You know that feeling when you come back from a vacation and immediately need another vacation? Well, our state reps seem to. The House still hasn’t held a formal session since returning from holiday recess, meaning the chamber has now gone 9 weeks without any recorded votes or major business.
January - the Monday of months, am I right?
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State House Scoop
Committee hearing on rent control
With 51.3% of the vote, rent control was banned statewide in 1994 by a real estate-funded ballot initiative. Since then, rent, property prices, and cost of living in Massachusetts have skyrocketed, displacing countless individuals and entire communities. This debate comes at a critical time; 25,000 eviction notices were filed in Massachusetts since the pandemic began, and homelessness rates continue to rise.
The Tenant Protection Act (H.1378), filed by lead sponsors Rep. Mike Connolly and Rep. Nika Elugardo, would remove the ban on rent control, giving municipalities the option to decide. It’s noteworthy that voters in Boston, Brookline, and Cambridge, the three municipalities in the state that did have rent control up until 1994, voted overwhelmingly against the ban.
Speaker Mariano’s Offshore Wind legislation is on its way
A bill aimed at boosting the development of Massachusetts’ offshore wind industry gained significant ground in the House this week as it passed the committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. This bill has long been a top priority for House Speaker Ron Mariano. What does it look like when a bill is a big priority for the House Speaker but not the Senate President? According to vote details obtained by Commonwealth Mag, the committee vote broke down like this:
- Senate Votes: 1 yes, 1 no, 4 abstentions
- House Votes: 10 yes, 0 no, 1 abstentions
Senate passed two bills on Thursday, unanimously
Providing state IDs for homeless Individuals (S.2612) - Not being able to obtain a driver's license or equivalent state-issued identification card is a major barrier for the homeless community. If passed, this bill would require the RMV to provide a path for individuals without a permanent residential address to receive state-issued identification, and waive the usual fees. The Senate passed this bill last session as well, only for it to die in the House.
Adoption expansion (S.2616) - Under current Massachusetts law, family members are prohibited from adopting siblings, aunts or uncles. This bill would eliminate this prohibition, minimizing the risk of family separation during the adoption process.
Legislators push Baker on Covid response
Frustrated by the executive branch’s laissez-faire response to the current omicron-induced infection spike, the Joint Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness met this past week with some special guests: Governor Baker and Health and Human Services Secretary Sudders. After 75 minutes of questioning and criticism, the executives refused to budge on key issues like a statewide indoor mask mandate or remote learning. If you have time on your hands and enjoy watching public officials debate policy while full of thinly-veiled contempt, I highly recommend you watch the hearing here.
Of course, with their veto-proof supermajority the legislature could take immediate legislative action to address many of these policy disagreements with the Governor.
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Take Action
Email your rep about rent control
Make your voice heard about this critical issue by emailing your rep and senator encouraging them to cosponsor the Tenant Protection Act, or thanking them if they already do!
SEE WHERE YOUR REP STANDS ON RENT CONTROL >>
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REMINDER: 5 Years and $50 Million: Why A Prison and Jail Construction Moratorium Makes Sense for Massachusetts
Thursday 1/20 at 7:00PM, Zoom Forum
We at Act on Mass are proud to be partnering with National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls, Families for Justice as Healing, and a number of other incredible organizations to bring you a virtual panel discussion on S.2030/H.1905, An Act Establishing A [5-year] Jail and Prison Construction Moratorium. Our panel of legislators, activists and experts will discuss the bill and what it would mean for Massachusetts to invest $50 million into communities, instead of incarceration.
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And last, a not-so-fun-fact to kick off your weekend
Although we give a lot of air time to the Speaker and his power, there are many interrelated structural ills at play in our state house. One major issue is the treatment of state house staff: "According to a 2020 pay equity survey, fifty percent of legislative staffers reported being unable to support themselves financially. Seventeen percent reported being food insecure. Many reported working sixty-hour weeks for an annual salary of $30,000 — less than half the base salary of legislators," (Democracy in Decline citing Commonwealth).
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And actually last, a small hopeful fact with which to also to kick off your weekend
Covid cases are still on the rise and smashing records here in Massachusetts, but those following the wastewater data saw a reason to be hopeful this week: for the first time in weeks, researchers saw a decrease (and a sharp one at that!) in the covid levels in the wastewater of greater Boston, hopefully indicating the beginning of the end of omicron. Hang in there!
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Stay warm out there, friend, and happy Martin Luther King Jr weekend!