THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, September 8, 2023 Page 11 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: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local representatives voted with their party’s leadership in the 2023 session through September 1. The votes of the 2023 membership of 133 Democrats were compared to House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). The votes of the 2023 membership of 24 Republicans were compared with those of GOP House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 32 votes from the 2023 House session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not quorum calls or votes on local issues. Rep. Susannah Whipps (U-Athol) is unenrolled and not affi liated with either the Republican or Democratic party. We based her voting record on how many times she voted diff erently than Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano. THE DEMOCRATS: A total of 127 (95.5 percent) of the 133 Democrats voted the same as Mariano 100 percent of the time. There were only six Democratic representatives who voted differently than Mariano on any roll calls. The representative who voted the most times diff erently than Mariano was Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven (D-Somerville) who voted diff erently three times. The other fi ve representatives who voted diff erently than Mariano were Reps. Russell Holmes (D-Boston), Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge) and Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) who each voted diff erently twice; and Danillo Sena (D-Acton) and Jeff Turco (D-Winthrop) who voted diff erently once. THE REPUBLICANS: Twenty-one (87.5 percent) of the 24 GOP members voted the same as Jones 100 percent of the time. There were only three Republican representatives who voted diff erently than Jones on any roll calls. The representatives who voted diff erently than Jones were Reps. Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) and Nicholas Boldyga (R-Southwick) who each voted diff erently than Jones two times; and David DeCoste (R-Norwell) who voted diff erently than Jones once. REPRESENTATIVES’ SUPPORT OF THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2023 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 1 The percentage next to the representative’s name represents the percentage of times the representative supported his or her party’s leadership so far in 2023. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the representative opposed his or her party’s leadership. Some representatives voted on all 32 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for each representative is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted. Rep. Paul Donato 100 percent (0) Rep. Steven Ultrino 100 percent (0) ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL GOV. HEALEY ACTIVATES NATIONAL GUARD FOR SHELTERS — Gov. Maura Healey issued an order activating up to 250 National Guard members to provide basic services at emergency shelter hotels across the state that do not currently have a contracted service provider. “Massachusetts is in a state of emergency, and we need all hands-on deck to meet this moment and ensure families have access to safe shelter and basic services,” said Healey. “We’re grateful to the brave men and women of the National Guard for stepping up to help us ensure that every family in emergency shelter has their needs met, including access to food, transportation, medical care and education. While we work to implement a more permanent staffi ng solution, the National Guard will provide an effi cient and eff ective means of delivering these services and keeping everybody safe.” “The National Guard should be sent to the southern border and Gov. Healey should be going down there with them to see firsthand the failure President Biden has created,” responded Paul Craney, spokesman for Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Why should Massachusetts taxpayers be expected to continue to shoulder this burden when the president and governor continue to ignore the underlying problem for political gain? This current approach is unsustainable and if Gov. Healey wants to help Massachusetts residents, she needs to confront President Biden fi rst.” LIMIT FEE FOR CASHING CHECKS (H 344) — Awaiting further action by the House is a bill that would set a cap on the fees check-cashing stores and outlets are allowed to charge. The bill was given initial approval by the House on July 26 and is now in the Bills in Third Reading Committee. The maximum charge would be 5 percent of the value of a personal check or $5, whichever is greater, plus a $1 service charge; 2.5 percent of a government check plus a $1 service charge; 2.25 percent of a payroll check plus a $1 service charge; and 3 percent of all other checks including traveler’s check, cashier’s check and certifi ed check plus a $1 service charge. Supporters say that of the 34 states that regulate check cashing, Massachusetts is one of eight that do not regulate the fees that may be charged. They argue these check-cashing "stores" are often located in low-income neighborhoods and take advantage of vulnerable residents. They note the bill would provide greater consumer protections for individuals who are “unbanked” — folks who don’t have a checking, savings or money market account or who are “underbanked” --- folks may have a bank account, but also rely regularly on alternative financial services outside of the mainstream banking system. Lower-income households, less educated households, Black households, Hispanic households, working-age households with a disability and single-mother households are most vulnerable to being unbanked or underbanked. “It’s great to see that my colleagues in the Legislature are supportive of it moving forward,” says sponsor Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton). “The bill will regulate the amount of money consumers can be charged to cash a check, which is particularly benefi cial for many who do not have bank accounts but are working hard to support their families.” RIGHTS OF UTILITY RATEPAYERS (S 2152) — The Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy will hold a hearing on September 20 on legislation that would establish ratepayer rights including requiring utility companies to provide ratepayers with a choice of the type of utility meters to be installed and operated on their places of residence or business, the ability to retain and operate an electromechanical analog meter on an ongoing basis at no cost; and the right to replace a wireless meter with a non-transmitting electromechanical meter at no cost. “Today in Massachusetts, utilities have sweeping authority to make decisions about what power transmission equipment goes on Bay Staters’ homes and businesses without any input or recourse from occupants and ratepayers,” says sponsor Sen. Mike Moore (D-Millbury). “The passage of this bill would give residents a greater voice in utilities’ operations, allowing them to choose the type of meter they want installed. More consumer choice is a good thing for everyone.” GREEN BANK (H 3805) — Another bill scheduled for a hearing on September 20 by the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee would create a state Green Bank that would invest in green businesses, promote research in clean tech and contribute toward an equitable energy transition by advancing workforce training in clean energy. “We introduced this bill prior to Gov. Healey announcing the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank, which is the nation's fi rst green bank dedicated to affordable housing,” said sponsor Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth). “These complementary eff orts underscore the multi-faceted approach needed to secure a sustainable future.” QUOTABLE QUOTES "We are at a pivotal moment for transportation on Cape Cod. By revitalizing Cape commuter rail, we can expand access and opportunity for the Cape and Island residents and unlock new avenues for connectivity through the region. Cape and Islanders deserve fast, reliable transit that connects our region and workforce with the rest of the commonwealth.” ---Rep. Dylan Fernandes (D-Falmouth) on his newly fi led bill that directs the MBTA to establish commuter rail service between Buzzards Bay and Boston within one year. “As we work to address the climate crisis, we have an opportunity to right historical wrongs. 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