Page 12 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, July 29, 2022 Beacon Hill Roll Call 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 influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Keith Regan and Matt Murphy who introduce each article in their own clever and 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: https://lp. constantcontactpages.com/su/ aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of July 18-22. $52.7 BILLION FISCAL 2023 STATE BUDGET (H 5050) House 152-0, Senate 40-0, approved and sent to Gov. Charlie Baker a $52.7 billion fiscal 2023 state budget for the fi scal year that began July 1, including $1.23 billion in unrestricted general government aid to cities and towns, an increase of $63.1 million over last year. Other provisions include $187 million to fund the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA); $226.2 million for a safety and workforce reserve to address ongoing safety concerns identifi ed by the Federal Transit Administration’s Safety Management Inspection; $441 million for the Special Education Circuit Breaker, reimbursing school districts for the high cost of educating students with disabilities at the mandated 75 percent reimbursement rate; $23 million for homeless student transportation; $1.5 million to educate middle and high school students on the history of genocide; and $75.3 million for sexual assault and domestic violence prevention services. Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, said the budget reflects the Senate’s priorities by upholding fi scal responsibility, supporting the everyday needs of our residents and ensuring the state’s economic foundation remains strong. “It builds long-term economic security for the commonwealth by leveraging the state’s strong revenue growth to make signifi cant investments in areas like early education and care, K-12 schools, mental health, workforce development, housing stability and much more," said Rodrigues. “It provides for a signifi cant increase in local aid for our cities and towns while investing in many critical programs to support our schools, seniors and veterans,” said House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “We fi nd ourselves in the enviable position of having more revenues available than initially anticipated, but that makes it even more important to set spending priorities that are hopefully prudent in the near-term and sustainable moving forward.” “As Massachusetts residents and businesses continue to face discouraging economic uncertainty, the [budget] responds to the fi nancial challenges facing the commonwealth by balancing a focus on immediate needs such as workforce development, with a focus on long-term investments that are designed to grow our economy in a sustainable way,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “Massachusetts is resilient, and this budget helps us create the conditions to continue being resilient into the future,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “This budget incorporates the lessons of the COVID-19 pandemic by continuing to save money for a rainy day, invest in support for the most vulnerable among us, and chart a course to ensure that Massachusetts remains a competitive place to innovate for generations to come.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget.) Rep. Paul Donato Rep. Steven Ultrino Sen. Jason Lewis Yes Yes Yes SUSPEND RULES TO ALLOW IMMEDIATE CONSIDERATION OF CLEAN ENERGY BILL (H 5060) House 126-27, Senate 36-3, approved a motion to suspend the rules so that the House-Senate conference committee version of a clean energy bill can be considered immediately. Under the Legislature’s rules, all conference committee bills must be fi led by 8 p.m. the day before they are up for debate and a vote so that legislators have ample time to read the measure. This bill was not fi led until 12:11 a.m. on Thursday morning so without suspending the rules, the bill could not be considered until Friday morning. Supporters of suspending the rules said that it is very important for the environment and to help solve the problem of climate change that this vital bill be up for debate immediately so that it can be sent to Gov. Baker. “My vote against suspending the rules was simply to ensure that my colleagues were given adequate time to review a lengthy and complex piece of legislation before voting on it, which is why the 8 p.m. rule is in place,” saidGOP Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). (A “Yes” vote is for suspension of the rules. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Paul Donato Rep. Steven Ultrino Sen. Jason Lewis Yes Yes Yes CLEAN ENERGY AND REDUCED EMISSIONS (H 5060) House 143-9, Senate 38-2, approved and sent to Gov. Baker legislation that would expand the clean energy industry and reduce emissions from the transportation and building sectors across the state with the goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. “Massachusetts has an opportunity to meet the urgency of the climate crisis through our nation-leading innovation, workforce and energy resources,” said Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin), House chair of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy. “This timely and comprehensive piece of legislation is carefully calibrated to provide a portfolio of robust clean energy, including off shore wind and decarbonize our largest-emitting industries, all while attracting a world-class supply chain, intensive workforce training initiatives and the investment necessary to prepare our electric distribution system for the energy needs of the future.” “The bill dramatically increases the cost of energy in Massachusetts at a time when energy costs already hover at record highs, and the price of all other goods are increasing due to record inflation,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “People won’t be able to aff ord this legislation, especially the drastic changes that will be needed in older homes. Everyone laments how expensive housing is, yet the Legislature just made housing more expensive by passing this bill.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Paul Donato Rep. Steven Ultrino Sen. Jason Lewis 5046) House 120-33, approved an amendment that makes changes to the Bay State’s gun laws. The amendment was attached to a separate bond bill. BHRC | SEE PAGE 16 Yes Yes Yes CHANGES TO GUN LAWS (H
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