1-26-2025 4:23am

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Alan Earls Editor

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

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

REQUIRE BOATER SAFETY PROGRAM AND TEST (S 3011) – Gov. Healey signed into law a bill requiring anyone operating a boat in the state’s waters to take a state-sponsored boater safety course and then pass a boater safety exam.

The bill, known as the Hanson-Milone Act, is named after David Hanson who lost his life in a boating accident in 2010 and Paul Milone, the late harbormaster from Weymouth who was an advocate for boat safety. Both families were strong advocates for passage of the measure and attended the signing ceremony.

“I am so proud to see the Hanson-Milone Act finally become law,” said sponsor Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “Massachusetts is home to some of the most beautiful waterways in the world, but too often, a day of fun on the water ends in tragedy because someone operates a boat without proper safety training. This legislation establishes a straightforward program to make sure anyone operating a boat in the commonwealth has the necessary safety knowledge to keep themselves and others safe … I want to express my deepest gratitude to the Hanson and Milone families for their relentless dedication and advocacy for this life-saving legislation.”

BLOOD BANKS (S 2994) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that would allow organizations registered as blood establishments with the federal United States Food and Drug Administration, to maintain a blood bank if the bank is approved by the Massachusetts Commissioner of the Department of Public Health and the Public Health Council.

Supporters said there are a number of blood banks that operate nationally that currently supply Massachusetts hospitals but may not draw or store blood here. They argued that this legislation is intended to address that inefficiency. Currently only the Red Cross, Center for Blood Research and hospitals are permitted to draw and store blood in the Bay State.

“This bill allows FDA-registered blood banks to operate in Massachusetts,” said sponsor Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover). “Establishments like the New York Blood Center provide supply to many hospitals across Massachusetts, but they haven’t been allowed to collect donations here. This legislation changes that.”

ALLOW ELECTRONIC RECEIPT FOR DELIVERY OF FUEL OILS AND PROPANE (H 4132) – Gov. Healey signed into If you have any questions about this week's report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562.

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Volume 50 - Report No. 4

January 20-24, 2025

By Bob Katzen

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law a measure that would allow companies to send customers an electronic delivery receipt for the bulk sale of fuel oils and propane.

“This legislation modernizes the receipt system by allowing the vendor of bulk sale deliveries to utilize an electronic receipt, ticket or other form of recorded representation for the purchaser to review the sale item,” said House sponsor Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). “Massachusetts is one of the last states to update this antiquated system of delivery of receipts/invoices from bulk sales. In today’s world of technology, it only makes sense that the delivery of receipts/invoices can be safely and efficiently transmitted to the consumer without having to leave a paper bill at the door or mailbox. Many, if not most businesses, already operate this way and there is no good reason not to advance bulk sales in this direction as well particularly as the consumer would have a choice in the method of delivery.”

Supporters noted that customers frequently complain about the current practice of the company leaving bags with receipts on their doorknobs or in their mailboxes. They said leaving the receipts in a USPS mailbox is not permitted by law and also leaves consumers vulnerable to identity fraud. They also pointed out that leaving a plastic bag which might remain on the doorknob for several days is a clear signal to would-be criminals that the homeowner is not home and might be traveling.

ESTABLISH A COMMISSION TO STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF ESTABLISHING A MASSACHUSETTS CABO VERDEAN CULTURAL CENTER S 2995) – Gov. Healey signed a measure creating a 10-person special commission to study the feasibility of establishing a statewide Massachusetts Cabo Verdean cultural center in the city of Boston to represent the over 200 years history of Cabo Verdeans in the state.

Supporters, noting the long overdue measure coincides with the 50th Anniversary of Cape Verdean independence, said the center will provide a vibrant space for cultural expression, education, and unity.

Co-sponsors Sens. Lydia Edwards (D-Boston) and Liz Miranda (D-Boston) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on their proposal being signed into law.

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

HEALEY FILES $59.6 BILLION FISCAL YEAR 2026 STATE BUDGET – Gov. Maura Healy filed her third annual state budget, with a price tag of $59.6 billion. She also proposed an additional $1.95 billion in surtax spending that she says would stabilize the MBTA, enable critical investments in transportation and higher education infrastructure. The surtax revenue is from the constitutional amendment, approved by voters in 2022, that imposes an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the flat 5 percent one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. Language in the increase requires that “subject to appropriation, the revenue will go to fund quality public education, affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.”

“Our fiscal year 2026 budget proposal is a balanced, forward-looking blueprint that meets the needs of our residents and businesses while also taking care of their tax dollars,” said Gov. Healey. “We’re making historic investments in the infrastructure that our quality of life and economy depend on – stabilizing the MBTA, fixing our roads, bridges and regional transit and modernizing college campuses, all while creating good jobs,” said Governor Maura Healey. “This budget also prioritizes affordability and economic development – continuing the progress we have made in childcare, college affordability, tax cuts, housing, veterans services and more. We are able to build on this progress while controlling our spending and tightening our belts, just as families and businesses are doing across our state.”

“I hear from residents, business and local officials on a daily basis about the challenges they face,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “I’m proud of the way that this budget responds to those needs, while also making sure Massachusetts can sustainably support the programs and services on which everyone in Massachusetts relies. We’re fully funding the Student Opportunity Act to make sure our K-12 schools have equitable access to the resources their students and educators need, growing local aid, boosting Chapter 90 funding to improve roads and bridges and creatively investing in our infrastructure.”

The Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance was quick to criticize the proposal. The group said the budget includes a plan allowing municipalities to raise taxes on meals and hotels through local option taxes, an idea soundly rejected last year; a $164 million tax hike by setting up a cap on the charitable deductions law approved by the voters in 2000; expansion of tobacco taxes to synthetic nicotine products; and extending the sales tax to candy.

“She’s literally taking candy from a baby,” said alliance spokesperson Paul Craney. “Massachusetts residents already face some of the highest taxes in the nation, and this proposal exacerbates that burden. Taxpayers will have to spend $25 million more dollars on candy to just pay for this tax. This budget doubles down on the state’s addiction to higher taxes and spending at a time when residents are already feeling squeezed and leaving for more tax friendly states. The governor is taking a giant leap in the wrong direction. The governor has become so desperate for higher taxes that she’s even proposing caps on tax deductions for Massachusetts charities. This tax relief law was approved by the voters in 2000. If that isn’t cruel, I don’t know what is.”

“This budget exemplifies the Healey-Driscoll Administration’s disregard for fiscal responsibility,” said MassGOP Chair Amy Carnevale. “Relying on one-time revenues while increasing spending is an unsustainable path, particularly given the unchecked financial strain caused by the emergency assistance shelter program and ongoing uncertainty over monthly tax revenues. Instead of charting a path toward stability, this budget doubles down on reckless spending and higher taxes.”

The budget now goes to the House which will craft and approve its own version and then it moves to the Senate which will offer a different plan. A House-Senate conference committee will eventually hammer out a compromise version that will be approved by both branches and sent to Gov. Healey who has the power to veto any spending and any other items. The House and Senate can then choose to override any of the governor’s vetoes.

HOLD DANGEROUS BON-CITIZENS FOR ICE INTERVENTION – Reps. Michael Soter (R-Bellingham) and Kenneth Sweezey (R-Pembroke) have filed legislation they say will restore power to local and state law enforcement agencies by closing a loophole that prevents court officers and law enforcement officials from holding dangerous illegal non-citizens with ICE detainers beyond the time that the individual would otherwise be entitled to be released from state custody, allowing these individuals to walk free after committing significant crimes in certain situations.

"It’s essential that we equip our law enforcement with the resources, tools and support they need to keep our communities safe,” said Rep. Soter. “Both sides of the aisle are united in the belief that undocumented immigrants who come here to commit crimes should be returned to their home countries. The state and local authorities must be able to detain these criminals and give ICE the opportunity to take action."

“The immigration issue in Massachusetts has gotten completely out of control,” said Rep. Sweezey. “This piece of legislation is a very simple, common-sense first step in rectifying part of the issue. I am always proud to assist our law enforcement partners and am pleased to present this legislation with support from Sheriff Evangelidis and Sheriff McDonald. I look forward to working on gaining additional support and pushing this bill across the finish line into law making our communities safer in the process.”

“[We are] monitoring reports of activities by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Greater Boston area,” said Kevin Brown, Executive Vice-President of 32BJ SEIU, the largest property service workers union in the country, with 185,000 members across the East Coast, including 20,000 in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. “We reaffirm our readiness to support our members’ rights and the rights of immigrants--our neighbors, friends, family members and co-workers, whose presence and work enrich our communities and our economies.”

Meanwhile, Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell joined ten other state attorneys general in issuing a joint statement commenting on a memorandum from a President Trump appointee at the U.S. Department of Justice addressing state and local involvement in federal immigration enforcement.

“It is well-established—through longstanding Supreme Court precedent—that the U.S. Constitution prevents the federal government from commandeering states to enforce federal law,” read the statement. “While the federal government may use its own resources for federal immigration enforcement, the court ruled in Printz vs. United States that the federal government cannot ‘impress into its service—and at no cost to itself—the police officers of the 50 states.’ This balance of power between the federal government and state governments is a touchstone of our American system of federalism.”

$108 MILLION FOR MASSACHUSETTS IN SETTELEMENT WITH PURDUE PHARMA –Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced that she, along with a bipartisan coalition of states and other parties, has reached a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with members of the Sackler family and their company, Purdue Pharma for their instrumental role in creating the opioid crisis. Up to $108 million of the settlement funds will be distributed to Massachusetts.

The suit says that under the Sacklers’ leadership, Purdue invented, manufactured and aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, perpetuating waves of addiction and overdose deaths across the commonwealth and country.

“The Sackler family will forever be remembered as a symbol of greed, profiting off pain to destroy countless lives across the commonwealth and country,” said Campbell. “While this settlement cannot bring back the lives lost, it will bring in much-needed funds to begin to remediate the damage and ensure that the Sacklers can be held accountable for the lasting devastation they have caused. I am incredibly grateful to the families who turned their pain into purpose to inform our work in this space.”

DON’T MISS THIS “ENERGETIC” EVENT - Join Massachusetts energy leaders in government, industry and advocacy at the MCLE in Boston on March 26 for an important discussion about the state's energy policy and its goals for a net-zero future, hosted by the State House News Service. With the return of a new Trump administration and policies hindering wind power development, the state's plan to expand its offshore wind portfolio faces uncertainty. While solar power offers potential, its scalability is limited by grid capacity issues and requires substantial investment. Other promising technologies like fusion and low-carbon hydrogen have yet to be implemented in the commonwealth. Tickets/more info: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/power-interruption-tickets-1219762716119?a…

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Today, freedom rings in our great nation. The heroic peaceful pro-lifers unjustly imprisoned by Biden’s Justice Department will now be freed and able to return home to their families, eat a family meal, and enjoy the freedom that should have never been taken from them in the first place.”

---Steve Crampton, Thomas More Society Senior Counsel on President Trump’s pardon of anti-abortion activists convicted of blockading abortion clinic entrances, including two Massachusetts women.

“Once again, Donald Trump has shown contempt for the laws of the land, issuing sweeping pardons for nearly two dozen people convicted of violently barricading reproductive health care clinics and harassing and even injuring clinic staff and patients.”

--- Reproductive Freedom Caucus on Trump’s pardons.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms President Trump’s directive that would allow ICE agents to raid and arrest students in our public schools. It is repulsive to our shared common values, and this cruel policy shatters the trust that families place in our educators and our public schools as safe havens and inflicts lasting trauma on innocent children.”

--- Massachusetts Teachers Association President Max Page and Vice President Deb McCarthy on President Trump’s directive allowing ICE agents to make arrests in schools.

“We know that municipalities rely on the Chapter 90 program to fund critical improvements to their roads and bridges. Under our bill, and with this new, mileage-based formula, every single city and town – including our small towns and rural communities – will see a significant increase in Chapter 90 funding. This means that local officials can put these dollars to work easing congestion, strengthening resilience, and improving safety and quality of life for all of their residents.”

---Gov. Maura Healey announcing that she is filing legislation to reform the Chapter 90 roadways program to substantially increase funding for municipal roads and bridges.

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. 20-24, the House a met for a total of four minutes while the Senate met for a total of three minutes.

Mon. Jan. 20 No House session

No Senate session

Tues. Jan. 21 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:02 a.m.

Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:17 a.m.

Wed. Jan. 22 No House session

No Senate session

Thurs. Jan. 23 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:06 a.m.

Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:17 a.m.

Fri. Jan. 24 No House session

No Senate session

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com