8-04-2024 4:01am

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Alan Earls Editor

If you have any questions about this week's report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562.

Volume 49 - Report No. 31

July 29-August 2, 2024

By Bob Katzen

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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of July 29-August 2.

CREATE COMMISSION TO STUDY MISREPRESENTATION OF A SERVICE ANIMAL (H 4917)

House 158-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would create a special commission to review current federal, state and local laws and procedures governing the use and misuse of service animals by individuals with disabilities in the Bay State. The commission would recommend the possible introduction of legislation prohibiting and civilly penalizing service animal fraud and determining the feasibility of certification, registration or licensing of service animals.

Supporters said that more than half the states in the nation already have laws prohibiting misuse of service animals. They argued it is time for Massachusetts to begin the step toward adopting a similar law. They noted that there are currently no penalties for people who misrepresent a non-service dog as being a service dog.

Sponsor Rep. Kim Ferguson (R-Holden) did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her to comment on passage of her bill.

(A Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy Yes

$7.5 MILLION FOR TOMORROW’S TEACHERS (H 4800)

House 134-24, overrode Gov. Maura Healey’s veto of $7.5 million (reducing funding from $10 million to $2.5 million) for scholarship and loan repayment for students seeking a teaching degree in the state’s public colleges. The Senate did not act on the veto.

“I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary,” said Healey in her veto message. “The amount as adjusted here, in combination with the available balance from fiscal year 2024, is sufficient to meet projected demand and result in no reduction in fiscal year 2025 planned spending for this item.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $7.5 million. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy Yes

$250,000 FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY (H 4800)

House 154-4, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of the entire $250,000 for a grant program to school districts to support the implementation of financial literacy courses and standards for students in kindergarten to grade 12, including training and developing programs to assist teachers in incorporating appropriate financial literacy concepts into classroom curriculum. The Senate did not act on the veto.

“I am vetoing this item to an amount consistent with my House [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey. “Other sources of funding for financial literacy appropriated in this budget will mitigate the effects of this veto.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $250,000. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Jeffrey Roy Yes

PARENTAGE EQUALITY (S 2906)

Senate 40-0, approved and sent to Gov. Healey a bill that supporters say would ensure legal parentage equality by protecting LGBTQ+ families, and children born through surrogacy and assisted reproduction, in forming the legal bond of a parent-child relationship. They said the measure would dismantle archaic legal barriers to basic parenting responsibilities for modern families, opening the door to legally attend and make decisions during medical appointments, manage a child’s finances, participate in educational decisions and provide authorizations for a child’s travel.

“Today we acted to ensure that if you are a parent, whether a biological parent or not, the law will recognize you as a parent just as society does," said Rep. Mike Day (D-Stoneham), House Chair of the Committee on the Judiciary. "This bill will remove one of the last vestiges of the law that treats same sex parents and parents who engaged in assisted reproduction differently from every other parent. It is a good day for all families in Massachusetts.”

“With unprecedented and alarming action in other states to strip away the rights of LGBTQ+ people and our families, Massachusetts’ outdated and heterocentric parentage laws put LGBTQ+ families at risk every day,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “The Massachusetts Parentage Act is personal—LGBTQ+ families like mine face excessive and expensive hoops just to ensure our children have the security of legal parentage. The Legislature’s passage of this bill is a critical step to guarantee that all children can benefit from the stability of a legal parent-child relationship no matter how they came to be in this world.”

(A Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Sen. Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen Spilka Yes

DOG KENNEL SAFETY – OLLIE’S LAW (S 2929)

Senate 40-0, approved a bill that would allow the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to establish rules and regulations for dog kennels in the Bay State, to ensure animal welfare, protect consumers and keep kennel staff safe. A person who violates the regulations would be fined $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for a second or subsequent offense. The House has already approved a different version of the measure and the Senate version now goes to the House for consideration.

Required regulations would include obtaining a license from the municipality, an annual inspection, dog to staff ratio specifications, injury reporting, indoor and outdoor physical facility requirements, insurance and minimal housing and care requirements.

Supporters said that currently, the state has no oversight of dog daycare or boarding kennels. They argued it is estimated that a dog is injured or killed every 9 to 10 days in Massachusetts at these kennels. They noted that many families have suffered the loss or injury of an animal at a dog daycare or kennel that could have been prevented by commonsense regulations over these facilities.

The bill was filed in memory of “Ollie,” a 7-month-old labradoodle who was attacked by other dogs at a boarding kennel in East Longmeadow. Ollie needed round-the-clock care and surgery and was in the hospital for two months before succumbing to his injuries. While the facility was shut down by town officials, Ollie’s owner Ann Baxter was stunned to learn that there were no state regulations regarding boarding facilities, and soon took up the fight to help ensure tragedies like this never happen again.

"Pets are family who provide boundless love and affection that we are lucky to receive," said Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), Senate sponsor of the bill. "For this reason, it is critical that we ensure all businesses entrusted with the care of our family adhere to proper health and safety protocols no matter what town they operate in across the commonwealth. Too often, we have heard devastating stories of pets like Ollie who have been injured or killed due to negligent care. These people have no place caring for such precious creatures and it's time that we implement consistent standards across Massachusetts."

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Sen. Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen Spilka President rarely votes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

FISCAL 2025 STATE BUDGET (H 4800) – Gov. Healey, after vetoing several items, signed into law a $58 billion fiscal 2025 state budget for the fiscal year that began July 1, 2024. The price tag represents a 1.97 billion or 3.5 percent increase over last year’s fiscal 2024 budget.

“Massachusetts is the leader in innovation and education, the best place to raise your family or grow a business,” said Healey. “But we also face challenges, so we aren’t resting – we’re going on offense. This budget delivers on our shared priorities and drives our state forward with urgency and purpose. It invests in areas that we are already leading on and makes them better – including our number 1 ranked schools and our nation-leading childcare strategy. We’re also tackling our biggest challenges by lowering household costs and improving transportation. We’re doing all of this responsibly, staying within our means and in line with the rate of inflation."

“Once again, the Massachusetts budget is the latest state budget to pass in the country and once again, it’s the largest state budget in our commonwealth’s history,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “What should also concern every Massachusetts taxpayer is the fact that the Legislature and governor are spending over a billion dollars a year on the illegal and inadmissible migrants, which comes out to be about $3 million dollars a day. Every town and city in Massachusetts could use that money for their workers, schools and first responders but instead, Statehouse leaders are spending these valuable taxpayer resources on illegal and inadmissible migrants.”

WAGE TRANSPARENCY (H 4890) - Gov. Healey signed into law a bill, named the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, in honor of the first woman to serve as U.S. Labor Secretary. The measure would require employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a job position. The measure also would require employers with 100 or more employees to file annual employment data reports, including information on employee demographics and salaries, with the state.

“I have long supported wage equity legislation and, as attorney general, I was proud to work together with the business community to implement the 2016 Equal Pay Act,” said Gov. Healey. “This new law is an important next step toward closing wage gaps, especially for people of color and women. It will also strengthen the ability of Massachusetts employers to build diverse, talented teams.”

"I am proud that we as a commonwealth are taking concrete and nation-leading steps to close long-standing gender and racial wage gaps that persist across our economy," said Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) a lead supporter of the bill. "These gaps not only erode the integrity of work in the commonwealth but also continue to exacerbate an uneven economy for working people, especially women and people of color who have historically faced persistent and glaring inequities in the workplace. By bringing partners in labor, business and community together to establish common sense wage and workplace transparency, we will ensure Massachusetts can continue attracting and retaining diverse and skilled workers that enable our commonwealth to compete and thrive. With the signing of this bill, workers are empowered and businesses are supported."

$1.26 BILLION BOND FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (H 4889) – Gov. Healey signed into law a bill that would invest in information technology (IT) upgrades, improvements and new projects across state government. The measure authorizes $1.23 billion in bonded spending and $400 million in anticipated federal funds.

"We've talked a lot about this administration's desire to lean into applied artificial intelligence in ways that benefit not only the way the state delivers services to residents and businesses, but also the way that our businesses and economic sector are able to thrive," said Healey. “And we think that making applied AI a cornerstone of our economic development bill is really important. It's further supported by this FutureTech Act."

"When it comes to advancing the delivery of government services for our residents and for our state and municipal workers, information technology opens that digital door to meet people where they are," said Chief Information Officer and Technology Services Secretary Jason Snyder. "The impact of IT on the services the commonwealth provides cannot be overstated. To that end, we are already hard at work on many of the investments in this legislation."

DISABILITY PENSION FOR POLICE OFFICERS (H 2536) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that would provide police officers who have suffered a violent act injury, 100 percent regular compensation and pension benefits, until they reach the age of mandatory retirement. Violent act injury is defined as “a serious and permanent personal bodily injury sustained as a direct and proximate result of a violent attack upon a person by means of a dangerous weapon, including a firearm, knife, automobile, explosive device or other dangerous weapon.”

“Our first responders go above and beyond to keep our communities safe and respond to emergencies,” said Gov. Healey. “That’s why it’s critical that we support them when they experience emergencies of their own. This legislation ensures that first responders who are injured in the line of duty have access to the pay and health care, including mental health care, that they need to support their families and their road to recovery.”

Supporters said that under current law, a first responder forced to retire due to a violent act injury can only receive benefits through the local retirement board via the home rule legislative process. They said this process is onerous and has resulted in disparate benefits being granted on a case-by-case basis.

"This legislation ensures that first responders who are forced to retire due to a violent injury received in the line of duty do not struggle to make ends meet," said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington). "Frankly, this cannot come soon enough. Recognizing the extreme burden placed on these first responders and their families, mandating 100 percent compensation until retirement age is the right way to honor their service and sacrifice."

Rep. Steve Xiarhos (R-Barnstable) said workers who are the victims of traumatic events at work would also be eligible to receive certain mental health services to assist with their recovery. “The bill was inspired in part by several recent cases of first responders who suffered serious injuries in the line of duty, including retired Somerville Police Detective Mario Oliveira and Springfield Police Officer Nestor Santos,” said Xiarhos.

BAN ELEPHANTS AND OTHER ANIMALS (H 4915) – The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Healey legislation that effective January 1, 2025, would ban elephants, bears, lions, tigers, leopards, jaguars, cheetahs and other wild animals from being used in traveling circuses and other traveling shows in Massachusetts. Violators would be fined between $500 and $10,000. The ban would not apply to zoos or to performances that take place at other non-mobile, permanent facilities if the covered animal is a resident animal at the same facility in which the performance takes place.

“We’re ecstatic that after so many years of advocating for the state to take a stance on the suffering of animals, as well as the public health and safety risks. The bill to prohibit elephants, primates, bears, giraffes and big cats in traveling animal acts passed both chambers in the Legislature unanimously and is on the governor’s desk,” read a press release from the MSPCA. “This is truly a testament to the perseverance of advocates and legislators to speak for those who cannot. We’re optimistic that the governor will sign the bill and put an end to these archaic acts in our state.”

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“We were absolutely thrilled to witness the signing of the bill, standing shoulder to shoulder with Gov. Healey, our legislative champions, advocates and survivors from across the commonwealth. At a time when so many states are weakening their legislative responses to gun violence, we are so proud to see Massachusetts take this tremendous step forward. We are also so proud to have been a part of this advocacy every step of the way. This law ensures that Massachusetts will continue to lead the way, showing other states the impact and importance of taking a comprehensive approach to preventing gun violence.”

--- Ruth Zakarin, CEO of the Massachusetts Coalition to Prevent Gun Violence on Gov. Healey signing the bill changing the state’s gun laws.

“Massachusetts voters sent these elected officials to Beacon Hill to stand up for our health, to protect us from corporate greed and to safeguard our climate. On all counts, the Legislature has failed. Despite two years of mounting evidence from experts, advocates and officials in the Healey administration sending a clear signal that it’s time to move beyond gas, the House failed to adopt reasonable measures from the Senate to move the commonwealth off of gas.”

--- Mark Dyen of Gas Transition Allies.

“Egos may be bruised at the Statehouse, but taxpayers should be feeling pretty good right now. Legislative leaders did not get their way with a handful of pieces of legislation and the taxpaying residents of Massachusetts were the winners. MassFiscal is pleased to have played an important role this legislative session with a voice protecting the taxpayers. We are the first and the last wall of resistance before another set of tax hike policies become law and we will not break. Our commitment lies with the taxpayers and we will continue to disrupt the plans of Statehouse leaders.

--- Paul Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance.

“Instead of letting fear or hate drive the narrative around immigrants, we need to embrace the facts: Immigrants without status contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in state and local tax dollars to our region, fueling the services so many of us depend on. Granting those without status work authorization is a common-sense reform that would dramatically increase tax revenues, while helping immigrants feel more safe and welcome in the state and nation they already contribute so much to.”

--- Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition, citing a study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy showing that Immigrants without status contributed nearly $650 million in state and local taxes to Massachusetts in 2022.

“Since October 7th, antisemitism has skyrocketed across the country and continues to spread through our Massachusetts communities and institutions. Schools have posed a special area of concern, as efforts continue to inject anti-Israel and anti-Jewish content into curricula. In a strong demonstration of leadership and support for the Jewish community, several Massachusetts legislators took initiative to ensure Massachusetts confronts this dangerous hate.”

---From a statement by the American Jewish Committee New England on a section in the recently approved state budget that establishes a Special Commission for Addressing Antisemitism, and prompts the creation of curricula, resources and professional development opportunities to support antisemitism education.

HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION?

Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session.

During the week July 29-August 2. the House met for a total of 34 hours and 8 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 36 hours and 32 minutes.

Mon. July 29 House 11:00 a.m. to 3:35 p.m.

Senate 11:10 a.m. to 4:01 p.m.

Tues. July 30 House 11:02 a.m. to 7:35 p.m.

Senate 11:05 a.m. to 7:58 p.m.

Wed. July 31 House 12:17 p.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Senate 11:07 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.

Thurs. August 1 House 12:01 a.m. to 9:19 a.m.

Senate 12:01 a.m. to 9:57 a.m.

Fri. August 2 No House session

No Senate session

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com