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THE MASS BRIEF
Saturday, June 27, 2026
Good morning. Here's what Massachusetts needs to know today.
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THE LEAD
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Trump Is Holding a Housing Bill Hostage — and Warren Is Not Having It
A rare thing happened in Washington: a bill actually passed with overwhelming bipartisan support — 85-5 in the Senate, roughly 90% of the House — and then the president refused to sign it. President Donald Trump, who had been poised to put pen to paper on a sweeping affordable housing bill co-authored by Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott, abruptly reversed course this week. His condition for signing: Congress must first pass his "SAVE America Act," a voter ID bill that doesn't have the votes to clear the Senate.
Warren didn't exactly respond diplomatically. She called Trump a "man child" throwing a "tantrum" and had a simple message for him: "Sign the damn bill." The legislation would boost housing supply, lower construction costs, and limit how many single-family homes large institutional investors can buy — exactly the kind of policy that could chip away at the housing crisis hammering Massachusetts renters and first-time buyers. The bill passed with a veto-proof margin, which means Congress could override a veto, though whether Republican members would follow through on that is a very different question.
What happens next is essentially a game of chicken between Trump and an unusually united Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson met with Trump this week and reportedly believes there's a path to getting the bill signed — but that path runs through a voter ID fight the Senate has already rejected. Warren's optimism may be warranted, or it may be wishful thinking. Either way, families waiting for housing costs to come down are the ones sitting in the waiting room.
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WHAT ELSE YOU SHOULD KNOW
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GOP Ballot Chaos Gets Worse The Massachusetts Republican Party's already-thin statewide ticket took another hit Friday when the State Ballot Law Commission ruled that Anne Manning Martin, a candidate for lieutenant governor, and Michael Walsh, the party's endorsed attorney general candidate, will not appear on the September 1 primary ballot. Both had signatures invalidated amid a growing fraud controversy. Walsh says he'll appeal in court. The state GOP is now officially contesting just three of six statewide constitutional offices. Boston Globe →
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Healey Hits Pause on Data Center Tax Breaks Governor Maura Healey has suspended applications for a 20-year sales and use tax exemption for data centers — an incentive she herself agreed to in a 2024 economic development law — until the state has stronger protections against higher energy bills for residents. It's a careful balancing act for a governor who wants Massachusetts to be an AI-economy player while also not getting blamed for spiking utility costs heading into a reelection year. Boston Globe →
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Healey Signs Early Reading Overhaul On Friday, Governor Healey signed legislation requiring Massachusetts schools to use evidence-based reading instruction in kindergarten through third grade, mandate universal literacy screenings, and ban the controversial "three-cueing" method. The bill grew out of a 2023 Globe investigation that found nearly half of state school districts were using curricula rated "low quality." The final version dropped a $25 million funding transfer that had been in earlier drafts, which advocates say will be a real constraint on implementation. Boston Globe →
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Boston Federal Judge Blocks Trump Voter List Order U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani ruled Thursday that Trump's executive order to create a federal voter list and restrict mail ballots is unconstitutional — finding it violates the separation of powers because elections are the domain of states and Congress, not the president. The ruling, which applies to this year's midterm cycle, is the second in two days against Trump election orders. The administration is expected to appeal. Boston.com →
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Birth Centers: One Opens, One Shrinks Massachusetts is gaining a birth center — the Cambridge Health Alliance Birth Center is set to reopen for deliveries on July 6, its first since closing during COVID — but the landscape for maternal care remains fragile. Methuen Hospital is reportedly accelerating plans to stop admitting new patients to its birth center as soon as next week. Advocates at a Statehouse forum pointed to a core problem: MassHealth reimburses birth centers at just 70% of hospital rates for the same care. CommonWealth Beacon →
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Framingham Man Freed After Three Months Over Traffic Tickets A federal judge ordered the immediate release of a Brazilian national from Framingham — a 30-year Massachusetts resident with three American-citizen children — after finding that the immigration judge who denied him bond had improperly labeled him a flight risk based largely on old traffic tickets. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley found the reasoning didn't hold up. It's another chapter in the ongoing legal battles over immigration enforcement in Massachusetts. Universal Hub →
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WORTH YOUR ATTENTION
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Michael Walsh's court appeal is expected to be filed next week as he fights to get back onto the September Republican primary ballot for attorney general — watch for a hearing date that could reshape what little remains of the GOP statewide ticket. Boston Globe →
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Cambridge Health Alliance Birth Center opens for deliveries on July 6 — the first freestanding birth center in the Boston area, offering midwife-led care for lower-risk pregnancies in a non-hospital setting. CommonWealth Beacon →
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Thunderstorms possible through this evening — WCVB's StormTeam 5 says hit-or-miss storms could roll through Massachusetts until around 9 p.m. tonight. Plan outdoor plans accordingly. WCVB →
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FY2027 Budget Tracker
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Current stage: Conference committee reconciles
Governor's Budget (H2) — filed House Budget (H5500) | 1744 amendments filed — house_floor Senate Budget (H5501) | 1 amendments filed — conference
📋 No notable actions in the last few days. |
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💰 Money Watch
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Yesterday's Biggest Contributions
Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance |
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This Week on Beacon Hill
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Wednesday, July 01, 10:00 AM Joint Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities (3 bills) Topic: Misc 2 Location: B-2 , Boston
Wednesday, July 01, 10:00 AM Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (13 bills) Topic: Late files Location: B-1 , Boston
Thursday, July 02, 1:00 PM Joint Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets (1 bills) Topic: H5527 - An Act relative to Massachusetts winning global investment, talent, and innovation; "The MassWins Act" 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
PACs
Ballot Question Committees
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ONE MORE THING
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Mattapan is getting its first sit-down restaurant with a full liquor license: Marabou Café on Blue Hill Avenue, a Haitian spot owned by two sisters who are also both registered nurses, just got approved by the Boston Licensing Board. They're planning hours of 8:30 a.m. to 1 a.m., six days a week. That's a genuinely good news story for a neighborhood that has deserved one for a while. Universal Hub →
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