It's quiet, friend.
Too quiet.
There are only four months left of the legislative session in which to pass leadership’s agenda, but you wouldn’t know it from the relative lack of activity on Beacon Hill.
This week, the House took it easy with informal sessions (no surprises there). The Senate passed two positive and needed pieces of legislation (more on that below), but whether the House agrees they’re urgent enough to pass by July 31 remains to be seen. Because of the Legislature’s pathological procrastination, lawmakers have a quickly shrinking timeframe to conduct major business while their to-do list is growing.
Let’s review what else is still on leadership’s stated to-do list before the end of the session:
- Governor Healey’s housing bond bill
- A compromise on the gun bill
- A compromise on the emergency shelter supplemental budget bill
- A long-term care bill
- A prescription drug pricing bill
- An early education bill
- Any number of bills that have been passed by one chamber and not the other
And then of course, there’s the elephant in the room: the budget. House leadership has been drafting their proposal for the budget (in closed door meetings of course) which they are poised to file in the next week or two. That will initiate a whole host of advocacy in response and the drafting and filing of upwards of 1,000 amendments. Then, the Senate goes through that process in May, and then a compromise version will be hammered out by a closed-door conference committee in June, and would you look at the time, it’s 3am on August first and all the good legislation that they didn’t pass has to be filed again in January. Better luck next time.
Luckily, none of that is set in stone. As long as they’re still in session, us advocates have the power to hold them accountable for passing the legislation that is popular and needed in the Bay State. Sunlight Act, I’m looking at you.
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State House Scoop
Senate unanimously passes bills relating to hot work and debt collection
In a rare move, the Senate has responded to a tragedy by unanimously passing new regulations for hot work (welding, brazing, etc.)... a decade later. In response to a fatal fire in 2014 caused by an open flame from welding in South Boston, the Senate passed a bill to patch holes in state regulations which had allowed the incident to occur. Lawmakers spoke to the need for additional reforms in healthcare for individuals that are put at higher risk for cancer and other health issues due to exposure to fire and smoke, such as firefighters and other first responders. The passing of this bill in the Senate was a decade in the making – hopefully it doesn't take another decade to get passed by the House.
Another important bill passed unanimously in Thursday’s Senate session; the Debt Collection Fairness Act would more strictly regulate the activities of debt collectors and protect Massachusetts residents. The bill states that people cannot be put in debtors' prisons (a reform that would have been trailblazing in the 17th century), establishes a five-year statute of limitations on debt collection, and lowers interest rates on debts from about 12 percent to 2-5 percent. Believe it or not, this bill could have a significant impact on our state’s health outcomes. How? A Blue Cross Blue Shield report released last week showed that 40% of Massachusetts residents regularly avoided seeking healthcare for fear of going into debt from medical bills. In the only industrialized country where the term “medical debt” even exists, debt reform can go a long way towards helping people live longer, healthier lives. This is a step in the right direction. Now? Pass Medicare for All in Massachusetts.
Initiative petition to audit the Legislature receives theatrical hearing
The newly-convened Special Joint Committee on Initiative Petitions has been holding public hearings on the many ballot questions currently housed in the Legislature, including the petition to allow the State Auditor to audit the Legislature, which had its hearing this past Tuesday. In theory, these hearings are to give lawmakers the information they need to decide whether they want to pass the petitions themselves or kick it back to the voters in November. But the Legislature has already made it absolutely crystal clear that they are hostile to the idea of an audit. So what was this hearing really about? Why, political theater, of course.
And it didn’t disappoint. Auditor DiZoglio kicked off the testimony in support of the ballot question by strutting through the chamber doors, hauling a wagon piled high with old-timey books. As the Auditor explained, these books are relics from previous audits of the Legislature conducted by the state auditor — the very thing opponents claim is unconstitutional. During her testimony, the Auditor highlighted the importance of making sure the Legislature’s processes are as democratic, just, and equitable as possible — a review that seems urgent in light of the Legislature’s worst-in-the-nation status on transparency and effectiveness.
But the theatrics weren’t limited just to prop comedy; there was also plenty of clownery. One opponent of the ballot question compared pro-transparency progressives to MAGA hat-wearing Republicans while the committee members nodded along in agreement. As I stated in my testimony, “It is known, both anecdotally and statistically, that lobbyists and special interests have outsized sway on Beacon Hill. This is not a fact that we have to accept. Through an audit, we can identify the outdated, grandfathered-in processes that have fostered this dynamic. Only then can we make informed recommendations for a more democratic system where everyone, not just corporations and wealthy donors, have a seat at the table.”
You know, classic MAGA stuff.
In order to get this on the ballot, we’re going to have to collect another 12,000 signatures in May. And I’ve gotta say, after that hearing I feel motivated to go collect all 12k by myself.
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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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Endorsement Alert
Act on Mass endorses Evan MacKay for State Rep!
We at Act on Mass are thrilled to endorse Evan MacKay for State Rep in the 25th Middlesex District. Evan is a union leader, pro-democracy organizer, and a Harvard teaching fellow running on a platform of transparency and accountability on Beacon Hill.
Evan is exactly the type of candidate that Act on Mass dreams of. They are a dyed-in-the-wool progressive with a proven track record of building grassroots power in their community, and they align perfectly with Act on Mass’ theory of change: it must come from the grassroots – not from the top-down. They’re running against incumbent Rep. Marjorie Decker, a known opponent of transparency reforms, despite the fact that 94% of voters in the 25th Middlesex support making legislative committee votes public according to our nonbinding ballot question in 2022 — the highest level of support among the 20 districts polled. The district is entirely within Cambridge. Check to see if you live in the district here, and read our full press release here.
LEARN MORE ABOUT EVAN'S CAMPAIGN >>
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Take Action
Snag a ticket for our Spring Fundraiser on April 7th!
Join Act on Mass and Senator Jamie Eldridge, lead sponsor of the Sunlight Act, for a genuine conversation about the broken state of our democracy on Beacon Hill and how we can work together to fix it! Tickets are limited, so get them while you can!
- Shining Sunlight on Beacon Hill: A Conversation with Senator Jamie Eldridge & Act on Mass
- When: Sunday April 7, 2:00 - 4:00 PM
- Where: Wellesley (exact address will be provided upon purchase of a ticket)
Can’t make it on the 7th? Donate to help us reach our goal!
We need to raise $10,000 by our fundraiser on April 7th to keep pace with our budget needs and continue to campaign as strongly as possible for the Sunlight Act and get it to a vote in the Senate. We’ve raised $2,395 thus far! THANK YOU to everyone who has contributed or bought a ticket! We're well on our way but not there yet. In lieu of buying a ticket, you can contribute any amount to help close the gap.
Can you make a donation to help us reach our goal?
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Save the Date: April 17th Phonebank for the Sunlight Act!
Our Political Organizing Intern Sydney, of MBTA Blog Post fame, is hosting a phonebank on April 17th from 5:30-7PM to call Act on Mass members about the Sunlight Act! We have a few short months left to bring our flagship transparency bill to a vote in the Senate, which is why we’ll be reaching out to supporters in Senate President Spilka’s district to build our movement. Stay tuned for more information and the official link to sign up, and in the meantime, save the date:
What: Phonebank for the Sunlight Act
Where: Virtual (Zoom)
When: Wednesday, April 17th from 5:30-7PM
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That's all for now! If you're traveling this weekend, I hope your travels are safe and stress-free. If you're celebrating this weekend, I hope you're getting to spend time with some loved ones. And for Cod's sake, pace yourself with the marshmallow peeps.
Until next time,
Erin Leahy
Executive Director, Act on Mass