THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2021 Page 15 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen 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 influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Chris Van Buskirk and Keith Regan who introduce each article in their own clever and never-boring, inimitable 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: www.massterlist.com/subscribe GOV. CHARLIE BAKER ANNOUNCES HE WILL NOT RUN FOR RE-ELECTION – Gov. Baker announced that he will not seek a third term as governor of Massachusetts in 2022 while Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito also said she will not seek the governorship. This leaves the race wide open. “This was an extremely difficult decision for us,” said the pair in a joint statement. “We love the work and we especially respect and admire the people of this wonderful commonwealth. Serving as governor and lieutenant governor of Massachusetts has been the most challenging and fulfilling jobs we’ve ever had.” “We have a great deal of work to do to put the pandemic behind us, keep our kids in school and keep our communities and economy moving forward. That work cannot and should not be about politics and the next election. If we were to run, it would be a distraction that would potentially get in the way of many of the things we should be working on for everyone in Massachusetts. We want to focus on recovery, not on the grudge matches political campaigns can devolve into.” “Today is about the future. This next year needs to be about recovery, not about politics. We are grateful for the chance we have been given to serve the people of this great state and will give it our all between now and the end of 2022,” concluded the statement. Four candidates had already entered the race before Baker’s announcement. Democratic candidates include Incumbent State Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), former State Sen. Ben Downing and Harvard professor Danielle Allen. The only GOP candidate currently in the race is former State Rep. Geoff Diehl. The two biggest names being tossed around as possibilities in political circles on the Democratic side include Attorney General Maura Healey and U.S. Secretary of Labor and former Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. 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 2021 session. No more roll calls are planned in the Senate until January 2022. The Senate held 115 roll calls in the 2021 session. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls on which each senator votes and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the number BHRC | SEE PAGE 16
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