1-04-2026 4:06am

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 51 - Report No. 1

December 29, 2025 - January 2, 2026

By Bob Katzen

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

This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the number of times each representative sided with Gov. Maura Healey on her 15 vetoes of state budget items in the 2025 legislative session.

A two-thirds vote is required to override a gubernatorial veto. In a full 160-member House, the governor needs the support of 54 representatives to sustain a veto when all 160 representatives vote—and fewer votes when some members are absent or a seat is vacant. Healey fell far short of that goal as 24 votes was the most support she received on any veto. The House easily overrode all 15 vetoes, including three that were overridden unanimously.

None of the 133 Democrats ever sided with Healey to support/sustain a single veto.

REPUBLICANS WHO SUPPORTED HEALEY THE LEAST - The top six Republican representatives who voted to support Healey the least percentage of time are Reps. David Vieira (R-Falmouth) who voted with Healey only three times (20.0 percent); Kimberly Ferguson (R-Holden) who voted with Healey only four times (26.6 percent); and David Muradian (R-Grafton), Michael Chaisson (R-Foxborough), Steven Howitt (R-Seekonk); and Michael Soter (R-Bellingham) who each voted with Healey only five times (33.3 percent).

REPUBLICANS WHO SUPPORTED HEALEY THE MOST - The top six Republican representatives who voted to support Healey the most percentage of time are Reps. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) who voted with Healey 12 times (80.0 percent); Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick) and David DeCoste (R-Norwell) who each voted with Healey 11 times (73.3 percent); Donald Berthiaume (R-Spencer) who voted with Healy 10 times (66.6 percent); and Norman Orrall (R-Lakeville) and Alyson Sullivan (R-Abington) who each voted with Healey nine times (60.0 percent).

PERCENTAGE OF TIME REPRESENTATIVES VOTED TO SUPPORT GOV. HEALEY’S 15 BUDGET VETOES IN 2025

The percentage is the percentage of times that the representative supported Gov. Healey’s 15 vetoes. The number in parentheses is the number of times the representative supported her vetoes.

Rep. Jeffrey Roy 0 percent (0)

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

FOUR MORE POSSIBLE BALLOT QUESTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 2026 ELECTION ARE CERTIFIED – Secretary of State Bill Galvin announced last week that petitions for four more potential ballot questions have been determined to contain the 74,754 certified signatures needed to advance another step toward going on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. With these four certifications, Galvin’s office has now cleared nine proposals for possible advancement toward the 2026 statewide ballot.

Two additional proposals are still being reviewed by Galvin’s office to see if they contain sufficient signatures. One would place sales tax revenue from sporting goods like golf clubs, RVs and camping gear into a new "Nature for All Fund" that could generate $100 million annually for water and nature conservation and restoration efforts. A second one is designed to make it easier for residents to purchase a home by updating zoning rules.

Here are the four proposed laws that were certified last week and the number of certified signatures collected by each group supporting the proposed laws.

1. Improve Access to Public Records (89,013) – Would make most records held by the Legislature and the governor’s office public records under the Massachusetts Public Records Law. It exempts documents related to the development of public policy and communications between legislators and their constituents, if those communications are reasonably related to a constituent’s request for assistance in obtaining government-provided benefits or services or interacting with a government agency.

2. Change and Regulate Legislative Stipends (96,797) – Make changes to the system under which lawmakers receive extra pay for serving in a leadership position and as committee chairs. The Legislative Effectiveness and Accountability Partnership, the sponsor of the proposal, says that the legislative leadership uses stipends to deliver millions of dollars to favored legislators and calls the money "loyalty pay" intended to bind lawmakers to the wishes of leadership.

3. Allow Public defenders to collectively bargain (86,153) - Would allow employees of the Committee for Public Counsel Services, which oversees the state public defender system for indigent criminal defendants, to engage in collective bargaining with their employer.

4. Limiting State Tax Collection Growth and Returning Surpluses to Taxpayers (85,588) - Would change the limit on how much revenue the state can collect in a given year. The proposal would limit annual state revenue to the net amount of state revenue from the prior year, increased by a rate equal to the average growth of wages and salaries in Massachusetts over the most recent three years. If revenue exceeds the limit, the excess amount would be refunded to taxpayers the following year.

The proposals must be sent by the secretary of state to the Legislature by January 7, 2026 and if not approved by the Legislature by May 6, 2026, proponents must gather another 12,429 signatures by July 1, 2026, in order for the question to appear on the November 2026 ballot.

CERTIFICATION OF POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE PARDONED FELONS (H 2582) – The House gave initial approval to a bill that amends a current law which prohibits the state from certifying or recertifying as a police officer, anyone who has been convicted of a felony. The bill would amend the law by continuing to prohibit certification for a felon even if the person has received a presidential or gubernatorial pardon for commission of the crime.

Supporters say that the bill will close a loophole in current law that allows felons, who receive a presidential or gubernatorial pardon for commission of a felony, to be eligible for certification as a police officer. They said that a pardoned felon has still committed the felony and should not be eligible to be a police officer. They argued the loophole goes too far and should be closed.

Rep. Mike Day (D-Stoneham), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on why he filed the bill and on its passage.

Reps. Dan Cahill (D-Lynn) and Christopher Worrell (D-Boston), the House chair and House vice-chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security which approved the bill, did not respond to repeated request by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them to comment on why the committee supported it and on its passage.

Opponents of the bill say that if a felon is pardoned, he should still be eligible to be a police officer. They noted there are some states that do allow pardoned ex-felons to become police officers.

Neither the Massachusetts Coalition of Police nor the Mass Police Association responded to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them to comment on the passage of the bill.

GALVIN REMINDS MASSACHUSETTS TAXPAYERS OF NEW TAX BREAK FOR 2025 - Secretary of State Bill Galvin is reminding Massachusetts residents preparing to file their 2025 tax returns to pay close attention to tax breaks offered by recent changes in federal tax laws before submitting a return.

Galvin said that under the federal tax reform package signed into law in July 2025, some taxpayers will now be able to deduct up to $40,000 in state and local tax payments – but only if they itemize their deductions. Prior to passage of that package, state and local tax deductions were capped at $10,000. Galvin noted that this recent increase to $40,000 will most likely benefit Massachusetts homeowners with significant property tax bills or residents with high income tax payments.

“Many taxpayers may not realize that their property tax, auto excise tax and state income tax can all be deducted, subject to the $40,000 cap and certain income limits,” Galvin said. “Now is the time, at the beginning of the New Year, to consider your options and perhaps consult with a tax professional, to decide whether you should itemize your deductions to take advantage of this tax break.”

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“We are incredibly grateful for this decision, which represents a major victory for parental rights across Massachusetts. Public school districts are now on notice that they cannot play fast and loose with constitutional protections for families without facing significant liability.”

---Massachusetts Liberty Legal Center counsel Sam Whiting on a federal judge ordering Lexington Public Schools to stop reading LGBTQ-themed books to a kindergarten student after ruling that the school district likely violated the family’s First Amendment rights by refusing to allow an opt-out based on religious objections.

“When the Trump Administration unlawfully stalled the review process for National Institute of Health (NIH) grant applications, lifesaving studies related to Alzheimer’s disease, cancer and other devastating illnesses were frozen indefinitely – stealing hope from countless families across the country and putting lives at risk. This agreement ensures that critical medical research projects are able to continue, paving the way for lifesaving medical advancements, driving job creation and fostering academic competitiveness at Massachusetts’ world class research institutions.”

---Attorney General Andrea Campbell on a coalition of 16 attorneys general that secured a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) providing that HHS will resume the review process for critical medical and public health research grants issued by the NIH that have been delayed by the Trump Administration.

“From SNAP to Medicaid, LIHEAP to Head Start, the programs that so many Bay State families depend on have never been at greater risk than they are today. Our family centers ensure that families at risk have access to the information, resources and services they most need. These grants ensure that each center has the flexibility to meet the specific needs of their locality.”

--- Children’s Trust Executive Director Jennifer Valenzuela announcing that the trust has provided $500,000 in funding to family centers across the state to meet their most pressing needs, in light of continued cuts and changes in federal programs threatening and damaging the social safety net in the state.

“Each of the 205 kits shared with our community represents a potential life saved. The continued use of the naloxone vending machine shows we are removing unnecessary barriers to this critical resource. We will do everything we can to support and care for those struggling with substance use – whether they be our visitors, agency partners, co-workers or their loved ones.”

---Middlesex County Sheriff Peter Koutoujian on his report that the naloxone vending machine has been accessed 205 times in its first 12 months at the Middlesex Jail and House of Correction.

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 29-January 2, the House met for a total of 11 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 15 minutes.

Mon. Dec. 29 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:06 a.m.

Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:23 a.m.

Tues. Dec. 30 No House session.

No Senate session.

Wed. Dec. 31 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:07 a.m.

Senate 11:08 a.m. to 11:16 a.m.

Thurs. Jan. 1 No House session.

No Senate session.

Fri. Jan 2 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com