We’re smack dab in the middle of the 2-year legislative session, i.e. midterms for our reps and senators. And like some students (not me, certainly...) our legislators are notorious procrastinators. After 10 unproductive months, the legislature scrambled this week to get something, anything, done before their 7-week holiday break and the end of 2021.
Keep in mind that even during recess, it’s still possible for House and Senate leadership to pass laws via informal sessions (scroll to our not-so-fun fact at the bottom to learn more about informal sessions).
Let’s dive in.
State House Scoop
Boston Globe: Massachusetts State House is the only state capitol still shut on the continent
The Globe published an article on Monday about State Houses reopening post-vaccinations. You probably already know that we have one of the least transparent state houses in the country. Turns out, we’re nearly dead last in this regard as well: along with only Hawaii, our state house has remained closed to the public for over 600 days.
There’s a difference between operating safely and not operating at all, and right now we’re not operating at all when it comes to being able to engage with the residents we claim to serve,” said state Senator Diana DiZoglio, a Methuen Democrat who is running for state auditor in next year’s election. “People need access. The people need access.”
The Massachusetts Legislature: Democracy in Decline
On Tuesday, our friends at Progressive Democrats of Massachusetts released their sweeping and damning 52-page report on the structural problems in the state house. This team behind this report (of which I was lucky to be a part) explains the many interconnected ways House Leadership exerts and maintains control over the legislature by stripping power away from rank-and-file representatives and their constituents. I highly recommend you check out this report - it shows what we’re up against, and what’s at stake in our fight for State House reform. Or at the very least, check out this article about it in Commonwealth Magazine.
No consensus on ARPA bill before holiday break
The legislature was hoping to pass a final version of The American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) bill before their holiday break, but it looks like it’ll have to wait for January. This is the bill that determines how we’ll be spending 3.5 of the 6.5 billion dollars granted to Massachusetts of federal COVID relief funds. The Senate and House have each passed their own version over the last few weeks (H 4234/S 2564). The bill is now in a conference committee - essentially a black box of private negotiations made between a handful of appointed reps and senators - where a final version will be hammered out. They have thus far been unable to reach consensus.
Movement on hospital oversight, mental health, and genocide education bills
The ARPA bill wasn’t the only thing legislators wanted to get to before the break. This week:
- The Senate passed a bill that would broaden access to mental health care, including mandating insurance coverage for an annual mental health exam (S 2572). This is a big priority bill for Senate President Spilka. This ball for this bill (the bill ball?) is now in the House’s court.
- The House passed a bill aimed at protecting small and local hospitals by providing increased oversight on large healthcare providers (H 4253). This is known to be a priority bill for Speaker Mariano, who spoke on the floor in support. The ball for this bill is now in the Senate’s court.
- The House and the Senate have now both passed legislation that would mandate and strengthen genocide education in Massachusetts schools (H 692, S 2557). They have yet to agree on a final version. The ball is in the House’s court on this bill, too.
Vote by mail will expire on December 15, House has taken no action to extend it
COVID-era voting reforms including universal vote by mail are set to expire on December 15. Having taken no action before the holiday recess, we have no clue if vote by mail will continue to be an option in elections going forward (including several special elections in January). It’s possible that the legislature will take swift action as soon as they’re back from break to extend these voting protections, but the House’s refusal to vote on the VOTES Act (which the Senate passed earlier this fall as S.2545) doesn’t inspire much confidence.
Mariano plans to seek another term as Speaker
Speaker Mariano, the handpicked successor to former Speaker DeLeo who served as speaker for a record breaking 12 years, has confirmed he plans to run for another term as Speaker. Regrettably, the interview is behind a paywall at State House News Service, but I’ll give you a taste:
"Took me 30 years to get here. So why would I want to sit here and not do it? It's been fun, it's been a challenge. And lookit, I know how lucky I am to be here. And my biggest problem is spending money," the 30-year representative from Quincy said Monday. That's a reference to the billions in surplus state tax revenues and federal aid money that lawmakers are overseeing and meting out. Mariano gestured to his office walls, adorned with dozens of portraits of House speakers from generations past. "Take a look around," he said. "None of these guys spent that much money.”
Say what you will about the Speaker, but he certainly has a unique interview style.
In other news
Cider donuts, revolutionary war re-enactors, alpacas, oh my!
Thank you to everyone who donated during our fall fundraiser and to those who joined us in Lincoln for a sunny fall afternoon of hijinks. I am over the moon to announce that we met our goal of $2,000, which will be matched by some incredible anonymous donors! But if I’m being honest, the fundraiser was pretty easily overshadowed by the time-traveling party-crashers.
It doesn’t get more Massachusetts than that, folks.
And last, a not-so-fun-fact to kick off your weekend
Informal sessions are where only a handful of members, mostly leadership, will get together in the chamber and conduct business without the rest of the members present. Formal sessions, i.e. sessions in which all members are invited and present, are usually just on Wednesdays. That’s right - most of the time when our lawmakers are passing laws, it’s with just a handful of reps present.
Usually, informal sessions are used to pass non-controversial legislation; anything passed in informal session has to be unanimous - all it takes is one dissenting member to keep something from passing during informal. The problem with informal sessions is that the votes aren’t recorded, and rank-and-file members and the public don’t generally know what will be on the agenda in informal sessions until after they’re done.