Hi, friend!
After reading their latest op-ed about the State House, it’s starting to feel like the Boston Globe Editorial Board is coming for my job:
“Where reporters, advocates, and lobbyists once mingled in the [State House] hallways during the afternoons and evenings — and sometimes late into the night — as legislators debated, the marble halls are now empty.
These days, virtually everything by way of policy comes from the top down. Power is essentially vested in four offices: that of the Senate president, House speaker, and the two Ways and Means Committee chairmen or chairwomen, who essentially function as the political and policy enforcers in each chamber.”
See? It’s not just us!
If you have a few minutes and want to be enraged and enlightened (enlightraged?) I highly recommend giving the piece a read. It serves as a bleak reminder that, for the vast majority of us, our legislators are virtually stripped of their power upon entering the State House (and some shed it quite willingly). And if those who are elected to represent the public don’t have any power, what does that mean for us?
State House Scoop
Senate passes budget, conference committee next
After three days of “deliberation,” the Senate approved its version of the FY 2024 budget on Thursday. The Senate’s version differs from the House in a handful of ways, which will need to be hammered out in the next phase of the budget’s long journey: conference committee.
Conference committees are temporary committees typically made of six legislators—three reps and three senators—appointed by their chamber’s leadership and tasked with making a compromise version of a bill or budget. Conference committees are notoriously opaque; they negotiate entirely behind closed doors and don’t have to offer any explanation for the final version they produce, which can no longer be amended. They also tend to work at a glacial pace. Sometimes, bills will be under conference committee negotiations for months before resurfacing. Hell, sometimes bills never make it out of conference committee at all, like the joint rules last session and likely this one too (but that’s another story). Insofar as our lawmakers are accountable to deadlines (which is not very), the deadline for the conference committee budget report is 7/1 – a deadline that the legislature has not met in years.
Let’s take a look at some of the differences they’ll be hashing out:
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Making undocumented high school students eligible for in-state university tuition. This is a no-brainer policy already in place in 23 states. Among those 23 states: New York, Rhode Island, and as Senator Liz Miranda pointed out on the Senate floor, “Texas. Let me say that again — Texas.”
- House version: No
- Senate version: Yes
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Making universal free school meals permanent. No one is disputing whether our state can afford to provide school meals to students, but rather whether to make it a permanent part of the budget or fund it periodically through supplemental spending bills. Let’s take this off the negotiating table so educators and food justice advocates can focus on other priorities and our students can rely on being fed each day.
- House version: Yes
- Senate version: No
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Authorizing online lottery sales. After legalizing online sports betting last year (which is going really, really well by the way), Mr. Speaker is at it again. I love raising new revenue as much as the next gal, but can’t we just have progressive taxes instead of dancing toward an impending public health crisis?
- House version: Yes
- Senate version: No
Now that the Senate is through with the budget, they’re poised to tackle the giant tax cut package proposed by Governor Healey and passed by the House. To jog your memory: $1.1 billion in tax cuts, $440 million of which are designed to benefit the top 1% richest Bay Staters and mega corporations. That’s $440 million back in the pocket of the ultra wealthy instead of our public schools (an example I’m using today for no particular reason…).
If you haven’t already, email your senator to tell them to stop these tax cuts:
EMAIL YOUR SENATOR ABOUT THE TAX CUT BILL >>
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Missed a Scoop or two? You can find a full archive of all past Saturday Scoops on our blog.
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The need to cancel high stakes testing: a deep dive into MCAS
Educators, students, and advocates gathered on the State House steps this past Wednesday to lobby for the THRIVE Act, a bill that would remove the MCAS graduation requirement and end school receivership.
The bill, which was first introduced in 2019, has been sent to study twice despite demonstrated support by the largest teachers unions in the state, who argue the test puts undue pressure on students and does not adequately measure their academic success. MCAS has also come under scrutiny several times on account of racism, most notably in 2019 when 10th graders were asked to write a journal entry from the perspective of a white woman who used derogatory language and was reluctant to help a runaway slave. The question was eventually tossed, but only after students, teachers unions, and school officials spoke up about the traumatic impact the racist question had on Black students.
THRIVE would also end the state receivership program, which allows the state to take control of under-performing schools and strips elected school committee members and school administrators of their ability to make decisions. Lawrence, Holyoke, and Southbridge schools have been under receivership for as long as 12 years. And yet, a Globe analysis of test scores, graduation rates, college enrollment, and a dozen other metrics in those districts found that the state has failed to meet nearly all of its stated goals. In fact, college enrollment declined in all three districts since the state took them over.
According to a poll released this week, there are still severe racial disparities in academic progress. About half of Black and Latino parents surveyed expressed concern for their child’s academic progress this school year compared to just 35% of parents of white students. These numbers shed light on the main failure of our current MCAS and receivership policy: it does not address the existing factors that cause opportunity gaps, namely chronic underinvestment in schools, particularly in communities of color. These gaps won’t close until we adequately fund our public schools.
But hey, what do I know? Apparently we should cut taxes and reduce our ability to fund schools instead. I’m sure it’ll “trickle” back down to us eventually.
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Take Action
Email your legislators in support of the THRIVE Act
Tell your elected officials to end the high stakes testing regime and pass the THRIVE Act:
SUBMIT TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF THRIVE >>
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Tell your electeds to cosponsor the Sunlight Agenda
The Sunlight Agenda is Act on Mass’ legislative agenda to restore democratic integrity on Beacon Hill. We have compiled a package of four bills put forward this session that would address our democracy crisis and improve transparency, accountability, and fairness in the State House. Read more about the four bills of the Sunlight Agenda.
ASK YOUR LAWMAKERS TO COSPONSOR THE AGENDA >>
DONATE TO SUPPORT THE CAMPAIGN >>
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Healthy Youth Act Lobby Day Tuesday 5/30 10AM
This Tuesday we’re gathering at the State House for the Healthy Youth Act lobby day. An Act relative to healthy youth (S.268/H.544) is a common sense bill that would require any public school that already chooses to teach sex ed to provide a medically accurate, consent-based, and LGBTQ+ inclusive sexual health education. All those joining will be equipped with a script, but also are encouraged to share their own story. Training will be provided.
SUBMIT TESTIMONY IN SUPPORT OF THE HYA >>
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That's all for this now. Enjoy your holiday weekend!
Until next time,
Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass
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