Activists launch effort to suspend Massachusetts' new abortion law — and put it on the 2028 ballot
Anti-abortion activists plan to collect signatures this fall in an attempt to pause the new law from taking effect and put a question on the ballot in 2028 that would ask Massachusetts voters to repeal it.
WBUR · WBUR · September 4, 2026
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here .
It's Friday. Before you log off for Labor Day weekend , let's cut through this morning's dense fog and get to some breaking news:
Another ballot campaign enters: While voters in Massachusetts were casting their ballots in Tuesday's primary, some local activists were quietly making moves for the 2028 election. Secretary of State Bill Galvin's office confirmed yesterday to WBUR that a referendum petition was filed Tuesday on the abortion rights law signed by Gov. Maura Healey last month. The filing marks the start of an effort this fall to potentially pause the new law and put a question on the ballot in 2028 that would ask voters to repeal it.
On the street: Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's administration and the MBTA just dropped an updated design this morning for the Blue Hill Avenue project. WBUR's Andrea Perdomo-Hernandez reports the new plan comes after concerns about the $160 million transformation of the corridor from residents and some local elected officials.
Not bluffing: More than 1,300 unionized workers at the Encore Boston Harbor casino are set to go on strike this morning. The Everett resort casino's housekeepers, cooks, bartenders and slot attendants want the same wage standards as other hotel workers in the Boston area, plus bigger company contributions to their healthcare plan. But negotiations remain an impasse after months of bargaining. (Encore says it remains open and operational during the strike.)
Every vote counts: Longtime state Sen. Will Brownsberger is moving to request a full recount, after the initial results from Tuesday's primary show him losing to Wu-backed challenger Dan Lander by just three votes . WBUR's Gin Dumcius reports that Brownsberger's campaign expects the recount to happen next week. The deadline to formally request it is today at 5 p.m.
P.S. — What technology does the Trump administration plan to buy from a Massachusetts company for immigration enforcement? Take our Boston News Quiz and test your knowledge of this week's stories.
Nik DeCosta-Klipa is a senior editor for newsletters at WBUR.