THE MASS BRIEF

Thursday, August 13, 2026

The Lead

Rachael Rollins's signature problem just went from "he-said-she-said" to "there's a receipt."

When Chelsea city councilors first raised the alarm that someone else appeared to have signed their names on Rollins's nomination papers for Suffolk district attorney, the former DA and former U.S. Attorney insisted she wasn't personally involved — the "community" collected signatures, she said, and some volunteers just handed in sheets themselves. That defense got a lot harder to make this week. Public records obtained by the Globe show Rollins herself is listed as the "person submitting papers" on the two sheets now under scrutiny, which contain at least seven signatures city officials say don't match the voters they're supposed to belong to.

To be clear: submitting the papers isn't the same as forging them. It's entirely plausible a volunteer collected — or fabricated — those signatures and simply handed the stack to Rollins to drop off at Chelsea City Hall, which campaign veterans say is common practice. But the paper trail undercuts her attempt to put daylight between herself and the sheets in question, and it raises the stakes in a race that's already testy — Rollins, incumbent Kevin Hayden, and challenger Linda Champion sparred hard at a Roxbury forum last week. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has already said Rollins should be bounced from the September primary ballot if she "fraudulently" qualified. Submitting fake signatures is a crime in Massachusetts, punishable by up to a year in jail, and any criminal referral would land on Campbell's desk. Watch for whether Chelsea officials, or Rollins's rivals, push this into a formal ballot challenge before primary day.

Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Deadly stabbing shuts down South Station at rush hour. A man died Wednesday evening after a fight on an escalator at South Station turned violent — Boston's busiest transit hub packed with commuters when it happened. No suspect is in custody; Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden says it's too early to say whether it was random. Transit and Amtrak police swarmed the station, and the escalator stayed closed into the night. Boston Globe →

A "James Bond movie" on the Southeast Expressway. State Police say Dominic Hampton-Boyd, 31, held a pregnant woman hostage at gunpoint in an SUV during a rush-hour chase up I-93, smashing into eight vehicles before ditching the car and running near exit 11 in Milton. He didn't get far. He's due to be arraigned in Quincy District Court; the woman's condition hasn't been released. Boston Globe →

Boston's zoning is stuck in its own lane. While the rest of Massachusetts moves fast on housing — accessory dwelling units, easier variances, transit-zone density — none of it applies to Boston, which runs on its own 70-year-old zoning statute. The upshot: a Milton homeowner might soon build a second unit by right, while a Bostonian across the Neponset River can't. CommonWealth Beacon →

Wage theft, deportation threats, and no recourse. Immigrant construction workers across Massachusetts say employers are increasingly threatening to call ICE when workers push back on unpaid wages — one worker was told he'd be sent back to "the dusty taco eating place." Advocates say the climate of fear is emboldening bad-faith employers who know undocumented workers are afraid to report them. Boston Globe →

Massachusetts says it'll pick up the tab for trans kids' health care. The Healey administration says it will cover hormone therapy and counseling for transgender children on state insurance if a new federal rule — expected to take effect October 13 — cuts off Medicaid funding for that care. Major medical groups still back the treatments; the state says it's following their guidance, not Washington's. WBUR →

A Cape Cod lawmaker wants vacation-home owners to help fund year-round housing. Barnstable County delegate Dan Gessen is proposing a surcharge on residential properties assessed over $1 million that aren't primary homes — $2.50 per $500 in value — with proceeds funding down-payment and mortgage assistance for year-round Cape residents. Towns would have to opt in. Boston.com →

Quabbin towns get a boost from the governor. Governor Maura Healey is pressing the MWRA to do more for small towns near the Quabbin Reservoir, which supply water to 2.7 million people in and around Boston but often struggle with their own contaminated or dried-up wells. It's the latest sign of tension between rural watershed communities and the agency that depends on them. CommonWealth Beacon →

Worth Your Attention

• Dominic Hampton-Boyd's arraignment in Quincy District Court could happen as early as today — expect more details on the charges and the victim's condition. WBZ / CBS Boston →
• Today's partial solar eclipse will dim Boston sunlight by about 16%, but ISO New England says the grid will be fine — no rolling blackouts expected. Universal Hub →
• The Suffolk DA race heats up further as Rollins fights to stay on the September primary ballot amid the signature controversy — watch for a possible ballot challenge in the coming days. WBUR →

Track all bills →

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

• Cari-Ann Knight — House, 3rd Worcester — Filed: 8/10/2026

PACs

• Protect Massachusetts Taxpayers Independent Expenditure Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 8/11/2026

OCPF →

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