BOSTON — Town governments across Massachusetts just got a chilling warning from Attorney General Andrea Campbell: fall in line with the MBTA Communities Act — or get dragged to court.

In a memo quietly issued this week, Campbell’s office announced it would hold off on legal action for now — but made one thing crystal clear: the lawsuits are coming in 2026 for any town that doesn’t submit to the state’s zoning mandate.

Campbell’s office framed the summer as a grace period for “good faith” efforts toward compliance, but the real message was unmistakable: Beacon Hill is watching, and patience is wearing thin.

The law in question, the MBTA Communities Act, requires 177 cities and towns across eastern Massachusetts to change their zoning to allow dense multifamily housing near public transit — whether they want to or not. The original deadline to comply passed on July 15. As of last count, Halifax, Marshfield, and Middleton remained noncompliant. Others, like Marblehead, saw voters reject rezoning plans after initially authorizing them.

But the state isn’t taking no for an answer.

Campbell has already shown she’s willing to sue towns that step out of line. In February of last year, she filed a lawsuit against Milton after voters rejected an MBTA Communities zoning plan. That lawsuit is still pending — but it marked a turning point. Massachusetts’ top prosecutor is now using her office to force towns into reshaping their neighborhoods, even when local residents say no.

The memo from Campbell’s office was blunt: starting in January, any town that hasn’t rezoned and formally applied for state approval can expect legal consequences. No more delays. No more debates. Submit or be sued.

Campbell’s office defended the timeline, saying towns have had nearly five years since the law passed. But critics have long said the state is ignoring local concerns, overwhelming town infrastructure, and stripping away community control in the name of Beacon Hill’s development agenda.

This is just the latest escalation in what has become a statewide standoff between unelected bureaucrats and local governments trying to defend their autonomy.

A Superior Court judge recently ruled the MBTA Communities Act is not an unfunded mandate, striking down a challenge brought by nine towns. But the fight is far from over. Campbell’s new threat raises the stakes — and sends a clear message to every town still holding out: your voters don’t matter. Your meetings don’t matter. Only the state’s agenda does.

There’s no official list yet of who will be targeted next. But if your town didn’t bow to the mandate by July 15, you’re on notice.

The lawsuits are coming. And the state has no intention of backing down.