THE MASS BRIEF

Monday, October 05, 2026

The Lead

Healey declares an "energy emergency," and the campaign trail just got warmer

Gov. Maura Healey declared a "state of energy emergency" Monday and signed an executive order aimed at taking some of the sting out of what's shaping up to be an expensive winter. Standing in Everett, she noted that one in five Massachusetts households heats with oil, and that the price has jumped from about $3.52 a gallon last year to roughly $6.08. A single tank fill-up, she said, could run as much as $700 more than it did a year ago. She blamed the war in Iran and the Trump administration for the spike.

The package is substantial. A new benefit for roughly 50,000 "middle-income" households (those earning 60 to 100 percent of state median income, with a family of four eligible up to $170,000) offers up to $680 per household starting in December. Existing low-income heating aid gets a boost of 15 to 20 percent, depending on fuel type. And for three months starting in January, the SMART solar charge disappears from electric bills, while the Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard charge gets cut in half. The administration pegs the total at nearly $150 million in savings, with roughly 85 percent of ratepayers seeing some relief. Healey also activated price-gouging protections for petroleum products and asked Congress for another $3 billion for the federal heating assistance program.

Now, the politics. Healey faces voters in less than a month, and energy costs have become a central theme against Republican Mike Minogue. Critics will note that these are temporary fixes to a structural problem: Massachusetts families pay some of the highest energy prices in the country. Watch whether Minogue, and the Legislature, argue she's treating the symptoms rather than the disease. Details are at mass.gov/heatinghelp.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Two governors, one ballot question. Former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker has joined former Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick in endorsing Question 3, which would create all-party primaries and end guaranteed general-election slots for Democrats and Republicans. Both state parties and legislative leaders oppose it, so this is a genuine party-versus-reformers fight. The two men ran against each other in 2010; now they're on the same side. WBUR →

Farwell trial gets underway. Jury selection begins Tuesday in federal court for Matthew Farwell, the former Stoughton police detective accused of killing Sandra Birchmore and staging it as a suicide. Chief Judge Denise Casper suggested opening statements could come as soon as Friday. Legal analysts say scrutiny of jurors following last month's hung jury in the Lindsay Clancy case could make seating a panel harder. Boston Globe →

After the clergy abuse report, all eyes turn to Beacon Hill. Attorney General Andrea Campbell wants lawmakers to end the statute of limitations on civil child sexual abuse claims and eliminate the $20,000 damages cap for charities like the dioceses. The Church's clout at the State House has faded, but WBUR reports another heavyweight opponent: the insurance industry. WBUR →

Canada trade war hits home. Jim Knott, CEO of Riverdale Mills in Northbridge, says he's squeezed from both directions: a 50 percent tariff on the Canadian steel he buys for lobster-trap wire, and a 50 percent tariff on what his customers buy from him. Business groups warn that's just the tip of the iceberg for the state economy. GBH News →

Downtown Crossing feels less safe. A survey of nearly 400 residents by the Downtown Boston Neighborhood Alliance found 56 percent feel less safe than at the start of the year, up from 35 percent last October. Business owners want more police presence, and restaurateur Babak Bina put it plainly: "Perception is reality." GBH News →

Babson student's deportation case reaches the First Circuit. Nearly a year after Any Lucia Lopez Belloza was detained at Logan on her way to surprise her family for Thanksgiving, her lawyers asked the appeals court to let her case be heard in federal district court. A judge dismissed it in March after she declined to fly back on a government plane, fearing re-detention. Boston Globe →

Ad fight over Boston schools. A $1.5 million campaign from MassPotential's Next Chapter Boston, featuring children and the slogan "BPS IS FAILING THEM," went up across the MBTA on Wednesday. The T had them coming down by Thursday, objecting to the copy. Expect a First Amendment sideshow to the larger debate over Boston's schools. WBUR →

Worth Your Attention

• Tuesday: Jury selection begins in the Farwell trial at the federal courthouse in the Seaport. Boston Globe →
• Wednesday, Oct. 7: East Bridgewater holds a special town meeting, where a petitioned surveillance technology bylaw leads the warrant, and town counsel is already flagging legal limits on it. South Shore News →
• Nov. 3: Election Day, with Question 8, which would repeal recreational marijuana sales in a market that grossed over $1.65 billion last year, on the ballot. Boston.com →

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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

• William Falcetano (Republican) — Governor's Council, 5th District — Filed: 10/2/2026

OCPF →

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