Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Change of Purposes

• Ana Levy — City Councilor, Lawrence → House, 16th Essex — Filed: 6/30/2026

OCPF →

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Just six months after Moises Rodrigues made history as the first Black person elected mayor of Brockton, he’s now the subject of a criminal investigation. Two students have accused Rodrigues of inappropriately touching them during school-related activities, allegations serious enough to prompt the Plymouth County District Attorney to open a formal probe. The school district — which Rodrigues also chairs as head of the School Committee — has launched its own independent investigation, putting administrators in the awkward position of scrutinizing the very person who oversees them.

This is a genuinely complicated story. Rodrigues ran on a platform rooted in his own experience as a Cape Verdean immigrant who credits Brockton teachers with turning his life around. He won promising to restore dignity and stability to a school system that has been battered by years of financial mismanagement and other controversies. Now he’s the latest source of disruption. The allegations came to light dramatically on June 6 while Rodrigues was delivering a public speech — the kind of moment that’s almost impossible to walk back from politically.

What happens next depends heavily on what investigators find. The DA’s probe will move on its own timeline. The independent school investigation adds another layer of accountability — and pressure. City councilors are already speaking carefully but publicly about community concern. Rodrigues has not resigned, and whether he can survive this politically, let alone legally, is now the central question hanging over Brockton City Hall.

Massachusetts finally has a budget — and it’s actually on time. Lawmakers sent Gov. Maura Healey a $63 billion spending plan on the first day of the new fiscal year, a rare feat of Beacon Hill punctuality. The budget increases spending by about 4 percent, largely preserves existing programs, and revives a commission to re-examine the state’s school funding formula — the first such review since the 2019 Student Opportunity Act. Education advocates are cautiously celebrating, but note that many districts are already cutting budgets while they wait for the commission’s recommendations, which aren’t due until October 2028.

Two GOP statewide candidates could be knocked off the September primary ballot. The State Ballot Law Commission ruled that Republican candidates Anne Manning Martin (lieutenant governor) and Michael Walsh (attorney general) are ineligible after signature fraud allegations invalidated enough signatures to drop them below the 10,000-signature threshold. Both are appealing. If Manning Martin’s appeal fails, Shawn Oliver — who is already campaigning as running mate to gubernatorial candidate Brian Shortsleeve — would be the only Republican LG candidate standing. The Massachusetts GOP’s preferred gubernatorial pick, Mike Minogue, currently leads Shortsleeve in polls.

North Shore beach closures are over — just in time for the Fourth. Beaches at Sandy Point on Plum Island and Salisbury Beach Reservation have reopened after water quality testing showed bacteria levels back to normal following a raw sewage spill into the Merrimack River in Haverhill. A temporary bypass pipe stopped the flow of untreated wastewater, and Ipswich beaches also reopened Wednesday. Signage was being updated Thursday morning.

Merrimack Valley bus riders are stranded. Drivers, mechanics, and other workers at the Merrimack Valley Transit Authority walked off the job Wednesday in a labor dispute over weekend shift pay. The Teamsters Local 170 says management wants to eliminate overtime rates for Saturday work and force lower-seniority employees onto weekends — essentially a pay cut. MeVa serves Lawrence, Haverhill, Newburyport, Methuen, and surrounding communities. No resolution is in sight, and for riders who depend on the bus to get to work, this isn’t a minor inconvenience.

Plymouth is staring down a fiscal cliff. The Plymouth Select Board held an emergency economic development workshop to confront a looming problem: the massive housing developments that have fueled the town’s tax revenue for years are nearly fully built out. With the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant long gone and residential construction approaching its ceiling, officials warn that the town’s 83-percent-residential tax base is unsustainable. The plan involves aggressive rezoning, courting light industry, and reviving dormant commercial sites like Cordage Park — but the window to act is narrowing fast.

The House wants you to know who’s paying for ballot question campaigns. The Massachusetts House unanimously passed the Ballot Spending Transparency Act, which would require real-time campaign finance disclosure for groups spending on statewide ballot questions. The bill now heads to a conference committee to be reconciled with a similar Senate version before going to Healey. It’s a bipartisan win with genuine teeth — voters have long been left guessing about the deep-pocketed interests behind initiative campaigns.

AG Campbell’s updated fantasy sports regulations are open for public comment — if you play DraftKings or similar platforms, her office’s new draft rules on responsible gaming, youth protections, and data privacy are worth a look. State House News Service →

The Boston City Council is debating whether to make 3 a.m. bar closings permanent after the World Cup pilot — Councilor Brian Worrell is pushing to keep the later last call, while Councilor Ed Flynn is pumping the brakes over public safety concerns. Worth watching as it heads toward a formal vote. Universal Hub →

Cohasset residents won a rare one — the Select Board voted 5-0 to scrap plans for a 17-story cell tower inside Wheelwright Park and find an alternative site, after residents delivered a 199–30 rebuke at Town Meeting. South Shore News →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Big Spending This Week

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026

Change of Purposes

• Ana Levy — City Councilor, Lawrence → House, 16th Essex — Filed: 6/30/2026

OCPF →

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Change of Purposes

• Ana Levy — City Councilor, Lawrence → House, 16th Essex — Filed: 6/30/2026

OCPF →

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Mayor Michelle Wu has crossed a line that Boston mayors rarely cross — and she's doing it loudly, on purpose. Last Tuesday, Wu stood inside a Brighton restaurant and told a crowd of supporters that the Massachusetts Senate is "holding us back" and "throwing up more obstacles." She wasn't just venting. She was formally endorsing Daniel Lander, a former aide, in his primary challenge against Senate Assistant Majority Leader William Brownsberger. She's also backed Latoya Gayle in a race against Senator Nicholas Collins, another Democrat she views as an obstacle.

The core dispute is Wu's commercial property tax shift proposal — a plan that would reduce the residential tax burden by loading more of it onto commercial real estate. The Senate has blocked or stalled it repeatedly, and Wu has clearly decided that the diplomatic path is closed. Endorsing challengers against sitting members of your own party is a high-risk move: it burns bridges, generates enemies, and can fail spectacularly if the incumbents hold on. But it also signals that Wu is betting her political capital on a specific vision of Boston's future and is done waiting for the chamber up the hill to get on board.

What happens next: the Democratic primaries are the ballgame. If Lander or Gayle wins, Wu gets an ally and a message sent. If both incumbents survive, Wu faces a more hostile Senate with fewer chips to play. Either way, the 2026 primary season just got a lot more interesting.

House and Senate leaders announced Monday they've reached agreement on a roughly $63 billion state budget — just two days before the new fiscal year begins Wednesday. No tax or fee increases, no dipping into the rainy day fund, according to budget chairs Senator Michael Rodrigues and Representative Aaron Michlewitz. The Legislature is expected to vote Wednesday, then it heads to Governor Maura Healey's desk for her 10-day review.

The Trump Justice Department filed suit against Massachusetts and Rhode Island on Monday, challenging state laws that extend in-state college tuition rates and financial aid to undocumented students. The administration argues the policies unfairly disadvantage American citizens — the outcome will likely depend on which federal circuit weighs in, given that courts in Texas and Minnesota have already split on similar laws.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell co-led a 26-state lawsuit Monday challenging the Trump administration's new Medicaid work requirement rules, which go beyond what Congress authorized in the "One Big Beautiful Bill." The coalition argues that federal regulators rewrote the statute's protections for people with serious illnesses and disabilities — potentially stripping coverage from hundreds of thousands of MassHealth enrollees who never should have been affected.

Merrimack Health quietly shuttered its maternity unit at the Methuen campus (formerly Holy Family Hospital) on Monday — more than a month ahead of the August 1 date it had announced. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, which represents staff there, was given six days' notice. It's the 13th maternity unit closure in Massachusetts since 2010, and the sixth in a Gateway City. Services are being consolidated at Lawrence General Hospital, less than two miles away.

Alvin Campbell Jr., 45 — the older brother of Attorney General Andrea Campbell — was sentenced Monday to life in prison plus over 100 additional years for raping five women he picked up outside Boston bars while posing as an Uber driver. Judge Mary K. Ames called his conduct "manipulative and depraved." Campbell was convicted on 21 of 22 counts earlier this month.

Off-duty State Police Trooper Jacob Mick died Sunday evening after his motorcycle collided with a vehicle on Providence Road in Grafton. Mick, a Northborough native who joined the force in 2023, was married and the father of an infant daughter. State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble called it "an enormous tragedy." The Worcester DA's office is investigating.

State budget vote expected Wednesday, July 1 — The Legislature is set to vote on the fiscal year 2027 spending plan the first day of the new fiscal year; watch for late amendments and any last-minute drama on Beacon Hill. Boston Globe →

Quincy roofing company owner Craig Galligan arraigned July 17 — The owner of The Roof Kings, LLC faces workers' compensation insurance fraud and larceny charges after allegedly underreporting payroll to avoid higher premiums; arraignment is set for Norfolk Superior Court. State House News Service →

Three-year bachelor's degrees pilot launching fall 2027 — Merrimack College and Suffolk University received state approval for reduced-credit degree programs; if you're advising students or tracking higher ed affordability, the annual reporting requirements are worth following. CommonWealth Beacon →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

OCPF →

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More than 4,000 registered nurses at Brigham and Women's Hospital have voted to authorize a one-day strike beginning Wednesday, July 8, making this shaping up to be the largest nurses' strike in Massachusetts history. Add in roughly 450 clinicians at MGB Home Care — also represented by the Massachusetts Nurses Association — and you're looking at a workforce action that will ripple across one of the state's most prominent hospital systems.

The core dispute is money: nurses say Mass General Brigham has refused to offer cost-of-living raises that keep pace with inflation, while the MNA argues hospital executives have spent months stonewalling contract negotiations. But here's the kicker that's drawing the most attention: even though the nurses' strike is technically one day, Brigham management has announced plans to lock nurses out of the building for an additional four days after the strike ends. That means patients, families, and the broader healthcare system should be bracing for a potential five-day disruption at one of New England's busiest hospitals.

Watch this one closely. MGB leadership has so far framed this as a staffing-logistics issue, but a multi-day lockout of thousands of nurses — at a hospital that regularly handles some of the most complex cases in the region — is a decision with real consequences. The clock is now ticking toward July 8.

Full story at WCVB →

A Storm Team 5 Weather Alert is in effect Wednesday through Friday, with temperatures forecast to hit 100 degrees Thursday — and a heat index that could feel like 110°F. The National Weather Service has issued an Extreme Heat Watch for most of the state (Cape Cod and the Islands are excepted). If you have elderly relatives, neighbors without AC, or kids in non-climate-controlled buildings, now is the time to make a plan.

Alvin Campbell Jr. — convicted earlier this month of raping six women while posing as an Uber driver, and the brother of Attorney General Andrea Campbell — is scheduled to be sentenced this afternoon in Suffolk Superior Court. He faces up to life in prison on three counts of aggravated rape. Campbell secretly recorded the assaults on his phone; that footage was central to the prosecution's case. Six survivors testified over the four-week trial.

The State Ballot Law Commission ruled late Friday that two Republican statewide candidates — lieutenant governor hopeful Anne Manning Martin and attorney general candidate Michael Walsh — are ineligible to appear on September's primary ballot, following hearings on signature fraud complaints. It's a significant blow to the GOP field heading into the fall, and raises fresh questions about the party's bench strength in down-ballot races.

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders on Monday threw his support behind incumbent Sen. Ed Markey in the Democratic primary against Rep. Seth Moulton, calling Markey "one of the strongest progressive voices" in the Senate. Sanders notably sat out the 2020 primary between Markey and Joe Kennedy III, so this is a meaningful signal. Moulton has been moving left on the trail — calling to abolish ICE, returning AIPAC money — but the Sanders stamp gives Markey a credibility boost with the progressive base that's hard to replicate.

Gov. Maura Healey has frozen applications for a 20-year sales and use tax exemption for data centers — a program she agreed to in the 2024 economic development law — until the state has "strong protections in place" against higher utility bills for residents. With AI-driven data centers consuming enormous amounts of power and water, Healey is threading a needle: welcoming the tech economy while trying not to hand ratepayers the bill. The framework she released requires developers to bring their own clean energy to the table.

Massachusetts State Police Trooper Jacob Mick, 31, of Northborough, died Sunday from injuries suffered in an off-duty motorcycle crash in Grafton. Mick joined the department in 2023 and was assigned to the Holden Barracks. He is survived by his wife and an infant daughter. Col. Geoffrey Noble called his death "an enormous tragedy." The Worcester District Attorney's office is investigating.

Brigham and Women's nurses strike begins Wednesday, July 8 at 7 a.m. — if you or a family member has an upcoming procedure at Brigham, it's worth calling ahead now to understand what services will be affected. WCVB →

The Supreme Court is still expected to rule this week on birthright citizenship — a decision that could affect hundreds of thousands of children born in the U.S. and has significant implications for Massachusetts families and immigration policy. WCVB →

Abington's new youth mental health advisory committee is taking shape — if you're a parent, provider, or resident in the Abington area, the newly formed seven-member standing committee is an early-stage effort worth watching as the town works to close a stark gap in youth programming. South Shore News →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

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The Lead

A Supreme Court Ruling Is About to Upend Life for Thousands of Massachusetts Immigrants

The Supreme Court's decision this week to let the Trump administration revoke Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians isn't an abstract legal ruling — it's a gut punch landing right here in Massachusetts. An estimated 330,000 TPS holders nationwide are now on a fast track to losing their legal status and work authorization, and a significant chunk of them call Greater Boston home. Haitian communities in Mattapan, Brockton, and Springfield are particularly exposed. Kerry Doyle, a former ICE legal adviser under Biden who now practices immigration law in Massachusetts, put it plainly: "A lot of people are going to be in an extremely vulnerable position as a result of this."

The human stakes are stark, but so are the economic ones. Advocates and healthcare executives are sounding alarms about what happens when you abruptly remove tens of thousands of workers — nurses, home health aides, construction laborers — from the workforce. State officials and legal groups like Lawyers for Civil Rights have vowed to fight back, but "every legal tool" is a promise that runs headlong into a Supreme Court that just ruled against them. Congressional advocates are pushing federal legislation to extend TPS protections, though that's a long shot in the current Senate. For now, families are waiting, teachers are watching children ask hard questions in class, and community organizations like Mattapan's Immigrant Family Services Institute are bracing for an overwhelming surge in need.

What comes next: Watch for Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell and Governor Maura Healey to weigh in with formal state responses. Legal challenges at the circuit level are possible but face steep odds post-ruling. And if you want to understand the real-world ripple effects — economic and human — columnist Yvonne Abraham's piece on why this "victory" will cost everyone is worth your time.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

MassHealth Stops Covering Weight-Loss Drugs This Tuesday

Starting July 1, roughly 22,000 MassHealth members will lose coverage for GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound when prescribed solely for weight loss — a policy change baked into Governor Healey's FY2027 budget meant to save $15 million a year. For people on Medicaid, "pay out of pocket" often means choosing between a $1,300-per-month drug and rent. The state says it will continue covering these medications for conditions like Type 2 diabetes, but the line between obesity and its comorbidities is rarely clean.

Boston.com →

One Dead, Four Wounded in Mattapan Square Shooting

A mass shooting in the early hours of Saturday morning on Blue Hill Avenue left one person dead and four others injured after ShotSpotter alerts drew officers to the scene around 1:45 a.m. A fifth victim made his own way to a hospital outside Boston. Police have an active investigation underway and are asking anyone with information to contact the Homicide Unit at 617-343-4470. No arrests have been announced.

Dorchester Reporter →

Duck Boat Flips on Cambridge Ramp, 11 Injured

A Boston Duck Tours vessel rolled onto its side Saturday afternoon on the boat ramp at 10 Museum Way after a tow rope snapped while pulling the mechanically disabled boat out of the Charles River. Thirty-one people were aboard; one was extricated and taken to Massachusetts General Hospital with serious injuries. Duck Tours suspended operations for the rest of the day and is cooperating with State Police and the Coast Guard. If you've ever wondered whether those tow ropes are robust enough — now everyone's wondering.

Boston Globe →

Haverhill Sewer Lines Burst Into Merrimack River After Storm

A Friday night thunderstorm overwhelmed Haverhill's sewer infrastructure, rupturing a 42-inch force main near the city's main pumping station and sending untreated wastewater into the Merrimack River. The mayor says drinking water is unaffected, but residents are being warned to stay out of the river while crews race to contain the spill. Aging infrastructure plus increasingly intense storms is becoming a recurring and expensive story across the Commonwealth.

WCVB →

Off-Duty State Trooper Punches Colleague, Relieved of Duty

Massachusetts State Police relieved a trooper of duty after video surfaced showing the officer punching another off-duty trooper during a bar altercation. Neither trooper has been publicly identified. The department's Office of Professional Integrity and Accountability is investigating, and State Police say they will take "swift and appropriate action." The incident follows a period of heightened scrutiny over trooper conduct across the state.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

Halifax Residents Revolt Over Beach Chaos at Monponsett Pond

If you think your local beach situation is bad, spare a thought for Halifax. Residents showed up in force to a Select Board meeting last week to describe what they called "permissible mayhem" at the Monponsett Pond public beach — jet skis in swim zones, blocked emergency ramps, public intoxication, and a one-year-old struck by a wake. The board moved fast, passing an emergency motion to install a locked security gate at the 4th Avenue boat ramp. South Shore summer in full swing.

South Shore News →

Worth Your Attention

Marshfield Special Election Early Voting begins July 6, with the full vote on July 25 to fill a vacant Select Board seat — a race that will break the current two-member deadlock over a $7 million budget override and a permanent Town Administrator hire. South Shore News →

Massachusetts nurses are expected to strike in July — worth watching this week for announcements on which hospitals are affected and what negotiations look like heading into the holiday. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

One More Thing

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who needs to know what's going on — or just wants to sound smart at Sunday brunch.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Kenneth Willette (Republican) — House, 4th Essex — Filed: 6/26/2026
• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News

The Supreme Court handed down one of its most consequential immigration decisions in years on Thursday, ruling 6-3 that the Trump administration has the authority to end Temporary Protected Status for roughly 330,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians living in the United States. For Massachusetts, this isn't an abstract legal question — an estimated 45,000 Haitians in this state held TPS, and many of them woke up Thursday morning not knowing what comes next.

The human reality landed hard at the State House. Governor Maura Healey called it a "cruel and callous" ruling, and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu — her voice noticeably breaking — told local Haitian and Syrian residents directly: "You belong here." Beyond the emotional response, both officials are moving toward concrete action. Healey and United Way of Massachusetts Bay announced a statewide emergency fund to help TPS holders navigate what's coming. The Boston Foundation launched a parallel fund focused on the city. These aren't solutions, but they're a signal that Massachusetts intends to use every tool it has — legal, financial, and political — to cushion the blow.

The bigger worry, though, is what Thursday's ruling signals for the other 1.3 million TPS holders from 17 countries. Haitians and Syrians are first. Venezuelans, Salvadorans, and others may not be far behind. For Massachusetts communities in Springfield, Brockton, Boston, and beyond, the next few weeks will be a scramble — immigration lawyers, community organizations, and school districts all trying to figure out what "what happens next" actually looks like.

After a genuinely dramatic budget season that included a deadlocked rejection vote and arrests in the council chambers, the Boston City Council this week formally accepted Mayor Wu's amended $4.9 billion spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The council managed to restore $1.8 million for rental vouchers, $750,000 for youth jobs, and $500,000 in senior programming — but hundreds of BPS layoffs remain in the plan, and some councilors are already saying the process needs a serious overhaul next year.

Governor Healey announced Thursday that she's suspending tax incentives for data centers — a significant shift given that Massachusetts passed a generous 20-year sales tax exemption for them just two years ago. Her administration's new framework demands that data center operators bring their own clean energy, avoid straining local water supplies, and not drive up residents' utility bills. In plain terms: you can build here, but not on the public's dime and not at the public's expense.

A coalition of dispensary owners, municipal leaders, and health advocates rallied on the State House steps Thursday to launch the "Stop the Repeal" campaign — their pushback against a November ballot question that would roll back Massachusetts's decade-old legal marijuana law. The campaign is framing this as an in-state grassroots effort vs. out-of-state money: the group pushing repeal received $1.55 million from a Virginia-based anti-marijuana nonprofit. With 20,000-plus jobs and a $1.65 billion industry on the line, this one's going to get loud.

The Framingham Police Department announced it won't renew its contract with Flock Safety, the automated license plate reader company, after months of sustained pressure from residents concerned about privacy and data sharing. Access to the system gets cut off June 30. It's a notable win for community organizing in a city that has become something of a bellwether for surveillance tech debates — and a reminder that showing up to meetings actually works sometimes.

A video circulating on social media appears to show Congressman Seth Moulton — currently challenging Senator Ed Markey in the Democratic primary — making contact with a phone being held by someone who asked him whether he endorses Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner. Moulton's campaign says the person was a "paid political tracker" from America Rising, a Republican opposition research firm, not a journalist. Fox News says otherwise. Either way, "You should do a better job at hanging onto your phone" is not the line you want following you into a Senate primary.

The Stop the Repeal campaign officially launched Thursday — the November ballot question on cannabis legalization is now an active battleground, so watch for signature deadlines and campaign finance filings in the weeks ahead. GBH News →

A federal judge in Boston this week blocked the Trump administration's attempt to create a national voter list and restrict mail-in ballot delivery — the case is expected to head to the Supreme Court, so this fight isn't over. Universal Hub →

Afternoon thunderstorms are possible today across Massachusetts, with a heavier heat wave expected to build mid-to-late next week — plan your weekend outdoor activities accordingly. WCVB →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Amy Upton — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/25/2026
• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

PACs

• Commonwealth for Tomorrow Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/25/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

The Mass Brief publishes every morning. Forward it to someone who should be paying attention.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

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Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Stephen Foley — House, 5th Norfolk — Filed: 6/24/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

OCPF →

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News

For the second time in less than a week, Massachusetts voters have been denied a chance to weigh in on a major ballot question — and both times, the Supreme Judicial Court pointed the finger squarely at Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office. Tuesday’s ruling tossed a proposed statewide rent control measure that would have capped annual rent increases at the lower of 5% or the rate of inflation. The court’s reasoning was almost painful in its simplicity: the petition specifically exempted housing operated by religious institutions, and the state Constitution doesn’t allow ballot questions that touch on matters of religion. The AG’s office certified it anyway.

The stakes here were enormous. Organizers with Homes for All Massachusetts had collected more than 157,000 signatures from residents who are watching rents eat them alive. Real estate industry groups — long the loudest voices against anything resembling rent stabilization — had even begun quietly negotiating, sensing they might be better off cutting a deal than going to war at the ballot box this fall. That conversation is now over. The ruling doesn’t just kill this specific question; it also resets whatever political momentum tenant advocates had been building for a year. They’ll be back, but the calendar is brutal — the next realistic shot is 2028.

Campbell went on GBH’s Boston Public Radio Tuesday and said plainly: “We made a mistake.” That’s a notable admission, and credit where it’s due for owning it. But with a record 47 petitions reviewed this cycle and two high-profile certifications now thrown out by the SJC — including last week’s income tax cut question — critics are asking whether the AG’s office needs a more rigorous process before waving major initiatives through. Expect that question to follow Campbell for a while.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell released a formal statement acknowledging her office erred in certifying the rent control question, noting the legal question had only been addressed twice in over a century of case law. Her office reviewed a record 47 petitions this cycle, certified 44, and saw 3 ultimately struck down. That’s a batting average that will invite scrutiny heading into her next campaign. GBH News →

Two years after Massachusetts voters eliminated MCAS as a graduation requirement, the state has released new proposed graduation standards, giving districts until fall 2027 to align their curricula. Members of the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are raising real concerns: the timeline is tight, the costs are significant, and the local councils that will design new end-of-year assessments don’t even exist yet. This one will be a slow burn, but it affects every high schooler in the state. GBH News →

Mayor Michelle Wu and Police Commissioner Michael Cox announced a one-year pilot that will allow Boston’s licensed cab drivers to accept rides requested through Uber and Lyft apps — at the rideshare companies’ upfront pricing rather than the traditional metered rate. It’s a pragmatic attempt to stop the slow bleed of the city’s taxi industry while giving passengers more options. Whether drivers actually benefit will depend heavily on how the fare math works out. Universal Hub →

A bipartisan federal housing bill — the 21st Century Road to Housing Act — is headed to President Trump’s desk for a signature today. The legislation reduces federal regulations on construction, speeds up building timelines, and restricts investment firms from bulk-buying single-family homes. Massachusetts, with its brutal housing market, stands to benefit if the supply-side provisions have teeth. Local experts are skeptical that federal action alone closes the gap, but it’s something. WCVB →

A 15-year-old boy from Franklin died Tuesday afternoon after being struck by a car while riding his bicycle near the Route 495 northbound off-ramp on King Street. Neighbors told WCVB that the intersection is notoriously dangerous — drivers come off the highway too fast, and nobody slows down. The driver stayed at the scene and is cooperating with investigators. There are no words for this one. WCVB →

Boston City Councilors Miniard Culpepper of Roxbury and Brian Worrell of Dorchester are pushing the MBTA to extend the Orange Line from Ruggles Station to Mattapan Square via a new tunnel under Warren Street and Blue Hill Avenue. Both councilors are opponents of the T’s existing plan for dedicated bus lanes along that corridor. It’s an ambitious — some would say audacious — proposal for a transit agency still catching up on basic maintenance, but it reflects real frustration with transit equity in those neighborhoods. Universal Hub →

The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education continues deliberations on the new post-MCAS graduation standards framework — districts and parents watching this process should track board meeting agendas at the DESE website, as the fall 2027 implementation clock is already ticking. GBH News →

The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission’s Social Consumption Regulatory Implementation Project continues its multi-phase rollout — cities and towns interested in opting into social consumption establishments should be aware that licensing infrastructure and zoning frameworks are actively being developed now. State House News Service →

Pembroke’s School Committee is finalizing a strict new classroom cell phone policy for the high school — students will be required to place phones in classroom caddies during all instructional periods and study halls — with the updated handbook heading toward a final vote. South Shore News →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Ballot Question Committees

• Democratic Socialists For a Fair Massachusetts — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Reactionary Rollbacks — N/A, N/A — Filed: 6/23/2026

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Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

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The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled unanimously Monday that a ballot question replacing the state’s party primaries with a California-style “top-two” system can go before voters this November — and it’s a bigger deal than it might sound. The proposal would scrap separate Democratic and Republican primaries entirely, replacing them with a single all-party September primary where every candidate appears on the same ballot regardless of party. The top two vote-getters advance to November, full stop — even if they’re both Democrats, both Republicans, or neither.

Two Democratic Party operatives sued to block it, arguing the system disadvantages third-party candidates who currently have a guaranteed path to the general election. Justice Dalila Argaez Wendlandt, writing for the court, essentially said that’s a policy debate, not a constitutional one. The court’s job isn’t to decide if the new system is better — just whether it’s legal. It is.

What happens next: the campaign behind the question says it already has more than enough signatures to secure its spot on the November 3 ballot. If it passes, Massachusetts elections — long dominated by whichever candidate survives a low-turnout Democratic primary — could look very different starting in 2028. Incumbents in heavily blue districts should be paying close attention. So should the roughly 57% of Massachusetts voters who aren’t registered with either major party and currently have limited say in who makes it to November.

Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

A 17-year-old Brockton High School student testified in Hingham District Court Monday, asking a judge to extend a civil restraining order she took out against Mayor Moises Rodrigues last month. She described two encounters, including one during a May parade where she says Rodrigues put his arm around her waist, pulled her close, and danced while she was trying to march and play her instrument. This one will be closely watched.

Boston Globe →

Mayor Michelle Wu endorsed Daniel Lander, her former aide, in his primary challenge against state Senator Will Brownsberger of Belmont — the third-ranking Democrat in the Senate and a key obstacle to Wu’s property tax agenda. This is Wu’s second Senate primary intervention in weeks, and this one stretches beyond Boston into Cambridge, Watertown, and Belmont. Brownsberger has Governor Maura Healey in his corner, which means this race is effectively Wu vs. Healey — a dynamic worth watching.

Boston Globe →

Bent Jenna, 45, was killed Saturday afternoon on Blue Hill Avenue after a man allegedly crashed his own car, carjacked a woman waiting at a car wash, then drove the wrong way and struck Jenna as she crossed the street. Her family, reached in Sierra Leone in the middle of the night, said they want people to remember her “as an amazing woman whose life mattered.” Ibraim Matos, 37, of Hyde Park, has been charged with murder. Bystanders physically detained him until police arrived.

WCVB →

Juana Matias, Governor Healey’s newly appointed Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities, sat down with CommonWealth Beacon and made a striking claim: Massachusetts is not just on pace to build its goal of 222,000 new homes by 2035 — it may be slightly ahead. That’s a bold statement given lagging permit numbers, a looming rent control ballot question, and federal funding uncertainty. Worth reading the whole conversation before deciding whether to be relieved or skeptical.

CommonWealth Beacon →

Two separate shootings injured people in Brockton on Sunday evening, and hours later police — with help from surrounding departments — used pepper spray to disperse a large crowd on Main Street that had been celebrating after a World Cup match. It was a rough night for a city already managing a lot.

WCVB →

Brandon Cora, 27, was arrested Friday at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield after venue security — alerted by a witness — caught him allegedly recording beneath a 13-year-old girl’s skirt. He’s charged with photographing sexual or intimate parts of a child and was set to be arraigned in Attleboro District Court Monday. The quick action by the witness and security personnel was credited with making the arrest possible.

WCVB →

Brockton Mayor Restraining Order Hearing — The court hearing involving Mayor Moises Rodrigues continues in Hingham District Court; Judge Scott Peterson is presiding over the student’s request to extend the order.  Boston Globe →

Brandon Cora Arraignment — The Middleborough man charged with recording a child at the Mansfield concert venue faces arraignment today in Attleboro District Court.  WCVB →

November Ballot Shape-Up — With the SJC clearing the all-party primary question Monday, keep an eye on the Secretary of State’s office for the official certification timeline as the November 3 ballot continues to take shape.  GBH News →

Full budget details →

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

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Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

OCPF →

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Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

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Full budget details →

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

OCPF →

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Massachusetts voters won’t get to weigh in on slashing the state income tax this November — and the reason is almost painfully mundane. The Supreme Judicial Court unanimously tossed the ballot question Thursday, not because of a grand philosophical dispute over tax policy, but because Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office wrote a misleading summary. Specifically, Justice Serge Georges Jr. found that the AG’s summary incorrectly told voters that long-term capital gains income wouldn’t be affected by a cut from 5% to 4% — when, in fact, most of it would be. “The summary does not merely leave something unsaid,” Georges wrote. “It affirmatively tells voters, in ordinary language, that capital gain income is outside the proposed tax reduction.” That’s not a technicality — that’s a significant misstatement about a significant amount of money.

So where does this land? Business groups and the coalition behind the measure — led by the Massachusetts High Technology Council and the Pioneer Institute — are furious but have few good options. They’d need to restart the whole initiative petition process to try again. Meanwhile, Democrats in the House, Senate, and corner office are breathing a sigh of relief: independent analysts had estimated the full cut would drain more than $5 billion annually from state coffers. House Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz and Senate budget chief Doug Howgate had both publicly opposed the measure. The MassGOP is calling it a rigged process — Chair Amy Carnevale compared Beacon Hill Democrats to the British in 1775, which is a take — but the ruling came from a court, not a legislature.

The real story underneath all of this is that the cost-of-living debate isn’t going anywhere. The pressure that drove 100,000+ people to sign those petitions doesn’t disappear just because a court ruling did.

Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

The Karen Read case keeps producing new fallout. The state’s Police Officer Standards and Training Commission suspended the certification of former Canton Sergeant Sean Goode on Thursday — the cop who responded to the crime scene and testified at Read’s first trial. Goode had resigned in late May, just days before Read’s lawsuit revealed years of bigoted text messages he’d exchanged with disgraced former State Police Trooper Michael Proctor. He can request a hearing before the commission makes a final call, but without certification, he can’t work in Massachusetts law enforcement.

Boston Globe →

The Legislature wants to fix how your kids learn to read. Both chambers passed a landmark early literacy bill Thursday that mandates evidence-based reading instruction — including phonics — statewide, requires consistent literacy screening for K-3 students, and overhauls how teachers are trained. The bill now heads to Governor Healey’s desk. House Speaker Ronald Mariano of Quincy, himself a former public school teacher, called the drop in Massachusetts reading scores “simply unacceptable.”

State House News Service →

The Senate also took a swing at the primary care crisis. Forty-three percent of Massachusetts residents currently have trouble getting a primary care appointment — and the Senate passed a bill Thursday aimed at changing that. The legislation would require insurers and providers to invest more in primary care, reduce administrative burdens on doctors, and ensure fairer pay for community health centers. The kicker: 40% of ER visits in the state could theoretically be avoided if people could just see a primary care doctor first.

State House News Service →

Boston is getting 763 new homes — some of them affordable. The city’s Planning Department approved five new development projects Thursday spanning Allston, Dorchester, Downtown, and South Boston. The projects will create 763 new housing units total, with 104 designated income-restricted. They’ll also support roughly 1,255 construction jobs. Progress — though the city’s housing shortage will require a lot more of it.

State House News Service →

Cannabis retailers can now hold more licenses — starting now. The Cannabis Control Commission adopted emergency regulations Thursday to meet a state-mandated deadline, raising the cap on retail licenses from three to six. Social equity businesses get a one-year head start on the higher limit; everyone else caps out at five for now. Separately, the purchase limit for consumers doubled from one ounce to two. The CCC will gather public input over the next three months before finalizing the rules.

CommonWealth Beacon →

Former Emmanuel College admissions director gets 12 years. Jacob Tyler Henriques, 27, was sentenced Thursday in federal court after pleading guilty to attempting to sex-traffic a minor and cyberstalking. Prosecutors said Henriques used his position in admissions to access the personal information of prospective and admitted students — some as young as 12 — and solicited them for paid sex. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley said flatly: “When applying to colleges, the last thing on an applicant’s mind should be their safety.”

Boston Globe →

Starting today through July 31, Boston has two new “social districts” — at the Blackstone Block Historic District and Downtown Crossing’s Temple Place — where you can legally sip a drink while strolling outside. Liquor license hours also extend to 3 a.m. for the World Cup summer rush.

State House News Service →

A federal challenge to Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions got the green light to proceed in court Thursday, just as states are gearing up for the 2026 midterm primaries — worth watching for Massachusetts voters.

State House News Service →

AJ Dybantsa, the Brockton-raised BYU star and projected top NBA Draft pick, speaks Tuesday — keep an eye on draft night coverage as Massachusetts may be sending its most electrifying basketball prospect ever to the pros.

Boston Globe →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

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One in three Massachusetts residents say they can't reliably get basic primary care — and that's in a state that practically invented the modern hospital system. Today, the state Senate is expected to vote on a bill that would force insurers, hospitals, and clinicians to more than double what they spend on primary care, pushing it from 6.7 percent of total health care spending to at least 15 percent. The kicker: they'd have to do it without raising premiums or overall costs.

That's a heavy lift, and it's going to put the health care industry in an uncomfortable position. The money currently flows toward high-margin specialty care — think dermatology and gastroenterology — and redirecting it means those sectors take a hit. Senate President Karen Spilka, the Ashland Democrat who's made this her signature push, is betting that the political will is there. And after years of constituents being told the next available primary care appointment is in four months, she's probably right.

What happens next: the bill is widely expected to pass the Senate today, but the House will have its own ideas. A conference committee fight is likely, and the health care lobby will be watching every word. If it survives, Massachusetts could become a national model — or a cautionary tale about legislative ambition meeting industry resistance.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren threw her weight behind Daniel Lander, a former Michelle Wu aide and Warren campaign volunteer, in his primary challenge against incumbent state Senator William Brownsberger — a Belmont Democrat and Senate leader who hasn't had a serious opponent since 2012. It's a proxy war between Wu's City Hall and Beacon Hill, wrapped in a progressive bow, and it just got a lot more interesting.

A conference committee reached a deal on legislation that would require K-3 classrooms statewide to use research-backed, phonics-based literacy instruction. Right now, 60 percent of third graders aren't reading at grade level — a number State Sen. Sal DiDomenico called a crisis. The bill heads to Governor Healey's desk, where it's expected to be signed.

A second Brockton family has accused Mayor Moises Rodrigues of inappropriate behavior toward their daughter, according to GBH News. This follows a very public accusation at the city's high school graduation earlier this month, where a mother interrupted Rodrigues mid-speech to confront him. Brockton Public Schools has been notified of the second complaint. Rodrigues has not responded to GBH's requests for comment.

Springfield Mayor Domenic Sarno called for replacing the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority's universal fare-free bus program with a voucher system after a brawl involving 50-plus teenagers at Union Station. State transit advocates say that's the wrong lesson to draw — and in a city where nearly a quarter of residents live in poverty, gutting free transit access could hurt the very people the system is meant to serve. The debate lands squarely in the middle of state budget negotiations.

Thomas Clasby Jr., who ran Quincy's Department of Elder Services for nearly 30 years, was sentenced Wednesday to six months in federal prison for embezzling public funds to cover personal expenses including 153 pounds of bourbon steak tips, a Toyota Prius for his girlfriend (and repairs after she crashed it), and a lacquered self-portrait. The man also billed the city nearly $9,000 for a Weymouth recording studio to capture his singing voice — labeled, naturally, "Senior Musical Workshop."

Michael Vandenbroeke, 41, of Jamaica Plain, is the first person charged under Massachusetts' new law making assault on a transit worker an automatic felony. He allegedly sexually assaulted a female Silver Line operator in March. He didn't show up to court Tuesday. A judge revoked his bail and issued an arrest warrant. The Carmen's Union Local 589 is calling for his swift arrest.

Lindsay Clancy pretrial hearing, today at 2 p.m. The Duxbury mother accused of killing her three children in 2023 is scheduled to appear in person at Plymouth Superior Court for the first time — previous hearings were held remotely from Tewksbury Hospital where she remains a patient. Boston Globe →

Boston City Council must act on Mayor Wu's revised budget proposal, which restores $1.4 million in transportation staff funding the council had cut — the clock is ticking as the city approaches its budget deadline. Boston Globe →

The House is expected to take up a $3 billion environmental bond bill — a slimmed-down version that strips out the Senate's proposed statewide ban on single-use plastic bags and cuts overall borrowing authority by more than 20 percent. CommonWealth Beacon →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Katherine Putnam (Unenrolled) — County Commissioner, Dukes County — Filed: 6/17/2026
• Melanie Layden (Unenrolled) — Register of Probate, Bristol County — Filed: 6/17/2026

OCPF →

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After years of debate, political battles, and a 2023 Globe investigation that exposed how nearly half of Massachusetts school districts were using literacy curricula rated "low quality" by the state, lawmakers have finally struck a deal to overhaul how the youngest kids in Massachusetts learn to read. The compromise bill — headed for final votes this week — would require kindergarten through third grade teachers to use evidence-based, phonics-forward reading instruction starting in the fall of 2027. And crucially, it explicitly bans the "three-cueing" method, which has kids guessing at words from pictures and context rather than actually sounding them out.

This is a bigger deal than it might sound. Massachusetts has watched reading scores slide for a decade while the education establishment resisted state mandates on curriculum. The Massachusetts Teachers Association opposed earlier versions of the bill, and the fight between the House and Senate versions dragged on. What broke the logjam: the final compromise requires universal literacy screening, new teacher training, and state accountability measures — and it includes immediate funding to help districts make the switch. Governor Maura Healey is expected to sign it.

What happens next: school districts will have to audit their current curricula, many of which will need to be replaced entirely. That's a logistical and financial lift, especially for smaller towns already squeezed. Watch for implementation fights at the school committee level over the next year — the state mandate is one thing, the classroom reality is another.

Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

The unified front against a statewide rent control ballot question is cracking. NAIOP — a commercial real estate group that dumped $250,000 into defeating a similar measure just last year — announced Tuesday it's now open to a deal, proposing an opt-in system for municipalities to cap rent increases. With Governor Healey also signaling openness to compromise and the filing deadline just two weeks out, Beacon Hill is suddenly in horse-trading mode. Whether the harder-line real estate groups come along is the key variable.

CommonWealth Beacon →

In the wake of the death of State Trooper Kevin Trainor — killed last month when a wrong-way driver struck his cruiser on Route 1 in Lynnfield — Governor Healey announced new steps Wednesday to expand wrong-way detection technology across Massachusetts highways. The state has run a 16-location pilot with thermal imaging cameras and flashing LED alerts; the push now is to scale it up dramatically. Connecticut has more than 200 such cameras and has seen 950+ drivers self-correct since late 2023. Massachusetts has as many as 2,600 locations that could use them, according to state Sen. Bruce Tarr.

WBZ / CBS Boston →

A new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll paints a mixed picture: just over half of Massachusetts voters say the state is on the right track — a better number than you'd expect — but 72 percent think the country is heading in the wrong direction, and roughly one in four voters say they've seriously considered leaving the state in the past year. The number-one reason isn't taxes (that's second, at 18%). It's the cost of living, named by more than 40% of residents. Food and groceries are now the top financial stressor, surpassing utilities.

GBH News →

Mayor Michelle Wu's plan to study charging drivers to enter downtown Boston just hit a wall of public opinion. A new Suffolk/Globe poll found 69 percent of Massachusetts registered voters would not pay a fee to drive into the city, even with the promise of less traffic. Only 26 percent said they'd be willing. Worth noting: 32 percent said their commutes have gotten worse over the past year. People are frustrated with traffic — they just don't want to pay more to sit in it.

Boston Globe →

Senator Ed Markey skipped his own party Tuesday night, leaving Democratic challenger Rep. Seth Moulton and Republican John Deaton to spar for an hour on WBZ. Markey's absence was practically the third debater — Deaton called it a shame within seconds of the opening. Moulton hammered the Trump connection; Deaton, who says he has never voted for Trump, pushed back with some memorable profanity about both parties. The real race is still the September Democratic primary, where Markey faces Moulton. But this debate gave Massachusetts voters a preview of what a general election might look like — and Markey a reminder that skipping debates has consequences.

Boston Globe →

Only 45 percent of Massachusetts parents of middle and high schoolers expect their child to pursue a bachelor's degree — down from 53 percent in 2023. The drop is sharpest among lower-income families, where only 10 percent anticipate a four-year degree. EdTrust Massachusetts is sounding the alarm: this state's economy runs on an educated workforce, and a hollowing-out of college expectations — driven largely by cost — could have serious long-term consequences.

Boston Globe →

Marshfield Override Heads to Voters: Town Meeting approved a $7 million Proposition 2½ override last weekend to prevent the elimination of 80 school positions, but the Select Board still hasn't scheduled the required ballot vote — worth watching if you're in town. WATD 95.9 →

Plymouth's Landers Farm Decision: The Plymouth Select Board voted 3-2 to waive the town's right of first refusal on a 138-acre Cedarville property, clearing the way for a developer to build starter housing — over the objections of residents who demanded recusals and wanted the land preserved. South Shore News →

Storm Watch Thursday: A heads-up for your commute — damaging winds and scattered thunderstorms are expected across Massachusetts Thursday, with potential for travel delays. Today is fine; enjoy it. WCVB →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

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Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

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Full hearing schedule →

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Marshfield heads into its annual Town Meeting tonight at 7 p.m. at Marshfield High School in about as precarious a position as a South Shore town can find itself. The Select Board is deadlocked 1-1 (one seat is vacant) over who should be the next town administrator — a position that's been empty for more than a year. Meanwhile, the town's fiscal year 2027 budget is a mess, with a structural deficit driven by years of patching operating costs with one-time funds, a $1 million snow removal overrun, expired federal COVID relief money, and the loss of nearly $1.2 million in outside revenue. The Advisory Board voted 7-0-1 to recommend a $4 million Proposition 2½ override as the responsible path forward. But officials are planning to force a $7 million override onto the floor tonight anyway — a move that opponents say is flatly illegal.

The two sitting Select Board members, Rick Smith and Eric Kelley, can't agree on a town administrator, which means municipal leadership remains in limbo until a third member is elected to break the tie. Residents at last week's joint board meeting weren't subtle about their frustration — one called on the board to stop hiring "novices" and get someone with a real track record in the chair. The leading finalist, Ted Langill, has a background in Weymouth municipal government and has supporters pushing hard for his appointment.

Tonight's meeting is the kind of event where local democracy gets loud. Marshfield residents will have to decide whether to approve a budget that may or may not be legal, without a permanent administrator to help execute it, with a board that can't agree on much of anything. If you live in Marshfield — or just like watching municipal governance at its most chaotic — tonight matters.

A two-alarm fire ripped through a single-family home on Temi Road in Bellingham just after midnight Monday, killing two residents despite firefighters rescuing them from the structure. The fire spread rapidly and caused serious damage to the home, though crews kept it from reaching neighboring properties. State Police fire investigators are working to determine the cause.

Nicholos D. Campbell, 26, is being arraigned today in Orleans District Court on a murder charge stemming from a late-night shooting at Moonfish Restaurant & Tavern in Dennis on Saturday. His attorney says Campbell, who has a valid license to carry, acted in self-defense after being stabbed in the head during the altercation. The victim has not yet been publicly identified by the Cape & Islands DA's Office.

A CVS is coming to Warren Street in Roxbury's Nubian Square, filling a gap left when Walgreens shuttered its location there in 2024 as part of its Boston-wide pullback. For a neighborhood without easy car access to suburban strip malls, having a pharmacy within walking distance is a genuine quality-of-life issue — not just a retail footnote.

Massachusetts Democratic Party Chair Steve Kerrigan sat down this weekend to talk about the Senate primary shaping up between incumbent Senator Ed Markey and Representative Seth Moulton — arguably the most consequential intra-party race in the state this cycle. Kerrigan also addressed controversy swirling around Maine candidate Graham Platner. No bombshells reported, but worth watching where party infrastructure lands.

The City of Holyoke is deploying $1.66 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds across public infrastructure, housing rehabilitation, social services, and economic development. It's the kind of unsexy-but-important local spending that directly affects whether people's streets, homes, and services hold up — and worth noting as federal funding streams grow increasingly uncertain nationwide.

Marshfield Town Meeting kicks off tonight at 7 p.m. at Marshfield High School — budget, overrides, and governance drama all on the agenda. WATD →

The world's largest soccer ball — a 47.9-foot Guinness World Record-holder installed at Piers Park II in East Boston — is only on display through June 18, so you have a few days left to see it before it comes down. Boston.com →

The Cape Cod arraignment of Nicholos Campbell in the Dennis restaurant shooting is scheduled for Orleans District Court this morning — expect more details about the circumstances of the case to emerge. Boston.com →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

OCPF →

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The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Donnell Wright (Democratic) — House, 11th Hampden — Filed: 6/9/2026
• Gary Gagnon — Sheriff, Franklin County — Filed: 6/9/2026

OCPF →

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