25

THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MARCH 28, 2025 Page 25 If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562. Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 50 - Report No.12 March 17-21, 2025 Copyright © 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 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. 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://MASSterList/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from recent debate on the House rules. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. MORE TIME TO READ BILLS (H 2024) House 23-128, rejected a House rules amendment that would require bills be made available to House members and the public no later than noon two days prior to consideration and also sets an amendment deadline of 5 p.m. the day after the bill is released, or one day prior to consideration. For example, a bill released on a Monday by noon would have an amendment deadline of 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and the House would debate and vote on the amendments and the bill on Wednesday. “Under current House rules, there is a same day amendment fi ling deadline of 5 p.m. for bills that are released by noon,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This gives members very little time to review legislation, draft amendments and file those amendments. The House and joint rules off er a perfect example of why this rule should be changed, as members essentially had about fi ve hours to review more than 200 pages of documents, try to understand what was and wasn’t in either rules proposal, and then draft amendments before the 5 p.m. fi ling deadline. The current process simply doesn’t provide enough time for members to review legislation and off er amendments.” Rep. Jessica Giannino (D-Revere) said that extending the bill distribution timeline to two days can and will slow down the entire legislative process. She argued that this introduces unnecessary delays, especially in situations that demand swift action, such as emergencies or rapidly developing circumstances in need of legislative action. She noted that the current one-day rule strikes a better balance between maintaining transparency and allowing effi - ciency and noted the House must ensure our legislative operations remain agile. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment requiring that members have two days to read legislation before voting on it. A “No” vote is against the amendment.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No KEEP COMMITTEE POLLS OPEN FOR TWO HOURS (H 2026) House 23-128, rejected a House rules amendment that would require House committee polls to be open for at least two hours or until all committee members have voted. Committee polls are used to record which members favor or oppose a bill that was heard by the committee. “When voting to advance legislation, it is important that the members understand the bill they’re voting on so they can make an informed decision,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “That is not always possible with the short turnaround time required of some polls, especially when the bills under consideration have been redrafted, are lengthy or are technical in nature. Providing a two-hour window to respond to a poll is a reasonable compromise that will help to ensure that each member feels comfortable with their vote without hampering the committee’s ability to move legislation in a timely fashion.” Amendment opponents offered no arguments. But earlier that day, the House voted against a similar amendment to the joint House-Senate rules. At that time, Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston) said, “In Massachusetts, we have a full-time, professional Legislature, which requires preparation and preparedness. When a poll is released by a committee chair, that should not be the fi rst time we are reading a piece of legislation. Committee polls should remain at the chair’s discretion, ensuring decisions refl ect urgency rather than arbitrary deadlines. Committees I have been on have provided days to review language. We must, however, always maintain our ability to act for our constituents when the time arises.” Rep. Mike Moran (D-Brighton), a member of the House Rules Committee who helped write the House rules package, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to explain why he and the Democrat House leadership voted against the amendment. (A “Yes” vote is for the two-hour minimum. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle No NOTIFY REPRESENTATIVES OF COMMITTEE POLLS AT LEAST 12 HOURS IN ADVANCE (H 2024) House 23-128, rejected a House rules amendment that would require all House committee members to be notified at least 12 hours in advance if the committee is going to poll members electronically. “When a poll is released with a tight deadline to respond, there is always a danger that a committee member may not see it until after the poll has closed because they may be tied up in a constituent meeting, attending a municipal event in their district or driving to the Statehouse and unable to review their e-mails,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This amendment simply provides members BEACON | SEE PAGE 26 Sa nr Sa a y Senior Seni by Jim Miller How to Replace Important Lost Documents Dear Savvy Senior, How do I go about replacing some important documents that were lost when our home of 50 years burned down? We lost everything including our house deed, car titles, old tax returns, Social Security and Medicare cards, birth certifi cates, marriage license and passports. Suff ering in SoCal Dear Suff ering, I’m very sorry to hear about the loss of your home, but you’ll be pleased to know that replacing most of the lost documents you mentioned is pretty easy once you know where to turn. Here are the resources to help you get started. Birth certifi cates: If you were born in the United States, contact the vital records offi ce in the state where you were born (see CDC.gov/nchs/w2w/index. htm for contact information). This offi ce will give you specifi c instructions on what you need to do to order a certifi ed copy and what it will cost you – usually between $10 and $30. Car titles: Most states offer replacements through a local department of motor vehicles offi ce. You’ll need to complete a replacement title application form and pay the application fee, which varies by state. You’ll also need to show ID and proof that you own the car, such as your vehicle registration or your license-plate number and VIN (vehicle identifi cation number). Property deed: To access your house deed, contact your county clerk’s office, where deeds are usually recorded. You may be charged a small fee to get a copy. Marriage certificate: Contact the vital records offi ce of the state you were married in to order a copy (see CDC.gov/ nchs/w2w/index.htm). You’ll need to provide full names for you and your spouse, the date of your wedding, and the city or town where the wedding was performed. Fees range from $10 to $30. Social Security cards: In most states, you can request a replacement Social Security card online for free at SSA.gov/ myaccount. When you get there, click on “Replace your Social Security Card” and answer a few questions to verify your identity. Medicare cards: If you’re enrolled in original Medicare, you can replace a lost or damaged Medicare card by calling Medicare at 800-633-4227, or by logging into your MyMedicare.gov account, where you can print or request a new card to be mailed to you for free. If you’re enrolled in a Medicare Advantage Plan, such as an HMO, PPO, or PDP, you’ll need to call your plan to get your card replaced. And, if you get Railroad Retirement Board benefi ts, you can get a replacement card by calling 877-772-5772. Tax returns: To get copies of old tax returns start with your tax preparer, who usually keeps copies of your returns on fi le. You can also get copies of federal returns directly from the Internal Revenue Service. You’ll need to fi ll out and mail in IRS form 4506. To download this form IRS.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f4506. pdf or call 800-829-3676 and ask them to mail you a copy. The cost is $30 for each return requested. And to get copies of your state tax returns, contact your state’s department of revenue who will also require a request form. See TaxAdmin.org/ fta-members for state contact information. Passports: If your U.S. passports were valid, you’ll need to fi rst report them as lost or stolen so they can be canceled. You can do this online at PPTform. state.gov or in person when you apply for a new passport at a Passport Application Acceptance Facility, which are located in many U.S. post offi ces. See iafdb.travel.state.gov to locate one near you. You’ll also need to submit Form DS-64 and Form DS-11. The replacement fee is $130 per passport. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior ior

26 Publizr Home