The anticipation surrounding “Joint Rule 10 day" (the State House’s deadline to decide what to do with bills still in committee) has ended not with a bang, but with a whimper; the vast majority of high-profile progressive bills received extensions rather than decisions. This is true of Medicare for All, 100% renewable energy, and the ever-languishing Safe Communities Act.
What does an extension mean? In most cases, it means the committees want to avoid the bad press and criticism of sending these bills to study. Punting their decision date until later in the spring allows them to kill bills without the fanfare and prying eyes synonymous with “Joint Rule 10 day.”
Could it, in some cases, actually mean the committee just wanted more time to consider a bill that they will eventually report out favorably? Anything is possible! I’ll be keeping a keen eye out for exactly that as these tardy decisions start to roll in.
Ok, enough pontificating. Let’s dive in.
State House Scoop
At long last: House poised to vote on drivers license bill
For years advocates have called on the State House to pass a bill, commonly known as the Work & Family Mobility Act, which would make driver’s licenses available to Massachusetts residents regardless of immigration status. House Speaker Mariano announced on Thursday that the House will be voting on this bill next week. This is GREAT news, and a huge step forward in the battle for safety and economic equity for the undocumented community here in the Commonwealth. And if the Speaker is bringing it to a vote, that means it will almost certainly pass in the House. The question remains if they will have enough support to override a potential veto from Governor Baker.
Senate passes bill aimed at lowering prescription drug costs
On Thursday, the Senate nearly unanimously passed a bill to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and increase accountability for the pharmaceutical industry (S2651). The bill addresses the issue in a number of ways, including capping the out-of-pocket cost for insulin and requiring pharma companies to report to the state before implementing price hikes. The pharmaceutical industry opposes it, which is always a good sign. It’s unclear if the House will take it up; the Senate passed a similar bill in 2019 that went on to die in the House (surprise, surprise).
How often do Democrats vote with the Speaker?
According to this tally from the Greenfield Recorder, a hell of a lot. In 2021, 78% of Democrats voted with Speaker Mariano every single time. In fact, all but four Democrats voted with him at least 90% of the time. Remember, this is only counting recorded votes - most votes on the floor are “voice votes” in which House leadership just decides the outcome. If you’re looking for some reps to thank today, among those most likely to break from the pack were Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, Rep. Mike Connolly, Rep. Nika Elugardo, and Rep. Tami Gouveia.
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Take Action
Delayed State Action is Breaking our Hearts Rally at the State House, Monday 2/14 at 3:00PM
The recent committee deadline could have been an opportunity for progress, but instead was used to delay and water down critical legislation. Act on Mass is proud to be organizing a rally alongside UU Mass Action, United American Indians of New England, Cosecha MA, Mass Power Forward, and a number of other incredible groups to call attention to the State House’s heartbreaking inaction on issues of decarceration, housing, immigration, Indigenous rights, racial justice, and climate justice. Join us as we gather together to mend our broken hearts through protest at 3:00 pm on Valentine’s Day, either in person at the State House or via our live stream.
SEE EVENT DETAILS >>
RSVP >>
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And last, a not-so-fun-fact to kick off your weekend
As we feared, it looks like we won’t get to see how our reps voted in committee after all. Although the House and Senate both proposed transparency reforms that would give us more information about committee votes, these new rules have been in a conference committee for nearly a year – essentially running out the clock on their relevance. Thousands of constituents (you!) organized behind an issue, won a concession from the State House, and are now watching the hard-fought fruits of their labor be shelved due to bureaucratic delays and lack of political will.
Welcome to the Massachusetts State House.
Nobody said changing the status quo was going to be easy. All the more reason we have to do it.
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That’s all for this week! Keep fighting the good fight, in all the many forms that may take.