Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, FEbRuARy 20, 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 51- Report No. 7 February 9-13, 2026 By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of February 9-13. REGULATE THE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN POLITICAL ADS (H 5094) House 157-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would require that any synthetic media audio or video communication - LEGAL NOTICE - Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Middlesex Probate and Family Court 10-U Commerce Way Woburn MA, 01801 Docket No. MI26P0523GD In the matter of: JAMES SMITH Of: EVERETT, MA RESPONDENT Alleged Incapacitated Person CITATION GIVING NOTICE OF PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN FOR INCAPACITATED PERSON PURSUANT TO G.L.c. 190B, §5-304 To the named Respondent and all other interested persons, a petition has been filed by Mass Dept of Mental Health of Westborough, MA in the above captioned matter alleging that James Smith is in need of a Guardian and requesting that (or some other suitable person) be appointed as Guardian to serve Without Surety on the bond. The petition asks the court to determine that the Respondent is incapacitated, that the appointment of a Guardian is necessary, and that the proposed Guardian is appropriate. The petition is on file with this court and may contain a request for certain specific authority. You have the right to object to this proceeding. If you wish to do so, you or your attorney must file a written appearance at this court on or before 10:00 A.M. on the return date of 03/05/2026. This day is NOT a hearing date, but a deadline date by which you have to file the written appearance if you object to the petition. If you fail to file the written appearance by the return date, action may be taken in this matter without further notice to you. In addition to filing the written appearance, you or your attorney must file a written affidavit stating the specific facts and grounds of your objection within 30 days after the return date. IMPORTANT NOTICE The outcome of this proceeding may limit or completely take away the above-named person’s right to make decisions about personal affairs or financial affairs or both. The above-named person has the right to ask for a lawyer. Anyone may make this request on behalf of the above-named person. if the above-named person cannot afford a lawyer, one may be appointed at State expense. WITNESS, Hon. Terri L. Klug Cafazzo, First Justice of this Court. Date: February 05, 2026 TARA E. DeCRISTOFARO REGISTER OF PROBATE February 20, 2026 intended to infl uence voting for or against a candidate or ballot proposition, must disclose at the beginning and end of the communication that it contains AI-generated materials. Violators would be fi ned up to $1,000. “If you watched the Super Bowl, you saw how widespread artifi cial intelligence has become,” said Rep. Daniel Hunt (D-Dorchester), House Chair of the Committee on Election Laws. “AI is no longer theoretical - it is in our everyday lives. At the same time, the conversation around election security, which has been front and center for the last several years, feels more turbulent and under siege. Voters deserve to know that what they’re seeing is real. That’s why the Legislature continues to strengthen our election infrastructure, and why we’re focused today on setting clear standards for the use of AI in election materials so we can guard against deceptive or misleading content.” “The use of AI-generated deepfakes for the purposes of manipulating voters and disrupting elections is an attack on democracy,” said Rep. Tricia Farley-Bouvier (D-Pittsfi eld), House Chair of the Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet and Cybersecurity. “As technology advances at a rapid pace, voters should not have to wade through maliciously altered or AI-generated content to get the facts about an election. The House is taking reasonable and timely steps to mitigate any possible negative outcomes and preserve election integrity.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes ELECTION MISINFORMATION (H 5093) House 154-3, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would prohibit the distribution of deceptive communications within 90 days of an election, including audio or visual media which depicts a candidate with intent to injure their reputation or deceive a voter into voting for or against them. It also bans content with the intent to mislead voters of the date and time of an election; the requirements, methods or deadlines to vote. Exemptions to the 90-day prohibition include media outlets which air the ads or report on the ads as part of a newscast as long as they clearly acknowledge that there are questions about its authenticity; websites, newspapers, magazines and periodicals; and satire and parody. The bill allows a political candidate whose voice or likeness appears in a materially deceptive audio or visual media to seek injunctive or other equitable relief prohibiting the distribution of the media, or to bring an action for damages against the party that distributed the media. “As artifi cial intelligence continues to reshape our economy and many aspects of our daily lives, lawmakers have a responsibility to ensure that AI does not further the spread of misinformation in our politics,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “With the rapid advancement in new media technologies, it is important that we have proper safeguards in place to ensure this technology is not abused or manipulated to intentionally mislead voters,” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “I believe the law takes too broad of an approach,” said Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver), one of only three House members who voted against the bill. “The wording is vague and can be easily used to keep grassroots organizations and campaigns from getting any traction through fi nes and additional court action, not to mention the chilling eff ect on our First Amendment rights. Ninety days before an election ultimately results in enforcement of AI use for almost 6 months straight between the primary and the general. This is the establishment afraid of the truth getting traction.” Reps. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick) and Marc Lomardo (R-Billerica), the two other representatives who voted against the measure, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they voted against the bill. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes CHANGE DATE OF PRIMARY ELECTIONS (H 5093) House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would set the state primary date in Massachusetts four weeks earlier than currently. The state primary, under law, typically takes place in September on the seventh Tuesday preceding the biennial state elections. The amendment would move the date up to August, specifically to the eleventh Tuesday preceding the general election, essentially moving the date from early/ mid-September around the Labor Day holiday weekend, up to early August. “The amendment would have added a desperately needed change to our state elections,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Ken Sweezey (R-Duxbury). ”In 2026, our state primaries will be the latest in the entire nation which is a contributing factor to why we have some of the least competitive state level elections.” “Setting the primary date four weeks earlier than usual not only would better align our schedule with other states but also would provide candidates with an additional four weeks between the primary and the general election, to help BEACON | SEE PAGE 17
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