SJC Again Upholds MBTA Communities Housing Law

by Jennifer Smith, CommonWealth Beacon

The state’s highest court has swatted away a second challenge to the sweeping and controversial MBTA Communities housing law. In a brisk, unanimous — and widely expected decision — the Supreme Judicial Court rejected the town of Marshfield’s bid to avoid compliance with the law on every argument it raised.

Marshfield failed to show the 2021 law, which requires cities and towns near the MBTA system to zone for multifamily housing, cost the town anything beyond ordinary administrative work. And as it relates to the patchwork of local powers and other state regulations on housing, the court declared the act to be a “valid general law.”

In a 22-page decision upholding a lower court’s dismissal of Marshfield’s claims, Justice Serge Georges, Jr. wrote that the town’s complaint “does not plausibly allege” that the act or its regulations imposed an “unfunded local mandate” – the principal argument put forward by the town. Marshfield and its select board also lacked standing to bring a constitutional claim on behalf of town meeting voters, the court wrote.

Lawmakers are not allowed to create mandates for cities and towns that would create substantial expenses without also providing a funding source for those expenses. But the court decided Marshfield did not offer specifics that would show that the MBTA zoning law imposed an impermissible unfunded mandate on the town.

As most cities and towns got into compliance with the housing law — eagerly or dragging their feet along the way — a few dozen holdouts were hoping that the state’s high court would rule that they did not have to rezone. It was a longshot bid, after the SJC already upheld the law as enforceable by the attorney general’s office in early 2025.

In a statement Friday afternoon, Attorney General Andrea Campbell applauded the ruling.

“ has a housing crisis, and it’s impacting everything from our ability to grow our workforce to the everyday cost of living,” she said. “Today’s decision by the SJC rejects Marshfield’s claim that the MBTA Communities Law is an unfunded mandate and reaffirms that the law is constitutional and compliance is mandatory.”

The Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The law emerged as part of a 2021 economic development bill signed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker. His successor, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, has embraced it as a showpiece policy to tackle the state’s dire housing crunch, while Republican gubernatorial hopeful Mike Minogue has castigated the policy as an offensive intrusion into local control that he plans to eliminate.

After Campbell took the town of Milton to court over its refusal to comply, and secured a ruling from the SJC backing the law last year, the path for resistance narrowed.

Methuen, Middleborough, and Wrentham asked the state auditor’s division of local mandates for an assessment on whether the law was an unfunded mandate. In February, the office sent letters concluding that it was, because it imposed more than incidental local administration expenses on municipalities.

A group of municipalities, including Marshfield, took their case against the state and its housing office to Superior Court, arguing that implementing the law had created new costs and would lead to future cost burdens. Marshfield also claimed the law and its regulations infringed on town meeting voters’ constitutional rights, exceeded the Legislature’s authority under the Home Rule Amendment, and conflicted with the state’s Zoning Act.

A Superior Court judge dismissed the case in June, determining that the towns failed to show that the MBTA Communities law imposed an unfunded local mandate, nor did it unlawfully interfere with the town’s authority to develop and enforce zoning bylaws.

The Supreme Judicial Court took the case up directly late last year.

Justices seemed skeptical during oral arguments in March, with Justice Dalila Wendlandt prodding the town’s attorney to concede Marshfield could have complied at essentially no cost by simply opening every zoning district to multifamily housing.

Though the town argued it had to bear costs from evaluating, preparing, and presenting proposed zoning amendments, the high court concluded that Marshfield did not offer proof that those costs were involuntary or anything more than “incidental local administration expenses.”

As to arguments that the town would suffer future direct costs because of the housing law — either because of future rezoning efforts or possible infrastructure strain like increased students in need of local schools — the court said the claims were “too conclusory and speculative” to support that reading.

The SJC gave little weight to the auditor’s office determination.

It never identified any Marshfield-specific costs, and its conclusion doesn’t bind the court anyway, Georges wrote. The “ultimate legal question” on whether the town offers facts that establish an unfunded mandate “is one for the court,” he wrote.

The town also argued that the law’s zoning requirement infringes on the constitutional voting rights of Town Meeting voters. But the high court concluded that because Marshfield is just a subdivision of the state, it cannot bring a constitutional challenge on behalf of town voters.

Jake Love, general counsel for policy at the Citizens’ Housing & Planning Association, which was one of the housing groups backing the state in this suit, said that this ruling “all but slams the door on continued legal challenges” to the law.

“Zoning has for many years been left exclusively to the domain of municipalities and has resulted in Massachusetts just not producing enough homes,” he said, “which is the primary cause of the affordable housing shortage we have now.”

The state approach, “which requires cities and towns to do their part,” is “clearly working,” Love said.

As of August 31, 168 out of 177 MBTA Communities have submitted zoning plans to the state. Officials have determined 159 of them, including Marshfield, are fully or conditionally compliant, and say about 10,000 units are in the housing pipeline as a result of the transit-oriented housing law.

In an email after the ruling, Marshfield Select Board vice chair Eric Kelley said that he felt the town’s argument “was not effective on unfunded mandates.”

The way the state has approached urging cities and towns into compliance was frustrating, he said. In his opinion, based on the way former Gov. Baker talked about zoning policy, the grants conditioned on the MBTA Communities law “were to be used as carrots for the community to accept and not as a stick to beat down the community to accept” and the law itself remains painfully “convoluted.”

Beyond Marshfield’s particular circumstances, the high court reaffirmed its position on the law’s legitimacy.

Justices rejected the suit’s claim that the MBTA law deprived municipalities of meaningful authority to adopt or amend zoning bylaws, unless they adopted one that complies with MBTA Communities.

The state’s Home Rule Amendment does give municipal authority over local matters, Georges wrote, but “it does not prevent the Legislature, through a valid general law addressing a matter of statewide concern, from imposing substantive requirements that municipalities must implement through existing local procedures.”

This law is aimed at addressing the state’s housing crisis, he wrote — a matter of serious public interest not tied to any one city or town that “falls squarely” within the Legislature’s authority.

Nor does it violate procedure for local adoption or amendment of zoning laws, the court ruled. Marshfield had argued that the state Zoning Act sets out a system where the town amends its zoning through Town Meeting, but because the MBTA law requires compliant zoning it effectively forces the voters at Town Meeting to “vote yes” and approve the zoning.

The SJC again rejected the argument. Town meeting voters “retain the authority to debate, amend, approve, or reject any proposal placed before them,” Georges wrote. Rejecting one just means noncompliance.

“That authority,” he wrote, “does not include the power to exempt the town from an obligation imposed by a valid state law.”

This story was updated September 18, 1:45 p.m.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Clark University, Worcester Schools Sign Partnership Deal

WORCESTER — Clark University and Worcester Public Schools signed a memorandum of understanding Thursday, Sept. 17, formalizing a decades-long partnership aimed at expanding educational opportunities for city students, supporting teachers, and building pathways to college and careers.

The agreement, signed at a ceremony at Claremont Academy, one of Clark’s six partner schools, establishes a framework for continued collaboration across teaching, curriculum development, research, professional development, and community engagement.

Under the MOU, the two institutions will work together on classroom partnerships between Clark faculty and WPS educators, internships and field placements for Clark students in district schools, joint faculty research, scholarship expansion, summer and after-school enrichment programs, and dual enrollment and early college offerings. The agreement also includes a “Grow Our Own” initiative aimed at helping Worcester students, paraprofessionals and community members pursue teaching careers, and requires Clark and WPS leaders to meet regularly to assess the partnership’s progress.

“This MOU formalizes our promise of expanding and strengthening our partnership with the city, especially in the area of K-12  education,” said Clark President David Fithian. “The agreement affirms our commitment to work together to support students, e educators, and families while creating new pathways for learning and success.”

The partnership’s teacher pipeline runs through Clark’s Master of Arts in Teaching program, which the district said has produced roughly 120 of the district’s current teachers; as of last September, Worcester Public Schools employed 217 Clark alumni overall. Laurie Ross, Clark’s associate provost and dean of the college, said the partnership allows learning to move in both directions between the two institutions.

The event also highlighted Clark’s University Park Scholarship Program, which has allowed over 165 Worcester residents to attend Clark tuition-free since 2000. Clark expanded the program’s eligible zone by 26 streets in 2023, extending eligibility to roughly 1,100 additional students. This fall, eight University Park Campus School graduates and two South High School graduates are attending Clark tuition-free through the program.

Next year marks 30 years since University Park Campus School opened as a partnership between Clark and the district; students there and at Claremont Academy have been able to take classes at Clark for more than 15 years.

Speakers at the signing included Anahit Marutyan, a Claremont Academy graduate now attending Clark; Nate Kapiloff, a Clark MAT program graduate who mentors students through the Bruce Wells Scholars Upward Bound program; and Eduard Arriaga-Arango, chair of Clark’s Department of Language, Literature and Culture, who discussed the university’s Hispanic Culture and Heritage program connecting Spanish-speaking undergraduates with Worcester residents. Several of the 22 students currently enrolled in Clark’s MAT program also attended.

Sean Rose Named WPS Chief of Access, Opportunity, Equity

WORCESTER — Worcester Public Schools announced on Friday, Sept. 18, that it appointed Sean Rose to a new cabinet-level position, Chief of Access, Opportunity and Equity, tasked with narrowing opportunity gaps and sustaining a districtwide culture of equity, the district announced.

Rose brings over two decades of experience in education, human services, youth development, municipal government, trauma-informed care and diversity, equity and inclusion work, according to the district. He currently serves as president and CEO of Thrive Support and Advocacy, an organization that supports youth with developmental disabilities and their families, and has held leadership roles in organizations providing trauma-informed services, including the Justice Resource Institute.

“Sean brings leadership, community experience and a deep commitment to Worcester,” said Brian E. Allen, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools. “He understands that equity means ensuring every student is seen, supported, and given the opportunity to thrive. His experience working with young people, families, educators and community organizations will be an important asset to our schools.”

“Access, equity and opportunity are not just words,” Rose said. “They are reflected in the way we welcome students and families, the expectations we set for young people, the relationships we build and the systems we create around them. I am looking forward to listening, learning and working alongside our students, families, educators and community partners to make sure every Worcester student has a genuine pathway to success.”

In the new role, Rose will set and monitor district policies and programs aimed at fostering inclusion, work to narrow opportunity and achievement gaps, and address racial disproportionality among students. He will also oversee the district’s Department of Family and Community Engagement, which manages student and family advisory councils, community outreach, and the Parent Information Center that handles student enrollment. His oversight will extend to the district’s Grow Your Own program, which recruits students into a pipeline toward teaching careers, along with efforts to embed culturally responsive practices across academic departments and compliance with equity and anti-discrimination requirements.

The position is funded in the district’s fiscal year 2027 budget through a vacant administrative role.

Railers Single-Game Tickets On Sale for 2026-27 Season

WORCESTER, Mass. — Single-game tickets for the Worcester Railers’ 2026-27 season are on sale now, the ECHL club announced, opening up all 36 home dates at the DCU Center ahead of an October opener against the Maine Mariners.

The Railers begin their ninth season in Worcester on Saturday, Oct. 17, hosting Maine at 6:05 p.m. The Trois-Rivières Lions visit the following afternoon, Oct. 18, to round out Opening Weekend.

“The ninth season of Railers hockey is shaping up to be the organization’s best yet,” Railers chief operating officer Michael Myers said in a statement announcing the schedule. “We look forward to welcoming our fans back to the DCU Center this coming October.”

Worcester will face 10 different opponents at home this season as part of a wider 72-game ECHL slate that includes 13 total opponents and six teams from outside the club’s division. New to the home schedule are the Trenton Ironhawks, an ECHL expansion team joining the North Division, who make four trips to the DCU Center beginning Dec. 19. The Allen Americans return to Worcester for the first time since 2019.

Fans can buy single-game seats directly through Ticketmaster or the Railers box office. The team is also offering a 10-Game Mini-Plan built around its top promotional nights, a 10-game Rivalry Pack focused on divisional matchups, group rates for parties of 10 or more, $15 “Railers Rush” student tickets, and 508 Club season memberships. Packages and season tickets can be ordered by phone at 508-365-1750 or through railershc.com.

The promotional calendar carries 36 separate game themes, including 13 giveaway nights and eight games with specialty jerseys. The team will also debut new “Heart of the Commonwealth” alternate jerseys on nine dates this season. Early highlights include Bluey Day on Oct. 18, a Railers Fight Cancer night Nov. 7, and an Autism Awareness Day game Nov. 8.

Below is the Railers’ full home schedule for 2026-27, drawn from the team’s official season schedule. All times are listed in Eastern time and are subject to change.

2026-27 Worcester Railers Home Schedule

October

• Sat., Oct. 17 — vs. Maine Mariners, 6:05 p.m. (Opening Night)
• Sun., Oct. 18 — vs. Trois-Rivières Lions, 3:05 p.m.

November

• Mon., Nov. 2 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 10:05 a.m.
• Sat., Nov. 7 — vs. Wheeling Nailers, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Nov. 8 — vs. Wheeling Nailers, 3:05 p.m.
• Sun., Nov. 22 — vs. Reading Royals, 3:05 p.m.

December

• Sat., Dec. 5 — vs. Maine Mariners, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Dec. 6 — vs. Reading Royals, 3:05 p.m.
• Sat., Dec. 12 — vs. Greensboro Gargoyles, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Dec. 13 — vs. Greensboro Gargoyles, 3:05 p.m.
• Fri., Dec. 18 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., Dec. 19 — vs. Trenton Ironhawks, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Dec. 27 — vs. Trenton Ironhawks, 5:05 p.m.
• Tue., Dec. 29 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 5:05 p.m.

January

• Fri., Jan. 1 — vs. Trois-Rivières Lions, 5:05 p.m.
• Fri., Jan. 15 — vs. Greensboro Gargoyles, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., Jan. 16 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Jan. 17 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 3:05 p.m.
• Fri., Jan. 29 — vs. Norfolk Admirals, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., Jan. 30 — vs. Norfolk Admirals, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., Jan. 31 — vs. Norfolk Admirals, 3:05 p.m.

February

• Wed., Feb. 3 — vs. Maine Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., Feb. 6 — vs. Reading Royals, 6:05 p.m.
• Wed., Feb. 10 — vs. Allen Americans, 7:05 p.m.
• Fri., Feb. 12 — vs. Allen Americans, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., Feb. 13 — vs. Allen Americans, 6:05 p.m.

March

• Fri., March 5 — vs. South Carolina Stingrays, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., March 6 — vs. South Carolina Stingrays, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., March 7 — vs. South Carolina Stingrays, 3:05 p.m.
• Fri., March 12 — vs. Maine Mariners, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., March 13 — vs. Trenton Ironhawks, 6:05 p.m.
• Tue., March 16 — vs. Maine Mariners, 10:05 a.m.

April

• Fri., April 2 — vs. Trenton Ironhawks, 7:05 p.m.
• Fri., April 9 — vs. Adirondack Thunder, 7:05 p.m.
• Sat., April 10 — vs. Trois-Rivières Lions, 6:05 p.m.
• Sun., April 11 — vs. Trois-Rivières Lions, 3:05 p.m.

60 Employers Expected at Clark Career Fair on Sept. 17

WORCESTER — Clark University will host its annual Fall Career Fair Thursday, Sept. 17, from noon to 3 p.m. at the Kneller Athletic Center, at 57 Downing St. Over 60 employers are expected to attend, according to the university’s Career Connections Center.

Participating employers span industries including business, government, social services, healthcare, and media and advertising. The fair gives students the chance to meet with potential employers, explore internship and job openings, ask about application materials, and build professional connections. Students can also get a free professional headshot taken during the event.

The fair is one of several career-focused events the Career Connections Center is holding this fall, alongside a Career Festival held earlier in September.

The employers expected at the Fall Career Fair on Thursday include:

• City of Worcester Department of Public Works
• Commonwealth of Massachusetts
  • Executive Office of Public Safety and Security
  • Department of Environmental Protection
  • Department of Mental Health
  • Executive Office of Health and Human Services,  Department of Children and Families
  • Office of the Attorney General
• Trial Court
• Worcester County District Attorney’s Office
• Environmental Health & Engineering
• Hunch Studios
• Kidsborough
• L.U.K. Crisis Center Inc.
• MAPFRE Insurance
• Mass PCA Directory
• Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
• Massachusetts Trial Court
• MGH Institute of Health Professions
• Northeast Army Medicine – Army Medical
• Northeastern University – Bouvé College of Health Sciences
• Notre Dame Mission Volunteers
• Orbit
• Ponte
• Resourcesoft Inc
• Rhode Island Department of Corrections
• Riverside Community Care, Inc.
• Staples, Inc. – Staples Digital Solutions
• The Key Program
• The New England Center for Children
• Tripp Lake Camp
• UniBank for Savings
• University of Massachusetts Amherst – Social and Behavioral Science
• Webster First Federal Credit Union
• Worcester Natural History Society/EcoTarium

Veterans Inc. to Host 5th Annual Recovery Summit Sept. 18

SHREWSBURY — Veterans Inc. will hold its fifth annual Recovery Summit Friday, Sept. 18, from 9 a.m. to noon at its Independence Hall facility, at 59 South St. in Shrewsbury. The event is expected to draw over 200 recovery practitioners, policymakers, and legislators for a morning of panels, an awards ceremony, and a keynote address.

This year’s theme, “The Weight: We Carry It With You,” frames recovery as extending beyond overcoming addiction to include the trauma, stigma and grief that accompany rebuilding a life, according to Veterans Inc., a Worcester-based nonprofit that has served veterans and their families since 1990. The event is free to attend but has limited seating; media are welcome to attend and photograph the summit.

Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who directs research and innovation at Brown University’s Mindfulness Center, will deliver the keynote address. Brewer’s research on how the brain forms habit loops tied to cravings has shaped mindfulness-based treatments for anxiety and addiction, and his TED Talk on breaking habits has drawn more than 20 million views. He is also the author of the bestselling books “The Craving Mind” and “Unwinding Anxiety.”

The summit will present its Spirit of Service Award to U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern, a Worcester native who has represented Central Massachusetts in Congress since 1997 and currently serves the state’s 2nd Congressional District. McGovern, the ranking member of the House Rules Committee, has built a national profile working on hunger and food security issues and has advocated for veterans throughout his tenure.

Two other awards will be presented: the Vanguard of Recovery Award to Jacqueline Blanchard, director of peer services at GAAMHA, and the Heart of the Community Award to Laura Ames, chief executive officer of AdCare Hospital of Worcester. The morning will also include presentations from Veterans Inc. clinical staff David Baker and Jodie Robison, musical performances by Crocodile River Music, the Veterans Inc. Band and musician Hunter Rich, a continental breakfast, luncheon and an art gallery showcase.

Image Credit: Google

Worcester DA Announces Grant for Countywide Comfort Dogs

WORCESTER — The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office has received a federal grant to establish a county-wide comfort dog mutual aid program in partnership with local police departments, District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. announced.

The funding comes through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program and will also support youth substance use prevention programming across Worcester County, according to the DA’s office. The grant will help formalize a coordinated response system so trained comfort dog teams can be deployed across the county during critical incidents and community outreach, while supporting the training and development of new teams within local departments that don’t yet have one.

Several Worcester County police departments already coordinate comfort dog responses, and Early credited those efforts as a foundation for the expanded program. “The impact that these dogs have on people experiencing traumatic situations is unbelievable,” Early said in a statement. “Their presence brings an immediate sense of calm and reduction in anxiety and stress when it’s needed most, helping people feel more at ease during moments of crisis and trauma.”

The DA’s office said comfort dogs help reduce anxiety and support emotional well-being for students, families and community members, and that the funding is intended to ensure departments countywide have the resources to respond when needed.

Southbridge Man Gets 8 Years for Leading Cocaine Conspiracy

WORCESTER — A local man received a sentence om Wednesday to eight years in prison for his role leading a cocaine trafficking conspiracy that ran drugs from Puerto Rico into Central Massachusetts, federal prosecutors said.

Luis Sastre Pagan, 37, of Puerto Rico and formerly of Southbridge, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman to eight years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty in June to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Prosecutors said he was charged in November 2024 alongside co-conspirators Eric Rivera and Miguel Lopez.

According to prosecutors, from April 2023 through April 2024, Sastre Pagan took part in a conspiracy that shipped kilograms of cocaine into Central Massachusetts from Puerto Rico, directing the activities of co-defendants and other conspirators around Southbridge and Worcester. Investigators seized four packages found to contain cocaine during the probe, and prosecutors attributed between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine to Sastre Pagan’s role in the conspiracy.

Rivera pleaded guilty in August 2025 and was sentenced that November to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. Lopez was sentenced in April to six years in prison and five years of supervised release.

Deep-Pocketed Donors Flood the Ballot-Question Field with Cash

by Chris Lisinski, CommonWealth Beacon

The surest sign that the election is fast approaching is the volume of donors and organizations who have begun to open their checkbooks. Yet despite the record-tying field of ballot questions going before voters, the money changing hands has not quite soared all the way up into the stratosphere — at least so far.

Campaigns supporting or opposing the nine measures on the November 3 ballot raised more than $18 million through the end of August, the most recent deadline to submit financial data to state regulators. Including in-kind donations, or work performed directly for a campaign in lieu of money changing hands, the total value rises to more than $21 million.

It’s a massive number, one that reflects the urgent stakes proponents and opponents attached to the ballot-box fights. With two months left until Election Day, the ongoing spending for and against nine different measures might well surpass the record for a single cycle set four years ago.

Yet campaigns so far have only raised about three-quarters as much as their counterparts did through the same point in the calendar in 2022 — an election that featured only four questions on the ballot.

The latest batch of financial data fills in a gap that stretched for most of the year: Under state law, ballot question campaigns do not need to reveal any new information about their fundraising or spending from the beginning of an even-numbered year until 60 days before the election, a blackout period that lawmakers want to change.

Some of the political battle lines are now clearer. Unions are lining up en masse against a business-backed effort to curb state tax collections. Recreational marijuana retailers have coalesced against an attempt to recriminalize the industry. And reform crusaders are willing to put big dollars behind separate but thematically linked proposals to reshape elections and government transparency.

Committees have already spent more than $13.7 million advocating for or against the nine questions on the ballot. Other groups burned additional cash on proposals the state’s highest court tossed from contention earlier in the year, including an attempt to revive rent control and a push to reduce the state’s income tax rate.

Already, each of the nine questions has prompted at least six figures of spending. The spectrum stretches from nearly $5 million in support of changing how primary elections work to a comparably paltry $156,000 behind the Secretary of State Bill Galvin-led push to allow Election Day voter registration.

Several proposals have generated significant financial activity even without much of a fight ahead. There are no formal opponents to questions allowing Committee for Public Counsel Serviceslawyers and other staff to unionize, permitting single-family homes on smaller lots, and earmarking a share of tax revenue for conservation efforts, yet supporters of each measure have already spent at least $1 million.

No group has hauled in more so far than the Coalition for Healthy Democracy, a campaign committee supporting both a public records law expansion question and a primary election overhaul measure. The group has collected nearly $5.2 million from donations and in-kind contributions, much of it from wealthy private-equity figures. Randy Peeler, a former managing director at Berkshire Partners, has already kicked in more than $1 million, and Andrew Balson of Cove Hill Partners has given the coalition nearly $800,000. (Peeler is a founding donor to CommonWealth Beacon.)

The effort to replace separate partisan primary elections with a single “all-party primary,” championed by Harvard University professor and former gubernatorial candidate Danielle Allen, could reshape the political landscape in . Wary of losing some of their influence, both the state Democratic Party and the state Republican Party oppose it, forming an unusual alliance with some unions and progressive critics of the status quo.

Tax policy is again one of the most potent topics in the mix this time around, a fact underlined by the amount of money already swirling around the debate about the cap on how much revenue the state is allowed to collect.

A coalition of business groups known as the Massachusetts Opportunity Alliance is pushing a question that would tweak the formula for how the annual limit on tax collection is set. If it passes, independent analyses suggest Beacon Hill would owe rebates back to taxpayers much more frequently than it does under the current system, which has only triggered the cap twice in nearly four decades.

The coalition itself has provided in-kind contributions worth $1.9 million since launching the campaign, while the Massachusetts High Technology Council — one of the coalition’s primary members — added another in-kind contribution worth nearly $46,000, records show.

The campaign added big-dollar donations from other noteworthy business groups and investors in recent months, too, including $100,000 from Ray Stata, the co-founder of Wilmington semiconductor manufacturer Analog Devices, and $50,000 from the Retailers Association of Massachusetts.

Most of the financial might marshaled in opposition to the tax cap reforms, more than $700,000 so far, has come from labor unions, many of which represent public-sector employees whose work and the services they provide could be affected if a tighter revenue limit prods state government to pare back its spending.

Meanwhile, almost all of the money for another politically fraught fight — whether to undo the 2016 vote legalizing recreational marijuana — has flowed into Massachusetts from out of state.

SAM Action Inc., a Virginia-based nonprofit fighting legal drug use in multiple states, has pumped nearly $3.2 million into the campaign behind the question. The nonprofit is not required to disclose its own funders, and only a handful of local donors have gotten involved so far with minimal contributions.

In the decade since its legalization, recreational cannabis has become a major industry in Massachusetts, and its members do not intend to roll over quietly. Local shops, industry groups, and other supporters have gathered almost $1.6 million so far in their attempt to convince voters they should keep pot widely available.

Regardless of whether the final financial numbers blast into record territory or fall to earth somewhat short of it, one outcome is certain: Between now and Election Day, a lot more money is about to be spent.

This article first appeared on CommonWealth Beacon and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Worcester City Manager’s Homeless Strategy: Lock ‘Em Up

Get ready for rampant arrests of homeless people.

City Manager Eric Batista revealed his new strategy (although it is not new and I will address that) with an ordinance that includes a general anti-camping ordinance. Like Gavin Newsome before him, Batista often waxes poetic about trying to help people who are in dire circumstances.

He has given awards and plaudits to the city employees who have been on duty as the homeless population in Worcester surged (just like the rest of the nation). He seems concerned.

Yet, this Tuesday’s proposed ordinance is a direct result of the 2024 Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson. This decision made is easier for cities to criminalize homelessness. At the core of this decision was the ordinance in Grants Pass, Oregon that made it illegal for anyone to camp on public property. This is not a new form of municipal government.

Most studies have shown that this policy has failed in every city it has been tried in . In, ‘Anti-Camping Ordinances, State Preemption, and the Arrest of People Experiencing Homelessness: Evidence from Orange County, Florida’ authors Andrew Sullivan and Jennifer Royce lay out a detailed study showing that anti-camping ordinances have one universal result: arrests of homeless people rise dramatically.

In California, which was a party in the Grants Pass case, arrests surged across the state, as municipalities encouraged by Newsom started enforcing laws like the one our City Manager is suggesting to the City Council. These arrests were not scattered in conservative bastions, they ripple out across all types of political situations. San Francisco saw an increase of 500% in arrests. The news media is covered in quotes like this one:

The people making the case for enforcement argue it’s a type of “tough love” that’s sometimes necessary to get people off the street. If someone refuses multiple offers of help, the threat of arrest might make them finally say yes, said San Diego Police Department Capt. Steve Shebloski.

“I hope nobody has to go to jail, and I hope everybody takes services,” he said. “I just dont think that’s the reality of where we’re at with certain individuals.”

Compare this with the paragraph at the bottom of City Manager Batista’s letter to the council supporting the new policy:

“Makeshift encampments in public outdoor spaces pose serious health risks to the unsheltered individuals living there and create public fire risk and environmental degradation. We must act, but at the same time, I want to be clear that being unhoused is not a crime and will not be treated as such. Rather, in the full context of ‘Disrupting the Cycle’ the order will provide an enforcement system with the necessary teeth to make outreach, connection to services, and voluntary compliance more attainable.”

Gotta love that ‘voluntary compliance.’ At least the cop above had the guts to say he knows a bunch of people are going to go to jail because of this. You may have read This Week in Worcester’s article on September 1st where I pointed out that city leaders were not including people with lived experience in this conversation. Present at that meeting were Police Chief Paul Saucier, District Attorney Joe Early, and Sheriff Lew Evangelidis.

If you were planning a new ordinance that would help people get services and not get arrested, why would you have the leader who arrests people, the leader who prosecutes them, and the leader who incarcerates them all at the same table? Could it be that Eric Batista, as he is now known for, just thinks we are all idiots who can’t see through his plans?

To be honest, it makes sense that he would plan for a surge in arrests and that he would include those three men. All three have publicly talked about a new police station and a new jail for years. They think, like most law enforcement people, that the way to convince the public about new law enforcement apparatus is to ‘show’ how much work they are doing. To lock ’em up! The current data (lowest crime in years) doesn’t reflect the need to ‘clean up’ downtown or get those new digs. So, here comes yet another anti-homeless measure couched as a ‘caring’ approach.

This policy has failed everywhere in America it has been applied. Unless, of course, the goal is to make the people go out of sight. In that case, Batista is leading the way.

Nothing to see here. No one to notice. Just lock ’em up.

This City Council will pass this ordinance 8-3 (at least). Not one of the 8 will ask about the fact that this does not work. While it is nice that the City Manager admitted that the policy has not worked for the last 15 years, he leaves out the most important factor: lack of affordable housing. You can’t ‘house first’ without real housing.

In the end, talking at the podium doesn’t work. I will make my dutiful trip to City Hall and say these words, and no one will listen. The only thing that I know works is a non-governmental community approach. Leave them out of it, because they just want the money that comes with arresting the most vulnerable. Believe them when they tell you who they are.

Now, before the cabal comes for me, let me direct and clear: I am not against a new police station or a new county jail. The police station is decrepit, ugly, horribly maintained, poorly designed, poorly located, and majorly unsafe. It needs to be replaced, and so should the other 9 fire stations yet to undergo the process that South Division is now undergoing.

The county jail is an absolute disgrace. It is dangerous for the guards, the nurses, the staff, the volunteers, the families, and of course the inmates. The fact that the state has consistently denied funding because they don’t like Sheriff Lew Evangelidis is a joke, and that joke falls on our local delegation. This is not a new issue.

But the willingness to ride the money needed on the backs of the vulnerable is a bridge too far! Batista’s plan to arrest people and stack legal trouble on them is not only untenable, it is the single worst choice of all the choices he has. It is my opinion that he hates the homeless population, just like the angry hordes of townies. Sure, he will throw a winter coat onto a pile to give away, but to truly invest in the housing first approach involves courage. Courage that he, nor the mayor, have. The cabal wants development, and the homeless are the easiest scapegoat. Who is going to stand up for them?

Well, I will. With facts. This policy approach is riddled with lies, but for the sake of the argument lets look a few cities that have managed to have success.

The Transformational Model

Several U.S. cities have shown that moving people into permanent housing does in fact work. Worcester has failed in this model because it does not in fact possess the housing stock needed, nor is it inclined to convert existing unoccupied spaces at the speed and cost needed to make major impacts in this area.

Two cities stand out: Houston and Denver.

Houston has reduced its homeless population by 63% over the last decade. Several other Texas cities have had similar drops. Notably, they have not employed an ‘enforcement’ model like the one described by Batista above. They utilize a model called The Way Home, a coordination among hundreds of agencies. They have housed 32,000 people since 2012 with a 90% success rate. That rate means that the person does not return to homelessness within 2 years. Almost all models agree that 24 months of being stable leads to long-term stability for the vast majority of all people the system encounters. One of the major accomplishments of this system includes eliminating almost all veteran homelessness, something that Worcester continues to struggle with.

Denver has reduced its homeless population by 45% moving almost 800 people into permanent supportive housing. Denver’s population is close to four times the size of Worcester with 740,613. Interestingly, Denver’s budget is only about 1.6 times Worcester’s at 1.68 billion. With a much larger area and population, Denver is able to manage resources well enough to reduce homelessness.

Both of these models focus on using existing housing stock that is underutilized and moving people into those units. Worcester lacks those programs, and in the case of the 50 Oriol Drive project, it has been met with public resistance and a lack of developers with serious capital.

Several other cities like Chattanooga, TN, Bakersfield, CA, Philadelphia, PA, and the State of New Jersey have had serious success in reducing veteran homelessness. These programs all involve including permanent housing and resisting the carrot and stick approach that enforcement models use.

What City Manager Batista avoids in his letter is that the homeless community in Worcester is afraid of the Worcester Police Department and the Quality of Life team. They have visceral fear of city services, and it has created the unfortunately named ‘whack-a-mole’ phenomenon. People are forcibly moved, and their property destroyed and confiscated. They move further into invisibility and further away from the services.

One would hope that there would be a majority of city councilors who would do the bare minimum and read the research available. I know at least one councilor loves Google. The enforcement model is a failure on arrival, and frankly it is just more of the same. The police are being put in a bad position here. As much as I believe in a strong accountability model, this is a poor move by the manager. If I were a police officer, I would resist this terrible, horrible, and very bad policy.

I won’t hold my breath on that hope.