MA voters support stronger AI safety: AI safety requires transparency and accountability. A new poll shows that 75% of Massachusetts voters support requiring the largest AI companies to publish safety plans, report serious incidents, and face penalties for non-compliance. — See the poll.
Well before the first freeze ushers in backyard rink season, tariffs on Canadian goods are already reportedly driving up the cost of hockey gear.
And local alcohol distributors said this week that they, too, are feeling the pinch from a trade war with Canada and other Trump administration tariffs.
At MS Walker, a Norwood-based distributor, importer and spirits bottler, vice president Scott Allen says tariffs mean daily pivots that affect margins and sales commissions.
"Glass we get from Mexico, increased costs there. Our Canadian whiskey, we buy bulk Canadian whiskey from Canada, we're being affected there, too," Allen said on a press call hosted by advocacy group For the Long Term. "So we're raising prices or making the determination that we can't support, we can't manufacture certain products anymore because the consumer will just not tolerate these price increases."
Overall, concern about tariffs was one factor that plunked business confidence in the state back down into pessimistic territory in August, according to the Associated Industries of Massachusetts’ monthly index.
International trade policy and its impacts close to home will be an issue on the campaign trail and almost definitely a discussion point when Beacon Hill’s budget-writers convene their panels of experts this winter to get a handle on the economic outlook for fiscal 2028.
State lawmakers and the Healey administration don’t have the power to knock down tariffs, or to set prices at privately run sporting goods shops and liquor stores. But if they set their minds to it, there are still some levers they can pull.
A spending bill Gov. Maura Healey signed in June creates a new, $35-million-a-year sales tax exemption that legislative leaders said "is specifically designed to help offset rising costs driven by tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration." The law, based on an idea that picked up steam last year as senators eyed Canadian lumber prices, exempts building materials from the 6.25% tax if they're used for certain multifamily housing construction.
With prices up, affordability messaging a constant chorus from candidates, and more budget bills always in the pipeline, it’s worth watching to see if any other tariff mitigation measures bubble up.
What’s your state policy fix for tariff impacts? Run it by me at [email protected].
Massachusetts is taking steps to lower energy costs. Let’s get the details right. Say NO to fixed charges. Learn more here.
HEARD AROUND TOWN
...Former Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito returns to Beacon Hill Sept. 30, joining minority leaders Sen. Bruce Tarr and Rep. Brad Jones for a UMass Club fundraiser supporting the MassGOP's get-out-the-vote efforts. The party's asking for donations of $250, $500 or $1,000 to attend the breakfast and briefing, with $5,000 contributions for the host committee coffee beforehand…
...Coming soon to your podcast feed: Mitt and Ted's excellent adventure. The GBH News podcast "The Big Dig," hosted by Ian Coss, will spend its fourth season diving into the story of Romneycare and the unlikely allies behind it. Episodes of "Mitt & Ted, a healthcare story" will drop weekly starting Sept. 30…
...Eastern Bank Foundation presented former Gov. Deval Patrick with its 2026 social justice award at a celebration earlier this month. Eastern Bank's Bob Rivers says Patrick, the state's first African-American governor and assistant attorney general for civil rights under President Bill Clinton, "has devoted his career to expanding opportunity and defending civil rights." Patrick is now a senior partner at private investment firm Vistria Group...
...The developers suing over the Springfield courthouse contract, James E. "Jeb" Balise and Dinesh Patel, are hitting the (digital) airwaves with a six-figure ad campaign with placements on social media, radio and television throughout the fall. Their ads, and an accompanying website, urge Bay Staters to contact Gov. Healey and ask her to revisit the deal…
...Eight Massachusetts mayors have now endorsed Question 3, the all-party primaries proposal on November’s ballot. They are: Christopher Johnson of Agawam, John Vieau of Chicopee, Gary Christenson of Malden, Breanna Lungo-Koehn of Medford, Michael McCabe of Westfield, William Reichelt of West Springfield, Samantha Squailia of Fitchburg and Jon Mitchell of New Bedford. Squailia in May also gave $30 to the Committee for Transparency and Democracy, one of the groups backing the public records ballot question. Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, meanwhile, says she has "not dived into any of the ballot questions yet"...
…The Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate plans to present former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi with its Edward M. Kennedy Lifetime Achievement award at a Nov. 8 event. Pelosi will be the award's second recipient, after former President Joe Biden in 2025.
The Commonwealth has over 42,000 nonprofits that educate us, keep us healthy, support our most vulnerable populations, and care for our cultural, historical, and environmental treasures. With federal actions seeking to undermine this critical work, the Massachusetts Council of Nonprofits encourages you to listen to the nonprofit voices in your community and advocate for causes that help them thrive — Learn more.
HAPPENING TODAY
9:00 | Sens. Velis and Gomez and Reps. Ashe, Gonzalez, Domb, Duffy, Finn, Arriaga and Pease participate on a legislative panel as The Caring Force holds its third annual Western MA Rally to support the Provider's Council, a nonprofit human services organization | Scanlon Hall, Westfield State University, 715 Western Ave., Westfield
10:30 | Gov. Healey attends opening day of the Big E for Military Appreciation Day, where they will honor prisoners of war and those missing in action | Massachusetts State Exposition Building, 1305 Memorial Ave. West Springfield
12:00 | Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, Greater Boston Legal Services and the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corporation host the 13th annual legal services conference, featuring panels on immigration law shifts, the use of AI in legal aid, and a keynote from Sen. Lydia Edwards, who will sit for an interview with State House News Service reporter Sam Drysdale | Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education, 10 Winter Pl., Boston
1:00 | Massachusetts Maritime Academy will demonstrate "helicopter underwater egress training" and water survival training in its Clean Harbors Athletic Complex Pool before the quarterly STEM Advisory Council meeting | 101 Academy Dr., Bourne
JOB BOARD
Staff Attorney — NEW, Disability Law Center
Chief Financial Officer — NEW, Boston Public Health Commission
Financial Investigations Manager — NEW, Mass Gaming Commission
Deputy General Counsel and Clerk of the Commission — NEW, Civil Service Commission
Behavioral Health Coordinator, For Kids Only Afterschool
Assistant Secretary / MEPA Director, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Director, Finance & Accounting, AIDS Support Group of Cape Cod
Job board continues below the fold — post a job
Massachusetts is a national leader in healthcare, but soaring costs are putting immense pressure on families, employers, and providers. With spending outpacing the state’s cost-growth benchmark, how can we realistically contain costs while maintaining high-quality care? Join MASSterList and key healthcare leaders on Thursday, October 8, for an urgent, data-driven conversation about the forces driving healthcare costs on Beacon Hill and the critical policy choices facing the Commonwealth — Register.
ON BEACON HILL
NEXT STOP, ARLINGTON: Eyeing traffic relief, Arlington officials are seeking repeal of a 1980 law that prevents Red Line from extending further into their town without specific statutory authorization. The MBTA proposed a Red Line extension in the 1970s but ran into opposition from Arlington and Lexington residents. | State House News Service (gift link)
SILVER SCREENS: Massachusetts gave out a total of $47 million in tax credits to almost 200 film and TV productions last year, with millions of dollars in incentives awarded to the Stephen King movie adaptation "Salem's Lot," Hulu crime drama "Boston Strangler" and "Julia," HBO Max's Julia Child series. | Boston Globe
GLP-1 COVERAGE: As commercial insurers in Massachusetts have pulled back on covering GLP-1 drugs specifically for weight loss, the number of people getting those medications covered has dropped by more than 100,000. | CBS Boston
BRENSLEY’s BALLOTS: Republican candidate for Secretary of State Anne Brensley wants to make ballots available in Portuguese, part of an effort to engage disconnected voters. Massachusetts prints ballots for some communities in Spanish, Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer. | Herald News
NEWS NEXT DOOR
RN STRIKE VOTE: Registered nurses at Boston Medical Center voted to authorize a three-day strike, saying they're paid less than their peers across the city. | WCVB
CRASH REACTION: Residents, bike advocates and City Councilor Erin Murphy are calling for action around Mission Hill traffic safety after a driver struck a scooter operator near the spot where transportation planner Louisa Gag was fatally hit by a truck while riding her bike in July. Murphy wants to learn more about why the city has yet to remove green and white tape laid out on the road to mark an unofficial bike lane. | WBUR
PITCH PICTURE: The Boston World Cup host committee and U.S. Soccer Foundation announced an agreement in 2024 to build 20 mini-pitches across New England. So far, 10 have been completed, out of what the foundation now says is a total of 17 coming. | Boston Institute for Nonprofit Journalism
ALL ABOARD: Transdev, the bus contractor for Boston Public Schools that's come under fire for late arrivals, is part of a team competing to be the MBTA's next commuter rail operator. | Contrarian Boston
MORE HEADLINES
THE SUNDAY SHOWS
KELLER AT LARGE: 8:30 a.m., WBZ-TV. Political analyst Jon Keller talks with Andrea James, independent candidate for governor, about housing policy, government accountability and her work with formerly incarcerated women.
@ ISSUE: 9:30 a.m., NBC 10. Reporter Matt Prichard’s guest is Micah Jones, Republican candidate in the Sixth Congressional district.
ON THE RECORD: 11 a.m., WCVB. NewsCenter 5’s Sharman Sacchetti and Ben Simmoneau sit down Dan Koh, Democratic candidate in the Sixth Congressional District.
JOB BOARD
Director of Grants Development, Boston Public Health Commission
Chief Procurement Officer, Barnstable County
Deputy Comptroller, City of Newton
Associate General Counsel-MRSB, Office of the State Treasurer and Receiver General
Utilities Program Manager, MassDevelopment
Climate Action Coordinator, City of Newton
Project Manager, District Services, Longwood Collective
Chief Financial Officer, Bristol County Sheriff's Office
Housing and Human Services Policy Analyst, Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center
Government and Community Affairs Division Chief, Mass Gaming Commission
Senior Legal Counsel, Office of the Child Advocate
Marketing and Communications Manager, St. Francis House
Assistant Environmental Planner, City of Newton
Capital Projects & Procurement Manager, MetroWest Regional Transit Authority
Director of Centralized Project Development, University of Massachusetts Amherst Donahue Institute
Hellman and Simons Fellow for Science, Engineering, & Technology, American Academy of Arts & Sciences
