After voters sent an unmistakable message at the ballot box last fall about their frustration with Beacon Hill's opacity, state lawmakers rolled out a series of rules promising more sunshine on how they handle bills. Nice idea. The execution? Less impressive.

The Boston Globe is out this morning with a sharp look at how roughly 900 bills have already been quietly killed this session — about 800 in the House and 100-plus in the Senate — without a single public vote. The trick: under the new rules, committees have 60 days after a hearing to act on a bill, with one 30-day extension available. But once those deadlines pass with no action, the bill simply dies. Quietly. No roll call, no accountability, no fingerprints. State Rep. Ken Sweezey of Duxbury, a Republican who had his own gun law repeal bill meet this fate, put it plainly: "The people who come and testify deserve to know where we stand." Hard to argue with that.

This matters because transparency reform only works if lawmakers can't just route around it. Leadership in both chambers signed on to the new rules after last year's chaotic formal session ended badly. But creating a deadline loophole big enough to swallow 900 bills is less "reform" and more rebranding. Watch whether advocacy groups and good-government types start naming names and making this an issue in the fall campaign.

Senate President Karen Spilka announced Monday that the Senate's budget proposal would increase unrestricted local aid by $53 million, calling it the highest such investment in state history at nearly $1.38 billion total. Local officials are greeting the news with cautious applause — Fitchburg Mayor Samantha Squailia summed it up as "not enough" — since it falls well short of the $351 million increase municipalities actually requested as federal aid shrinks and costs climb. Expect this gap to be a major point of contention in budget negotiations this summer. Boston Globe →

The Trump administration's Department of Education announced it has opened a Title IX investigation into Smith College in Northampton for its 11-year-old policy of admitting transgender women. The Office of Civil Rights says it will examine Smith's allowance of "biological men" in women-only campus spaces. Smith says it's aware of the investigation and committed to compliance with civil rights law — but isn't commenting further. This is the latest in a string of federal actions targeting Massachusetts institutions, and it won't be the last. Boston Globe →

Boston's annual Citizenship Day event, held Saturday at the Reggie Lewis Center in Roxbury, saw 158 completed naturalization applications — exactly half of last year's 316. Organizers at Project Citizenship point to the Trump administration's escalating barriers: a longer civics exam, fewer payment options, and expanded "good moral character" reviews that have made even eligible permanent residents nervous about stepping forward. The chilling effect on naturalization is now showing up in the numbers. GBH News →

A ballot initiative aiming to cut Massachusetts' income tax from 5% to 4% over three years sounds straightforward — but it comes with a wrinkle that's alarming the state's nonprofit sector. Under existing law, the charitable donation deduction is tied to a 5% tax rate; drop the rate and the deduction disappears. Jim Klocke, CEO of the Massachusetts Council of Nonprofits, estimates that would raise the cost of charitable giving by $480 million by 2031. Fewer donations to food banks, social services, and arts organizations could be the quiet price tag of a tax cut. GBH News →

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court heard arguments Monday in Attorney General Andrea Campbell's lawsuit against Kalshi, the fast-growing prediction market platform Campbell says is operating an illegal sportsbook without a license. Kalshi argues it's a federally regulated commodity exchange — not a sports betting app. The SJC justices didn't sound impressed with that framing, with signals that Kalshi is "swimming upstream." The outcome could shape how prediction markets are regulated nationally. CommonWealth Beacon →

Republican gubernatorial frontrunner Mike Minogue is calling on Governor Maura Healey to debate him twice before Labor Day — while notably making zero mention of his primary opponent, Brian Shortsleeve. Shortsleeve, who barely cleared the 15% delegate threshold at last month's convention, says Minogue is ducking a primary debate and should make his case directly to GOP voters first. The tension between the two reflects a broader Republican calculation: can Minogue skip the primary fight and go straight to general election mode? Boston.com →

Boston City Council Budget Hearings Continue Today — The Planning Department goes before the Council at 10 a.m., followed by youth employment programs at 3 p.m.; the Boston Police Department's budget hearing is up Thursday morning and afternoon. Boston Policy Institute →

Hull Annual Town Meeting — Hull voters are being asked to approve an additional $4 million for the Town Hall relocation project, bringing the total to $7.14 million — more than double the original authorization. South Shore News →

Wind Advisory in Effect Today — A wind advisory runs from noon to 10 p.m. for Eastern Mass. and Rhode Island, with gusts expected to hit 40–50 mph by late afternoon. It'll be warm — near 80 — but hold onto your hat. WBZ/CBS Boston →

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

• James Seibel — House, 35th Middlesex — Filed: 5/4/2026
• Henry Bousquet (Republican) — House, 9th Bristol — Filed: 4/29/2026

Ballot Question Committees

• Voter Rights MA — N/A, N/A — Filed: 5/1/2026
• Democratic Socialists for Rent Control — N/A, No office — Filed: 4/29/2026
• Democratic Socialists Against Austerity — N/A, No office — Filed: 4/29/2026

Change of Purposes

• Karla Miller — Senate, 1st Middlesex → House, 16th Middlesex — Filed: 4/29/2026

OCPF →

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