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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 3, 2023 Page 9 Rep. Joseph McGonagle No Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 25,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by MASSterlist’s new editor, Erin Tiernan, with help from Matt Murphy. Both are pros and have a wealth of experience. And they also introduce each article in their own clever way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/ su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from early February sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. MORE TIME TO CONSIDER AMENDMENTS (H 2023) House 23-130, rejected a rule that would prohibit technical or perfecting amendments from being considered until 30 minutes after a copy of the amendment has been received by representatives. The rule would allow such an amendment to be considered in less than 30 minutes if a two-thirds vote of the House agrees to the shortened time. “Providing a half hour to review a technical or perfecting amendment would give members an opportunity to ask questions, get answers and better understand the amendment before a vote takes place,” said sponsor GOP House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “I think this change is eminently reasonable and fair, and it also provides an option for the 30-minute review period to be waived or suspended if enough members agree to it.” Opponents of the rule said technical amendments are just that—technical, and don’t need a half hour to review. They argued that the 30-minute requirement is unnecessary and noted members are currently informally given suffi cient time to see the amendments before they are considered. (A ”Yes” vote is for allowing 30 minutes. A “No” vote is against allowing 30 minutes.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No GIVE 1-WEEK NOTICE (H 2025) House 24-129, rejected an amendment that would increase from three days to seven days the amount of advance notice for committees to notify the House and the public of the time, location and agenda of all public hearings and executive sessions. “A public hearing before a committee is the only opportunity that a person has to be directly involved in the legislative process,” said Rep. Todd Smola (R-Warren). “By expanding the notifi cation window for when hearings take place from 72 hours to one week, we are providing the public with more time to prepare and participate in the process. We welcome the viewpoints of our constituents on bills before the Legislature, bills which are often nuanced and very complex. It is not unreasonable to provide people with a few more days’ notice before a hearing commences.” Opponents of the amendment said three days is more than suffi cient and noted that under House rules, members of the public no longer have to plan far in advance to come into the Statehouse to testify since they can now testify online from their home. They noted that the increase to a week unnecessarily goes too far. (A ”Yes” vote is for requiring seven days’ notice. A “No” vote is against requiring seven days’ notice.) ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL DON’T MISS THIS LIFE SCIENCES FORUM EVENT – The Life Sciences Industry has seen incredible growth the last decade, and Massachusetts has become a worldwide leader with continued industry growth and expansion underway. While the epicenter of the industry cluster remains in Kendall Square, the state’s strategy calls for the expansion of lab and manufacturing space throughout the state, with the potential for signifi - cant growth in Central Massachusetts. Don’t miss a special forum hosted by MASSterList, the State House News Service and the Worcester Business Journal on Tuesday, March 7, from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the DCU Center (50 Foster St. Worcester, MA 01608). Tickets for the program can be purchased online at: https://www. wbjournal.com/lifescienceforum BILLS, BILLS, BILLS - House and Senate clerks continue to process the thousands of bill fi led for consideration in the 2023-2024 session including: DONATE FOOD (SD 263) – Would provide civil liability protections to individuals, restaurants and organizations that make direct food donations to persons in need. The donor would also receive a tax credit of up to $5,000. A similar bill received a favorable report from the Judiciary Committee last year but died from inaction in the House. “Massachusetts saw the greatest percentage growth in food insecurity in the nation during the pandemic,” said sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “It could have been even more severe had it not been for commonwealth farmers who came forward again and again with donations of produce, dairy and meat—all the while acutely aware that they make 94 cents for every dollar they spend. Through a tax credit, this bill further incentivizes already committed farmers, as well as generous local restaurants, to donate food to food banks, meal sites and pantries—allowing them an opportunity to give within an expanded liability protection framework while strengthening our food system.” TAX CREDIT FOR DONATION OF OYSTER SHELLS (SD 432) – Would provide a tax credit of $5 per full 5-gallon bucket to individuals or businesses that donate oyster shells to an oyster shell recycling organization. “A shell recycling tax credit presents a creative and thoughtful tool to help diminish land fi ll waste, create habitat and mitigate pollution in our waters,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “A $5 tax credit per 5-gallon bucket of recycled shells for restaurants will help encourage this environmentally friendly practice.” LAST MONTH’S RENT AND SECURITY DEPOSIT (SD 141) – Would amend a current law which allows landlords to charge both last month’s rent and a security deposit to new tenants. “If this bill is enacted, landlords will only be permitted to charge last month’s rent or the security deposit,” said sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). In short, this bill signifi - cantly lowers the upfront cost of renting.” PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES MUST RELEASE TAX BEACON | SEE PAGE 18

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