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All 9 Mass. ballot questions in 4 minutes: What to know

Keeping it all straight is tough. Here's what each question would do.

Politics

Bay State voters will face a record-tying <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nine statewide ballot questions" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/10/26/massachusetts-ballot-questions-2026-november-election-beacon-hill-legislature-voters" data-vars-content-id="2e484781-cce3-4033-b808-bc69da9d3007" data-vars-headline="All 9 Mass. ballot questions in 4 minutes: What to know" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/10/26/massachusetts-ballot-questions-2026-november-election-beacon-hill-legislature-voters" target="_self">nine statewide ballot questions</a> Tuesday, covering elections, taxes, housing, marijuana, guns and government transparency.Why it matters: Keeping it all straight as you head into the voting booth is tough. Here&#x27;s what each question would do.

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Think you&#x27;re up to speed on the week&#x27;s news? <ul><li>Take our quiz to prove it.</li></ul>

Question 3: Yes raises $7.8M from big donors, outraising No side 25 to 1

Filings show about two dozen donors, including investors and executives, gave most of the $7.8 million; the No side drew roughly $245,000 from unions.

Question 3 drew about $5.2 million in combined spending as of Oct. 19, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="most of any question this cycle" data-vars-click-url="https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/10/19/how-much-was-spent-on-each-ballot-question/" data-vars-content-id="95bbd6ac-b6af-47d0-af43-d8a3d5e0ea80" data-vars-headline="Question 3: Yes raises $7.8M from big donors, outraising No side 25 to 1" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2026/10/19/how-much-was-spent-on-each-ballot-question/" target="_blank">most of any question this cycle</a>.Why it matters: The &quot;Yes&quot; side has outraised the &quot;No&quot; side about 25 to 1, according to state filings.

Question 7 would allow Mass. "starter homes" on smaller lots

Massachusetts' housing crisis shows no signs of abating.

Massachusetts voters will decide whether to override local laws to let single-family homes be built on lots as small as 5,000 square feet.Why it matters: Question 7 will test whether voters are willing to give up a degree of local control to help address the housing crisis.

Question 2 puts Mass. public defenders' fight on the ballot

Voters will decide whether to give public defenders the right to unionize.

Public Safety

In the Nov. 3 election, Massachusetts voters will decide whether public defenders under the Committee for Public Counsel Services can unionize.Why it matters: Blue Massachusetts once again finds itself putting a union fight to a referendum, this time affecting the quality — and likely the cost — of legal representation for people who can&#x27;t afford one in criminal cases.<ul><li>Indigent legal representation costs taxpayers, but it&#x27;s also <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="constitutionally required" data-vars-click-url="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt6-6-3-1/ALDE_00013437/" data-vars-content-id="3bbeb9a2-52ed-40fe-97cb-5da01be916b5" data-vars-headline="Question 2 puts Mass. public defenders&#x27; fight on the ballot" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/amdt6-6-3-1/ALDE_00013437/" target="_blank">constitutionally required</a>.</li></ul>

Boston federal court temporarily blocks new refugee policy

Nonprofits serving refugees say a new interim rule would deprive refugees of due process.

Immigration

Massachusetts-based refugee resettlement groups say a new Trump administration rule could make it easier to strip thousands of refugees nationwide of legal status, per a lawsuit filed this week.The big picture: It&#x27;s the latest legal fight between these organizations and the Trump administration <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="as it overhauls" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/16/trump-white-south-africans-refugee-admissions-2026" data-vars-content-id="4bd94fcb-c950-403b-ba49-6f5b32b9af9c" data-vars-headline="Boston federal court temporarily blocks new refugee policy" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/10/16/trump-white-south-africans-refugee-admissions-2026" target="_self">as it overhauls</a> the refugee resettlement system.<ul><li>The Trump administration considers the reforms much-needed, but refugee resettlement agencies and nonprofits say it sparks fear and uncertainty for refugees who were already vetted.</li></ul>

Pressure mounts over center-running bus lane plan in Mattapan

Dozens of Boston residents detailed their frustrations and fears during a two-hour hearing Thursday.

Dozens of Mattapan and Dorchester residents spent two-plus hours on Thursday listing their frustrations and fears over the proposed center-running bus lanes on Blue Hill Avenue.<ul><li>Among them? Making schoolchildren, elders and other pedestrians cross the major thoroughfare to reach the bus. </li></ul>

MBTA looks into using falcons to clear pigeons from stations

The T is asking falconry firms how raptors could deter pigeons, seagulls and starlings at stations and maintenance campuses. No pilot is guaranteed.

Transit

The MBTA thinks one way to stop pigeons from pooping all over the stations is to have trained birds of prey ready to swoop in and regulate.Why it matters: Poo-covered subway stations like Tufts Medical and JFK/UMass could get raptor bouncers to keep the pigeons in line.

How Wu's incentives to build housing work

Housing development has drastically slowed in Boston post-pandemic.

Boston&#x27;s tax breaks for new housing construction are one of five tools the city is considering to encourage development in a sluggish market, Mayor Michelle Wu told business leaders Wednesday.Why it matters: Housing development has slowed since the pandemic, due to higher materials costs, tariffs, interest rates and, developers say, the city&#x27;s affordable housing requirements.<ul><li>The Wu administration is considering drastically lowering its housing construction target from 13,000 in her first term to 3,000 annually in her second term, the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Boston Globe" data-vars-click-url="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/08/business/michelle-wu-housing-plan/" data-vars-content-id="1e6ecc19-9a9b-4a5a-ab47-a2084e74fede" data-vars-headline="How Wu&#x27;s incentives to build housing work" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/09/08/business/michelle-wu-housing-plan/" target="_blank">Boston Globe</a> reported last week.</li></ul>

First look: BizGrow Central, a hub for underserved entrepreneurs, to open downtown

BizGrow Central is set to open in October across the street from the Boston Common.

The nonprofit Lawyers for Civil Rights plans to open a brick-and-mortar resource center for historically <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="underrepresented entrepreneurs" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/29/boston-cash-mobs-small-businesses" data-vars-content-id="e6065753-84f3-44f4-8dfa-ffbdbbe6ae15" data-vars-headline="First look: BizGrow Central, a hub for underserved entrepreneurs, to open downtown" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/29/boston-cash-mobs-small-businesses" target="_self">underrepresented entrepreneurs</a> across from the Boston Common in October.Why it matters: BizGrow has supported people of color, immigrants, women and low-income residents as they break into historically wealthy, white and male industries for a quarter century.<ul><li>Now they have a physical space downtown, alongside financial services giants and other power players in Boston.</li></ul>

Boston sends Sullivan Square plan to MassDOT, again

The dream of a redeveloped Rutherford Avenue, conceived in the '90s, is old enough to rent a car.

Development

The Sullivan Square of the 21st century is turning into a playground for young families and professionals, between the new pickleball club, Hood Park&#x27;s new gym and plans for a grocery store.<ul><li>All that&#x27;s missing is a facelift of the square&#x27;s infamous rotary.</li></ul>

Celtics owners give record $200M to Boston Children's

The money will fund a pediatric mental health facility, nurse training and childhood disease research. Half comes from Rob and Karen Hale's earlier pledge.

The owners of the Celtics are giving $200 million to Boston Children&#x27;s Hospital, the largest gift in the hospital&#x27;s history.Why it matters: The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="money from the Celts" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/celtics-owners-donation-boston-childrens-hospital/" data-vars-content-id="037f6404-dfbd-4a53-b6b9-a735c29b62ac" data-vars-headline="Celtics owners give record $200M to Boston Children&#x27;s" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cbsnews.com/boston/news/celtics-owners-donation-boston-childrens-hospital/" target="_blank">money from the Celts</a> will fund a pediatric mental health center, research and nurse training at the region&#x27;s premier children&#x27;s hospital.

Mass. voters to decide on Election Day voter registration

The measure would let eligible voters register or update addresses at the polls, starting in 2028.

Voters will decide Tuesday whether eligible Massachusetts residents can register to vote or update their address at the polls on Election Day.Why it matters: Massachusetts is the only New England state without any form of Election Day registration.

Boston's tourism spots, expecting summer boon, saw mixed results

Mayor Michelle Wu called it the city's "best summer ever." The results were mixed.

America at 250

Boston-area tourism attractions usually perform best in the summer.<ul><li>Not so much this year.</li></ul>

The rising costs that Massachusetts' poverty rate overlooks

On paper, Massachusetts fared better than other states. Rising costs tell a different story.

Money

On paper, the poverty rate looks worse in Ohio, West Virginia and Oklahoma than in Massachusetts.<ul><li>But factor in the cost of living, and all three states fared better in recent years, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="new U.S. Census Bureau data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/16/us-economy-income-census" data-vars-content-id="3e9c97a4-e989-4dab-9919-7a8a3da5fe5a" data-vars-headline="The rising costs that Massachusetts&#x27; poverty rate overlooks" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2026/09/16/us-economy-income-census" target="_self">new U.S. Census Bureau data</a>.</li></ul>

Cambridge library wants your art on its new library card

Cardholders who live, work or study in Cambridge can enter by Nov. 15, with winning designs headed for 2027 cards.

Culture

Cambridge&#x27;s public library is letting patrons design a new library card.Why it matters: Winning artwork will be printed on limited-edition cards coming in 2027.

MBTA's Red Line fleet replacement might not be finished until the 2030s

The MBTA's latest capital plan puts completion in fiscal 2032. So far, 68 of 252 new cars have been accepted into revenue service.

Replacing all of the MBTA&#x27;s Red Line train cars could now take until at least the early 2030s, according to its latest spending plan.Why it matters: Supply chain problems, international economic winds and other tensions with the Chinese manufacturer have delayed the replacement cars that were originally expected to be in place by the end of the 2010s.

Boston Calling's future in doubt as organizers remain silent

Organizers remain completely silent on the 2027 festival.

Boston Calling is officially set to return June 4–6 next year, but there&#x27;s little real evidence the festival is actually going to happen.Why it matters: It&#x27;s still early, but festival organizers have offered no lineup, ticket sales or substantive update since announcing the cancellation of the 2026 event.

Mass. voters will decide whether to keep the 2024 gun law

A yes vote keeps the most recent gun control law in place; a no vote repeals it. Here's what the law does and what's left if it goes.

Question 9 is asking Massachusetts voters whether to keep or repeal the state&#x27;s 2024 firearms law.<ul><li>A yes vote keeps the law in place.</li><li>A no vote repeals it.</li></ul>Why it matters: The law, Chapter 135, added several new layers of gun control in Massachusetts when it was signed two years ago.

The Boston-area restaurants to visit (or skip) this Halloween

Dozens of restaurants promote Halloween specials and pop-ups. Three stood out.

Steph here. Halloween is as good an opportunity as any to draw new customers, but few Boston-area restaurants go all out.The intrigue: Spooky season demands more than some orange streamers and a skeleton posted up at the host stand.I sifted through countless influencer reels and pitch emails and found three that stood out:

9 things to do in Boston during Halloween week

Catch KATSEYE and John Summit at TD Garden, celebrate Rocky Horror or explore free literary and cultural events around Boston.

Things to Do

Catch KATSEYE and John Summit at TD Garden, celebrate Rocky Horror, hear from Ina Garten or explore free literary and cultural events around Boston this week.

Green Line trains shutting down on Halloween weekend

The Green Line's shuttle service could turn weekend travel into a nightmare.

The MBTA plans to shut down several Green Line branches next Saturday and Sunday to work on signal upgrades underground.Why it matters: Public transit could become a nightmare for Boston-area college students and anyone else celebrating &quot;Halloweekend.&quot;

Star Trek creator's son shares piece of history with MIT Museum

Cambridge is home to a piece of trekkie history for the next several months.

The MIT Museum is home to a piece of Star Trek history for the next several months — the original U.S.S. Enterprise model.The intrigue: The pilot model, having reemerged after a decades-long disappearance, is making its East Coast debut.

Steinholding puts Mass. beer lovers' arms to the test

A Bavarian tradition that tests endurance is gaining traction in Greater Boston.

What began as a friend&#x27;s wedding activity in Nashville turned Jessica Gravel into a three-time state champion in steinholding.The intrigue: Gravel is among hundreds in Massachusetts who are competing in the Bavarian endurance sport this year.

Exclusive: Sloomoo expands into shuttered Hard Rock Cafe site

The Sloomoo Institute will open in downtown Boston in November.

The slime experience company Sloomoo plans to open a new site downtown in the space formerly occupied by the Hard Rock Cafe, the company tells Axios exclusively.The intrigue: The Sloomoo Institute&#x27;s opening next month will feature new games and lots of colorful, slime-filled activities for children.

Women's sports bar The Sports Bra prepares to open downtown

The franchise at 2 Broad St. will have 100-plus seats and a full kitchen, but no opening date has been announced.

Food and Drink

The city&#x27;s first women&#x27;s sports bar is preparing to open downtown.Why it matters: The venue at 2 Broad St. would give Boston&#x27;s growing lineup of women&#x27;s pro teams a dedicated gathering spot.

Restaurant roundup: Smashed by BRED comes to Faneuil Hall Marketplace

BRED plans to open Smashed next month, and Fort Point has a new restaurant.

🍔 BRED, the Boston-based restaurant group, is opening shop in Faneuil Hall Marketplace next month. <ul><li><a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Smashed by BRED" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/smashedbybred/" data-vars-content-id="12ce2d38-9211-4fde-a871-96c39a447b2b" data-vars-headline="Restaurant roundup: Smashed by BRED comes to Faneuil Hall Marketplace" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/smashedbybred/" target="_blank">Smashed by BRED</a> will sell burgers, chicken, fries and &quot;dirty sodas.&quot;</li></ul>

Celine opens in former Blue Dragon space in Fort Point

The French-Canadian restaurant breathes new life into a corner of Fort Point.

Celine, a French-Canadian restaurant, opened last week in the space once occupied by the Blue Dragon in Fort Point. The intrigue: It&#x27;s the latest restaurant launched by the Coda Restaurant Group, which owns SRV, the Salty Pig and Gufo.

Market Basket registers go offline

The company said the "technical glitch" has been resolved.

The cash registers went offline at some Market Basket locations Wednesday afternoon.Why it matters: The outage disrupted midday shopping for some in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, per <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="NBC Boston" data-vars-click-url="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/market-basket-outage-leaves-some-shoppers-stranded/4027443/" data-vars-content-id="6526e2e4-228a-417b-85e2-90851b090258" data-vars-headline="Market Basket registers go offline" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/market-basket-outage-leaves-some-shoppers-stranded/4027443/" target="_blank">NBC Boston</a>.

Mass. couple wants to bring Bolivian food back to Boston

Sandra Roque and her husband sell Bolivian and Dominican food in Raynham. But Boston's home.

Sandra Roque was hard-pressed to find empanadas and other dishes from her native Bolivia.<ul><li>So, she started selling them herself.</li></ul>

Charlie's Kitchen sells off steins, menus and signs while in limbo

The owner started selling off pieces of the dive bar's history in hopes of saving it long term.

Charlie&#x27;s Kitchen was packed this weekend — not for its signature burgers and beers, but for an emergency sale.Why it matters: The 75-year-old dive bar&#x27;s best chances of survival, after suffering severe water damage in January, is to sell its historic decor, glasses and furniture, chef-owner David Oshima said.

Mass General Brigham, nurses stalemate drags as strike nears

Some 4,000 union nurses could walk off the job next week if a deal isn't reached.

Health

Mass General Brigham nurses and hospital management ended Thursday&#x27;s talks without any indication that they&#x27;re close to a contract agreement.Why it matters: At this rate, they appear headed toward an indefinite strike starting next week, which would disrupt services at the state&#x27;s largest hospital system.

AI tool plays matchmaker between Mass. businesses and contracts

A Cambridge-based lab developed a tool to connect Black-owned businesses to beds.

The Black Economic Council of Massachusetts is testing an AI-powered tool to connect business owners with promising contracting opportunities.<ul><li>The software didn&#x27;t come from Anthropic or one of the other AI giants, but from a Cambridge-based, Black-owned lab.</li></ul>

Schneider Electric buying PTC for $22.6 billion

Software merga-mergers have been rare in 2026.

French conglomerate Schneider Electric has <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="agreed to buy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.webdisclosure.com/press-release/schneider-electric-epa-su-schneider-electric-to-acquire-ptc-creating-the-next-level-of-energy-and-industrial-intelligence-dGRqi6qds3p" data-vars-content-id="66820242-aa63-4a97-bb28-1029cbbc7083" data-vars-headline="Schneider Electric buying PTC for $22.6 billion" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.webdisclosure.com/press-release/schneider-electric-epa-su-schneider-electric-to-acquire-ptc-creating-the-next-level-of-energy-and-industrial-intelligence-dGRqi6qds3p" target="_blank">agreed to buy</a> Boston-based industrial software maker PTC for $22.6 billion.Why it matters: Software mega-mergers are rare in 2026, as sector dealmaking has been trapped by AI-powered uncertainty.

One way to retain talent? A Mass.-only accelerator

These founders were tasked with developing products that address biotech' s biggest pain points.

The ask was simple: Pitch a product that doesn&#x27;t just layer AI onto existing software, but uses it to fix a problem affecting life sciences companies.<ul><li>The only <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="requirements" data-vars-click-url="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/massventures_mfn-applied-ai-life-sciences-challenge-activity-7462867228833746945-hrU7?utm_medium=ios_app&amp;rcm=ACoAAAbDsyIB3OOnuwPuAvYkUki6dvaqXdDEcSc&amp;utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_campaign=copy_link" data-vars-content-id="bb7a4c97-0586-4990-b7f8-02b42c43c978" data-vars-headline="One way to retain talent? A Mass.-only accelerator" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/massventures_mfn-applied-ai-life-sciences-challenge-activity-7462867228833746945-hrU7?utm_medium=ios_app&amp;rcm=ACoAAAbDsyIB3OOnuwPuAvYkUki6dvaqXdDEcSc&amp;utm_source=social_share_send&amp;utm_campaign=copy_link" target="_blank">requirements</a>? It must have high growth potential and be based in Massachusetts.</li></ul>

Mass. wants to get flounder back on the menu. They enlisted Boston chefs

The flounder population has bounced back, but demand hasn't.

Sāsha Coleman&#x27;s cooking has filled tables at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Comfort Kitchen" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/06/10/james-beard-awards-boston-cambridge-restaurants" data-vars-content-id="f0bbb0e7-e8ca-4f6c-8896-81cd92359ebe" data-vars-headline="Mass. wants to get flounder back on the menu. They enlisted Boston chefs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2024/06/10/james-beard-awards-boston-cambridge-restaurants" target="_self">Comfort Kitchen</a> and earned her a James Beard Award <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="nomination" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/21/james-beard-boston-semifinalists" data-vars-content-id="f0bbb0e7-e8ca-4f6c-8896-81cd92359ebe" data-vars-headline="Mass. wants to get flounder back on the menu. They enlisted Boston chefs" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/boston/2026/01/21/james-beard-boston-semifinalists" target="_self">nomination</a>.<ul><li>Now the executive chef is using her talents to reintroduce locals to flounder, serving cassava flounder croquettes with shito aioli at the Pavilion Pier.</li></ul>

Boston Dynamics opens testing ground for humanoid robots 

The new facility in Georgia aims to train robots for Hyundai's factory floor.

Boston Dynamics opened a facility within a Hyundai Motor Group plant in Georgia to train its <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="humanoid robots" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/06/boston-dynamics-pledges-weaponize-robots" data-vars-content-id="45038cae-8bc2-4655-9aab-f2a5e7c2f6a1" data-vars-headline="Boston Dynamics opens testing ground for humanoid robots " data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/06/boston-dynamics-pledges-weaponize-robots" target="_self">humanoid robots</a> to build cars.Why it matters: The move takes the Waltham company, which Hyundai now fully owns, one step closer to deploying its robotic workforce to the factory floor and, one day, production lines in other industries.

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