Happy New Year!
Oh, I just love that new session smell.
The 193rd Legislative Session began on Wednesday, bringing with it a new class of 27 first-year legislators, a new governor, and a fresh leadership perspective on Beacon Hill.
Just kidding. But in the immortal words of Meatloaf, two out of three ain’t bad: Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ronald Mariano sailed to reelection to the highest leadership posts in their respective chambers (Kevin McCarthy wishes). Neither had even the faintest hint of a challenger, and it’s no secret why: these chamber leaders are virtually never ousted once in power. Members who have run against them for the role but failed, and those poor brave souls who supported them, faced retaliation. And when a President or Speaker decides it’s time to retire, they comfortably pass the torch to a hand-picked successor, protected by the same threat.
Yes, it’s pretty grim. But that’s exactly why we’re here: to fight for our democracy. Here’s to another two years of fighting to recenter constituent voices, for bold progressive bills, and to shine a light on a process that has been hidden behind closed doors.
There’s no one in the world I’d rather be fighting alongside than you.
For the first time in 2023, let’s dive in.
State House Scoop
Sitting on unused funds, Legislature in danger of triggering another tax cut law
For a “deep blue” state, we sure seem to have a lot of Reagan-era tax laws. Between surging state revenues and covid-related federal aid, the state has more money than it knows how to spend. And because of a nearly 40-year old law, that may come back to haunt us: if we continue to stockpile the surplus in our Stabilization Fund, i.e. our “rainy day fund,” it will eventually have to be used for tax cuts. With our Stabilization Fund at about $7 billion, the state is now the closest it’s been in decades to triggering this law.
It’s imperative that we use this stockpile of cash to support communities in crisis now, such as reproductive health care centers grappling with an influx of out-of-state patients and heightened security needs, low income folks struggling under skyrocketing cost of living, and immigrants in need of shelter and aid. Plus, the conditions that have led to our state being flush with cash won’t last forever. The legislature must act swiftly to change the anti-government Reagan-era laws on the books that are actively preventing us from preserving cash for the next rainy day.
Legislature fails to pass funding for emergency shelters, revenge porn bill
The House and Senate spent their last informal session of the 192nd legislative session like they always do: by finally addressing dozens of bills they had procrastinated for months or even years, and failing to address even more. Among the 60-odd last minute bills sent to Baker’s desk were a “Foster Parents Bill of Rights” (S 2980), a bill to extend post-partum MassHealth coverage (S 2731), and a number of bills dealing with local issues.
But not all bills made it across the finish line; the House and Senate couldn’t agree on a final version of a bill banning “revenge porn”— the practice of sharing or publishing sexually explicit material without consent of the subject. This is yet another way the Bay State lags behind the rest of the country; almost every other state has already outlawed this practice. Also dead by the end of session was the $130 million in funding for emergency shelter for migrants entering the state. If only we were sitting on a massive rainy day fund we needed to spend…
State legislators to receive 4% pay raise in 2023
Here in Massachusetts, our legislators’ salary is required by the constitution to be tied to median income. Since median income in the state went up by about 4% in the last two years, so will our reps’ and senators’ salaries–from $70,536 to $73,654, annually. But about half of the House will be taking home more than that base pay thanks to a glaring loophole — one that is perhaps the major source of hierarchy and concentration of power on Beacon Hill: stipends.
Lawmakers may receive stipends on top of their base salary for holding various leadership or chair positions, as appointed by the Speaker. Ranging from $5k to over $100k, these stipends can more than double a rep’s salary. In fact, the Speaker himself will take home $214,000 with stipends in 2023. Perhaps a better way of thinking about pay for our legislators is not that leaders are rewarded with higher compensation, but rather that legislators who are on the Speaker’s or President’s bad side are punished with lower salaries.
Minimum wage raises to $15 in the final phase of 2018 Grand Bargain bill
The legislature isn’t the only one getting a raise in the new year: as of January 1st, the minimum wage in Massachusetts has risen 75¢ to $15/hour. This is the final of five incremental raises to the minimum wage that resulted from the 2018 “Grand Bargain,” which was infamously rammed through both chambers with little debate, just hours after being released. The beginning of the year also marks the final elimination of premium pay on Sundays and holidays, where retail employees previously earned 1.5x their wage–aka the “bargain” part of the Grand Bargain.
While the new minimum wage will provide much needed assistance to workers in Massachusetts, it’s still nowhere near the living wage. Last year, the livable hourly wage was $21.88 for a single adult, and closer to $25/hour in areas like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Middlesex counties. Thankfully, advocates who led the efforts to raise the minimum wage in 2018 have already signaled their intent to continue pushing for a higher minimum wage. When a government is more accountable to corporations than everyday people, the fight for livable wages will have to be fought again and again. And when that fight comes around, we’ll be ready.
Take Action
Write a Letter to the Editor for Public Committee Votes
With the new session in full swing, the House & Joint rules vote is just around the corner. That means the State House is going to debate whether or not to make their committee votes public, and we need to make sure they know how their constituents feel on this issue. Writing a Letter to the Editor (LTE) is a perfect way to let your representative know that you want to see their committee votes. We’ve put together a toolkit and guide for writing your own LTE, and are happy to read over drafts. Remember to send me your published LTE so we can uplift it!
Meet with your legislator about Public Committee Votes
Are you interested in meeting with your legislator to urge them to vote for Public Committee Votes? Sign up to join the People’s House Campaign and we’ll connect you with your district team, or get you set up with all the resources you need if there’s not already a team in place!
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That’s all for this week! I hope you had a lovely holiday season and didn’t miss the Scoop too much. Wishing you health, happiness, and early success on your resolutions in the new year. Then again, two out of three ain’t bad.
Onward,
Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass
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