Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, AugusT 28, 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 51 - Report No. 34 August 17-21, 2026 By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local senators’ roll call attendance records for the 2026 session through August 21. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. The Senate has held 122 roll calls so far in the 2026 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator voted and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number referred to as the roll call attendance record. Senate rules allow a senator, who is not physically present at the session in the Senate chamber, to vote remotely from any location inside or outside of the Statehouse -without giving a reason for his or her absence from the Senate chamber. - LEGAL NOTICE - Sometimes a senator is not able to attend only one or two sessions during which roll calls are held, but since there are sometimes multiple roll calls on each one of those days, the number of roll calls they missed can be high even though they only missed one or two sessions. Thirty-two (80 percent) out of the 40 senators did not miss any roll call votes and had a 100 precent roll call attendance record. Eight (20 percent) out of 40 COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS LAND COURT DEPARTMENT OF THE TRIAL COURT DOCKET NO. 26 SM 002671 ORDER OF NOTICE TO: Christopher Whiting a/k/a Chris Whiting Barbara Whiting and to all persons entitled to the benefit of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, 50 U.S.C. c. 50 § 3901 (et seq) U.S. Bank Trust, National Association, not in its individual capacity, but solely as Owner Trustee for VRMTG Asset Trust claiming to have an interest in a Mortgage covering real property in Everett, numbered 9 Valley Street, given by Christopher Whiting and Barbara Whiting to Mortgage Electronic Registration Systems, Inc., as mortgagee, as nominee for Principal Residential Mortgage, Inc., its successors and assigns, dated April 21, 2004, and recorded in Middlesex County (Southern District) Registry of Deeds in Book 42744, Page 1, and now held by the Plaintiff by assignment, has/have filed with this court a complaint for determination of Defendant’s/ Defendants’ Servicemembers status. If you now are, or recently have been, in the active military service of the United States of America, then you may be entitled to the benefits of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. If you object to a foreclosure of the above mentioned property on that basis, then you or your attorney must file a written appearance and answer in this court at Three Pemberton Square, Boston, MA 02108 on or before 10/12/2026 or you may lose the opportunity to challenge the foreclosure on the ground of noncompliance with the Act. Witness, Gordon H. Piper, Chief Justice of this Court on 8/25/2026 Attest: Deborah J. Patterson Recorder August 28, 2026 senators missed one or more roll call votes. The senator who missed the most number of roll calls is Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld) who missed 36 roll calls (70.5 percent roll call attendance record.) “As a major in the Massachusetts National Guard, Sen. Velis was deployed to the Southern Border with the US Army earlier this year,” said Gabriel Adams-Keane, Velis’ chief of staff . “While the senator was not able to participate in roll call votes during his deployment, he has since returned and has not missed a roll call since coming home. During the senator’s activation, our offi ce remained fully operational and continued to assist constituents with any and all inquiries. Sen. Velis also received regular updates from our offi ce on all district and Senate matters.” The senator who missed the next most number of roll calls is Sen. Mike Rush (D- West Roxbury) who missed seven roll calls (94.2 percent attendance record). “As a commander and 30year member of the United States Navy Reserves, I am several times a year required to go on orders with navy within the USA,” said Rush. “Very rarely, these orders will coincide with formal senate session, which caused me to miss a small number of roll call votes.” It is a Senate tradition that - LEGAL NOTICE - COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS THE TRIAL COURT PROBATE AND FAMILY COURT Middlesex Division Docket No. MI26P4021EA Estate of: MARIA R. THIBEAU Also Known As: MARIA GAROFANO THIBEAU, MARIA R. GAROFANO Date of Death: 05/11/2026 INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner Elaine D’Ambrosio of Wakefield, MA Elaine D’Ambrosio of Wakefield, MA has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve without surety on the bond. The estate is being administered under informal procedure by the Personal Representative under the Massachusetts Uniform Probate Code without supervision by the Court. Inventory and accounts are not required to be filed with the Court, but interested parties are entitled to notice regarding the administration from the Personal Representative and can petition the Court in any matter relating to the estate, including distribution of assets and expenses of administration. Interested parties are entitled to petition the Court to institute formal proceedings and to obtain orders terminating or restricting the powers of Personal Representatives appointed under informal procedure. A copy of the Petition and Will, if any, can be obtained from the Petitioner. August 28, 2026 the Senate president only votes occasionally. Current Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) follows that tradition and only voted on 36 (29.5 percent) of the 122 roll calls while not voting on 86 (70.5 percent) of them. The other fi ve senators who missed any roll calls are Sens. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth) and Becca Rausch (D-Needham). Each missed only one roll call (99.1 percent attendance record). We asked all fi ve why they missed roll call votes and here are their responses or lack of response. “As advised by counsel, Sen. Comerford did not vote [on that single roll call] due to a potential confl ict of interest as the senator’s wife is a public high school teacher and could be aff ected by this policy,” said Katelyn Billings, Comerford’s Director of Communications and Engagement. “Sen. Cyr takes his attendance at Senate roll calls seriously, which is why he participated in 121 of the 122 roll calls this year,” said Matt Fortin, Cyr’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement. “His one absence was due to a medical appointment.” “During the week following Senate budget debates, Sen. Rausch attended an invitation-only bipartisan conference for state lawmakers recognized as national leaders on election law and policy,” said Madelein McCormick, Rausch’s Chief of Staff . “Formal sessions rarely occur during the week after budget and was not scheduled until the senator was already at the conference. Accordingly, she was unable to vote.” Sens. Mike Barrett and Dylan Fernandes did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they missed roll call votes. 2026 SENATE ATTENDANCE RECORDS THROUGHT AUGUST 22 Here are the 2026 roll call BEACON | SEE PAGE 18
17 Publizr Home