Beacon Hill Roll Call

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you have any questions about this week's report, e-mail us at
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Beacon
Hill Roll Call

Volume
50 - Report No. 3

January
13-17, 2025

Copyright
© 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.

By
Bob Katzen

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THE
HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate
last week.

GOV.
MAURA HEALEY SIGNS MORE BILLS INTO LAW - Here are some of the many
bills that were signed into law by Gov. Healey following the end of
the 2024 session:

INSURANCE
COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME (S 2970) – Gov. Healey
signed into law legislation called requiring health insurance
companies to provide Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for Down
syndrome patients. The legislation, sponsored by the Massachusetts
Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC), will require private insurers and
MassHealth to cover the cost of in-home ABA therapy for children with
a single diagnosis of Down syndrome.

"My
first sister was born with Down syndrome," said Rep. Jack Lewis
(Framingham), a sponsor of the proposal. "And while she passed
away before I was born, the question of how our family and society
could have best ensured she had a lifetime of opportunities was
regularly discussed in our house, especially around what would have
been milestone events for her, like starting school and her first
job.”

Lewis
continued, “My first volunteer job was at a local summer camp for
people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, initially
because it was a place my sister may have enjoyed. This led to my
first job as a habitation assistant in a group home for adults who
had formed a community together. Filing this bill … answered the
same question my mom regularly asked, how could we have ensured that
my sister had all the opportunities she needed and deserved to
thrive?"

“Unfortunately,
until now [ABA] has remained only available to people with Down
syndrome who either happen to have a dual diagnosis of autism or who
have family that can afford to pay privately,” said Maureen
Gallagher, MDSC Executive Director. “Ultimately, for those families
in our community who need but have not received at-home ABA therapy,
insurance coverage will now have the potential to change their and
their children’s lives in real, meaningful and lifelong ways.”

ALLOW
CAMERAS ON SCHOOL BUSES (H 4940) - Gov. Healey signed into law
legislation that will allow cities and towns to use cameras,
installed on school buses, to identify and record vehicles that
illegally pass stopped school buses. The measure does not change the
current fines for these violations. The fines would remain at $250
for a first offense, $500 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a
third and subsequent offense. The bill also prohibits these
violations caught on camera from being considered "moving
violations" that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums.

“As
a dedicated advocate for schoolchildren and improved traffic safety,
I was honored to have [the bill] which I sponsored, signed into law,”
said Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford) who sponsored an earlier version of
the measure. “This bill gives school districts the opportunity to
add cameras to school buses that will allow municipalities to ticket
drivers for dangerous maneuvers. Children around the commonwealth
will be further protected by this law while they are riding the bus.”

“With
the signing of this bill, we are taking a big step toward safer
streets and more local control for communities across the
commonwealth,” said Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury), also a sponsor
of an earlier version of the bill. “Passing a stopped school bus
endangers our children and is against the law. In cities and towns
that choose to use them, school bus mounted traffic safety cameras
will help apply the law to those who violate it evenly and without
bias. I’m thrilled that Massachusetts has joined over half of U.S.
states in legalizing this type of automated traffic enforcement. I
look forward to continuing our work to make our roads safer for all
in the new legislative term.”

CAMERAS
ON PUBLIC TRANSIT BUSES (H 4057) – Gov. Healey signed into law a
measure that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted
cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus
lanes and bus stops.

The
bill sets a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum of $125 for bus lane
violations, and a flat $100 fine for bus stop violations. It also
prohibits bus lane and bus stop violations caught on camera from
being considered "moving violations" that would raise a
diver’s insurance premiums.

“This
is something the MBTA has been looking to do for a long time,” said
Christian MilNeil, the editor of StreetsblogMASS. “The MTA has been
using cameras to enforce bus lanes in New York City since 2019, and
the vast majority of drivers who receive a camera-based bus lane
violation don't make the same mistake twice. So the value in these
systems isn't in issuing more fines – it's in keeping bus stops
clear so riders can access buses safely and keeping bus lanes clear
so that bus operators can spend more time moving passengers instead
of waiting stuck in traffic.”

FEBRUARY
4TH IS NOW ROSA PARKS DAY (H 3075) – Gov. Healey signed into law a
bill establishing February 4th as Rosa Parks in recognition of the
historic civil rights leader.

“Rosa
Parks' bravery on that Montgomery bus was not just a pivotal moment
in the Civil Rights Movement—it was a lesson in courage, dignity
and the power of standing up for what is right,” said co-sponsor
Rep. Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable).

“February
4th is the birthday of Rosa Parks, so it will be a great reminder to
all those within the commonwealth to reflect on the role she played
in raising international awareness of the struggles for civil
rights,” said co-sponsor Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg).

BOSTON
CAN RAISE FINES (H 4507) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation
that would allow the city of Boston to raise from the current $300 to
up to $2,000, the fines imposed on property owners, landlords and
businesses that violate the city's sanitary code. The bill also
allows Boston to adjust the maximum fine for inflation every five
years.

Supporters
said that the city's fine limit has not been raised since 1989. They
said that raising fines will help crack down on repeat offenders who
are not deterred by the small current $300 fee.

Rep.
Kevin Honan (D-Boston), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to
repeated requests by Beacon Hill to comment on the bill being passed
and signed into law.

ALSO
UP ON BEACON HILL

MARIJUANA
SALES CLIMB TO AN ALLTIME HIGH - Marijuana establishments in
Massachusetts generated more than $1.64 billion in gross sales in
2024, setting a new annual record for the state.

“The
cannabis industry in Massachusetts continued to mature in 2024 as the
commission approved the 700th—and counting—notice to commence
operations,” Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins said. “The clear growth
of the industry is the result of ongoing collaboration between
commissioners and agency staff, business owners, host communities, an
engaged consumer base and the medical community. We’re looking
ahead to continued growth in 2025 and beyond as we seek to expand the
industry with new social consumption licenses.”

PROTECT
DRINKING WATER SUPPLY (SD 847) - Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough)
and Rep. Natalie Blais (D-Sunderland) filed legislation that would
enable the Bay State to develop minimum statewide water quality
standards for private wells and expand a financial assistance program
to remediate wells affected by PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and
other harmful contaminants in drinking water supplies.

Supporters
say that more than 500,000 Massachusetts residents, located heavily
in rural areas but also in all 351 cities and towns, rely on private
wells for their drinking water. They note that many people are
consuming water that may be unsafe because the source is not
regularly tested and treated like public water supplies and could
have harmful contaminants such as PFAS, arsenic, radon, uranium and
more.

“As
the Legislature continues to address PFAS contamination in
communities across the state this session, it’s crucial that the
hundreds of thousands of households relying on private well water
have access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Sen. Eldridge.
“That’s why I’m proud to once again file legislation to empower
the DEP to regulate private wells and establish a program to help
homeowners test their wells for dangerous contaminants.

MASSACHUSETTS
GUN LAWS RANKING - Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2025 State Gun Law
Rankings were released last week, and they report that Massachusetts
has the second strongest gun laws in the nation, just behind
California.

According
to the report, the rankings show a clear connection between stronger
gun safety laws and lower rates of gun deaths. The report suggests
that if every state in the country had the gun death rates of the
nine states with the strongest gun safety laws, 299,000 lives could
be saved in the next decade.

“Gun
laws save lives and states that enact common-sense, bipartisan
policies are clearly standing on the side of public safety,” said
Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown
for Gun Safety. “As 2025 gets underway, we’re doubling down in
the states, defending the gains we’ve made and charting new paths
ahead. We can turn the tide on our nation’s gun violence crisis,
but only if all leaders step up to meet the moment.”

“Our
lawmakers took lifesaving action last year to enact a major piece of
gun safety legislation – and our communities have already benefited
from this challenging work,” said Rachel Everley, a volunteer with
the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Today’s
announcement is just further evidence of the value of our combined
efforts. Now Massachusetts has the second strongest gun safety laws
in the country, and we will continue forging ahead because we have
seen what can be accomplished when we do.”

NEW
PHOTO DISPLAY AT THE STATE HOUSE – Gov. Healey unveiled a new
photography display featuring archival film images of the Statehouse
from the 1920s to 1940s, alongside equivalent modern-day film
photographs.

“The
Massachusetts Statehouse has a storied, revolutionary history –
from Sam Adams and Paul Revere laying the first cornerstone in 1795,
to President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 address ahead of his
inauguration, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 address at the
height of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Gov. Healey. “I’m
thrilled to unveil this photography project, led by some of our most
talented young people, which reminds us all of our obligation to
honor the legacy of this incredible building while also striving to
continue to deliver history-making progress for our residents.”

QUOTABLE
QUOTES – State of the Commonwealth Edition

Gov.
Healey delivered her annual State of the Commonwealth address to a
joint session of the House and Senate. Here are some excerpts from
the speech:

“Two
hundred and fifty years ago this April, on a common in Lexington and
a bridge in Concord, the farmers, tradesmen and shopkeepers of the
Massachusetts Militia took a stand. They risked everything for the
right to self-government and they started the Revolution that gave us
our country. This is our legacy, Massachusetts, and it’s more than
history. It’s who we are.”

“I
am moved beyond words by the grit, drive and sheer goodness of the
people of Massachusetts. I see it in our citizen soldiers. It’s in
the firefighters who spent weeks battling wildfires last fall. When
we see what firefighters are doing in Southern California right now,
and what our own firefighters and first responders do every day, we
are so grateful.”

“I
see it in the teachers and schools where we pioneered public
education. And I see it in breakthroughs by our scientists and
innovators. Did you know, in 2024, one-third of all the Nobel Prizes
were won by people in Massachusetts? That’s not unusual for our
state.”

“People
also need childcare. After the pandemic, childcare across the country
was collapsing and childcare centers were closing. So, we got to work
because our working parents depend on it. We were the only state to
fully replace federal support that went away with a $1.5 billion
investment. We not only saved our system, but affordable childcare is
growing in Massachusetts. Today 36,000 more children are getting care
and their parents can go to work and support their families.”

“People
want to be able to afford a home. So, we passed the Affordable Homes
Act to create tens of thousands of affordable homes and new
homeowners. We already increased production in state programs by 50
percent, adding 4,000 homes and helping 2,400 first-time homeowners
last year alone.”

“Whatever
else is happening, we will always put our veterans first. We passed
the HERO Act, the biggest veterans’ legislation in state history,
to expand health benefits, job opportunities and much more. We’re
ending veteran homelessness once and for all, because no one who
served our country should ever be left behind in their time of need.
And we built brand-new, world-class facilities at the veterans’
homes in Chelsea and Holyoke.”

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 of Jan. 13-17, the House a met for a total of nine hours and
27 minutes while the Senate met for a total of nine hours and 13
minutes.

Mon.
Jan. 13 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.

Senate
11:16 a.m. to 11:27 a.m.

Tues.
Jan. 14 No House session

No
Senate session

Wed.
Jan. 15 No House session

No
Senate session

Thurs.
Jan. 16 House 11:00 a.m. to 8:10 p.m.

Senate
11:06 a.m. to 8:08 p.m.

Fri.
Jan. 17 No House session

No
Senate session

Bob
Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com

Bob
founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New
England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019.