THE MASS BRIEF

Friday, May 22, 2026

Good morning. Here's what Massachusetts needs to know today.

 

The Lead

The Legislature Audit War Just Got a New Battlefield

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court handed down a ruling Thursday that nudges state Auditor Diana DiZoglio's long-running campaign to audit the Legislature one step closer to an actual courtroom — but don't mistake movement for resolution. The SJC forced Attorney General Andrea Campbell's hand, giving her a hard deadline to decide whether she'd represent DiZoglio in her lawsuit seeking to compel the House and Senate's cooperation. Campbell said yes — with a catch: DiZoglio can proceed, but she'll be represented by outside counsel, not the AG's office. That outside counsel is Shannon Liss-Riordan, a high-profile attorney who, in a wonderfully Massachusetts twist, lost to Campbell in the 2022 Democratic primary for AG. The arrangement is pro bono.

This matters because the underlying constitutional question — can the auditor actually examine the Legislature without violating separation of powers? — still hasn't been answered. What the SJC did was clear the procedural underbrush so that bigger fight can finally happen. DiZoglio, who has been at war with legislative leadership since voters granted her this expanded authority in 2022, is not backing down. Neither is the Legislature. The real fireworks are still ahead.

Full story at CommonWealth Beacon →

 

What Else You Should Know

Wrong-Way Driving Bill Passes Senate Unanimously — In Honor of Trooper Trainor

Two weeks after State Trooper Kevin Trainor, 30, was killed in a head-on collision with a wrong-way driver on Route 1 in Lynnfield, the Massachusetts Senate voted 40-0 to expand wrong-way detection technology statewide. The amendment to the FY2027 budget would require MassDOT to install directional striping, detection systems, multi-sensory warning devices, and real-time police alerts — and mandate new training for officers responding to wrong-way incidents. It still needs to survive the full budget conference process, but the unanimous vote signals strong political will.

Boston Globe →

Healey and Campbell Put Landlords on Notice Over Broker Fees

Governor Maura Healey and AG Andrea Campbell jointly warned landlords and brokers Thursday that Massachusetts law is clear: broker fees can only be charged to the party who hired the broker — period. Following reports that some landlords are trying to pass the fees onto renters anyway, the two offices urged renters to file complaints and reminded brokers that violations put their licenses at risk. If you're apartment-hunting this summer, screenshot this and know your rights.

State House News Service →

House vs. Senate on Energy Bills: A Fight Worth Following

Massachusetts lawmakers agree that residents' electric and gas bills are too high — they just disagree on how to fix it. The House already passed a bill that would cut roughly $1 billion from Mass Save, the popular home efficiency program. Senate Energy Committee Chair Michael Barrett of Lexington is crafting a different approach, targeting the Gas System Enhancement Plan instead, arguing you don't gut your long-term energy strategy just to score short-term savings. A conference committee fight is coming, and the outcome will show up on your utility bill.

Boston.com →

Sudbury Voters Deliver a Stinging Rebuke to Their School Committee

At a special Town Meeting Wednesday night that stretched past midnight, Sudbury voters approved a nonbinding no-confidence vote against their School Committee, 452 to 295. The resolution accused the board of eroding public trust, destabilizing district leadership, and putting members' own interests above students' welfare — all against a backdrop of a superintendent's surprise resignation and fights over LGBTQ+ student supports. The vote has no legal teeth, but it's the kind of public humiliation that tends to concentrate minds on a small-town board.

Boston Globe →

A Tufts Doctor Pushed Off a Federal Preventive Care Panel Speaks Out

Dr. John Wong, a physician at Tufts Medical Center who was recently dismissed as chair of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., told the Globe he was "surprised and disappointed." Experts warn that Kennedy's shakeup of the panel has stalled critical recommendations on cancer screenings and behavioral health counseling — the kind of guidance that shapes what your doctor tells you to get tested for. Kennedy has called the task force's work "lackadaisical and negligent." Wong disagrees, and he's not going quietly.

Boston Globe →

Boston City Council Votes to Keep Its Raises

The Boston City Council rejected a resolution Wednesday that would have rolled back salary increases approved in 2022. Council members now earn $125,000 annually — up from $103,500 — and Mayor Michelle Wu's salary jumped to $250,000 this year. Councilors Ed Flynn and Erin Murphy pushed the rollback as a gesture of solidarity amid Wu's tight budget proposal, which includes cuts to veterans' services and firefighter cancer screenings. The council wasn't moved. Make of that what you will.

Boston.com →

 

Worth Your Attention

Memorial Day Weekend Weather: Today is your best bet — sunny and mild in the low 70s — but plan around Sunday, which looks like a genuine washout with rain all day and showers lingering into Monday. Saturday is serviceable. Boston Globe →

PROTECT Act Conference: The House and Senate have passed different versions of the immigrant protections bill; a conference committee now needs to reconcile them before it can go to Governor Healey's desk — worth watching as the debate over local ICE cooperation intensifies. CommonWealth Beacon →

Newborn CMV Screening: The House passed a bill 155-1 requiring universal screening for congenital cytomegalovirus at all Massachusetts hospitals and birthing centers; it now heads to the Senate, where parents of affected children will be watching closely. State House News Service →

 

FY2027 Budget Tracker

Current stage: Senate passes budget

Governor's Budget (H2) — filed

House Budget (H5500) | 1744 amendments filed — house_floor

Senate Budget (H5501) | 1 amendments filed — senate_passed

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