Mayor Michelle Wu's effort to enact rent control in Boston has been blocked by a majority in the state legislature who oppose lifting a 1994 state law giving the state the power to ban rent control in all municipalities.

State Rep. Mike Connolly, who represents Cambridge—declaring that he's acting in his personal capacity as a renter—has filed a ballot measure petition to lift the rent control ban, the Boston Globe reported.

"We all recognize that this ongoing housing emergency is worse than it's ever been in history, and seems to only be getting worse," Connolly told the newspaper. "The issue is so severe, and the need for action is so extraordinary that we can't leave any stones unturned in terms of options."