THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of Feb. 23-27.
ENERGY (H 5151)
House 128-27, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that supporters said would result in over $9 billion in savings for utility ratepayers over the next 10 years. The measure cuts roughly $1 billion from the Mass Save program’s marketing and administrative budgets; returns 70% of alternative compliance payments to ratepayers through mid-2029; expands clean energy procurement authority; eases political barriers to nuclear development by repealing a voter law that placed restrictions on it; and delays an offshore wind contracting deadline by two years to 2029.
“As residents across Massachusetts face sky-high heating bills amid another brutal winter, this legislation is proof of the House’s commitment to bringing costs down by cutting unnecessary spending, by putting money back in residents’ pockets and through energy
diversification,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy. “While the Trump administration continues to attack clean energy projects on behalf of the fossil fuel industry, the House understands that energy diversification is the best tool that the commonwealth has to cut costs for ratepayers in the long term.”
“This legislation is one that takes a long-term look at our energy needs and focuses the conversation squarely on affordability for ratepayers,” said Rep. Aaron Michlewitz, D-Boston, chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means. “While sustainability remains paramount, without a federal partner in Washington, the commonwealth finds itself
in a difficult position. By making our energy infrastructure more transparent and more predictable, and by controlling costs, we can improve the lives of millions of our residents while at the same time bringing more energy onto the grid.”
“While there are some worthy provisions contained in this bill, it still falls far short of its stated goal to make energy costs more affordable and represents a missed opportunity to deliver real financial relief to the commonwealth’s residential and commercial
ratepayers,” said House GOP Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading, who voted against the proposal. “The House Republican caucus offered nearly three dozen amendments that would have provided meaningful short and long-term assistance to those individuals and businesses who are struggling to pay their utility bills. Unfortunately, most of those amendments were rejected, so I could not support the underlying bill in its current form.”
“Beacon Hill is now admitting that $1 billion in Mass Save spending was unnecessary and that ratepayers were funding bloated marketing and administrative costs,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Lawmakers approved this billion-dollar spending year after year, and families are only hearing about ‘inefficiencies’ after their electric bills reached record highs. That is not oversight. That is damage control.”
Craney continued, “Expanding procurement authority, codifying subsidy programs like SMART and creating new energy storage incentives is just expanding on the same approach that helped create this affordability crisis in the first place. These programs guarantee
above-market compensation backed by ratepayers. Without repealing the upcoming 2030 climate emissions reduction mandate, this bill will be doing nothing but smoothing out the sticker shock while locking in the structural drivers of high energy costs.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote against it.
Rep. Donald Berthiaume, no; Rep. Mindy Domb, yes; Rep. Homar Gomez, yes; Rep. Kelly Pease, no; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, yes; Rep. Aaron Saunders, yes; Rep. Susannah Whipps. yes
SUSPEND CHARGES (H 5151)
House 25-130, rejected an amendment that would suspend the electric distribution companies from assessing and collecting from consumers “public benefit energy charges” on electric utility bills for 12 consecutive billing months. These charges currently fund programs such as energy efficiency, renewable and clean energy initiatives, distributed solar, electric vehicle programs and residential assistance.
The amendment also prohibits the Department of Public Utilities from deferring or later recovering the forgone revenue through future rate increases. Program administrators would be required to adjust expenditures accordingly during the suspension.
“This bill has been described as an affordability measure, but it does not guarantee immediate relief for ratepayers,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Ken Sweezey, R-Hanson. “[My amendment] provides direct, measurable relief by removing public benefit charges from bills for a full year. At a time when families are struggling to keep up with basic
household costs, this gives them breathing room instead of asking them to continue funding state programs through their utility bills.”
Rep. Michael Kushmerek, D-Fitchburg, said he opposes the amendment because it would cut the residential assistance charge that funds low-income discount rates for electric customers across the state. He noted that this would impact hundreds of thousands of the most vulnerable ratepayers.
A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.
Rep. Donald Berthiaume, yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, no; Rep. Homar Gomez, no; Rep. Kelly Pease, yes; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, no; Rep. Aaron Saunders, no; Rep. Susannah Whipps, no
NATURAL GAS (H 5151)
House 25-129, rejected an amendment that would require the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Public Utilities and the Energy Facilities Siting Board, to conduct a competitive solicitation for proposals to increase firm interstate natural gas transmission capacity into the Bay State with a goal of enhancing winter energy reliability and mitigating price volatility affecting ratepayers.
“[My amendment] would have required the executive branch to put out solicitation for bids to build a pipeline from the Appalachian Shale to Massachusetts, introducing an ample supply of cheap natural gas to ratepayers,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica. “Had Maura Healey not stopped the Kinder Pipeline, it would’ve saved
ratepayers $5 billion since 2018. We saw during the arctic blast of late January and early February how ill-prepared our energy portfolio is to reliably and cost-effectively handled the demands of Massachusetts. During that time hydroelectric from Canada was terminated, and wind produced less than one percent of electrical needs. Instead, ISO New England needed to bring online oil-based production, which accounted for 40% of the energy supply at that time. Additional gas supply would have been significantly cheaper and cleaner for Massachusetts ratepayers. If we’re ever going to be serious about lowering costs, then we need to increase our gas supply.”
Rep. Mark Cusack, D-Braintree, acknowledged that more gas capacity will help address
winter reliability and address price volatility, which is why the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) has a tool and is already doing it. This past January, the DPU approved expansion of Eversource’s Algonquin pipeline, which will lower costs for over 600,000 gas
customers. Developers will pay for this expansion, not ratepayers. Gas is a part of the all-of-the-above strategy, and continued conversations are needed and will happen. And also, to build a new gas pipeline, would be about a 10-to-15-year process, and would require
interconnection to New York, and they would have to build first. So this solicitation would be very premature, and no one would actually bid on it, since it’s not buildable yet.
A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.
Rep. Donald Berthiaume, yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, no; Rep. Homar Gomez, no; Rep. Kelly Pease, yes; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, no; Rep. Aaron Saunders, no; Rep. Susannah Whipps, no
BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY (H 5151)
House 26-127, rejected an amendment that would prohibit the state from approving a battery storage facility in a municipality, unless the city or town governing body of the municipality in which the facility is proposed has voted to approve the project. The amendment also would give cities and towns the authority to establish additional siting, safety and environmental requirements for these storage facilities, as long as they don’t conflict with state law.
“The commonwealth is moving all approvals for new energy storage facilities to the state level,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Kelly Pease, R-Westfield. “This amendment would still allow cities and towns to have a say in where, when and how new battery storage facilities are implemented, or not implemented within their municipalities.”
Rep. Kushmerek said the House should wait until action is taken on a similar bill that is pending before the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. He noted that there are already current conversations underway between the committee, Department of Energy Resources and the Energy Facility Siting Board to establish parameters on setbacks in local communities for battery storage.
A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.
Rep. Donald Berthiaume, yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, no; Rep. Homar Gomez, no; Rep. Kelly Pease, yes; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, didn’t vote; Rep. Aaron Saunders, no; Rep. Susannah
Whipps, no
UNIT PRICING IN CONVENIENCE STORES (S 2965)
Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that amends a current law which exempts smaller convenience stores from being required to display unit pricing. Unit pricing is the identification of and labeling of items for sale with the retail price per unit,
permitting easier price comparisons among similar products in different sized containers.
Under current law, an exemption from unit pricing is given to retailers with lower sales volumes—defined as establishments that generate less than $5 million in in-store sales each year, including sales of Lottery products and gift cards. The bill would remove Lottery
products and gift card sales from the calculation of whether a store can be included in the unit price exemption.
Bill supporters said that with the steady rise of inflation, introduction of higher-value Lottery products and increased popularity of pre-paid gift cards, local businesses are more apt to exceed the exemption threshold.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Sen. Joanne Comerford, yes; Sen. Paul Mark, yes; Sen. Jacob Oliveira, yes; Sen. John Velis, didn’t vote
$3.28 BILLION TO MODERNIZE BAY STATE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
(S 2962)
Senate 37-0, approved a $3.28 billion package, known as the BRIGHT Act, that funds the modernization of Bay State public colleges and universities by using the revenue from the 2022 voter-approved law, known as the Millionaire’s Tax, that imposes an additional 4% income tax, in addition to the current flat 5% one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. The House has already approved its own version of the bill and a House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out a compromise version.
Provisions include $1.25 billion for the UMass system; $1.25 billion for nine other state university campuses and 15 community college campuses; $275 million for upgrades to MassArt; $100 million for the transition of campus facilities and property into housing and mixed-use developments; $80 million for costs associated with decarbonization and energy efficiency; $120 million for lab modernization, projects at community colleges to support collaboration with vocational technical schools and projects related to student health and well-being; $50 million for a grant program for general improvements and climate-related upgrade; $20 million for enhancing remote or hybrid learning; and $100 million for a grant program for improvements to upgrade and expand career technical education and training programs.
“Today, the Senate advanced urgently needed legislation to transform public higher education infrastructure by leveraging Fair Share dollars to address deferred maintenance, modernize classrooms, and decarbonize campuses,” said Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton, Senate chair of the Committee on Higher Education. “With the BRIGHT Act, Massachusetts is choosing not to retreat in the face of federal attacks on higher education, but to build forward — creating healthier, more sustainable campuses that reflect the future we are preparing our students to lead.”
“Massachusetts students deserve campuses that match the quality of their ambition,” said Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland. “The BRIGHT Act will deliver just that: safe, modern and energy-efficient classrooms that provide a strong foundation for academic and
professional success for every student at every public institution in the commonwealth. I applaud the education leaders who helped shape this bill, the faculty and staff who dedicate themselves to educating our residents and the students who choose to pursue a world-class education at Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
Sen. Joanne Comerford, yes; Sen. Paul Mark, yes; Sen. Jacob Oliveira, yes; Sen. John Velis, didn’t vote
$300 MILLION FOR K-12 EDUCATION (S 2962)
Senate 6-31, rejected an amendment that would provide local cities and towns with $300 million in education aid for public elementary and secondary education, including “programs, services, operations, supports and improvements that advance educational quality, equity, access and student success in the commonwealth.”
Amendment supporters said that the $300 million will help cities and towns across the state fund and improve their K-12 education. They noted that communities are struggling to make ends meet and this $300 million would be welcomed by every community.
Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, the sponsor of the amendment, did not respond to repeated efforts by BHRC to ask why he filed and supported the amendment.
Amendment opponents said the amendment is well-intentioned but noted the bill is designed to invest in deferred maintenance of colleges, not in K-12 education funding for local cities and towns. They noted that the overall state budget already includes $760 million for local education aid.
Sen. Mike Rodrigues, D-Westport, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, did not respond to repeated attempts by BHRC asking him why he opposed the amendment.
A “Yes” vote is for the $300 million. A “No” vote is against it.
Sen. Joanne Comerford, no; Sen. Paul Mark, no; Sen. Jacob Oliveira, no; Sen. John Velis, didn’t vote
TAX REVENUE FROM MILLIONAIRE’S TAX (S 3)
Senate 5-32, rejected an amendment that would remove a section in the higher education bill that exempts tax revenue generated from the voter-approved Millionaire’s Tax from counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations, under Chapter 62F, which provides that whenever revenue collections in a fiscal year exceed an annual cap tied
to wage and salary growth, the excess is returned to taxpayers.
Amendment supporters said the amendment will protect taxpayers and preserve the very popular taxpayer protection voter-approved law known as 62F. They argued that Senate Democrats want to break the will of the voters by excluding the new Millionaire’s Tax revenue from the total calculation for rebates that go back to the taxpayers from 62F.
Amendment opponents said the amendment will put the new revenue in jeopardy and argued this new revenue is earmarked for education and transportation and must be protected and treated differently than other tax revenue.
Neither Sen. Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester, the sponsor of the amendment, nor Sen. Mike Rodrigues, D-Westport, the chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, responded to Beacon Hill Roll Call’s inquiries.
“The Legislature continues to do everything it can to maintain its ‘Taxachusetts’ reputation,” said Paul Craney, executive director of the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “Instead of adopting an amendment which would result in more tax refunds for taxpayers, Speaker Ron Mariano and his team will continue to manipulate tax collection numbers in order to
avoid automatic tax rebates. The Massachusetts House needs a dramatic shake up.”
Sen. Joanne Comerford, no; Sen. Paul Mark, no; Sen. Jacob Oliveira, no; Sen. John Velis, didn’t vote
ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL
SEVERAL BILLS GET INITIAL APPROVAL IN THE HOUSE – Several bills were given initial approval by the House, on a voice vote without a roll call, including:
PROHIBIT RECORDING OR BROADCASTING WHILE DRIVING (H 3748) – Would prohibit an operator of a motor vehicle from recording, broadcasting or otherwise capturing images or video of themselves while driving.
“I sponsored the bill because I believe it will reduce the extent of distracted driving which unfortunately seems to be occurring more frequently, particularly with the continuous advent of new technology,” said sponsor Rep. Brian Murray, D-Milford.
DOUBLE FINES FOR SPEEDING IN THE BREAKDOWN LANE (H 3729) – Would double fines for motor vehicles speeding in the far-right lane, otherwise known as the “breakdown” lane, in areas where travel is permitted during peak commuting hours.
Supporters said that while allowing travel in the far-right lane is essential on some highways in order to temporarily provide traffic relief during peak hours, many motorists irresponsibly use this lane as a high-speed passing lane, risking their own safety and the safety of disabled motor vehicle owners and emergency personnel. They noted that numerous accidents and fatalities have occurred due to excessive speed in the breakdown lane.
“I sponsored this bill because I believe this legislation represents a common-sense solution to the unnecessary harms and tragedies resulting from high-speed passing in the breakdown lane,” said sponsor Rep. Dave Linsky, D-Natick. “Increasing fines is a tried-and-true method for disincentivizing reckless behavior, and I believe we should be doing all that we can to protect the safety of our communities and the lives of our emergency personnel by implementing effectual legislative changes.”
NEW EMPLOYEES UNDER 18 (H 2175) – Would establish a 120-hour training period for new employees under the age of 18 who work 20 hours or less per week and require a work permit. During this initial training period with a new employer, these workers would be paid a minimum wage of at least $10 per hour.
Supporters said this legislation is designed to create a structured pathway to the full state minimum wage, currently $15 per hour, and sets a significantly higher standard for young workers than the federal “Youth Opportunity Wage,” which is currently only $4.25 per hour.
“I sponsored this bill to address the high rates of youth unemployment in Massachusetts by reducing barriers to entry-level positions for our youngest residents,” said co-sponsor Rep. Mike Soter, R-Bellingham. “This training wage provides targeted relief for local
small businesses, helping them remain adequately staffed while fostering long-term economic development and stability across the commonwealth.”
Co-sponsor Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading, said that many teenagers are eager to work but sometimes find it challenging to get hired for their first job due to their lack of work experience. “Allowing employers to offer a subminimum training wage for the first
120 hours of employment is a good way for young workers to get their foot in the door and build their work skills so they can show their employer that they deserve to be considered for a permanent position,” Jones said.
INCREASE FINES FOR ILLEGAL HANDICAPPED PARKING VIOLATIONS (H 3614) –
Would allow cities and towns to increase fines for handicapped parking violations by $450. Current fines are between $100 and $300 so the bill would increase that range to between $550 and $750.
The additional funds must be placed in a special municipal account and used solely to support compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on public property and in public buildings. Local commissions on disabilities or special commissions are tasked
with assessing municipal needs for ADA implementation.
“I filed this legislation to ensure stronger enforcement of handicapped parking laws and to provide dedicated funding for local ADA compliance efforts,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers, D-Quincy. “This bill will help protect the rights of residents with disabilities and
improve accessibility throughout our communities.”
BAN RETROFITTING OF DIESEL-POWERED VEHICLES (H 3746) – Would prohibit anyone from retrofitting any diesel-powered vehicle with any device, smokestack or other equipment that enhances the vehicle’s capacity to emit soot, smoke or other particulate emissions. Violators would be subject to a fine of between $100 and $1,000.
“Coal rolling, as it is commonly known, is the practice of deliberately emitting soot from the modified exhaust pipes of a diesel-powered truck that can be directed at other vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians and pose a serious danger as the black smoke can intentionally impair visibility,” said sponsor Rep. Brian Murray, D-Milford. “It serves no useful purpose and is clearly harmful to the environment, as well as associated with known health risks and respiratory issues.”
RAISE FINE FOR “RIGHT OF WAY” VIOLATIONS (H 3817) – Would raise from $35 to $200 the fine for violating the traffic rule that provides when two vehicles approach or enter an intersection at approximately the same instant, the operator of the vehicle on the left must yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. The proposal also imposes additional penalties and/or license revocation for up to six months for any of these violations that cause death, serious bodily harm or bodily harm.
The measure received initial approval by the House in 2024 but died in committee because the House did not take further action on it.
Sponsor Rep. Steven Xiarhos, R-Barnstable, noted the bill is named “Cecelia’s Law” in memory of Cecelia Finnegan who was killed at age 26 on Sept. 6, 2020, while riding her motorcycle to work when someone turned in front of her in the town of Bourne.
“As a former police officer, I have responded to far too many crashes caused by drivers failing to yield,” said Xiarhos. “As a legislator, I believe our laws must reflect the seriousness of the harm that can result from these violations. And as someone who understands loss, I know that accountability matters.”
QUOTABLE QUOTES
“For more than a year, we’ve been fighting to protect the constitutional rights of babies born in Massachusetts and across the country from the Trump administration’s blatantly unlawful order that would rip away their right to citizenship. Courts have ruled again and
again that President Trump does not have the authority to rewrite the Constitution, and I will continue to stand up for the rule of law and for American children across the country whose fundamental rights are being attacked by this administration.”
— Attorney General Andrea Campbell and a coalition of 24 attorneys general filing an amicus brief, defending birthright citizenship, at the U.S. Supreme Court.
“Restoring wetlands and streams, removing dams and replacing culverts make our communities safer and more resilient to the increasing extreme weather events. Investing in this work benefits all of us now and into the future.”
— Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper announcing the Healey administration’s awarding of more than $1.4 million in grants to support river and wetland restoration.
“We’re deeply disappointed in today’s vote. The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) board had an opportunity to be ambitious and forward-looking, and they chose not to. Instead, they voted to invest millions of ratepayer dollars in an outdated system that will continue to dump untreated sewage into our beloved Charles River.”
— Charles River Watershed Association Executive Director Emily Norton criticizing the MWRA for voting to approve an infrastructure plan that Norton says would allow sewage discharges into the Charles River forever.
“We are very concerned for the health and safety of the over 150,000 households we serve across the state, and especially for over 25,000 who heat with oil and who have exhausted all resources for another delivery with no prospect of another fuel assistance benefit. This is a desperate situation.”
— Joe Diamond, Massachusetts Association for Community Action executive director, on the failure of the estimated $159 million Massachusetts will receive this fiscal year from the federal program to cover the heating needs of vulnerable households for the entire winter.
“Massachusetts has extraordinary talent and entrepreneurial energy, but too many willing workers and aspiring business owners are stuck navigating unnecessary red tape. If we want to compete for jobs and investment, we need to modernize our systems so they work for entrepreneurs, immigrants and small employers—not against them.”
— Jim Stergios, executive director of the Pioneer Institute, on the institute’s new report stating that outdated rules are constraining growth and outlining practical reforms to expand workforce participation, better integrate legal immigrants and new market entrants, support small business formation and restore competitiveness.
HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION?
Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent
work and other matters that are important to their districts.
Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-
night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session.
During the week of Feb. 23-27, the House met for a total of 11 hours and 22 minutes; the Senate met for a total of 5 hours and 55 minutes.
Monday, Feb. 23, no House session, no Senate session
Tuesday, Feb. 24, no House session, no Senate session.
Wednesday, Feb. 25, House, 1:01 to 1:07 p.m.; Senate, 1:07 to 1:24 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 26, House 11:02 a.m. to 10:18 p.m.; Senate, 11:05 a.m. to 4:43 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 27, no House session, no Senate session.
Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com