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Bolstered by six raises in 15 years that doubled their salaries to $61,440, lawmakers may see an end to a string of pay increases in January, Bay State fiscal observers said Thursday.

Investigations into physician misconduct are not valid exceptions to patient privacy laws, the Supreme Judicial Court ruled Thursday, rejecting an attempt by the Board of Registration in Medicine to subpoena the records of a psychotherapist suspected of improperly prescribing painkillers.

Gov. Deval Patrick declared a state of emergency Thursday as powerful Hurricane Earl set its sights on the Massachusetts coast, our news partner WCVB reports.

A hurricane warning was issued earlier in the day for parts of Massachusetts, including Nantucket. Earl was expected to pass about 15 miles southeast of Nantucket, Patrick said.

As House Speaker Pro Tempore Thomas Petrolati continues to fight a subpoena to testify in a patronage scandal within the state Probation Department, the special investigator in the matter warned Wednesday that his lack of cooperation could affect other other witnesses under subpoena.

Gov. Deval Patrick declined to say Wednesday whether he would implement a tax rollback if the voters mandate it in November, pitting him against all three of his campaign rivals, who say they would abide by the referendum.

Treasurer Timothy Cahill, who oversees cash management of the state's $29.5 billion budget, failed to pay roughly $15,000 in taxes on campaign funds, his Independent campaign for governor said late Tuesday.

The wind farm slated for Nantucket Sound cleared a key legal hurdle Tuesday when the Supreme Judicial Court ruled 4-2 that the state can authorize local construction permits for the project.

The Senate’s top budget author has elevated high-end projections for the state’s budget deficit this fiscal year, pointing to executive agency estimates through early August that showed surging demands on already strained finances that could result in a gross $600 million deficit in Medicaid accounts.

Gov. Deval Patrick’s chief rivals for the Corner Office declined Monday to embrace a multistate compact aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions, raising the possibility that they’d pull Massachusetts out of the effort after four years of participation.

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The Three Democratic candidates for State Auditor -- Suzanne Bump, Mike Lake, Guy Glodis -- appeared together to questions from the editorial board of GateHouse Media New England and Wickedlocal.com on Aug. 26

Read more election stories on WickedLocal.com/politics

Massachusetts is the third most income-tax-dependent state in the nation, deriving 36.8 percent of its revenue from its 5.3 percent tax on individual earnings, and nearly cracked the top-ten list of states most dependent on property taxes, according to a new report.

More than 23,000 Massachusetts residents – legal immigrants who have been in the country for less than five years – are scheduled to lose their health insurance by the end of this year but Gov. Deval Patrick said Thursday he hopes to continue their coverage using recently announced federal funds.

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Workers with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority are investigating an apparent underground water leak near the site of May's massive water main break, our news partners at WCVB are reporting.

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The state Senate sought Monday to revive a proposal to overhaul the wind turbine siting process and Senate President Therese Murray indicated she’d throw the weight of her office behind an effort to send the bill to Gov. Deval Patrick.