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House and Senate Democrats appear to have finally overcome their differences on a road and bridge maintenance funding bill nearly four months after the legislation cleared each branch in slightly different forms.
Legislative negotiators tasked with reconciling the minor differences between the House and Senate versions of the annual bill (H 3547 / S 2375) on Monday morning picked up a conference committee report jacket, according to the House clerk's office. That procedural step typically indicates that a final agreement is on the verge of being submitted.
Each branch will need to vote to accept the conference committee report containing a final, compromise bill, which will not be subject to amendment.
The House and Senate in March each unanimously approved legislation authorizing $200 million for the Chapter 90 program and another $150 million in transportation-related infrastructure grants.
Lawmakers could not agree on where to direct $25 million of those grants, and after weeks of inaction, they convened a six-lawmaker conference committee led by Transportation Committee Co-chairs Rep. William Straus and Sen. Brendan Crighton to find a compromise.
Both branches kept their sessions open Monday after dealing with minor business, possibly waiting for a final conference committee report to be submitted. Legislative leaders previously told lawmakers to prepare for potential formal sessions on Thursday, which might feature final approval of the funding packages on which cities and towns rely each year to patch roads and bridges.
Top Democrats still have not produced an accord on an overdue state budget for fiscal year 2024, which began July 1, nor on a related tax relief package.
Government operations and services are being funded by an interim budget that stretches roughly through the end of July. Gov. Maura Healey and her deputies have not signaled any plans to file a second temporary spending package that would give lawmakers more time to finalize the annual budget. - Chris Lisinski/SHNS
