you a smoker? House Speaker Sal DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray are considering raising the cigarette tax. [Boston Globe] --The head of the firefighters union is blaming the press for their current bad reputation. Would it be too terrible of a pun to say, in defense of the media, that where there's smoke, there's fire? [Boston Globe] --An 83-year-old woman was crossing train tracks in Medford when she was hit by an......

--The State House is pretty on the outside and a festering mess on the inside. Senate President Therese Murray thinks private donations might help. [Boston Globe] --Remember Marilyn Devaney, the Watertown town councilor who is facing charges of attacking a beauty-supply clerk with a curling iron box? She got voted out, but a recount is under way, and the story is far from over. Even if you don't know who Marilyn Devaney is, we......

--State Senate President Therese Murray ruled that a nonbinding referendum on Governor Deval Patrick's plan to allow three casino licenses in the state could not be added to the March primary ballot. [Boston Globe] --Meanwhile, the state Senate voted 35 to 5 to pass a measure that would move next year's Massachusetts presidential primary from March 4 to February 5. [WBZ] --In an appalling case, a former Somerville police officer was found guilty yesterday......

Last weekend, Deval Patrick marched in the Pride parade. And he has vociferously opposed adding a ban on same-sex marriage to the 2008 ballot. Supporters of gay rights have many reasons to feel good. But today is going to be nerve-wracking because the Legislature might vote again on the ballot measure at the constitutional convention. In the winter, the Legislature approved adding a ballot measure that would give voters the option to define marriage as......

Massachusetts lawmakers are putting off the inevitable ugly battle over whether or not to put a gay marriage ban on the ballot. Lawmakers approved putting the ban on the ballot once, but they have to approve it a second time. The ballot ban has become a political hot potato. And no matter how long they wait - this time until June 14 - it's still going to be hot. We oppose adding the ban to......