Override season. Whitman caught the headlines this week but it could have easily been Halifax, Abington, and definitely Marshfield

March Whitman Updates The Budget: Library Override?

Here’s what happened in Whitman in March: evansexplains.substack.com/p/march-whit...

Justin Evans pushed for a larger $916,000 override…designed to make the school district whole, cover the snow and ice deficit, and stabilize the town for the next two fiscal years… Evans argued that public safety positions, spared after last year’s override was rejected, should be the focal point

What the Heck is Going On With Municipal Healthcare Costs in Massachusetts? Listen now | Across Massachusetts, a quiet financial catastrophe is forcing local governments to make agonizing choices.

What the Heck is Going On With Municipal Healthcare Costs in Massachusetts? #mapoli #southshore

David vs. Goliath in Foxborough: The $7.8 Million World Cup Standoff Listen now | The town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, is geographically closer to a quaint colonial village than a bustling metropolis.

David vs. Goliath in Foxborough: The $7.8 Million World Cup Standoff #mapoli #southshore

February Whitman Updates School Budget Hearing

Here’s what happened in Whitman in February

evansexplains.substack.com/p/february-w...

I’ve learned a ton the last 2 years, but it’s time to see if @southshore.news is a hobby or a business. Changes coming soon

The all party primary ballot question would eliminate it.

For Dems I think it’s in the charter, which could be amended at the convention but would be a lot easier coming from the State Committee.

Why the State Party Conventions Matter, and Why You Should Caucus in Your Town I recently appeared on Think Tank TV to break down the importance of State Party Nominating Conventions coming this year, and why delegate selection at town caucuses matter so much.

In MA we have “open primaries,” but the process to appear on the ballot isn’t open. With a primary for US Senate on the democratic ballot, and one for Governor on the republican ballot these caucuses might really matter this year.

I appeared on Think Tank TV on WHCA to explain.

January Whitman Updates School Leadership Shakeup

Here’s what happened in Whitman in January

evansexplains.substack.com/p/january-wh...

Unsubscribe: When Markets Are the Only Accountability Left This administration responds to one thing: markets.

I did it #ResistandUnsubscribe
Why I cancelled Amazon Prime, Audible, Apple TV, Apple News, Apple Music, Hulu, ESPN+, and Paramount+

Added a bit of human written opinion to the end of this one, deviating from the South Shore News norm

Direct Democracy in the Commonwealth: The 2026 Massachusetts Ballot Gauntlet Listen now | Massachusetts is currently poised to face its busiest ballot season in state history, with voters potentially deciding on a record-breaking 12 ballot questions in the 2026 election.

Direct Democracy in the Commonwealth: The 2026 Massachusetts Ballot Gauntlet #mapoli #southshore

December Whitman Updates — Justin Evans - Whitman Selectman $1.3 Million Deficit Looms for FY27 Whitman faces a projected $1.3 million operating deficit for Fiscal Year 2027, driven by a 7.28% spike in county pension assessments and an anticipated 10-11% inc...

Here’s what happened in Whitman in December: votejustinevans.com/blog/2026/1/1/december-whitman-updates

November Whitman Updates — Justin Evans - Whitman Selectman No surprises with November, the Whitman-Hanson budget crisis dominated the news, locally and in the Boston area. School District Crisis Dominates Month The Whitman-Hanson Regional School District...

Probably the most news coverage we’ve got since I’ve been doing these

votejustinevans.com/blog/2025/11/29/november-whitman-updates

South Shore News...letter: No Easy Answers South Shore Wrestles with Layoffs, Overrides, and Failing Infrastructure

South Shore News...letter: No Easy Answers #mapoli #southshore

To the folks that followed my south shore override coverage last spring, north of the city Melrose just passed 3!

October Whitman Updates — Justin Evans - Whitman Selectman School Committee Emergency Meeting Halts Layoffs The Whitman-Hanson School Committee held an emergency meeting on October 30 to address a $1.39 million budget deficit for fiscal year 2026. Superinten...

What happened in Whitman in October?

votejustinevans.com/blog/2025/11...

Gilding the bathroom and throwing a literal Great Gatsby party while millions of Americans lose SNAP and decide whether they can afford health insurance.

Norwell’s Town Hall Masterstroke: Is This the Model for Municipal Modernization? NORWELL - The Town of Norwell’s relocation of its municipal offices from the crumbling 73-year-old former schoolhouse on Main Street to a modern office condominium at 93 Longwater Circle stands, in hindsight, as a striking model of municipal pragmatism for other communities struggling with aging infrastructure and restrictive budgets.

Norwell’s Town Hall Masterstroke: Is This the Model for Municipal Modernization? #mapoli #southshore

South Shore News...letter: Week of Upheaval Whitman-Hanson Halts Layoffs, Cohasset Manager Exits, Multiple Towns Face Financial Pressure

South Shore News...letter: Week of Upheaval #mapoli #southshore

Whitman-Hanson School Committee Halts 30 Planned Layoffs Demands Full Accounting of $1.4M Deficit

Whitman-Hanson School Committee Halts 30 Planned Layoffs #mapoli #southshore

I don’t know why nobody believes him, he told us the MRI was a routine test, even though it was withheld from the memo his doctor released a few weeks ago, for his second “yearly” physical in 6 months.

Trump Announces Tariff Increase on Canada Over Reagan Ad Spat

Ontario didn’t pull down the anti tariff ad quickly enough so Trump is raising tariffs on Canada by 10%.

Reminder, Congress has the sole authority to impose tariffs except for narrow “national security reasons.”

A commercial during the World Series poses a national security threat

This is 6 years in the making for me, and along with Municipal Aggregation and the Community Preservation Act was one of 3 specific policy suggestions I proposed as a candidate for Select Board in 2019. Good government takes time

Everett 13-year-old arrested by ICE and sent to Virginia detention facility - The Boston Globe The boy’s mother, Josiele Berto, was called to pick her son up from the Everett Police Department on Thursday, the day he was arrested.

Globe with more details that makes it even worse

www.bostonglobe.com/2025/10/12/m...

Boston judge orders release of 13-year-old from ICE custody The federal court ruled the boy must be freed unless immigration officials can justify detaining a juvenile with adult detainees at the Burlington facility.

Historically, it’s not usually the good guys detaining middle schoolers against the order of a judge

South Shore News...letter: The 'Polished Turd': South Shore Towns Navigate Unwanted State Mandates When Control Isn't Local: MBTA Zoning, Battery Storage, and Municipal Resistance

South Shore News...letter: The 'Polished Turd': South Shore Towns Navigate Unwanted State Mandates #mapoli #southshore

The Perfect Storm: Rising Costs and Revenue Caps Cripple Town Budgets — Justin Evans - Whitman Selectman Towns all over the state are facing structural budget deficits and asking the taxpayers to raise their own taxes. Across the South Shore alone Duxbury sought a $5.8 million override, Halifax is seekin...

The Massachusetts Municipal Association publishing its “perfect storm” report (www.mma.org/resources/a-...) is the perfect time for me to reshare my “perfect storm” blog post from earlier this year (votejustinevans.com/blog/2025/3/...)

Big fan MMA!

The status of Kratom in MA is currently defined by a policy vacuum at the state level, forcing Boards of Health to create a patchwork of regulations. This presents immediate challenges, as bans enacted nearby threaten to displace sales and public health risks into neighboring, unregulated towns