Newton's four-member Beacon Hill delegation secured millions in local funding during the two-year legislative session that ended July 31.

Sen. Cynthia Creem, the senate majority leader, said she directed $2.65 million to Newton schools, infrastructure and nonprofits over the session, Fig City News reported. That included $726,500 for Newton Public Schools programs covering mental health, safe social media use, robotics and accessibility upgrades at Williams Elementary School, plus grants to the Newton Food Pantry, the Carroll Center for the Blind and other organizations.

Rep. John Lawn, who chairs the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing, said he secured more than $1.6 million for his portion of Newton, including $225,000 for Pellegrini Park and $200,000 for the Newton Housing Authority's Jackson Gardens. Rep. Greg Schwartz won bond amendments totaling $450,000 for flood mitigation along the Charles River at Quinobequin Road, water quality work at Crystal Lake and tree planting at Hemlock Gorge. Rep. Amy Sangiolo, in her first term, highlighted funding for the Newton Food Pantry, the Allen Center, West Newton Cinema and areas including Newton Corner and Cheesecake Brook. Fig City News has the full earmark-by-earmark breakdown for all four legislators.

Newton will also receive more than $32.2 million in Chapter 70 education funding, more than $7.7 million in unrestricted general government aid and $3.1 million in Chapter 90 transportation infrastructure money in fiscal year 2027, according to Schwartz.

One major unfinished item: pension obligation bonds. The Newton City Council's Finance Committee approved a home rule petition 7-0 on April 13, authorizing Mayor Laredo to ask the Legislature for permission to issue bonds that would stretch payments out over roughly a 10- to 12-year period. Proceeds would go toward reducing the city's unfunded pension liability.

Mayor Laredo has said he met with members of the School Committee, the Finance Committee and private-sector finance experts, and that they unanimously decided a bond was the way to go. Creem filed the enabling legislation, which passed the Senate and now awaits House concurrence.

Several other Newton-relevant bills remain in limbo. Statewide PFAS legislation is stalled in both chambers' Ways and Means committees. Newton has passed a resolution requiring the city to avoid purchasing or using products containing the chemicals. A school cellphone mandate passed both chambers in different forms but has not been reconciled. Newton Superintendent Anna Nolin told the Boston Globe that implementing the policy at one Newton middle school cost about $80,000, primarily for phone-storage pouches, and that the proposed state legislation includes no dedicated funding.

Schwartz's primary care bill, originally filed as H.2537 and passed by the House 158-0 as H.5618, is in conference committee alongside an energy affordability bill and Creem's Massachusetts Data Privacy Act.

"Water doesn't stop at municipal boundaries, and it makes sense to work together to address climate impacts like flooding," Sangiolo told Fig City News, describing her proposed statewide Flood Management and Mitigation Authority.

All conference committees face a Dec. 31 deadline to finalize bills that were in conference by July 31.