Maura Healey

On April 28, the Healey-Driscoll administration announced $13.4 million in awards to 13 Massachusetts community colleges through the Mass. Clean Energy Center's Heat Pump and HVAC Training Network. Middlesex Community College received $1.25 million to establish a noncredit accelerated training program in partnership with MassHire Lowell Career Center focused on heating, ventilation and air conditioning technician skills. The grant funds support equipment purchases and renovation of dedicated training space on MCC's Bedford campus, with future development of a for-credit HVAC certificate program.

Governor Healey nominated Vincent DeMore to the Parole Board, appearing before the Governor's Council to advocate for his confirmation and emphasizing his experience as a prosecutor and work with crime victims. The Governor's Council rejected DeMore's nomination on a 4-3 vote on May 21, 2026, with opponents citing concerns that his prosecutorial background did not reflect the multidisciplinary expertise needed on the board. The nomination process occurred amid public concern following a May 11 shooting along Cambridge's Memorial Drive involving an individual previously released by the Parole Board.

Governor Healey ordered an independent review of State Police Academy training following the death of trooper Enrique Delgado-Garcia during a 2024 training exercise, which resulted in a 100-page report by the International Association of Chiefs of Police containing 100 recommended changes to academy operations. State Police Superintendent Colonel Geoffrey Noble announced implementation of 31 priority recommendations before resuming recruit training, which has been postponed from its June start date, and committed to hiring a civilian director of training and establishing an outside monitor to oversee the five-year implementation process. The review addressed leadership structure, curriculum enhancement, wellness supports for trainees, and the permanent elimination of boxing and head-strike activities from the academy's training program.

Governor Healey issued a statement supporting the MBTA's launch of a new "Harbor Loop" ferry route beginning June 29, which will operate between Lovejoy Wharf, Central Wharf, the Seaport's Commonwealth Pier, and Logan Airport on weekdays during rush hours at a cost of $2.40 per trip. Healey also nominated Vincent DeMore to the state Parole Board and submitted a letter to the Governor's Council defending the nomination against criticism from over 400 opposing individuals and groups. The Governor's Council was scheduled to vote on DeMore's confirmation, with at least three members reported to be in opposition to his appointment.

Healey's administration announced in May 2026 that health insurance companies must limit patient cost-sharing increases to 3.6% for the merged market in 2027, building on a February 2025 healthcare market oversight law that strengthened the Insurance Commissioner's authority to monitor affordability. The Division of Insurance issued guidance to insurers requiring them to explain how their rate filings address consumer affordability, with insurers facing a deadline to submit proposed rates. Healey's office estimated the restriction would save patients an average of $232 annually and characterized it as the tightest cost-sharing limits in the country.

In July 2024, Healey signed legislation that modified how broker fees are charged in Massachusetts rental transactions by requiring the fee be paid by whichever party first engages the broker's services, rather than automatically by tenants. The law was intended to address the longstanding practice of charging substantial broker fees to renters in the Massachusetts rental market. However, nearly a year after the law's passage, rental listings continue to include tenant-paid broker fees, and renters report still being required to pay such fees during apartment searches.

Healey's administration announced measures to limit increases in health insurance out-of-pocket costs for Massachusetts residents, ordering health insurance companies to cap increases in deductibles, co-pays, and other out-of-pocket expenses at 3.6% for the following year. The state's Division of Insurance implemented these caps under authority granted by a 2025 healthcare oversight bill that Healey signed in 2025, reducing the cap from the previous year's 4.8%. Officials stated the 2027 caps would save patients an average of $232 annually and represent the tightest limits on out-of-pocket health costs in the country.

Healey appointed Christopher Harding as chair of the restructured Cannabis Control Commission in May 2026, along with commissioners Xiomara DeLobato and Anthony Wilson. This appointment followed Healey's signing of legislation in April 2026 that dissolved the original five-commissioner structure and replaced it with a three-person panel appointed entirely by the executive branch. The new commission framework removed the treasurer and attorney general from the appointment process and designated the chair as responsible for personnel and administrative matters.

Governor Healey's fiscal 2027 budget proposal allocated approximately $15.4 million for a state youth employment program, a reduction from the $23 million funded in fiscal 2025. This allocation was expected to provide 3,800 summer jobs for at-risk young people, compared to 6,500 jobs in the previous year. Healey's office noted that the reduction reflected the exhaustion of federal ARPA funds while highlighting other youth workforce programs the administration had launched, including a $900,000 initiative providing job training and placement services for young adults with disabilities.

Healey signed an industry reform bill last month that restructured the Cannabis Control Commission, reducing its membership from five to three members and granting Healey sole authority to appoint commissioners. The legislation required Healey to announce her nominees by a specified deadline in the coming weeks. The restructuring will result in the departure of current commissioners, with the composition and direction of the agency shifting under Healey's reconstituted leadership.

Massachusetts will not change its Registry of Motor Vehicles policy restricting the issuance of confidential license plates to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a statement from Governor Healey's office in response to federal pressure in May 2026. The RMV requires agencies seeking confidential plates to certify that the vehicles will be used only in criminal investigations, a standard that Healey's press secretary stated ICE does not meet. The Trump administration's Department of Justice set a May 22 deadline for the state to rescind the policy, threatening to pursue judicial action if Massachusetts did not comply.

Governor Healey announced updated state health insurance regulations eliminating prior authorization requirements for emergency and urgent care, primary care, maternity care, and certain treatments for chronic conditions including imaging tests, physical therapy, and medications. The new regulations require insurers to respond to urgent patient requests within 24 hours and eliminate the need for annual approvals to continue established treatments. State health officials indicated the changes would eliminate thousands of prior authorizations annually and reduce associated paperwork and treatment delays.

Governor Healey filed legislation on May 13 to ensure that Nick Spinale, a firefighter who suffered severe injuries from a 40-foot fall at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, receives full pay and benefits from the state during his recovery. The legislation was submitted to address a gap in coverage for academy workers who are injured, as they are not eligible for the same benefits as firefighters injured on regular duty. Chelmsford's Select Board voted to approve paid administrative leave for Spinale while the state legislation progresses through the House and Senate.

Governor Healey signed legislation as part of the state budget that took effect in August requiring broker's fees in rental transactions to be paid by the person who hired the broker, typically the landlord rather than the tenant. The Massachusetts attorney general's office has received more than a dozen complaints alleging that landlords and real estate agents are circumventing the law by claiming prospective tenants hired them and therefore must pay the fee. The attorney general's office stated that the absence of a formal written contract with a landlord is insufficient justification for a broker to charge a fee to a tenant.

Healey filed legislation in May 2026 to ensure that Chelmsford firefighter Nicholas Spinale receives full pay and benefits while recovering from injuries sustained in April 2026 when he fell approximately 40 feet from a training building at the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy. Spinale, who served as both an active-duty firefighter for the Chelmsford Fire Department and a support staff member at the academy, was ineligible for injured on duty compensation from the town because his injury occurred during state service. The proposed legislation would maintain his full-time position and compensation with the Chelmsford Fire Department during his recovery period.

The Massachusetts Senate approved its version of the PROTECT Act (S 3072) on a 37-3 vote, establishing statewide standards governing interactions between state and local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement. The bill includes provisions prohibiting law enforcement from stopping or targeting individuals based solely on immigration status, prohibiting warrantless civil immigration arrests in sensitive locations such as schools and hospitals, strengthening protections for immigrant crime victims and witnesses, blocking unauthorized deployment of other states' National Guards into Massachusetts, and allowing parents facing detention or deportation to pre-arrange guardianship for their children. The House has already approved its own version of the measure, and a House-Senate conference committee will reconcile the two versions.

The Massachusetts Senate passed S 3072, an immigrant protection bill, by a vote of 37-3 on May 8, 2026, sending the legislation toward Governor Maura Healey's desk for consideration. The bill, which the House had previously approved in March, includes provisions establishing protected spaces where civil immigration enforcement is restricted and creates a right of action for individuals to sue under state law for constitutional violations. House and Senate negotiators must now reconcile differences between the two versions, including disagreements over the scope of warrant requirements for civil arrests and specific protections for schools and child care programs, before a final version reaches Healey.

The Supreme Judicial Court ordered Attorney General Andrea Campbell to make a final determination within 30 days regarding whether her office will represent State Auditor Diana DiZoglio in her legal battle against state legislative leaders over a voter-approved legislative audit. The court's order required Campbell to decide whether to represent the Auditor's office, allow outside counsel to represent it, or continue seeking to strike DiZoglio's legal complaint. The SJC also stipulated that no additional filings could be made in the matter without court approval and directed Campbell to file a status report detailing her decision.

Governor Healey held a press conference Friday with reproductive rights advocates and health care providers to discuss access to the abortion medication mifepristone ahead of a US Supreme Court decision scheduled for Monday. Healey stated that regardless of the Supreme Court's ruling, she would ensure women have access to abortion care as governor and encouraged people to consider obtaining abortion medicines in advance of the decision. Healey referenced a state stockpile of 15,000 doses of mifepristone that Massachusetts had created and stated that abortion would continue to be safe, legal, and accessible in the state.

Healey announced the awarding of more than $70 million in Career Technical Education program capital grants to 28 high schools and career technical schools across Massachusetts in April 2026. The multi-year investment will create up to 2,500 new CTE seats by expanding 23 career tech programs, launching 27 new CTE programs, and upgrading equipment, technology and lab spaces. This funding initiative builds on the administration's broader "Reimagining High School" effort, which has approved 49 new CTE programs supporting 2,334 additional students over the previous three years.

Healey's initial proposal for the Massachusetts Fiscal Year 2026 budget in January 2025 included a 50 percent reduction in the Department of Mental Health case manager workforce, cutting positions from 340 to 170 to save approximately $12.4 million. Following advocacy pressure, Healey signed a final budget that restored nearly all of the proposed $83 million in cuts to DMH programs. Despite these restorations, subsequent federal funding reductions to MassHealth and the elimination of a state mandate requiring Accountable Care Organizations to contract with care management providers led to 200 job cuts across three Massachusetts human service organizations serving mental health, addiction, and homelessness clients.

Healey sent a proposal to the Massachusetts Senate on May 5, 2026 establishing Senate Bill 3077, which creates a "speed-based framework" to regulate e-bikes, scooters, and mopeds classified into four speed tiers with corresponding safety requirements and usage restrictions. Lower-speed devices in Speed Tier 0 (up to 20 miles per hour) would follow bike lane rules with helmet requirements and age protections for riders under 16, while higher-speed devices in Speed Tiers 1 through 3 would face increasingly strict requirements including registration, insurance, roadway restrictions, and age limitations of 16 and older. The bill grants the Registry of Motor Vehicles authority to create related regulations and establishes a statewide working group to guide implementation regarding registration, enforcement, and infrastructure.

Following a federal appeals court ruling that placed constraints on mifepristone access through mail for telehealth patients, Healey issued a statement pledging to protect women's access to reproductive healthcare, including medication for abortions. Healey characterized mifepristone as a safe, effective, and essential medication prescribed by Massachusetts providers via telehealth to tens of thousands of women in the state and across the country. Healey called for the court ruling to be immediately reversed, stating that the decision would hurt the health and wellbeing of women.

Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell created an ICE Misconduct Portal in March 2026 that allows Massachusetts residents to report potentially unlawful activity or misconduct by federal immigration agents in the state. Healey publicly expressed support for using information collected through the portal to prosecute federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations in Massachusetts. This action occurred as the Massachusetts Senate advanced its version of the Protect Act, legislation that would limit ICE capabilities and operations within the state.

Healey announced $70 million in grants to career technical education programs across Massachusetts on April 30, 2026, funding the creation of up to 2,500 new vocational education seats. The grants, distributed to 28 schools, will expand 23 existing career and technical programs and launch 27 new programs while upgrading equipment, technology, and laboratory spaces. The investment builds on prior expansions that added 2,334 student seats and 49 new programs over the previous three years.

Healey supports the continuation of a 287(g) agreement established in 2007 between the Massachusetts Department of Correction and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement that allows state prison officials to identify noncitizens eligible for deportation upon completion of their sentences. Between 2009 and the previous year, the state Department of Correction transferred approximately 2,000 noncitizens into ICE custody. A spokesperson for Healey stated that the agreement only affects individuals who have completed their prison terms and have received due process and legal representation.

Governor Healey pointed to freestanding birth centers as a lower-cost, lower-intervention alternative to hospital maternity care and allocated millions of dollars in state funding to support them. Despite this policy support and funding allocation, Massachusetts has experienced the closure of three birth centers in recent years, including facilities at Holyoke Medical Center in 2020, North Shore Birth Center in December 2022, and Cambridge Health Alliance in mid-2020, leaving Seven Sisters Midwifery and Birth Center as the only remaining freestanding birth center in the state. The closures have occurred amid broader gaps in maternal health care access and persistent disparities in pregnancy outcomes across Massachusetts.

Healey expanded eligibility for the MassHousing interest-free $25,000 first-time home loan program, increasing the income threshold to 135% of area median income and allocating $25 million in state funds to support the expansion. The program, which previously offered loans at 2% to 3% interest with 15-year repayment terms, now provides 0% interest loans with deferred repayment for eligible borrowers who lock in mortgages by July 31, 2026. The expansion made assistance available to first-time homebuyers across multiple income ranges varying by region, from $205,335 in eastern Massachusetts to $129,870 in Hampden County.

Governor Healey issued a statement praising Baystate Health's proposed acquisition of Mercy Medical Center in Springfield, stating that the deal would protect access to high-quality health care and jobs in Western Massachusetts. Healey noted that her administration had worked to ensure Mercy Medical Center would remain open, describing it as a crucial fixture serving tens of thousands of patients annually and supporting hundreds of jobs in the region. The transaction requires approval from the state's Health Policy Commission and potentially other state regulators before the two health systems can complete the merger.

Governor Healey responded to a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Colorado's conversion therapy ban by reaffirming Massachusetts' 2019 law prohibiting mental health providers from attempting to change the sexual orientation or gender identity of anyone under 18. Healey stated that Massachusetts would continue enforcing its existing conversion therapy restriction and indicated the state was reviewing the implications of the Supreme Court ruling. The Governor's office committed to protecting LGBTQ+ youth while the state assessed whether amendments to the statute would be necessary.

Governor Healey filed legislation within a supplemental budget (H 5377) that restricts social media use for users under 18 and requires parental consent to change default settings for users aged 15 and younger. The proposal bans addictive algorithms that target content toward young users based on their previous viewing history. Healey stated her social media proposal was "complimentary" to a House bill (H 5366) that the Massachusetts House had passed 129-25 one week earlier with similar restrictions on social media for minors under 14 and a ban on student cellphone use during the school day.

Governor Healey filed the "Mass. Wins Act," a major economic development bill containing a provision that would restructure the approval process for zoning changes at Devens by replacing the existing requirement for affirmative town meeting votes in all three affected communities with a single regionwide vote conducted by MassDevelopment. Under the proposed changes, MassDevelopment would gain sole authority to propose zoning amendments and Devens Reuse Plan changes, hold public hearings, and convene a meeting where a simple majority vote by attendees would be sufficient to pass proposals, with changes taking effect immediately upon passage. The legislation would take effect on January 1, 2027, if passed by the Legislature and signed into law.

Governor Healey signed An Act Modernizing the Commonwealth's Cannabis Law, which increased possession limits, expanded potential delivery services, removed retail license caps, and facilitated additional regulatory changes in Massachusetts. The legislation was signed as the Trump administration reclassified medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, a less restrictive federal classification. The Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission stated the state law and federal reclassification would work in tandem to provide benefits including potential tax breaks for medical marijuana operators, expanded research opportunities, and support for patient access.

Governor Healey stated that nuclear power should be part of Massachusetts' energy strategy, reversing decades of effective opposition to new reactor construction in the state. Healey joined all six New England governors in signing an agreement to study new nuclear technologies as part of a regional approach to addressing climate goals and energy costs. The initiative represents a shift in policy toward considering nuclear energy alongside other solutions to meet the region's electricity demands while reducing emissions.

Healey signed legislation on April 19, 2026, that reformed Massachusetts' marijuana industry governance and sales regulations. The bill reduced the Cannabis Control Commission from five to three members, with Healey gaining sole appointment authority, and increased individual purchase and possession limits from one ounce to two ounces of recreational marijuana. The legislation also raised the recreational dispensary license cap from three to six per entity, eliminated the requirement for medical marijuana businesses to cultivate their own cannabis, and established new regulatory mechanisms including an anonymous reporting portal and a delinquent operator list.

Healey's administration reversed the prior state plan under Governor Charlie Baker to close the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center and redirect investment to South Boston's Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center. Instead, Healey committed to a five-year renovation program with $117 million in contracted spending to address critical building systems, deferred maintenance, and upgrades to heating, air ventilation, electrical systems, building envelope, and accessibility. The renovation effort reflects a continuation of the facility's operations in Back Bay rather than its closure and redevelopment.

On April 2, 2026, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services announced a decision to remove certain defensive weapons and tools from security personnel at Tewksbury Hospital, including handcuffs, pepper gel, and batons. Following the announcement, Tewksbury elected officials and hospital staff expressed concerns about the policy at a public Select Board meeting on April 14, 2026. Between the announcement and mid-April, Tewksbury Police responded to at least four incidents at the hospital that resulted in charges being filed.

The Cannabis Control Commission voted to impose a temporary freeze on the issuance of cultivation licenses beginning June 16 to address market oversaturation and declining marijuana prices that have caused financial strain on licensees. The moratorium does not apply to license applications submitted before the effective date and includes an exception for micro-business applications from social equity and economic empowerment program participants. Governor Healey has until April 19 to sign legislation that would dissolve the current Cannabis Control Commission and replace it with a smaller three-member body.

Healey filed supplemental budget HD 6042 on April 15, 2026, requesting $227.3 million in additional spending, primarily $159.8 million for snow and ice removal costs by the Department of Transportation and Department of Conservation and Recreation following severe winter weather. The budget also included $11.2 million for the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security and proposed allowing cities and towns to amortize snow and ice cost overruns over three years. The supplemental budget incorporated policy changes to the Emergency Assistance shelter system, including programmatic updates described by Healey as designed to serve families in need without adding new costs.

Governor Healey spoke by phone with a parent whose daughter was targeted by an AI-generated explicit image at Hingham Middle School and stated that the situation was "totally unacceptable" and that school officials should investigate such incidents and hold perpetrators accountable. Following a Globe report documenting the prevalence of deepfake sexual harassment in Massachusetts schools, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education issued a letter to school districts instructing administrators to investigate complaints related to AI deepfakes and reminding them that sharing nonconsensual explicit deepfake images constitutes a crime in Massachusetts. Healey called on parents and young people to have conversations about deepfakes to ensure understanding that such AI-generated images are illegal and harmful.

Governor Healey launched the MassEducate and MassReconnect programs, which provide tuition- and fee-free education at Massachusetts community colleges. Through a partnership between Middlesex Community College and UMass Lowell, the Joint UMass Lowell-Middlesex Community College Pathways (JUMP) Program was established on March 27, 2026, to streamline transfer pathways for community college graduates into bachelor's degree programs. The JUMP program allows MCC students to have predetermined degree requirements and guaranteed credit transfers in business, psychology, criminal justice, and English literature.

Healey attended a commemoration event at Faneuil Hall on April 13, 2026, marking the twentieth anniversary of Massachusetts' 2006 health care reform law. The event gathered current and former Massachusetts governors, including Healey, to recognize the legislation that extended health insurance to nearly all state residents through Medicaid expansion, subsidized private plans, and employer mandates. Healey called for Massachusetts residents to address rising health care costs through trust, courage, and collaboration among stakeholders.

Healey attended a ceremony at Faneuil Hall on Monday marking the 20th anniversary of Chapter 58, the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law known as Romneycare, alongside former governors Deval Patrick, Mitt Romney, William Weld, and Michael Dukakis. At the event, Healey stated that the nation's health care system is broken and called for Massachusetts to lead health care reform again, citing federal limits on health insurance subsidies and rising costs that threaten the state's near-universal coverage. Healey's remarks came as health officials reported that approximately 22,000 people terminated coverage through the Health Connector after tax credit enhancements expired and about 30,000 Massachusetts residents lost coverage due to the Trump administration's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which eliminated insurance subsidies for lawfully present immigrants.

The Massachusetts House and Senate approved H 5350, a conference committee version of legislation that would restructure the Cannabis Control Commission by dissolving its current five-member structure and replacing it with three members appointed solely by the governor. The bill, which passed 155-0 in the House and 33-6 in the Senate, was sent to Governor Healey for consideration and included provisions increasing individual possession limits from one ounce to two ounces of recreational marijuana, expanding business licensing capacity, and clarifying the regulatory authority and responsibilities of the restructured commission.

The Executive Office of Health and Human Services ordered the removal of security tools including pepper gel, handcuffs, and batons from Tewksbury Hospital's security team specialists. The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association issued a letter to Governor Healey on Friday requesting a comprehensive review of the recent security policy changes at the hospital, citing 478 assaults reported on campus in 2025. Local officials and law enforcement expressed concern that the removal of these tools would increase danger for staff and patients and place greater burden on local law enforcement response.

Massachusetts House leaders announced plans to dedicate $4 million in their upcoming state budget proposal to Boston's substance use response efforts, with half of the funding designated for 200 recovery program beds and the remainder allocated for mental health staff, a diversion program through the Suffolk County district attorney's office, and monitoring of the Massachusetts Avenue and Melnea Cass Boulevard area. State Representative Aaron Michlewitz, the House's budget chief, made the announcement alongside Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Suffolk District Attorney Kevin Hayden, and several state representatives. The House is expected to release its full budget proposal later in the month, after which the Senate will present its own plan and legislative leaders will negotiate a final version to send to Governor Healey for the fiscal year beginning July 1.

Governor Maura Healey's administration submitted a request to the federal government for a "major disaster declaration" following a February 2026 blizzard that affected six Massachusetts counties. The request seeks access to Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance Program funds for Barnstable, Bristol, Dukes, Nantucket, Norfolk, and Plymouth counties, where storm-related expenses exceeded the federal assistance threshold. Healey stated that the storm caused significant costs to communities despite extraordinary response efforts by first responders and local crews.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. publicly called for Dunkin' Donuts and Starbucks to provide safety data demonstrating that high-sugar beverages are safe for consumption by teenage girls, specifically citing iced coffee drinks containing 115 grams of sugar. Kennedy stated he did not believe the companies would be able to produce such safety data. The statement prompted renewed public discussion about sugar content in popular coffee chain beverages.

Gov. Healey ordered the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance to implement chip-enabled EBT cards in the state's SNAP program following reports of significant fraud within the system. The initiative makes Massachusetts the third state in the nation to adopt this technology, with the DTA beginning a pilot program later in 2026 and retailers being notified to update point-of-sale systems. Healey stated the chip-enabled cards would strengthen security protections and ensure benefits reach eligible recipients.

Healey announced the Massachusetts Cooperative Education Initiative, a pilot program through the state Department of Higher Education's Innovation Hub that awarded $20,000 each to Bridgewater State University, Framingham State University, and the Massachusetts College of Art and Design to establish regional cooperative education partnerships launching in fall 2026. UMass Lowell, which already operates an established co-op program, was designated to provide institutional guidance to the three universities as they develop their work-based learning offerings. The initiative aims to expand opportunities for students to gain paid work experience related to their degrees while pursuing higher education at state universities.

The Massachusetts legislative conference committee approved a cannabis reform bill that restructures the Cannabis Control Commission, reducing it from five members to three with appointment authority vesting solely with the governor. The legislation doubles the daily cannabis purchase limit to 2 ounces and increases the number of licenses any entity can hold to six, with social equity businesses eligible for six licenses immediately. The bill requires approval from both the House and Senate before proceeding to Governor Healey's desk.

Healey previewed legislation in her January State of the Commonwealth address that would impose strict limits on social media companies targeting children and teens, citing risks to younger users. The House subsequently developed a bill incorporating Healey's social media proposal alongside a cellphone ban in schools, requiring age verification systems for social media platforms and prohibiting personal electronic device use during the school day. The House scheduled a vote on the legislation for Wednesday, with the proposal set to establish implementation regulations by September 1, 2026, and take effect on October 1, 2026.

The Joint Committee on the Judiciary took up S. 2976, An Act Relative to Violations of the United States Constitution Under the Color of Law, filed by state Senator William Brownsberger in February 2026, which would allow individuals arrested or detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to sue those agents in state court for unconstitutional arrests. The bill mirrors the federal statute 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and would establish state-level liability for federal immigration officers. Governor Healey's administration was reported to support anti-ICE legislation as part of broader efforts to protect residents from federal immigration enforcement actions.

Governor Healey announced plans to introduce legislation creating strong protections for teens on social media, unveiling her bill at a news conference held the day before the Massachusetts House voted on its own social media restriction measure. Healey's proposed legislation would restrict social media access for young people, aligning with the House bill that would ban children under 14 from using social media platforms and require parental consent for users aged 14 to 15. Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell also both support school cellphone use bans that would prohibit student use of personal electronic devices during the school day.

Senate President Spilka resisted a voter-approved audit of the Massachusetts Legislature that received 72% approval from Bay State voters 16 months prior, citing constitutional concerns regarding separation of powers. Auditor Diana DiZoglio filed a lawsuit against Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano over the Legislature's blockage of the audit, which the Society of Professional Journalists recognized by naming Massachusetts the 2026 Black Hole Award recipient for lack of transparency. Spilka stated that the Senate and House undergo annual audits by independent certified auditors and make financial information publicly available through the state Comptroller's website.

Healey signed the 2024 gun safety law that took effect on April 2, 2026, requiring Massachusetts residents applying for or renewing gun permits to complete a revised basic firearms safety course that includes instruction on disengagement tactics, suicide prevention, safe storage, and live-fire training. The State Police released the list of approved courses on the afternoon before the rules took effect, creating scheduling challenges for instructors and residents. A subsequent phase of the law requiring registration of nearly all privately owned guns through a state online portal is scheduled to take effect on October 2, 2026.

Senate President Karen Spilka advanced a $35 million measure in the Senate's supplemental budget that would exempt construction materials from state sales tax, with the goal of stimulating housing development in communities meeting specified income thresholds or affordability requirements. The proposal emerged from a task force assembled by Governor Maura Healey to address housing construction obstacles and was informed by a January report from the Healey administration's housing office analyzing the potential impact of such an exemption. The Senate measure, approved by the Ways and Means Committee and scheduled for floor debate on April 9, requires House negotiators to reach agreement before the bill can be sent to Healey for signature.

Healey participated in an announcement event at UMass Lowell on March 28, 2024, regarding the Lowell Innovation Network Corridor, an $800 million public-private partnership designed to transform Lowell's economic development, with Draper Laboratory becoming an anchor tenant in the initiative. The project includes construction of the IMPACT Center for Draper Laboratory, a 75,000-square-foot microelectronics facility on Parcel 15 in the Hamilton Canal Innovation District that will conduct research and development in advanced microelectronic design and production. The Lowell City Council subsequently approved a $1.49 million land disposition agreement with Wexford Development LLC to move forward with the facility's construction, which was scheduled to break ground in fall 2026.

Healey signed the fiscal year 2026 state budget in July that allocated $5 million to the Massachusetts Access to Counsel Initiative, a legal defense program created to provide free immigration attorneys to individuals facing deportation proceedings. The program, overseen by the Massachusetts Immigrant & Refugee Coalition, had hired 24 full-time immigration attorneys working across the state and taken on more than 400 cases by late March. Massachusetts Senate Democrats subsequently proposed additional funding of $1 million for the initiative through a supplemental spending bill released in April 2026.

Healey joined all five other New England governors in issuing a joint statement outlining a regional commitment to explore advanced nuclear energy technologies and support existing nuclear facilities. The governors established a two-step approach directing state energy offices to collaborate on ensuring continued operation of existing nuclear facilities while exploring deployment of advanced nuclear generation in willing states and communities. The initiative responded to ISO New England projections that electricity consumption in the region is expected to increase more than 40 percent over the next 20 years, with winter peak demand projected to double by 2045.

Following a US Supreme Court ruling that struck down Colorado's conversion therapy ban on First Amendment grounds, Governor Healey stated at a Transgender Day of Visibility event at the State House that she was disappointed by the decision but indicated the state would examine its potential impact on Massachusetts' own 2019 conversion therapy ban. Healey, the nation's first openly lesbian governor, made remarks affirming her commitment to protecting LGBTQ+ individuals in the state. The Massachusetts law subjects healthcare providers who practice conversion therapy to discipline by their licensing board, including potential suspension or revocation of licensure.

United States Attorney Leah B. Foley established a Benefit and Voter Fraud Team within the U.S. Attorney's Office in March 2026, appointing Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip Mallard and Mark Grady as coordinators to lead the initiative. The team was created in response to a series of federal prosecutions charging 15 individuals with approximately $9 million in fraud involving SNAP benefits and MassHealth since December 2025. The Benefit and Voter Fraud Team's mandate includes investigating and prosecuting benefit fraud across SNAP, MassHealth, child-care subsidies, and voter fraud, with Mallard coordinating districtwide efforts across multiple federal agencies and Grady supervising federal investigations and prosecutions.

Healey included $41.7 million in a supplemental budget filed in January for the Department of Transitional Assistance, which was engrossed into law on March 18, 2026. The funding supported the addition of 122 new employees to the department, including 80 caseworkers assigned to administer the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program. The supplemental appropriation was designed to address staffing deficiencies and implement recent federal eligibility changes to prevent service disruptions and delayed payments.

Governor Healey proposed placing a $1,000 annual cap on MassHealth adult dental benefits as part of her $63.4 billion budget request for the next fiscal year. The administration estimated the cap could save approximately $120 million annually while citing concerns about federal healthcare funding losses from President Trump's One Beautiful Bill. The proposal would apply to nearly 2 million Massachusetts adults covered by MassHealth, though pediatric dental benefits would remain uncapped.

Governor Healey originally proposed legislation that would block civil arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in sensitive spaces including hospitals, child care centers, schools, houses of worship, and polling places. The Massachusetts House was expected to pass the PROTECT Act, which would require ICE agents to present criminal warrants from judges rather than civil detainer requests to make courthouse arrests, and would restrict local law enforcement from initiating contact with ICE in certain instances. Healey's proposed expansions to include arrests in sensitive spaces beyond courthouses could provoke legal challenges, according to legal experts, and the bill still required Senate approval and negotiation before reaching her desk.

In August 2024, Healey signed legislation to phase out the use of PFAS in firefighting gear, barring manufacturers and sellers from knowingly selling equipment containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals to fire departments in Massachusetts beginning in January 2025. The bill addressed concerns about the "forever chemicals" used in protective equipment to withstand heat and water penetration, which research has shown to be toxic and linked to health risks including cancer among firefighters. The legislation followed local efforts, including Quincy's approval of $2.65 million to replace 271 firefighters' gear after existing equipment tested positive for high levels of PFAS despite manufacturer claims of safety.

Governor Healey proposed legislation that would allow cities to deploy speed cameras in school zones and construction zones for the first time in Massachusetts. Pending legislation on Beacon Hill seeks to expand automated enforcement to include red light cameras and other surveillance systems beyond sensitive locations. The proposal has raised concerns about potential racial disparities in traffic enforcement and revenue-dependent policing practices that could disproportionately affect low-income communities and drivers of color.

The Healey administration proposed closing the state-run Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton as a cost-saving measure and relocating pediatric programs to another public health hospital in Westfield, though the governor paused that plan following public outcry. Unionized staff at Pappas voted overwhelmingly in favor of a no confidence petition regarding Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, citing his actions as representing abandonment of the hospital's mission. The petition alleged that Goldstein installed restrictive admissions criteria, failed to fill vacant staff positions, and instructed administrators to prematurely discharge patients, resulting in the patient census declining from 48 to 22 over two years.

Healey unveiled energy legislation in the previous year that claimed $10 billion in savings for ratepayers through changes to how energy is bought, financed, and billed. The bill included proposals for new energy sources and business practices, though experts noted the complexity of projecting savings given fluctuating oil and gas prices and the time required for changes to reach consumers through established industry rules. Critics questioned whether the claimed savings were achievable, with some noting that the timeline and impact of the proposed changes remained uncertain.

Governor Healey proposed reducing funding for Massachusetts' jail and arrest diversion program from $19.1 million to $4 million in her fiscal year 2027 budget proposal of $63.4 billion. The program, which embeds clinicians in police departments across more than 250 communities, documented over 29,000 crisis interventions and diverted more than 3,300 individuals from arrest in fiscal year 2025 according to the Department of Mental Health. The Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association called for lawmakers to restore full funding, citing concerns that reduced resources would limit clinical support and training capacity.

In January, Healey signed legislation designed to monitor and restrict private equity involvement in the hospital industry, described as a first-in-the-nation measure to prevent practices associated with the financial collapse of Steward Health Care. The law aimed to address concerns about profiteering and to prevent similar outcomes to those experienced in Massachusetts, where hospital closures and patient deaths were attributed to private equity-backed management. The legislation followed a financial crisis in Rhode Island where two safety-net hospitals faced closure under private equity ownership before being purchased by a nonprofit foundation.

Governor Healey filed reforms in January as part of a supplemental budget to prevent ICE agents from entering courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals and churches. The PROTECT Act (H 5158), a separate bill under consideration by lawmakers, would ban federal civil immigration arrests in courthouses and block law enforcement officers from providing advance notice of a person's release or facilitating transfers to federal immigration agents. Healey stated she was "looking forward" to seeing a bill reach her desk as the legislation moved through the legislative process.

Governor Healey filed legislation targeting ICE operations in Massachusetts as the state House prepared to vote on a bill banning warrantless civil immigration arrests at courthouses. Healey's proposed bill was one of several versions circulating on Beacon Hill alongside the House measure crafted by the 26-member Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. The Governor's filing occurred amid increased political pressure from immigration advocates responding to federal immigration enforcement actions in the state.

Healey formed an adult foster care task force to identify potential savings and program integrity issues within the MassHealth adult foster care service. The state imposed a moratorium on new provider agencies, citing the need to mitigate increasing program integrity risks as the number of enrolled providers grew from 140 in December 2023 to 196 providers. The action followed a period of rapid program growth, with MassHealth spending increasing from $496 million in fiscal 2023 to $698 million in fiscal 2025.

Healey attended the 30th Annual Immigrants Day event at the Massachusetts State House on March 18, 2026, where she was present as hundreds of advocates gathered to support immigrant protections. The event centered on the PROTECT Act, legislation that would restrict state and local cooperation with federal immigration agencies and keep ICE agents out of sensitive locations including churches, schools, hospitals, and child-care facilities. Healey has previously stated that the legislation is intended to reduce instability among Massachusetts' immigrant communities and allow residents to access schools and medical care without fear.

Governor Healey stated that Massachusetts will continue to protect doctors and others who prescribe abortion pills using telehealth, positioning the state as defending reproductive rights amid ongoing legal challenges. Massachusetts is one of 22 states with laws designed to protect abortion and transgender care providers from criminal, civil, and licensing charges filed by residents of other states. The Healey administration previously stockpiled abortion pills, including mifepristone, which have been distributed by groups like The Massachusetts Medication Abortion Access Project to patients across the United States.

Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell launched an online portal allowing Massachusetts residents to report potentially unlawful activity by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducting operations in the state. When asked about potential prosecution of federal immigration agents based on information collected through the portal, Healey stated that if ICE agents engage in unlawful activity, they should be held accountable. The portal was introduced as part of the governor's effort to protect public safety in Massachusetts.

Healey issued a regulation establishing the Starter Home Zoning District program under Chapter 40Y, which became effective following the announcement. The regulation, issued by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities, provides voluntary zoning measures for municipalities to develop modest-sized homes designed for first-time homebuyers and moderate-income households, with state incentive payments available to participating communities. The program establishes standards and procedures for cities and towns that choose to adopt Starter Home Zoning Districts to qualify for state support.

Healey signed an executive order directing state agencies to add 10 gigawatts of power to Massachusetts' energy supply by 2035, along with five gigawatts of energy storage capacity. The order encompasses multiple energy sources including in-state solar, electric demand reduction, wind, gas, geothermal, and hydropower, with targets including four gigawatts of in-state solar and 3.5 gigawatts of electric demand reduction through virtual power plants and electric vehicle charging. Healey stated the initiative was intended to address rising energy costs and electricity consumption projected to increase by nearly 15 percent by 2035.

Healey's state budget proposal includes funding for the Department of Public Health to expand the Welcome Family program statewide, which provides free home visits by nurses to families with newborns within eight weeks of birth. The program, which builds on pilot initiatives in Boston, New Bedford, and Lowell, aims to serve all approximately 68,000 babies born annually in Massachusetts beginning in late 2027, with costs for home visits ultimately shared by insurers. The expansion was authorized through a 2024 maternal health law passed by state legislators that also included provisions to increase access to midwives, doulas, and related services.

Gov. Healey issued a statement expressing satisfaction upon learning that construction on Vineyard Wind, the country's first large-scale offshore wind project, had been completed with the installation of final turbine blades. Healey stated that the project is expected to save Massachusetts ratepayers $1.4 billion over its first 20 years of operation and noted that the power generated will serve residents and businesses in the region. The 62-turbine wind farm off the Massachusetts coast will have a capacity of 800 megawatts once fully operational.

Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell launched an online portal allowing Massachusetts residents to report misconduct by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and Customs and Border Protection officers operating in the state. The portal enables users to submit written testimony, videos, and photographs, with submissions used to identify patterns of potential misconduct, inform legal action or policy recommendations, and connect affected residents with legal advocacy organizations. Campbell's office simultaneously released updated guidance on its "Know Your Rights" page to help immigrants and families understand their legal rights regarding ICE actions.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey launched an online portal on Friday that allows members of the public to report alleged misconduct by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, with the stated purpose of identifying patterns of potential abuse and informing legal or policy actions. The portal accepts photographs, videos, and incident details from users who provide their name and email address, with consent required for the information to be used in legal proceedings or public reports by the governor and attorney general. This action follows Healey's March executive order limiting federal agent activity on state property and her filing of legislation to restrict federal agents from courthouses, schools, and hospitals.

Healey announced an increase in Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) benefits on Tuesday in response to rising heating oil prices during an exceptionally cold winter. The administration raised maximum benefits for oil and propane from $1,000 to $1,400 and for natural gas and electric from $850 to $925 for the remainder of the November to April season. Residents have until April 30, 2026 to apply for the expanded assistance program.

Healey announced in her State of the Commonwealth address an expansion of Massachusetts's Early College Initiative, aiming to grow participation from approximately 10,000 students in the current academic year to 100,000 students within ten years. In January, Healey allocated an additional $8.2 million in early college grants to support new partnerships between high schools and colleges, with the state's fiscal 2026 budget including over $14 million for the program across more than 75 high schools. The initiative enables high school students to earn college credits at no cost through coursework on college campuses, with the governor setting an interim target to double participating students to 20,000 by 2028.

The Healey administration announced the opening of applications for the Early Childhood Educator Loan Repayment Program in March 2026, a $15 million initiative funded through appropriations and the Fair Share supplemental budget. Eligible early childhood educators working in Massachusetts can receive up to $7,500 per year in student loan repayment assistance, with priority given to those with five or more years of experience or working in high-need communities. The program represents the first loan repayment initiative in Massachusetts designed exclusively for early education professionals, with applications open through June 1, 2026.

Healey set a state goal in January 2025 of registering 100,000 apprentices in Massachusetts over the next decade in fields including health care, technology, and advanced manufacturing. Six community colleges across the state launched apprenticeship degree programs allowing students to earn wages while completing studies in licensed practical nursing, medical assistance, behavioral health, and K-12 education, with additional programs planned in cybersecurity, social work, and allied health fields. The initiative received approximately $6 million in grants from the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation and Accelerate the Future to support program startup costs and a statewide apprenticeship project manager position.

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities under Healey's administration announced plans to rebid contracts for the Emergency Assistance family shelter system, reducing capacity to between 3,000 and 3,200 units beginning July 1, 2026. This action follows the administration's declaration of a state of emergency during 2023 and 2024 when shelter demand peaked at 7,500 families and the state spent nearly one billion dollars on the system in fiscal year 2025. The procurement reduction reflects eligibility restrictions and policy changes enacted by the administration and Legislature to reduce demand and control costs, despite current occupancy rates at approximately 50 percent capacity with some families remaining unable to access shelter.

Healey appointed Eric Paley as Secretary of the Executive Office of Economic Development to lead the state's economic strategy amid rising costs of living and business pessimism about Massachusetts conditions. Paley identified three primary economic challenges: affordability particularly in housing, state competitiveness in attracting and retaining businesses, and reduced federal support for research and science initiatives. Healey tasked Paley with driving economic growth through investments in infrastructure and ecosystem development while operating within the constraint of a balanced state budget.

Governor Maura Healey's administration distributed a $122,769 state grant to the Chelmsford Police Department through the Law Enforcement Body-Worn Camera Program, which was launched in 2022 and administered by the Office of Grants and Research. The funding enables the department to equip more than 50 officers with body-worn cameras beginning July 1, 2026. Healey stated in a press release that the investment supports professionalism and accountability statewide and helps police departments build trust with their communities.

Healey delivered the State of the Commonwealth address on January 22 at the Massachusetts State House as the state faced increased federal scrutiny regarding government benefit fraud following President Trump's February State of the Union speech, in which he named Massachusetts among Democrat-led states he alleged were rife with fraud. The Trump administration, led by Vice President JD Vance's "war on fraud" initiative, subsequently paused $250 million in Medicaid funding to Minnesota and indicated other states would face similar sanctions. Healey's administration prepared legal responses, with Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell stating the state would challenge any illegal withholding of federal Medicaid funding in court, citing Congress's authority over appropriations rather than the President's.

Governor Healey announced a project labor agreement with the Greater Boston Building Trades on March 5, 2026, to govern the $1.2 billion replacement of the North Station Draw One Bridge, a Depression-era drawbridge connecting Cambridge and Boston that serves over 11 million passengers annually. The agreement establishes consistent wages, safety standards, and working conditions for contractors and subcontractors while allowing non-union firms to bid on work. The project, originally scheduled for eight years, is now expected to be completed in approximately six and a half years and will create more than 15,000 jobs.

Attorney General Campbell's office testified in support of H. 5158, the Protect Act, a bill filed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus that would ban Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers from making civil arrests in Massachusetts courthouses and prohibit state and local resources from being used to facilitate federal civil immigration enforcement actions. Deputy Attorney General Abby Taylor stated during a House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security hearing that ICE enforcement had resulted in indiscriminate arrests and racial profiling rather than targeting dangerous criminals. The legislation would also ban the expansion of 287(g) agreements between ICE and Massachusetts police and prohibit state officers from providing immigration status information to federal agents.

Healey signed a multibillion-dollar bond bill in 2024 that authorized new borrowing for housing initiatives and trimmed regulations to facilitate building in Massachusetts, in response to median home sale prices exceeding $900,000 in Greater Boston. She stated that the state is experiencing a net loss of private-sector jobs and announced plans to invest in emerging industries including artificial intelligence, robotics, quantum computing, and the defense sector to diversify the economy. Healey indicated she would not rule out tax cuts to attract residents and capital but expressed concern that substantial tax reductions could compromise funding for public services.

Attorney General Healey reached a settlement with Beth Israel Lahey Health (BILH) regarding the merger of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Lahey Health, which became official on February 28, 2019. Under the settlement agreement, BILH accepted limits on annual price increases for the next seven years and agreed to expand mental health and substance use treatment services. Healey's office initiated discussions with BILH about hiring an independent monitor to track compliance with the settlement terms.

Healey responded to a February 2024 letter from the Biden administration's USDA directing improvements to Massachusetts' Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) administration, which reported a $364 million payment error rate in Fiscal Year 2024. Healey attributed the errors to changes implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic and stated that the state had taken action by hiring additional caseworkers, increasing eligibility verification procedures, and expanding training and program integrity resources. The state's SNAP payment error rate had improved from 11.7% in FY22 to 9.86% in FY23 but increased to 14.1% in FY24, placing Massachusetts among the six states with the highest payment error rates that year.

In January 2026, Healey filed legislation to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from entering schools, courthouses, and hospitals in Massachusetts. Healey also signed an executive order to prevent ICE agents from using state buildings for staging operations. These actions were taken amid reports of immigration enforcement activity affecting school enrollment and student attendance in communities like Framingham.

Governor Healey advanced her version of legislation that would restrict federal immigration agents' movements in Massachusetts, including barring them from courthouses, schools, day cares, child care centers, hospitals, and health clinics without a judicial warrant. The proposal responds to increased immigration enforcement activities by federal agents at state courthouses and other locations under the Trump administration. House Speaker Ron Mariano stated the House would vote in spring on legislative solutions to protect Massachusetts residents from federal immigration enforcement within the bounds of state law, though he did not commit to advancing Healey's specific version.

The Massachusetts Board of Higher Education voted to allow colleges to experiment with bachelor's degrees requiring fewer than the standard 120 credits, enabling institutions to offer three-year degree programs that would reduce costs by approximately 25 percent. Merrimack College and Bay Path University expressed interest in launching condensed bachelor's degree programs under this new authorization. University leaders including those from the State Universities Council of Presidents and Framingham State University raised concerns about the academic rigor and potential equity implications of shortened degree requirements.

Governor Healey and Attorney General Andrea Campbell issued a public statement reminding Massachusetts students and faculty that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents require a judicial warrant to enter dormitories and other nonpublic campus facilities, following an incident at Columbia University where ICE agents allegedly misrepresented themselves as police to gain entry to a residence hall. Healey had previously issued an executive order in January requiring federal immigration officers to obtain warrants for entry to nonpublic areas and directing higher education institutions to establish guidance and policies on immigration interactions. The state officials' guidance applies to all public and private educational institutions in Massachusetts and encourages schools to designate and post signs identifying nonpublic spaces such as classrooms, offices, and dormitory hallways.

Attorney General Healey stated in a March 2026 television interview that she would file a lawsuit against the federal government if the Trump administration froze Medicaid funding to Massachusetts, following the administration's pause of $259.5 million in quarterly Medicaid matching funds to Minnesota over fraud concerns. Healey noted that her office had already filed nearly 50 lawsuits against the Trump administration to protect over $3 billion in state resources. The statement came after President Trump highlighted public benefits fraud in Massachusetts during his State of the Union address and federal health officials indicated potential withholding of up to $1 billion in Medicaid funds from states with program integrity vulnerabilities.

In February 2026, the Group Insurance Commission board voted to eliminate coverage for GLP-1 drugs prescribed for weight loss, a decision prompted by the Healey administration's request that the GIC find approximately $120 million in savings due to soaring medication costs. Ten commissioners voted in favor of the elimination while seven opposed it, citing concerns about health disparities and potential long-term cost increases. The decision affected approximately 22,000 GIC members taking GLP-1 drugs at a total cost of $46 million annually, aligning with similar coverage changes adopted by commercial insurers and the Massachusetts Interlocal Insurance Association.

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced final-year funding allocations through the federal Violence Against Women Act, administered in Massachusetts by the Office of Grants and Research. The program distributed $3,425,827 in grants to 42 organizations selected through a competitive application process in 2022 to support efforts combating domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. Grant recipients in the Lowell area included Alternative House, which received $59,817, and the Fitchburg Police Department, which received $76,307.

The state Office of the Inspector General issued a report finding that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation's procurement process for a contract to redevelop 18 highway service plazas contained significant flaws, including conflict-of-interest issues, violations of bidder contact rules, and scoring methods that created risk of perceived bias. Inspector General Jeff Shapiro wrote in a letter to acting Transportation Secretary Phil Eng that these deficiencies "undermined the integrity of the procurement process," though he stopped short of declaring them fatal to the agreement with the apparent successful bidder, Applegreen. The review examined procedures, solicitation documents, internal communications, and evaluation materials from the 2024 procurement effort, which ultimately collapsed after Global Partners challenged the award and Applegreen withdrew from negotiations in September.

Governor Maura Healey's administration appointed Ben Downing, a former state senator and clean-tech executive, as chief executive officer of the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, effective April 2024. Downing replaced Emily Reichert, who announced her departure in November 2023, and took the helm of the quasi-public agency overseeing more than $140 million in annual grant funding and $33 million in capital projects. The appointment occurred as the clean-energy sector faced reduced federal support and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center prepared to implement financial incentives for clean-tech firms established through an economic development bill passed in 2024.

On January 29, Healey signed an executive order directing colleges, universities, and other organizations to establish and communicate guidance on how they will interact with federal immigration officers. The action followed the arrest of an international student at Columbia University by Department of Homeland Security agents who entered a residential building without a judicial warrant. Healey's order required these institutions to develop explicit policies governing such encounters with federal immigration enforcement.

Governor Healey filed an energy affordability plan and announced in January that the state would spend $180 million to temporarily reduce residential electric and gas bills during winter. The Massachusetts House advanced House Bill 5151 on February 27, 2026, which includes provisions to cut roughly $1 billion from the Mass Save program's marketing and administrative budgets and return 70% of alternative compliance payments to ratepayers through mid-2029. The bill passed 128-27 and is intended to provide immediate cost savings to ratepayers through various utility rate reforms and rebate mechanisms.

Governor Healey refused to provide the Trump administration and USDA with personal information on Massachusetts SNAP recipients, including immigration status data, citing concerns that the information could be shared with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Healey's decision came after President Trump referenced Massachusetts in his State of the Union address on February 24, 2026, while announcing a "war on fraud" to be led by Vice President JD Vance, following several SNAP fraud schemes uncovered in the state. The administration had requested the data without providing assurances regarding its use or protection.

The Healey administration requested that the Group Insurance Commission find approximately $120 million in savings due to soaring costs tied to GLP-1 drugs for obesity treatment. Governor Healey urged the GIC board in a letter to avoid benefit plan changes that would shift costs onto state workers but specifically urged commissioners to "seriously consider" eliminating coverage for GLP-1 drugs for weight loss. The GIC board voted on Thursday to eliminate coverage for GLP-1 drugs for obesity, affecting approximately 22,000 members currently taking the drugs at a total cost of $46 million annually, while maintaining coverage for those taking the drugs for other conditions such as diabetes.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority announced plans to procure 20 new commuter rail locomotives, including 10 battery-electric and 10 diesel models, to address an aging fleet facing potential shortages by the early 2030s. Governor Healey and MassDOT Secretary Phil Eng announced the procurement as a milestone for enhancing rider experience and advancing the Commonwealth's climate and economic development goals. The battery-electric locomotives will operate on the Providence Line, which already has infrastructure for electrified service, while the low-emissions diesel locomotives will serve other Commuter Rail lines pending future electrification capabilities.

In January, Healey signed legislation establishing a monitoring system for private equity involvement in the hospital industry, described as a first-in-the-nation effort. The Massachusetts law followed the financial collapse of Steward Health Care and the closure of hospitals in Dorchester and Ayer. Rhode Island legislators subsequently proposed similar but less expansive bills to create a transparency and early warning system for health care transactions in their state.

Governor Healey and the state Legislature proposed policies in 2024 to address declining reading and math scores in Massachusetts public schools, including new graduation requirements incorporating state tests on mandated courses. Both houses of the Legislature passed legislation mandating how reading is taught in schools, requiring structured, research-backed curricula that emphasize phonics, comprehension, and vocabulary while discontinuing previously used but now discredited instructional techniques. Healey stated that the bill represented "another important step toward ensuring every student has high-quality literacy education."

In January 2025, Healey signed "An Act concerning the safety of school children embarking and disembarking school buses," which authorizes cities and towns to install monitoring technology on school buses to record vehicles passing stopped buses in violation of state law. The legislation, championed by state Senator Michael Moore, allows local police departments to review footage from the cameras and determine whether to issue citations to offending motorists. Buses equipped with the automated traffic cameras must be clearly marked to indicate their presence.

Governor Maura Healey previously filed a proposal to address energy costs in Massachusetts, and House Democrats introduced legislation in response to complaints about high utility bills that would slash approximately $1 billion in charges for energy efficiency programs financed through utility bills. The House legislation, scheduled for a vote on Thursday, would also subject expensive utility projects to closer governmental scrutiny and direct the state to refund certain fees collected from utilities to consumers. A spokesperson for Healey stated that "Energy costs are too high, and Massachusetts residents need relief," welcoming the advance of the House measure.

Governor Healey declared a state of emergency in response to a nor'easter affecting Massachusetts on February 23, 2026, and activated the National Guard to assist with storm response efforts. The declaration came as the Boston area faced approximately 20 inches of snow, widespread power outages affecting over 128,000 homes, and significant transportation disruptions across the state. Healey directed residents who lost power to contact 211 and their utility companies for assistance during the storm.

Governor Healey included a reduction in aid to the horse racing fund in her budget proposal to the Legislature, requesting that casino tax revenue previously allocated to horse racing be redirected to local aid and transportation instead. The horse racing fund currently receives approximately $20 million annually from a portion of taxes paid by the state's two casinos and one slot parlor, with the money primarily used to increase purses at Plainridge, the state's remaining racetrack. Healey's proposal would maintain funding from slot parlor revenues to the horse racing fund while eliminating the casino tax allocation to that purpose.

Healey signed legislation in August that funds a doubling of public counsel staffing within the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state's public defender agency. The bill was enacted in response to a work stoppage by court-appointed private attorneys seeking higher compensation that had caused thousands of criminal cases to be dismissed and defendants to be released due to lack of legal representation. The legislation aims to reduce the public defender system's reliance on private bar advocates by expanding the state's staff attorney positions from approximately 20 percent to a larger share of indigent criminal defense cases.

Gov. Maura Healey signed legislation in January 2025 that authorized cities and towns to install camera monitoring technology on school buses to record vehicles that illegally pass stopped buses. The law permits video and images that do not identify violations to be destroyed within 30 days unless a court orders otherwise. Chicopee became the first municipality to implement the program using BusPatrol technology, which uses artificial intelligence to detect violations and submits recordings to local law enforcement for review.

Governor Healey's administration distributed $140 million in state tax credits and subsidies to housing developments in Lowell, Westford, and Fitchburg, creating 188 low-income and senior rental units as part of her housing production initiative. The funding included $8.4 million from the Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative, established under the Affordable Homes Act signed by Healey in 2024, which supports conversion of underused commercial properties into residential units. An additional $139.5 million in low-income housing tax credits and subsidies through the Affordable Housing Development grant program supported the creation of 1,008 homes, including 903 affordable units and 284 homes designated for extremely low-income households and those transitioning from homelessness.

Healey announced she would not attend a White House meeting and dinner hosted by the National Governors Association during its winter conference in February 2026, citing concerns about the politicization of the traditionally bipartisan event. The decision followed President Trump's initial invitation of only Republican governors, which prompted Healey and 17 other Democratic governors to announce their non-attendance on February 10, 2026. After Trump extended invitations to most Democratic governors while excluding Colorado Governor Jared Polis and Maryland Governor Wes Moore, Healey maintained her decision to skip both events.

Healey visited Lowell's House of Hope on February 18, 2026, to announce Citizens Energy's Shelter Winter Assistance Program, which provided a $4,000 grant to the nonprofit organization to help cover heating costs at its family shelter. Healey discussed her administration's Energy Affordability Agenda, which included securing rebates providing Massachusetts ratepayers 25 percent off electric bills and 10 percent off gas bills, as well as filing legislation intended to increase energy supply at lower cost and remove unnecessary charges from ratepayer bills. The governor characterized partnerships with energy companies as instrumental to upgrading energy infrastructure and directing profits back to ratepayers.

Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus announced his resignation, effective February 27, 2026, to become CEO of UniBank, the largest bank based in Central Massachusetts. Governor Healey appointed former state representative and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development official Juana Matias to succeed Augustus as secretary. Deputy Housing Secretary Jennifer Maddox will serve as interim secretary until Matias assumes the position on April 1, 2026.

Governor Healey announced that state environmental police are deploying side-scan sonar technology to search the ocean floor for the missing fishing vessel Lily Jean, which sank approximately 20 miles off Cape Ann in January with seven people aboard. Healey pledged state support for the families of the crew members and committed to multiple ongoing state and federal investigations to determine the cause of the sinking and improve maritime safety. The investigation entered its "next phase" with assistance from the State Police underwater recovery team and federal authorities working to provide families with information about the incident.

The Healey administration announced the phased deployment of a ChatGPT-powered artificial intelligence assistant across Massachusetts' executive branch, making the state the first to implement enterprise-wide deployment of the tool under a contract with OpenAI. The rollout will begin with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and include optional employee training programs, with the administration stating the system will operate in a secure, walled-off environment protecting state data and preventing employee inputs from training public AI models. The National Association of Government Employees expressed opposition to the announcement, stating the administration was moving too quickly and demanding to negotiate the terms of the rollout with state workers.

Healey issued a statement on February 13, 2026, calling on New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte to oppose federal plans to convert a 43-acre warehouse in Merrimack, New Hampshire into a 400-bed Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility. Healey characterized the planned facility as "outrageous and absolutely the wrong move" and stated she opposed the project "in the strongest possible terms," demanding that Ayotte use her power to block the project. The facility, confirmed through documents released by the New Hampshire ACLU, is one of several large-scale detention facilities the agency is planning to establish across the country.

Healey announced that the Massachusetts executive branch would implement a ChatGPT-powered AI assistant across its approximately 40,000 employees through an enterprise-wide contract with OpenAI, making Massachusetts the first state with such a deployment. The rollout will begin with the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and will operate within a secure environment designed to protect state data and prevent employee inputs from training public AI models. The administration stated the implementation would be guided by data privacy and security standards along with optional employee training programs on AI best practices.

Massachusetts Governor Healey called on New Hampshire Governor Ayotte to block the construction of a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility planned for Merrimack, New Hampshire, approximately 11 miles from the Massachusetts border. The Department of Homeland Security released documents detailing plans to convert a 324,000-square-foot warehouse into a processing site with capacity for 400 to 600 detainees at a cost of $158 million. Healey issued a statement requesting that Ayotte use all available authority to prevent the facility's development.

Governor Healey increased state support for individuals enrolled in the Health Connector insurance marketplace by allocating $250 million in state subsidies after federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025. The additional state funding was implemented to help offset increased premiums for residents who had previously relied on federal aid. Despite this allocation, more than 50,000 Massachusetts residents lost health insurance coverage, with over 22,000 canceling plans and approximately 35,000 being removed for non-payment.

Governor Healey filed legislation to prohibit ICE from making arrests in sensitive locations including churches, schools, and courthouses in Massachusetts. Healey signed an executive order barring ICE from making civil arrests in nonpublic areas of state facilities such as hospitals and social services buildings and prohibiting the use of state property for immigration enforcement activity. These actions were announced at a press conference on January 29 at the Massachusetts State House amid increased federal immigration enforcement activity in other states.

Massachusetts released a state climate report card on Friday showing the state missed several key emissions reduction benchmarks established for 2025, despite setting some of the nation's most ambitious climate goals nearly five years ago aimed at achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The state attributed shortfalls partly to federal rollbacks of climate regulations and funding under the Trump administration, which resulted in Massachusetts losing nearly $200 million for energy and environment initiatives and slowed offshore wind development. The report noted significant progress in areas within state control, including exceeding the goal of installing heat pumps in 100,000 homes by installing them in over 130,000 households, and meeting the target of conserving 28 percent of natural and working lands.

Governor Healey signed an executive order restricting where federal immigration agents can stage arrests in Massachusetts. This action was taken in response to enforcement operations conducted by the Trump administration, which increased criminal immigration prosecutions in the state from 22 cases in 2024 to 139 in 2025. The executive order built upon a 2017 state court ruling that already barred local law enforcement from detaining people on civil immigration detainers after legal release from custody.

Healey released a $63 billion fiscal year 2027 budget proposal that increases state spending by 3.8 percent, a figure she stated was constrained by federal funding cuts and economic pressures. According to the Healey administration, Massachusetts could lose $3.7 billion in federal funding between fiscal years 2025 and 2028 due to Trump administration executive actions and congressional Republican decisions. Healey stated that without federal funding reductions, the state budget would have required a double-digit spending increase to maintain existing service levels.

In response to increased federal immigration enforcement operations, Healey introduced legislation that would prohibit federal immigration officers from conducting enforcement actions in sensitive locations including churches, schools, and courthouses. The proposal was announced shortly after the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus advanced complementary legislation to track detainee locations and prevent police-immigration enforcement partnerships. Healey's bill represents part of the state's broader effort to limit immigration enforcement activity within areas traditionally protected from law enforcement operations.

Healey appointed Salem Schools Superintendent Stephen Zrike Jr. to serve as Secretary of Education, effective March 2026, replacing Patrick Tutwiler who is departing the administration. Zrike has served as superintendent of Salem Public Schools for six years and previously led the Holyoke and Wakefield school districts. Healey credited Zrike for improving outcomes across multiple districts during his tenure in school leadership.

In February 2025, Governor Healey's administration implemented the Affordable Homes Act, which legalized accessory dwelling units as-of-right throughout Massachusetts, eliminating local discretionary approval processes for qualifying ADU applications. The city of Lowell approved 26 ADUs in 2025 under the legislation, ranking fourth statewide behind Plymouth, Lawrence, and Nantucket. The state's interactive tracker documented 1,224 total ADU approvals across 217 communities in 2025, with the legislation designed to support production of more than 65,000 homes statewide over five years.

Governor Healey directed State Police Superintendent Colonel Geoffrey Noble to review academy training and policy practices following the September 2024 death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia at the Massachusetts State Police Academy. The review was announced after Attorney General Andrea Campbell's independent investigation resulted in criminal indictments against four State Police Academy staff members, including charges of involuntary manslaughter and perjury related to unauthorized boxing exercises that preceded Delgado-Garcia's death. Healey's directive sought to ensure that revised training practices would serve the men and women of the State Police.

Governor Healey signed an executive order barring ICE from making civil arrests on non-public portions of state property, prohibiting the agency from using state facilities for staging purposes, and preventing state agencies from entering into agreements that allow local authorities to enforce federal immigration laws. Healey also filed legislation with the Legislature that attempts to bar federal immigration agents from entering non-state-owned spaces such as child care centers, schools, and day cares. State House lawmakers are simultaneously considering a separate bill from the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus that includes some overlapping measures, such as limiting 287(g) agreements between local authorities and ICE and banning warrantless civil immigration arrests at courthouses, though the two proposals diverge in key areas.

On January 29, 2026, Governor Healey signed an executive order restricting federal immigration agents from entering nonpublic areas of state facilities, using state resources for enforcement operations, and establishing new enforcement agreements with ICE, effective immediately. Healey also filed proposed legislation with the state Legislature that would extend restrictions to schools, day care facilities, hospitals, health clinics, courthouses, and houses of worship, prohibiting ICE officers from making civil arrests in these locations without judicial warrants. Legal experts characterized the executive order as legally sound and within the governor's authority, while noting that the broader legislative provisions covering non-state-owned spaces could face federal constitutional challenges.

The Healey administration began seizing homes in Bourne for the $2.1 billion Sagamore Bridge project and refused to disclose the compensation amounts paid to individual property owners, citing exemptions under state public records law. State officials argued that releasing appraisal information and award amounts could hinder ongoing negotiations with homeowners and claimed sensitivity regarding homeowners' privacy concerns. The state's position raised legal questions among eminent domain attorneys about whether compensation awards themselves, as distinct from appraisal work product, could properly be withheld from public disclosure.

Governor Healey and U.S. Attorney Leah Foley exchanged competing claims regarding whether Massachusetts state officials referred SNAP fraud cases to federal investigators following Foley's announcement of fraud charges involving over 100 stolen identities and approximately $1 million in fraudulently obtained SNAP and Public Unemployment Assistance benefits. Foley stated that no Massachusetts agency or official referred the fraudulent activity to her office, while Healey's administration asserted that the Department of Transitional Assistance had identified and reported the cases to federal authorities and provided documentation including a November 2024 email from a DTA fraud investigator to the USDA. The dispute centered on the role of state authorities in initiating the investigation into SNAP fraud schemes that Foley's office charged across multiple cases totaling over $8 million in benefits.

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu joined leaders from five other Greater Boston cities in issuing executive orders on Thursday that ban federal immigration enforcement officials from detaining people on municipal property and prohibit them from using city property as staging areas for enforcement operations. The coordinated orders from Boston, Cambridge, Somerville, Lynn, Newton, and Chelsea also direct city employees to use deescalation tactics during interactions with federal agents and require city officials to provide medical aid to injured persons and release surveillance footage documenting alleged federal agent misconduct. Wu stated the executive orders aim to protect residents from what she characterized as federal overreach, while a White House spokesperson rejected the actions and stated that ICE officers require protection from what she described as attacks and false characterizations by elected officials.

Healey signed an agreement with Danish Ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen at the State House calling for collaboration between Massachusetts and Denmark in the research, business, and non-profit sectors. The agreement was signed amid diplomatic efforts to maintain relations between Massachusetts and Denmark following tensions between the United States and Denmark over Greenland. Healey is also scheduled to host a delegation from Nova Scotia to sign an agreement related to offshore wind energy development.

Governor Healey announced legislation and an accompanying executive order to prohibit Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making warrantless civil arrests in courthouses, churches, and schools throughout Massachusetts. The proposal, now pending with the Legislature, represents what Healey's office characterized as the most comprehensive state-level action in the country to shield sensitive locations from ICE enforcement activities. The announcement drew calls from progressive Democrats within her party for additional measures to counter federal immigration enforcement operations.

Governor Healey wrote a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem objecting to the termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals, which was set to take effect in December 2024. Healey stated that Haitians with TPS hold significant positions in Massachusetts's healthcare workforce as home health aides, certified nursing assistants, and support staff, and that revoking their work authorization would worsen staffing shortages, increase healthcare costs, and reduce access to care in the state. The termination order was temporarily blocked by a federal judge before the deadline.

Healey signed a collaboration agreement with Danish ambassador Jesper Møller Sørensen at the State House on February 3, 2026, establishing a framework for sustained effort to facilitate collaboration between private and public research institutions, businesses and non-profit organizations in Massachusetts and Denmark. The agreement emphasized existing trade relationships between the two entities, with Healey noting approximately a quarter billion dollars in annual trade. The signing occurred amid broader diplomatic discussions between the United States, Greenland, and Denmark regarding Arctic security cooperation.

Healey issued a statement following a federal court ruling that blocked the Trump administration's termination of Temporary Protected Status for Haitians, stating that the decision was important for Haitian families in Massachusetts and would protect against disruption to the state's economy. Healey noted that TPS holders, particularly nurses and home health aides, are integral to the Massachusetts workforce, especially in the health care sector. Healey stated that without the court's intervention, thousands of essential employees would have lost their ability to work and patients dependent on caregivers would have suffered.

Gov. Healey proposed eliminating the 15-year statute of limitations for prosecuting rape cases in which DNA evidence matches a suspect, as part of her 2027 fiscal year budget recommendation. Current Massachusetts law prevents prosecution of rape cases after 15 years regardless of evidence, while 47 other states allow longer timeframes for prosecution. The proposal would apply to cases where the statute of limitations has not yet expired and to future sexual assaults, and requires passage by both chambers of the Legislature to become law.

Healey filed legislation that would bar federal immigration agents from entering spaces such as schools, courthouses, and hospitals in Massachusetts. She also announced plans to sign an executive order prohibiting ICE from using most state buildings and resources. These actions followed her criticism of ICE in her State of the Commonwealth address, where she stated the agency's actions make communities less safe.

On January 29, 2026, Governor Healey signed an executive order restricting Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities in Massachusetts, including banning new 287(g) agreements unless certified as addressing a specific public safety need, prohibiting ICE civil arrests in non-public areas of state facilities, and banning the use of state property for immigration enforcement staging. Healey also filed legislation HD 5610 designed to restrict ICE access to courthouses, schools, child care programs, hospitals, and churches, require gubernatorial permission for other states to deploy National Guard in Massachusetts, and allow parents to pre-arrange guardianship for their children in case of detention or deportation. Healey stated the measures constitute the most comprehensive effort in the country to protect against ICE activity in sensitive locations.

Healey signed an executive order prohibiting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state buildings, banning their use of state property for staging, and prohibiting state agencies from entering new 287(g) agreements with ICE unless there is a specific public safety risk. Healey announced legislation that would extend protections by effectively banning ICE arrests in schools, child care centers, hospitals, medical facilities, and courthouses unless agents present a judicial warrant, and would prohibit other states from sending National Guard units into Massachusetts without the governor's permission. The executive order takes effect immediately while the proposed bill requires approval from the state Legislature, with the Senate President expressing support but House leadership indicating plans for further discussion before committing to the measure.

Governor Healey announced on January 29, 2026, that she will file legislation to prohibit federal immigration agents from entering schools, day cares, hospitals, health clinics, courthouses, and houses of worship without a judicial warrant, and will sign an executive order barring ICE from making civil arrests in non-public areas of state buildings and from using state spaces for staging purposes. The legislation also would ban warrantless civil arrests in courthouses, prevent 287(g) agreements with ICE absent a public safety need, allow another state to send its National Guard into Massachusetts only with permission, and enable parents to pre-arrange guardianship for their children. Healey stated the actions align with previously established federal policy regarding sensitive spaces and are intended to protect state resources during the Trump administration's immigration enforcement operations.

The Massachusetts Senate unanimously approved legislation to overhaul the state's reading instruction requirements, requiring school districts to use state-approved curriculums featuring evidence-based strategies including phonics, vocabulary building, and oral comprehension. Governor Healey backed the reading reform bill, which followed House passage in October and addresses declining early reading scores across the state. The legislation must be reconciled between the House and Senate versions before being sent to Healey for signature.

Healey filed a $63.36 billion budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2027, representing a 3.8% increase in spending compared to the previous year's budget while projected tax revenues are expected to grow 2.9%. The spending plan includes $60.114 billion in line item spending, $2.7 billion supported by the state's income surtax, and a $550 million transfer to the Medical Assistance Trust Fund. Healey stated the budget aims to make life more affordable for Massachusetts residents and businesses while controlling spending and protecting taxpayer dollars.

Healey included $30 million in new administrative costs in her $63 billion budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 to comply with federal health policy changes enacted in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The funds will support upgrades to computer systems for determining Medicaid eligibility, expanded call center staffing, and additional in-house staff to process applications for MassHealth. These costs reflect state-level compliance with federal requirements including work hour mandates and twice-yearly eligibility checks that take effect in January 2027.

On January 27, 2026, Healey participated in a Holocaust Remembrance Day event in the Massachusetts State House Senate Reading Room alongside legislative leaders and an Auschwitz survivor. The Senate adopted a resolution recognizing the 81st anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp and International Holocaust Remembrance Day, with the House having adopted a similar resolution on January 20. Healey stated that the state is committed to implementing recommendations from the Commission on Antisemitism, which released a report in December addressing discrimination in K-12 schools, law enforcement and public safety, and workplace settings.

In September 2024, Healey signed legislation requiring the Department of Public Health to study the feasibility of establishing a professional guardianship program potentially funded through MassHealth. The program would employ paid certified guardians to make medical decisions for hospitalized patients who lack family or friends to serve in that role. The measure addresses a growing problem in Massachusetts hospitals where patients awaiting court-appointed guardians occupy beds needed for acute care, with some facilities reporting doubled or significantly increased numbers of such cases in recent years.

Healey filed a $63 billion fiscal 2027 budget that represents a 3.8% increase over the prior year and includes provisions to reduce MassHealth expenditures. The budget eliminates coverage for GLP-1 weight loss drugs under MassHealth and caps dental benefits at $1,000 annually as cost-containment measures, according to Administration and Finance Secretary Matthew Gorzkowicz. The budget allocates $22.7 billion for MassHealth while responding to approximately $3.5 billion in federal cuts to the state Medicaid program resulting from federal legislation.

Governor Maura Healey stated in her state of the commonwealth address that Massachusetts has surpassed 100,000 homes built, permitted, or under construction over the past three years and projected the state would exceed a target of 220,000 homes by 2035. Healey's remarks contextualized the impact of the 2021 MBTA Communities Act, which requires cities and towns served by the MBTA to allow multifamily housing by right. According to a Boston Indicators analysis, the law has produced nearly 7,000 housing units in the permitting, construction, or occupancy pipeline across more than 100 projects in 34 eastern Massachusetts communities.

Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox reported that the Boston Police Department did not take action on any of the 57 civil detainer requests received from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in 2025, in compliance with Boston's Trust Act. The Trust Act prohibits Boston police from detaining individuals beyond their release date unless ICE possesses a criminal warrant, restricting the department's ability to honor civil detainer requests or administrative warrants issued by immigration officials. Cox's letter to the city clerk documents the department's continued adherence to the Trust Act despite a September 2025 federal lawsuit filed by the Trump Administration challenging the city's immigration enforcement restrictions.

A federal judge ruled that construction on Vineyard Wind, a nearly complete offshore wind farm near Massachusetts, could resume after the Trump administration halted the project in December citing national security concerns. Judge Brian E. Murphy issued a stay on the administration's stop work order, finding that the government failed to provide reasonable explanation for suspending construction while simultaneously permitting the facility's 44 operational turbines to continue generating power. The $4.5 billion project, which is 95 percent complete and capable of generating 800 megawatts of renewable electricity, faced a March 31 deadline tied to financing arrangements and power contracts with Massachusetts utilities.

Governor Healey celebrated the activation of the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line on January 16, a 145-mile, $1.6 billion hydropower corridor built by Avangrid to deliver electricity from Canada to Massachusetts. During the first major winter weather event the following weekend, Hydro-Québec suspended deliveries through the new line to prioritize power for its own customers facing extreme cold and high demand within the province. The suspension occurred despite Healey's statement that the line would provide lower-cost electricity to serve approximately one million Massachusetts homes.

Gov. Maura Healey called on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to resign and for federal immigration agents to withdraw from cities like Minneapolis following a fatal shooting of a 37-year-old nurse by a U.S. Border Patrol officer. Healey stated that video footage from the incident showed the victim holding a cell phone, contradicting official accounts of the shooting. Bristol County Sheriff Paul Heroux joined Healey's call for Noem's resignation and also called for the resignation of the commander of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, citing insufficient training and lack of constitutional knowledge among agents.

Governor Healey announced her fiscal year 2027 budget proposal on January 26, 2026, which includes $10.4 billion in local aid, representing a 4.4% increase over the previous fiscal year. The proposal includes a 2.5% increase in unrestricted general government aid to municipalities, $7.6 billion in Chapter 70 education funding to fully implement the Student Opportunity Act, and $1.2 billion in road and bridge funding over four years through a separately filed bill. Healey's budget proposal is due to be filed by the January 28 deadline and fully funds the Special Education Circuit Breaker at $802.7 million and allocates $20 million to Rural School Aid.

Governor Healey signed legislation in 2024 creating the Massachusetts Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism, which was charged with adapting the US National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism for the state. The commission delivered its report in November 2024, the first of its kind in the nation, after conducting public meetings featuring testimony from more than 200 individuals including community leaders, educators, law enforcement officials, and students. The report included recommendations for K-12 schools, higher education institutions, workplaces, and law enforcement regarding antisemitism education, bias reporting, training requirements, and community protections.

During her State of the Commonwealth address on January 22, 2026, Healey announced she would file regulations to ban medical debt from being reported to credit agencies, aligning Massachusetts with fifteen other states that have adopted similar rules. The governor stated that such regulations would prevent medical bills from negatively affecting consumers' credit scores during illness-related financial hardship. This regulatory action represents one of six policy initiatives Healey outlined in her speech focused on affordability.

The Massachusetts State Senate released a comprehensive early literacy reform bill on Thursday with a scheduled vote for January 29, requiring school districts to use state-approved reading curriculums featuring evidence-based methods including phonics and oral comprehension instruction. The Senate version differs from the House bill by requiring the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to provide free kindergarten-to-Grade 3 curriculum to schools and by eliminating a proposed ban on the three-cueing reading technique. If passed, the legislation will proceed to Governor Healey, who has previously supported similar reading reforms through funding for curriculum improvements and teacher training.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio cited a $31,000 contract buyout issued by Gov. Healey's office to former deputy LaMar Cook in connection with a broader audit examining employee settlements across state agencies. DiZoglio presented findings regarding the settlement, noting that Cook had a criminal history including 2001 gun charges and was arrested in October on charges related to cocaine trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm. The auditor stated that Healey and other officials in power had allegedly worked to obstruct or disregard official audits related to such personnel settlements.

Healey announced a plan to allocate $180 million to reduce electricity bills by 25% and gas bills by 10% for residential utility customers during February and March. The initiative involves direct state funding covering an estimated 15% of electric bill reductions, with utility companies deferring an additional 10% of electric charges and approximately 10% of gas charges during those months, with recovery of deferred amounts scheduled for subsequent months. Healey detailed the proposal in her State of the Commonwealth address in January 2026.

Governor Healey announced during her State of the Commonwealth speech that Massachusetts will use $180 million in alternative compliance payment funds collected from utilities and electricity suppliers to reduce electric bills by up to 15 percent for February and March. The state will also provide an additional 10 percent temporary reduction on both electric and gas bills, affecting approximately 1.4 million gas customers and 2.5 million electric customers across five major utilities including Eversource and National Grid. The funds would normally be allocated to municipal and state clean energy and efficiency projects such as heat pump training programs and solar installations.

In December, Healey demanded that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency halt its immigration detention flights from Hanscom Field and other Massachusetts airports. Healey's statement followed research indicating that ICE deportation flights from Hanscom had more than doubled compared to the previous year. The demand was issued as an advisory commission at Hanscom Airfield explored whether the federal government was violating state regulations governing charter flight operations at the facility.

The Massachusetts Senate approved Senate Bill 2899 on a 37-1 vote, which would allow municipalities to provide tax credits to qualifying residents experiencing large property tax increases in years when a community's residential property tax levy rises more than 10 percent. The bill targets vulnerable populations including residents aged 65 and older, those enrolled in MassHealth, and households with young children, addressing the effect of tax increases concentrated in the third and fourth quarter bills. The Healey administration's announcement that fiscal year 2023 tax revenues fell nearly half a billion dollars short of projections preceded legislative consideration of the tax relief measure.

Healey appointed John Barros as interim chief executive of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, effective Wednesday. Barros, a former chief economic officer under Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and mayoral candidate, took the position following the December departure of Marcel Vernon Sr., the authority's first Black CEO. The appointment followed a meeting between Healey and Black leaders who had sent a letter requesting that the governor maintain commitment to Black leadership at the quasi-public agency.

Governor Healey sent a letter to the Massachusetts Parole Board on Tuesday opposing the parole request of Jose Colon, who was convicted of fatally shooting Massachusetts State Police Trooper George L. Hanna during a traffic stop in Auburn on February 26, 1983. Colon, who is serving a life sentence, became eligible to seek parole after the state Supreme Judicial Court in 2024 banned life without parole for offenders convicted of crimes committed when they were between ages 18 and 20. The parole hearing took place on Thursday, with Healey's opposition joining that of State Police Colonel Geoffrey Noble, the victim's family members, and the Worcester district attorney's office.

Governor Healey participated in a ceremonial event on Friday to mark the completion of the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line, a 145-mile power line project developed by Avangrid and Hydro-Quebec that connects Canadian hydropower to Massachusetts. The $1.6 billion project, which originated from clean energy legislation passed by the Massachusetts Legislature in 2016, is designed to supply electricity equivalent to the needs of approximately one million homes, or roughly one-fifth of Massachusetts' electricity demand. The transmission line began sending power to New England following its completion and testing, after a decade of legal challenges, regulatory proceedings, and political processes in Massachusetts and Maine.

Governor Healey announced that Massachusetts received notice of $5 million in terminated federal grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, with estimates suggesting tens of millions of dollars in total cuts to state agencies and nonprofits. The terminated grants included $499,000 to the Department of Mental Health for psychosis prevention and $2 million to the Department of Public Health for behavioral health integration with primary care. Healey stated that the cuts would affect programs supporting mental health and addiction treatment services, including those addressing homelessness and substance use disorders.

Governor Healey responded to President Trump's January 2026 threats to cut federal funding to sanctuary cities and states by criticizing the immigration enforcement actions being conducted by ICE. Healey stated that ICE operations were creating fear among Massachusetts residents that prevented them from attending school, work, court, and medical appointments, and that victims of violence were afraid to report crimes due to concerns about immigration enforcement. Healey argued that effective law enforcement requires cooperation between federal agents and local authorities rather than the unilateral enforcement actions being undertaken by the Trump administration.

Governor Healey wrote a letter to the Massachusetts Parole Board urging the board to deny parole for Jose Colon, who was convicted of murdering State Police Trooper George Hanna in 1983. Colon became eligible for parole consideration following a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision that ruled individuals aged 18 to 20 at the time of their crimes cannot be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Healey stated in her letter that she believed it was necessary to voice her "clear and unequivocal opposition" to Colon's release given the significance of the case.

The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection delayed implementation of the Clean Heat Standard from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2028, citing the need for additional time to gather stakeholder input and allow the market to develop. The Clean Heat Standard, established through an executive order by former Governor Charlie Baker, requires suppliers of natural gas, oil, and propane to provide increasing percentages of clean heating alternatives or purchase credits from providers of low-carbon heating services. Healey's office stated the delay would allow the administration to keep energy costs down while implementing the policy changes required under the state's NetZero by 2050 mandate.

Governor Healey submitted a letter to the Massachusetts Parole Board urging rejection of parole for Jose Colon, who was convicted of murdering State Trooper George Hanna in 1983 and became eligible for release following a 2024 Supreme Judicial Court ruling on life sentences for offenders aged 18 to 20 at the time of their crimes. Healey stated in her letter that releasing Colon would diminish the legacy of the Hanna Award Medal of Honor, which has been presented annually to law enforcement officers since its establishment in Hanna's name. The governor's office indicated that direct intervention in Parole Board decisions is uncommon for her office.

Governor Healey announced sweeping prior authorization reforms through Massachusetts insurance regulators that would eliminate pre-approval requirements for routine and essential health care services including emergency care, primary care, chronic care, and certain prescription drugs. The proposed regulations, to be filed by the Division of Insurance, would require insurers to respond to urgent requests within 24 hours, remove duplicative claims submissions, and standardize prior authorization practices across the health care system. Healey also announced the creation of a Health Care Affordability Working Group led by former Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh and Citizens Massachusetts President Lisa Murray to support implementation of the changes.

In November 2024, Healey signed legislation authorizing Massachusetts to join a nurse licensing compact, which allows nurses licensed in one state to practice in other compact states. Implementation of the compact is expected to take approximately 18 months, pending completion of Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal background check procedures. Additional interstate compact bills remain pending in the Massachusetts Legislature that would extend similar multistate licensing provisions to physicians, physician assistants, psychologists, and emergency medical service workers.

Healey's office sent a demand letter to the Massachusetts Retirement Board in January 2026 requesting that it withhold any pension refund owed to LaMar Cook, a former aide to Healey who was arrested on drug trafficking charges. Cook had paid into the state retirement system during his approximately three years working as an aide to Healey and his prior employment as a UMass Hotel manager since 2016, making him eligible for a refund despite being ineligible to collect a pension following his termination. Healey had previously instructed Attorney General Andrea Campbell to file suit to recover Cook's vacation and sick time buyback of $31,438.56, which the governor's office characterized as paid in error.

Healey appointed Eric Goralnick as Massachusetts Executive Office of Veterans Services secretary, effective in February 2026. Goralnick is an emergency physician and United States Navy veteran who previously served as associate professor at Harvard Medical School and worked in health system leadership at Mass. General Brigham. The appointment follows the departure of Jon Santiago, who held the Cabinet-level position since its elevation under a 2022 law.

Governor Healey announced a $36 million tax incentive package from the Commonwealth and Somerville to support TransMedics' relocation of its headquarters to Somerville, with the company committing to hire at least 600 new jobs and reach 900 employees at the site by 2032. The state's contribution of $18 million through the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center matches Somerville's $18 million in property tax breaks over ten years. The incentive package includes clawback provisions if TransMedics fails to meet its hiring commitments.

Massachusetts Governor Healey announced a series of safety reforms for assisted living facilities following a fire that killed 10 residents at Gabriel House in Fall River in July 2025. The reforms, detailed in a report from the Assisted Living Residents commission, include annual inspections signed off by local fire departments and health officials, annual emergency plan reviews, quarterly emergency exercises, and creation of a statewide online database providing families access to compliance records and facility information. Additional recommendations call for establishing a task force to study affordability of assisted living facilities and standardizing information on services, costs, staffing, and resident rights across facilities.

The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded $2.1 million in Grants for Registered Apprenticeship Opportunities in Workforce (GROW) funding to 34 organizations across Massachusetts to train and place more than 300 apprentices and pre-apprentices in high-growth industries including healthcare, manufacturing, clean energy, and life sciences. The grants, announced on November 4, 2026, combined nearly $2 million in state funding with federal support and included both contract renewals and new awards. Middlesex Community College received $125,000 as part of the awards to launch a surgical technology registered apprenticeship program in partnership with Lowell General Hospital and Tufts Medicine.

Governor Healey, who controls the majority of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority board seats, supported the board's unanimous vote to appoint John Barros as interim executive director of the agency, which operates three convention centers in Boston and Springfield as well as the Boston Common parking garage. Barros, who previously served as chief of economic development under Boston Mayor Marty Walsh from 2014 through 2021, began the position on January 14 at an annual salary of $330,000. The appointment followed the December 2024 departure of Marcel Vernon and addresses leadership instability at the authority following earlier departures of executive director David Gibbons in 2023 and interim director Gloria Larson.

Governor Healey released a statement in January 2026 acknowledging results from the 2025 Safety Belt Observational Study, which showed that seat belt usage in Massachusetts reached a record high for the third consecutive year. The study, mandated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, found seat belt usage increased to 85.58% in vehicles registered in Massachusetts, with the state also recording 342 fatal motor vehicle crashes in 2025 compared to 364 in 2024. Healey's statement credited partners in transportation, public safety, and local governments for their work enhancing road safety.

Healey called on GlobalX Airlines and Eastern Air Express to stop chartering flights used by ICE to deport people from Hanscom Field in Bedford. In her letter to the airlines, Healey stated that by contracting with ICE to execute these flights, the companies were profiting from what she characterized as tactics that facilitate obstruction of due process. Healey had previously sent a letter to federal immigration officials requesting they cease using Hanscom Field for deportation flights.

Healey announced the allocation of $250 million from a state trust fund to subsidize health insurance premiums for approximately 270,000 Massachusetts residents whose federal premium tax credits expired on December 31, 2025. The state subsidies limit premium increases for eligible individuals and families earning less than 400 percent of the federal poverty level who purchase coverage through the Massachusetts Health Connector. Healey stated that the measure would be combined with existing state health care investments to total $600 million annually in state health care spending.

Healey sent a letter to executives at GlobalX Airlines and Eastern Air Express calling on them to cease providing charter flights for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations at Hanscom Field in Bedford. Healey stated in the letter that the airlines' provision of aircraft and personnel to ICE enables federal agents to remove residents from Massachusetts within hours of arrest, which she characterized as obstructing due process and legal representation. This action represents Healey's continued effort to end federal deportation flights connected to Hanscom Field, following a similar letter sent to federal officials the previous month and an announcement by Avelo Airlines that it would stop providing such flights.

Two Massachusetts Republican state representatives requested that Governor Healey direct Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler to conduct a comprehensive audit of the Massachusetts Child Care Financial Assistance program following fraud allegations in Minnesota's childcare subsidy system. The lawmakers cited concerns that the similar voucher-based structure of Massachusetts's program, which serves over 66,000 children with approximately $1.087 billion in annual funding, could face comparable vulnerabilities. Healey's office did not immediately respond to the audit request, while state Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw stated that Massachusetts had not been directly implicated in fraud and that the state's federal childcare funding had not been disrupted.

Governor Maura Healey stated in November that the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line would deliver affordable hydropower from Quebec to Massachusetts, representing approximately 20% of the state's overall electricity supply. The NECEC project, which secured its final permit in November after years of regulatory hurdles, is expected to begin energy deliveries in January 2026 and deliver an estimated 1,200 megawatts of hydropower over a 20-year contract. Healey characterized the transmission line as part of the state's approach to lowering energy costs, with state officials estimating the project would reduce ratepayer bills by approximately $50 million annually and reduce carbon emissions by 3.6 million metric tons per year.

Healey did not include rent control proposals in the major housing production law passed by the Legislature and her administration in 2024. When asked on Boston Public Radio whether she would support a ballot measure to limit annual rent increases to either the Consumer Price Index or 5 percent, Healey stated she would not endorse the measure, citing concerns that rent control would discourage housing construction. Instead, Healey emphasized her administration's $2.34 billion capital investment plan for fiscal years 2026-2030 aimed at creating more than 6,000 new housing units.

The Healey administration and three electric utilities—Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil—agreed to extend the deadline for finalizing long-term power purchase contracts for two offshore wind projects, Avangrid's New England Wind 1 and Ocean Winds' SouthCoast Wind, to June 30, 2026. The extension represents the latest delay in a process that began with a multi-state effort involving Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to increase purchasing power for offshore wind development. The utilities cited ongoing federal-level uncertainty as the reason for the extension, as the projects depend on federal permits and face regulatory challenges from the Trump administration.

Healey signed the Shield Act into law in August 2024, with the legislation taking effect on January 1, 2026. The law mandates that Massachusetts hospitals provide emergency abortions when medically necessary and requires insurance companies to limit access to patients' electronic medical records. The Shield Act expands protections for those who seek or provide abortion and gender-affirming care in Massachusetts by blocking state agencies from sharing information with out-of-state investigations.

Governor Healey's administration extended the lease of the Inn & Conference Center in Lowell through June 30, 2026 to continue its operation as an emergency shelter facility. The state had initially leased the property for $333,333 per month beginning in December 2023 to address housing needs, and in November 2024 exercised a renewal option through December 2025 before extending the agreement further. As of the extension, the facility housed approximately 300 homeless and migrant families under rapid shelter and clinical safety risk programs, down from over 700 residents at the facility's peak.

Healey proposed spending $400 million to bolster research funding in response to federal funding cuts to Massachusetts. The proposal was designed to address approximately $400 million in lost federal funding to the state, with the education department accounting for about $120 million of those losses. The plan has not been taken up by the Legislature as of the time of this article.

Healey introduced new statewide graduation requirements in response to declining student test scores on national assessments, choosing Dedham as the event location to emphasize the state's education history. The proposed requirements include state tests in some required courses, senior year projects, and a state mandate on reading instruction pending before the state Senate. Healey stated the state would not surrender its ranking as the top-performing state on national education tests and indicated willingness to diverge from the state's leading teachers union on education policy measures.

Governor Healey requested that the state Department of Public Utilities launch an investigation into all charges on utility bills following widespread consumer complaints about elevated home-heating costs. The Department of Public Utilities announced the investigation in response to Healey's request. The inquiry examines billing practices across utility providers including National Grid and Eversource.

Healey's administration notified Tewksbury Public Schools that the district was ineligible for certain state grant funding in fiscal 2026 due to the town's noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act, which requires 177 eastern Massachusetts communities to adopt zoning allowing multifamily housing by right. The withheld grants included an Early College planning grant for $50,000, an Early College designation funding grant for $250,000 over five years, and a time-out practices implementation grant for $50,000. Healey's office subsequently clarified that two other school districts had been mistakenly informed of ineligibility for separate grant funding, though Tewksbury's status remained unchanged.

Healey signed House Bill 4772 on November 26, 2025, which authorizes the Division of Capital Asset Management and Maintenance to grant easements on state Department of Conservation and Recreation land parcels to the City of Lowell. The bill, cosponsored by state Representatives Rodney Elliott and Tara Hong, enables the city to construct and maintain outfall structures and drainpipes along the Merrimack River as part of the Centralville Sewer Separation Project. The project is designed to upgrade sewer and stormwater infrastructure across approximately 490 acres in the neighborhood and prevent combined sewer overflows during flooding events.

Healey joined three other northeastern governors in sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgess demanding that the Trump administration reverse its suspension of federal leases on five offshore wind farms in the northeast, including Vineyard Wind off the Massachusetts coast. The governors requested an immediate classified briefing to review the administration's stated national security rationale for the suspensions and noted that the projects had already undergone extensive reviews and received approvals from multiple federal agencies. Healey's office subsequently stated that Vineyard Wind could continue producing power under the suspension order.

The Healey-Driscoll administration awarded $2.4 million in Housing Development Incentive Program funds to the Turbine Building project in Lowell on December 22, 2025, supporting the creation of 27 market-rate housing units. The award was part of a broader announcement by Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll and Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Augustus of $15 million in HDIP awards to six projects across five Gateway Cities. The Housing Development Incentive Program, established with an expanded annual cap of $30 million following Governor Healey's 2023 tax cut package, has awarded $102 million in total credits to 46 projects, resulting in 2,742 new homes across 15 cities.

Governor Healey sent a letter to the Department of Homeland Security and ICE leadership in December 2025 demanding that ICE cease using private aircraft at Hanscom Field airport in Bedford for deportation flights. Healey stated in the letter that the practice of rapidly removing detainees out of state separated them from legal counsel and family without due process. The governor cited data indicating that a significant majority of people detained by ICE in Massachusetts over the preceding year had no criminal convictions or charges.

Governor Healey announced the Housing Development Incentive Program at Lowell City Hall in summer 2024, allocating $4.5 million to two downtown housing developments in the city. This represented the largest share of the $27 million distributed statewide to 14 projects through the HDIP program, which aimed to create 547 total new units across 11 Gateway Cities. The program supported Lowell's efforts to expand housing opportunities and strengthen neighborhoods through state-funded development incentives.

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources selected four battery storage projects as winners in a state energy storage procurement competition established through climate and energy legislation passed by the Legislature in 2024. The largest project, Trimount Energy Storage in Everett developed by Jupiter Power, would have a capacity of 700 megawatts and become New England's largest lithium-ion battery farm if constructed. The three major state electric utilities will now enter contract negotiations with the project owners, with final contracts requiring approval from the Department of Public Utilities.

Healey's administration announced plans to maintain access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth in Massachusetts following the Trump administration's proposal to restrict Medicaid and Medicare funding for such services. State officials indicated they have been preparing contingency measures, including potential use of state funding and alternative clinical settings, to preserve access to care if federal funding restrictions take effect. Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein stated that gender-affirming care remains legal in Massachusetts and that the state is working with hospitals to identify pathways to continue providing these services to patients under 18.

Healey's administration reported suspicious SNAP benefit redeeming activity at two Mattapan bodegas to federal authorities in November 2024, leading to federal charges against bodega owners Antonio Bonheur and Saul Alisme for allegedly trafficking nearly $7 million in food stamp benefits. U.S. Attorney Leah Foley announced the charges in December 2025, with Bonheur accused of redeeming $6.8 million in benefits and Alisme accused of redeeming $122,000. Healey stated in a press statement that her administration would support prosecution to the fullest extent of the law for those engaging in fraud or abuse of federal programs.

Governor Healey gathered with other state leaders on December 18, 2025, to commit to implementing recommendations from the Special Commission on Combating Antisemitism's final report released on December 1, 2025. The report offers specific measures to address antisemitism in K-12 schools, higher education, law enforcement, and workplace settings, including establishing an Advisory Council on Holocaust and Genocide Education and creating a statewide bias reporting program that explicitly includes antisemitism. Healey stated the administration would take necessary action to eradicate antisemitism in the commonwealth and beyond.

Healey requested that the Department of Public Utilities open an investigation into all delivery charges on electric and gas bills in Massachusetts to examine the causes of bill volatility and explore potential limits on monthly charge increases. The investigation, announced in a 26-page order on Monday, will occur in two phases, with the first phase examining fixed customer charges, infrastructure maintenance costs, and the state's net metering program for solar installations. Healey has separately filed legislation aimed at making energy affordable, though the bill has not yet advanced out of the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee.

Governor Healey called on the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities to launch a comprehensive review of gas and electric rates and charges to identify ways to lower customer costs. The DPU subsequently initiated an investigation into all delivery charges on electric and gas utility bills, examining whether certain charges should be eliminated, consolidated, redesigned, or subject to monthly increase limits. The review will occur in two phases, with the first phase focusing on delivery bill components and rate designs to reduce bill volatility, and the second phase addressing utility bill transparency and consistency across companies.

Massachusetts received over $55 million from the Environmental Protection Agency for lead service line identification and replacement following a monthslong delay that prompted complaint from the state's governor. The funding will assist municipalities and water providers in locating and replacing lead pipes that carry drinking water into homes, addressing infrastructure challenges in communities with limited records of pipe locations. The EPA simultaneously announced a revised national estimate of approximately 4 million lead service lines in the country, down from previous estimates of 6 to 10 million.

Healey issued a letter dated December 12, 2025, to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement demanding that ICE immediately cease using Hanscom Field airport in Bedford to transport detainees out of state. In the letter, Healey stated that a significant majority of people detained by ICE in Massachusetts over the past year had no criminal convictions or charges, and characterized the practice of flying detainees far from their support systems and legal counsel as obstructing due process. The governor requested that ICE stop using any Massachusetts airports and private jets for detainee transport and halt the practice across the country.

In 2025, Healey announced three new initiatives to accelerate accessory dwelling unit (ADU) development in Massachusetts following the state's legalization of ADUs in 2024. The initiatives included a $10 million homeowner assistance program to help residents navigate the ADU application process, a design challenge launching in January 2026 for architects and builders to create replicable ADU designs to be posted free online, and a reduced-rate loan program through MassHousing offering up to $250,000 for detached ADUs and $150,000 for attached ADUs to low- and middle-income homeowners. Healey's office indicated that additional policy changes addressing barriers to ADU development beyond zoning restrictions could follow.

Healey signed "An Act relative to assault and battery upon a transit worker" into law on December 3, 2025, which adds transit workers to the list of public employees protected from assault and battery with heightened penalties. The legislation establishes that offenders convicted of assault or battery against transit employees face sentences ranging from a minimum of 90 days to two and a half years in a house of correction, fines from $500 to $5,000, or both, and specifically defines projecting bodily fluids as assault. The heightened penalties took effect on March 3, 2026.

Governor Healey held a press conference at the State House in December 2025 demanding that congressional Republicans vote to extend Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire. Healey stated that over 328,000 Massachusetts residents using the state Health Connector would face premium increases up to $25,000 annually without the extension, with her office estimating an average increase of $1,300 per year and approximately $425 million in lost tax credits statewide. Healey characterized the expiration as part of broader cost increases resulting from Trump administration policies and called on President Trump and congressional Republicans to extend the credits.

In her annual State of the Judiciary address, Chief Justice Kimberly S. Budd characterized the Massachusetts court system as a stabilizing force and emphasized the importance of accountability and transparency in strengthening judicial reputation. Budd cited specific improvements the courts had implemented, including changes to assist self-represented individuals, a restarted judge review feedback process, and digital services such as an online eviction record sealing system that has been used for over 1,000 petitions since its launch. The address came following summer budget vetoes by Governor Healey that resulted in a hiring freeze and the loss of approximately 200 court system staff positions, though the legislature subsequently restored more than $9 million of the $24 million in cuts.

Healey convened a press conference to call on Republicans in Congress and President Trump to extend federal enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits set to expire on January 1, 2026. The governor stated that hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents could lose health coverage through the Health Connector and Mass Health if the subsidies expired and new eligibility restrictions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act took effect. Healey urged Congress and the Trump administration to extend the Biden-era credits that have temporarily expanded eligibility for lower health insurance premiums to Americans with income up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level.

The Healey administration informed Wachusett Regional High School and South Shore Vocational Technical High School that they were ineligible to receive Credit for Life grant awards for a student financial literacy program, citing their towns' non-compliance with the MBTA Communities Act zoning requirements. A state spokesperson subsequently stated the schools had been "mistakenly informed" of their ineligibility and that the error had been corrected, restoring their eligibility for the $3,200 grants. The schools received notification of the funding restoration by phone from the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation.

Governor Healey signed the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act into law in 2024, which established new wage transparency and reporting requirements for Massachusetts employers. The law requires employers with 100 or more employees to submit wage data to the state and mandates that employers with 25 or more employees disclose pay ranges for all job positions, with the second requirement taking effect on October 29, 2025. The state aggregates this information to create a database that employers can use when recruiting employees and determining wages, benefits, and career pathways.

Healey responded to the Trump administration's cancellation of an $87 million grant from the Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations awarded to Sublime Systems by characterizing the action as "backwards" and "harmful" to federal efforts. The grant cancellation led Sublime Systems, a Somerville-based startup developing low-carbon cement technology, to pause construction on its $150 million cement factory in Holyoke and reduce its workforce by 10 percent. Healey stated that the decision eliminated an opportunity to create hundreds of jobs and expand American manufacturing in the Northeast.

Governor Healey expressed support for legislation banning cellphones and smart watches during the school day in Massachusetts public schools. The state Senate voted to approve the ban in July, and House leadership has signaled recent interest in considering the measure. A poll released in late 2024 found that approximately 66 percent of Massachusetts parents surveyed supported a statewide cellphone ban in schools.

Governor Healey stated that Massachusetts would not provide recipient data to the Trump administration in response to threats to withhold Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program administrative funding from Democratic-led states. Healey characterized the federal request as unnecessary, asserting that Massachusetts already verifies SNAP eligibility and that a federal court had ruled on the matter. The dispute arose after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced the administration would cut SNAP administrative funds from states refusing to submit data including beneficiary names and immigration status.

Governor Healey signed legislation in November as part of a supplementary budget measure that increases public access to records from Massachusetts state institutions where people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were housed. Under the law, family members and academic researchers may access records of deceased residents if the subject has been dead for 50 years, while the general public may access documents that are at least 75 years old and involve subjects deceased for at least 50 years. The legislation resulted from a commission report on state policies that had previously obscured the institutional history.

Healey signed legislation on December 3, 2025, that expands legal protections for transit workers by adding them to the state law imposing heightened penalties for assault and battery against public employees. The bill clarifies that assault and battery includes the use of bodily substances such as saliva or urine, with potential sentences ranging from 90 days to two and a half years in a house of correction, fines between $500 and $5,000, or both. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Joseph McGonagle and Sen. Nick Collins in response to reported increases in assaults on transit workers, with 654 assaults recorded on transit workers in the previous year.

Healey announced that Massachusetts would not provide data to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food and Nutrition Service regarding SNAP recipients, citing a U.S. District Court preliminary injunction from October that temporarily blocked the Trump administration's efforts to withhold federal SNAP funding from states refusing to comply. The Trump administration, through Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, threatened to halt SNAP funding to 21 states beginning the following week unless they provided recipient information including immigration status, names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers. Healey stated that the administration must comply with the court order and immediately release SNAP funding to ensure continued food assistance.

Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, as a member of the newly formed Northeast Public Health Collaborative alongside Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island, issued a state recommendation reaffirming that all infants receive hepatitis B vaccination within 24 hours of birth. This action was taken in advance of a potential federal policy change by the CDC's vaccine advisory panel, which was scheduled to vote on whether to reverse a 34-year-old national recommendation for universal newborn hepatitis B immunization. Goldstein characterized the collaborative states' move as "prebunking" to ensure continued vaccine access in Massachusetts regardless of federal policy shifts.

Governor Healey announced on December 3, 2025 that Massachusetts would maintain vaccine availability for children regardless of changes to federal vaccination recommendations being considered by a federal advisory panel. Healey stated that the state would provide vaccine information based on scientific evidence and that vaccines would remain available in Massachusetts independent of federal policy decisions, as states retain authority to set their own vaccination policies. The announcement preceded a federal meeting to discuss modifications to the childhood vaccination schedule, including potential changes to hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for newborns.

Healey announced $27 million in grant funding distributed by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to 67 organizations across the state in November 2025 to support climate workforce training and career development programs. The grants, distributed across six program categories including equity workforce training, climate-critical workforce training, and student career awareness initiatives, are designed to provide training and support to more than 13,000 residents and hundreds of businesses over three years. Organizations in Lowell and the Greater Lawrence region received funding for programs including the Clean Energy Career Exploration Program, the Renewable Futures Lab, and pre-apprenticeship initiatives aimed at low-income and underrepresented communities.

Governor Healey attended a state awards ceremony on November 25, 2025, at Mechanics Hall in Worcester where she and other state officials honored 170 firefighters across Massachusetts for heroism and meritorious service. The ceremony recognized emergency responders from 15 local fire departments and two state agencies for their actions during 17 emergencies between June 20, 2024, and June 30, 2025, presenting two individual citations for meritorious conduct, ten group citations, and thirteen Medals of Valor. Members of the Fitchburg and Lowell fire departments were among those recognized, with Fitchburg firefighter Antonio Similia receiving a Medal of Valor for saving four lives during a fire.

Gov. Healey formed the K-12 Statewide Graduation Council through an executive order in January 2025 to develop new statewide high school graduation requirements following voter approval of a ballot measure to eliminate the MCAS graduation requirement in 2024. The council recommended a "demonstration of mastery" framework that includes end-of-course exams administered by the state alongside locally-designed capstones or portfolios, with passage of the exams not required for diploma eligibility. Healey announced the recommendations at a press conference in Dedham on December 1, 2025, stating the new model reflects the state's commitment to high expectations while the council prepares a final report scheduled for June 2026 that will require legislative action.

Governor Healey's office announced that electric battery-assisted trains arriving on the MBTA's Fairmount Line in early 2028 would operate every 20 minutes on weekdays, an increase from the current 30-minute frequency. The switch from diesel to electric trains is expected to result in notably less air pollution in the served neighborhoods, including Mattapan, which has experienced high rates of asthma-related emergency visits. The Fairmount Line, running from South Station to Readville, will become the first commuter rail line in Massachusetts to run 100 percent electric trains.

Healey issued a statement denouncing US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for directing changes to CDC website content that linked vaccines to autism, calling the claims dangerous falsehoods contradicted by decades of scientific research. Healey stated that vaccines are safe and effective and that no connection between vaccines and autism exists, characterizing the CDC's reversal of its long-held position on this matter as undermining public health based on ideology rather than evidence. Healey also cited other recent CDC guidance she characterized as baseless and misleading, including claims about Tylenol during pregnancy and fluoride in drinking water.

The Massachusetts House and Senate approved H 4761, a $2.3 billion supplemental budget, with votes of 149-9 and 38-0 respectively, and sent the legislation to Governor Healey for action. The budget allocated $1.67 billion for MassHealth, $374 million for Steward hospital payments, $60.7 million for snow and ice removal, $50 million for the Housing Preservation and Stabilization Trust Fund, and funding for various other programs including reproductive health care and indigent legal services. The supplemental budget also included provisions criminalizing impersonation of federal officers, protecting unpaid federal employees from eviction during government shutdowns, and establishing a Sports and Entertainment Fund with $10 million in initial funding.

The Massachusetts Legislature approved updated zoning and development legislation for the former South Weymouth Naval Air Station and sent it to Governor Healey for signature. The legislation removes previous statutory caps that limited housing development at the 1,400-acre site to 2,855 units, allowing the current development team of New England Development and Brookfield Properties to pursue plans for more than 6,000 new housing units. Construction is expected to resume in 2026 at the former air base, which closed nearly 30 years ago.

Governor Healey's administration joined a coalition of other states to issue its own guidance to the public about COVID vaccines in response to the weakening of federal COVID vaccine recommendations. Healey took steps to expand access to COVID vaccine shots. The state's actions represented a divergence from federal vaccine policy under the Trump administration.

Healey signed legislation in December 2023 that enabled utilities to recover increased costs associated with the New England Clean Energy Connect transmission line project, which experienced delays due to a 2021 Maine referendum. Under this law, utilities can pass cost increases along to ratepayers, with the total recovery potentially reaching $1.4 billion over 20 years. State regulators approved a settlement in January allowing Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil to recover $521 million in additional costs tied to the project delays.

Governor Healey issued a statement celebrating the completion of permitting for the New England Clean Energy Connect, a 145-mile transmission line that will deliver hydroelectric power from Quebec to Massachusetts. The project, developed by Avangrid, received its final regulatory approval in 2025 and is expected to become operational by the end of that year, delivering approximately 1,200 megawatts of hydropower to the New England grid. Healey characterized the transmission line as part of the state's energy strategy and noted it would provide affordable and stable power to Massachusetts residents and businesses.

Healey called on President Trump to release Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding on November 20, 2025, stating that federal heating assistance should be distributed immediately as cold weather approached New England. Healey sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought requesting the highest possible amount of LIHEAP funding be released and requesting the program be fully staffed and operational. Healey stated that the Trump administration's delay in releasing the funds was unacceptable given the approaching polar vortex and the needs of Massachusetts residents eligible for the assistance.

Healey appointed Gina Kwon as Secretary of Public Safety and Security, a position overseeing the state's second-largest secretariat including the Massachusetts State Police, Department of Correction, and related agencies. Kwon previously served as undersecretary for law enforcement in the same office and worked in Healey's Attorney General's office beginning in 2014, where she led the criminal bureau. The appointment filled a vacancy created by the September retirement of Terrence Reidy.

Attorney General Healey's office issued a report in December 2020 concluding that Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson violated the civil rights of federal immigration detainees by using excessive force during a May 2020 altercation, employing weapons including pepper spray, pepper-balls, flash bang grenades, and canines. Healey recommended that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security terminate its contracts with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office and requested the immediate transfer of immigration detainees held at the facility to other locations. The investigation followed a disturbance among detainees who refused to leave their unit for COVID-19 screening due to health concerns.

Healey appointed Giselle Byrd, a Black transgender woman and executive director of Theater Offensive in Boston, to the Massachusetts Commission on the Status of Women during the summer. Byrd subsequently reported receiving death threats on social media and by email after news of her appointment circulated in November through an article published by The Heartlander. Healey publicly defended Byrd's appointment, describing her as "a highly respected leader in the Boston Arts community who is committed to the advancement of women," and noted that the Commission has a bipartisan history of LGBT representation.

Massachusetts House and Senate Democrats agreed to withhold millions of dollars in sheriff funding requested for fiscal year 2025 budget overruns until the state's inspector general completes an investigation into county sheriff finances, as part of a $2.3 billion compromise spending bill sent to Governor Maura Healey. Lawmakers allocated funding only for no-cost inmate phone calls and state-mandated medical treatments while requiring the inspector general to submit a preliminary report by February 27 and a final report by May 31. The compromise bill eliminated a Senate proposal to create a statewide oversight council for sheriff spending, with House budget chief Aaron Michlewitz stating that lawmakers preferred to await the inspector general's findings before establishing such oversight.

Attorney General Healey issued a report in December 2020 finding that Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson and his staff violated the civil rights of immigrant detainees during a violent altercation, documenting the use of excessive force including pepper spray, pepper-balls, anti-riot shields, and canines. Following Healey's investigation, the Department of Homeland Security terminated its contracts with the Bristol County Sheriff's Office for housing federal immigration detainees and ended the office's participation in the 287(g) program, which had deputized county officials to perform limited immigration enforcement duties. Healey applauded the federal action in a statement released after the contract termination was announced.

Governor Healey, while serving as Massachusetts attorney general in 2020, issued a report finding that the Bristol County Sheriff's Office violated the civil rights of Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainees held at the facility. The report followed a violent incident in 2020 in which sixteen detainees were allegedly subjected to mistreatment and excessive use of force, leading to hospitalizations. The federal government subsequently canceled its contract with the jail in 2021, and the civil rights lawsuit was settled for $800,000 in 2025.

Healey issued a statement regarding an Immigration and Customs Enforcement operation at an Allston car wash that resulted in nine detentions, characterizing the incident as an attack on working community members, many of whom she stated were legally authorized to work in the United States. Healey's office stated that those who encouraged ICE enforcement based on ethnicity and appearance should be denounced. The statement came in response to social media posts by a Boston University College Republicans intern and campaign worker that suggested involvement in reporting workers to ICE.

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced $7.4 million in workforce development grant funding for 16 initiatives across Massachusetts designed to train and place workers in in-demand occupations. Middlesex Community College received $498,160 from the Senator Kenneth J. Donnelly Workforce Success grants to train 104 unemployed or under-employed residents to become certified nurse assistants, in partnership with Carleton-Willard Village in Bedford and Sunny Acres Nursing Home in Chelmsford. The grant funding is administered by Commonwealth Corporation through the state's Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund and aims to close skills gaps and increase access to well-paying jobs for residents throughout Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Senate advanced legislation that would grant Governor Maura Healey authority to appoint two commissioners to the Cannabis Control Commission, including the chair, while reducing the total number of commissioners from five to three. The bill, which the Senate planned to debate the following week, also designated the attorney general to appoint the third commissioner and granted the commission chair authority to appoint the executive director. The legislation represented a modification of a House-passed version that had proposed giving the governor sole power to appoint all three commissioners.

Healey proposed the "Energy Affordability, Independence, and Innovation Act" earlier in 2025, legislation designed to address both energy affordability and clean energy transition objectives through measures including a $13 billion increase in energy supply, prohibition of utility shutoffs during heat waves, expansion of moderate-income gas discounts, acceleration of clean energy deployment, promotion of non-gas heating systems, and expansion of electric vehicle access. The bill remained under review by the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy as of November 2025. A competing House omnibus energy bill, sponsored by Mark Cusack, proposed alternative approaches including reorienting the Mass Save program toward cost effectiveness rather than greenhouse gas reduction and temporarily reducing renewable energy procurement requirements.

Massachusetts Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro called on state lawmakers to pass legislation that would transfer oversight of the Cannabis Control Commission to Governor Maura Healey, giving her sole authority to appoint all commissioners. Shapiro's recommendation followed a March 2025 report finding the commission had failed to collect more than $1.7 million in fees and cited structural confusion regarding the roles of the chair and executive director. The House passed the oversight bill in June 2025, but the state Senate had not taken action on the measure as of November 2025.

Healey announced on November 10, 2025 that all Massachusetts residents eligible for federal SNAP benefits had received their full benefits for the month, following a dispute between the state and the U.S. Department of Agriculture over benefit delivery during a federal government shutdown. The Healey administration had previously launched a SNAP relief fund with United Way on October 24 that had raised over $5 million by the time of the announcement, with funds being distributed to food pantries and organizations across the state. Healey stated that the state would continue to distribute SNAP benefits to eligible residents in the normal course as people became eligible over the coming days and months.

Healey directed the distribution of full November SNAP payments to approximately half of Massachusetts's 1.1 million SNAP recipients over the weekend, acting between court rulings that allowed and then ordered the disbursement. Healey stated she is not concerned about potential financial penalties from the Trump administration for the payment distribution, saying she is comfortable with the legal position. Healey announced she does not support the Senate deal to end the government shutdown and fund SNAP through September because it does not extend Affordable Care Act subsidies that expire at the end of the year, though the deal includes a promised vote on the subsidies in December.

Healey announced that Massachusetts would not reclaim Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits that were issued to residents following a Trump administration order directing states to recover those funds. A federal judge in Massachusetts granted a motion by the state's attorney general to temporarily block Trump administration efforts to force states to claw back or cease issuing full SNAP payments, with the judge finding that states had acted reasonably in line with federal guidance. Healey stated at a press conference that she refused to penalize residents and directed SNAP recipients to use their benefits, while warning that the state would pursue legal action if the federal government followed through on threats to punish states for maintaining the payments.

Massachusetts Governor Healey responded to a federal government shutdown and contradictory USDA directives regarding Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits by threatening legal action against the Trump administration on Sunday. Healey assured residents that they should continue using nutrition benefits for food purchases while her office pursued court proceedings. Attorney General Andrea Campbell stated the office would not allow the administration to use Massachusetts residents as political bargaining chips and indicated the state would pursue litigation.

The Massachusetts Department of Correction announced it hired clinical psychologist Sharen Barboza to review six suicides or suspected suicides among incarcerated individuals in 2024, a significant increase from previous years when the agency reported zero to one such deaths annually. Commissioner Shawn Jenkins, who was appointed by Governor Maura Healey, stated that the agency plans to reinforce suicide prevention training for staff, continue protocols for timely clinical care to at-risk prisoners, and expand support for correction officers. The review follows a 2020 federal Department of Justice finding that the state prison agency was not adequately supervising inmates experiencing mental health crises.

Healey's administration spent $109 million on emergency shelters and related services over four months through mid-October, remaining within the $276 million allocated in the fiscal 2026 budget signed in July. The spending included over $56 million on shelter locations and services, $45 million on the HomeBase rental assistance program, and $5 million on regional agency payments. The administration reported that the number of families in emergency shelters declined to 2,047 as of October, down from over 7,600 at the peak in July 2024.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey criticized a federal judge's ruling that allowed the Trump administration to reconsider the Construction and Operations Plan permit for the SouthCoast Wind offshore wind project near Massachusetts. Healey stated that New England requires the power generation from the project to lower costs and ensure reliability. The judge's decision permits the Trump administration to review the permit that was finalized in January 2025, potentially resulting in re-approval or denial.

Healey's administration proposed voluntary buyout packages to state employees, offering $10,000 to those who resign and $20,000 to those who retire, with vacant positions to be eliminated rather than refilled. The proposal was discussed with union representatives including SEIU 509 and the Massachusetts Nurses Association, both of which stated they had not agreed to the plan and sought additional information. The administration indicated the buyouts were being considered as a cost-saving measure in response to projected revenue losses from federal policy changes.

Governor Healey signed legislation in August that increased the hourly pay rate for court-appointed defense attorneys by $20 over two years and authorized a doubling of the Committee for Public Counsel Services staff positions. The bill was enacted as part of efforts to address an ongoing work stoppage by bar advocates who had ceased taking cases since May over compensation concerns. The pay increase and expansion of public defender staff aimed to reduce the proportion of cases handled by private bar advocates and help resolve the crisis of unrepresented defendants in the Massachusetts court system.

Governor Healey signed legislation that strengthens transgender and reproductive health care rights in response to actions by the Trump administration. This standalone bill represents the primary legislative response from Massachusetts state government to federal policy changes affecting health care access. The measure became law after being advanced by a Senate committee tasked with developing policy responses to Trump administration actions.

Healey filed the Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) bill (H 4375) on July 31, requesting $400 million in state investment distributed between medical research and higher education infrastructure. The bill allocates $200 million from the Stabilization Fund's interest earnings to a multiyear research funding pool for hospitals, universities, and independent research institutions, and directs another $200 million to a higher education bridge funding reserve supported by income surtax revenue. Healey urged lawmakers on November 2 to advance the legislation as an initial commitment to prevent talent and companies from leaving the state amid federal funding reductions.

Governor Healey stated that Massachusetts could not make up the shortfall created by the Trump administration's freeze of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits that took effect on November 1 and affected more than 1 million state residents. Healey suggested that the public donate to a United Way fund in response to the benefits freeze. The freeze was projected to deny more than 300,000 children in Massachusetts access to groceries and affect over 48 percent of SNAP recipients who were older or disabled individuals.

The Healey administration stated it would review a potential amendment to the Fiscal Year 2025 closeout supplemental budget that would restore regular public reporting on spending within Massachusetts' emergency shelter system. The Senate unanimously approved the amendment, which would require ongoing reports on shelter system expenditures and HomeBase rental assistance program spending, including demographic data on participants. Governor Healey's decision on whether to sign the amendment into law would come after the measure receives Conference Committee approval.

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that preliminary fall 2025 enrollment data showed Massachusetts' public colleges and universities had returned to pre-pandemic student levels, with undergraduate headcount reaching nearly 175,000 students across the state's 29 public two- and four-year institutions. Community college enrollment grew 11.4% from the previous fall and 38.5% since fall 2022, largely attributable to the MassReconnect program launched in fall 2023, which provided free community college attendance for students 25 and older, and the MassEducate program included in the fiscal 2025 budget, which extended free community college to all eligible students regardless of income level. The state also doubled financial aid in recent years, with the fiscal 2026 budget allocating nearly $400 million to financial aid programs, making tuition and fees free for eligible Pell Grant recipients at all public two- and four-year colleges and universities.

A bill awaiting Healey's signature would require the Massachusetts Executive Office of Administration and Finance to publish detailed biweekly spending reports on the state's emergency shelter system and HomeBase rental assistance program to the public. The requirement would restore transparency measures that lapsed when a state law mandating regular public accounting of shelter spending expired at the start of fiscal year 2025. If signed, the provision in the fiscal 2025 closeout supplemental budget would direct the state to include demographic data on program participants and documentation of real-time expenditures on shelter costs and services designed to move families out of shelter.

Gov. Healey announced that Massachusetts would advance $4 million in emergency food assistance to food banks by doubling the monthly allocation from the existing Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program in response to the cessation of federal SNAP payments during a government shutdown. The state did not use funds from its stabilization reserve to supplement SNAP benefits directly to residents, with Healey citing the need to preserve resources for other anticipated federal program cutoffs including WIC and heating assistance. The announcement came as approximately 1.1 million Massachusetts residents faced the loss of roughly $240 million in monthly federal food assistance beginning November 1, 2025.

Governor Healey stated that state funds cannot approach the $200 million monthly federal contribution to food assistance and declined to access the state's reserve fund to cover potential losses from a federal SNAP benefits cutoff. Healey identified $8 million in state funding to support food banks in the following month in response to the threatened interruption of benefits affecting over one million state residents. The governor's allocation represented a partial state response to the budgetary gap created by the federal government shutdown that threatened to suspend Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program payments.

Following a deadly fire at Gabriel House assisted living center in Fall River in July 2025 that killed ten residents, Healey announced new annual safety requirements for assisted living residences across Massachusetts. The state distributed survey results from all 272 assisted living facilities to local fire departments and began requiring facilities to secure annual sign-offs from their municipal fire departments. Thirty-six facilities that reported deficiencies in fire drills, mutual aid plans, or emergency coordination protocols were directed to submit corrective action plans within 45 days, with the state conducting targeted reviews of their training logs and emergency preparedness protocols.

Governor Healey encouraged residents with means to support philanthropic organizations and food banks responding to a federal SNAP funding stoppage beginning November 1, 2025, due to a government shutdown that would affect over 1.1 million Massachusetts residents relying on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Healey's statement came as United Ways across Massachusetts launched the United Response Fund to support local food programs during the federal funding interruption. The governor characterized the anticipated community response as consistent with Massachusetts residents stepping up to help neighbors in need during the funding gap.

Healey announced $4 million in additional state funding from the Massachusetts Emergency Food Assistance Program to food banks in November 2025, doubling the regular monthly payment to $8 million in response to federal SNAP benefits expiring during a government shutdown. She declined to allocate funds from Massachusetts' $8.6 billion rainy day reserve account to cover SNAP benefits, citing concerns that doing so would establish a precedent for other expiring federal programs and that the state would not be reimbursed by the federal government for such expenditures. Healey called on the Trump administration to utilize a $5 billion federal contingency fund to maintain SNAP program funding.

Healey included a provision in the Municipal Empowerment Act (H 56) to address the removal of utility poles that remain in place after replacements are installed. The legislation extends the timeline for utility companies to remove old poles from 90 days to 180 days while granting municipalities authority to enforce the deadline through $1,000 penalties for non-compliance. The double pole provision would take effect one year after the bill is signed into law to allow utilities and municipalities time to coordinate implementation.

Governor Healey announced that Massachusetts would double its allocation to food banks and pantries to $8 million for November in response to the impending lapse of federal SNAP benefits during a government shutdown. The state's action came as Healey faced pressure to use Massachusetts' budget surplus to assist residents losing food assistance benefits. Healey attributed responsibility for the situation to the federal government's shutdown.

Healey proposed the Municipal Empowerment Act, which would address the persistent problem of utility companies failing to remove obsolete utility poles within required timeframes. The legislation would extend the removal deadline from 90 days to 180 days while granting municipalities the authority to levy $1,000 fines against utilities that fail to comply with the deadline. The provision would take effect one year after the bill's enactment to allow time for utilities and municipalities to coordinate implementation.

Governor Healey signed a pay transparency law in the previous year that took effect on October 29, 2025, requiring certain employers in Massachusetts to include wage or salary range information in all job listings. The law applies to private and public organizations with 25 or more employees working primarily in Massachusetts and requires employers to disclose the minimum and maximum amounts they reasonably expect to pay for specific positions. Employees also gained the right to request the pay range for their current job or positions they are applying for through promotion or transfer, with violations subject to warnings and fines of $500 to $1,000 for repeat offenses.

Healey stated that Massachusetts cannot backfill the loss of federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding and called on the Trump administration to use a federal contingency fund to maintain SNAP benefits during the government shutdown. Healey characterized the situation as requiring the president to follow precedent set by previous administrations in deploying billions of dollars in emergency reserves designated for the food assistance program. House leaders subsequently announced they would not use the state's rainy day fund to cover the shortfall in federal food assistance benefits.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities rejected Eversource's proposed 13 percent winter rate increase for approximately 300,000 gas customers in the former NSTAR service territory, determining the company had not achieved required performance metrics including customer satisfaction standards. The DPU reduced Eversource's revenue requirement by $45 million, with the resulting lower rates set to take effect on November 1. The DPU stated it would continue to prioritize energy affordability and enforce performance standards for investor-owned utilities.

Attorney General Campbell filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Massachusetts against the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Secretary Brooke Rollins on October 28, 2025, seeking a court order to maintain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits during a federal government shutdown. Campbell led a coalition of 22 state attorneys general in the action, which aimed to prevent the suspension of SNAP benefits affecting 40 million Americans and sought immediate restoration of benefits through a temporary restraining order. Campbell stated the suspension would create a monthly gap of nearly $240 million for Massachusetts residents and economic harm to the state.

Healey proposed the Municipal Empowerment Act, legislation that would allow Massachusetts cities and towns to increase local option taxes including raising the lodging tax ceiling from 6 percent to 7 percent, increasing the meals tax from 0.75 percent to 1 percent, and adding up to 5 percent to the Motor Vehicle Excise tax with revenues dedicated to local stabilization funds. The bill also included measures to reduce municipal costs through expanded regionalization of services and procurement reforms. This represented the second time Healey filed the Municipal Empowerment Act after the Legislature did not advance the proposal in the previous year.

Governor Healey signed Massachusetts' wage transparency law, which took full effect in 2024 and requires employers with 25 or more Massachusetts-based employees to post salary ranges on job listings and disclose pay ranges to current employees upon request. The law additionally mandates that employers with 100 or more Massachusetts workers submit annual pay data disaggregated by gender, race, ethnicity, and job category to the state attorney general, who is tasked with enforcement and has authority to issue fines for non-compliance. The legislation, now adopted in more than a dozen states, aims to address wage gaps between men and women and among racial and ethnic groups through increased pay transparency.

Healey stated that Massachusetts could not afford to cover the estimated $240 million monthly cost of SNAP benefits if federal funding was suspended during the government shutdown. Instead of pledging state funds, Healey directed residents to contribute to a United Way fundraising effort supporting food banks. Healey declined to join California, Colorado, and Vermont in pledging taxpayer money from the state's "rainy day" fund to provide temporary relief for the more than 1 million Massachusetts residents receiving SNAP benefits.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey warned that more than 1 million state residents could lose access to federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits beginning November 1 due to the federal government shutdown. Healey publicly attributed the disruption to President Trump. The warning came after the U.S. Department of Agriculture announced that SNAP benefits would not be issued to approximately 42 million Americans in November because of the shutdown.

On October 27, 2025, Healey announced up to $25 million in state and local funding in partnership with the city of Lowell to support construction of the Draper Labs Integrated Microelectronics Production & Advanced Chip Technology Center, known as the IMPACT Center. The investment is expected to support up to 200 new jobs and enable Draper to continue executing hundreds of millions of dollars in defense contracts within Massachusetts. The center will generate state and local tax revenue, support education and workforce development, and contribute to the innovation ecosystem in Lowell's Innovation Network Corridor.

The Massachusetts Senate passed a $2.3 billion spending package and voted to override $70.4 million in vetoes that Governor Healey had sought to remove from the fiscal 2026 budget more than three months earlier. The veto overrides restored funding to Trial Courts, MassHealth nursing home supplemental rates, early intervention services, career technical institutes, and charter school reimbursements, among other accounts. Healey's vetoes related to environmental law enforcement, the Department of Agricultural Resources, and several other programs remained in place following the legislative action.

Healey's office received notification from county sheriffs of $121 million in budget overruns for fiscal 2025, which the administration subsequently reported to the Legislature. The Governor's budget office included provisions in a multi-billion-dollar spending bill requiring the Inspector General's Office to investigate sheriff department spending and establishing an oversight council to monitor their finances. The legislation withheld funds to cover the sheriff departments' budget deficits pending implementation of these oversight measures.

Healey called on President Trump to release federal contingency funds to continue the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program during the government shutdown, stating that approximately 1.1 million Massachusetts residents faced potential loss of food benefits. Healey noted that approximately 300,000 SNAP recipients in the state are children and hundreds of thousands are people with disabilities, and that Massachusetts receives approximately $240 million monthly in federal SNAP funding that cannot be covered by the state budget. Healey announced that a new program through the United Way would accept donations to support people losing food assistance.

Governor Healey vetoed $70.4 million from the fiscal 2026 budget, which the Massachusetts Senate subsequently voted to restore through veto overrides on October 24, 2025. The restored funding was directed toward MassHealth, financial aid at public colleges and universities, free school meals, Trial Courts, nursing home supplemental rates, early intervention services, career technical institutes, and charter school reimbursements, among other accounts. The Senate allowed Healey's vetoes to stand on other items including environmental law enforcement, the Department of Agricultural Resources, and the Massachusetts Transportation Trust Fund.

Governor Healey ordered the K-12 Graduation Council to review graduation standards across the United States and recommend a path for Massachusetts by June 2026, following voter approval of a 2024 ballot measure that removed the requirement for students to pass the MCAS standardized test to receive a diploma. The council, composed of state education leaders, educators, union representatives, students, parents, and business executives, released a "Vision of a Massachusetts Graduate" framework outlining six broad skills students should demonstrate before graduation. An early draft of recommendations under council review includes the possibility of state-designed end-of-course exams as a replacement metric for determining graduation readiness.

Governor Healey signed legislation requiring Massachusetts employers with 25 or more employees to include salary ranges in job postings and allow current employees to request pay range information for their positions, promotions, or job offers. The law took effect on October 29 and was designed to increase wage transparency across the state. Healey characterized the measure as an important step toward closing wage gaps, particularly for women and people of color.

Governor Healey filed a spending bill that included $162 million in supplemental funding to cover deficits accumulated by the state's 14 county sheriff departments, with her budget office later revising the total deficit figure to approximately $121.5 million. Massachusetts Senate Democrats proposed legislation, included in a wider $2.3 billion spending bill scheduled for a Thursday vote, to create a new oversight panel with authority to monitor sheriff spending and install a receiver to take control of offices that fail to meet state-imposed financial plans. The Senate proposal represents a more expansive supervisory approach than the House's alternative bill, which would withhold over $100 million in requested supplemental funding and task the state inspector general with investigating sheriff spending.

Governor Healey, along with U.S. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey and Congressman William Keating, issued a joint statement responding to an Office of Management and Budget announcement that the Trump Administration was pausing $11 billion in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, including funding for the Cape Cod Bridges replacement initiative. The officials stated that the Cape Cod Bridges project was moving forward with $350 million committed to the Sagamore Bridge and $250 million to the Bourne Bridge, funded through bipartisan congressional appropriations and federal awards, with $1.72 billion in federal funding already secured and $700 million in state funding pledged. Healey and the delegation affirmed their commitment to rebuilding both bridges to provide safe and reliable transportation infrastructure.

Governor Healey, along with U.S. Senators Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and U.S. Representative Bill Keating, issued a joint statement in response to the Trump administration's announcement of a pause on $11 billion in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects, which could affect Cape Cod bridge replacement funding. The four officials stated they had not received official notification from the federal government regarding whether funding for the Cape Cod Bridges would be affected, though they acknowledged the White House Office of Management and Budget had announced the pause. Healey's administration had previously secured $1.72 billion in federal funding for the bridge replacement project, including $350 million from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and pledged an additional $700 million in state funds.

Governor Healey condemned attacks on police officers during a pro-Palestinian protest on October 7 at Boston Common where 13 demonstrators under age 30 were arrested and charged with various offenses including assault and battery on a police officer. The Suffolk District Attorney upgraded charges for all 13 arrested individuals to include "promotion of anarchy," a felony in Massachusetts carrying a potential sentence of up to three years. Healey stated the importance of protecting the right to protest while distinguishing between lawful demonstration and criminal conduct.

Governor Healey vetoed $130 million in line-item spending and withheld $125 million in local earmarks as part of efforts to manage state finances amid anticipated federal budget reductions. Healey sought legislative approval for expanded authority to make additional spending cuts during the fiscal year and to establish a reserve fund to respond to federal policy actions. The state accumulated approximately $1 billion in unallocated funds through these measures and a prior-year surplus to address an estimated $3.7 billion fiscal impact from federal tax changes and spending reductions over three years.

Governor Healey announced the removal of Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt and appointed MBTA General Manager Phil Eng as interim secretary of transportation, effective immediately, following a failed bidding process for state highway service plaza operators. Tibbits-Nutt remained on the state payroll through the end of the year in an advisory capacity at her $200,000 salary. Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver was simultaneously promoted to Undersecretary of Transportation while retaining his current duties.

Healey expressed support for the Massachusetts Department of Correction's Comfort Dog Program, which was launched in 2019 as part of the DOC's Employee Assistance Unit to support correctional staff wellness. The program added Bandit, a 4-month-old rescue dog, as its third comfort animal to join existing dogs Al and Mugsy in providing stress relief to correctional facility staff. Healey stated that the program represents an important resource for supporting staff in their demanding work and fostering a healthy work environment.

Governor Healey included $162 million in a fiscal year 2025 spending bill to cover budget overruns by sheriffs' offices across Massachusetts. State lawmakers announced they would withhold the majority of this funding pending an investigation by Inspector General Jeffrey Shapiro into sheriffs' spending practices, citing a significant increase in overspending compared to the prior year. The Legislature stated that funds for substance use treatment programs and inmate services would continue to be provided while the investigation proceeds.

Healey announced a statewide law enforcement operation targeting illegal street racing meetups organized through social media, which resulted in 232 civil citations, 74 warnings, 20 criminal summonses, seven arrests, 15 vehicle tows, and two seizures during a weekend enforcement action. Healey characterized the street takeovers as events where drivers block intersections, engage in racing and dangerous maneuvers, and sometimes deploy fireworks and act aggressively toward police officers, creating public safety concerns across multiple Massachusetts municipalities. Healey stated that additional statewide operations would follow the initial weekend enforcement effort.

Governor Healey signed a housing law in the summer of 2024 that included a provision banning the waiver of home inspections during the offer stage of residential real estate transactions. The rule, which took effect in October 2025, prohibits both homeowners and realtors from conditioning a sale on inspection waiver and prevents buyers from offering to waive inspections to make their offers more competitive. The regulation contains exceptions for newly constructed homes sold with at least a one-year warranty and certain transactions such as those between family members or involving estate planning.

Governor Healey issued a statement regarding Fenway Health's decision to cease gender transition medical care for patients under 18 in Massachusetts, effective October 1, 2025. Healey attributed the health center's policy change to pressure from the Trump administration and its threat to withhold federal funding from providers offering such care. Healey's public health commissioner, Dr. Robbie Goldstein, began outreach to transgender health advocates to discuss options for maintaining continuity of care for affected patients across the state.

Healey issued a directive to the Department of Public Utilities on October 14, 2025, ordering regulators to review all charges on electric and gas bills to determine which could be eliminated, reduced, or have their impact mitigated. The order also instructed the DPU to rigorously review rate increases proposed by utilities to avoid unnecessary spending and reduce costs ahead of the winter heating season. Healey stated the action was part of her broader energy affordability agenda in response to elevated energy bills throughout the Northeast.

Healey's administration discontinued the publication of regular accounting reports on state-run shelter spending after the statutory requirement expired at the end of fiscal year 2025. The biweekly reports, which had been mandated through a supplemental spending bill signed by Healey in December 2023, previously documented real-time expenditures on emergency shelter costs, programs to transition families from shelters, and municipal supports. Beginning in July 2026, the administration's reports no longer included detailed fiscal year spending data, replacing it only with budgeted amounts and average weekly costs.

Healey vetoed $9.3 million in funding that the Massachusetts Legislature had allocated to the Trial Courts, citing budget constraints and stating she reduced the court budget by "the amount projected to be necessary." The veto triggered a hiring freeze that has resulted in significant staffing shortages across the state court system, forcing courts to combine sessions and disrupting criminal proceedings. A Healey spokesperson stated that the current budget maintains substantial recent investments in the Trial Courts, including a 13.5 percent increase over the past two years.

Governor Healey announced that Massachusetts would lose approximately $3.7 billion in federal funding over multiple fiscal years spanning 2025 through 2028 due to executive actions and legislation enacted by the Trump administration and Congress. The cuts include $399 million resulting from Trump executive orders and $3.3 billion from the "One Big Beautiful Bill," with the health care sector experiencing the largest impact at roughly $2 billion in fiscal year 2026. Healey stated that the state is taking action to protect communities from these reductions while acknowledging that no state can fully compensate for cuts of this magnitude.

The Healey administration launched a four-month initiative called the "Advanced Nuclear and Fusion Energy Roadmaps" in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Lowell to develop strategies for advancing advanced nuclear and fusion energy technologies in the state. The roadmap effort will focus on leveraging Massachusetts's innovation ecosystem, scaling workforce development programs, developing community engagement strategies, and coordinating planning with other New England states, while explicitly excluding consideration of specific sites or restarting decommissioned facilities. Healey previously filed an energy bill this spring that would eliminate the requirement for new nuclear facilities in Massachusetts to secure approval through a statewide ballot initiative, a threshold voters established in 1982.

The Trump administration canceled nearly $8 billion in federal grants for clean energy projects across 16 states, including Massachusetts. According to Healey's office, $466 million in grants supporting more than two dozen clean energy projects in Massachusetts were rescinded as part of this action. Healey stated that the canceled grants had been intended to support cutting-edge technologies to lower energy costs, create jobs, and build a more reliable electrical grid.

Healey's administration has not taken action on H 1212, a bill that would allow pharmacists in Massachusetts to dispense insulin without a current prescription when a patient's life is at risk and a provider cannot be reached. The legislation, filed by Reps. Hannah Kane and Jack Patrick Lewis, has remained stalled in the State House since 2019, having been reported favorably by committees in multiple legislative sessions but sent to study orders that halted its progress. The bill, known as Kevin's Law in at least 20 other states, was the subject of a Joint Committee on Financial Services hearing where parents and patients testified about the need for emergency insulin access.

Governor Healey ordered that the United States flag and Commonwealth of Massachusetts flag be lowered to half-staff at all state buildings beginning October 2, 2025, until sunset on the day of interment, in recognition of the death of State Senator Edward J. Kennedy Jr. The flags were flown at half-staff across state buildings throughout the commonwealth during the week following Kennedy's death on October 1, 2025. Kennedy was a four-term Democratic state senator representing the 1st Middlesex District communities of Lowell, Dracut, Dunstable, Pepperell, and Tyngsboro.

The Trump administration cancelled $7.6 billion in federal grants supporting clean energy projects in 16 states that voted for Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election, including Massachusetts, which lost $466 million in grants for more than two dozen projects according to Gov. Healey's office. The Energy Department stated that 223 projects were terminated following a review determining they did not adequately advance the nation's energy needs or were not economically viable. Healey responded by characterizing the action as harmful to businesses, universities, and nonprofits working on energy technologies in the state.

Massachusetts initiated efforts to protect access to mifepristone, the most commonly used abortion pill in the United States, after federal officials began reviewing the drug's safety profile. The state government replenished its stockpile of mifepristone that was first created following the US Supreme Court's 2022 reversal of Roe v. Wade, in preparation for potential shortages or restrictions on the drug's availability. Healey's administration took these actions as the FDA conducted its review of mifepristone, which had been approved by the agency in 2000 and whose accessibility was expanded by the Biden administration in 2023 through mail delivery and telehealth options.

Governor Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act into law, which permits accessory dwelling units of up to 900 square feet to be built by-right in single-family zoning districts statewide, with the exception of Boston. In the first six months of 2025 following the law's implementation, homeowners in 170 communities filed 844 applications to construct ADUs, with at least 550 approved as of July. Healey stated the legislation was enacted to address the state's housing shortfall of approximately 200,000 units and to provide economic benefits including supplemental rental income for homeowners and more affordable living options for residents.

The Trump administration's Department of Energy canceled funding for dozens of New England energy projects, with approximately 30 awards terminated in Massachusetts and several more in Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Governor Healey stated that Massachusetts faced nearly half a billion dollars in cuts, including a $3.9 million award to the Department of Energy Resources intended to support energy-efficient building codes and safe siting of solar and battery projects. The department cited determinations that the canceled projects did not adequately advance the nation's energy needs, were not economically viable, and would not provide a positive return on investment of taxpayer dollars.

Governor Healey warned Massachusetts lawmakers that the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" signed by President Trump in July 2025 would reduce state tax collections by more than $650 million in fiscal year 2026, according to Department of Revenue Commissioner Geoffrey Snyder's statement to budget writers. Healey had previously sought to expand her budget-cutting powers and delayed payments for local projects in anticipation of potential economic hardships from federal tax policy changes. The state had set aside approximately $800 million in anticipated revenues in the fiscal year 2026 budget to cushion against such federal policy impacts, though lawmakers remained uncertain whether this reserve would fully offset the projected revenue loss.

In July, the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation to ban the use of cellphones and smartwatches during school hours, which Governor Healey stated she supports. The bill still requires passage by the state House before becoming law. The measure follows similar phone ban implementations in other states and school districts, including Kentucky's Ballard High School, which instituted a comprehensive ban during instructional time, lunch, and passing periods.

Healey's administration directed state government agencies to prepare contingency plans in response to the possibility of a federal government shutdown set to begin October 1, 2025. Officials in the Office of the Comptroller and Executive Office of Administration and Finance requested that state departments submit assessments of payroll concerns and protective measures for Massachusetts residents and resources by September 30. The state's fiscal 2026 budget, signed by Healey, relies on approximately $15.6 billion in federal reimbursements and grants, with particular vulnerability in MassHealth Medicaid payments and other federally-funded programs.

Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act in the summer of 2024, legislation she stated has resulted in the construction of nearly 100,000 new homes. In September 2025, Healey visited Devenscrest Village in Ayer alongside Housing Secretary Ed Augustus to recognize state grant funding from the Affordable Homes Act that supported the property's impending sale. The state funding enabled Schochet Companies to purchase the 114-unit development, preserving it as affordable housing with 35 vouchers designated for low, very low, and extremely low income households.

Healey signed a $234 million hospital and community health center aid package that allocated $122 million in targeted relief to facilities with negative operating margins, low relative prices, and large Medicaid patient populations, along with $77 million to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund for uninsured and underinsured patient care. The aid package represented the second infusion of state funds into the health care system in just over a year, following a $417 million package in 2024 focused primarily on hospitals formerly operated by Steward Health Care. The legislation responded to data showing that the median operating margin for acute care hospitals had dropped to negative 2 percent in fiscal year 2024, with only 39 percent of acute hospitals ending the year with positive margins.

Governor Healey and the Massachusetts Legislature allocated $1 billion over 10 years for investments in life sciences, climate technology, and artificial intelligence, as well as expanded tax credits for families, seniors, and renters and authorized more than $5 billion for housing initiatives. These policy advances were implemented as part of efforts to improve the state's business competitiveness and economic fundamentals. According to the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation's 2025 competitive index, the state remained near the bottom in categories such as business taxes, energy costs, affordable child care, and housing despite these recent investments.

Governor Healey issued a bulletin on September 3 requiring insurers in Massachusetts to continue covering all vaccines recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, in anticipation of potential changes to federal vaccine guidelines. The action allowed residents to maintain access to vaccines regardless of shifts in federal recommendations. This step preceded Boston's announcement of free vaccine clinics offering COVID, flu, and childhood immunizations through December 15.

Governor Healey signed H 4530, a $234 million spending bill, on Monday that directs $122 million in relief payments to approximately 40 Massachusetts hospitals. The allocation distributes funding across four categories based on hospitals' public payer mix, relative price metrics, and operating margins, with specific carve-outs including $16.5 million for Cambridge Health Alliance and $10 million for MetroWest Medical Center. The bill addresses financial difficulties at hospitals serving high volumes of patients on public insurance, with MassHealth designated to interpret the funding language and disburse the payments.

Governor Healey convened the Massachusetts K–12 Statewide Graduation Council in January 2025 following voter elimination of the MCAS graduation requirement in the 2024 election. The council released a "vision of a graduate" document on September 24, 2025, outlining competencies Massachusetts high school graduates should possess, organized around three categories: thinkers with strong academic preparation and problem-solving abilities, leaders who communicate effectively and make responsible decisions, and contributors who engage respectfully with diverse groups. The council is expected to issue final recommendations by July 2026, with initial findings to be reported later in 2025.

Healey visited the Devenscrest Village housing development in Ayer on September 22, 2025, to celebrate state grant funding awarded through the 2025 Affordable Housing Grant program. The state funding is supporting the impending sale of the 114-unit development, which was purchased by Brady Sullivan Properties in 2021 and subsequently underwent renovations accompanied by significant rent increases. Housing Secretary Ed Augustus accompanied Healey during the visit to the neighborhood.

Healey announced that her office had been "constantly meeting" with state and local leaders and stated readiness to challenge any "unlawful deployment" of National Guard troops in Massachusetts in court. Healey joined a coalition of states backing Washington D.C.'s legal challenge to the activation of soldiers in the nation's capital, and issued a statement characterizing the president's stated plans as an impending "military occupation of American cities." The Attorney General's office did not identify Boston as an immediate target of deployment but indicated preparedness to contest any such action through legal proceedings.

The Massachusetts House and Senate approved H 4530, a $234 million supplemental budget providing financial relief to hospitals and community health centers across the state, which was sent to Governor Healey for consideration. The bill allocated $199 million to acute care hospitals, including $122 million in targeted payments to facilities serving low-income patients, and $35 million to community health centers, with an additional $77 million directed to the Health Safety Net Trust Fund for uninsured care reimbursement. The House voted 148-1 and the Senate voted 39-0 in approval, with Representative Nick Boldyga casting the sole dissenting vote.

In 2023, the Legislature and Governor Healey approved $6 million in state-funded food assistance for immigrants losing federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits due to changes in federal policy. This funding followed the loss of approximately $20 million annually in federal food aid to Massachusetts resulting from eligibility restrictions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Representative Antonio Cabral subsequently introduced legislation requiring the Department of Transitional Assistance to provide state-funded SNAP benefits to legally present Massachusetts residents, with estimated costs between $15 million to $20 million annually.

The Trump administration filed a motion in U.S. District Court to revoke the construction and operations plan permit for the SouthCoast Wind offshore wind project, a 141-turbine facility planned off the Massachusetts coast, citing potential non-compliance with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act. Governor Healey stated that Massachusetts relies on offshore wind as a critical electricity source and characterized the permit revocation as unnecessary and harmful to regional power supply and economic investment. The SouthCoast Wind project, which had received federal approval on January 17, 2025, represents the latest offshore wind initiative targeted by the Trump administration following similar actions against the Maryland and Rhode Island wind projects.

In August, Healey signed legislation passed by the Massachusetts Legislature that increased base pay for court-appointed attorneys by up to $20 over two years. The pay increase was substantially lower than the $60 raise that bar advocates had requested. Despite the wage adjustment, the work stoppage by private court-appointed attorneys continued, prompting the state's Supreme Judicial Court to schedule oral arguments in November to determine whether courts have authority to independently raise attorney compensation.

Governor Healey's administration issued independent COVID-19 vaccination recommendations for Massachusetts on September 18, 2025, diverging from federal guidance. The state recommendations advise all adults, particularly those 65 and older and individuals with preexisting medical conditions, to receive COVID-19 vaccination, along with pregnant people and children between 6 and 23 months old. The recommendations were developed using state and national COVID data and guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Massachusetts Medical Society.

Massachusetts public health officials released vaccine guidance recommending COVID-19 vaccination for children aged six to 23 months and all adults, with State Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein stating the recommendations were based on analysis of disease risk, vaccine safety data, and population vulnerability. Governor Healey announced that Massachusetts would ensure vaccine access regardless of federal policy changes, directing the state insurance commissioner to require coverage of vaccines recommended by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health rather than relying solely on CDC guidance. Healey also directed state health officials to permit pharmacies to continue administering COVID-19 vaccines to residents aged five and older independent of federal actions.

Healey signed a housing law in 2024 that state Democrats expected would address a housing shortage estimated at 200,000 units by 2030. As of September 2025, approximately one year after the law's enactment, single-family home sales in Massachusetts had increased 2.7% year-to-date compared to the same period in 2024, though August sales declined 2.1% compared to August 2024. The median single-family home sale price increased 4% through eight months of 2025 to $645,000.

Governor Healey issued detailed guidance on COVID-19 vaccines making shots available to all Massachusetts residents six months and older, relying on analysis from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Family Physicians. The guidance was developed in coordination with the Northeast Public Health Collaborative, a newly formed regional health association that includes Vermont and Connecticut among other states. Healey stated that Massachusetts residents would retain access to vaccines regardless of changes to federal immunization recommendations.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health released state-specific COVID-19 vaccination guidance in September 2025 that recommends vaccination for infants ages six months to 23 months, high-risk children and adolescents, adults ages 65 and older, pregnant individuals, and healthcare workers, while stating that healthy adults ages 19 to 64 "may receive" a COVID shot. The guidance was based on an extensive review of current scientific data and aligned with recommendations from professional medical societies including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. The Healey administration stated the guidance was issued ahead of a federal vaccine advisory panel vote and as part of Massachusetts' effort to establish independent vaccination policy separate from federal public health decisions.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities filed enforcement action against CleanChoice Energy, proposing a $5.1 million fine and license revocation based on allegations of deceptive marketing practices, including the use of outdated utility rate comparisons in direct-mail solicitations and unexplained increases in variable rates that far exceeded initial offerings. Governor Healey was among state political leaders who have called for regulatory action against third-party competitive energy suppliers over their practices. The filing represents part of a sustained state effort to address what officials characterize as deceptive conduct by alternative electricity providers in Massachusetts.

Governor Healey's office issued a mandate requiring state health officials, rather than federal officials, to determine which vaccines insurance companies must cover in Massachusetts. This action represented a departure from federal vaccine policy established through appointments and decisions made by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The mandate was part of Massachusetts's effort to establish independent state-level control over vaccine coverage decisions.

Healey attended the ceremonial groundbreaking of Biogen's new 16-story headquarters at 75 Broadway in Cambridge's Kendall Square on Tuesday, joining company leadership and MIT president Sally Kornbluth for the event. Healey stated that Biogen's decision to build its global headquarters in Massachusetts represented confidence in the state and called for researchers, scientists, and entrepreneurs to relocate to the commonwealth. Last month, Healey proposed $400 million in funding to support the state's research and innovation economy.

The Healey-Driscoll administration extended state grant funding for a fare-free public transportation pilot program through June 30, 2026, continuing support initially announced in October 2024. The program, funded through the fiscal 2025 budget, provides free bus service across 13 regional transit authorities statewide, including the Lowell Regional Transit Authority, which received $1,170,257. The extension maintains year-round fare-free service that commenced December 1, 2024, across the LRTA's 14 member communities and additional regional destinations.

In 2023, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu announced an office-to-residential conversion program offering developers up to 75 percent property tax reductions over 29 years and additional incentives for downtown projects. The program was designed to address both the city's office vacancy crisis and its housing shortage by facilitating the adaptive reuse of underutilized commercial buildings into residential spaces. Eligible projects included prewar structures with architectural features suitable for conversion into apartments.

Healey instructed the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to work together to incorporate 9/11 education into school curriculum frameworks. The directive came during a State House commemoration on September 11, 2025, marking the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. Massachusetts is currently one of 36 states without a requirement that schools teach about 9/11 and its aftermath.

Governor Healey announced proposed regulations to reduce environmental review times for qualifying housing projects from one year to 30 days under the Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act. The initiative applies to housing developments that meet seven specified criteria, including designating at least 67 percent of projects for residential use, meeting unit density thresholds, complying with energy efficiency standards, and avoiding construction in floodplains and highest hazard areas. Healey stated the streamlined process was intended to accelerate housing production in Massachusetts, where the state had issued significantly fewer building permits per capita than the national average and neighboring states in 2024.

Healey directed the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to issue a standing order on Friday ensuring COVID-19 booster shots are available for residents ages 5 and older at retail pharmacies including Walgreens and CVS, following the chains' announcement of limitations based on federal regulatory changes. The governor stated the initiative represented "probably just the beginning" and indicated the administration would work to ensure access to additional vaccines including measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and polio shots. Separately, pending legislation sponsored by Rep. Andy Vargas and Sen. Edward Kennedy (H 2554 / S 1557) would eliminate religious exemptions for vaccines required for K-12 school attendance, with Senate President Spilka indicating she would review the bill after hearing from members and stakeholders.

Massachusetts and Connecticut released coordinated guidelines for health care workers exposed to respiratory viruses, including COVID, marking the first formal product of a multi-state public health collaboration. The initiative, involving public health officials from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Vermont, and other Northeastern states, was established to coordinate vaccination policy, emergency management, disease tracking, and laboratory services among the states. Healey's administration, through state public health commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein, has led Massachusetts' participation in this regional effort to maintain public health capacity amid changes at federal health agencies.

Governor Healey announced that Massachusetts would require health insurers to cover COVID-19 vaccines for all residents over the age of five, establishing a standing order at pharmacies to ensure access. Healey stated the state would be the first in the nation to implement such a requirement on health insurers. The policy was announced as a response to conflicting federal guidance on vaccine eligibility and recommendations.

Governor Healey issued a statement commending the Massachusetts State Police for adopting a new de-escalation policy for responding to individuals in mental health crisis and substance use situations. The policy, developed in consultation with clinicians from the state Department of Mental Health and the International Association of Chiefs of Police, directs troopers to use de-escalation tactics and make referrals for appropriate care while maintaining their public safety authority and discretion to make arrests when probable cause exists. Healey stated the policy reflects the state's commitment to compassionate services and peaceful resolutions for people experiencing mental health and substance use challenges.

On Thursday, Governor Healey announced that updated COVID shots would be available to all state residents ages 6 months and older and directed Massachusetts to require that insurers cover vaccinations recommended by the state rather than those recommended by the Department of Health and Human Services. The action was in response to federal restrictions limiting COVID vaccines to those 65 and older or with underlying conditions. Healey's directive required pharmacies to break with CDC panel guidance and instead follow state guidance on vaccine eligibility and coverage.

Healey signed a supplemental budget in summer 2025 that included $40 million to fund a mandatory expansion of the Committee for Public Counsel Services Public Defender Division, requiring the hiring of 320 attorneys over two fiscal years. The law also mandated pay raises for part-time bar advocate attorneys and directed hiring prioritization in areas with unrepresented individuals awaiting counsel assignment, particularly in counties with recent work stoppages. The CPCS hired 22 new attorneys in August 2025 and plans continued expansion through fiscal year 2027 as part of what the agency described as the largest staffing expansion in its history.

Healey stated at a press conference that the Trump administration's Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge in Massachusetts targets working immigrants rather than violent criminals, citing construction workers, nannies, healthcare aides, and agriculture workers among those arrested. Healey characterized the enforcement action as consistent with the administration's previous approach despite stated intentions to focus on criminal offenders. The governor's remarks came in response to the Department of Homeland Security's announcement of "Patriot 2.0," an intensified immigration enforcement operation across Massachusetts.

Healey announced that the Massachusetts Department of Transportation secured $3.5 million in federal funding through the Federal Railroad Administration's Corridor Identification and Development Program to develop a Boston-Albany Corridor Service Development Plan. The plan will outline implementation details for expanded intercity passenger rail service between Boston and Albany with connections in Springfield, including operating plans and analysis of viable alternatives. Healey stated the funding represents progress on the East-West Rail project and stated the administration will continue seeking additional federal resources for passenger rail expansion.

Governor Healey expressed support for Eversource Energy's proposal to secure additional natural gas supplies through a 10-year contract involving expansion of the Algonquin Gas Transmission Pipeline, stating that "gas continues to play an important role in our overall energy supply." The proposal, filed with state regulators for approval, would involve Canadian pipeline owner Enbridge expanding pipeline capacity by 75 million cubic feet per day, with construction in Massachusetts and Rhode Island planned for completion by 2029. Healey characterized her position as supporting an "all of the above" approach to energy resources that includes natural gas alongside renewable sources.

Healey issued an executive order earlier in the week to ensure that COVID-19 boosters remain available in Massachusetts. The order was issued amid broader national disagreement over vaccine access following Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as Secretary of Health and Human Services. In other states, COVID-19 shots were no longer offered at pharmacies or covered by insurance.

Governor Healey declared September 2025 as "Emergency Preparedness Month" in Massachusetts to encourage advance planning for natural and manmade disasters. The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, Department of Public Health, and other state and local agencies conducted public outreach efforts throughout the month, including social media campaigns on emergency planning, emergency kit preparation, and community preparedness activities. This declaration followed a historic wildland fire season in fall 2024 that burned over 4,500 acres across Massachusetts communities including Great Barrington and Middleton.

Healey announced measures requiring Massachusetts health insurers to cover immunizations recommended by the state's Department of Public Health rather than following federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance. The requirement applies to COVID-19 vaccines as well as seasonal vaccines including flu and RSV, and routine childhood immunizations such as measles, mumps, and chickenpox. Healey also announced efforts to allow pharmacies to administer COVID-19 vaccines to individuals 5 years and older and to create a public health collaborative with states in New England and the Northeast.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., serving as Secretary of Health and Human Services, terminated the CDC director and removed several top vaccine regulators and policy advisors from their positions. Kennedy announced changes to CDC vaccine recommendations, including removing the recommendation for COVID-19 boosters for healthy children and pregnant women, and the FDA narrowed COVID-19 booster approval to adults 65 and older and younger people with underlying health conditions. Kennedy has also implemented new administrative requirements for vaccine access, including requirements for doctor visits and prescriptions for COVID-19 boosters.

Massachusetts became the first state to require insurers to cover the costs of COVID vaccines and other inoculations recommended by state health officials through a bulletin issued Thursday by the Division of Insurance and Department of Public Health. Governor Healey's administration directed insurers to follow the state's current vaccine guidelines recommending updated doses for individuals 6 months and older, following an executive order issued Wednesday that authorized COVID booster shots for all Massachusetts residents age 5 and older. The state action was undertaken in response to new federal limitations on COVID vaccine eligibility announced by the Food and Drug Administration, which had restricted recommendations to people 65 and older or those with serious medical risk factors.

Governor Healey issued a directive to ensure COVID-19 vaccines remain available to all Massachusetts residents over age 5, instructing pharmacies to make the shots accessible as quickly as possible. This action was taken in response to the federal government's suspension of COVID booster authorization for healthy adults under 65 and shifts in federal health policy. Healey also coordinated with other New England states, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey to establish a regional public health collaborative independent of federal vaccination guidance.

Healey announced a $25 million investment in a high-dosage early literacy tutoring program included in the state budget, providing free tutoring services to students in kindergarten through third grade across 272 elementary schools in Massachusetts. The program offers at least 10 weeks of one-on-one or small-group tutoring sessions multiple times per week, with first grade as the top priority, targeting students who are behind expected reading levels. Healey stated the initiative was designed to address reading deficiencies in Massachusetts schools, particularly those exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Governor Healey issued an order on Thursday requiring health insurers to cover all state and federally recommended vaccines with no out-of-pocket costs for Massachusetts residents. The state's Board of Registration in Pharmacy simultaneously posted a standing order allowing pharmacists to administer COVID booster shots to residents over age 5, expanding access beyond current federal CDC recommendations. Healey announced that Massachusetts would join a coalition of Northeast states expected to issue joint vaccine recommendations by the end of September, establishing independent guidance separate from federal health agencies.

Governor Maura Healey stated that the SouthCoast Wind project, a planned 141-turbine offshore wind farm 20 nautical miles south of Nantucket, could power over 600,000 homes and businesses and had undergone years of expert review. Healey characterized the Trump administration's decision to reconsider the project's permit, which was approved in the final days of the Biden administration, as unnecessary and said there was no need to reopen permitting processes. Healey also proposed legislation in the previous month to delay Massachusetts's deadline to contract 5,600 megawatts of offshore wind power from 2027 to 2029, citing uncertainty surrounding federal permitting and tax credits.

Governor Healey responded to the Trump administration's cancellation of $34 million in federal funding for a Salem offshore wind terminal project by stating that the funding withdrawal would result in the loss of 800 construction jobs and characterizing the cancellation as wasteful. The terminal was planned to become Massachusetts's first pier capable of staging components for floating wind turbines as part of a $300 million project funded through state, federal, and private sources. Healey's statement contested the federal government's rationale for halting the project, which was already underway and nearing the contractor selection phase.

Governor Healey issued a statement criticizing the Trump administration's suggestion that it might assume control of Boston's South Station, characterizing the federal government's actions as unrelated to transportation or public safety. Healey's remarks came after Deputy Transportation Secretary Steven Bradbury indicated the federal government could take over South Station similar to its takeover of Union Station in Washington, D.C., citing crime and safety concerns. The Governor's statement rejected the federal administration's rationale for potential intervention at the transit hub.

The Healey administration's Executive Office of Health and Human Services initiated a review of work authorization documentation for personal care attendants enrolled in MassHealth, resulting in termination notices sent to 185 PCAs in August and notices to 671 additional PCAs beginning in spring requesting updated work permit verification within 30 days. The effort was undertaken to ensure compliance with federal work authorization requirements and to protect the state's PCA program from potential federal scrutiny or penalties. Many of the affected workers are immigrants, including individuals who entered the United States under the Biden-era CHNV humanitarian parole program, which the Trump administration has since terminated.

Healey maintains support for Massachusetts's 287(g) agreement between the Department of Correction and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which was initiated in 2007 and authorizes state prison staff to identify, question, and process undocumented immigrants eligible for deportation. The agreement, which has been reauthorized by governors of both parties since its inception, resulted in 164 ICE arrests between 2023 and 2024, with over 95 percent of those arrested having prior convictions for drug-related or violent offenses. Healey stated in a television interview that maintaining the cooperative relationship with federal officials on immigration enforcement is appropriate based on her background as a former prosecutor and attorney general.

Healey announced a lawsuit against 13 manufacturers of PFAS chemicals, including 3M and DuPont, for producing and selling firefighting foam containing the toxic compounds that contaminated Massachusetts water supplies. The complaint alleged that the manufacturers violated state and federal environmental protection laws and concealed information about the dangers of their products. Healey stated that a settlement in the millions of dollars would be necessary to address the contamination affecting drinking water systems, airports, fire academies, and military bases throughout the state.

Governor Healey proposed legislation included in a supplementary budget bill filed in August that would make records of long-deceased residents of Massachusetts state institutions more accessible to family members and academic researchers. Under the proposal, family members could access records of individuals deceased for at least 50 years by providing basic identifying information, while the general public could access documents at least 75 years old if the subject had been deceased for 50 years. The measure also includes provisions to improve preservation of state institution documents that are currently poorly maintained.

Governor Healey requested that the Massachusetts Legislature appropriate an additional $163 million to bail out county sheriffs departments that exceeded their allocations in the state budget by a combined $145 million in fiscal 2024. The budget shortfalls resulted from salary increases for sheriff employees, expansion of substance use disorder treatment programs for inmates, and implementation of the statewide no-cost calls program that took effect in fiscal 2023. If approved, the additional appropriation would increase projected spending in core sheriff department funding accounts from $720 million to approximately $878 million, representing a 22 percent increase for fiscal year 2025.

Mayor Michelle Wu announced the release of an independent investigator's report examining Boston Public Schools bus contractor Transdev's safety practices following a fatal April crash that killed kindergartener Lens Joseph. The report, conducted by former federal prosecutor Natashia Tidwell, found that Transdev failed to properly track bus accidents and driver credentials, and that BPS administrators did not regularly inspect safety records until after the fatal incident. Wu and Superintendent Mary Skipper stated the city and BPS will adopt all of the report's recommendations and implement them as soon as possible.

The Healey administration's Executive Office of Health and Human Services initiated a work permit verification effort in spring 2025 that resulted in MassHealth terminating 185 personal care attendants, many of whom are immigrants whose work authorization had lapsed or become unclear due to bureaucratic delays. The verification notices, sent through the state's fiscal intermediary Tempus Unlimited, required PCAs to submit updated work authorization documents within 30 days or face termination from their positions. The administration cited the need to align the state program with federal requirements to protect MassHealth from potential scrutiny or penalties.

Governor Healey issued a mass pardon of people convicted of marijuana possession in Massachusetts. The article notes that Healey's action created a distinction between state and federal law, as marijuana remains illegal under federal statute despite her pardons. The pardon is cited as context for federal immigration agents' continued detention of individuals like Rosa, whose decades-old marijuana conviction was used as grounds for immigration enforcement despite the Massachusetts pardon.

Governor Maura Healey announced that Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkins had agreed to step away from his position while facing federal extortion charges related to allegations he extorted an executive at a Boston-based cannabis business. Healey stated that the role of sheriff, which oversees more than a thousand employees and hundreds of inmates, requires full-time attention and that the public must be able to trust in the integrity of the criminal justice system. Mark Lawhorne was appointed to serve as Special Sheriff of Suffolk County in Tompkins' absence, and Tompkins' departure avoided formal removal proceedings before the state Supreme Judicial Court.

Governor Healey signed legislation on July 4 that prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay broker fees when the landlord hired the broker, shifting the cost obligation to the landlord instead. The law addresses a longstanding practice in which tenants paid broker fees equivalent to approximately one month's rent despite limited services from the broker. Additionally, the state's Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision on August 1 clarifying that landlords, rather than tenants, must bear the cost of painting and carpet repair resulting from reasonable use of an apartment.

In 2024, Healey signed legislation that exempts BlueHub Capital, a Roxbury nonprofit, from Massachusetts consumer protection laws. A Massachusetts Superior Court judge ruled in a separate case that BlueHub violated predatory lending statutes and other lending laws in its shared appreciation mortgage program, though the judge determined that Healey's 2024 exemption bill was not retroactive and did not apply to the case. Healey has previously defended BlueHub and its chief executive Elyse Cherry.

Healey dismissed the Trump administration's plans to deploy National Guard units to Democratic-led cities, including Boston, as "political theater" that would not improve public safety. Healey stated that the administration had cut federal funding for local law enforcement, community policing, victims services, and the National Guard itself by 40 percent. She made these remarks in response to Trump's executive order directing the Secretary of Defense to ensure National Guard availability for assisting law enforcement in addressing civil disturbances.

Healey's administration opened the live theater tax credit program in Massachusetts, which was included in the 2024 Mass Leads Act economic bill and authorizes up to $7 million annually in tax credits to offset production and personnel costs for Broadway, off-Broadway, and touring show launches in the state. The program, which had been pursued for over two decades by theater operators and managers, became available for applications in August with the first round of submissions due on August 26. The tax credits are designed to help Massachusetts compete with other states that offer similar incentives for theatrical productions.

Governor Healey stated in a television interview that the Massachusetts Department of Correction's 287(g) agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which has been in place since 2007, appropriately identifies undocumented immigrants in the state's correctional system who are eligible for deportation. Healey characterized the agreement as limited in scope, noting that it notifies ICE when people being released from state facilities are present unlawfully, and distinguished it from broader immigration enforcement targeting individuals without criminal records. The Department of Correction remains the only Massachusetts state agency with such an agreement with ICE, and its continuation under Healey's administration has drawn criticism from immigration advocates who contend the state should cease cooperating with the federal agency.

Healey announced the implementation of the Commercial Conversion Tax Credit Initiative, a $10 million tax credit program signed into law through the 2024 Affordable Homes Act to encourage conversion of vacant commercial properties into residential housing. The program will distribute between $2.5 million and $3 million in tax credits per project through a competitive bidding process, limited to projects containing at least 50 housing units in areas with existing zoning approval and local government support. The initiative addresses the state's identified need to construct an additional 220,000 housing units by 2035 to maintain economic competitiveness.

Jon Santiago, who served as Veterans Services Secretary in Healey's cabinet, announced plans to step down from his position in the fall of 2025 after more than two years in the role. Santiago's departure represents the latest cabinet turnover during Healey's third year in office, following the exits of Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao and Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh earlier that year. Deputy Veterans Services Secretary Andrea Gayle-Bennett was designated to assume the top position on an interim basis pending the appointment of a permanent successor.

Governor Maura Healey appointed Jon Santiago as Secretary of Veterans Services in March 2023, a Cabinet-level position created by a 2022 law that elevated the office from a non-Cabinet role following a deadly COVID outbreak at the Holyoke soldiers' home. Santiago announced his resignation from the position in fall 2024 to return to his work as an emergency room doctor and pursue opportunities in mentoring, teaching, and public health. During his tenure, Santiago secured funding for homeless veteran housing, championed the HERO Act to expand behavioral health access and veteran benefits, and oversaw the planning of two new veterans homes in Chelsea and Holyoke.

Healey's Massachusetts participated in meetings with public health officials from seven other states held in Providence to discuss coordinating regional public health services and vaccine recommendations independently of federal health agencies. Massachusetts Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein, who attended the meetings, stated the discussions aimed to maintain evidence-based public health practices in response to concerns about Trump administration health policies and potential funding cuts. The participating states, including all New England states except New Hampshire along with New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania, have not yet implemented coordinated vaccination policy changes but identified the meetings as a step toward regional public health coordination.

Massachusetts Governor Healey has opposed new pipeline projects in the past, though her office indicated she evaluates pipeline proposals using an "all of the above" approach to energy that considers whether projects would lower costs and increase regional energy independence. Healey's position differs from other New England governors including Connecticut's Ned Lamont and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte, who have advocated for constructing a new natural gas pipeline to address energy costs and reliability. No specific pipeline project is currently under formal consideration, though the debate over natural gas infrastructure versus renewable energy development continues among regional policymakers and stakeholders.

The Healey-Driscoll administration issued a request for proposals to redevelop a 5-acre Middlesex Community College parking lot at 210 Springs Road in Bedford into a housing development with at least 20 units as part of the governor's State Land for Homes initiative. The RFP represents the first project issued under the initiative, which aims to develop 3,500 housing units across Massachusetts on over 450 acres of state property. The project was authorized under the Affordable Homes Act signed by Healey a year prior, which provided over $5 billion in spending over five years for housing development and expedited the process for converting state-owned land for residential use.

Healey signed a spending bill in August 2025 that included $7.5 million in funding for the Healthy Incentives Program, a Massachusetts initiative that provides additional benefits to SNAP recipients purchasing fresh produce from local farmers. The Department of Transitional Assistance announced that beginning September 1, 2025, the program would implement a tiered benefit structure with monthly caps of $40 for households of one to two people, $60 for households of three to five people, and $80 for households of six or more people. The program enables SNAP recipients to receive money back on their EBT cards when purchasing eligible produce at participating farm vendors, and has facilitated over $85 million in local produce sales since 2017.

Healey filed legislation in August 2025 that would restore public access to driving records more than two years after the "Work and Family Mobility Act" sealed motor vehicle histories from public disclosure. The bill would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to release individual driving records while redacting personally identifiable information such as home addresses and social security numbers under the state's public records law. Healey stated that driving records, including past violations and citations, were not intended to be kept secret under the immigrant driver's license law and that public access to this information is important for public safety and accountability.

Governor Healey stated that the allegations against Suffolk County Sheriff Steven Tompkins, who was arrested and charged with extorting a local cannabis business, were "certainly serious" and that no one in elected positions should abuse their power. Healey indicated she was waiting for more information before taking further action regarding Tompkins' position. Tompkins subsequently resigned from his position as chair of the board of Roxbury Community College in a letter to Healey on Tuesday without specifying the reason.

Massachusetts officials are exploring the creation of an alternate state vaccine policy in response to disruptions to national vaccine recommendations under Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., including delayed federal approvals for flu and RSV shots and uncertainty regarding COVID vaccine recommendations. State Department of Public Health Commissioner Robbie Goldstein stated during a panel discussion that Massachusetts cannot always rely on CDC guidance as previously received and indicated the state is considering an unprecedented collaboration with neighboring states to replicate some work typically performed by federal health agencies. The uncertainty has led local health providers to delay ordering vaccines for the fall season due to concerns about insurance reimbursement without clear federal recommendations.

Healey signed a spending bill in August 2025 that included $7.5 million in funding to expand the Healthy Incentives Program, which provides additional benefits to SNAP recipients purchasing food from local farms. The Department of Transitional Assistance announced the program would return to a tiered benefit structure on September 1, with monthly caps of $40 for households of one to two people, $60 for households of three to five people, and $80 for households of six or more. The expansion was implemented in anticipation of federal nutrition program reductions expected to affect approximately 175,000 Massachusetts residents.

Healey's administration announced the allocation of $46 million over two fiscal years to expand electric vehicle charging infrastructure throughout Massachusetts, drawing funds from the Climate Protection and Mitigation Expendable Trust established in 2018. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection will use $16 million to purchase and install chargers at workplaces, fleets, multi-unit dwellings, educational campuses, and public access locations, while an additional $30 million will support medium and heavy-duty charging at strategically located hubs and along secondary corridors. The funding initiative addresses a report indicating that charging capacity must increase significantly to meet projected demand, with the state needing between 46,300 and 105,000 publicly accessible charger ports by 2030 and 2035 respectively to support state emissions reduction goals.

Healey signed legislation as part of a supplemental budget that adds "immigration or citizenship status" and "disability" to Massachusetts state law protecting students from discrimination or exclusion in public schools. The law establishes standards for interpreters and translators, ensures English learners with disabilities have access to services, and prevents disabled students from being punished for behavior related to their disability. The legislation was filed as companion bills by state senators Pavel Payano and Sal DiDomenico and state representatives Alice Peisch and Frank Moran at the beginning of the legislative session before being incorporated into the governor's budget.

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey sent a letter to Republic Services President Jon Vander Ark on August 11, 2025, demanding that the company return to the bargaining table to resolve a seven-week strike by Teamsters Local 25 members and resume garbage collection services. Healey stated that the prolonged strike was impacting public health and quality of life for Massachusetts residents and that the company's failure to respond to her inquiries demonstrated an unacceptable approach to the labor dispute. The governor called for immediate resolution of the strike, which had resulted in accumulated trash in Bay State communities.

Healey announced the end of the Massachusetts shelter emergency on August 1, 2025, through a Friday afternoon email to reporters, citing the closure of the final hotel shelters. During the emergency period that began in August 2023, Healey implemented policies including a cap on families receiving shelter at 7,500, a nine-month limit on emergency family shelter stays, and support for a bipartisan federal border bill with immigration restrictions. The number of families in emergency shelters declined to approximately 3,200 by the time of the emergency declaration's end, compared to a peak of 24,000 during the crisis.

Healey signed into law S 2575, a $259 million fiscal 2025 supplemental budget approved by the House 150-6 and the Senate on a voice vote. The budget included $40 million for the Committee for Public Counsel Services to hire approximately 320 additional public defenders and provided bar advocates with a $20-an-hour raise over two years. The measure was enacted following a work stoppage by private bar advocates that had resulted in charges being dismissed against some criminal defendants awaiting legal representation.

Healey signed legislation authorizing nearly $1.2 billion in road and bridge funding, combining $300 million for the Chapter 90 local road repair program over one year with an additional $885 million for asset management, culvert replacement, and congestion reduction projects. The law allocated $100 million of the Chapter 90 funds to be distributed based solely on road mileage, directing resources to rural communities with extensive road networks but smaller populations. The funding represents a significant increase from the program's historical annual allocation of $200 million and was based on a proposal Healey submitted in January that originally sought $1.5 billion over five years.

Healey signed legislation on August 7, 2025, that restricts the sharing of patient information related to transgender and reproductive health care with out-of-state and federal entities and requires hospitals to treat abortion-related emergencies as medical necessities. The law prohibits Massachusetts state and local authorities from cooperating with out-of-state or federal investigations into health care services that are legally protected within the state and prevents the Department of Public Health and technology service providers from disclosing personally identifiable data related to these services. The statute also bars the Massachusetts Center for Health Information and Analysis and the Massachusetts Health Connector from providing information to other governments regarding legally protected health care activities.

The Healey administration has focused on housing production rather than rent stabilization measures in response to Massachusetts's housing affordability crisis. Healey partnered with the Legislature to pass a major housing production law in the previous session that did not include rent-control provisions, and her capital investment plan for fiscal years 2026-2030 allocates $2.34 billion toward housing, with fiscal 2026 funding intended to create more than 6,000 new housing units. This approach contrasts with Senator Pat Jehlen's bill (S 1447), which would enable municipalities to cap rent increases at the inflation rate with a 5 percent maximum and ban no-fault evictions.

The Healey administration reported that Massachusetts collected approximately $43.7 billion in tax revenue for fiscal year 2025, exceeding projections by $2 billion, with nearly $3 billion of that total coming from the millionaires tax, a 4 percent surtax on the state's highest earners that exceeded initial estimates of $1.3 billion. The state's revenue performance improved significantly compared to the prior fiscal year, when it closed with a $233 million budget deficit, though collections from corporate and business taxes fell $171 million short of the previous year. Despite the positive revenue report, Healey administration officials indicated the state faces fiscal uncertainty due to federal policy changes and have implemented cost-control measures including a hiring freeze and a paused salary increase for executive branch managers.

Healey signed the expanded 2025 shield law on August 7, 2025, updating Massachusetts protections for patients and providers of reproductive and transgender care. The law limits the release of sensitive patient data, allows prescription labels to display practice names instead of individual physicians' names, codifies state requirements for emergency abortion care, and blocks courts from considering cases of abuse or neglect against parents who support their children in receiving transgender care. The legislation was enacted in response to increased legal threats from other states following the U.S. Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

Healey received a written warning in November 2022, months before taking office, from the Baker administration documenting a surge in asylum-seekers and refugees seeking emergency shelter and alerting her to dwindling state shelter capacity. The transition document, prepared by former Housing and Community Development officials including undersecretary Jennifer Maddox, noted that emergency assistance shelter demand had increased significantly beginning in June 2022 and recommended additional funding to expand shelter capacity. The warning preceded a shelter crisis that would dominate the first half of Healey's first term as governor, ultimately housing approximately 7,600 homeless families in emergency shelters across the state.

Healey welcomed a group of Texas Democratic lawmakers to her office on Tuesday as they fled their state to block a vote on congressional redistricting legislation. At a press conference following the meeting, Healey characterized the Texas redistricting effort as a partisan political power grab. The Texas Democrats remained in Massachusetts for three days as part of a broader effort to prevent passage of new congressional maps they contended would disenfranchise non-white voters.

Governor Healey stated support for legislation passed by the Massachusetts state Senate that would prohibit students from using personal cellphones, smartwatches, and tablets while in school or attending school-sponsored activities beginning in fall 2026. The bill requires approval by the House before becoming law. Healey's endorsement came as new research documented that students aged 14 to 17 spent more than an hour per day on average using their phones during school hours, primarily for watching videos on social media platforms.

Healey joined House and Senate leaders in setting aside $2 million in late July to offset Medicaid losses that Planned Parenthood faced under a Republican tax and spending bill signed by President Trump that disqualifies certain abortion providers from receiving federal Medicaid funding. Health Imperatives, a nonprofit provider operating seven clinics serving approximately 10,000 patients in southeastern Massachusetts, was also affected by the federal funding restrictions and began discussions with Healey's administration about state funding to supplement the Medicaid gap. It remained unclear whether state lawmakers would seek additional state funds to help Health Imperatives cover its Medicaid patient population.

The Massachusetts House and Senate approved H 4271, the Shield Act, and sent the legislation to Governor Healey for consideration. The measure would prohibit state agencies, employees, and law enforcement from cooperating with investigations by other states or the federal government into reproductive or gender-affirming health care that is legally protected in Massachusetts. The legislation also includes provisions protecting health care providers' licenses, preventing insurance company discrimination against providers offering such care, and protecting attorneys licensed in Massachusetts from removal or discipline for advising clients on reproductive or transgender care matters.

The Massachusetts Legislature sent Governor Healey a spending bill on July 31, 2025 that allocated $259 million in funding, including investments in legal representation for indigent defendants. The spending package also included new legal protections for reproductive and gender identity care, as well as funding for local road repairs. Bar advocates seeking higher compensation for public defenders criticized the pay increase provisions in the bill, which provided $20 per hour raises over two years rather than the $35 and $25 per hour increases they had requested.

Healey announced in 2024 that Massachusetts would close its hotel shelter system by July 31, six months ahead of the originally scheduled January 2025 deadline, resulting in more than 1,500 families leaving state hotels since November. The state has relied on the HomeBASE program to transition homeless families from emergency shelters into subsidized apartments, providing up to $30,000 in total housing assistance per family. However, advocates and housing nonprofits have raised concerns that the program's structure, which requires families to contribute at least 30 percent of their monthly income toward rent while deducting moving expenses from the total subsidy, has caused some recipients to exhaust their assistance before achieving financial stability.

Healey terminated the state of emergency she declared in August 2023 to address a surge of migrants entering Massachusetts shelters and a shortage of state-run shelter capacity. The termination, effective August 1, 2025, ended the governor's authority to bypass competitive bidding rules for vendors and contractors and to deploy the National Guard to shelter sites, which had last occurred on June 20, 2024. Healey stated that the number of families in state-run shelters had decreased from over 7,600 to 3,131, all hotel shelters had closed, and reforms enacted by her administration and the Legislature had reduced taxpayer costs by hundreds of millions of dollars.

The Massachusetts Legislature passed legislation to raise hourly pay for private bar advocates representing indigent defendants by $10 per hour in the current year and another $10 in the following year, while expanding the salaried public defender workforce to reduce reliance on private attorneys. The bill, which also included a provision classifying coordinated work stoppages involving more than 25 percent of private advocates in a county as an antitrust violation, was sent to Governor Healey for final approval. Bar advocates rejected the legislative proposal as insufficient, stating they would continue their work stoppage that began in May until they received a $35-per-hour increase this year and $25-per-hour the following year.

Governor Healey's administration reached a $66 million settlement with investment firm Apollo Asset Management to acquire St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton through eminent domain, with the state paying $22 million in November and an additional $44 million under the settlement terms. The final price represented a compromise between the state's initial $4.5 million offer and Apollo's court demand of nearly $200 million, based on the appraised value of the 14-acre hospital campus. Boston Medical Center, which has operated the facility since October 2023, will continue managing the hospital under state ownership.

Massachusetts' new broker's fee rules took effect on August 1, 2025, restricting rental broker fees to be paid only by the party who initially hired the broker. Governor Healey's office released a frequently asked questions guide to inform renters and landlords about the new requirements, which exempts cases where renters directly engaged a broker themselves. The Attorney General's office was designated to enforce the rules, with authority to collect complaints and impose fines on landlords or revoke licenses from brokers who violate the fee restrictions.

Healey announced the Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE) initiative, legislation proposing $400 million in state funding for research conducted by Massachusetts hospitals, universities, and independent research institutions. The funding would be allocated from Fair Share tax revenue and interest on the state's Rainy Day fund to address reductions in federal research grants. According to state officials, the initiative aims to support approximately 80,000 jobs tied to research activity and retain scientific talent in the state.

Governor Healey announced on Thursday that she is filing a $400 million bill designed to support research, protect innovation, and retain and create jobs in Massachusetts. The bill was announced in response to a University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute report projecting that proposed federal cuts to research and development funding could cost the state approximately $16 billion in economic activity and result in the loss of over 3,300 research and development jobs. The announcement followed findings that Massachusetts receives substantial federal research funding from agencies including the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and the Department of Defense Air Force.

Healey's administration prioritizes housing production as the primary strategy to address the housing affordability crisis, with a capital investment plan for fiscal years 2026-2030 that allocates $2.34 billion toward housing and is projected to create more than 6,000 new units in fiscal 2026. The Healey administration and the Legislature passed a major housing production law in the previous session, which sidelined rent control proposals during that legislative cycle. This approach contrasts with Senator Pat Jehlen's proposed legislation (S 1447), which would enable cities and towns to limit rent increases to the inflation rate with a 5 percent cap and ban no-fault evictions as a more immediate affordability measure.

Healey filed a $400 million bill on July 31, 2025, titled the "Discovery, Research and Innovation for a Vibrant Economy" (DRIVE) initiative to support research institutions and job creation across Massachusetts. The proposal allocates $200 million to a research funding pool administered by MassDevelopment to support projects at hospitals, universities, and independent research institutions, funded through stabilization fund interest, and $200 million to a higher education bridge funding reserve for research costs and staffing, funded through income surtax revenue. Healey also signed an executive order establishing a Research Catalyst Fund to accept philanthropic contributions and created an Advisory Commission on Advancing Research and Discovery in Massachusetts.

Healey's administration expended $942 million on emergency family shelters and related services during fiscal year 2025, according to state data released in July 2025. The spending included $801.5 million in direct shelter costs for long and short-term facilities, National Guard personnel, and clinical assessment sites, along with $98.7 million directed toward housing assistance programs such as HomeBase. Healey has closed nearly all hotel and motel shelter sites that previously housed families, reducing the shelter system population from over 7,600 families a year prior to 3,262 families as of late July 2025.

Governor Healey called on Republic Services to reach a fair contract with striking Teamsters Local 25 workers and return to the negotiating table in mid-July 2025, as approximately 400 trash workers entered their fifth week of strike action across Greater Boston communities. At an event on Monday, Healey reiterated her demand that the national, publicly traded company engage meaningfully with the union, stating that Republic's failure to negotiate was causing harm to Massachusetts residents. Healey's statements aligned with a letter signed by all nine of Massachusetts' U.S. House Representatives urging Republic Services to negotiate a fair contract that included competitive wages and comprehensive healthcare benefits.

Healey was elected to the executive committee of the National Governors Association at the organization's annual Summer Meeting in Colorado Springs in July 2025. The NGA is a bipartisan organization comprised of the nation's 55 state and territory governors that convenes to address policy issues affecting states. Healey will serve on the executive committee alongside governors from Colorado, Hawaii, Indiana, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Tennessee, while Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt was elected as chair and Maryland Governor Wes Moore as vice chair.

On July 17, 2025, Healey established the Anti-Hunger Task Force through executive order in response to federal reductions in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits. The task force brings together Cabinet secretaries, agency leaders, SNAP recipients, farmers, small business owners, and leaders of food banks and nonprofits to coordinate responses to the federal changes. The panel is charged with making recommendations to mitigate the impacts of federal SNAP cuts on Massachusetts, strengthening collaboration across sectors, and developing long-term strategies to address hunger and food insecurity.

Governor Healey's Division of Insurance negotiated reductions in health insurance rate increase proposals from Massachusetts insurers in 2026, lowering the initial average request of 13.4% to increases ranging from 7% to 12% across six carriers. The state agency renegotiated the rates downward by one to three percentage points for each insurer. Healey stated that the Division of Insurance's actions would generate savings for Massachusetts residents and businesses.

Governor Maura Healey estimated that Trump's tax bill, signed into law on July 4, could strip health care coverage from approximately 250,000 Massachusetts residents by reducing Medicaid funding by close to $1 trillion over the next decade. The bill would require states to confirm Medicaid recipients' eligibility more frequently and impose work requirements on some adults, changes that Healey's estimate suggests would significantly impact Massachusetts, where about 2 million people currently rely on MassHealth, the state's Medicaid program. The legislation also reduces SNAP funding by approximately $186 billion and provides $4.5 trillion in tax cuts while allocating more than $170 billion toward immigration and border enforcement.

Following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River that killed ten people, Governor Healey announced $1.2 million in funding to help Fall River hire 15 to 20 firefighters over the next two years. The funding was intended to bring the city's fire department staffing closer to the National Fire Protection Association standard of four on-duty firefighters per engine or ladder truck. A survey by the Professional Fire Fighters of Massachusetts found that of 182 fire departments that responded, only three departments met the national staffing standard for both engine and ladder trucks.

Following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility in Fall River that killed ten elderly residents in July 2025, Governor Healey issued a statement on July 18 directing state action to strengthen safety measures across assisted living residences. Healey tasked the state Executive Office of Aging and Independence with ensuring compliance with fire regulations at all 273 assisted living residences statewide and requiring facilities to issue letters to residents' families outlining fire safety protocols and evacuation procedures. The directive represented the state's immediate regulatory response to the fire while investigation into its cause remained ongoing.

Massachusetts Governor Healey announced that the state would provide $1.2 million to Fall River to hire additional emergency response personnel following the July 13 fire at Gabriel House that killed 10 people. Healey also stated that additional funds would be expedited through the state's municipal public safety staffing program and that a state agency would investigate all 273 assisted-living facilities in Massachusetts to ensure emergency preparedness. The funding and investigation initiatives were announced after a meeting with Fall River city officials in response to concerns raised by local firefighters about emergency staffing levels during the incident.

Healey's administration awarded $24.5 million in hate crime prevention grants through the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security to support programs that help campuses reduce incidents of bias in schools. The grants were distributed as Massachusetts State Police conducted a two-day training session called "Navigating Through Campus Conflict" with approximately 100 college and university leaders to address hate crimes, bias incidents, and harassment on campuses. Healey stated she was grateful for the State Police's leadership in enhancing public safety on campuses and building a positive environment for all students and faculty.

Healey announced that the state would provide $1 million to improve public safety staffing for Fall River following a deadly fire at the Gabriel House assisted living facility on July 13 that killed 10 people and injured more than 30. The funding was allocated as the city announced plans to hire up to 20 additional firefighters and increase overtime to boost staffing levels on each shift. Healey stated that the allocation reflected her commitment to first responders and public safety rather than an acknowledgment that prior understaffing contributed to the fire's death toll.

Healey signed an Executive Order on Wednesday creating a statewide Anti-Hunger Task Force in response to federal cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program announced by the Trump administration. The task force will include representatives from food banks, non-profits, SNAP recipients, farmers, small business owners, and state and local government to advise on mitigation strategies. The SNAP cuts are projected to impact over one million Massachusetts residents across multiple demographics including children, seniors, and veterans.

Healey proposed a nearly $1.2 billion borrowing bill to increase funding for the Chapter 90 program, which supports local road and bridge repairs, from its long-standing $200 million annual allocation to $300 million annually. The Transportation Committee advanced a redrafted version of Healey's proposal in bill H 4257, retaining her proposed increase to $300 million and modifications to the funding distribution formula intended to benefit rural communities. The committee rejected Healey's request to authorize five years of funding at once, instead approving a one-year appropriation of $300 million along with $885 million in borrowing for other infrastructure programs.

Governor Healey announced new fire safety measures for assisted living homes following a fatal fire at Gabriel House in Fall River that killed nine residents. The measures require all 273 assisted living facilities in Massachusetts to complete a fire safety assessment survey within 30 days and to post evacuation instructions and exit routes inside each resident's unit and in common areas. The announcement addressed concerns that assisted living homes increasingly serve frailer populations with greater medical needs than the facilities were originally designed to accommodate.

Healey announced a statewide Fire and Life Safety Initiative requiring all 273 assisted living facilities in Massachusetts to send letters to residents and families detailing fire safety protocols and evacuation procedures within five business days. Facilities must also complete and submit a state fire safety assessment survey measuring compliance with sprinkler systems, fire drills, evacuation protocols, and maintenance of fire-rated doors and walls, along with copies of their site-specific Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Plans. The initiative was announced in response to a fire at Gabriel House in Fall River that resulted in nine resident deaths.

Governor Healey backed six Greater Boston municipalities—Beverly, Malden, Gloucester, Peabody, Danvers, and Canton—in filing a complaint in Essex County Superior Court against Republic Services during an ongoing sanitation worker strike. The complaint sought a preliminary injunction requiring the waste management company to immediately resume full trash and recycling collection and cease activities creating public health nuisances. The action came after local health directors documented accumulating refuse attracting rodents and creating hazardous conditions in their communities.

Healey characterized a work stoppage by private attorneys representing indigent defendants as "very concerning" and called for swift resolution to address public safety and due process concerns. The stoppage, which began in late May 2025 when hundreds of bar advocates stopped taking new court-appointed cases to protest low pay rates, had resulted in over 850 defendants without counsel in some counties and forced some courts to release unrepresented defendants. Healey stated that funding was part of the solution but deferred to legislative budget writers to determine the specific amount and timing of any additional compensation for the attorneys.

Congress eliminated $327 million in federal funding for the Allston Multimodal Project in Boston through the rescission of the Neighborhood Access and Equity grant program. Governor Healey's administration announced in January that the project would receive only two-thirds of initially anticipated federal grant funds, and the subsequent Congressional action removed nearly all remaining federal support aside from $8 million already obligated. In response, the Healey administration directed the Massachusetts Department of Transportation to conduct a cost analysis and independent engineering review to reassess the project's scope and identify alternative funding sources, including state bonds, toll revenue, and contributions from Harvard University and the City of Boston.

Healey extended the state's formal emergency declaration for the shelter system through November 9, allowing the state to continue imposing restrictions on shelter access and duration while bypassing competitive bidding procedures for vendor contracts. The extension was issued despite the number of families in emergency shelter falling to fewer than 3,500, below the legislative cap of 4,000 and half the peak level, with annual costs declining from $1 billion to $276 million allocated in the current fiscal year budget. State officials cited ongoing economic uncertainty, high housing costs, and reduced federal support as reasons the emergency declaration remained necessary to meet shelter demand.

Healey's administration spent approximately $897.5 million on emergency family shelters and related services in fiscal year 2025, with the final total projected to reach $970 million as remaining bills are settled. The spending included $758 million in direct shelter costs for facilities and services, $98.5 million for the HomeBase housing assistance program, and $40 million for education and work support services. Caseloads in the emergency shelter system declined significantly to 3,451 families as of July 2025, down from over 7,600 families a year prior, and the administration closed most hotel and motel shelter sites during this period.

Governor Healey stated in July 2025 that she would "do everything" she could to resolve a work stoppage by bar advocates, private attorneys who handle the majority of Massachusetts public defense cases, but declined to endorse their specific request for a $100 per hour pay rate. The work stoppage, which began in late May 2025 to protest what advocates characterized as below-market compensation, had resulted in some courts releasing unrepresented defendants. The fiscal year 2026 budget signed by Healey did not include a pay increase for bar advocates, and Healey indicated she would continue dialogue with the Legislature to reach a resolution without specifying what wage level she considered fair.

In May, Healey implemented a hiring freeze for much of state government, citing federal economic uncertainty including tariffs and funding cuts from Washington. Healey stated that the freeze was necessary to protect and maximize taxpayer dollars amid economic instability. The freeze marked the second hiring freeze imposed on state government in as many years.

Healey included a provision in her $3 billion environmental bond bill filed in 2024 that would designate barrier beaches that shift into great ponds as permanent Commonwealth property. The language mirrors a proposal previously pushed by developer Richard Friedman, a Healey donor, who has engaged in years of litigation with Martha's Vineyard neighbors over beach access rights. Healey's office stated the measure aims to increase public access to beaches and ponds in response to climate change impacts, though opponents argue it would primarily benefit Friedman's property dispute and likely generate additional litigation from private beachfront owners.

The Transportation Committee advanced a revised version of Governor Healey's infrastructure borrowing proposal, H 4257, which authorizes $1.2 billion in bond funding for local road and bridge maintenance programs. The committee retained Healey's proposed changes to the Chapter 90 program distribution formula and her recommendation to increase annual funding, while declining to approve her requested five-year authorization of $1.5 billion instead opting for single-year funding. The bill includes $300 million for Chapter 90 program improvements, $500 million for the Department of Transportation's lifecycle asset management program, $200 million for culvert replacement, and $185 million for congestion relief efforts.

Healey appointed Kate Walsh, president and CEO of Boston Medical Center, to serve as Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services. Walsh succeeded Marylou Sudders in leading the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which oversees a dozen state agencies and the MassHealth program with a combined budget exceeding $27 billion. Walsh's appointment came as part of Healey's initial cabinet selections following her inauguration on January 5, 2023.

Governor Healey appointed Dr. Kiame Mahaniah, the current undersecretary for health, to replace Kate Walsh as Massachusetts Secretary of Health and Human Services, with Mahaniah's first day in the role on Monday, July 14, 2025. Mahaniah assumes leadership of the state's health and human services agencies, which manage a $32 billion budget, as Massachusetts faces $3.5 billion in annual Medicaid cuts and reductions in federal funding for food assistance and other health programs. Mahaniah stated his priorities include establishing primary care solutions within six to 18 months, advancing health equity, and streamlining health care services while continuing to see patients at Lynn Community Health Center.

Attorney General Healey announced on Friday that President Trump's executive order restricting birthright citizenship will not take effect in Massachusetts following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that limited nationwide injunctions and returned cases to lower courts. Healey stated that "the executive order will not go into effect here in Massachusetts" and joined other Democratic attorneys general in challenging the policy's constitutionality. Healey expressed concern that the Supreme Court's decision could create a patchwork system of citizenship rights across states, arguing that citizenship should not depend on the state in which a child is born.

Healey approved $5 million for an immigrant legal defense fund as part of the fiscal year 2026 state budget she signed in July 2025. The funding directs the state Office for Refugees and Immigrants to distribute grants to nonprofit organizations to increase access to legal representation for immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts, with $75,000 specifically allocated to the Brazilian American Center in Framingham. The program enables immigrants to obtain attorneys to navigate immigration law and deportation proceedings.

Governor Healey signed a budget bill on Friday that prohibits landlords from requiring tenants to pay broker fees, which are typically charged by intermediaries who facilitate apartment rentals and generally equal one month's rent. The provision aims to reduce upfront housing costs in Massachusetts, one of the most expensive states for rental housing. The broker fee ban is part of a broader effort to eliminate "junk fees," hidden service charges that increase costs across various consumer sectors.

The Trump administration withheld $108 million in federal education grants scheduled to arrive in Massachusetts on July 1, placing the funds under review to align with the president's priorities. Governor Healey's administration stated that local school districts had planned to use the funding for summer and after-school programs, mental health supports, bullying prevention, and classroom materials. The U.S. Department of Education also communicated that it was withholding funds for the Integrated English Language and Civics Education programs and the Adult Basic Education Grants to States program.

Healey signed Massachusetts's state budget on July 4, 2025, making it the earliest state budget approval in 15 years at only four days into the new fiscal year. The $61 billion operating plan came in $1 billion below Healey's initial proposal and included $130 million in additional cuts made through her line-item veto authority. The budget included an $800 million cushion designated to insulate state residents against immediate impacts from federal policy changes, including provisions in President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" affecting Medicaid and other federal programs.

Governor Healey signed H 4240, the $60.9 billion fiscal year 2026 state budget, into law on July 1, 2025, after the House and Senate approved the conference committee version with votes of 139-6 and 38-2 respectively. Healey vetoed $130 million in planned spending from the budget proposal. The signed legislation includes a provision effective August 1 that shifts broker fee costs from renters to landlords unless the renter directly hires the broker.

Governor Healey announced plans to reduce spending across state government in preparation for potential federal funding cuts, including the possibility of slashing millions in legislative earmarks for local projects if Massachusetts experiences a financial downturn. The governor extended an executive branch hiring freeze through fiscal year 2026, paused salary increases for certain employees, and eliminated health insurance coverage of a weight-loss drug for public workers. Healey filed a $100 million supplemental spending bill requesting expanded emergency budget-cutting powers under Massachusetts law.

Healey signed the Massachusetts state fiscal year 2026 budget of $61 billion on July 4, 2025, marking the state's earliest budget signing in nearly 15 years. Healey used her line-item veto power to strike approximately $130 million in provisions, including a measure to cover GLP-1 weight loss medications for state employees and continuing a hiring freeze for executive branch managers through the next fiscal year. The signed budget was $1 billion lower than Healey's initial proposal and included provisions for broker's fee restrictions on rental leases, $470 million in direct MBTA funding, continued operation of two hospitals, and extended free bus service across regional transit authorities.

State lawmakers approved a fiscal 2026 budget that allocates $496 million in revenue from the 4% surtax on incomes over $1 million to expand Chapter 70 education funding for local school districts, which was sent to Governor Healey's desk in July 2025. This represents a shift from previous budgets in which similar Chapter 70 increases were funded through general state revenues rather than surtax dollars. The reallocation of surtax revenue to cover existing education funding obligations rather than new initiatives drew criticism from some surtax supporters who viewed the revenue as intended for new programs beyond standard budget commitments.

Healey stated that the Trump administration's decision to withhold $108 million in congressionally appropriated education funding from Massachusetts represents an unprecedented action that will harm students and schools statewide. The governor's office indicated that the funding hold, part of a broader $6 billion federal review, will force school districts to reduce staff and eliminate programs and services. Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced she would pursue legal action against the Department of Education if the funds were not released promptly.

Governor Healey signed into law a measure included in the state budget passed by the Massachusetts Legislature that effectively bars landlords from requiring apartment tenants to pay broker fees, with the requirement instead that the fee be charged to whichever party first engages the broker's services. The policy takes effect August 1 and applies statewide across Massachusetts. Healey had proposed eliminating renter-paid broker fees as part of her budget bill submitted to lawmakers in January.

Healey's administration released a report in July 2025 estimating that fiscal year 2025 shelter spending would total approximately $970 million, representing a reduction from initial projections of just over $1 billion. The administration attributed the reduced costs to reforms implemented by Healey to the emergency assistance system, including the closure of 24 hotel and motel shelters expected to save an estimated $410 million annually. The budget approved by state legislators that week also included slightly more than $5 million for an immigration legal services program to increase access to legal representation for immigrants and refugees in Massachusetts.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $281,000 in Work-Based Learning grants to 14 school districts across Massachusetts in June 2025. The grants support a Department of Elementary and Secondary Education pilot program designed to expand work-based learning opportunities such as internships and pre-apprenticeship programs in critical fields including healthcare, manufacturing, and technology. The initiative aims to align school resources with employer partnerships to prepare students for college and career readiness.

Healey signed an economic development law in November that included a provision to rename the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center after former Boston Mayor Thomas Menino. The Mass. Convention Center Authority announced it will hold a formal renaming event on July 12 to officially relabel the facility as the Thomas Michael Menino Convention and Exhibition Center. Menino served as Boston's mayor from 1993 to 2014 and oversaw the initial development of the Seaport neighborhood where the convention center, which opened in 2004, is located.

Healey announced the allocation of more than $7 million in grants from the state's Affordable Housing Trust Fund to support two office-to-residential conversion projects in downtown Boston. Dinosaur Capital Partners received $4 million for the conversion of 31 Milk Street, which will create 110 rental units including 22 income-restricted apartments, while KS Partners received $3.4 million for the conversion of 15 Court Square, planned to include 80 apartments with 16 designated as affordable. The funding derives from a $15 million pool Healey set aside the previous year to assist developers financing larger office conversion projects in downtown Boston.

The Division of Insurance reviewed 2026 merged market rate increase proposals submitted by eight health insurance carriers, which averaged a 13.4 percent increase affecting more than 720,000 renewing members. Governor Healey directed the Insurance Commissioner to closely scrutinize these filings as part of the rate review process and stated that health care costs reflected in the proposed rates were unsustainable. The proposed rates ranged from a 9.9 percent increase by Fallon Community Health Plan to a 16.2 percent increase by Boston Medical Center Health Plan.

Healey participated in a webinar hosted by Crimson Courage, a coalition of Harvard alumni formed in April 2025 to defend the university's academic freedom against Trump administration actions, including the freezing of federal funds and attempted restrictions on international student enrollment. During the webinar, Healey urged alumni to support Harvard by contacting members of Congress and the administration, sharing their stories, and advocating for policy changes. Healey characterized the situation as extending beyond Harvard, citing decisions by United States citizens to relocate internationally in response to administration actions.

Governor Healey stated her position that driving records for the school bus operator involved in the April 2024 fatal crash in Hyde Park should be released to the public. Healey's office indicated she supports amending regulations to restore public access to Registry of Motor Vehicles driving records in cases involving school bus operators. The Governor's statement came in response to questions about why records for Jean Charles, the driver whose bus struck and killed a 5-year-old boy, remained largely unavailable under a 2023 state law.

The Healey administration issued a statement characterizing proposed House legislation that would shift Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program costs to states as "reckless and dangerous." The bill would require Massachusetts to fund between $185 million and $704 million annually to maintain SNAP benefits for 1.1 million residents, representing 7% to 27% of the $2.6 billion in current federal SNAP funding the state receives. Governor Healey wrote to Senate leadership indicating that Massachusetts cannot afford to replace the federal funding the House proposal would eliminate.

Governor Healey publicly decried the high-profile arrest of a Milford High School student by ICE over the weekend, stating that immigration officials had intended to arrest the student's father instead. Healey stated she supports ICE detention of individuals with criminal backgrounds but expressed concern that officials had also arrested several hundred individuals in Massachusetts without criminal records. Healey's comments came as ICE announced 1,461 arrests in Massachusetts during a month-long enforcement operation called "Operation Patriot."

Governor Healey responded to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrest of an 18-year-old Milford High School student by calling for his release, stating that unless ICE had evidence of a criminal record, the student should be released. Healey requested additional information from ICE regarding the case and expressed that the arrest created fear in Massachusetts communities. The student, identified as Marcelo Gomes Da Silva, was detained while driving his father's vehicle and has indicated intent to apply for asylum.

Governor Healey called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to release public information about individuals arrested during enforcement operations in Massachusetts in May 2025, which resulted in nearly 1,500 arrests. Healey stated that ICE should disclose the names of those arrested, the charges they face, and their circumstances as a matter of due process and transparency. The governor's remarks came after ICE conducted a monthlong enforcement operation and subsequently declined to release the names of arrestees or full details about their cases.

Governor Healey announced her administration is relaxing state regulations that previously mandated specific colors and design requirements for grocery store price labels in Massachusetts. The regulatory change permits grocery stores to use digital price labels and display per-ounce prices in colors other than the previously required orange. This action is part of a broader regulatory review initiated by Healey in which her administration identified over three dozen regulations across multiple sectors including banking, ski areas, and barbershops to cut or rewrite.

Governor Healey's public statements regarding Trump administration immigration enforcement actions in 2025 have drawn criticism from immigration advocates and activists who view her response as insufficiently forceful compared to her stance as attorney general in 2017. Healey stated that she understood communities' concerns about immigration enforcement and called for adherence to due process and the rule of law, while also acknowledging that increased border control was necessary. Her measured approach contrasts with the more aggressive posture some constituents and advocacy groups expected from her administration.

Healey announced regulatory reforms cutting 38 different sets of regulations overseen by the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation, representing 25% of the total regulations under review. The changes include eliminating the requirement for barber shops to display a barber's pole, allowing banks and insurance companies to file documents electronically instead of on paper, updating ski area trail signage requirements to match national standards, and modernizing grocery store unit pricing requirements that had remained unchanged since 1996. Healey stated the reforms were intended to reduce compliance costs and administrative burdens for businesses while maintaining public safety and consumer protections.

Healey's administration announced a two-year delay in implementing Massachusetts' electric vehicle sales mandate, which requires carmakers to sell an increasing percentage of electric vehicles and hybrids each year leading to the state's 2035 ban on new gas and diesel vehicle sales. The administration stated the delay was intended to provide automobile manufacturers additional time to scale up electric vehicle production capacity. Environmental groups expressed concern that the postponement would complicate the transition from gasoline to electric vehicles.

New Hampshire Governor Kelly Ayotte signed legislation on May 22, 2025, that bans sanctuary city policies and prohibits state and local entities from adopting laws or practices that prevent law enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The law specifically prohibits any policy that "prohibits or impedes a law enforcement agency from communicating or cooperating with a federal immigration agency." Ayotte stated the measure distinguished New Hampshire from Massachusetts and was intended to prevent the state from becoming a sanctuary jurisdiction.

The Healey administration announced Friday a two-year delay in enforcing Massachusetts's electric vehicle mandate, which would have required 35 percent of cars sold in the state to be electric or plug-in hybrid beginning with 2026 model year vehicles. The enforcement postponement was attributed to federal opposition to EV policies, supply chain concerns, and pressure from automakers and state legislators. The rule's annual percentage increases toward a 2035 target of fully electric vehicle sales remain in effect but will begin two years later than originally scheduled.

Healey's office organized a June 16 meeting in Boston between northeastern governors and Canadian provincial premiers to discuss the impacts of President Donald Trump's tariffs on cross-border trade and commerce. Healey and five other state governors signed a letter stating that businesses on both sides of the border were experiencing severe consequences from the tariffs and committed to preserving cross-border travel and cooperation. The meeting invitation was extended to the premiers of six Canadian provinces: New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Québec.

Governor Healey issued a statement condemning the shooting deaths of Israeli embassy staff members Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim outside an American Jewish Committee event in Washington, D.C. on May 21, 2025. Healey characterized the attack as a hate-fueled act of violence and stated there is no justification for antisemitism or violence. The governor's office confirmed that the Massachusetts State Police is collaborating with local and federal authorities to monitor the situation, with no known threats identified in Massachusetts.

Governor Healey launched the Massachusetts K-12 Statewide Graduation Council in January 2025, charging the 31-member group with studying and making recommendations on a new statewide high school graduation requirement following voters' November 2024 elimination of the MCAS exam as a graduation prerequisite. The council is tasked with issuing a final report by July 2026 on a replacement graduation standard, which will subsequently require legislative approval. In the interim, the state board of education voted to adopt temporary competency determination regulations requiring students beginning with the class of 2026 to complete specific coursework in English language arts, math, and science through grade 10, with U.S. history to be added in 2027.

Massachusetts' Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted to implement a weighted lottery system for admission to the state's 29 regional vocational high schools, replacing the previous system that relied on grades, interviews, and recommendations. The new system, proposed by Healey's administration, will place all applicants into a lottery with optional weights given to students with clean disciplinary records and fewer than 27 unexcused absences, making weighted students two to three times more likely to gain admission. The system is scheduled to begin with the 2026-2027 school year, though the state House of Representatives has proposed budget language to temporarily block its implementation while the Senate has not taken similar action.

The Board of Elementary and Secondary Education voted 8-2 to advance new regulations from Healey's administration requiring Massachusetts's 29 career technical education districts to implement lottery-based admissions systems for students when applications exceed available seats, beginning in the 2026-2027 school year. The regulations permit schools to apply weighted criteria in their lottery systems, including student awareness of the school through events and interviews, as well as middle school attendance and discipline records from 7th grade onward. The action responded to a federal civil rights complaint regarding disproportionate access to vocational school slots for students of color, English language learners, students with disabilities, and low-income students.

Governor Maura Healey announced in May 2025 that the state would close all remaining hotel and motel shelters in its Emergency Assistance system by the end of summer 2025, accelerating a previously stated goal to eliminate such facilities by the end of the calendar year. The announcement followed a decline in family enrollment in the shelter system to below 5,000 families, down from a peak of 100 hotel shelters in summer 2023, as the state implemented eligibility restrictions, shortened allowable stay lengths, and tightened security measures. The closure plan was part of Healey's broader effort to reduce annual spending on the Emergency Assistance shelter system, which had reached approximately $1 billion per year.

In May 2025, Governor Healey filed legislation aimed at lowering energy costs for Massachusetts residents, proposing changes to how energy is bought, financed, and billed. The bill included provisions to remove or reduce charges unrelated to consumption such as energy-efficiency program fees, increase utility accountability, and facilitate the adoption of advanced nuclear energy technologies. Healey's administration projected the legislation could save Bay State families up to $10 billion over ten years if enacted.

Governor Maura Healey proposed a new admissions policy for Massachusetts vocational-technical schools that would replace the current merit-based admissions process with a randomized lottery system. The Massachusetts Board of Elementary and Secondary Education scheduled a vote on this policy for May 20. The proposed lottery would eliminate consideration of factors such as student grades, attendance, behavior, and program interest in the admissions process.

Healey announced a state hiring freeze in response to $350 million in federal funding cuts affecting Massachusetts programs across health, education, and social services. The cuts represent approximately 1.5 percent of the $22.9 billion in annual federal funds that flow into Massachusetts, with the hardest-hit departments being health and human services and education. Healey's office also launched a survey to gather input on how the federal cuts are impacting businesses, municipal governments, and nonprofits across the state.

Healey signed a $240 million appropriations bill on Thursday afternoon to refill the Group Insurance Commission's health insurance fund, which had exhausted its annual budget in ten months. The GIC, which provides health coverage to 460,000 public employees, retirees, and their families, faced a funding shortfall driven by rising provider prices and elevated claims costs. The Massachusetts Senate passed the bill on Thursday after the House approved it on Monday, and Healey signed it within four hours of receiving it.

Governor Healey filed the Energy Affordability, Independence and Innovation Act, legislation designed to reduce energy costs for Massachusetts residents through removal of state-mandated charges from energy bills, expansion of a moderate-income discount rate to natural gas customers, and reduction of barriers to advanced small modular reactor technology. The administration projected the bill could save consumers over $10 billion across ten years, including $100 million in the first year. The legislation also included consumer protections including prohibitions on automatic contract renewals and variable rate plans, increased licensing requirements for door-to-door and telemarketing energy sales, and enhanced state utility oversight.

Healey announced a hiring freeze effective May 27, 2025, that will pause most new hiring across executive branch agencies and departments in response to what her office characterized as a tightening budget outlook and economic uncertainty. The freeze will not include a formal waiver process, though exemptions will be available for positions such as public safety officers and direct care providers. This represents the second consecutive year that Healey has implemented hiring restrictions on the executive branch, following similar hiring controls implemented in April 2024 that the administration reported saved approximately $21 million.

Governor Healey called for restrictions on student cellphone use during the school day in Massachusetts schools, citing negative effects on mental health, learning, and socialization. Healey referenced bell-to-bell bans implemented in other states and stated that such restrictions would not prevent parents from contacting their children in emergencies. Senate President Spilka indicated support for cellphone-free classrooms and stated that the Legislature would hold hearings and meet with stakeholder groups before developing legislation on the topic.

Healey proposed legislation in May 2025 to repeal a 1982 voter-approved law requiring statewide ballot approval for new nuclear fission facilities in Massachusetts, seeking to enable deployment of small modular reactor technology as part of broader energy cost reduction efforts. The bill would eliminate or reduce energy bill charges, reform electricity procurement practices, and allow the state to explore cutting-edge nuclear technologies, with the administration estimating such facilities could help meet 2050 decarbonization targets while reducing construction and capital costs. Healey stated the legislation aimed to lower ratepayer costs by removing charges from bills, expanding discount programs to gas customers, and increasing energy supply to the state.

In early April, Healey included $240 million for the Group Insurance Commission in a supplemental budget proposal to address spending needs through the end of the fiscal year on June 30. The funding was intended to cover the health insurance agency's projected shortfall, as the GIC was spending approximately $20 million monthly above budgeted amounts due to increased prescription costs for weight loss drugs and provider reimbursement demands. The Massachusetts House advanced the bill on Monday, the day the agency was projected to run out of money, and the Senate subsequently scheduled consideration of the measure for Thursday.

Governor Healey used executive action to declare a comprehensive gun law an emergency measure, allowing it to take immediate effect in 2025 despite efforts to suspend it pending a 2026 ballot question. The law bans firearm ownership for individuals under 21, requires serialization of all firearms including unserialized "ghost guns," prohibits devices converting semiautomatic weapons to fully automatic, and establishes new training, licensing, and dealer inspection requirements. In response to a campaign by gun rights advocates seeking to repeal the statute, gun violence prevention groups launched the "Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts" campaign to preserve the law ahead of the 2026 election.

Healey released Massachusetts' first comprehensive statewide housing plan, which includes the identification of underutilized land to support the development of 9,900 homes. The plan addresses the state's housing supply shortage through a targeted approach to public land utilization. According to geospatial analysis, Massachusetts contains approximately 25,775 acres of government-owned land capable of supporting up to 644,364 housing units.

Healey supported a proposal by the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to implement a lottery system for admissions to Massachusetts career and technical education schools, which would prevent these schools from ranking students based on selective criteria including grades, guidance counselor recommendations, and personal interviews. The proposed change would replace the current admissions process that relies on academic performance and other selective measures. The Massachusetts House subsequently moved to block implementation of the lottery system for vocational school admissions.

Healey and five other northeastern governors invited Canadian provincial premiers to Boston for an in-person meeting to discuss the impacts of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on cross-border trade. The governors signed a joint letter to the premiers of New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, and Québec stating their commitment to preserving cross-border travel, tourism, and trade relationships. Healey noted that Canada is Massachusetts' top trading partner in lumber, energy, dairy, automobiles, and seafood.

Governor Healey, along with six other northeast governors, invited Canadian provincial premiers to an in-person meeting in Boston to discuss responses to tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The meeting was proposed as a forum to address economic impacts on the northeastern region resulting from trade tensions between the United States and Canada. The invitation was extended while Trump met with Canada's newly elected prime minister to discuss bilateral relations.

Healey attended the groundbreaking ceremony for King Street Common on May 5, 2025, a mixed-use development on the former IBM campus in Littleton that will include approximately 1,100 housing units, a 150-room hotel, retail and restaurant space, and office and manufacturing space. The project represents a public-private partnership between the town of Littleton and the Lupoli Companies, with state and federal support. Healey characterized the development as demonstrating the potential of public-private partnerships and described it as "hugely important" to Massachusetts.

Healey and five other northeastern governors invited Canadian premiers from six provinces to a meeting in Boston scheduled for the coming weeks to discuss trade relationships and economic cooperation amid tariff tensions. The governors, including those from Maine, Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Vermont, jointly signed a letter to the Canadian premiers emphasizing their region's historical and economic interdependence and stating their intent to maintain open lines of communication. The invitation followed the Trump administration's imposition of a 25 percent tariff on most Canadian goods and Canada's retaliatory tariffs on certain U.S. goods.

Governor Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act in August 2024, which included a law allowing eligible Massachusetts tenants to petition for the sealing of past eviction records, effective May 5, 2025. Under the law, tenants who win their cases, have cases dismissed, or experience no-fault evictions may petition immediately after the appeal period ends, while those with non-payment cases must wait four years and those with fault-eviction cases must wait seven years. The law also prevents credit and consumer reporting agencies from including sealed eviction records in their reports.

The Healey administration reported in April that Massachusetts collected $1.1 billion more in tax revenue than projected, with a significant portion generated by the state's surtax on income exceeding $1 million. Administration officials stated that the millionaires tax revenue could approach the $2.4 billion collected in the previous year, though cautioned that such funds cannot fully address persistent pressures on overall state budget spending. The administration emphasized focus on controlled spending and fiscal responsibility amid economic uncertainty and potential federal funding cuts.

Healey announced energy affordability legislation expected to be filed in May 2025 in response to changes in federal energy policy under the Trump administration. The announcement came as the Massachusetts House debated amendments to climate mandates, with state policymakers reevaluating emissions reduction goals and plans following federal funding cuts and executive orders restricting offshore wind development. Healey's proposed legislation was characterized as part of an effort to address energy costs and affordability concerns in the state.

Governor Healey directed Massachusetts State Police Superintendent Geoffrey Noble to review the state police academy's training program following the death of recruit Enrique Delgado-Garcia in September 2024. The State Police announced reforms including dividing incoming recruit classes into two separate cohorts beginning in May and summer 2025, suspending the boxing program, and commissioning the International Association of Chiefs of Police to conduct a comprehensive review of training methods and practices. The department also elevated the position of academy leader from detective to captain and appointed Captain David Pinkham to lead the academy.

Governor Maura Healey's administration seized St. Elizabeth's Medical Center in Brighton by eminent domain from its private landlord, enabling Boston Medical Center to assume operations of the hospital following Steward Health Care's bankruptcy. The seizure allowed BMC to take control of the facility without purchasing it from the private owner. St. Elizabeth's was subsequently renamed Boston Medical Center-Brighton as part of BMC's consolidation of the two hospitals it acquired from Steward's bankruptcy proceedings.

Governor Healey's administration announced the closure of all Commonwealth Care Alliance-managed Emergency Assistance shelters, including the Lowell Inn & Conference Center, by June 30, 2025. The 250-room hotel, leased from UMass Lowell beginning in December 2023, had housed migrant families and homeless individuals as part of the state's emergency response to housing needs. The closure followed a significant decline in shelter occupancy, from over 700 individuals at peak capacity to fewer than 400 residents by March 2025.

Massachusetts House Democrats rejected an amendment that would have converted the state's greenhouse gas emissions reduction mandates into aspirational goals without legal force. Rep. Mark Cusack, chairman of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy, announced that state policymakers are conducting a comprehensive review of all climate and emissions mandates, goals and plans in response to changes in federal energy policy under the Trump administration. Gov. Maura Healey's energy affordability legislation, first announced over two months prior, was expected to be filed in May as part of this reassessment effort.

Governor Healey's office issued a statement supporting Merlin Labs' expansion at Hanscom Field in Bedford, where the autonomous aviation startup plans to establish a research and development facility in a former Navy hangar. Healey's spokesperson stated that the expansion aligns with the state's innovation-based economy and efforts to attract new businesses, with Merlin planning to initially employ approximately 30 engineers and pilots, potentially expanding to over 100 jobs. The facility would relocate some of the startup's operations from California and New Zealand closer to its Boston headquarters in the Leather District.

The Trump administration terminated approximately $900,000 of a $1 million federal Environmental Justice grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that was administered through the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to address asthma in Hampden County. The grant had funded in-home environmental remediation, community engagement, and capacity building efforts in cities including Springfield, Holyoke, and Chicopee, which have high asthma rates and aging housing stock. Healey's office announced the termination and noted that the affected communities would need to rely on state funding, which carries more restrictive eligibility requirements and geographic limitations than the federal grant had provided.

In July 2024, Healey signed legislation that expanded Massachusetts gun regulations, including an assault-weapons ban, restrictions on carrying firearms in certain locations, and requirements that individuals be at least 21 years old to obtain a license to carry and purchase semi-automatic rifles. The law also expanded the state's red-flag provision allowing courts to temporarily remove firearms from individuals deemed a threat to themselves or others, and established new regulations targeting unserialized firearms known as ghost guns. In April 2025, a federal appeals court upheld the constitutionality of the assault-weapons ban portion of the legislation in response to a legal challenge brought by gun-rights advocates.

Healey issued $1.5 million in grants to 37 municipalities and organizations in September as part of the Massachusetts 250 initiative, which aims to center underrepresented voices in the state's 250th anniversary travel and tourism programming. The recipients included the Museum of African American History in Boston and Nantucket, the Springfield Preservation Trust, and the White Snake Projects. The state subsequently closed a second $2 million grant cycle for organizations marking the semiquincentennial.

On April 22, 2025, Healey visited Fitchburg to announce the allocation of $18 million in Housing Development Incentive Program tax credits to Gateway Cities across Massachusetts. The latest round of HDIP awards included two Fitchburg projects totaling $1.5 million that would create 24 housing units through new construction and rehabilitation of downtown properties. Since 2014, the HDIP has distributed $42.8 million across 35 projects, generating 2,028 housing units and leveraging $557 million in total investment in Gateway Cities.

Healey announced $18 million in Housing Development Incentive Program (HDIP) tax credits during a press conference in Fitchburg on April 22, 2025. The funding was distributed among 26 Gateway Cities in Massachusetts to support the construction of market-rate housing units. Healey was accompanied by Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll and state and local officials including Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Ed Auguste.

Healey requested that Labor Secretary Lauren Jones and Secretary of Administration and Finance Matthew Gorzkowicz conduct a review of the state's unemployment insurance program's solvency and recommend reforms. The review was initiated as Massachusetts' unemployment benefits extended to 30 weeks statewide after the Springfield metropolitan area's jobless rate reached 5.2 percent, triggering a provision in state law enacted in 2003. Healey's administration indicated it would work with business and labor organizations as part of the review process.

Governor Healey delivered a speech at the Concord reenactment ceremony marking the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord, drawing parallels between Revolutionary War-era concerns and contemporary governance. In her remarks, Healey stated that "our freedoms are once again under attack from the highest office in the land" and referenced "the silencing of critics, the disappearing of people from our streets, demands for unquestioning fealty" as familiar patterns to revolutionary predecessors. The speech occurred during daylong commemorations of the battles that marked the beginning of the American Revolution.

Healey implemented policies to reduce Massachusetts' emergency shelter system capacity, including eligibility restrictions requiring legal U.S. status and Massachusetts residency, and limiting shelter stays to six months rather than one year. The number of families in emergency shelters fell below 5,000 by April 2025, the lowest level since summer 2023, as the state reduced hotel usage from 100 facilities to 44 and further reduced system capacity to 5,800 families in March 2025 with plans to lower it to 4,000 by 2026. Healey stated these actions were taken to address the unsustainable trajectory of the shelter system and reduce annual costs that had exceeded $1 billion.

In February, the Healey administration released a comprehensive housing plan designed to address Massachusetts' housing shortage, which Healey estimated at 222,000 units needed by 2035. The plan included measures aimed at increasing housing supply, rehabilitating existing substandard housing stock, and providing financial support to struggling households. The plan's 10-year implementation timeline means it is not expected to significantly affect housing prices or availability in the near term.

Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao departed from Healey's cabinet at the end of April 2025 to address family matters, having served in the position since January 2023. During her tenure, Hao played a central role in the passage of a $4 billion economic development bill, the launch of the Massachusetts AI Hub, and the securing of federal funding for healthcare and advanced manufacturing innovation. Ashley Stolba, Undersecretary of Economic Foundations, assumed interim leadership of the Executive Office of Economic Development while the Healey administration conducted a search for a permanent replacement.

The Healey administration capped enrollment in the Enhanced Community Options Program, a state-funded service providing home care assistance to seniors at risk of nursing home placement. Community nonprofits were ordered to reduce the number of people receiving services from more than 9,000 to 7,322 by the end of June, with new applicants placed on a waiting list. State officials cited fiscal pressures, including potential federal Medicaid funding cuts, as the reason for the reduction in available assistance.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives released a $61 billion state budget for fiscal year 2026 that excluded several tax increase proposals that Healey had included in her budget plan, such as applying sales tax to candy, increasing tobacco tax on synthetic nicotine, capping charitable donation deductions, and implementing pharmaceutical-related tax policies. The House budget increased overall spending by 6.3 percent over the previous fiscal year despite uncertainty regarding federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. The budget allocated $82.5 million to the Attorney General's office, representing a $6.8 million increase from Healey's proposed budget.

Following a Globe investigation into declining reading proficiency scores, Governor Healey announced a $20 million "Literacy Launch" campaign designed to develop children's language, reading, and writing skills in preschool through third grade. Healey also proposed $50 million in spending on early literacy in her budget recommendation for the following year. Education advocates subsequently launched a new legislative push for a bill that would require school districts to adopt research-backed literacy instruction, after a similar effort had failed in the previous legislative session.

Suffolk County District Attorney Healey is considering whether to bring criminal charges against an ICE agent who arrested a defendant, Wilson Martell-Lebron, as he was leaving Boston Municipal Court on March 27, 2025, just before his trial was scheduled to proceed to a jury. The arrest occurred after the ICE agent had served as a witness for Healey's office in the same case, and the presiding judge subsequently dropped charges against Martell-Lebron and held the ICE agent in contempt of court. Healey's office stated that the question of criminal charges against the federal agent is under consideration following the judge's referral.

The Healey-Driscoll administration announced that 300 fire departments statewide, including the Dracut Fire Department, would receive grants through the Massachusetts Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program. The Dracut Fire Department was awarded $22,254 in total funding to replace self-contained breathing apparatus units and acquire water and ice rescue equipment. The $3 million statewide initiative provides reimbursement for eligible equipment purchases including turnout gear, thermal imaging cameras, and extrication equipment to help departments comply with occupational safety standards.

Healey recommended a 6% increase in Chapter 70 school funding in her fiscal 2026 budget recommendation, allocating $422 million more than the previous year for a total of $7.322 billion in state aid to public K-12 schools. School administrators and advocates testified before lawmakers that despite the recommended increase, the distribution formula would concentrate funds in a small number of districts, leaving the majority of the state's 319 school districts receiving only minimum aid. Multiple school districts across Massachusetts announced staff layoffs and program cuts due to projected budget shortfalls for fiscal year 2026, with calls from education leaders and student demonstrators for lawmakers and Healey to reform the school-funding formula.

Governor Healey convened a closed-door roundtable meeting with Cabinet secretaries and business leaders on April 9, 2025 to discuss the economic impact of tariffs imposed by President Trump. During the meeting, Trump announced a pause on most tariffs, replacing them with a 10% universal rate for 90 days, though the tariff on China increased to 125%. Healey stated that the tariff pause did not resolve economic uncertainty and warned that consumers and employers would continue to face higher prices and costs under the remaining tariffs.

Governor Healey's fiscal year budget proposal for the Department of Mental Health included a 7 percent increase to the department's overall budget, bringing it to approximately $1.28 billion, an increase of $82.7 million from the current year. Despite the increase, state officials stated the budget would necessitate cuts to mental health services including residential treatment programs for children and adolescents, community-based youth mental health services, and case manager positions that coordinate care for approximately 7,000 people statewide. The proposed cuts were attributed to growing demand for services, higher payroll costs, and rate increases for providers that could not be fully covered by the budget increase.

Governor Healey issued a statement characterizing as "absolutely unacceptable" the Trump administration's revocation of visas for more than two dozen students attending Massachusetts colleges and universities without advance notice. Healey called for the Trump administration to provide information about the reasons for the revocations and to protect individuals' rights and due process. Healey stated that international students are valued and essential components of Massachusetts communities and the state's economy.

The Healey administration defended Department of Mental Health Commissioner Brooke Doyle after a union no-confidence vote and public calls for her removal. Doyle outlined DMH's budget decisions, including the planned layoff of 170 case managers out of 340 to redirect resources toward inpatient psychiatric services, and noted that the department's 700 inpatient beds operate at full capacity. An Executive Office of Health and Human Services spokesperson stated the administration has confidence in Doyle's leadership and cited record DMH funding of $1.2 billion for the fiscal year.

Healey issued a statement accusing President Trump of "taking away food from our children and families" in response to federal funding cuts to nutrition programs affecting Massachusetts. The statement followed the U.S. Department of Agriculture's cancellation of the Patrick Leahy Farm to School State Agency Grant Program, which eliminated nearly $385,000 in funding for Massachusetts students' access to locally grown food. The Healey administration indicated that the USDA provided no explanation for the program's cancellation.

Governor Healey announced in January 2025 salary increases for the state's 40 senators, raising the base salary from $73,655 to $82,046 for the 2025-26 session, representing an 11.39 percent increase and an estimated total cost of $335,640. The adjustment was made pursuant to a 1998 constitutional amendment that requires legislative salaries to be adjusted every two years based on quarterly wage data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In addition to base salary increases, all 40 senators receive stipends ranging from $30,207.04 to $119,631.81 for leadership positions and committee assignments, which are also adjusted according to the same formula.

Healey filed H 55 in January, a proposal to deploy approximately $1.3 billion in revenue from the state's income surtax on high earners collected through the "millionaire's tax." The House Ways and Means Committee advanced a redraft of the bill on Monday that would authorize $1.18 billion in surtax spending, allocating $828 million for transportation, primarily the MBTA, and $353.5 million for education. The House planned to advance the measure at an informal session Monday, with a full chamber vote anticipated for Wednesday.

Governor Healey and Massachusetts's entire Congressional delegation sent a letter to U.S. Department of Education Secretary Linda McMahon on April 4, 2025, objecting to the Trump administration's decision to recover $106 million in COVID-19-era K-12 funding that the state had expected to utilize through March 2026. Healey's administration stated the funds were designated for mental health care, math tutoring, school security improvements, and air quality systems in school buildings across the state, with Springfield facing the largest loss at over $47 million. The officials stated that school districts had already incorporated the funding into their budgets and that the reversal would affect 41 states and over $2 billion in total federal education funding.

In March 2024, Governor Healey announced a blanket pardon for misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions in Massachusetts, stating the action would automatically update records for hundreds of thousands of people. As of mid-March 2025, fewer than 1,900 records had been corrected to reflect the pardon, despite Healey's office stating that all eligible individuals were considered pardoned regardless of record status. State officials attributed the delay to a labor-intensive process and said they were working through a prioritized list of tens of thousands of people identified as most impacted, with uncertainty about the timeline for completing the full record correction effort.

The Trump administration terminated $106 million in K-12 education grants to Massachusetts on March 28, 2025, by ending the federal Education Stabilization Fund liquidation period early, according to the Healey administration. The Healey administration stated the decision was an "illegal move" and said the funds were intended for pandemic-related learning loss programs, building upgrades for security and air quality, and educator professional development. Healey's office did not immediately decide whether the state would pursue legal action in response to the termination.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration delayed the completion of contract negotiations for Massachusetts offshore wind power projects, with the evaluation team announcing it would not meet the March 31, 2025 target and instead targeting June 30, 2025 for contract execution and August 25, 2025 for filing contracts with the Department of Public Utilities. The delay pushes the overall procurement timeline approximately 341 days behind the original September 2024 target that was set when the state selected 2,678 megawatts of offshore wind capacity from three projects. Department of Energy Resources officials attributed the delay to ongoing negotiations and the need for greater certainty regarding federal policy before finalizing binding contracts.

Healey stated that the Immigration and Customs Enforcement administration had not provided her office with information regarding the arrest of Rumeysa Ozturk, a Tufts University doctoral student, or details about the legal reasoning behind the detention. Ozturk, a Fulbright Program participant from Turkey, was arrested in Somerville by Department of Homeland Security agents in March 2025, and her student visa was revoked with the initial justification that she supported a terrorist organization, though no charges were filed. Healey indicated that the arrest appeared inconsistent with the Trump administration's stated focus on removing individuals convicted of crimes.

Governor Healey proposed budget cuts totaling $15.3 million to intensive mental health residential treatment programs in Massachusetts, including a 30-bed dual intensive residential treatment program for adolescents in Westboro and a 12-bed program for children ages 6-12 in Belchertown. The Department of Mental Health stated the programs were operating at half capacity and that consolidating them would ensure taxpayer dollars were used effectively, while also noting the state would transition patients to community-based mental health services. Program directors disputed the rationale for the cuts, citing recent state investment in relocating the programs and arguing that reduced utilization reflected bureaucratic obstacles rather than lack of need.

Healey signed legislation on March 28, 2025, extending authorization for local public bodies in Massachusetts to conduct meetings in remote or hybrid formats through June 20, 2027. The bill extended COVID-era policies that were originally set to expire at the end of March 2025 and had been adopted under previous Governor Charlie Baker in March 2020. The extension maintained remote and hybrid meeting options for municipal governments across the state without making the provisions permanent.

The Trump administration announced the cancellation of $11.4 billion in COVID-19-related federal grants to state and local public health departments, with Massachusetts expected to lose $100 million in funding over the next year. Healey issued a statement characterizing the decision as undermining public health and noting that Massachusetts uses the grants to support behavioral health services, respiratory illness prevention and treatment, and community health organizations. The Healey administration stated that the funds support core functions including the State Public Health Laboratory, vaccine infrastructure, and efforts to counter vaccine misinformation.

Governor Healey responded to border czar Tom Homan's claims about Massachusetts being a sanctuary jurisdiction by stating in a New York Times interview that Homan's characterization was inaccurate. Healey noted that law enforcement agencies in the state regularly cooperate with federal counterparts to arrest individuals with criminal records. The governor's comments came after Homan announced that immigration enforcement operations in the Boston area had resulted in approximately 370 arrests.

Healey stated that the Trump administration delayed the release of more than $50 million in federal funding that Massachusetts was allocated in May 2024 under the Biden administration for lead service line replacement and drinking water infrastructure upgrades. The funds were designated for the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust's Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and were intended to support cities and towns in identifying and replacing lead service lines. Healey said the state had not received a timeline for when the funds would be released and called on the Trump administration to end the delay.

Governor Healey ordered inspections of state-run emergency shelters in January 2025 following the arrest of a migrant at a Revere shelter site who was found in possession of a rifle and fentanyl. The inspections, conducted across hotels, motels, congregate sites, and scattered sites, identified housekeeping and cleanliness issues, pest concerns, and other maintenance problems at various shelter locations. Records released by the Healey administration documented inspection findings from multiple shelter providers, including incidents of non-compliance and maintenance deficiencies that were tracked across the shelter system.

Healey's administration commissioned a consultant report from Pinnacle Advisory Group to analyze expansion possibilities for the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority's properties. The report, shared with the MCCA board in 2024, recommended against pursuing a $1.9 billion expansion of the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center until an additional 800 to 1,000 hotel rooms are built in the Seaport District with room block agreements accessible to the authority. The report alternatively proposed a scaled-back 375,000-square-foot addition featuring a second ballroom as a more feasible near-term option.

In February 2025, the Lowell School Committee voted unanimously to send a letter to Governor Healey requesting increased state investment in housing for families in need and homelessness prevention and rehousing supports. The letter was prompted by escalating transportation costs for homeless students in the district, which exceeded $1.5 million in the first three months of 2025 as the student homeless population grew from 41 to 90 students. The School Committee member who initiated the motion cited the direct impact on students and families as the basis for requesting the governor's attention to upcoming homelessness policies.

Healey released a comprehensive housing plan in March 2025 that outlined strategies to address Massachusetts' housing shortage by building 220,000 new units over the next decade. The plan included measures to protect and restore affordable homes, provide direct subsidies and increase homeownership access for first-time buyers, prevent evictions and foreclosures, and coordinate with employers on workforce housing needs. According to Healey's statement, the shortage of homes constitutes the root of the state's housing cost challenges.

Following Governor Healey's recent executive order, the Massachusetts Cultural Council released an online application for the state's first-ever poet laureate position. Eligible applicants must be Massachusetts residents over 18 who have lived in the state for at least three years and meet other specified requirements. After a committee reviews applications due April 10, two finalists will be referred to Healey for final selection, with the winner to be announced in late May or June.

Massachusetts Governor Healey posted a YouTube video on her official page addressing laid-off federal workers and describing resources available to them through the state. The video invited displaced federal employees to seek employment with Massachusetts state government, stating "We're here to support you because we need you. We need your skills, your knowledge, and your purpose." Healey's recruitment effort was part of a broader initiative by Democratic-led states to fill government vacancies following federal workforce reductions.

Governor Healey organized a press conference at Boston Children's Hospital on March 17, 2025, where hospital President Dr. Kevin Churchwell described the effects of Trump administration funding cuts to the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Food and Drug Administration on the institution's research operations. Churchwell stated that the hospital, the fourth largest NIH grant recipient in the nation, faced an estimated $54 million reduction and had experienced stoppage of vaccine development work contracted with the CDC and FDA. Healey had previously stated in February that NIH funding remained frozen despite a court order blocking the cuts, affecting research programs across Massachusetts institutions.

Governor Ayotte requested legislation to ban sanctuary policies in New Hampshire, asking lawmakers to send her bills addressing local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The House passed House Bill 511 in February, which bans blanket policies against compliance with immigration detainers for inmates and requires local law enforcement agencies to comply with immigration detainers for individuals alleged to have committed crimes. The Senate passed Senate Bill 71 in March by a 16-8 vote, which bars local governments from obstructing state or federal immigration law enforcement, permits the attorney general to bring legal action against non-compliant jurisdictions, and authorizes county corrections departments to hold individuals for an additional 48 hours after state charges are resolved to facilitate transfer to federal custody.

Governor Healey filed proposed regulations mandating an admissions lottery at any career technical school or program with a wait list. She also filed a budget bill including $75 million in grants to add 3,000 new seats in career technical programs over three years and $100 million in competitive grants for renovations to career technical schools. These actions represent a compromise approach to address longstanding concerns about admissions practices at the state's 29 regional career technical education schools, which serve approximately 30,000 students.

Healey reduced the cap on families allowed in the state-run shelter system from 7,500 to 5,800 and released new regulations requiring applicants to consent to local criminal background checks or be barred from receiving benefits, with the rules taking effect on March 15, 2025. Housing Secretary Ed Augustus stated that the shelter system lacked sufficient space, service providers, and funds to safely meet demand beyond the reduced capacity. The administration indicated the 5,800 cap would remain in effect until July 12, with potential extension if the shelter system continued to be unable to meet demand from eligible families.

Healey's administration issued regulations implementing provisions of a shelter funding and safety bill she signed in February 2025, requiring all adults seeking emergency assistance shelter to undergo Criminal Offender Record Information checks and disclose criminal histories. The regulations establish a list of disqualifying convictions and charges, including murder, rape, sexual assault, firearms felonies or misdemeanors within the past six years, and drug trafficking within the past three years, with applicants refusing the background check rendered ineligible for shelter. The administration simultaneously adjusted the emergency assistance system's maximum capacity from 7,500 families to 5,800 families to align with current caseload levels.

Governor Healey defended the MBTA Communities Act, a state law requiring municipalities near public transit to zone for multifamily housing, after Massachusetts Auditor Diana DiZoglio's office issued an advisory opinion characterizing it as an unfunded mandate. Healey's office stated the law is not an unfunded mandate and noted the state provided approximately $8 million in funding to help communities rewrite zoning ordinances, along with grant programs to support compliant communities with infrastructure improvements and land acquisition. The governor's position followed legal action by five Massachusetts towns seeking exemptions from the law, though the state had previously won partial victory in January when a court affirmed the state's right to enforce the statute while requiring the completion of certain procedural steps.

Healey held a conversation with Quebec Premier François Legault on Thursday regarding the relationship between Massachusetts and Quebec, during which electricity exports from Hydro-Quebec were discussed. Healey stated in a Friday statement that she and Legault shared a commitment to growing the regional economy and harnessing affordable energy, and that Massachusetts would continue dialogue with Quebec and other Canadian provinces on energy issues. Healey characterized the Trump administration's tariffs as misguided and costly in her statement.

The Trump administration canceled $1 billion in federal funding for a farm-to-school food program that had expanded under the Biden administration, with Massachusetts losing over $12 million in allocated funds. Governor Healey's state had participated through more than 125 farms and over half of the state's school districts, which used the program to purchase food from local producers for school meals. The cancellation, announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as no longer effectuating the department's priorities, is expected to force school districts to source food from larger farms outside the state and disrupt markets that local farmers had begun to rely upon.

Healey stated she would support legislation to ban competitive electric suppliers in Massachusetts during a March 2025 radio interview and subsequent remarks to reporters. The governor characterized the competitive electric supply industry as overcharging consumers and violating consumer protection laws, and said her administration's Department of Public Utilities had begun examining potential regulations to address customer harm. An earlier effort to restrict competitive suppliers to commercial customers only had been removed from a climate bill Healey signed in 2024.

Governor Healey issued a statement regarding the USDA's cut of more than $1 billion in federal funding for the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program, which resulted in Massachusetts losing $12.2 million in funding for Northeast Food for Schools. Healey stated that the funding cut violated court orders and criticized both President Trump and Elon Musk in connection with the reduction. The cuts affected food banks, child-care centers, and schools across more than 40 states that had previously participated in the programs to purchase locally grown food.

Governor Maura Healey must approve the state Board of Elementary and Secondary Education's appointment of Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler as interim commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, following a 7-2 board vote in March 2024. The appointment would allow Tutwiler to serve simultaneously in both the secretary and interim commissioner roles while the state searches for a permanent commissioner to replace Russell Johnston. Board members raised questions about whether the dual appointment complies with state law and board regulations, with some expressing concerns about accountability and the feasibility of effectively managing two full-time positions.

Healey unveiled an exhibition of Women's Army Corps uniforms spanning from World War II to 1978 in her office during March 2025 to commemorate Women's History Month. The exhibition was organized in partnership with the Executive Office of Veterans Services and 3-5-0 Girls and honored the legacy of the first woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress. The displayed uniforms documented the evolution of WAC uniforms over the decades as women became more integrated into the U.S. Army.

Healey announced a plan on March 10, 2025, to address rising energy costs by directing a $50 credit to be issued on April utility bills for customers of National Grid, Unitil, and Eversource, funded through reallocation of clean energy program resources. The administration called on the Department of Public Utilities and gas companies to provide immediate relief, resulting in a 10% reduction in March and April gas bills for customers of National Grid, Unitil, Eversource, Liberty, and Berkshire Gas. Healey directed Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper to review and remove unnecessary fees charged to utility companies and tasked the DPU with expanding discounted rate enrollment for low-income families and implementing tiered discounted rates.

Governor Healey issued an executive order on March 11, 2025, requiring state agencies in the executive branch to evaluate project labor agreements for all public construction projects with estimated costs exceeding $35 million. The order directs agencies to review whether the use of a project labor agreement would be in the best interest of the Commonwealth based on factors including project scope, workforce requirements, and potential impacts on pricing and efficiency. State agencies may require the use of a project labor agreement only if officials conducting the review determine such an arrangement would serve the state's interests, though the order does not mandate unionized labor or prohibit non-union workers.

Governor Healey announced a statewide "energy affordability agenda" in March 2025 that includes a $50 credit on electricity bills to be applied to April bills for most Massachusetts households served by Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil. The plan also expands cheaper winter electricity rates for heat pump users, with National Grid customers becoming eligible in September and the administration working to include Eversource customers and increase the maximum benefit to $1,000 annually. Healey directed the Department of Public Utilities to review additional charges on customer bills and expand automatic enrollment in discounted rates for low-income households.

Gov. Healey stated she does not want cities and towns penalized due to the MBTA Communities Act zoning law while declining to commit to funding municipalities that resist compliance with the law. Healey indicated she would continue withholding grants from communities not adhering to the MBTA zoning requirements. The MBTA Communities Act requires certain municipalities near MBTA transit stations to allow for multifamily residential zoning.

Healey reauthorized the Life Sciences Initiative, a state program that supports institutions and companies working on scientific discovery and job creation in the life sciences sector. The governor's action came in response to Roche's announcement that it would open a 30,000 square foot innovation center at Harvard University's Enterprise Research Campus in Allston, which the company stated could bring up to 500 research and development jobs to the region. Healey characterized the public-private partnership as consistent with Massachusetts' position in the life sciences industry.

Governor Healey told Massachusetts lawmakers on Thursday that she is open to reconsidering her initial budget proposal filed in late January, which included raising new revenue through capping charitable tax deductions, citing uncertainty created by potential federal funding cuts under the Trump administration. Healey's proposed $62 billion budget assumes $16 billion in federal funding, including $14 billion in federal reimbursements for MassHealth, and her budget secretary indicated that both the administration and Legislature may need to decide how to use state funding differently in response to potential reductions. Healey characterized the current budget cycle as particularly challenging due to what she described as immediate federal funding cuts being pursued by the Trump administration in its opening weeks.

Healey cited state data showing that fewer than half of families currently in Massachusetts emergency shelters are migrants, refugees, or asylum seekers, a shift from summer 2024 when migrants comprised 51 percent of the shelter population. The governor had previously implemented restrictions on the shelter system, including shortened stay lengths and residency requirements for applicants, in response to increased arrivals from countries including Haiti and Venezuela beginning in late 2022. Healey stated that the overall number of families in the shelter system is steadily declining and that the majority of shelter residents are Massachusetts residents rather than newly arrived immigrant families.

Governor Healey issued a statement following House Republicans' passage of a budget resolution that included potential major cuts to Medicaid. Healey stated that the budget resolution threatens healthcare coverage for 2 million Massachusetts residents, including nearly half of the state's children and 70 percent of nursing home residents, and would strain hospitals, nursing homes, and community health providers. Healey called on the Senate to reject the budget proposal.

Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced in March 2025 that she plans to enforce new regulations beginning in September 2025 to restrict "junk fees" under an expanded interpretation of the state's consumer protection law against unfair or deceptive practices. The regulations require businesses operating in Massachusetts to display all mandatory fees in advertised prices, clarify when charges are optional, and establish streamlined processes for subscription cancellation that match the ease of subscription enrollment. The rules apply broadly to most companies doing business in the state, including ticketing platforms, hotels, subscription services, and landlords, with limited exemptions for air travel and food delivery apps.

Healey's administration spent over $520 million on emergency assistance shelters housing migrants and local families in the first seven and a half months of fiscal year 2025, according to state budget data released in early 2025. Healey signed a supplemental spending bill that allocated an additional $425 million to the shelter system while implementing reforms including ending the use of hotels for shelter, reducing the maximum shelter stay to six months, and capping enrollment at 4,000 families by the end of the year. State officials reported that enrollment in the emergency assistance program had declined to 5,628 families as of late February 2025, down from 7,500 families the previous year.

Governor Healey signed legislation providing $425 million in supplemental funding for Massachusetts' emergency shelter system on March 4, 2025, the same day she released a security review of the system commissioned from former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis in January. The bill requires background checks for shelter entrants and caps the number of families in the program at 4,000, down from 7,500. Healey stated the supplemental budget addresses safety improvements and cost reductions in the shelter system, which was expected to cost the state more than $1 billion in fiscal year 2025.

Healey signed H 61, a fiscal 2025 supplemental budget that allocated $425 million to fund Massachusetts's emergency assistance shelter system while implementing eligibility restrictions and capacity limits. The legislation allowed families to remain in shelters for up to six months, granted the Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities authority to issue hardship exemption waivers for families with young children or those at risk of domestic violence, and capped system capacity at 4,000 families from December 31, 2025 through December 31, 2026. The bill also established residency and citizenship requirements for shelter benefits, with exceptions for families with citizen or lawfully admitted children.

Governor Healey released the results of a monthlong security investigation into Massachusetts state-run emergency shelters conducted by former Boston Police Commissioner Ed Davis and signed a $425 million spending bill directing funds to shelter services on the same day. The 53-page report identified inconsistent safety policies across facilities, variable security presence at different sites, and lack of coordination between state officials, shelter providers, and police regarding information sharing about residents' backgrounds. The investigation produced 27 recommendations including development of standardized security plan templates for all shelter providers, increased communication between state and local law enforcement, and implementation of unscheduled room checks using metal detection equipment.

Governor Healey contacted the Department of Public Utilities requesting rate relief in response to consumer complaints about increased natural gas and electric bills. The DPU subsequently reduced the three-year budget for the Mass Save energy efficiency program from $5 billion to $4.5 billion for the 2025-27 period, with residential program budgets cut by 25 percent for gas and 15 percent for electric. The utilities were directed to submit their adjusted program proposals to the DPU by the end of April.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved a revised three-year Mass Save energy efficiency program plan but reduced the budget from the utilities' requested $5 billion to $4.5 billion, a cut of $500 million from the originally proposed spending level. The department directed the utilities to submit recommendations on where to make cuts by May 1 and to identify alternative funding sources, including potential legislative appropriations, while citing concerns about ratepayer bill impacts. Governor Healey stated that the budget reduction would provide savings for ratepayers while allowing the energy efficiency program to continue supporting the state's climate goals.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved utility plans to temporarily reduce natural gas bills by 8-16% in March and April, with the deferred amounts to be collected in future bills without interest charges. The approval followed revised proposals from National Grid and Berkshire Gas that removed carrying charges after public objection to the interest fees. Governor Healey's administration indicated it was preparing legislation and executive measures to address longer-term energy affordability solutions in the state.

The Massachusetts legislature passed H 61, a mid-year spending bill allocating $425 million to the state's emergency family shelter system, which landed on Governor Healey's desk in late February 2025 after the House and Senate approved it with margins of 127-23 and 32-7 respectively. The legislation combined additional funding with reforms including a 4,000-family cap on shelters for calendar year 2026 and a six-month stay limit on shelter eligibility. The bill addressed a funding shortfall that administration officials reported had exhausted emergency shelter resources as of January 31, 2025.

Governor Healey announced plans to file an "energy affordability and independence" bill and pursue related executive action to address rising energy costs for Massachusetts residents and businesses. The bill will focus on providing discounts to consumers, eliminating government regulatory requirements, and reviewing existing programs such as Mass Save. Healey indicated the executive action would pursue similar measures and stated the administration would provide additional details in the coming weeks.

Healey requested $425 million in supplemental funding to recapitalize the Emergency Assistance shelter system on January 6, characterizing the request as "both timely and necessary" after family shelter funds ran out at the end of that month. The Massachusetts House and Senate reached an inter-branch compromise on H 58, which allocates the requested funds and implements systematic reforms including a 4,000-family cap on family shelters for calendar year 2026, a 6-month cap on individual family shelter stays with specified exemptions, and a competitive bidding process for assistance program services. The bill was on track for enactment by the end of the week pending additional votes in both chambers.

Governor Healey created the Commission on Unlocking Housing Production, which released a 108-page report in February 2025 containing more than 50 policy recommendations to increase Massachusetts housing supply. The commission's recommendations include abolishing single-family zoning to allow two-family homes by right on all residential lots and permitting buildings with up to four units on lots with municipal water and sewer access, as well as eliminating parking minimum requirements for new housing developments. These proposals follow Healey's office estimate that Massachusetts needs 222,000 additional housing units by 2035 to address the state's housing shortage.

Healey announced a freeze on her proposed closures of Pocasset Mental Health Center in Bourne and Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton after receiving community feedback regarding the facilities' importance to patients and families. The governor had initially proposed closing the two state-owned hospitals as part of her budget plan to reduce spending by approximately $31 million. Healey directed the Department of Public Health and Department of Mental Health to pause closure plans and convene stakeholders including patients, families, labor representatives, local officials, and medical professionals to conduct a further review and develop recommendations on the facilities' future operations.

Healey signed an economic bill in November that allocated up to $30 million annually in tax incentives for climate-tech companies to add jobs and $40 million annually in grants for equipment and infrastructure needs. The funding was modeled after the state's life sciences subsidy program and was developed in coordination with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center and state economic development leadership. The initiative aims to strengthen Massachusetts's position as a climate-tech leader and retain climate-related companies and jobs within the state.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities issued an order requiring the state's six natural gas companies to reduce energy bills by at least 5% during the peak season months of March and April, with costs deferred to the off-peak season. Attorney General Andrea Campbell sent a letter to the DPU on February 21, 2025, requesting that the companies defer such costs without carrying charges to prevent customers from paying inflated amounts due to compounding interest. Campbell's letter also called on the department to implement immediate and long-term rate relief measures and ensure that utility companies shoulder a portion of the winter's high energy costs rather than transferring the full burden entirely to ratepayers.

The Healey administration proposed new regulations requiring vocational and technical schools with waitlists to admit students through lottery systems rather than using grades, attendance, and discipline records as selection criteria. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education presented the draft regulations to the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, which voted to solicit public comment on the changes. Some advocacy groups expressed concerns that exclusion criteria for students with 10 or more unexcused absences or suspension records could still result in disproportionate impact on students of color and other underrepresented populations.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities ordered six gas utilities operating in the state to reduce delivery fees by an amount sufficient to lower the average residential customer bill by at least 5 percent beginning in March 2025. The order was issued in response to elevated natural gas rates driven by cold weather and state-approved increases to supply and delivery charges affecting approximately 1.4 million households. Governor Healey had previously sent a letter to the utility regulator expressing concern about the financial strain caused by the rate increases and requesting relief for ratepayers.

Gov. Healey sent a letter to the Department of Public Utilities Chair Jamie Van Nostrand on February 17, 2025, demanding immediate rate relief for Massachusetts residents facing elevated natural gas utility bills. In the letter, Healey stated that the DPU must act during the heating season to provide relief and emphasized that utility customers retain winter protection rights, including prohibitions on service shutoffs. Healey's action followed a separate letter from State Sen. Jacob Oliveira and 80 lawmakers urging regulators to review recently-approved rate increases for Eversource and National Grid customers.

The state education department proposed a regulation that would require Massachusetts regional trade schools to use lottery systems for admission when demand exceeds available seats, rather than employing selective criteria such as grades, counselor recommendations, and interviews. Under the proposal, schools would be limited to using only attendance and discipline records as screening criteria before entering students into the lottery pool. Governor Healey stated the regulation change is part of her administration's efforts to increase vocational education access, alongside $75 million in proposed grants to add 3,000 new seats across the state's 28 regional trade schools.

Governor Healey signed a comprehensive firearms law in July 2024 that restricted individuals between ages 18 and 20 from possessing or carrying handguns and semiautomatic weapons, though they could obtain firearm identification cards. A coalition including the National Rifle Association and Massachusetts gun owners filed a federal lawsuit in February 2025 challenging the age-based restrictions as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. This lawsuit represents the latest in a series of federal court challenges to the law's various provisions, following previous cases focused on licensing frameworks and assault-style weapon definitions.

Healey sent a letter to the state Department of Public Utilities expressing concerns about natural gas rate increases, following a February 14 letter signed by 22 state senators and nearly 60 state representatives on the same issue. The rate changes, which took effect on November 1, resulted in bills rising 30 percent for January among typical Eversource customers in the former Columbia Gas territory. Healey's action joined the broader legislative effort requesting the DPU to explore revisions to utility delivery charges to minimize future price volatility for customers.

Healey's administration cited the MBTA Communities Act, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in 2021, as generating more than 3,000 new homes already in the pipeline for construction across Massachusetts communities required to revise zoning rules for multifamily housing. The Affordable Homes Act, which passed the previous year, legalized accessory dwelling units in single-family zoning districts statewide and funded affordable housing and repair work for public housing units, with one study estimating the ADU provision would generate up to 10,000 new dwellings over five years following its implementation. Healey's administration identified these legislative measures alongside local zoning changes as components of the state's response to housing supply constraints and rising costs.

Governor Maura Healey issued a statement regarding the temporary closure of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum in Boston, which resulted from federal employee dismissals ordered through the Department of Government Efficiency. Healey characterized the library as an essential institution for Massachusetts history, tourism, and the state economy, and called on President Trump and DOGE to reverse the staff reductions. The library reopened the following day after the National Archives confirmed it would resume normal operations.

Healey joined a bipartisan group of 22 state senators in writing letters to the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities urging the agency to reassess rate adjustments after residents experienced significant increases in heating bills during winter 2025. The letters requested that the DPU provide financial relief to natural gas customers following utility rate increases approved in November that contributed to some customers seeing January bills rise by approximately 50 percent. The DPU stated it would work directly with gas companies to revise rates and provide relief as soon as possible.

Healey proposed multiple restrictions on Massachusetts's Emergency Assistance shelter program, including reducing the maximum length of stay from nine to six months, eliminating "presumptive placement" that allowed families access to shelter while obtaining eligibility documents, and implementing stricter residency requirements. The state Senate subsequently approved $425 million in funding for the shelter system while including restrictions such as a cap of 4,000 families in shelter at any time and limiting the duration families could remain in shelter. These policy changes occurred amid increased demand on the shelter system resulting from a growing number of immigrants arriving in Massachusetts and a housing crisis affecting residents seeking state-funded shelters.

Governor Healey included the closure of Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton in her most recent budget proposal, which would transfer the facility's approximately 225 residents and patients more than 100 miles away to Western Massachusetts Hospital in Westfield. The proposal is estimated to save approximately $31 million and was justified by state officials citing the aging campus's inability to meet modern medical care demands. The closure plan has faced significant opposition, including a petition signed by more than 17,000 people, and state officials have indicated they would review the proposal.

The Healey Administration reported that federal grant funding allocated to Massachusetts remained frozen despite a federal judge's Temporary Restraining Order issued to block the Trump Administration's freeze on grants and loans. The affected funding included $862,158 in year-two grant money from the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control designated for rape prevention and education programs under the Department of Public Health. The White House characterized the situation differently, attributing delays to a technical issue with CDC payment systems rather than continued non-compliance with the court order.

Massachusetts officials reported that seven grants from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency worth over $168 million have been suspended as of February 14, 2025, including the $156 million Solar For All grant intended to install solar panels on thousands of low-income homes and the State Energy Program grant for energy efficiency initiatives. An additional $63 million grant to the Massachusetts Department of Transportation for electric vehicle chargers was also suspended, with the state having already signed $50 million in contracts with companies based on the expectation of receiving federal funds. A spokesperson from Governor Healey's office stated that "those agreements should be honored by the new administration" and indicated the state was reviewing federal orders and guidance while monitoring related litigation.

In her latest budget proposal, Healey recommended a requirement that broker's fees in rental transactions be paid by the party who hired the broker rather than the renter. Under the current system, renters typically pay broker's fees equivalent to one month's rent even when they did not hire the broker, as landlords generally engage brokers to list and show rental units. A similar bill passed the Massachusetts Senate in the previous year but died in the House before Healey's proposal to revive the measure.

The Healey administration released figures Wednesday indicating that Massachusetts expanded its childcare system by 8,700 seats in the previous year, continuing recovery from pandemic-era losses. The state's permanent grants to childcare providers have supported a 20 percent increase in employee compensation since 2022 and contributed to a reduction in early education workforce vacancies from 11 to 9 percent. For fiscal year 2026, Healey proposed maintaining $475 million in funding for the state's childcare C3 grants program.

The Massachusetts Senate released a $425 million bill to fund the state's emergency shelter system while imposing new restrictions on family stays and shelter capacity. The legislation would reduce the maximum shelter stay from nine months to six months and lower the cap on families in the system from 7,500 to 4,000 beginning December 31, aligning with restrictions the Healey administration had previously proposed and the House had passed. The bill also introduces additional eligibility verification requirements, including criminal background checks and proof of lawful US residency, as well as expanded reporting requirements for the administration's biweekly shelter system updates.

Governor Healey announced a policy banning the use of nondisclosure agreements across all executive agencies under her control and memorialized this directive in a letter to agency leadership. The policy requires that any settlement of $20,000 or more receive approval from multiple general counsels and mandates that settlements become matters of public record with documented retention systems. This announcement came one day before the release of a State Auditor report documenting over 2,000 settlements containing nondisclosure agreements that cost taxpayers nearly $41 million during a 13-year period.

Governor Maura Healey proposed changes to Massachusetts' right-to-shelter law in January that would implement a six-month limit on family shelter stays and reduce the systemwide cap to 4,000 families beginning December 31. The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed a $425 million bill on Thursday that incorporated Healey's proposed modifications along with requirements for families to prove lawful status in the United States and undergo criminal background checks. The legislation now proceeds to the State Senate for consideration.

Foley, the newly appointed U.S. Attorney for Massachusetts, stated that her office will not target local politicians or police who decline to comply with federal immigration enforcement directives, while emphasizing that individuals remain subject to federal prosecution if they actively interfere with enforcement actions. Foley indicated that the Department of Justice's current focus is identifying and removing immigrants in the country illegally who have committed crimes, and that her office does not require local officials to assist federal immigration enforcement but expects them not to obstruct such efforts. Foley's remarks addressed criticism directed at Governor Healey and other Massachusetts leaders regarding state policies that limit local law enforcement cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.

Massachusetts' wage transparency law began implementation with its first requirement on February 3, 2025, when employers with at least 100 employees were required to report anonymous demographic wage data to the state. Starting October 31, 2025, the law will require employers with 25 or more workers to publish salary ranges in job postings and provide employees with access to their position's salary range upon request and during promotions or transfers. State officials plan to publish the first wage data report broken down by sector by June 1, 2025.

House budget writers released a $425 million spending bill to fund state-run shelters that would temporarily impose a residency requirement barring non-Massachusetts residents from the emergency assistance program and cap enrollment at 4,000 families starting later in 2025. The legislation would require shelter applicants to establish Massachusetts residency or demonstrate intent to remain in the state through documents such as MassHealth enrollment, with the residency requirement set to expire at the end of June 2025. The House scheduled a debate on the bill for Thursday afternoon, with passage requiring subsequent Senate approval before reaching Healey's desk.

Massachusetts Attorney General Campbell issued new guidance to health care providers reassuring them of patient rights to privacy and immigrants' ability to access care following the Trump administration's rescission of guidelines that had previously restricted immigration enforcement in hospitals, schools, and churches. The guidance clarified that health care systems should continue providing services and protecting patient health information regardless of immigration status. This directive followed a similar 2017 guidance issued by then-Attorney General Healey in response to Trump administration executive orders on border security and immigration enforcement.

Healey's mid-year spending proposal included a $425 million emergency shelter system bill that the House Ways and Means Committee advanced for a Thursday vote. The proposal would implement stricter eligibility requirements for emergency shelter benefits, including residency verification, citizenship or legal residency documentation, and reduction of maximum shelter stays from nine to six consecutive months. The bill would also establish a hard cap of 4,000 families in the emergency assistance system and require criminal background checks for adult applicants and beneficiaries.

Massachusetts Governor Healey issued a statement on Monday night responding to President Trump's executive orders directing federal health agencies to terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and those related to gender identity. Healey stated that Massachusetts would continue to deliver high-quality health care for all residents, including protecting access to care for women and the LGBTQ+ community, and cited concerns about the removal of public health information from the CDC website including guidance on preventing HIV transmission and child abuse. The statement came after health centers and state agencies throughout New England received federal memos ordering compliance with the executive orders, which threatened funding for programs at Massachusetts Federally Qualified Health Centers and other state health departments.

Governor Healey stated that President Trump's tariff orders on Canadian and Mexican goods, including a 10% tariff on Canadian energy, will increase prices for Massachusetts residents across groceries, automobiles, home repairs, medications, and heating. Healey characterized the tariffs as harmful while acknowledging agreement on the need to address border security and drug trafficking concerns. ISO New England, the regional power grid operator, announced it was reviewing the tariffs' potential impact on wholesale electricity prices and seeking guidance from the Trump Administration on implementation requirements.

Healey signed legislation in December 2023 that allows utility companies to pass increased costs for importing hydropower from Canada directly to ratepayers. The Department of Public Utilities approved a settlement in February 2025 requiring Eversource, National Grid, and Unitil to pay $13.61 per kilowatt-month in the contract's first year, a 46% increase, with rates rising to $19.82 per kilowatt-month by year 20 of the contract. The regulatory agency projected Massachusetts electric consumers would save approximately $18 to $20 annually over the contract term despite the substantial rate increases.

Governor Healey's administration incorporated compliance with the MBTA Communities Act as a requirement in the Firefighter Safety Equipment Grant Program, which resulted in fire departments in non-compliant communities initially being excluded from funding consideration. After fire departments protested their exclusion, the administration issued previously withheld award notices, and subsequently indicated it had not denied any community fire safety grant funding. The administration extended the MBTA Communities Act compliance deadline to July in response to resistance from approximately 31 communities.

Healey filed a $62 billion budget for fiscal year 2026 that included a 7.4% increase in state spending and relied on surtax revenue to fund major initiatives. The proposal drew skepticism from the Senate's top budget writer, who stated the spending increase "certainly gives us pause" amid concerns about constrained tax revenue growth and rising costs. The budget was submitted as Massachusetts faced fiscal pressures that made the proposed spending growth a point of contention in the legislative process.

Governor Maura Healey's administration awarded firefighter safety equipment grants to fire departments in Lowell and Tewksbury on January 17, 2025, providing $50,000 to Lowell and approximately $24,000 to Tewksbury through the Department of Fire Services and Executive Office of Public Safety. The Tewksbury Fire Department designated its grant funds for the purchase of five Seek Attack PRO+ thermal imaging cameras to enhance firefighting operations and victim location capabilities. The Lowell Fire Department concurrently placed a new Engine 1 into service at its Gorham Street station, purchased with American Rescue Plan Act funding.

Governor Healey referenced the crisis in Massachusetts' primary care system during her State of the Commonwealth address, noting that four in 10 state residents reported difficulty accessing care and that wait times for new patient appointments in Boston had reached 40 days. Healey stated she would direct her administration to allocate resources toward addressing the shortage of primary care providers, which has been driven by low insurance reimbursement rates and challenging working conditions. The shortage has led patients to seek alternatives including emergency rooms, urgent care clinics, concierge medicine services, and out-of-state providers.

Healey commented on Massachusetts' 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress results at a press briefing Wednesday, noting that the state had halted the decline in reading and math scores seen in the 2022 assessment, unlike other states that continued to experience declines. The state showed improvement in fourth grade math, with scores returning to pre-pandemic levels, though slight declines persisted in fourth and eighth grade reading and eighth grade math. Healey's administration, through Education Secretary Patrick Tutwiler, announced a $25 million investment in high-dosage tutoring aimed at reaching 10,000 students immediately and flagged an early literacy initiative to address achievement gaps between higher and lower-income students.

Healey's administration stated that families claiming eligibility for state-run emergency assistance shelters receive up to $15,000 in housing and services during the month required for state officials to verify their actual eligibility status. According to housing and finance officials in Healey's office, approximately 6 percent of families placed into the shelter system in 2024 were later determined to be ineligible after initial presumptive placement, numbering around 228 households out of 3,939 placements. Healey proposed legislation to the Massachusetts House that would modify the emergency assistance program by removing "presumptive eligibility" provisions and implementing new restrictions on shelter access.

Governor Maura Healey's administration faced a funding crisis in Massachusetts' emergency shelter system as it approached insolvency by Friday, with state officials unable to make payments or enter new contracts without legislative action to approve additional funding. Healey delivered proposals for addressing the shelter system's financial shortfall through a letter rather than formal legislation, leaving uncertainty about the timeline and scope of potential legislative intervention. The funding crisis occurred amid changes to federal immigration policy under President Trump that affected migrant families who had relied on Biden-era work authorization programs.

Housing Secretary Ed Augustus, appointed by Healey, held a closed-door meeting with Democratic state senators on January 29, 2025, to discuss the state's emergency shelter system and funding needs. The meeting occurred as Healey requested lawmakers approve a $425 million spending bill to fund state-run shelters through the end of fiscal 2025, with projected funding exhaustion by month's end without the appropriation. Augustus also presented information regarding policy changes that would restrict newly arrived migrants from receiving immediate benefits, as outlined in a letter previously sent to House Democratic leadership.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released a 164-page audit report on January 28, 2025, examining the executive branch's handling of employment settlements during the Patrick and Baker administrations from 2010 through 2022, finding the process "dysfunctional" and lacking explicit policies for settlement agreements and confidentiality clauses. The report warned that the absence of clear policies regarding nondisclosure agreements could enable agencies to conceal harassment, discrimination, or unlawful behavior while using taxpayer dollars. Governor Healey's administration, which was not subject to the audit, released a three-page settlement policy for the executive branch on the day before the report's release.

Governor Healey included language in her $62 billion budget proposal to authorize Massachusetts municipalities to deploy automated speeding cameras, a measure currently used in nineteen other states. Under the proposal, first-time violators would receive warnings while subsequent violations would result in $100 fines, with the number of cameras in each municipality determined by population size. Legislative approval would be required before implementation, with the earliest deployment projected for late 2026 or 2027 if cleared by July 2026.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell released a report titled "A Predatory and Broken Market" in 2024 documenting that Massachusetts residents overpaid $73 million for electricity through third-party competitive suppliers between July 2023 and June 2024. The report, which continued advocacy efforts initiated during former Attorney General Healey's tenure, recommended banning third-party suppliers' ability to sell electricity directly to residents. A legislative effort to implement such a ban during the previous session did not advance, though Governor Healey and other state leaders supported the measure.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released a 164-page audit covering January 2010 through December 2022 that criticized the executive branch's handling of employment settlements, finding agencies lacked explicit policies for confidentiality clauses and nondisclosure agreements. In response, Governor Healey released a three-page settlement policy for the executive branch that codifies existing practices, including an explicit prohibition on the use of nondisclosure agreements in settlements and requirements for improved recordkeeping and public disclosure of settlement policies by state agencies. Healey's policy did not include all recommendations from DiZoglio's report, which had called for an executive order and the passage of legislation to bar state agencies from executing settlement agreements with nondisclosure, non-disparagement, or confidentiality provisions.

Governor Healey issued a statement supporting a Massachusetts Department of Transportation pilot program that made naloxone available at three RMV facilities in Boston, Springfield, and MassDOT headquarters, with staff trained to recognize and treat overdose. The program was initiated by MassDOT and installed stations on Monday as part of a 90-day pilot, with the department's chief safety officer indicating the goal to expand naloxone access across all RMVs by year's end if the pilot succeeds. The initiative responded to overdose mortality in Massachusetts, which exceeded 2,000 deaths in 2023.

State Auditor Diana DiZoglio released an audit finding that Massachusetts state agencies entered into at least 159 settlements between 2010 and 2022 that included nondisclosure or confidentiality clauses, with 52 of those settlements executed after 2018 when the Baker administration allegedly prohibited such agreements. The audit also criticized Healey's administration for not providing underlying employee complaints for dozens of settlements. In response, Healey released a formal written policy banning the use of nondisclosure agreements across her administration and designating settlement agreements as public records, requiring approval from the general counsel and governor's offices for settlements of $20,000 or more.

Healey proposed taxes on candy and synthetic nicotine products including Zyn as part of her $62 billion state budget proposal for the next fiscal year. The proposed taxes were intended to help balance the budget plan. The proposals were announced in January 2025 alongside other budget measures.

Healey filed her fiscal year 2026 budget proposal with a price tag approaching 60 billion dollars. The article reports on bills signed into law by Healey following the end of the 2024 legislative session, including the Hanson-Milone Act requiring boater safety courses and exams, legislation permitting FDA-registered blood establishments to operate in Massachusetts, and a measure allowing electronic delivery receipts for bulk fuel oil and propane sales. These signings represent Healey's actions on various policy matters brought before her after legislative passage.

Governor Healey received a letter from the nonprofit America First Legal in December warning of possible criminal prosecution if federal immigration orders were not carried out and identifying Massachusetts as a "sanctuary state violating federal law." Healey stated that Massachusetts is not a sanctuary state and that state police would continue cooperation with federal authorities on immigration enforcement while also protecting residents' rights. Healey acknowledged that local officials are aware of potential criminal and civil penalties for impeding federal immigration enforcement efforts.

Governor Healey stated that President Trump's proposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods could result in an estimated $200 million annual increase in Massachusetts electricity costs, with half of that burden falling on commercial and industrial ratepayers. Healey told business leaders at an event hosted by the Associated Industries of Massachusetts that the tariffs would increase costs for residents on essentials including clothing and groceries, and would raise expenses for businesses across all sectors. The Governor noted that Massachusetts conducts $29 billion in combined annual trade with Canada, Mexico, and China, including lumber, building materials, and energy resources.

Healey included several tax policy changes in her fiscal year 2026 budget proposal, submitted in January 2025, which would apply sales tax to candy purchases, extend the tobacco tax to synthetic nicotine products, and impose an excise tax on complimentary hotel rooms. The budget proposal represented a 7.4 percent increase in overall spending compared to the previous fiscal year. The tax policy changes drew scrutiny from Republican lawmakers and business organizations citing concerns about Massachusetts's competitiveness relative to neighboring states.

Healey stockpiled the abortion pill mifepristone in 2023 in anticipation of potential challenges to the drug's interstate distribution. This action was taken as part of Massachusetts' broader effort to protect reproductive rights following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v. Wade. Attorney General Andrea Campbell has also expanded staff resources in areas including LGBTQ rights and gun-violence protection.

Healey warned business leaders that if President Trump implements a 25% tariff on Canadian products beginning February 1, electricity costs in Massachusetts would increase by approximately $200 million annually. The governor stated that commercial and industrial ratepayers would bear at least half the additional cost and that tariffs would result in higher costs for residents and businesses across the state economy. Healey called on the business community and her administration to communicate jointly with the White House to reconsider the proposed tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, citing Massachusetts' significant trade relationships with these countries.

Healey announced the closure of the Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton and the Pocasset Mental Health Center as part of her fiscal year 2026 budget proposal released in January 2025. The closures are intended to reduce state spending by $31 million through consolidating mental health services under the Department of Public Health and would eliminate at least 281 state positions. The plan also includes reducing the Department of Mental Health case managers from 340 to 170 positions, with implementation scheduled to begin after July 1, 2025.

Healey unveiled a $62 billion state budget proposal on January 23, 2025, that included a 2.6% spending increase while maintaining newly launched programs such as free community college and free school meals. The budget incorporated belt-tightening measures including proposed closures of the Pappas children's rehab hospital in Canton and a Cape Cod mental health clinic, reductions to the RAFT rental assistance program, and expansion of the sales tax to candy and synthetic nicotine products. The proposal was submitted to the State House for further deliberation by the legislature before the new fiscal year begins on July 1.

Healey filed a $62 billion fiscal 2026 budget proposal on January 22, 2025, designed to address slower post-pandemic revenue growth while increasing overall spending by 7.4% compared to the current fiscal year. The budget proposal included closing Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton and Pocasset Mental Health Center, reducing funding for the Residential Assistance for Families in Transition eviction assistance program, and laying off state case managers. Healey stated the budget was balanced and fiscally responsible, citing increased costs across services and sectors including healthcare, education, and housing.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined more than a dozen state attorneys general in filing a legal complaint challenging President Donald Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, which directed federal departments and agencies to deny citizenship to children born in the United States to parents meeting certain noncitizen or temporary status criteria. The complaint followed a federal lawsuit filed by immigrants' rights groups, including the ACLU of Massachusetts, within hours of Trump's January 20, 2025 executive order. The legal challenge centers on the interpretation of the 14th Amendment's Citizenship Clause and its application to birthright citizenship practices established over 125 years.

Healey filed a fiscal year 2026 state budget proposal totaling more than $62 billion in spending, representing approximately 7.4% growth over the fiscal 2025 budget. The proposal relies on increased income tax collections from the state's highest earners, applies sales tax to candy sales, and redirects funds that would otherwise go to the state's savings account toward pension and retiree benefit liabilities. The budget continues funding for programs including universal school meals, provides $687 million in direct support for the MBTA, and increases K-12 school aid under the Student Opportunity Act while drawing from surtax revenues for the first time.

Healey filed a $2.5 billion borrowing bill on January 21, 2025, to finance infrastructure improvements across Massachusetts' public higher education system, including construction of new laboratories, classrooms, and mental health facilities on campuses built primarily in the 1970s. The proposal would leverage $125 million in fiscal year 2026 revenue from the state's surtax on incomes over $1 million to support the borrowing over a ten-year period. Healey stated the investment would modernize facilities to support contemporary educational methods and estimated the project would generate approximately 15,000 construction-related jobs.

President Trump issued an executive order on his first day in office that paused federal approval of all offshore wind leases and permits, affecting multiple projects along the East Coast including SouthCoast Wind off Martha's Vineyard. Governor Healey stated on Tuesday that she was very concerned by Trump's posture toward the wind industry, noting that the pause could affect jobs across multiple states including Louisiana, Georgia, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Healey cited Massachusetts projections showing the offshore wind industry was expected to grow from 272 jobs in 2022 to nearly 4,000 jobs by 2035.

Healey's administration announced a settlement with the Biden administration to repay $2.1 billion in federal COVID-19 pandemic funds that Massachusetts misspent during the prior administration under Governor Charlie Baker. The state labor department had incorrectly used federal funds to pay jobless claims that should have been covered by state money over a three-year period during the pandemic. Under the settlement, Massachusetts will repay the amount over ten years beginning December 1, with payments drawn primarily from the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and $73 million in back interest paid from the general budget.

Healey announced a plan to invest at least $2.5 billion into facilities at the University of Massachusetts, state universities, and community colleges by the mid-2030s. The proposed BRIGHT Act ("An Act to Build Resilient Infrastructure to Generate Higher Education Transformation") would modernize campuses with labs, classrooms, and training facilities in fields such as web development, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and student health services. Healey's fiscal 2026 budget proposal would allocate $125 million in surtax revenue to leverage an estimated $2.5 billion in borrowing capacity for higher education infrastructure over the next ten years.

Massachusetts Governor Healey was named in a letter sent by America First Legal, a group led by Stephen Miller and other Trump advisors, for stating her intention to use "every tool in the toolbox" to resist mass deportations in her state. The letter, sent to hundreds of state and local officials in sanctuary jurisdictions two days before Christmas 2024, threatened criminal prosecutions and lawsuits against officials who limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. America First Legal invoked federal statutes including organized crime provisions in warning of potential consequences for officials who maintain sanctuary policies.

The Healey administration reached an agreement with the US Department of Labor to resolve a $2.5 billion liability owed by Massachusetts's Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund related to improper use of federal pandemic relief funds during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under the settlement signed in January 2025, the principal owed was reduced from $2.5 billion to $2 billion, payable over 10 years in equal installments, while back interest was reduced from $487 million to $73 million and $120 million in penalties were fully waived. The Healey administration stated the total cost to the state would have exceeded $3 billion without the negotiated reductions.

Governor Healey signed the Physician Pathway Act into law on November 20 as part of the Mass Leads Act economic development bill. The law creates an apprenticeship track for internationally trained physicians to pursue full state licensure by learning Massachusetts medical standards while working in underserved communities for two years, eliminating the previous requirement that foreign-trained physicians complete residency programs. Eligible physicians must pass licensing exams, have their medical degrees validated, and complete nonclinical training at partner facilities before obtaining a limited license to practice.

Healey announced a settlement with the federal Department of Labor requiring Massachusetts to repay $2.1 billion over ten years after discovering the previous Baker administration had improperly used federal pandemic relief funds to cover state unemployment benefits. The settlement reduced the state's potential liability from over $3 billion to $2.1 billion, with repayment beginning December 1, 2025. Healey directed state officials to conduct a comprehensive review of the unemployment insurance system and assess potential reforms in consultation with business and labor leaders.

Governor Healey proposed changes to Massachusetts's state emergency assistance shelter program on Wednesday, which included requiring all household members seeking state-funded shelter to demonstrate U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or presence under color of law, with an exception for households containing U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident children. The proposal also included a requirement that household members demonstrate intent to remain in Massachusetts through independent documentary verification or three months of physical presence in the state. Housing and immigration advocates publicly criticized the proposed changes at the State House, citing concerns about the impact on families and children experiencing homelessness.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office is working with schools to help protect children of undocumented immigrants as Massachusetts prepares for potential deportations under the Trump administration. The state is coordinating with civil rights organizations and advocacy groups to provide information sessions and assistance to families with mixed immigration status, particularly those with American-born children. Campbell's office is addressing the practical and legal complications that may arise if undocumented parents face detention or deportation, including custody arrangements for their U.S. citizen children.

During her second State of the Commonwealth address on January 16, 2025, Healey announced the creation of a Statewide Graduation Requirement Council tasked with developing recommendations for a permanent high school graduation standard to replace the MCAS requirement, which Massachusetts voters removed in November 2024. The council will include teachers, colleges, employers, and students in developing what Healey described as "a new Massachusetts model for high school excellence." Healey also pledged to review business and licensing regulations to reduce administrative requirements.

The Healey administration modified the eligibility requirements for the fiscal 2025 firefighter safety equipment grant program to require municipalities receiving funding to certify compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, a law mandating certain cities and towns zone districts near transit hubs for multifamily housing. State Fire Marshal Jon Davine notified fire chiefs of this additional eligibility requirement in a Wednesday email, attaching an updated Notice of Funding Opportunity that highlighted the new contingency, which was added after the October 17 application deadline had closed. The change tied access to state grant money designated for firefighter safety equipment to municipal compliance with the housing law.

Governor Healey sent a letter to Massachusetts legislative leaders proposing changes to the state's right to shelter law, which currently guarantees homeless families with children access to emergency shelter. The proposed modifications include requiring all family members to demonstrate legal U.S. status, mandating up-front documentation of shelter eligibility, and establishing a three-month Massachusetts residency requirement. The proposal comes as the state shelter system faces increased demand and costs exceeding one billion dollars annually.

Healey proposed a series of changes to Massachusetts state-run emergency shelters on January 15, 2025, including implementing a three-month residency requirement and an "intent to remain in Massachusetts" standard for households seeking access to the emergency assistance program. The proposals were included in a request to Democratic lawmakers to rewrite a $425 million emergency shelter spending bill that Healey had filed nine days earlier. Healey cited the strain on the shelter system from migrant arrivals and stated the changes were necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the system in alignment with the original intent of the decades-old statute.

Gov. Healey announced a proposal to significantly revise Massachusetts' "right to shelter" law by tightening eligibility requirements, including new state residency documentation and background check requirements. Healey stated the changes were necessary to ensure the shelter system's long-term sustainability amid rising costs from increased migrant populations over the preceding three years and to address safety concerns following arrests and violent incidents at shelters. The proposed modifications were to be included in a spending bill that already contained a reduction in maximum shelter stays from nine months to six months.

Governor Maura Healey replaced Lt. Gen. L. Scott Rice as director of the state's emergency family shelter system in late December 2024, with Rice's departure confirmed by the governor's office in January 2025. Rice, whom Healey had appointed to lead the shelter system in October 2023, was succeeded by Adit Basheer, an assistant secretary at the Executive Office of Administration and Finance who had served as Rice's deputy. The transition occurred without prior public announcement and drew criticism from state legislators and advocacy organizations regarding the lack of transparency and clarity about program leadership during a period of documented challenges within the shelter system.

Governor Maura Healey implemented a 2021 state zoning law requiring cities and towns in Massachusetts to allow multifamily housing to address regional housing shortages, a bipartisan effort that was passed by the Democratic Legislature and signed by her Republican predecessor. The law was upheld by the Supreme Judicial Court when it largely rejected Milton's attempt to invalidate it. Healey made enforcement of the housing law a priority for her administration as communities worked to comply with the zoning requirements.

Attorney General Campbell disclosed that she voted for Question 1, the ballot measure that granted the State Auditor authority to audit the Legislature, during an appearance on GBH's Boston Public Radio in January 2025. When asked about State Auditor Diana DiZoglio's public requests for Campbell's office to intervene in the Legislature's resistance to the audit, Campbell stated that her office follows an established process for determining which state agencies it represents and cannot initiate legal action based on social media or press releases. Campbell indicated that her office is reviewing DiZoglio's letter and assessing the Legislature's response before deciding whether to represent any party, noting that intervention would only occur where necessary and appropriate given the constitutional separation of powers concerns involved in one branch of government suing another.

Healey sent a letter to NOAA administrator Richard Spinrad in which she stated that the proposed speed limit rule for vessels in Nantucket and Vineyard sounds would not meaningfully increase protection for endangered North Atlantic right whales but would have devastating impacts on residents and businesses on Cape Cod and the Islands. Following the letter and approximately 90,000 public comments received during the review process, NOAA announced the withdrawal of the proposed 10-knot speed limit regulation on the Federal Register, citing insufficient time to finalize the rule during the current administration due to the scope and volume of comments. Healey issued a statement expressing gratitude for NOAA's decision and indicating the state would continue working to protect right whales while supporting the local economy.

Healey's administration extended the deadline for cities and towns to comply with the MBTA Communities law from the end of 2024 to July following a Supreme Judicial Court ruling that required the state to formalize the law's regulatory guidelines. The MBTA Communities law mandates that municipalities served by the MBTA establish zoning that facilitates multifamily housing construction. Needham rejected its town-approved housing plan in a referendum and now has additional time to develop a revised zoning proposal that meets state requirements.

Governor Healey ordered an inspection of all Massachusetts emergency shelters and a full review of the state's intake process following the arrest of an undocumented immigrant at a migrant shelter in Revere who was found with an assault rifle and fentanyl. Healey stated that the state would perform full criminal background checks on individuals in the emergency shelter system, citing that she had ordered such checks in the previous spring but they were not conducted. Healey also appointed former Boston police commissioner Edward Davis to lead a review of security protocols for the state's emergency assistance program.

Gov. Healey announced that her upcoming budget proposal will include language requiring broker's fees in rental transactions to be paid by the party that hired the broker, typically the landlord, rather than by tenants. Healey stated that broker fees, which often equal one month's rent and can drive upfront housing costs above $10,000 when combined with security deposits and first and last month's rent, place unfair costs on renters. The proposal mirrors legislation the state Senate passed in the previous year and follows similar action taken by New York City in the preceding month.

Healey signed legislation S 3012 establishing prescription drug cost controls including a $25 per 30-day supply cap on co-payments for diabetes, asthma, and certain heart condition medications, elimination of cost-sharing for one generic drug per plan, and continuity of coverage provisions for existing prescriptions when switching plans. Healey also signed H 5159, which expands the Health Policy Commission's authority to review healthcare transactions and market oversight, closes regulatory gaps in health care ownership review, and establishes a primary care task force to study access, delivery, and payment models. Both measures were intended to address cost pressures on state residents and increase regulatory transparency for private healthcare providers.

Massachusetts Attorney General Campbell announced plans to prepare her office for legal challenges during the incoming Trump administration, including staffing additions to divisions addressing immigration and LGBTQ rights. Campbell stated that she would not assist with Trump's stated intention to carry out mass deportations and indicated her office would take legal action where necessary to protect Massachusetts interests. She noted that her office is studying Trump's first-term actions and coordinating strategy with other Democratic attorneys general on anticipated policy changes.

Governor Healey signed legislation into law that increased Boston's maximum fine for violations of city ordinances from $300 to $2,000, a limit that had remained unchanged for 35 years. The measure was designed primarily to allow the city to impose steeper penalties on businesses and landlords who violate sanitary codes, particularly regarding improper trash disposal. The new law also establishes a mechanism allowing Boston to adjust the fine ceiling every five years based on inflation, subject to state approval.

Healey ordered surprise inspections of emergency shelters across Massachusetts following the arrest of a man at a Revere shelter where police discovered an AR-style rifle and fentanyl. Shelter staff conducted the inspections to identify potential criminal activity including possession of firearms, drugs, or other health and safety concerns within the emergency shelter system. The inspections were carried out by on-site shelter provider staff consistent with applicable shelter rules, with any illegal activity discovered to be referred to police.

Healey signed a law this week that increases state oversight of hospital operators, including private equity companies, in response to concerns about private equity's role in healthcare. The legislation was prompted by the collapse of Steward Health Care, a for-profit system that operated former Caritas Christi hospitals in Massachusetts with private equity backing before filing for bankruptcy and closing all its state hospitals. Healey stated that the law aims to prevent bad actors from exploiting vulnerable hospitals and communities.

Healey signed two healthcare reform bills on January 8, 2025, at the State House. The first bill establishes increased oversight of hospitals in response to the Steward Health Care system's financial collapse. The second bill addresses prescription drug costs through regulatory measures.

Healey ordered inspections of all emergency shelter facilities and a review of their intake procedures following the arrest of a man charged with gun and drug crimes at an emergency shelter in Revere and the release of state data documenting alleged criminal activity at shelters over the previous three years. Healey stated her administration has "zero tolerance" for criminal activity in shelters and said she would ensure the safety of both shelter residents and the community. The inspections were announced as part of efforts to address security concerns at facilities that have housed migrant families, with details of how the inspections would be conducted not yet released.

Healey announced that her office would complete rewritten emergency regulations addressing a Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling on the MBTA Communities Act by the end of the week, with those regulations taking effect immediately upon completion. The ruling upheld the state's authority to enforce compliance with the MBTA Communities Act, which requires municipalities near transit lines to allow multifamily housing development. Following the court decision, 31 cities and towns were identified as noncompliant with the December 31 deadline for adopting required zoning changes.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the MBTA Communities Act, a state housing law requiring 177 cities and towns to permit multifamily housing near transit, and affirmed that Attorney General Andrea Campbell has authority to enforce the law through legal action against non-compliant municipalities. However, the court ruled that detailed guidelines issued by the state to implement the law were created without proper regulatory procedures and must be reissued through formal rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act. The Healey administration announced it would issue emergency regulations by the end of the week to address the court's procedural concerns while maintaining the guidelines' effectiveness for communities that had already adopted zoning rules based on the original guidance.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court upheld the constitutionality of a 2021 state law requiring most cities and towns in Eastern Massachusetts served by the MBTA to allow multifamily housing construction. The ruling rejected legal challenges brought by the Town of Milton and affirmed Attorney General Andrea Campbell's authority to enforce the legislation. The law aims to increase housing supply in the region by removing local zoning restrictions that have historically limited residential construction.

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled on January 8, 2025, that the 2021 MBTA Communities Act housing density law is constitutional and that Attorney General Andrea Campbell has authority to enforce it against non-compliant municipalities. The court found, however, that regulations issued by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities did not follow proper legal procedures and were therefore unenforceable. Healey announced plans to issue new emergency regulations by the end of that week to address the regulatory gap identified by the court.

Healey signed two health care-related bills into law that had been negotiated over several months between the governor's office and State House lawmakers. The first bill caps or eliminates out-of-pocket costs for certain chronic disease medications, including placing a $25 limit on co-pays for certain name-brand medications like insulin, and grants the state new oversight authority over drug pricing and pharmacy benefit managers. The second bill, proposed following the Steward Health Care crisis, expands state oversight of health care transactions involving private equity investors and other for-profit organizations while establishing stricter penalties for hospitals that fail to comply with data reporting requirements.

Healey ordered an inspection of all Massachusetts emergency shelters and a full review of the state's intake process following the arrest of an individual at the Quality Inn Emergency Family Shelter in Revere on weapons and drug charges. The inspection and review were announced after state officials determined that the individual had been living at the shelter site since October 15. Healey's directive came one day before the mayor of Revere announced that police presence had been increased at the hotel location.

Healey signed H 5159, a health care reform bill that expands state regulatory oversight of private equity transactions in the health care sector. The legislation increases financial penalties for hospitals and other entities failing to submit required data to state regulators, raises weekly fines from $1,000 to $25,000 with no annual cap, and grants the Attorney General's office expanded investigative authority over private equity deals. The bill also restructures the Health Policy Commission's board, bars the Department of Public Health from licensing acute care hospitals leasing their main campus from real estate investment trusts, and establishes a primary care task force to develop recommendations for improving access to care.

Governor Healey ordered an inspection of all state emergency shelter units and a full review of the intake process following the arrest of an undocumented immigrant at a Quality Inn in Revere who was charged with possession of an AR-15 assault rifle and approximately 10 pounds of fentanyl. Healey stated that the inspection would begin with the Revere site and aim to determine additional steps to prevent criminal activity in shelters. Healey also filed legislation seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding for the emergency shelter system, which she stated was projected to exhaust available funds by January 31.

An audit by the State Auditor's office found that the Center for Health Information and Analysis did not adequately monitor hospitals experiencing financial distress and failed to assess acute care facilities considered at risk of closing between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2023. The audit also determined that CHIA did not levy approximately $1.6 million in fines against hospitals that failed to submit required data on time. Healey had pending before her House Bill 5159, which would expand CHIA's oversight and enforcement authority by increasing weekly fines for violations from $1,000 to $25,000 and subjecting private equity investors and real estate investment trusts to financial reporting requirements.

Governor Healey ordered an inspection of all state-run emergency shelters and a comprehensive review of intake processes following the arrest of Leonardo Andujar Sanchez, a migrant found at a Quality Inn shelter in Revere with an AR-15 and approximately one million dollars worth of fentanyl in December 2024. Healey stated in a public announcement that the inspections would begin with the Revere site and that the intake review would determine additional steps to prevent criminal activity in shelters. The governor also directed her administration to coordinate with local law enforcement and federal immigration officials regarding the case.

Gov. Maura Healey filed a $425 million supplemental budget bill in January 2025 to fund emergency shelter costs through the remainder of fiscal year 2025, citing expected fund depletion by the end of January without additional resources. The spending request accompanied proposed policy changes including reducing the maximum shelter stay from nine to six months, phasing out hotel use by year's end, and reducing the shelter system population to 4,000 families by June 2026. The bill required approval from the Democratic-controlled Massachusetts House and Senate.

Governor Maura Healey has a bill awaiting her signature that would restructure the Health Policy Commission board and alter appointing authority for its members. Under H 5159, Healey would gain the power to appoint six members to the board, an increase from three, while State Auditor Diana DiZoglio would lose her current appointing authority entirely. The bill specifies that all board members' terms would expire on June 30, 2025, effectively resetting the board on July 1 for all appointees.

A Massachusetts court ordered three health insurance companies owned by UnitedHealthcare—HealthMarkets Inc., The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, and HealthMarkets Insurance Agency—to pay $165 million in damages after finding they violated a previous settlement agreement and state law through deceptive sales practices. The companies were found to have misled customers into purchasing supplemental health insurance through deceptive bundling practices and to have had agents misrepresent themselves as impartial advisors representing all insurance carriers. The court ordered $50 million in restitution to Massachusetts consumers and $115 million in civil penalties to the state, which Attorney General Andrea Campbell's office stated is believed to be the largest total of civil penalties imposed under the Massachusetts Consumer Protection Act.

In her State of the State address in January 2024, Healey highlighted community behavioral health centers in Massachusetts, citing data that the centers had cut emergency room stays for youths in half. Healey's administration invested approximately $375 million into 31 community behavioral health center locations since 2023 as part of a broader effort to address the state's mental health crisis. The centers provide 24-hour crisis services to all Massachusetts residents regardless of insurance status.

Healey signed legislation in December that mandated insurance coverage for overdose-reversal medications such as Narcan and recovery-coaching services as part of an expansive opioid bill. The law also removed the requirement to report suspected neglect to child protection officials solely because a child was born exposed to drugs. The measure was enacted as Massachusetts continued efforts to address the opioid epidemic that has claimed more than 20,000 lives in the state over the past decade.

Healey signed legislation in the fiscal year state budget that made community college tuition free through a program called MassEducate, which was implemented in fall 2023. The program attracted nearly 9,500 new students to Massachusetts' 15 community colleges, bringing total enrollment above 77,000. Faculty and staff at several campuses reported insufficient hiring to meet the surge in student enrollment, raising concerns about adequate academic support and student retention.

Governor Healey announced $26 million in grants through the Massachusetts Cannabis Social Equity Grant Program to support 180 cannabis business owners from communities disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. The program, which launched in September, distributed grants to entrepreneurs selected from 278 applications received by the Executive Office of Economic Development, with funds sourced from cannabis licensing and application fees. Healey stated the initiative was designed to provide marijuana entrepreneurs with support as they start and scale their businesses while expanding economic opportunity across Massachusetts.

The Healey administration distributed $12.5 million from a state behavioral health trust fund to 37 colleges and universities across Massachusetts to support paid internships and training programs in behavioral health fields. The funding targets undergraduate and graduate students pursuing careers as psychologists, mental health counselors, social workers, and other behavioral health roles to address a shortage of service providers in the state. The two-year initiative aims to reduce financial barriers for students while expanding recruitment of trained behavioral health workers, particularly from underrepresented backgrounds and to support smaller employers unable to offer unpaid internship stipends.