Happy August!
In addition to it being the best month of the year (and no I am not just saying that because it’s my birth month, and frankly how dare you accuse me of bias) we have another reason to celebrate: the Legislature finally passed the budget! And only a month late!
But hey, in their defense, just because our Legislature is slow doesn’t necessarily mean it’s less produc–
“Massachusetts ranked among the bottom 10 state legislatures for the number of laws enacted in the 2021-2022 session, with 110 total. Just 5.8 percent of bills filed at the State House eventually became law — the fourth lowest rate nationally…” (MASSterlist)
–tive.
Then again, legislation can zip through the process in an instant if the House Speaker or Senate President wants it to. Legislative leaders filed, passed, and sent a bill to the governor’s desk in one fell swoop late Monday night after passing the budget. What was so urgent that lawmakers took such swift, decisive action?
They extended the legal authority to conduct horse racing, which was set to expire the next day.
We happen to have an exclusive photo of the lobbyist behind this horse-focused effort:
(If you haven’t seen the Barbie Movie yet, I apologize for topical reference. Also, what are you waiting for??)
Now, I have nothing against horse racing. I’ve been known to enjoy a mint julep and a fancy hat now and again. If only the Legislature acted with such urgency and compassion when it came to the eviction protections they let expire, or protections for undocumented immigrants they never passed, or worker protections…
State House Scoop
A month late, Legislature passes FY2024 budget
Putting aside the $500 million - $1 billion in impending tax cuts, and the fact that the Legislature passed it a whole month late, the budget is actually pretty darn good. The compromise put forth by the conference committee (which, naturally, operates entirely in private) includes many key funding and policy victories we’ve been fighting for, including:
- In-state tuition and state financial aid for undocumented students in MA;
- $69 million in funding for free universal school meals (which, frustratingly, is coming too late for several districts who have held off on hiring and food orders while this provision was tied up in negotiations);
- free and unlimited phone calls for people experiencing incarceration in MA;
- $50 million to support free community college by fall 2024;
- the creation of two new posts on the MBTA board of directors, one representative for Boston and another representative for the rest of the MBTA service area;
- and authorization for pharmacists to dispense birth control without a doctor’s prescription, a change that will make contraceptives much more accessible.
I know, not bad, right?
And one more big thing: Chapter 257 — the COVID-era eviction prevention program that allows renters to stay in their homes while they are awaiting rental assistance — has been revived. This is a crucial protection for renters in Massachusetts, especially considering that evictions in Boston are up 75% from last year and BIPOC communities face evictions at disproportionately high rates, as much as 6x likelier in some cities. While it’s great that this program was brought back, it’s another example of how the Legislature’s lethargy has devastating effects: Chapter 257 expired this March despite calls from housing advocates and renters to make it permanent. Its revival comes after four months of preventable evictions.
Notably missing from the budget was funding for the East-West rail, yet another setback in the decades-long fight to connect Western Mass to the rest of the state’s rail network. Also missing (not that we're shedding tears about it) was authorization for online lottery sales, another facet of the Speaker’s push to expand gambling in the state.
In total, the anticipated $1 billion in revenue from the new Fair Share tax will break down about 52% towards education and 48% towards transportation. In other words, the new tax is doing exactly what it was designed for. Passing Fair Share and securing $1 billion more in funding for transportation and education in the budget is an enormous grassroots victory. Thank you to everyone who made phone calls and knocked doors for Yes on 1, and all who made their voice heard to ensure these funds were invested in the right places. But (and this is a big but) these gains will be essentially canceled out if the Legislature goes forward with spending $1 billion in tax cuts as the House and Governor Healey proposed. With that in mind:
TELL YOUR LEGISLATORS: REJECT TAX CUTS FOR THE RICH >>
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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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House continues joint committee power grab
Joint committees (the issue-based committees that advance or kill bills) have members of both the House and the Senate. Since the Senate has 40 members to the House’s 160, House Reps vastly outnumber Senators on joint committees. That’s why the operation of the committees, i.e. decisions about what bills to vote on and when and when to schedule hearings, has been conducted via consensus, not majority rule. In particular, it’s standard for the two co-chairs (one House chair and one Senate chair) to work cooperatively and make these decisions in tandem. Until this session, that is.
Back in May, we covered the conflict that led to the House/Senate schism in the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy committee, which has been operating as two factions ever since. Our subject line for that Scoop was “Joint committee infighting a harbinger of drama to come.” Well, friend, it came.
Last Friday, the House chairs of four joint committees brought bills to a vote without discussion with or approval of their Senate co-chairs. When Sen. Rausch, one of the snubbed Senate co-chairs, asked her House counterpart Rep. Cahill why he rushed the bill to a vote without her input, he told her he had a “directive” from “higher-ups in the House.” In other words, from the Speaker.
There are a number of takeaways from this: first, the House and Senate don’t behave like they’re on the same team—they operate more like opponents, each struggling for more power. This is the cause of the pettiness and infighting that is derailing the gun control bill, and keeping other bills that could drastically improve Bay Staters’ lives tied up in committee negotiations for months on end.
Second, none of this is necessarily against the rules. We’re now in the second session in a row without joint rules in place (a direct, if cowardly response to the Act on Mass movement). Worse, none of the joint committees filed their own operating rules, the deadline for which was back in March. Unless explicitly restricted by established rules, the Speaker will further concentrate his and his chamber’s power.
After months in conference committee darkness, Healey signs transportation bill
Municipal workers can finally breathe a sigh of relief; after four months of mysterious conference committee negotiations, Governor Healey signed the transportation funding bill on Friday. Totalling $375 million, this bill includes $200 million in “Chapter 90” funding, i.e. funds that the state distributes to municipalities for local transportation repairs and improvements. What could possibly be so controversial about that as to delay this needed relief by months? The House and Senate couldn’t agree on whether to spend an additional $25 million for grant programs. What was I just saying about pettiness and infighting…?
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Take Action
Tell your Legislators to cosponsor the Sunlight Agenda!
If you haven't already, email your lawmakers to ask them to cosponsor our Sunlight Agenda. Already did? Amazing. Now, send the email form (this link) to three friends who also support transparency and accountability on Beacon Hill. That's how we build pressure and momentum:
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That's all for this week! Enjoy the rest of your weekend. I hope you're able to tap into your Kenergy.
Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass
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