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THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, May 3, 2019 Page 17 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of April 22-26. All House roll calls are on proposed amendments to the $42.7 billion fi scal 2020 state budget that the House considered for four days last week. A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BUDGET “DEBATE” Most of the decisions on which of the amendments are included and not included in the budget are made behind closed doors. Of the 1,369 budget amendments proposed, most of them are bundled into consolidated amendments. This year there were nine consolidated amendments and all but two were approved unanimously and without real debate. Those two each received only one vote against them. The system works as follows: Individual representatives fi le amendments on various topics. All members are then invited to “subject meetings” in Room 348 where they pitch their amendments to Democratic leaders who draft consolidated amendments that include some of the individual representatives’ amendments while excluding others. The categories of consolidated amendments include education and local aid; veterans and social services; and housing and mental health. Supporters of the system say that any representative who sponsored an excluded amendment can bring it to the fl oor and ask for an up or down vote on the amendment itself. They say this system has worked well for many years. Opponents say that rarely, if ever, does a member bring his or her amendment to the fl oor for an up-or-down vote because that is not the way the game is played. It is an “expected tradition” that you accept the fate of your amendment as determined by Democratic leaders. Opponents also say this archaic inside system takes power away from individual members and forces legislators to vote for or against a package of amendments. They argued that individual amendments should be considered on a one-by-one basis on the House fl oor. $42.7 BILLION FISCAL 2020 BUDGET House 155-1, approved the House version of a $42.7 billion fi scal 2020 state budget and sent it to the Senate. During four days of budget deliberations the House added close to $72 million in spending. Supporters said the budget is a fi scally responsible one that makes vital investments in the state while continuing fiscal responsibility and not raising taxes. Chief budget writer and Ways and Means Chair Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston) said that the budget was crafted out of members’ shared priorities and funds many important programs including housing, substance abuse and the environment. He noted that this is a budget of which all members can be proud. “The state budget is a refl ection of our values and the lack of a black or Latino member in leadership was apparent in the House budget,” said Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston), the lone vote against the budget. “Former Rep. Byron Rushing would not have stood for the New England Center for Arts & Technology and Teen Empowerment not being funded and neither will I.” Holmes said the House missed the experience of former House Ways and Means chair Brian Dempsey who would have resisted and not have given in to [Speaker] DeLeo’s urges for “retaliation against” him by not fully funding Sportsman’s Tennis Club, No Books No Ball and the Lena Park Community Center. Holmes charged that Speaker DeLeo and Ways and Means chair Aaron Michlewitz (DBoston) crossed a line, and in doing so, hurt his constituents. “The speaker and Aaron padded their districts with earmarks for Winthrop and the North End on the backs of removing funds that provide services for poor African-Americans and Hispanics,” continued Holmes. “It is a racket and the racketeering is to support lobbyists, unions, fundraisers/donors and former legislators. Helping people has become a simply a byproduct of what occurs in the building.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeoYes Rep. RoseLee VincentYes LEGISLATORS’ SALARIES (H 3800) House 5-152, rejected an amendment that would eliminate the current system under which some 100 of the 160 representatives are paid stipends in addition to their base $66,256 base salary. These current stipends range from $15,000 to $80,000 for their service in Democratic or Republican leadership positions, as committee chairs or vice chairs and as the ranking Republican on some committees. The amendment would reduce the stipend for the Senate president and speaker from $80,000 to $50,000; Senate and House Ways and Means Chairs from $65,000 to $35,000; Senate and House Majority Leaders from $60,000 to $30,000; and House speaker Pro Tempore and Senate Pro Tempore from $50,000 to $25,000. All other 152 members of the House would receive a stipend of $15,000. The amendment also reduces the current annual general expense allowance for each legislator from $15,000 to $12,500 for members whose districts are within a 50-mile radius of the Statehouse and from $20,000 to $17,500 for districts located outside of that radius. This allowance is used at the discretion of individual legislators to support a variety of costs including the renting of a district offi ce, contributions to local civic groups and the printing and mailing of newsletters. Legislators are issued a 1099 from the state and are required to report the allowance as income but are not required to submit an accounting of how they spend it. Amendment supporters noted the proposal is based on the pay structure for the U.S. Congress where only a few positions have higher salaries and is designed to eliminate the pay inequity for representatives. “Every two years, representatives arrive as a group of peers to the Statehouse that are elected from across the commonwealth,” said the amendment’s sponsor Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston). “We arrive as equals. That equality, under the current system, evaporates quickly upon the election of the speaker. Unfortunately, the speaker uses the authority of the naming of committee assignments and selecting a leadership team to manipulate the members for his causes and to work against one another. The amendment’s goal is to level the playing fi eld and begin to end that manipulation.” Opponents said the speaker and representatives in the leadership and committee chairs have a much heavier workload and deserve a higher salary. They noted that the current pay structure is based on a 2014 report of a bipartisan special commission set up to review the compensation of the state government and its bodies. The salary was determined to be inadequate to attract people to this job. They noted some additional increases in the bonus pay were given by the Legislature in January 2017 when it overrode Gov. Baker’s veto of the hikes. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeoNo Rep. RoseLee VincentNo EDUCATION AND LOCAL AID (H 3800) House 158-0, approved a consolidated amendment to fund education and local aid. Education Committee chair Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley) said the consolidated amendment contains increases over last year for many important items including $15.4 million for the Children’s Trust Fund; $2 million for Early College; $11.8 million for regional libraries; $3.1 million for Recovery High Schools; and $1 million for a new civic education grant program. “The amendment adds to a Ways and Means budget that demonstrated a strong commitment to all sectors of public, birth through [Grade] 12 education throughout the commonwealth,” said Peisch. “The budget overall includes signifi cant increases to Chapter 70, charter school reimbursement and early education, with an explicit commitment to low income students via the Chapter 70 reserve account … It also includes additional funds for libraries, the early college program and civics education programs.” Peisch said the entire budget reflects the leadership’s ongoing dedication to educational improvement for all students to close the achievement and opportunity gaps. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Yes Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes SOCIAL SERVICES AND VETS (H 3800) House 160-0, approved a consolidated amendment on veterans and social services. Veterans Committee chair Linda Campbell (D-Methuen) said the consolidated amendment contains increases over last year for many important programs. She pointed out BEACON | SEE PAGE 18 J& S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $4 yd. $3 yd. www.reverealuminumwindow.com

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