GOVERNORS

With most lawmakers headed home for the holiday break, members of the conference committee continue to try to work out differences between spending bills approved by the Massachusetts House and Senate. The bills hold funds for the state's emergency shelters.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said officials are seeing a "drop" in new arrivals seeking emergency shelter, but she said it's difficult to pinpoint the cause.

More than a week after the Healey administration began placing shelter-seeking families on a waitlist, officials announced Monday that they will use part of the MBTA's headquarters to temporarily house eligible families for whom no space is available.

It's the first time such a step has been necessary since the state created its unique family shelter system 40 years ago.

Following a Superior Court upholding the Healey Administration's plan to stop expanding shelter availability amid surging demand, once the number of families in shelter reaches 7,500, Massachusetts won't guarantee placement to additional applicants.

Suffolk Superior Court on Tuesday will be the setting as plaintiffs seek a temporary restraining order to force compliance with the state's right-to-shelter law.

While Massachusetts House lawmakers have passed a version of new, strict gun regulations, the Massachusetts Senate has yet to finish crafting their own bill.

A recent out migration trend has researchers and lawmakers in Massachusetts concerned.

While its right-to-shelter law will remain in place, Massachusetts may not be able to guarantee housing for immigrant families as soon as the end of this month as the state's shelter system reaches capacity, Gov. Maura Healey said Monday.

Appeals to the federal government have so far yielded no change to work authorizations or funding to address the strain on the Massachusetts emergency shelter system.