After years of dysfunction, drama, and a soap-opera-worthy legal battle over who was even in charge, Gov. Maura Healey has hit the reset button on the Cannabis Control Commission — hard. Under a new law passed last month that overhauled and shrunk the agency, Healey announced Tuesday that she's bringing in Christopher Harding, who ran the state Department of Revenue under Gov. Charlie Baker, as the new CCC chair. She also named two other fresh faces. The notable part: not a single sitting commissioner made the cut. Not even Chair Shannon O'Brien, who famously got removed by Treasurer Deb Goldberg in 2024, fought her way back through the courts, and then lasted only a few months before the whole structure changed around her.

Healey didn't mince words: "Given everything that's gone on, I think it's important to have a fresh start." That's as close to "this place was a mess" as you'll hear from a sitting governor about her own appointees. The cannabis industry has been waiting years for stable, predictable regulation, and operators — many of whom have watched licenses, inspections, and rule-making grind through bureaucratic molasses — will be watching closely to see whether a revenue veteran can bring order to an agency that's been anything but orderly.

The real test comes fast. The CCC has a backlog of licensing decisions and unresolved policy questions, and the legal cannabis market is maturing while regulatory uncertainty lingers. Harding's background is in tax administration, not cannabis — which could be a feature, not a bug, if the goal is professionalizing the operation rather than relitigating culture wars about the plant itself.

Full story at GBH News →

Starting June 29, the T will run a new F10 "Harbor Loop" ferry connecting North Station, the Aquarium, the Seaport, and Logan Airport on weekday mornings and evenings. Tickets run $2.40 for full-fare riders, service runs every 30 minutes during peak hours, and Commuter Rail passes are valid on board. One catch: your CharlieCard is no good here, same as all MBTA ferry routes. This is a genuinely useful addition for commuters moving between Boston's busiest corridors — assuming the T can keep the boats running on time.

Boston.com →

Sunny Manhertz, a 40-year-old Canadian citizen and longtime legal permanent resident of Saugus, was arrested Tuesday on charges of unlawful voting by an alien and casting a fraudulent ballot. Federal prosecutors say Manhertz registered to vote in 2016 by falsely claiming U.S. citizenship, then cast ballots in the 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024 elections. Worth noting: this appears to be the one case Homeland Security turned up after reviewing Massachusetts voter rolls — which puts the scale of the alleged problem in some perspective, even as the charges themselves are serious.

Boston Globe →

The Massachusetts House is scheduled to vote Wednesday on legislation that would ban the manufacture, sale, possession, or operation of any weaponized drone or robotic device by civilians — with mandatory prison sentences of 18 months to five years. A companion measure would restrict police use of surveillance drones without a warrant on private property. This is genuinely forward-looking policy, and the fact that it's moving now reflects how quickly autonomous technology is outpacing existing law.

CommonWealth Beacon →

Canadian energy giant Enbridge announced a proposal Tuesday to expand the Algonquin pipeline — which already runs natural gas into Massachusetts — under a project it's calling "Project Beacon." The company claims it could generate $2 billion a year in savings by easing supply bottlenecks. But the proposal lands squarely in the crossfire of a heated debate between environmentalists, who want the state to move away from fossil fuels, and families struggling with electric bills that are roughly double the national average. For Gov. Healey, who's already getting heat from green groups for talking too much about affordability, this is another hot potato.

CommonWealth Beacon →

The Cambridge City Council voted Monday to shut down its ShotSpotter gunshot detection network within 90 days, overruling its own police chief. Five of nine councilors sided with critics who argued the technology is unreliable, can encourage overpolicing, and — in a notable wrinkle — could provide data useful to federal immigration enforcement. The vote came just one week after a shooting in Cambridge injured two people, which gives you a sense of how fraught the timing is. The debate over surveillance technology in progressive cities isn't going away.

Boston Globe →

With a $4.5 million budget gap and six major union contracts heading to negotiation, Somerville Mayor Jake Wilson has brought in former Massachusetts AFL-CIO president Steve Tolman as a key labor advisor — taking a page from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, who pioneered the approach in 2022. The idea is to keep what could be contentious talks from turning into public battles. Whether it works in a tight budget year will be worth watching.

Boston Globe →

The Massachusetts House holds a formal session today where votes on the drone weaponization ban and police drone surveillance restrictions are expected — keep an eye on how the final language comes out. CommonWealth Beacon →

The final Markey-Moulton U.S. Senate primary debate is set for August 20, hosted by WCVB, WBUR, and The Boston Globe — mark your calendars, because the September 1 primary is closer than it feels. WCVB →

The Senate FY2027 budget debate is ongoing and being livestreamed, with amendments this week including $600,000 for downtown revitalization grants and $500,000 for school-based mental health services through MCPAP. State House News Service →

Full budget details →

Yesterday's Biggest Contributions

Data from the MA Office of Campaign & Political Finance

Full hearing schedule →

Recent filings with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance:

Candidates

• Tony King (Democratic) — Senate, Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol — Filed: 5/19/2026
• Margie Palladino (Democratic) — Governor's Council, 3rd District — Filed: 5/18/2026
• Leslie St.George — City Councilor, New Bedford — Filed: 5/15/2026

OCPF →

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