Beacon Hill Roll Call

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. 7

February
10-14, 2025

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

By
Bob Katzen

GET
A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people,
from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens,
who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular
newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s
going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media
and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as
well as specialized publications.

MASSterlist
will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and
will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of
Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free
subscription, go to: https://MASSterList/subscribe/

THE
HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senator's votes
on roll calls from the week of Feb. 10-14. There were no roll Calls
in the House last week.

$425
MILLION FOR EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE (EA) SHELTER SYSTEM (S 16)

Senate
33-6, approved a fiscal 2025 supplemental budget that includes $425
million to fund the state’s emergency shelter system and make some
changes to tighten eligibility for it. The vote was almost strictly
along party lines with all Republicans voting against it and all but
one Democrat voting for it. The Democrats say the measure makes major
reforms. The Republicans say while the bill includes some reforms
they have long sought, it does not go far enough, and they all voted
against it.

The
House has already approved a different version of the bill and a
House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out a compromise
version.

The
bill would cap capacity in the system at 4,000 families for the
period Dec. 31, 2025 through Dec. 31, 2026. There were more than
6,000 families relying on the system at the end of January.

Other
provisions reduce the maximum length in a shelter from nine to six
consecutive months; phase out the use of hotels and motels for
emergency housing by the end of this year; require a report on
strategies to prevent homelessness and promote stable rehousing; and
make temporary respite sites available to families that appear
eligible for the system for up to 30 days upon arrival in
Massachusetts

“Today
we struck a balance between our fiscal responsibility to
Massachusetts taxpayers and our moral obligation to moms, dads and
kids who are in a difficult moment,” said Senate President Karen
Spilka (D-Ashland). “We prioritize Massachusetts families in need,
ensure transparency in the program and lay the groundwork for
long-term solutions to homelessness.”

“I’m
pleased that the Senate has passed this supplemental budget to
provide funding and further clarify supportive services for unhoused
families in the commonwealth,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues
(D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The
Senate has largely concurred with the House in making these important
but necessary changes to the family shelter system. These adjustments
will allow families to transfer out of these temporary housing units
more readily, continue our track of providing sustainable employment
and provide a glide path for exiting the system.”

Rodrigues
continued, “This bill strikes a balance by supporting families in
crisis, while responsibly managing taxpayer dollars as we redouble
our efforts to move the EA shelter system towards a fiscally
sustainable future. Going forward, this legislation also puts more
stringent reporting requirements from the Administration, so the
Legislature can continue to track and monitor the EA shelter
program.”

“I
strongly oppose spending an additional $425 million on the
unaccountable, unsustainable EA shelter program,” said Sen. Ryan
Fattman (R-Sutton). “For years, I have sounded the alarm bell that
the right to shelter law is in desperate need of reform. Yesterday,
the Legislature embarrassed itself by loudly rejecting amendments to
prioritize Massachusetts residents in shelters and to perform
background checks. We’ve seen countless cases of rape, assault,
drug trafficking and even death in the shelters.”

Sen.
Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) said he voted against the bill, as he
has voted against every spending bill that has included exorbitant
funding for our shelter system since a migrant crisis emerged in late
2023. “Simply put, our state cannot afford to keep pouring massive
sums of money into this unsustainable system,” said O’Connor. “We
need serious reforms to our EA shelter system and our Right to
Shelter law, which is why I've also filed a bill to restrict the
right to shelter to Massachusetts residents - as was the original
intent of the law. It is my hope that we will achieve significant
reforms to the EA shelter system that will ensure its long-term
fiscal sustainability and protect this valuable resource for
Massachusetts residents.”

“For
the last three years, the Senate and legislature has been spending
billions of dollars for the shelter program riddled with active
criminals, yet they still refuse to impose comprehensive background
checks,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts
Fiscal Alliance. “How many more years will it take before the
Legislature finally sees the value in national and international
background checks is unknown. What is known is that the Senate is
happy to join the House in spending more of our taxpayer money to
bail out the failed shelter program.”

(A
“Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen
Spilka Yes

BROADER
BACKGROUND CHECKS (S 16)

Senate
38-0, approved an amendment that would require the Executive Office
of Housing and Livable Communities, in conjunction with the
Massachusetts State Police, to study the feasibility of conducting a
National Crime Information Center background check for each adult or
beneficiary applying for the emergency shelter program.

“It
should be our goal to verify that individuals with violent criminal
backgrounds are not endangering others in our temporary emergency
shelter system,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Michael Moore
(D-Millbury). “If adopted, this amendment would help us review each
applicant’s history more thoroughly, including offenses from
outside of the commonwealth.”

(A
“Yes” vote is for the amendment.)

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

PRIORITY
TO BAY STATE RESIDENTS (S 15)

Senate
8-30, rejected an amendment that would require that the state
prioritize giving long term shelter to legal Massachusetts residents
whose initial cause of homelessness and application for shelter
occurred while they were residing legally in Massachusetts.”

Amendment
supporters said it is fair to give Bay State residents priority over
people who recently came here from other states.

Sen.
Peter Durant (R-Spencer), the sponsor of the amendment, did not
respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to
comment on the defeat of his amendment.

Sen.
Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) said the amendment is extremely broad and
applies not only to emergency assistance but to all state-funded
housing programs. He noted it could cause confusion and negatively
impact residents at state housing. He asked senators to Imagine a
single mother with a child fleeing a domestic violence situation in a
neighboring state. This would prohibit them from seeking safe shelter
in Massachusetts.

(A
“Yes” vote is for the amendment giving priority to Massachusetts
residents. A ”No” vote is against giving priority.

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch No Sen. Karen
Spilka President rarely votes

12-MONTH
RESIDENCY REQUIRED (S 15)

Senate
6-32, rejected an amendment that would require that to be eligible
for benefits under the emergency assistance shelter program, an
applicant must have resided in Massachusetts for twelve consecutive
months immediately prior to the date of their application. The
applicant must also provide an acceptable form of verification such
as tax returns; a MA REAL-ID; a utility bill; a lease or mortgage; or
pay stubs showing Massachusetts employment. The residency requirement
would not apply to victims of domestic violence or to any person
whose living situation has been affected by a fire or other natural
disaster that occurred in the Bay State.

Amendment
supporters said the amendment is fair and reasonable and makes it
easy to prove a 12-month residency.

Sen.
Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), the sponsor of the amendment, did not
respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to
comment on the defeat of his amendment.

Sen.
Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) said the amendment is unconstitutional
and immoral. He said that the U.S. Supreme Court and the state’s
Supreme Judicial Court have ruled that a state cannot discriminate
against people who have not lived in the state very long.

(A
“Yes” vote is for the 12-month residency requirement. A “No”
vote is against it.

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch No Sen. Karen
Spilka President rarely votes

INDEPENDENT
REVIEW OF SHELTER PROGRAM (S 15)

Senate 10-26 [information updated as of 2-18-25], rejected an amendment that would have required an independent
review of the emergency assistance housing program by the Inspector
General, to help identify savings and potential cost recovery.

“Two
things about the emergency assistance shelter system are clear.
First, the costs have skyrocketed well beyond the point of
sustainability, and second, we would benefit from fresh eyes and an
independent review of the system to help improve the program’s
financial sustainability and effectiveness,” said amendment sponsor
Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “We need this review, particularly
as additional changes are made to further restrict access to the
system, even as we have not seen any cost savings by prior access
restriction changes, perhaps because those further imposed rules and
restrictions raise administrative costs. The Inspector General and
his team are trained experts in this type of work, and it is squarely
within their jurisdiction to do the work described in this
amendment.”

Sen.
Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) said the Inspector General’s office is
an independent body not beholden to the Legislature and already has
the power to inspect any state agency. He said that it is not the
role of the Legislature to direct the Inspector General on what to
inspect.

(A
“Yes” vote is for requiring the review. A “No” vote is
against requiring it.

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

INVESTIGATE
SECURITY LAPSES AND SHORTCOMINGS (S 15)

Senate
6-32, rejected an amendment that would require the Senate Committee
on Post Audit and Oversight to investigate the emergency housing
assistance program’s security lapses and shortcomings which
amendment supporters say have compromised public safety, health and
security.

“There
are still so many unanswered questions about the emergency shelter
system,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “We
still don’t have answers on the process to admit families into
shelters, where money is being spent and how public safety issues are
addressed. The purpose of the Senate Committee on Post Audit and
Oversight is to audit the performance of legislative programs, like
the emergency shelter system. This amendment would have provided
transparency to both the Legislature and the public and it is
unfortunate that it was not passed.”

Amendment
opponents said it’s not the job of senators to direct a Senate
committee on how to do its job. They noted that the bill itself
already makes safety reform a priority and includes background
checks.

(A
“Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch No Sen. Karen
Spilka President rarely votes

ADOPT
JOINT HOUSE-SENATE RULES FOR 2025-2026 SESSION (S 15)

Senate
39-0, adopted and sent to the House for consideration joint
House-Senate rules for the 2025-2026 session.

Provisions
include increasing the time for notifying the public about joint
committee hearings from 72 hours to five days; requiring that all
first meetings of a conference committee be open to the public and
media; requiring at least one full day between a conference committee
report filing and a legislative vote on the report; requiring
sponsors of all bills to submit bill summaries which must be made
publicly available alongside the bill text; changing the name of the
Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy to the
Committee on Climate, Utilities and Energy; the Committee on Elder
Affairs to the Committee on Aging and Independence; and the
Committee on Agriculture to the Committee on Agriculture and
Fisheries.

“These
changes would provide more opportunity to residents to participate in
the Legislature’s work, encourage greater insight into bills being
considered by the Legislature and provide more transparency on
legislators’ positions on issues that impact Massachusetts
residents,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland).

"This
comprehensive rule proposal was a collaborative effort that makes the
work we do here in the Senate more transparent, more efficient and
respectful to the needs of members and residents,” said Sen. Joan
Lovely (D-Salem), Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules. “We are
proud of the Senate’s work, and we want people to know what is
going on in The People’s House. These measures take meaningful
steps towards a more transparent Legislature and allow for more
access to information by members of the public about our work,
including easier participation.”

(A
“Yes” vote is for the rules package.)

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen
Spilka Yes

MORE
TIME TO READ CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BILLS (S 15)

Senate
5-33, rejected an amendment that would allow members 48 hours to read
the conference committee version of a bill. A conference version of a
bill is the compromise version that is hammered out by a joint
House-Senate committee when the House and Senate approve different
versions of legislation.

“I
voted for this amendment … because it ensures that both the
appointed conference committee members and the public have sufficient
time to understand and evaluate complex bills before they are voted
on,” said Sen. Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton). “By setting a clear
deadline and allowing more time to analyze the final conference
report, this change promotes transparency to the public and helps
prevent the Legislature from acting without proper deliberation and
input from our communities.”

Sen.
Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), the sponsor of the amendment, did not
respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to
comment on the defeat of his amendment.

Sen.
Joan Lovely (D-Salem) said the bill itself already allows one
calendar day for members to read a conference committee bill and
argued that it is a sufficient amount of time.

(A
“Yes” vote is for the 48 hours. A “No” vote is against the 48
hours.)

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch No Sen. Karen
Spilka President rarely votes

REQUIRE
ROLL CALL ON CONFERENCE COMMITTEE BILLS (S 15)

Senate
9-29, rejected an amendment that would require that a roll call vote
be held on all conference committee versions of a bill.

“Constituents
frequently ask how I have voted on major bills and how my colleagues
have voted,” said amendment sponsor Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy)
“This amendment sought to ensure the people we represent know how
we vote on important matters like conference committee reports.”

Sen.
Joan Lovely (D-Salem) said this new rule is not necessary because
members already have the opportunity to ask for a roll call vote when
a conference committee bill comes before the Senate for a vote.

(A
“Yes” vote is for the amendment requiring a roll call vote. A
“No” vote is against it.)

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

EXPAND
CONFLICT OF INTEREST BAN (S 15)

Senate
38-0, approved an amendment to a rule that would prohibit legislators
from purchasing, directly or indirectly, the stock or other
securities of any corporation or association, knowing that there is
pending before the Legislature any measure specially “granting the
corporation or association any immunity, exemption, privilege or
benefit or any measure providing for the creation of, or directly
affecting any, contractual relations between the corporation or
association and the state.

The
amendment would expand the ban to include any immediate family member
of a legislator.

“Public
service needs to be as far removed from unfair financial incentives
and advantages as possible,” said amendment sponsor Sen. John
Keenan (D-Quincy). “The commonwealth already prohibits legislators
from buying stock based on the information they learn through their
work at the Statehouse, but this amendment, which the Senate adopted
on a unanimous roll call vote, will also prohibit legislators using
this information to sell stock and will restrict their family members
from making similar financial transactions based on knowledge
legislators have gained as a result of their positions.”

(A
“Yes” vote is for the amendment expanding the ban to apply to
immediate family members.)

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

ALSO
UP ON BEACON HILL

AG
CAMPBELL JOINS LAWSUIT TARGETING ELON MUSK - Massachusetts Attorney
General Andrea Campbell, along with twelve other Attorneys General,
filed a lawsuit challenging the exercise of executive power by Elon
Musk. The lawsuit argues that President Trump has violated the United
States Constitution by creating a new federal Department without
Congressional approval and by granting Musk sweeping powers over the
entire federal government without seeking the advice and consent of
the Senate.

“The
President cannot create a new department to restructure the federal
government and certainly cannot give unchecked power to a billionaire
friend without Congressional action,” said Campbell. “Our lawsuit
seeks to put an end to the ongoing corruption and abuse of power at
DOGE that threatens funding for crucial needs such as healthcare,
education and more.”

U.S.
ATTORNEY LEAH FOLEY’S OFFICE COLLECTS MORE THAN $60 MILLION IN
CIVIL AND CRIMINAL ACTIONS - United States Attorney Leah Foley
announced that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of
Massachusetts collected $60.17 million in criminal and civil actions
in fiscal year 2024, including $19.56 million in criminal actions and
$40.6 million in civil actions.

“The
American people deserve a government that is both accountable and
effective in protecting their hard-earned tax dollars,” said Foley.
“These substantial recoveries reflect our unwavering commitment to
protecting taxpayer dollars, holding wrongdoers accountable and
securing justice for victims of fraud and other offenses. Whether
through civil enforcement, asset recovery or criminal prosecution,
our office will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to
defraud the government and exploit the public.”

$158
MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING – Gov. Maura Healey announced $158
million in low-income housing tax credit and subsidy awards for
fourteen affordable housing projects across the state. These awards
are aimed at supporting the production and preservation of 1,138
affordable units for seniors and families across the state.

“High
housing costs are one of the biggest challenges facing Massachusetts
residents,” said Healey. “Our administration is refusing to kick
the can down the road. We need to increase housing production across
the state to lower costs – and these affordable housing awards will
help us get there. Because of our tax cuts package, we are able to
give out more funding than ever before, which will directly support
the creation of more than 1,000 affordable homes for seniors and
families across our state.”

EXCLUDE
TIPS FROM TAXABLE INCOME – Rep. Michael Soter (R-Bellingham) filed
legislation that would exclude tipped wages from taxable Income. The
measure is aimed at providing tax relief for service industry workers
who rely on tips as a major source of their earnings. Supporters said
that by excluding tipped wages from state income tax calculations,
the bill would allow workers in restaurants, hospitality and other
tipped professions to take home more of their income.

“This
last election, the service industry made it clear that they would
rather keep tips than have the government set an hourly rate,” said
Soter. “This is an industry full of hard-working individuals that
deserve to keep all their hard-earned money by not taxing tips. These
servers and the industry were hit the hardest after COVID, and this
would give much relief to these hard-working citizens who deal with
such unpredictable weekly incomes.”

QUOTABLE
QUOTES – BY THE DOLLAR EDITION

The
state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance released figures
showing that committees that supported or opposed the five questions
on the November 5 ballot spent a total of $25.2 million. Here is the
breakdown:

Question
1 (passed): Give State Auditor the Authority to Audit the Legislature

Supporters:
$414,808

Opponents:
$0

Question
2 (passed): Elimination of MCAS as High School Graduation Requirement

Supporters:
$950,000

Opponents:
$5,318,258

Question
3 (passed) Unionization for Uber, Lyft and other Transportation
Network Drivers

Supporters:
$7,259,067

Opponents:
$0

Question
4 (failed) Limited Legalization and Regulation of Some Natural
Psychedelic Substances

Supporters:
$7,723,405

Opponents:
$128,803

Question
5 (failed) Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers

Supporters:
$889,526

Opponents:
$2,515,568

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 Feb. 10-14, the House met for a total of eight minutes
while the Senate met for a total of 15 hours and 59 minutes.

Mon
Feb. 10 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:09 a.m.

Senate
11:30 a.m. to 11:57 a.m.

Tues.
Feb. 11 No House session

No
Senate session

Wed.
Feb. 12 No House session

Senate
11:05 a.m. to 8:05 p.m.

Thurs.
Feb. 13 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:04 a.m.

Senate
10:04 a.m. to 4:36 p.m.

Fri.
Feb. 14 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.