12-21-2025 4:21am

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.

Beacon
Hill Roll Call

Volume
50 - Report No. 51

December
15-19, 2025

By
Bob Katzen

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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no
roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill
Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local senators voted
with their party’s leadership in the 2025 session through December
19.

Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 113 of
the 116 votes from the 2025 Senate session as the basis for this
report. This includes all roll calls except three that were on local
issues.

The votes of 32 Democrats were
compared to Senate Majority Leader Cynthia Creem (D-Newton),
second-in-command in the Senate. We could not compare the Democrats’
votes to those of Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) because,
by tradition, the Senate president rarely votes.

Sixteen (50 percent) of the 32
Democrats voted with Creem 100 percent of the time. Not counting the
senators who voted 100 percent of the time with Creem, another 15
(46.8 percent) of Democrats voted with Creem at least 90 percent of
the time (from 90 percent of the time to 99.9 percent of the time.)
Only one Democrat, Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy), voted with Creem less
than 90 percent of the time. He voted with Creem only 88.3 percent of
the time (99 times.)

Rounding out the list of the top
five senators who voted with Creem the least percentage of times are
Sens. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) 104 times (92.0 percent); Michael
Moore (D-Millbury) 105 times (92.9 percent); and both Michael Brady
(D-Brockton) and Nick Collins (D-Boston) 108 times (95.5 percent).

Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted all
five senators and asked them why they voted among the least
percentage of times with Sen. Creem.

Only Sens. Keenan and Moore
responded:

"I have great respect and
admiration for my Senate colleagues and appreciate that we represent
unique districts and at times have different opinions on issues,”
said Keenan. “In the final determination, I will always vote in the
way, that in my judgment, best serves my constituents in the Norfolk
and Plymouth District and the commonwealth as a whole."

“The people of the Second
Worcester District sent me to the Massachusetts Senate to address the
challenges affecting their daily lives and to amplify their voices on
Beacon Hill,” said Moore. “My ultimate responsibility is to do
what is right for my constituents and my voting record reflects
that.”

Three senators did not respond to
repeated requests asking them to comment. They are Sens. Brady,
Montigny and Collins.

Beacon Hill Roll Call also
contacted all 16 senators who voted with Creem 100 percent of the
time and asked them to comment and to cite any issues, beyond the
ones that came to a roll call vote, on which they disagree with
Creem. None of the 16 responded.

They are Sens. Mike Barrett
(D-Lexington); Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont); Jo Comerford
(D-Northampton); Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn); Julian Cyr (D-Truro); Sal
DiDomenico (D-Everett); Lydia Edwards (D-Boston); Cindy Friedman
(D-Arlington); Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville); Robyn Kennedy
(D-Worcester); Joan Lovely (D-Salem); Paul Mark (D-Becket); Jake
Oliveira (D-Ludlow); Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence); Mike Rodrigues
(D-Westport)and Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury).

The votes of four Republican
senators were compared with those of GOP Senate Minority Leader Sen.
Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). None of the four voted with Tarr 100
percent of the time. Sen, Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) voted with Tarr the
least percentage of times - only 88.4 percent of the time (100
times.)

Kelly Dooner (R-Taunton) voted 102
times with Tarr (90.2 percent); Peter Durant (R-Spencer) 106 times
with Tarr (93.8 percent); and Patrick O'Connor (R-Weymouth) 109 times
with Tarr (96.4 percent.)

SENATORS’
SUPPORT OF THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 19

The percentage next to the senator’s
name represents the percentage of times the senator supported his or
her party’s leadership in 2025 through December 19. The number in
parentheses represents the number of times the senator opposed his or
her party’s leadership.

Some senators voted on all 113 roll
call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for
each senator is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which
he or she voted.

Sen.
Rebecca Rausch 97.3 percent (3) Sen. Karen
Spilka President rarely votes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

KEEP DARK MONEY OUT OF TOWN MEETING
(H 806) – The House gave initial approval to a bill that would
apply the state’s campaign finance election laws to political
expenditures of more than $1,000, made by persons, corporations,
associations, organizations or other groups of people, to influence
the outcome of articles that appear on Town Meeting warrants. The
person or group would be required to file disclosure forms and
failure to comply would be punishable by a 1-year prison sentence
and/or a $1,000 fine.

Supporters said that the bill will
close a loophole that allows unlimited amounts of unreported funds by
outside individuals and groups to influence and sway the town’s
decision. They noted the flow of dark drowns out the vote of the
local voters.

The four co-sponsors of the
legislation, Reps. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord), Tom Moakley
(D-Falmouth) and Sens. Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth) and Julian Cyr
(D-Truro), submitted joint testimony in a letter to the Election Laws
Committee which heard testimony on the measure in October.

The letter said, “Our proposal is
consistent with existing Massachusetts campaign finance law, which
requires full disclosure of contributions and expenditures for
candidates, political committees and ballot question campaigns. By
extending disclosure requirements to individuals and entities aiming
to influence town warrant articles, this bill would bring local
governance practices in line with these established democratic norms
for state-level elections, closing a loophole in Massachusetts
election laws.”

The letter continued, “There is
motivation for entities to use the existing loophole. Major policy
decisions are made at a town meeting level. Many warrant articles
concern areas where corporate and special interest groups have a
direct financial stake, such as zoning laws, housing developments,
telecommunication rules and environmental regulations. Without
mandated transparency, these groups can present their well-funded
campaigns as grassroots efforts.”

REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS (H 836) –
The House gave initial approval to a measure that would establish
uniform polling hours of 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for elections in which
regional school districts ask voters to incur debt.

Supporters said that under current
law, regional school district committees have discretion to set
polling hours anywhere between four and eight consecutive hours,
which can result in reduced voter access compared to standard
municipal and state elections.

They noted that this inconsistency
was evident during a recent special election for the Northeast
Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical School’s $317 million
new building project where polls were open only from 11 a.m. to 6
p.m.—providing just seven hours of voting time compared to the
standard 13-hour window used in most municipal and state elections.

“This bill simply makes voting
easier and fairer by setting uniform polling hours … when regional
school districts ask voters to incur debt for major projects, such as
renovations or new buildings, ensuring every voter has the same
opportunity to participate, no matter where they live,” said
sponsor Rep. Richard Haggerty (D-Woburn). “This extended 13-hour
polling window is designed to accommodate voters with diverse work
schedules, family obligations and other commitments, ensuring all
residents have a fair and equal opportunity to participate in
decisions affecting their regional schools.”

ADOPT A SHELTER DOG MONTH (H 3288) –
The House gave initial approval to legislation that would designate
the month of October as Adopt a Shelter Dog Month.

“Massachusetts shelters take in
more than 20,000 animals each year, and despite our high save rate,
they continue to struggle with staffing shortages, rising intakes and
limited community resources,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers
(D-Quincy). “Establishing October as ‘Adopt a Shelter Dog Month’
will give us a statewide platform to promote adoption, support our
shelters and ensure more dogs have a real chance at finding a
permanent home.”

SAFEGUARD SHORT TERM RENTALS (S
2736) The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a
hearing on a bill, known as the “Maggie Hubbard Rental Safety Act,
that would require that all short-term rentals in Massachusetts be
inspected for working smoke and carbon monoxide detectors within one
year prior to rental. It also mandates that rental platforms and
agents verify this certification before listing a property, ensuring
consistent, statewide fire safety protections for renters.

“Shannon Hubbard and her
one-year-old daughter Maggie were tragically killed in a short-term
rental that lacked working smoke and carbon monoxide detector,”
said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “It was an entirely
preventable and unacceptable loss ... By requiring annual safety
inspections and ensuring that rental platforms verify compliance
before listing a unit, the bill puts in place the basic, common-sense
protections every renter deserves and strengthens public safety in
communities across Massachusetts."

Rep. Hadley Luddy (D-Orleans), a
co-sponsor of the proposal, did not respond to repeated requests by
Beacon Hill Roll Call, asking her why she co-sponsored the bill.

PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION BASED ON
HEIGHT AND WEIGHT (H 1919) – The Judiciary Committee held a hearing
on a proposal that would add height and weight to Massachusetts’
existing anti-discrimination laws, by prohibiting discrimination,
based on height and weight, in employment, education, housing and
places of public accommodation.

The measure would require the
Attorney General’s Office to investigate complaints unless the
action in question is based on the purpose of compliance with any
established state, federal or industry safety standards. It would
also prohibit places of public accommodation, resort or amusement
from issuing or circulating any policies or communications that
signal discriminatory treatment based on body size, aligning this
protection with how Massachusetts approaches other forms of
discrimination.

“No one should lose out on a job,
education or basic dignity because of their height or weight,” said
sponsor Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Andover). “Particularly, we know that
the effects of weight-based discrimination do not fall evenly.
Communities facing intersecting barriers, such as limited access to
affordable, nutritious foods or other systemic inequities, are often
hit hardest. This legislation expands nondiscrimination protection to
ensure that every person in Massachusetts is treated with fairness,
dignity and respect.”

QUOTABLE
QUOTES

“This funding marks a major
milestone for communities around our commonwealth that have waited
far too long for meaningful investment. When I proposed the
Environmental Justice Fund … I did so with the conviction that
every neighborhood deserves clean air, safe water and a healthy
environment. These funds, which we procured by holding polluters
accountable, will help repair historic harms and ensure that these
resources flow directly to the communities most in need of our
support.”

---Attorney General Andrea Campbell
announcing the awarding of $475,000 in grants to support
community-based projects that address environmental harms in
disadvantaged communities.

“President Trump’s executive
order preempting state-level AI regulation is nothing less than a
giveaway to the trillion-dollar Big Tech companies and ultra-wealthy
CEOs that funded his campaign. One of the most basic functions of
government is the power to protect its people. By taking away our
power to place reasonable guardrails around the development and use
of artificial intelligence, the president is neutering our ability to
defend Bay Staters against the worst drawbacks of this technology,
including AI-generated deepfakes, predatory algorithms, dangerous
misinformation campaigns and more.”

---Sen. Mike Moore (D-Millbury)
urging the Bay State Congressional delegation to fight President
Trump’s recently-signed executive order on artificial intelligence,
which directs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to establish an AI
Litigation Task Force whose sole purpose will be to challenge
state-level AI regulations in court.

“From our smallest hill towns to
our Gateway Cities and regional hubs, we are listening to local
leaders and making sure they have the resources they need to deliver
for their residents. These Community Development Block Grants will
support housing and economic development in cities and towns across
the state, and the new Rural and Small Town designation will make
sure that no community is left behind.”

---Gov. Maura Healey, announcing
nearly $33.5 million in federal Community Development Block Grant
awards to support housing, infrastructure, social services and
economic development projects in 52 communities across Massachusetts.

“These grants put real resources
behind our commitment to protecting Massachusetts’ farmland. We are
proud to support Massachusetts farming heritage and legacy to ensure
our farmlands are there for generations to come.”

--- Energy and Environmental Affairs
Secretary Rebecca Tepper announcing over $1.8 million in funding to
help protect farmland, support farm businesses and keep agricultural
land in active use across Massachusetts through the newly created
Massachusetts Farmland Partnership Program.

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 December 15-19,
the House met for a total of one hour and seven minutes and the
Senate met for a total of 47 minutes.

Mon.
Dec. 15 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:12 a.m.

Senate 11:20 a.m. to
11:24 a.m.

Tues.
Dec. 16 No House session.

No Senate session.

Wed.
Dec. 17 No House session.

No Senate session.

Thurs.
Dec. 18 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:56 a.m.

Senate 11:16 a.m. to
11:59 a.m.

Fri.
Dec. 19 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at
bob@beaconhillrollcall.com