Good morning,

As we hit the road this summer, our Scoops will likely be a little bit shorter on Beacon Hill goings-on and a bit more focused on the people we're meeting and the conversations we're having. We're kicking that right off this week because... Transparency on Tour is officially launched, and we'll need your help to visit every Senate district in the state this summer! 

Of course, Beacon Hill is never boring– read on for some more House-Senate drama. But first: the tour!

---

Transparency on Tour: News from the Road

A huge thank you to all those who joined us for the Transparency on Tour Collaborative Launch on Monday. I am so excited for what this summer has in store for us as an organization and movement. 

If you weren't able to make it on Monday, we were thrilled to announce 7 upcoming dates on the Transparency Tour in 7 Senate districts. We are looking for volunteers for all of them. There are many ways to pitch in: although we're primarily looking for co-tablers, the sign-up form also lists a few other ways you can do your part for Transparency on Tour, including snacks, card-writing, etc.  

Here is the list of upcoming dates: 

  • June 7th: New Bedford Pride, 12 pm - 5 pm in New Bedford
  • June 8th: Newton Highlands Village Day, 11 am - 4 pm in Newton
  • June 10th: Metro North Organizing Fair, 6:30 - 8:30pm in Reading
  • June 11th: Metrowest Organizing Fair, 6:30 - 8:30pm in Natick
  • June 20th: Copley Farmers Market, 11 am - 6 pm in Boston
  • June 21st: Fifer’s Day Boxborough, 12:30 pm - 5 pm in Boxborough
  • June 28th: Pittsfield Farmers Market, 9 am - 1 pm in Pittsfield

Click the link below to sign up for one of these dates or simply to stay in the loop for future volunteer opportunities!

JOIN ACT ON MASS ON THE ROAD THIS SUMMER>>

Something we discussed on Monday: you do notneed to have a lot of background knowledge of state politics or the innerworkings of Beacon Hill to take part in Transparency on Tour this summer. Our goals are simple: engage folks in conversation the issues that matter to them & the need for accountability from state elected officials, and make sure they leave with a way to stay engaged. All you need is a conviction that our state democracy could better serve its citizens, and your own story of how you got there. And maybe some sunscreen! 

JOIN US TO HIT 40 DISTRICTS THIS SUMMER>>

If you live in a district that is still blue on our progress map, you can also pitch in by giving us the inside scoop on events in your district.

TABLING OPTION IN YOUR DISTRICT? LET US KNOW>>

Finally, even if you're not able to volunteer, I hope you will stop by to say hi when we visit your district! 

Now for a mini Scoop!

---

Saturday Scoop

In House and Senate spats, dysfunction may be the point

In the past few weeks, we have covered some of the rising tension between House and Senate, as joint committees operate without finalized rules and bills languish without votes. All this drama has been the backdrop for the legislature’s slowest start to a legislative session in over 40 years. Meanwhile, attacks on Massachusetts from the federal administration continue in earnest. 

I have tended to interpret the link between the chambers’ rivalry and their utter lack of action as a legislature as one of unfortunate side effect. For example: the two chambers cannot agree to rules changes → unfortunate consequence, committees don’t know how to vote out bills. Still condemnable (how about we grow up and get to work on a Trump response?!), but not necessarily intentional. 

However, in recent weeks, it seems clear that House and Senate leadership are deliberately increasing dysfunction and inaction in order to impede the other chamber’s progress on legislation. 

In last week’s Scoop, we touched on a potential example. The Senate’s version of the FY2026 budget included an amendment that appeared to be a deliberate dig to the House: a policy change on liquor licenses that contained the language of the very bill on which Sen. Jake Oliveira had been prevented from testifying by the House co-chair, just a week earlier. This seemed intended to bring the conflict from that incident into the conference committee process, risking further slow-down on the FY 2026 budget to make a petty procedural point. 

This week saw a few more examples, prompting commentary even from state house reporters. When I read Wednesday’s MASSterList (produced by State House News Service), I was worried they’d put me out of a job– it seemed like a Scoop! Here’s the quote: “Senate Democrats must have looked at the limited pile of legislative action through the first five months of the term and said: you know what, another spending bill in the mix isn’t enough. Let’s split it in two.”

That’s right: another partial supplemental budget! The House approved $530 million in additional spending for this year, 2025, last week. The funds would have gone to childcare services, elder home care providers, rental assistance, and a few other services– like the 3 other bills passed this year, all entities that are running up against funding deadlines. Yet, when the "supp" passed to the Senate, Senate leadership elected to vote out just $190 million in childcare spending– and leave the other pieces lingering. 

Providers in desperate need of the other funds approved in the House version were left baffled at the Senate’s decision to delay passage, with some warning that they might have to take out loansto continue making payments in the interim. Senate leaders offered little in explanation. Still, this move is reminiscent of the Senate’s decision on a similar supplemental budget bill a few weeks ago to allow state insurance providers to run out of money rather than handing the House a win on a bill they’d procrastinated. 

Here’s MASSter List again: “With the calendar quickly approaching June, the House and Senate are still seemingly unable to get on the same page… even when it comes to more routine mid-year budgets to boost programs and services running out of money.” I’ll add: when House and Senate prioritize petty infighting over the needs of critical state programs, they are revealing themselves to be out of touch with their constituents. 

Another example of this dysfunction-as-bargaining-chip came on part of the Senate’s infamous “Response 2025”– the Senate’s lukewarm Trump response plan. 

Response 2025’s only concrete policy proposal so far has been a bill to bolster Massachusetts’ protections that shield those seeking reproductive and gender-affirming care from out-of-state scrutiny. It was introduced in the Senate six weeks ago. Although this bill could have been proposed and acted upon in January, this is a great example of a change to state law that legislators could make right now to protect constituents from the Trump administration. 

However, in the rivalry between Senate and House, expediency is not the main goal. The Senate assigned this bill to the Joint Health Care Financing Committee. Six weeks later, the House moved this week to refer it instead to the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. In the past, House-Senate disagreements on committee assignments have led to year-long delays on essential legislation– a risk that the House undertook on this bill. 

Since this news was first reported, the Senate has actually agreed to shift the bill to the Judiciary Committee, sparing the bill from a drag-out fight. The committee immediately scheduled the bill for a hearing June 3rd– next Tuesday. So, six weeks after the bill was filed and a full four months into the Trump administration, they’re giving the public just 5 days notice to arrange testimony on the legislature’s very first stab at a policy response to Trump. 

That’s the MA legislature for you: too slow when the public needs action, and too fast when the public needs notice. That’s why the Sunlight Act would require that committees give 2 weeks of notice for committee hearings. Working people need time to arrange things to make their voices heard– and Beacon Hill should listen. 

We can't continue to be passive in the face of federal attacks. I urge you to consider submitting written testimony or, if you have time on Tuesday, registering to testify in-person or virtually in favor of S.2522 - An Act strengthening health care protections in the Commonwealth. Not only is this legislation dearly needed, but it's an opportunity to tell our legislators: stop letting intra-chamber squabbles get in the way of protecting our Commonwealth!

OFFER TESTIMONY ON TRUMP RESPONSE BILL>>

Other stories this week

It was a busy week! Here's a couple other things to keep an eye on that we didn't have room for.

--

Missed a Scoop or two? You can find a full archive of all past Saturday Scoops on our blog.

---

And that's all she wrote! Hope to see some of you on the road in the next few weeks. Please get in touch with any questions. Happy summer! 

In solidarity,

Scotia

Scotia Hille (she/her)

Executive Director, Act on Mass