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THE MASS BRIEF
Monday, October 12, 2026
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| Good morning, Massachusetts. Grab your coffee and a light jacket. Here's what you need to know. | ||||||||||
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The Lead
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| Lawrence's mayor heads back to court as the pressure builds | ||||||||||
| Lawrence Mayor Brian DePeña is due before a judge Tuesday on state charges accusing him of secretly recording two City Hall employees, distributing that recording, and intimidating a witness tied to the case. That's one legal front. The other is federal: he pleaded not guilty last month to charges that he used COVID-era loans for personal expenses. | ||||||||||
| Here's the political reality. DePeña said last week he has no plans to resign, and the Lawrence City Council punted on a planned no-confidence vote. A no-confidence vote wouldn't remove him, since only a resignation, a recall, or a conviction would do that. But it would be the clearest signal yet of how much support he has left among the people who have to work with him every day. Every delay buys him time and costs the city momentum. | ||||||||||
| Watch two things: what the judge does Tuesday, and whether councilors find their nerve once the court process becomes impossible to ignore. A city of roughly 90,000 people is being run by a mayor fighting on two legal fronts, and that gets harder to sustain with each court date. | ||||||||||
| Full story at Boston 25 → | ||||||||||
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What Else You Should Know
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| Brigham nurses postpone strike while they vote on a new offer. The union at Brigham and Women's Hospital pulled back from its planned strike this week while members consider the hospital's latest contract proposal. A walkout at one of the region's biggest hospitals would ripple across the whole system, so the vote is worth watching. WBZ / CBS Boston → | ||||||||||
| Man killed on the Red Line tracks near the Neponset. A man trespassing on the right-of-way touched the electrified third rail just before midnight Sunday and died. Transit Police say foul play isn't suspected and the incident had nothing to do with MBTA work. Investigators are still working out why he was on the tracks. Boston 25 → | ||||||||||
| Cohasset "swatting" hoax shuts down Route 3A. Someone called police claiming to be barricaded in a jewelry store with two armed hostages, and cops closed Route 3A in both directions. The caller had apparently hacked the store's video surveillance and watched the police response live, accurately describing officers' positions. Nobody was inside and nobody was hurt, but it's a chilling reminder of how connected cameras can be turned against the people they're supposed to protect. Boston 25 → | ||||||||||
| Duxbury eyes a water-hookup freeze and a bid for Miramar. The Selectboard, sitting as water and sewer commissioners, opened a hearing on a town-wide moratorium on new water connections. Chair Amy MacNab says the town blew past its state withdrawal permit by about 18 million gallons in 2025, and the pause would buy roughly a year to plan. The hearing continues Nov. 9, and the board also announced it will pursue acquiring the Miramar property. South Shore News → | ||||||||||
| Governor's race: Minogue pitches tax cuts in New Bedford. Republican nominee Mike Minogue told The Light he'd roll back climate policies he blames for high electric bills and cut taxes to keep businesses and residents in the state. He's running against Democratic incumbent Maura Healey, and affordability is shaping up as the central fight of the campaign. New Bedford Light → | ||||||||||
| On the South Shore, a legislative race turns on housing. In a WATD forum, Republican Rep. Dave DeCoste and Democratic challenger Lori Childs clashed over the MBTA Communities Act, which DeCoste called "blackmail plain and simple." Childs, a Rockland Select Board member, hit his record on earmarks and bills passed. South Shore News → | ||||||||||
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Worth Your Attention
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| Tuesday: Mayor DePeña's court appearance in Lawrence on the wiretapping and witness intimidation charges. Boston 25 → | ||||||||||
| Saturday, Oct. 17: Plymouth's Fall Town Meeting, where a fight is brewing over whether the moderator can block articles before members vote on them. Plymouth Independent → | ||||||||||
| Nov. 9: Duxbury's water moratorium hearing continues. South Shore News → | ||||||||||
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End-of-Session Tracker
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⏳ Formal sessions ended July 31. Conferees were appointed in time, so talks run until the term ends Jan 5 — 85 days
Energy Affordability & Clean Power (H5175) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Economic Development (H5576) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Massachusetts Data Privacy Act (S2619) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Climate Resilience for Communities (S3064) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Student Learning & Mental Health (phone ban) (S2581) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Health Care Workplace Violence Prevention (H4767) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Ballot Question Campaign Finance Reporting (S2916) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Public Records & Government Transparency (H5469) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Primary Care (S3141) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Higher-Ed Infrastructure (BRIGHT Act) (H4769) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned Pet Equity, Treatment & Safety (S3028) House ✓Senate ✓ConferenceGov's DeskSigned |
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💰 Money Watch
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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions
Big Spending This Week
Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance |
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This Week on Beacon Hill
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Wednesday, October 14, 1:00 PM Senate Committee on the Census Topic: Federal Changes to the 2030 Census Part I: Residency Criteria Location: A-1 , Boston |
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New on the Ballot
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Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance: Candidates
Change of Purposes
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One More Thing
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New England Patriots fans can finally exhale a little. Head coach Mike Vrabel says star receiver AJ Brown, who hasn't played since a Week 1 ankle sprain, has a "chance" to practice this week now that he's eligible to come off injured reserve. With the Pats suddenly surging, a healthy Brown would be a very welcome reinforcement. Boston 25 →
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