THE MASS BRIEF

Saturday, September 19, 2026

Good morning. Grab your coffee — a state Supreme Court ruling, a corrupt police chief's jail sentence, and yet another cop accused of misusing surveillance tech to stalk an ex. Let's get into it.

The Lead

The Supreme Judicial Court just closed the door — again — on towns trying to wriggle out of the MBTA Communities Act, and this time it might actually stick. In a unanimous, 22-page ruling Friday, the state's highest court rejected Marshfield's argument that the 2021 housing law amounts to an illegal "unfunded mandate," finding the town couldn't show the zoning requirement cost it anything beyond routine paperwork. Justice Serge Georges Jr. didn't mince words: the law is a "valid general law," full stop.

This matters because Marshfield was the best shot opponents had left. The SJC already upheld the law's enforceability back in early 2025, and nearly every other legal challenge has since collapsed. What's left now is politics, not courtrooms — and MBTA Communities is shaping up to be a real flashpoint in this fall's governor's race. Governor Maura Healey has made compliance a signature issue, using carrots (grant funding) and sticks (threats to cut state aid) to push holdout towns toward zoning for multifamily housing near transit. Her Republican opponent will almost certainly try to turn suburban resentment over "Beacon Hill telling us how to zone our town" into a rallying cry between now and November.

For the 177 communities covered by the law, the practical reality is this: rezone for apartments and duplexes near transit, or keep fighting a battle the courts have made clear you're going to lose. Marshfield's Select Board hasn't said what's next, but with courts unanimous and consistent, "keep suing" is looking like an expensive way to delay the inevitable. Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Methuen's disgraced ex-chief heads to jail. Joseph Solomon, once one of the highest-paid cops in the country, pleaded guilty Friday to 17 corruption charges — perjury, forgery, fraud — for stacking the department with unqualified officers he favored, including a former city councilor who skipped the police academy. He'll serve 30 days of a 2.5-year sentence and loses his pension, gun license, and PI license. Methuen's mayor says the pension forfeiture alone will save the city millions. Boston Globe →

The feds are done babysitting the T. After the scathing 2022 safety report that found the MBTA understaffed and poorly maintained, the Federal Transit Administration has formally handed oversight back to the state's Department of Public Utilities. Healey is calling it proof of the T's "turnaround" under GM Phil Eng — the DPU added 13 full-time safety staff since 2022 and beefed up its training and inspection processes. CommonWealth Beacon →

Another cop, another Flock scandal. A retired Braintree detective, Mark Sherrick, is facing a criminal harassment charge for allegedly using police license-plate readers, a department phone, and even a GPS tracker to stalk his ex-girlfriend after their 2024 breakup. He retired last year once the town's third-party investigation caught the misuse. Arraignment is set for Sept. 29. Boston.com →

Plymouth officer and husband indicted on child rape charges. A grand jury indicted suspended Plymouth police officer Samantha Pelrine and her husband Daniel Forand on multiple counts of aggravated child rape, stemming from allegations they abused a boy in their care for years starting when he was 14. Both have denied the allegations and remain out on bail pending arraignment in Superior Court. Plymouth Independent →

TOPA is closer than it's ever been. The Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act — which would let renters organize to match an outside buyer's offer when their building goes up for sale — is tucked into both the House and Senate versions of the economic development bond bill. A six-member conference committee is now hammering out a final version to send to Healey's desk. Housing advocates call it essential to stopping the loss of affordable units, even as new construction lags behind demand. CommonWealth Beacon →

Salem's AI data center fight gets a win for the city. Salem's Zoning Board of Appeals unanimously upheld the revocation of a permit for a proposed "data center" — which developers insisted was actually a "low-latency inference point" for AI processing. The ruling comes as Mayor Dominick Pangallo pushes an outright ban on data centers in the city, echoing Healey's recent executive order restricting them statewide. Boston.com →

Worth Your Attention

Sept. 29: Retired Braintree detective Mark Sherrick is arraigned in Dedham District Court on the criminal harassment charge tied to his alleged Flock misuse. Boston Globe →

Ongoing: The conference committee negotiating the final economic development bond bill — including the fate of the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act — could wrap up its work any time; worth watching Beacon Hill closely this fall. CommonWealth Beacon →

This week: Roxbury City Councilor Miniard Culpepper is in Washington meeting with Senator Elizabeth Warren's and Representative Ayanna Pressley's offices to push for an Orange Line extension down Blue Hill Avenue. Universal Hub →

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:

PACs

• Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Political Action Committee — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/17/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Nuclear Safety at LastTreeLaws.com — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/15/2026
• Committee to Restrict Data Centers — N/A, No office — Filed: 9/14/2026

OCPF →

One More Thing

That's it for today. See you tomorrow morning.

The Mass Brief • Powered by South Shore News

Get The Mass Brief every morning

Massachusetts politics, development, and daily life — straight to your inbox.

Powered by South Shore News