8-23-2026 4:33am

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. 34

August 17-21, 2026

By Bob Katzen

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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the 2026 session through August 21. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

The Senate has held 122 roll calls so far in the 2026 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator voted and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record.

Senate rules allow a senator, who is not physically present at the session in the Senate chamber, to vote remotely from any location inside or outside of the Statehouse -- without giving a reason for his or her absence from the Senate chamber.

Sometimes a senator is not able to attend only one or two sessions during which roll calls are held, but since there are sometimes multiple roll calls on each one of those days, the number of roll calls they missed can be high even though they only missed one or two sessions.

Thirty-two (80 percent) out of the 40 senators did not miss any roll call votes and had a 100 precent roll call attendance record.

Eight (20 percent) out of 40 senators missed one or more roll call votes.

The senator who missed the most number of roll calls is Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield) who missed 36 roll calls (70.5 percent roll call attendance record.)

“As a major in the Massachusetts National Guard, Sen. Velis was deployed to the Southern Border with the US Army earlier this year,” said Gabriel Adams-Keane, Velis’ chief of staff. “While the senator was not able to participate in roll call votes during his deployment, he has since returned and has not missed a roll call since coming home. During the senator’s activation, our office remained fully operational and continued to assist constituents with any and all inquiries. Sen. Velis also received regular updates from our office on all district and Senate matters."

The senator who missed the next most number of roll calls is Sen. Mike Rush (D- West Roxbury) who missed seven roll calls (94.2 percent attendance record).

“As a commander and 30-year member of the United States Navy Reserves, I am several times a year required to go on orders with navy within the USA,” said Rush. “Very rarely, these orders will coincide with formal senate session, which caused me to miss a small number of roll call votes.”

It is a Senate tradition that the Senate president only votes occasionally. Current Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) follows that tradition and only voted on 36 (29.5 percent) of the 122 roll calls while not voting on 86 (70.5 percent) of them.

The other five senators who missed any roll calls are Sens. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth) and Becca Rausch (D-Needham). Each missed only one roll call (99.1 percent attendance record). We asked all five why they missed roll call votes and here are their responses or lack of response.

“As advised by counsel, Sen. Comerford did not vote [on that single roll call] due to a potential conflict of interest as the senator's wife is a public high school teacher and could be affected by this policy,” said Katelyn Billings, Comerford’s Director of Communications and Engagement.

“Sen. Cyr takes his attendance at Senate roll calls seriously, which is why he participated in 121 of the 122 roll calls this year,” said Matt Fortin, Cyr’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement. “His one absence was due to a medical appointment.”

“During the week following Senate budget debates, Sen. Rausch attended an invitation-only bipartisan conference for state lawmakers recognized as national leaders on election law and policy,” said Madelein McCormick, Rausch’s Chief of Staff. “Formal sessions rarely occur during the week after budget and was not scheduled until the senator was already at the conference. Accordingly, she was unable to vote.”

Sens. Mike Barrett and Dylan Fernandes did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they missed roll call votes.

2026 SENATE ATTENDANCE RECORDS THROUGHT AUGUST 22

Here are the 2026 roll call attendance records of local senators through August 22. The attendance records are based on 122 roll calls.

The percentage listed next to the senator's name is the percentage of roll call votes on which the senator voted. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed.

Sen. Rebecca Rausch 99.1 percent (1) Sen. Karen Spilka President rarely votes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

ALLOW CREDIT UNIONS TO PAY THEIR BOARD MEMBERS (H 1338) – The House and Senate gave final approval to and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would allow credit unions to compensate their board members for their service.

“I was proud to sponsor this legislation which would modernize current law by allowing credit unions to compensate their board members for their service,” said sponsor Sen. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence). “Under existing statute, board members may only be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.”

Payano continued, “This bill would permit compensation to be set and approved by the membership at an annual meeting, giving credit unions the flexibility to determine appropriate levels of compensation as needed … Credit unions play a vital role in supporting our communities, and this update will help them attract and retain strong leadership, strengthen their institutions and enhance their ability to serve their members. We look forward to seeing the governor sign this important legislation into law.”

BOSTON MAKES CUT TO FINAL THREE CITIES TO POSSIBLY HOST THE 2028 DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION - The Democratic National Committee announced that Boston, Denver and Philadelphia made the final cut and are the three cities being considered to host the 2028 Democratic National Convention.

“We are honored to move forward to the final stage as host for the 2028 Democratic National Convention and will continue to work alongside our incredible partners and the Greater Boston community to share the best of our city with the Democratic National Committee,” said Steve Kerrigan, chair of the Massachusetts Democratic State Committee. “Time and again, Massachusetts has demonstrated the vision and capability to take on ambitious events and carry them through to success -- backed by the infrastructure, talent and civic spirit that make great achievements possible. We are honored to join Denver and Philadelphia as this process moves forward.”

“Coming off this successful summer hosting the World Cup, Tall Ships and MA 250 events, the people of Massachusetts have shown that we can host major events and showcase our state to the entire world,” said Gov. Healey. “The 2028 election will be an important moment to choose the direction of our country, and there is no better city than Boston to chart that future. I’m thrilled that Boston has advanced to the next round, and I look forward to working with partners like Mayor Wu and other leaders in this next phase of the convention process.”

“Throughout the World Cup, Boston showed the entire world that our beautiful, safe and welcoming city is the perfect venue to host important events that can bring people together from all communities,” said Boston Mayor Michelle Wu. “Boston is ready to host a Democratic National Convention that will showcase our vibrant, diverse city to a global audience, welcome guests and delegates to hotels within walking distance of both the convention venues and our major attractions and deliver major economic benefits to local businesses. We are proud to offer the country clear proof of the progress that’s possible when we build the America our founders fought for.”

HEARING IMPAIRED (S 2120) – The House and Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call in June, approved legislation that would remove the term “hearing impaired” from the Massachusetts General Laws and replace it with “deaf or hard of hearing.” Additional approval is needed in each branch prior to the bill being sent to Gov. Healey.

“Language matters, especially in our laws," said sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton) when the measure was approved by the Senate in June. "This bill takes a simple but important step toward ensuring that the words we use reflect respect, accuracy and the preferences of the communities they describe. I was proud to sponsor this legislation to help modernize our statutes and affirm the dignity of deaf and hard of hearing individuals across Massachusetts.”

Supporters said that by removing the outdated term “hearing impaired” and replacing it with more accurate, respectful language that reflects how the deaf and hard of hearing community identifies today, the bill ensures that state statutes align with modern standards of inclusion and dignity.

FOOD TRUCKS (H 5115) – On May 26, the Committee on Public Health gave a favorable report to and recommended passage of legislation that would require food trucks to be subject to an annual health inspection by the state. The Commissioner of Public Health would establish regulations for the annual health inspection of food trucks and would prescribe rules and regulations related to inspection schedules, documentation of inspections, standards for acceptable cleanliness and the costs of these inspections. The committee then sent the measure to the House Ways and Means Committee when it still lingers, awaiting action.

"Food trucks in Massachusetts must secure certification from the Boards of Health and fire departments in each of the towns where they operate,” said bill sponsor Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow) back in May. “Often those municipalities have their own set of standards, inspection practices and timelines and fees - making the process expensive and time-consuming. This legislation would streamline the regulations and permitting process for food trucks with a statewide standard, creating a process that better supports Main Street and the commonwealth's restaurant industry."

PRISON LABOR (H 5125) – It’s been five months since the House on March 19, on a voice vote without a roll call, gave initial approval to a measure that would prohibit any prisoner from being transferred to another state and being required to work on labor projects in that state. The ban does not apply if the governor determines that an emergency in another state or territory creates the need for prisoners to be transferred from the Bay State and the prisoner agrees in writing to be transferred. The House has taken no further action on the proposal.

The measure was first filed in 2017 when former Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson was planning to transport Bristol County prisoners across state lines to the nation’s southern border to help build President Trump’s proposed border wall.

Supporters said Massachusetts, unless there is an emergency and the prisoner agrees to go, should not be shipping prisoners to other states where the Bay State has no control over the prisoners. They said that rehabilitation works better in the local community where the prisoner has been.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“Massachusetts’ leadership in education and innovation go hand in hand. From building strong foundations in early education to creating pathways through K-12 and higher education, we are giving learners the knowledge, skills and experiences they need to pursue their goals. This recognition reflects the extraordinary work of our students and educators, and we remain focused on ensuring every learner, in every community, has the opportunities to succeed and help drive Massachusetts forward.”

--- Education Secretary Steve Zrike on U.S. News and World Report’s that found Massachusetts has the highest share of top-performing public high schools of any state in the nation, with 47 percent of eligible Massachusetts high schools ranking in the top quarter nationally.

“Massachusetts is where big ideas become new technologies, new businesses and new jobs. By investing in shared facilities and equipment, we’re helping startups overcome some of the biggest hurdles to getting their products out of the lab and into the world. That’s how we help more companies start here, grow here and stay here.”

---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announcing $6.6 million in grants to strengthen Massachusetts’ growing robotics industry and help companies turn ideas into products made here in Massachusetts.

“Providing access to nutritious food is an essential part of high-quality programming for our youngest learners. We are excited to support this partnership that will help more childcare programs connect with resources to provide healthy meals and snacks, while reducing barriers for providers and strengthening the supports available to children and families across Massachusetts.”

---Early Education and Care Commissioner Amy Kershaw announcing a new partnership with Project Bread to help more childcare and afterschool programs access federal funding to provide healthy meals and snacks to kids across the state.

“This victory blocks the Trump Administration’s attempt to make gender-affirming care more expensive and less accessible. Gender-affirming care is critical to the emotional and physical wellbeing of transgender individuals, and the Trump Administration does not have the authority to unlawfully make this care less accessible and more expensive for patients and families. I will continue to fight for the rights of all our residents to have affordable access to essential healthcare.”

---Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing that a coalition of 21 states, including Massachusetts, secured a major victory after the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts struck down a key provision of a Trump Administration final rule that would have excluded coverage of certain types of gender-affirming care as essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Essential health benefits are subject to the ACA’s financial protections, including limits on out-of-pocket costs.

“Our Annual Tomato Contest highlights the resilience, dedication and skill of our farmers, who work year-round to bring fresh, premium produce to our tables despite all the challenges they face. They are vital to our communities and local economies. Choosing local produce means enjoying better flavor while directly supporting the families who sustain our land.”

---Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle announcing the winners of the 41st Annual Massachusetts Tomato Contest: Upper Hand Farm in Beverly, Verrill Farm in Concord, Sow and Savor Farm in Ipswich and Rota Spring Farm in Ipswich.

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 August 17-21, the House met for a total of 40 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 45 minutes.

Mon. August 17 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:14 a.m.

Senate 11:10 a.m. to 11:42 a.m.

Tues. August 18 No House session.

No Senate session.

Wed. August 19 No House session.

No Senate session.

Thurs. August 20 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:26 a.m.

Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:29 a.m.

Fri. August 21 No House session.

No Senate session.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com