11-16-2025 5:03am

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 50 -Report No. 46

November 10-14, 2025

By Bob Katzen

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

DIGITAL AND PRINT MATERIALS IN LIBRARIES (S 2710)

Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would establish a commission to study the challenges public libraries face with digital resources, including costs, access, privacy and licensing differences between digital and print materials. The commission would be required to submit a report with recommendations to improve digital resource sustainability, protect patron data and ensure equitable access across the state.

“E-books, audio books and other digital resources are increasingly in demand by the public, but providing these resources is cost prohibitive for libraries and often come with unwieldy sets of restrictions,” said sponsor Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “The commission established by this bill will help streamline the process for libraries to license books and other digital materials, expanding access to knowledge to more Bay Staters.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)

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

PROTECT ALL PUBLIC TRANSIT WORKERS FROM ASSAULT AND BATTERY (S 2697)

Senate 38-0, approved legislation that would expand the current law which punishes anyone who commits assault and battery against a public employee. The bill ensures that all transit workers are covered, including those who are not directly employed by the state, such as workers employed by Keolis, the state’s contracted commuter rail operator. The bill would also add “assault and battery by means of a bodily substance including saliva, blood or urine” to the current law.

“Transit workers are among the most essential employees of our commonwealth, carrying out the steady and often unseen work that allows tens of thousands of people to travel safely and reliably each day,” said sponsor Sen. Nick Collins (D-South Boston). “Their commitment keeps our cities moving, even under challenging and unpredictable circumstances. When the rights and safety of these workers are impinged upon, it is an affront to the invaluable service they provide and the trust the public places in them.”

Collins continued, “We must remain vigilant in safeguarding their wellbeing, as they encounter nearly every facet of public life in this line of work. Legislation like this, which strengthens protections and expands the definition of what constitutes an assault against a transit worker, sends a clear message that we do not take their hard work for granted and that we stand firmly behind those who keep our commonwealth connected.”

The House already approved a different version of the measure, and the Senate version now goes to the House for consideration.

(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)

Sen. Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen Spilka Yes

BANNING SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS (S 2696)

Senate 35-3, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters said would require that school library materials be age-appropriate, serve an educational purpose and be chosen based on a teacher or employee’s professional training—leaving aside personal, political or doctrinal views which could affect their decision to place the book on the shelf.

Supporters noted that the bill would give local school districts and municipal public libraries the flexibility to craft their own policies that align with state protocols and the standards of the American Library Association. They argued that for school libraries, an appropriate process for considering whether to remove a book would include assurance that a challenged book remains available to library patrons while the process plays out, guarding against frivolous or unfounded complaints. They said the bill would protect librarians and school employees from retaliation over their selection of library books, ensuring that they do not suffer professional, civil or criminal penalties if they have acted in good faith and followed their library materials policy.

“I am thrilled that the Senate has taken decisive bipartisan action to push back against cowardly attempts to ban books in our schools and public libraries,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), the lead sponsor of the bill. “Massachusetts is not immune from the un-American panic gripping the nation in recent years. Today, the Senate defends the right to read and ensures that decisions about library materials are made by trained professionals, not political actors. This bill is about protecting the people who make our libraries and schools places of discovery, inclusion and belonging.”

“I’m proud to stand with my Senate colleagues today in support of this bipartisan bill to protect values we hold so dear: the freedom to create, to think for one’s self, to explore ourselves and our world through books and art and pass the legacy of free expression to our children and grandchildren,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “This bill is just one of many that the Senate is prioritizing and passing this session as part of our Response 2025 initiative to protect our residents, defend our values and lead Massachusetts during these dark days when our basic civil and constitutional rights are under constant attack.”

"I don't believe in restricting knowledge, as long as it's age appropriate, and believe in setting up a process where adults can deliberate on the appropriateness,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), one of three senators who voted against the bill. “The Senate's final version of the bill restricts parental notifications and involvement, diminishes the school committee as the ultimate authority of school policy and will certainly lead to increased legal costs for school districts. It is essential that school committees retain the authority to make final determinations—by vote—on whether challenged materials should remain in or be removed from school library collections. If parents or students disagree with a school committee's decision, the appropriate recourse should be through democratic engagement—by advocating for, electing or re-electing school committee members and officials who reflect their educational values, and not through costly and complex litigation."

“We strongly oppose [the bill] because it would keep vulgar and sexually explicit books on public school library shelves, where minors can easily access them,” said Michael King, President of Massachusetts Family Institute. “The bill strips local school committees of their ability to protect students and would expose districts to lawsuits simply for doing what parents reasonably expect — keeping children safe. This is not about 'banning books.’ It’s about safeguarding childhood innocence, respecting parental rights and preserving local control.”

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

Sen. Rebecca Rausch Yes Sen. Karen Spilka Yes

AUTHORS AND CREATORS CAN CHALLENGE A SCHOOL BOARD’S DECISION (S 2696)

Senate 37-0, approved an amendment to the section of the bill that gives students, parents and guardians the legal right to challenge a school board’s decisions to remove materials from a school library. The amendment extends that right to the authors and creators and also creates a right for residents, authors and creators to go to court to challenge the removal.

"I filed this amendment because authors deserve the right to defend both their livelihoods and their freedom of expression when their work is removed from libraries,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “Book bans suppress voices, erase perspectives and ultimately undermine our democracy, which relies on open access to ideas. By allowing creators to challenge these removals in court, we strengthen the bill’s protections for free expression and ensure that those most directly harmed have a path to justice.”

Creem continued, “This issue is personal to me as my son-in-law, Rob Sharenow, is the author of ‘The Berlin Boxing Club,’ an award-winning novel that was banned for featuring a minor, but historically accurate, transgender character. Freedom of expression should be an unmovable cornerstone of our democracy.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.)

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

90-DAY TIME PERIOD (S 2696)

Senate 7-30, rejected an amendment that would have implemented a 90-day time period for a determination on whether challenged material in school libraries is devoid of any educational, literary, artistic, personal or social value, or is not age appropriate. As written, the bill itself does not include a time period for a determination.

“If a parent has a concern about whether a book being taught to their child is age appropriate, that is not a concern that should be allowed to linger,” said Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury). “The timeframe … would set guidelines to help push officials to determine whether a book is appropriate within a reasonable period – quickly eliminating any uncertainty for students, parents and teachers.”

Sen. Jake Oliveira (D-Ludlow) said he voted against the amendment because it is an administrative redundancy. He noted that all policies adopted by school committees are adopted in accordance with the guidelines set by the Massachusetts General Laws, which are reviewed by the school committees when adopting policies. He said there was no need to add another administrative burden.

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. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), the lead sponsor of the underlying bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on this amendment.

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

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

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

SUICIDE AWARENESS AND REMEMBRANCE DAY (H 3388) – The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would establish September 22nd as Military Service Members and Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day. The day would acknowledge that suicide is an epidemic among service members and veterans and would foster awareness and call for suicide prevention measures and support.

“We brought forward this veteran suicide remembrance and awareness bill in direct response to the tragedies that have left holes in the fabric of our communities and in order to build awareness to prevent future tragedy,” said sponsor Rep. Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “[The bill] is an important step in offering support to both our active service members and veterans.”

INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER (H 2489) – The House gave initial approval to legislation, known as Marnie’s Law, which would integrate Inflammatory Breast Cancer (IBC) education into the undergraduate curriculum of all approved nursing programs in the state. IBC is a rare and aggressive form of invasive breast cancer that often presents itself as swelling or redness of the breast, as opposed to a lump that is typically associated with breast cancer. Marnie’s Law is named after 37-year-old Marnie Elizabeth Cass Robidas who died from IBC in 2022.

Supporters said that IBC is challenging for medical providers to diagnose. They noted that the inclusion of IBC training will effectively improve patient outcomes by reducing the chance of misdiagnoses, ultimately saving countless lives.

”My family was affected by IBC, and when I learned from working with Marnie’s Army and [co-sponsor] Rep. Diggs that its symptoms weren’t taught in nursing education, I was inspired to join their effort to save women’s lives,” said co-sponsor Rep. Hadley Luddy (D-Orleans).

Marnie’s Army is a group, named after Marnie, which raises awareness of the disease and raises money for research and education on the illness at Boston’s Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“I filed this bill because inflammatory breast cancer is one of the most aggressive and least understood forms of breast cancer, and too many patients lose precious time due to delayed or incorrect diagnosis,” said co-sponsor Rep. Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable). “By ensuring that every nursing student in Massachusetts is trained to recognize the signs of IBC, we are strengthening early detection and saving lives. Marnie’s Law is about awareness, compassion and giving our future nurses the tools they need to protect patients and families across the commonwealth.”

PROMOTE URBAN AGRICULTURE AND HORTICULTURE (H3130) – The House gave initial approval to legislation aimed at promoting urban agriculture and horticulture by allowing cities with a population greater than 50,000 and all Gateway Cities to exempt property taxes for land used for commercial urban agriculture. The tax incentive applies to only the portion of land on a parcel being used for agriculture and only applies to portions that are two acres or less. Additionally, the parcel must have had at least $500 in gross sales of agricultural or horticultural products to be eligible for the tax incentive.

“We filed this bill to support small-scale urban agriculture, which strengthens local food systems, improves environmental health and promotes local economic development,” said co-sponsors Reps. Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury) and Vanna Howard (D-Lowell), in a joint statement. “This bill allows cities to incentivize urban agriculture and gain these benefits through a property tax exemption."

COMMISSION ON LGBTQ AGING (S 2711) – The Senate approved and sent to the House a proposal that would replace the name of the current “Commission on Older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Aging” (LGBT) with “LGBTQ” (the Q represents queer and questioning).

The measure also adds four more seats to the commission -- one each appointed by the Senate President, Senate Minority Leader, Speaker of the House and House Minority Leader.

The commission was created to enhance the quality of life for LGBTQ older adults in the Bay State through state policy and program recommendations, collaborations, partnerships and advocacy.

The bill also replaces several other terms in the language that created the commission including replacing "elders” with “older adults” and ”Elder Affairs” with “Aging and Independence.”

Sponsor Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville) said she filed the bill after the commission’s current membership agreed that it was timely and appropriate to reflect the more inclusive terminology for the communities represented by the commission, along with name changes of numerous member offices and organizations over the course of the commission's existence.

DENIAL OF RIGHTS AND SERVICES TO DISABLED PERSONS (S 2714) – A bill before the Committee on Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities would create a special commission to study the denial of rights and services of disabled persons.

The commission would be required to submit a report on the volume of disability rights denial cases submitted and their impact on the disability community, the effectiveness of the enforcement of disability rights in the state within the last five years and education of disability rights awareness. Another report would also be required to be submitted to the Legislature with recommendations, including proposed legislation or regulations.

"Discrimination has no place in Massachusetts, regardless of background or ability," said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “As we examine the best way to support our disabled population, it is imperative that we are armed with the best information and best recommendations from a broad array of stakeholders, from lawmakers to experts to advocates and, most importantly, those with lived experiences. I am hopeful that this commission and its recommendations will lead to lasting, impactful change for those with service animals."

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“We unleashed an industry that now promotes betting on anything and everything imaginable and unimaginable all over the world, 24 hours a day, every single day. I want to publicly apologize to those who've lost the opportunity to sit and watch a game just for the enjoyment of the game. I want to apologize to those who find themselves in the dark spaces of betting addiction and to those working through recovery and to their families and friends. I want to apologize to those who have lost loved ones to suicide because of gambling issues."

---Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) apologizing for his 2022 vote to legalize sports betting in the Bay State. Keenan was testifying in favor of his current bill (S 302) that would place guardrails on sports betting to address the harm that can come with wagering.

“If a toy breaks, we know it right away. But if a toy contains toxics such as lead or phthalates, or a chatbot interacts with our child in a way we don’t approve of, we don’t necessarily know. The scariest part is that we can’t actually see all the dangers a toy might pose. That’s deeply troubling.”

---Teresa Murray, Consumer Watchdog Director for U.S. PIRG Education Fund and co-author of a new report, “Trouble in Toyland,” which charges that toys that are powered by artificial intelligence often say inappropriate things to children, and toys, bought online and shipped from overseas, too often contain toxic substances.

“The federal government’s actions have created a massive thunderstorm of pain and suffering for Massachusetts, and the government shutdown was just the start. This is a time for moral outrage, and a time for action.”

---Cindy Rowe, a member of the Raise Up Massachusetts Steering Committee, urging the Legislature to use $1.3 billion from the state’s $8.6 billion Rainy Day Fund and to raise additional new revenue by combatting the offshore tax dodging of billionaire global corporations, so that Massachusetts can prevent the worst harm from federal cuts to SNAP, Medicaid, education funding and other critical programs.

“For years, we’ve warned that Massachusetts’ rigid and aggressive climate laws were setting the state up for unaffordable energy costs and unreliable power. This proposal shows that even on Beacon Hill, among the very same lawmakers that rammed the net-zero by 2050 roadmap bill through five years ago, there’s growing recognition that the current approach simply isn’t sustainable.”

---Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance, advocating for passage of a bill that would begin to scale back some of what he calls the state’s “out of control, binding net zero energy mandates,” including making the state’s 2030 emissions target advisory rather than legally binding.

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 November 10-14, the House met for a total of 37 minutes and the Senate met for a total of seven hours and 24 minutes.

Mon. Nov. 10 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:16 a.m.

Senate 11:18 a.m. to 11:50 a.m.

Tues. Nov. 11 No House session.

No Senate session.

Wed. Nov. 12 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:09

No Senate session.

Thurs. Nov. 13 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:13 a.m.

Senate 11:14 a.m. to 6:06 p.m.

Fri. Nov. 14 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com