People, Power, and Politcs

The Democrat-controlled House passed legislation Wednesday that loosens restrictions on abortions that can be performed after 24 weeks of gestation, with supporters saying the policy change will enable more residents with serious complications to remain in Massachusetts rather than needing to travel out of state to seek care. Republican Rep. Michael Soter of Bellingham, who represents part of Medway, spoke in opposition to a provision of the bill he said would do away with Department of Public Health reporting requirements for abortion services facilities to detail their procedures and processes. The bill scraps the four types of exemptions currently outlined in statute for life-threatening situations for the mother or fetus, instead giving deference to doctors' professional judgment. The House passed the bill on a 119-33 vote, with all Republicans who voted casting their votes against the bill. Democrats who rejected the bill included Reps. Brian Ashe, Lisa Field, Michael Finn, Dennis Gallagher, Russell Holmes, Christopher Markey, Francisco Paulino, Alan Silvia and Jeffrey Turco. Rep. Susannah Whipps, the chamber's only Independent member, voted yes. Rep. Kelly Pease, a Westfield Republican, said he was blindsided by the legislation ."I think most of our caucus was. It's like, where did this come from?" Pease told the News Service Wednesday morning. "I don't see how I'm going to be in favor of a bill that allows babies over six months to be terminated when they're probably viable outside the womb, unless there's extenuating circumstances, and this kind of just takes away some of the safeguards that were in place before." The legislation now heads to the Senate. House Speaker Ron Mariano said he hasn't had "any conversations about this particular issue" with the Senate. [Image from Mike Soter Instagram post]

FRANKLIN

New Town Website Does Not Support “Cut and Paste” of calendar entries. Go to https://franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx to view directly. Steve Sherlock from Franklin Matters has kindly compiled and and shared the below information. Thanks Steve!

This week has the shortest list of meetings this year, only 3 on the calendar with one of them canceled.

This would be a good time to get into some of the topics that arose this week and should be further discussed.

Tuesday’s Design Review Commission got a presentation on the proposal for redevelopment of the Depot Plaza. The owner/developer is asking for 2 variances: 1 for 4 stories and 1 for a reduction in the parking requirements.

Objections have already been raised against the 4 stories and around the parking, generally from the same folks who advocated for the street scape project (which changed the look and feel of downtown) but didn’t bring in the additional economic development it hoped for. The developer has expressed willingness to work to adjust the proposal. However, the 4th story is what makes the project financially doable. Maybe it is time to change the approach.

Wednesday’s marathon Town Council session also raised a couple of items for discussion, first up, the potential sale of some of Franklin’s excess sewer capacity. THere is a discussion around how much is excess and what the pricing should be, but there is excess, and if the sewer rate payers can get dollars back, that is a good & neighborly thing to do. More to come in September on this topic.

The 300 Fisher St superfund site is under remediation by the EPA. They are conducting the remediation with Federal funds as the current property owner is not the business that created the mess. The EPA is looking for community input on the potential reuse of the site in order to determine the next steps in remediation. Stay tuned for that opportunity reportedly coming in a couple of months.

One other topic (the audit result) should also help to put to rest the recurring comment around mismanagement of Town finances. There are always going to be differences in priorities, but the Town (yet again) is confirmed as financially in good shape. The AAA rating is a good thing.

So what kind of Town do we want to be? Do we want good revenues to meet the service demands of the community? Our revenue options are limited so the discussion needs to happen.

For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news/ where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

*** Event & Meeting schedule (with agendas) as of Town pages 7/24/26 6:00 PM ***

Franklin Agricultural Committee Meeting

Monday, July 27 Time: 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07272026-2425

Planning Board Meeting- Cancelled

Monday, July 27 Time: 7:00 PM

https://ma-franklin.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_07272026-2415

Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, July 30 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Item/620?fileID=9803

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*** Looking back at the week that was ***

The light meeting week that was, resulted in 2 broadcasts

Town/ School meetings

Town Council meeting TV link and recap -

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/07/franklin-town-council-votes-to-extend.html

Economic Development Subcmte TV link and recap -

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/07/economic-development-subcommittee.html

All Access Programming

Porchfest 2026 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wlre--9Cq9Y

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For all the meetings and cultural events, check out the calendar at Franklin.news/ where each day, that day's events are posted on the top of the page, the TV and radio schedules are on the bottom, and all the other goodness falls in-between.

Town calendar -> https://www.franklinma.gov/Calendar.aspx

Community calendar -> https://bit.ly/FranklinCommunityCalendar

Subscribe for the daily dose of information -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/welcome.html

Subscribe for the weekly dose of information -> https://www.franklinmattersweekly.org/p/subscribe-for-email.html
MEDWAY

Listing are not conducive to cut-and-paste. Visit medwayma.org

STATE HOUSE AND BEYOND

State House veterans including many lawmakers are deprogramming themselves to prepare for a lighter-than-usual last week of July during an election year. Rather than wrapping up major work and sending bills to the governor that respond to urgent and ongoing needs across Massachusetts, legislative leaders this session are using a new rule to give themselves more time to finalize priorities that have already cleared both branches by wide or unanimous margins. The approach means fewer legislative wins for incumbents to brag about on the campaign trail ahead of the Sept. 1 primary elections. The state of play also shows that Democrats, even though they firmly control both branches and face few opponents in this year's elections, are content to let inter-branch differences trump any pressure to put major legislative priorities to bed. The new joint rule that enables Democrats to keep working on major bills beyond July 31 appears to have also solidified their penchant to not rush into compromises. It could turn into a dangerous game for legislators and voters. Lawmakers may be held accountable by their political opponents for failing to deliver on constituent needs, and voters might need to sit by and watch as legislators punt difficult decisions into post-election sessions when there won't be any political pressure and they'll be able to interpret the election results and potentially respond to any approved ballot questions. An initiative petition extending the public records law to the Legislature and the governor's office is already drawing a reaction in the form of bills that would more narrowly apply public records requirements. The Senate plans to pass its records reform bill Thursday, and legislation broadening access to later-term abortions that cleared the House this week may also draw Senate attention during the last scheduled week of formal sessions. After Friday, July 31, lawmakers under their new rules can schedule formal sessions to take up any of the numerous bills that they have been dumping into six-person conference committees. House Speaker Ron Mariano this week famously identified "other things" as on his agenda for the week ahead, leaving everyone in Massachusetts, including members of the House, wondering what bills he may suddenly tee up for votes. Health Care Financing Chair John Lawn stuck to Mariano's vision when asked Friday about the House's near-term healthcare agenda. "No comment. We're working away on a lot of stuff," he told the News Service at the State House. Keep your eye on the House Ways and Means Committee, which has 1,125 bills to choose from. Same with Senate Ways and Means (1,147 bills). This is one of the reasons why those committees, especially chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues, are so often described as powerful, in contrast to the more plentiful joint committees that vet and vote on bills only to see most of them die in Ways and Means.

Sunday, July 26, 2026

CHAPDELAINE ON KELLER: Massachusetts Municipal Association CEO Adam Chapdelaine joins political analyst Jon Keller on his weekly talk show "Keller @ Large." Chapdelaine will discuss fiscal pressures on cities and towns, Beacon Hill's response and efforts to change Proposition 2 1/2. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV)

PLYMOUTH CANVASS: Lt. Gov. Driscoll holds a meet-and-greet and canvass launch. (Sunday, 9 a.m., RSVP to kerry@maurahealey.com for address, Plymouth)

PEPEN ON NBC: District 5 Boston City Councilor Enrique Pepén joins NBC's weekly political talk show "@ Issue Sit-Down." (Sunday, 9:30 a.m., NBC 10)FOLEY ON THE RECORD: Massachusetts U.S. Attorney Leah Foley joins WCVB's weekly political talk show, "On the Record." (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB)

NEW BEDFORD CANVASS: Lt. Gov. Driscoll holds a meet-and-greet and canvass launch. (Sunday, 12 p.m., RSVP to kerry@maurahealey.com for address, New Bedford)
Monday, July 27, 2026

MEDICAL DEBT: Department of Public Health holds a public hearing on proposed regulations that would block licensed healthcare providers and facilities from reporting medical debt to consumer credit agencies. Providers and facilities that don't comply could lose their license, according to DPH Commissioner Robbie Goldstein. Gov. Healey announced the regulatory push last month, framing it as her administration's latest attempt to tackle soaring healthcare costs. She said medical debt can hamstring Bay Staters ability to buy a home, rent an apartment or secure loans. (Monday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)

HOUSE: House meets in an informal session. (Monday, 11 a.m., House Chamber | Livestream)

SENATE: Senate meets without a calendar. (Monday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber | Livestream)

SOLAR EV CARSHARE: Metropolitan Area Planning Council launches CommunityEV Carshare, a solar-powered electric vehicle carshare pilot program. The pilot will serve residents in public housing in Boston and Chelsea, as well as residents in Framingham and Quincy. The pilot leverages freestanding solar charging stations that can be placed wherever is needed, with an eye toward helping locations underserved by carsharing services. It's supported by a $1 million grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, charging infrastructure from Alwayz and Beam Global, and EVs from Zipcar. Attendees include Framingham Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and MAPC Executive Director Lizzi Weyant. (Monday, 1 p.m., MetroWest Regional Transit Authority headquarters, 15 Blandin Ave., Framingham)

AMENDMENT DEADLINE: Deadline for senators to file amendments to Senate Ways and Means' redrafted public records reform bill (S 3200). (Monday, 2:30 p.m.)

TPS: Deportation protections remain in place through at least Monday for Haitians. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an order on July 22 that will keep the Temporary Protect Status designation in place for Haitians until a court hearing July 27, blocking the Trump administration's effort to end TPS on Friday. The Charles River Chamber of Commerce highlighted the news, saying it will give employers a "short reprieve." Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office says Massachusetts is home to roughly 45,000 Haitians with TPS protections, including thousands who work in the healthcare industry. The Massachusetts Senior Care Associations expects up to 2,000 people to lose their work authorizations, according to the AG's office. (Monday)
Tuesday, July 28, 2026

REGIONAL GREENHOUSE GAS INITIATIVE: Department of Energy Resources holds a public hearing on proposed regulatory changes to the Regional Greenhouse Gas initiative, including for the auction process for CO2 allowances. State officials describe the initiative as a "cap-and-trade program" that aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The changes would cause "real reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," with economic proceeds being invested in "programs to promote energy efficiency, conservation and demand response," according to the hearing notice. There's also a hearing at 6 p.m. (Tuesday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Zoom)

MEDICAL DEBT: Department of Public Health holds a public hearing on proposed regulations banning all providers licensed by DPH boards from reporting medical debt to consumer credit agencies. "Medical debt isn't a sign of poor financial health. It isn't a sign that you've mismanaged your finances," Gov. Maura Healey said at a press conference last month. "Medical debt happens because bad stuff happens. You get a disease, you get a diagnosis, you get hurt, and medical bills pile up." (Tuesday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)

CLEAN WATER, LAND CONSERVATION BALLOT QUESTION: Clean water and land conservation advocates launch the "YES on 6" campaign to build support for the ballot question designed to steer revenues from the sales tax on sporting goods toward environmental initiatives. After a speaking program, supporters will ceremonially launch a boat into the Charles River. Attendees include Mass Audubon CEO David O'Neill, The Trustees CEO Katie Theoharides, Charles River Watershed Association Executive Director Emily Norton and Conservation Law Foundation CEO Brad Campbell. Proponents expect their proposal would generate roughly $100 million annually, and help the state reach its conservation and biodiversity goals. Rep. Alice Peisch, who co-led the legislative committee to vet potential ballot initiatives, has questioned whether the Legislature would even be required to appropriate funding outlined in the measure, which states that the planned spending is "subject to appropriation." (Tuesday, 10 a.m., Charles River Esplanade, Fiedler Dock)

LOTTERY COMMISSION: Massachusetts State Lottery Commission meets remotely. Treasurer Goldberg chairs. For access, email gpolin@masslottery.com or call 781-917-6057. (Tuesday, 10:30 a.m.)

DANVERS BUS REDESIGN: MBTA hosts a virtual meeting to hear public feedback on changes to proposed bus routes under the bus network redesign. (Tuesday, 5:30 p.m., Peabody Institute Library of Danvers, Gordon Room, 15 Sylvan St., Danvers | More Info)

BROCKTON, ABINGTON MASSDOT: MassDOT holds a design public hearing on proposed pedestrian and bicycle improvements on Route 123. The project spans Cary Street/Lyman Street in Brockton to Ashland Street in Abington. (Tuesday, 6 p.m. | Register)
Wednesday, July 29, 2026

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL HEARING: Governor's Council holds a hearing on Gov. Healey's nomination of Christopher Spring as an associate justice of the Superior Court. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Council Chamber)

CNBC RANKINGS BRIEFING: CNBC correspondent Scott Cohn, creator of the network's annual Top States for Business rankings, joins a virtual briefing hosted by the Massachusetts High Technology Council to discuss Massachusetts's performance in the 2026 study. Massachusetts rose five places to 15th overall; the study ranked it first in education, sixth in access to capital, and eighth in technology and innovation, while placing it 49th for cost of doing business and noting a decline in its workforce ranking. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Register)

BOSTON THERMAL ENERGY NETWORK: Boston Green Ribbon Commission holds its first technical session on the Boston Area Thermal Energy Network. The project will explore the feasibility of using Boston Harbor, the Charles and Mystic rivers, the Fort Point Channel and the bedrock under the waterbodies "as a source of affordable, renewable, emissions-free heating and cooling for large buildings and university campuses," according to organizers. The event includes a tour of UMass Boston's pumped-seawater cooling system, which was first installed in 1974 and is being upgraded to provide heating; the project offers a "conceptual model" for a future thermal energy network, organizers say. Attendees include Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center CEO Ben Downing, UMass Boston Chancellor Marcelo Suárez-Orozco and Rep. Dan Hunt. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., UMass Boston Fox Point Pavilion and Boat Dock)

INTERN MIXER: Governor's office hosts an intern mixer. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

HOUSE SESSION: House meets in a formal session. Roll calls start at 1 p.m. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)

SENATE DEMS CAUCUS: Senate Democrats meet in a caucus. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Senate President Spilka's office and virtual)

LIFE SAFETY FAIR: Bureau of the State House sponsors a State House Life Safety Fair. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Nurses Hall)

LOTTERY SPIN AND WIN: Massachusetts Lottery hosts a "Summer Spin and Win" event. Fifteen players will spin and win up to $1,000. Treasurer Goldberg attends. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Lottery Worcester Regional Office, 135 Gold Star Blvd., Worcester)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL HEARING: Governor's Council holds a hearing on Gov. Healey's nomination of Lisa McCormack to the Probate and Family Court. (Wednesday, 11 a.m., Council Chamber)

RENT CONTROL RALLY: Tenant advocates hold a rally urging lawmakers to take action on local-option rent control legislation before the end of scheduled formal sessions. Renters, homeowners, small landlords, and labor and community advocates with the Keep Mass Home campaign will also deliver to Beacon Hill leaders the 124,000 signatures they collected as part of their failed ballot question push. The Supreme Judicial Court tossed the rent stabilization measure last month after ruling it impermissibly related to religion and religious institutions. The campaign rallied outside the State House on June 24 and vowed they'd pursue another ballot fight in 2028 if the Legislature does not act. Rent control has failed to win favor on Beacon Hill. The Senate folded housing policy into its economic development package, and Housing Committee Chair Sen. Julian Cyr indicated the branch will not be taking up separate, standalone housing legislation. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., State House)

GOVERNOR'S COUNCIL: Governor's Council meets. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Council Chamber)

LOWELL DATA CENTER: Following their lawsuit in April, Lowell residents will argue in Middlesex County Superior Court to seek a preliminary injunction for the expansion of Markley Group's data center. They're represented by Yale Law School's Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic, Fitch Law Partners, and Conservation Law Foundation. Residents say MassDEP failed to fully study the project's impacts, adequately address noise and health risks, and consider cleaner alternatives to diesel power. The expansion involves the addition of eight diesel generators. Gov. Healey paused applications for data center sales tax exemptions last month. Her administration also released a framework for data center developers to fully fund the cost of energy infrastructure and protect the environment and public health. The existing Lowell data center features 352,000 square feet of "highly secured white space," according to Markley's website. (Wednesday, 12 p.m., Middlesex County Superior Court, Courtroom 15, 7th floor, 370 Jackson St., Lowell)

DUXBURY MASSDOT: MassDOT holds a design public hearing on the Power Point Bridge replacement project in Duxbury. Officials will present "early design concept ideas." (Wednesday, 6 p.m., Duxbury Performing Arts Center-Duxbury High School, 73 Alden St., Duxbury | More Info)
Thursday, July 30, 2026

LGBTQ+ YOUTH DAY ON THE HILL: Rep. Montano sponsors LGBTQ+ Youth Day on the Hill. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

RETIREMENT BOARD: Massachusetts State Retirement Board meets remotely. Treasurer Goldberg chairs. For access, email MSRBCommunications@tre.state.ma.us. (Thursday, 10 a.m.)

CCC PUBLIC HEARING: Cannabis Control Commission holds a public hearing on the effects of emergency regulations increasing purchasing limits and the cap on the number of licenses cannabis retailers can hold. The CCC approved the regulations June 17 to meet a statutory deadline. (Thursday, 10 a.m., 2 Washington Square, Worcester | Access and More Info)

SENATE: Senate meets in a formal session to vote on its redrafted public records reform bill (S 3200), which the House passed (H 5469) on June 3. Senate President Karen Spilka's office says the legislation is modeled after Pennsylvania's Right-to-Know Law. It outlines a process to request records that are largely publicly accessible already, and includes records production timelines that could actually slow the release of information. The bill offers 19 categories of documents considered "legislative records," including legislation, resolutions, summaries, fiscal notes, amendments, notices of committee hearings, records of hearing attendance, hearing transcripts and recordings, written testimony solicited and received by a committee, legislative journals, recorded votes, and ethics disclosures. The Senate proposal creates two new parts of the public records law to apply to the Legislature and the governor's office. Aggrieved requestors could appeal decisions to the branches' records access officers under the Senate bill, unlike the House approach in which an appeal would go directly to the Supreme Judicial Court. In its most glaring difference, the Senate bill omitted controversial restrictions that the House imposed on Auditor Diana DiZoglio's long sought audit. An amendment addressing the audit questions is possible. The House has said it would not hand over administrative documents to DiZoglio until the accord is signed into law. The Senate has given DiZoglio a tranche of requested documents although disagreements remain over the reach of her attempted audit. The branches must get their differing approaches into conference committee by July 31, but an accord may not surface for months. Meanwhile, voters in November will face a separate public records ballot question that would more broadly open up the Legislature and governor's office to the public records law. (Thursday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)

HOUSE SESSION: House meets in a formal session. Roll calls start at 1 p.m. (Thursday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)

HOUSE DEM CAUCUS: House Democrats caucus, with one and a half full days of regularly-scheduled formal sessions left before them. (Thursday, 12 p.m., Rooms A-1 and A-2)

DATA PRIVACY CONFERENCE COMMITTEE: The House-Senate conference committee tasked with hashing out data privacy legislation (H 5366, S 2581) meets for the second time. Negotiators must decide how narrowly they want to restrict the collection of personal, sensitive data and whether to give Bay Staters the ability to sue companies that violate their privacy. The panel held its first meeting on July 7. Conferees include Reps. Michael Moran, Tricia Farley-Bouvier and David Vieira, and Sens. Cindy Creem, Barry Finegold and Patrick O'Connor. "I agree that the differences between these two bills are not so great that we cannot come to a solution in a relatively quick manner," Farley-Bouvier said at the panel's first meeting. "We have worked to balance the needs of both industry and consumers, but on the House side, I will say we put consumer in the name of this bill, because the consumer is at the very center of this bill. This is, in essence, a consumer protection bill." Farley-Bouvier sees data privacy as the foundation for other issues like AI, and safeguards for major AI developers are embedded in economic development packages that are now headed for conference committee. (Thursday, 2 p.m., Room A-2 | Livestream)

MEDFORD BUS REDESIGN: MBTA hosts a virtual meeting to hear public feedback on changes to proposed bus routes under the bus network redesign. (Thursday, 5:30 p.m., Medford City Hall, Howard Alden Memorial Chambers, 85 George Hassett Dr., Medford | More Info)
Friday, July 31, 2026

HOSPITAL ASSESSMENT: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a public hearing on proposed regulatory changes to hospital assessments, including boosting the total assessment by $50 million. The change could offer relief for the Health Safety Net Fund, which covers the cost of care for uninsured and underinsured Bay Staters and is expected to see massive deficits once healthcare provisions of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act take effect. The proposal would also update inpatient and outpatient assessment rates, plus update the base rate from 2019 to 2023. (Friday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)

JUDICIARY HEARING: Committee on the Judiciary holds a hearing on a bill (H 5437) from Rep. Gómez and Sen. Comerford to amend the state's duty-to-report statute. It now requires a person who knows another is a victim of aggravated rape, rape, murder, manslaughter, or armed robbery, and is at the scene, to report the crime to a law enforcement official as soon as reasonably practicable or face a fine. The bill would extend that duty to a person who knows another "has sustained serious bodily injury" as a result of another person's act or of another person's failure to act. (Friday, 10 a.m., Hearing Room A-2 | Agenda and Access)

SENATE SESSION: Senate meets in a formal session on the last day lawmakers have to get bills into conference negotiations. (Friday, 11 a.m., Senate Chamber)

HOUSE SESSION: House meets in a full formal session, on the last day lawmakers can move major bills into conference committee. Roll calls start at 1 p.m. (Friday, 11 a.m., House Chamber)
Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026

BOSTON CIVIC SUMMIT: Boston's Civic Summit returns with the theme "We the People" commemorating America's 250th anniversary. Organizers say the goal of the summit is to assess how civic engagement has changed and how residents can stay involved. The summit will include a fireside chat with Boston Mayor Wu, breakout sessions, networking and a panel discussion. The event is free and open to the public, attendees are asked to register in advance.(11 a.m., Saturday 8/1, Boston University's Questrom School of Business at 595 Commonwealth Ave., Boston | More Info and registration)