People, Power, and Politcs

The Massachusetts Lottery is giving new meaning to the phrase scratch and sniff. The winter holiday-themed scratch tickets the Lottery began launching this month offer "a little something new for our players," Lottery marketing specialist Kate Sutton said. The $5 and $10 Candy Cane Cash Blowout tickets that became available Oct. 6 "are our first ever scented holiday tickets, with both Candy Cane Cash Blowout tickets smelling like, what else, but peppermint," she said.

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!

The clocks should have fallen back an hour to give us more daylight as winter approaches. No further forecast on winter from here, it is hard enough reporting on what happens in Town, never mind trying to forecast what could happen on the ever changing weather front.

The Planning Board meeting on Monday continues the Depot Plaza proposal discussion. The developer has rendering for the building height relative to the others on Main St. The agenda doc also includes some citizen proposals for consideration by the Planning Board.

The State election is Tuesday, Nov 3. Polls open at 6 AM and close at 8 PM. There are 9 ballot questions so being prepared is a great thing to do to speed your way through the process. Be patient as others may not have been as prepared.

As there is nothing Franklin specific on the ballot to be decided by the outcome of the vote, Franklin Matters will be covering the School Committee meetings. When the Town Clerk releases the unofficial totals, we will post those as soon as possible.

The School Committee Policy subcommittee meets on Tuesday. Up for consideration are a set of changes resulting from further review of the Freedom to Read legislation passed during the summer to bring other references inline with that change. Also a continuation of the fiscal policy work already underway.

The full School Committee also meets on Tuesday, on their agenda is an update from the SAFE Coalition, the Horace Mann Legacy, and Franklin 250 Anniversary Celebration.

The Board of Health is scheduled for their monthly meeting on Wednesday at 5 PM.

The Town Council meets at 6 PM with the key discussion item being a presentation by the Police Dept on their use of the Flock cameras. Legislation is prepared should the Council consider a vote to remove them. There is also an executive session on 2 police contracts with a return to open meeting for their app (assuming it works out that way).

The Commission on Disability is scheduled for their monthly meeting at 4 PM at the Senior Center.

The Conservation Commission has canceled their normal session this week. This continues the trend of meeting cancellations across the Planning Board, Design Review, and ZBA as proposals for new developments have dried up.

There is a meeting for the Finance Committee on the Town calendar but it is likely to be cleaned up. The published set of meetings for the year listed nothing for November, and their October session confirmed their next meeting as December 9.

The Franklin Fire Dept closes out the week with their annual Open House on Saturday from 10 AM to 2 PM.

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 10/30/26 5:00 PM ***

Planning Board Meeting

Monday, November 2 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11022026-2589

Franklin School Committee Policy Subcommittee Meeting

Tuesday, November 3 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11032026-2592

Franklin School Committee Meeting

Tuesday, November 3 Time: 7:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11032026-2591

Board of Health Meeting

Wednesday, November 4 Time: 5:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11042026-2588

Town Council Meeting

Wednesday, November 4 Time: 6:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11042026-2593

Town Council Communications Subcommittee Meeting

Thursday, November 5 Time: 12:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11052026-2590

Franklin Commission on Disability

Thursday, November 5 Time: 4:00 PM

https://www.franklinma.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_11052026-2585

Cancelled Conservation Commission Meeting

Thursday, November 5 Time: 7:00 PM

No agenda needed for this canceled session

Fire Department Open House

Saturday, November 7 Time: 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM

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

There were several video productions by Franklin TV during the past week both broadcast live and pre-recorded for publication via YouTube.

Town & School meetings

Town Charter Ad hoc commission meeting on Monday, Oct 26 video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mwUliR6Ods

School Committee meeting Tuesday, Oct 27 meeting recap -

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2026/10/school-committee-gets-updates-on.html

Town Council meeting Wednesday Oct 28 - video link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f09u6XBeJ0

Economic Development Subcmte meeting Thursday, Oct 29 - video link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAba-Yo3yxE&t=609s

Zoning Board of Appeals meeting Thursday, Oct 29 - video link

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlE8To9Q2H8

FHS Sports

FHS field hockey vs Concard-Carlisle on Monday, Oct 26 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqNIzLBVmOA

FHS Girls Soccer vs. Sharon on Tuesday, Oct 27

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWUH0PMiBww

FHS football vs. Taunton on Friday, Oct 30

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPF4fQxaaL8

All Access Channel

Town of Franklin Voter Information Session 2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05ktQgEuqS4

Frank Presents: Andrew Mikula https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3fO5KzGoqU

Frank Presents: Mike Maraglia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVuJ7t85Kqg

Frank Presents: Tamisha Civil

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvPtsRbln3g

Franklin Matters

FM #1844 Direct Impact Checking & SAFE Coalition 10/27/26

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlK8J9OiwSk

-----------

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

Medway’s new website, likewise, does not readily support cut and paste. Go to medwayma.gov.

THE STATE ELECTION IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2026 - THE ELECTION WILL BE HELD AT MEDWAY MIDDLE SCHOOL IN THE "OLD GYM" (DOOR 8). THE ELECTION WILL BE FROM 7:00AM - 8:00PM.

STATE HOUSE and BEYOND

The voters are about to break the paralysis on Beacon Hill by deciding nine ballot questions on Tuesday. The Legislature is going to join the party soon thereafter by orchestrating the kind of eventful lame-duck sessions that Beacon Hill hasn't seen in many years and not long ago were considered off limits in the name of good government. Election Day will determine who will govern in the new year but the current Legislature, either intentionally or because Democrats have been unable to reach compromises with each other, has punted most of the major work of the dying two-year session into its final two months. Voters on Tuesday could establish eight major laws and repeal a two-year-old firearms law. Two days later, the Senate will gavel in its first formal session since July and aim to fatten up an already bulging $2.61 billion spending bill with more appropriations and policy at a time when growth in key tax revenue sources is modest. November and December, and perhaps early January, are expected to yield agreements on many if not all of the 12 major subject matters tied up before six-member conference committees that operate mostly in secret. When their accords do finally pop, they will not be subject to further amendments and will be placed before the Legislature for up-or-down votes. That means some of the people voters are about to elect to office next week won't have any say over key issues, including possible legislative reactions to initiative petitions that may be on the verge of final passage. Democrats are on track to continue their stranglehold over most legislative seats in the next session and the disputed bills in the conference committee 12-pack have cleared each branch in differing forms with overwhelming votes. But there are scores of controversial changes that lawmakers on one side of the Legislature or the other are trying to get to the governor's desk as riders attached to these megabills. Anticipation is building for important sessions over the next two months, and those sessions will be colored by decisions voters make Tuesday. At the top of the ballot is the race for governor between Gov. Maura Healey – who is attempting to become a two-term governor like William Weld, Deval Patrick and Charlie Baker have done in recent years – and Republican Mike Minogue, who is running as an outsider and attempting to shake up state government and bring fresh ideas to the State House. In the Senate, there are currently 35 Democrats and 5 Republicans, and the House has 131 Democrats, 25 Republicans and 1 unenrolled representative, with three vacant seats. There are 57 contested legislative races among the 200 seats on the ballot, and 18 seats are open, eight of them contested. Even if Republicans won every race in which they’re challenging a Democrat, Democrats would keep their supermajorities in both chambers. Two incumbents lost their seats in the primary: Sen. Michael Rush, who lost to challenger Persis Yu, and Rep. Francisco Paulino, who was ousted by Celina Reyes. Every other incumbent who faced a primary challenger is on the November ballot. There are 49 incumbents facing a challenge Tuesday, 10 senators and 39 representatives, or about a quarter of the Legislature. More than 1.07 million people have already cast votes in the election, according to Friday evening data out of Secretary of State William Galvin's office. More than 733,000 were via mail-in and more than 336,000 were cast early in-person. The figures combine to represent about 20.5% total voter turnout in a state with 5,230,765 registered voters.

Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026

CLOCKS FALL BACK: Massachusetts returns to Eastern Standard Time as daylight saving time ends and clocks are set back one hour. A Sen. John Keenan bill (S 2157) to keep the state on Atlantic Standard Time year-round, roughly the clock time Massachusetts observes from March to November, won initial Senate approval Oct. 29 and needs a second vote before going to the House. Senate President Karen Spilka backs the change. (Sunday, 2 a.m.)

MINOGUE IN ANDOVER: Mike Minogue holds a meet-and-greet at Perry's Plate. The Republican nominee for governor faces Democrat Maura Healey in Tuesday's election. (Sunday, 8 a.m., Perry's Plate, 89 Main St., Andover | Register)

12-MINUTE TREASURER DEBATE: WBZ airs a debate between Democratic Treasurer Deb Goldberg and her GOP challenger Elizabeth Dionne. The 12-minute debate will be shown two days before Election Day on political analyst Jon Keller's weekly talk show "Keller at Large." They'll cover topics including the handling of the unclaimed money fund and the marketing of new iLottery games. The appearance will be their first and only debate of the campaign, although Dionne had wanted more engagements. (Sunday, 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV)

PRESSLEY IN FLORIDA: Congresswoman Pressley campaigns for candidate for U.S. Senate, Angie Nixon. Nixon is a member of the Florida House of Representatives, a member of the Working Families Party and the Democratic Socialists of America. Pressley will visit campaign stops in North Miami Beach, Cutler Bay and Silver Bluff throughout the day. (Sunday, 9:15 a.m., Florida)

PRE-ELECTION ROUNDTABLE: Political reporters Chris Van Buskirk of the Boston Globe, Mike Deehan of Axios Boston and Katie Lannan of MASSterList join NBC 10 reporter Matt Prichard for a pre-election roundtable on his weekly political talk show "@ Issue." (Sunday, 9:30 a.m., NBC 10)

PLYMOUTH GOTV RALLY: Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, U.S. Rep. Bill Keating join other local elected officials for a "Get Out The Vote" rally in Plymouth.(Sunday, 10 a.m., Pilgrim State Memorial Park at 79 Water St., Plymouth - media interested in attending are asked to RSVP| RSVP)

ELECTION DAY PREVIEW: Political reporters Sharman Sacchetti and Ed Harding will host an Election Day preview on WCVB's weekly political talk show "On the Record." (Sunday, 11 a.m., WCVB)

NEW BEDFORD CANVASS LAUNCH: Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends a canvass launch in New Bedford. (Sunday, 12 p.m., 560 Pleasant St., New Bedford)

TAUNTON CANVASS LAUNCH: Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll attends a canvass launch in Taunton. (Sunday, 1:05 p.m., 475 Myles Standish Blvd., Taunton)

WORCESTER GOTV RALLY: Gov. Maura Healey, Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, Treasurer Deb Goldberg and U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern attend a "Get Out The Vote" rally in Worcester. (Sunday, 3:30 p.m., IBEW Local 96 at 242 Mill St., Worcester - media interested in attending are asked to RSVP | RSVP)

MINOGUE IN BRAINTREE: Republican nominee for governor Mike Minogue holds a rally for supporters and voters two days before voting in the gubernatorial election ends. (Sunday, 5 p.m., Leo's Restaurant & Events, 589 Granite St., Braintree | Register)

Monday, Nov. 2, 2026

PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE: Joint Committee on Public Service accepts written testimony on eight bills affecting individuals in Charlemont, Heath and Haverhill, plus employees at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, Department of Correction and the Hampshire County Sheriff's Office. (Monday, 9 a.m. | More Info)

SJC ORAL ARGUMENTS: Supreme Judicial Court hears oral arguments in six cases, including a case against the Mobile Home Rent Control Board of Chicopee. (Monday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, One Pemberton Sq., Boston | More Info | Livestream)

GALVIN ON ELECTION EVE: Secretary of State William Galvin holds a media availability to discuss current and anticipated voter turnout, the complications of multi-page ballots, and other matters relating to the election, per his office. Galvin will also be urging voters to study the nine ballot questions before they vote on Tuesday to help reduce wait times at polling places, his office added, as well as providing information on how voters can best prepare themselves for voting. (Monday, 10 a.m., State Library, Third Floor)

DOI LISTENING SESSION: Division of Insurance hosts its second listening session as it seeks input on stabilizing insurance markets to drive down premium costs. The regulatory focus stems from a Gov. Maura Healey directive and a recommendation from her Health Care Affordability Work Group. At an Oct. 19 session, a KFF analyst focused on the emergence of pricey new drugs and therapies that are driving healthcare spending. (Monday, 10 a.m. | | More Info and Access)

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

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

MINOGUE IN REVERE: Mike Minogue holds a meet-and-greet at Murray's Tavern, which his campaign described as a "relaxed lunchtime drop-in." (Monday, 1:30 p.m., Murray's Tavern, 118 Broadway, Revere | Register)

SENATE AMENDMENT DEADLINE: Senate amendments are due to a supplemental budget (S 3290) scheduled for debate on Thursday. (Monday, 2:30 p.m.)

BROCKTON MUNI AGGREGATION: Department of Public Utilities holds a public hearing on Brockton's municipal aggregation plan. (Monday, 2 p.m. | More Info and Zoom)

MINOGUE ELECTION EVE RALLY: On the eve of Election Day, Republican nominee for governor Mike Minogue holds a rally with supporters and voters. (Monday, 6 p.m., Great American Beer Hall, 142 Mystic Ave., Medford | Register)

BOSTON POLITICAL HISTORY: Boston Mayor Wu and former Mayor Ray Flynn participate in a conversation about the city's political history on election eve. The event also features Don Gillis, author of "The Battle for Boston: How Mayor Ray Flynn and Community Organizers Fought Racism and Downtown Power Brokers," and Flynn's former policy director Neil Sullivan. The discussion will explore Boston's history surrounding housing segregation, tenant rights, neighborhood development and political divisions that shaped the city during Flynn's tenure as mayor. Wu will speak about how those historical challenges connect to current debates "over race, class, housing and the future of urban communities," organizers say. (Monday, 6 p.m., Massachusetts Historical Society, 1154 Boylston St., Boston)

BIKE RACK GRANT: Massachusetts Safe Routes to School launches its bike rack grant. The goal of this grant is to order and install bike racks at selected schools within the school year. Submissions are due Nov. 13. (Monday | More Info)

Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026

ELECTION DAY: Massachusetts voters choose a governor and lieutenant governor, U.S. senator, members of Congress, an attorney general, a secretary of state, a treasurer, and an auditor in the state election. Governor's Council members, state senators and representatives, district attorneys, and registers of probate are also on the ballot. Some counties also elect commissioners and treasurers, Franklin County voters fill a vacancy for sheriff, and local races vary by community. Voters will also decide nine statewide policy questions, with additional local questions in some communities. Polls close at 8 p.m. Early voting ran Oct. 17-30. (Tuesday, 7 a.m., Polling places statewide | More Info)

COMMISSION FOR THE BLIND: Massachusetts Commission for the Blind Statutory Advisory Board meets. Agenda includes a report from Commissioner John Oliveira and program updates. (Tuesday, 12 p.m. | Agenda and Zoom)

MINOGUE ELECTION NIGHT: Republican gubernatorial nominee Mike Minogue holds his election night party with supporters and volunteers. (Tuesday, 7 p.m., Boston Marriott Burlington, One Burlington Mall Road, Burlington | Register)

YES ON QUESTION 9 PARTY: Yes on 9 For a Safe Massachusetts, the group backing a yes vote on Question 9, holds an election night party. Voting yes on Question 9 would uphold the state's 2024 gun law and voting no would repeal it. (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m., Singleton Room in Fairmont Copley Plaza at 138 St. James Ave., Boston)

DEMOCRATS' ELECTION NIGHT PARTY: Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll, U.S. Sen. Ed Markey, U.S. Rep. Pressley, Attorney General Campbell and Treasurer Goldberg - all Democrats seeking reelection - join MassDems Chair Steve Kerrigan for an election night party. Press load-in from noon to 2 p.m. Doors reopen for credentialed press at 6 p.m. (Tuesday, speaking program starts at 8:20 p.m., Fairmont Copley Plaza at 138 St. James Ave., Boston | Members of the media must RSVP)

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026

SJC ORAL ARGUMENTS: Supreme Judicial Court hears oral arguments in six cases, including one that stems from Attorney General Andrea Campbell's disapproval of a Cohasset bylaw that dealt with harbor navigation. (Wednesday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, One Pemberton Sq., Boston | More Info | Livestream)

AG BOARD: Massachusetts Board of Agriculture meets. Agenda includes a presentation from MassHire and updates from the Department of Agricultural Resources. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., 225 Turnpike Road, Southborough | Agenda and Livestream

MASSACHUSETTS GEOTHERMAL: LeGUp Research Consortium summarizes what's known about networked geothermal and presents a data-based geothermal potential study for the state. HEET, a nonprofit focused on thermal energy, will share research updates and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center will also present about the industry. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

ENERGY EFFICIENCY: Energy Efficiency Advisory Council Executive Committee meets. (Wednesday, 10 a.m. | Agenda and Zoom)

ROCA SPRINGFIELD REOPENING: U.S. Congressman Neal, Hampden County District Attorney Gulluni, Springfield Mayor Sarno, Sen. Gómez and Rep. González are scheduled to speak at the grand reopening of Roca's Springfield site, which the nonprofit rebuilt this year. Roca founder and CEO Molly Baldwin, other Roca officials, and young people in the program also speak. (Wednesday, 10 a.m., Roca Springfield, 29 School St., Springfield)

FIRE TRAINING COUNCIL: Massachusetts Fire Training Council meets virtually. Agenda includes a legislative update, a fiscal affairs report and a Department of Fire Services update. (Wednesday, 11 a.m. | Agenda)

EDUCATION IN WESTERN MASS: Conversation about the condition of education in western Mass. is hosted by the Rennie Center for Education Research & Policy and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education. Education Secretary Stephen Zrike gives the keynote speech. Panelists include Kat Allen of the Communities that Care Coalition, Kimm Quinlan of Holyoke Community College, Lindy Marcel of Southern Berkshire Regional School District and Michael Calvanese of the Springfield Innovation School Zone. Organizers say the event will bring together local business and education leaders, who will also discuss the need to "rethink education." Lunch and networking starts at 11:30 a.m., followed by the program at 12 p.m. (Wednesday, 11:30 a.m., The Delaney House, 3 Country Club Road, Holyoke | Register)

CLEAN WATER TRUST BOARD: Massachusetts Clean Water Trust Board of Trustees meets remotely. (Wednesday, 1:30 p.m., for access email masswatertrust@tre.state.ma.us)

MASSDOT TREE TRIMMING: MassDOT's Office of Outdoor Advertising holds a discussion on tree trimming. (Wednesday, 2 p.m. | Register)

BLIND VENDORS: Massachusetts Elected Committee of Blind Vendors meets. (Wednesday, 5 p.m. | Agenda and Livestream)

REGIONAL RAIL COMMUNITY MEETING: MBTA hosts one of two virtual community meetings for the public to hear about the agency's planning process to turn the commuter rail system into "a modern Regional Rail system." (Wednesday, 6 p.m. | More Info and Register)

OCTOBER REVENUES: Department of Revenue is due to report on tax collections from October, a month during which the Healey administration expects to bring in $2.657 billion. Through Oct. 15, the month's collection total was $1.181 billion, 11% more than at the halfway point of October 2025. DOR said October is "among the lower months for revenue collection, because neither individual nor business taxpayers make significant estimated payments during the month" and generally accounts for 6.5% of annual revenue. (Wednesday)

Thursday, Nov. 5, 2026

WOMEN LEADING GOVERNMENT: Women Leading Government, a group affiliated with the Massachusetts Municipal Management Association, holds a panel about navigating and thriving in leadership. The panelists are Worcester Red Sox GM Brooke Cooper, Labor and Workforce Development Secretary Lauren Jones and Department of Conservation and Recreation Deputy Commissioner Kendra Amaral. The event is open to staff in appointed positions in local government. (Thursday, 9 a.m., Lake Pearl, 299 Creek St., Wrentham | Register)

DCR STEWARDSHIP: DCR Stewardship Council Conservation Committee meets and discusses goals for the strategic oversight plan. (Thursday, 9 a.m. | Agenda and Livestream)

9:30 CALL: Amy O'Leary, executive director of Strategies for Children, and Ann Kauffman, the group's fellowship coordinator, review election results and discuss next steps ahead of the new legislative term beginning in January. (Thursday, 9:30 a.m. | RSVP and Access)

GREATER BOSTON FOOD BANK: Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll and Boston Mayor Wu participate in the Greater Boston Food Bank's annual Chain of Giving. State and local officials, business leaders and community members form a human chain as they pass turkeys through the food bank's warehouse to be distributed to families across eastern Mass. Other attendees include Treasurer Deb Goldberg, Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah, Department of Transitional Assistance Commissioner Michael Cole, Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox. Additional elected officials on hand include Sens. Edwards and DiDomenico; Reps. Decker, Thurber, Arena-DeRosa, Livingstone, John Moran, MacGregor and Tarsky; and Boston City Councilors Erin Murphy, Henry Santana, Ed Flynn, John FitzGerald and Brian Worrell. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Greater Boston Food Bank warehouse, 70 South Bay Ave., Boston)

YOUTH HOMELESSNESS AWARENESS: Homeless and at-risk youth social services agency Bridge Over Troubled Waters and nonprofits More Than Words and HopeWell host a discussion about state policy and budget matters affecting children and youth services over the next two years. The groups will talk about "the impact of two years of federal budget cuts in human service funding to the states, their effect on youth and youth services, and the hope for redress under a new Congress in 2007-2028," per organizers. The event aims to kick off National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Room 428)

FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDER: Sen. Brady hosts an advocacy day regarding fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. (Thursday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

DOI LISTENING SESSION: Division of Insurance hosts its third listening session about stabilizing insurance markets to drive down premium costs. (Thursday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)

SENATE FORMAL: Just two days after the election, the Senate will gavel in a formal session and debate a $2.61 billion spending bill (S 3290) to close the books on fiscal 2026, and more. More than half of that figure -- $1.8 billion -- is earmarked for MassHealth, while $368 million would be deposited into the Student Opportunity Act Investment Fund. Other investments include $244.8 million to fill budget gaps at county sheriff offices, $159.8 million for MassDOT snow and ice removal, $2.25 million for maternal and child health, $5.95 million to implement the recent cannabis reform law, $10 million for the Boston Holocaust Museum and $69.5 million for technology upgrades and hiring at least 200 new caseworkers at the Department of Transitional Assistance. Echoing the House's approach, Senate Democrats omitted Gov. Healey's proposals for a gas tax holiday and a new healthcare stabilization fund. Asked about gas tax relief, Rodrigues pointed to other cost-cutting initiatives already underway, including free community college and regional transit efforts and caps on prescription co-payments. Asked about gas tax relief, Senate Ways and Means Chair Michael Rodrigues pointed to other cost-cutting initiatives already underway, including free community college and regional transit efforts and caps on prescription co-payments. (Thursday, 1 p.m., Senate Chamber)

AUTHOR TALK: State Library of Massachusetts and the Executive Office of Veterans Services hosts an Author Talk with photojournalist Bill Brett on his book, "Boston Veterans Appreciation." The book honors the city's veteran and military community. Brett will be in conversation with Veterans Services Secretary Eric Goralnick. (Thursday, 1 p.m., State Library, Room 341 | More Info and Livestream)

SOUTH STATION TOWER TOUR: CREDA Massachusetts hosts a presentation by members of the South Station Tower project team on the development and construction of the tower, which was built above South Station, and how it ties into the surrounding neighborhood and transit infrastructure. A guided tour follows the building's office space and amenities, the Ritz-Carlton Residences, and its restaurant and hospitality spaces. (Thursday, 3:30 p.m., South Station Tower, 680 Atlantic Ave., Boston | Register)

NEW BEDFORD INTERCHANGE: MassDOT holds a live virtual public information hearing to discuss the New Bedford I-95/Route 18 Interchange rehabilitation project. Beginning in December, the ramp from I-95 east to Route 18 south will be closed through the spring of 2029. The existing I-195 eastbound bridge will be demolished, and then construction of the new bridge will begin. (Thursday, 6 p.m. | Register)

BEHAVIORAL HEALTH RESOURCES: Rep. Domb of Amherst hosts a webinar called, "How to Help: An Introduction to Behavioral Health Resources & Services in Western Massachusetts." It features presenters from the Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership and the Public Health Institute of Western Massachusetts. There will also be overviews of statewide resources, including the Behavioral Health Help Line and community behavioral health centers. Domb is the co-chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. "The holiday season is often a challenging time for individuals, family members, and providers as many navigate unique pressures during the holidays and winter months," Domb said. "My hope is that increased awareness of these resources will assist residents in alleviating and mitigating the stress, loneliness, and grief that is sometimes associated with this time of the year." (Thursday, 6:30 p.m. | Register)

Friday, Nov. 6, 2026

TAX POLICY CONFERENCE: Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation holds its annual Tax Policy Conference, titled "Looking Ahead to 2027: How Federal Changes and Local Pressures Will Affect Tax Policy." The event will cover tax issues facing Massachusetts tax and policy and their impact on the economy. Administration and Finance Secretary Matt Gorzkowicz, Lynn Mayor Jared Nicholson and MTF President Doug Howgate will speak on a panel called "Bringing it Back to Massachusetts" to provide an overview of the state's tax landscape. Other panels will look at state tax policy trends around the country and tax litigation, along with one featuring Department of Revenue staff. (Friday, 8 a.m., WilmerHale, 60 State Street, Boston | More Info and Register)

SJC ORAL ARGUMENTS: Supreme Judicial Court hears oral arguments in two criminal cases. (Friday, 9 a.m., John Adams Courthouse, Room 1, One Pemberton Sq., Boston | More Info | Livestream)

HERSTORY: HERstory: Volume III Exhibit is open until 4:30 p.m. for public viewing in Senate President Karen Spilka's ceremonial office. The exhibit covers the photos of 91 former senate presidents - most of whom were men - with influential Massachusetts women. (Friday, 9:30 a.m., Senate President's Ceremonial Office)

NURSING FACILITY FEES: Executive Office of Health and Human Services holds a hearing on the emergency adoption of regulatory changes tied to nursing facility user fees. The changes include updating and clarifying definitions around Medicaid bed days, Medicare patient days and non-Medicare patient days, as well as adding definitions for skilled days and non-skilled days in order to "better reflect current MassHealth delivery systems," according to the hearing notice. Other changes update interest and late fee provisions, which officials say will give EOHHS "greater administrative flexibility in assessing interest and penalties for delinquent user fee assessments." (Friday, 10 a.m. | More Info and Access)

STONY BROOK MIDDLE SCHOOL: Stony Brook Middle School visits the State House. (Friday, 10 a.m., Great Hall)

HEALTH OUTLOOK ON ELECTIONS: Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association hosts a webinar about understanding the midterm election results with a healthcare outlook. Lobbyists from the Washington, D.C.-based firm Alston & Bird will focus on the Massachusetts delegation and implications for healthcare policy. (Friday, 12 p.m. | Register)

HOMELESS ANIMAL PREVENTION, CARE: Homeless Animal Prevention and Care Advisory Committee meets. Agenda items include 2026 budget spending, fiscal 2027 funding and the Spay/Neuter Voucher Program. (Friday, 12:30 p.m. | Agenda and Zoom)

ADVISORY COUNCIL ON VETERANS SERVICES: Governor's Advisory Council on Veterans Services holds a virtual meeting. The council is made up of 25 appointed individuals who advise Gov. Healey on matters impacting veterans in Massachusetts. (Friday, 1 p.m. | Access)

Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026

TOWN FINANCE COMMITTEES: Association Of Town Finance Committees holds its annual meeting. Massachusetts Municipal Association Executive Director Adam Chapdelaine and Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation President Doug Howgate discuss navigating the fiscal climate, including the rise of local property tax override votes. Other sessions explore balancing revenues and expenditures, school budgets and financial trend monitoring. (Saturday, Nov. 7, 8:15 a.m., Sharon Community Center, 219 Massapoag Ave., Sharon | Register)

MBTA FALL RAIL RIDE: MBTA runs its second annual Fall Rail Ride, an express Commuter Rail train from North Station to Newburyport. Riders with bicycles can join a guided tour of local trails led by MassDOT staff, and others can spend the afternoon in Newburyport. Round-trip tickets cost $20 and are sold only through the mTicket app Return train leaves Newburyport at 4 p.m. (Saturday, Nov. 7, 11 a.m., Departs North Station, Boston | More Info)