It's Tuesday! We hope you had a restful holiday weekend.

• Today, we cover a potential shift to the left on Beacon Hill, and a free, accessible way to see Spectacle Island.

🌤️ Today's weather: Mostly sunny, with a high of 80 and a low of 62.

🎂 Happy belated birthday to our members Gerald Friedler, Jeff Behrens and Martha Mazzone!

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Today's newsletter is 1,080 words — a 4-minute read.

Deehan here with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics.

Assuming Democrats hold their seats in November, the Senate that convenes for the 195th General Court will have a different tone as it deals with thorny legislative issues like taxes and implementing ballot measures.

Why it matters: Senate President Karen Spilka is losing a few of her most reliable allies just as a more assertive progressive bloc gains numbers.

• That combination could reshape how bills move (or stall) on Beacon Hill.

Threat level: Spilka will have a shorter list of trusted lieutenants to manage caucus discipline.

• Sen. Pat Jehlen, a longtime progressive voice within the caucus, is retiring.
• Majority Whip Mike Rush, a top vote-counter, lost his primary.

Meanwhile, Senate President Pro Tempore Will Brownsberger — potentially the most influential departure of the three — is up by just 34 votes ahead of a recount.

State of play: Two of the closest-watched primaries doubled as a proxy fight between Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and Senate leadership over how to handle a double-digit residential property tax increase.

• Wu wanted legislative permission to put more of the burden on commercial property owners. Sens. Nick Collins and Brownsberger favored targeted tax credits instead.
• Wu backed primary challengers to both senators. Collins won comfortably.
• The recount for Brownsberger's race starts tomorrow.

Between the lines: Wu's tax priorities enter 2027 with very little goodwill left among Senate leadership.

The big picture: The chamber, already seen as the more liberal on Beacon Hill, could also be drifting left.

• Rush lost his seat to Persis Yu as demographic shifts and organizing in Boston-area precincts activate progressives against the moderate old guard.
• Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven's win in the open Cambridge, Somerville and Medford district over more establishment rivals could boost the prospects of progressive goals like rent stabilization and Medicare for All.
• She'll also become the highest-ranking Democratic Socialist in state government.

What's next: New members are expected to push not just on policy but on process.

• If they stick to their campaign rhetoric, they'll challenge how much power sits with committee chairs and Senate leadership versus the rank and file.
• Spilka will need to manage a caucus with a thinner bench of experienced deputies and what could become a more vocal insurgent wing.

Spread the word

🚌 Boston and MBTA officials revised their $163 million Blue Hill Avenue redesign plan, keeping the center-running bus lane but shrinking bike access and adding new parking, amid blowback from residents. (Reporter)

• The first of four public meetings starts Thursday at Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan.

💸 Some $31.2 million passed in a recent bill to expand Massachusetts' child care assistance to families will cover another 2,000 children in a waitlist of 31,000. (WBUR)

🪧 Over 1,300 union workers at Encore Boston Harbor spent Labor Day on strike. (WCVB)

Judge Indira Talwani on Friday temporarily blocked the U.S. Postal Service from regulating mail-in voting ahead of November's elections. (UniversalHub)

• Talwani cited "overwhelming evidence" that the agency's plan to reject noncompliant ballots "makes disenfranchisement more than likely."

ICYMI: The Plymouth County Superior Court judge declared a mistrial in the Lindsay Clancy trial. (Axios)

• What's next: Clancy is due back in court on Sept. 29 as the judge considers a request from her defense attorney to find her not guilty due to insufficient evidence.

There's still time to visit the Harbor Islands before the temperatures dip, and you can go for free.

Why it matters: The Harbor Islands are considered a national and state park, but getting there can prove costly if you don't have your own boat.

State of play: Save the Harbor/Save the Bay, a Boston nonprofit, offers the public free cruises to and from Spectacle Island.

• The next Spectacle Sundays cruise is this Sunday, followed by one on Sept. 27 and Oct. 4.

How it works: Passengers should reserve on the Eventbrite, but arrive early because the cruise is first come, first served.

• The cruise leaves around 10am and gives passengers a couple of hours on the island before its return to the mainland by 2pm.

Zoom in: Spectacle Island has picnic tables, trails for short, low-elevation hikes and a beach for swimming.

• Visitors also like to comb through the shore for sea glass that washes up.

Be smart: Bring your own food and water, along with a trash bag (there are no bins on the island, but there is one on the cruise).

• You should also pack sunscreen, a hat and a light sweater.

Tell a fellow cheapskate

Tuesday, 9/8

🐝 Cultural critic and certified Beyhive member Antonia Jade King discusses her book, "Beyoncé—One of One," at Just Book-ish, 6-7:30pm.

📖 Former U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly joins Rye Barcott to discuss Barcott's new book, "Courage Can Save Us: Ten Extraordinary Americans and the Fight for Our Future" at the JFK Presidential Library, 6-7pm.

• Free, but registration required

Wednesday, 9/9

🎸 Heavy metal legends Iron Maiden take over TD Garden for its "Run For Your Lives" tour, featuring Megadeth.

Thursday, 9/10

🪈 Long Live Roxbury presents Catherine Bent's Antenna, a cello, flute and guitar trio, 6-9pm.

• Free admission and free parking.

Saturday, 9/12

🎶 El Gran Combo de Puerto Rico headlines Embrace Massó ¡Con Salsa! Ritmo y Sonido Block Party on Summer Street Plaza, 3-7pm.

Sunday, 9/13

🎉 Catch the 32nd Cambridge Carnival International in Central Square, 11am-6pm.

Tell a friend who wants to go out

Say hello to this 5-week-old kori bustard chick.

The intrigue: It's the first kori bustard chick to hatch at Franklin Park Zoo in 23 years.

Zoom in: The chick hatched on Aug. 1, as the result of recommended breeding.

• The chick is being raised by an animal care team to make sure it's getting enough food and exercise.

What's next: When the chick is old enough, it will move to another zoo.

Tell an animal lover

Deehan is out this week.

Steph returned from Jersey wishing Mass. had a Wawa.

This newsletter was edited by Jeff Weiner.