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Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2024 By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 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. 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/aPTLucKs THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ and representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of April 22-28. Some of the House roll calls are on the House version of a $58 billion fi scal 2025 state budget. A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE BUDGET “DEBATE” Most of the decisions on which representatives’ amendments are included or not included in the budget are made behind closed doors. Of the more than 1,500 budget amendments proposed, most of them were bundled into consolidated “mega” amendments. This year there were seven mega amendments and all were approved unanimously. There is no real “debate” on the House floor. Everyone who spoke on any of the consolidated amendments spoke in favor of them. The system works as follows: Individual representatives file amendments on various topics. All members then 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 many subjects including programs relating to public safety, judiciary energy, environmental aff airs, housing, labor and economic development. 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. $375 MILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES (H 4529) House 157-0, Senate 38-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that includes authorizing $200 million in onetime funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state. The $375 million package, a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds, also includes $175 million for several transportation-related grant programs. The programs funded by the $175 million include the municipal small bridge program; the complete streets program; a bus transit infrastructure program; and grants for municipalities to purchase electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them. “This legislation secures critical funding to our municipalities for the roads, bridges and sidewalks that residents utilize each and every day,” said Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), Senate Chair of the Committee on Transportation. “Regardless of where you live or how you get around, this funding will address infrastructure needs to improve travel, enhance safety and bolster our economy.” “The timely passage of this responsive legislation for fiscal year 2025 demonstrates the Legislature’s continued commitment to fund our local transportation projects,” said Rep. Bill Straus (D-Mattapoisett), House Chair of the Transportation Committee. “With the renewed investment in funding rural towns and other infrastructure grant programs, our communities across the commonwealth will be better positioned to meet their unique transportation needs, and I am pleased to support these investments.” “Local offi cials across Massachusetts are grateful for the Legislature’s swift passage of the transportation bond bill, with funding for the Chapter 90 program and additional key investments in municipal roads and bridges,” said Adam Chapdelaine, CEO of the Mass Municipal Association (MMA). “Every community in the commonwealth will benefit from this critical funding, particularly with construction season already underway. The MMA again this year is asking the Legislature to supplement these programs through dedicated funding from the new Fair Share surtax. Last year, supplemental Chapter 90 aid via the surtax provided an additional $100 million for the 30,000 miles of municipal roads, which went to great use in communities across the commonwealth.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $375 million package.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET INCLUDING $251 MILLION FUNDING FOR SHELTERS (H 4582) House 123-35, Senate 299, approved and sent to Gov. Healey a supplemental budget that includes an additional $251 million in funding for the Emergency Assistance Program that funds the emergency family shelter system which houses migrants. The measure imposes a new nine-month limit on how long families can stay in the state’s emergency shelters, with up to two 90-day extensions available to some and a new hardship waiver process. Provisions include $10 million for approved workforce training programs; $10 million for a tax credit for companies that provide job training to Emergency Assistance participants; $3 million for family welcome centers; $1 million for supplemental staffi ng at emergency housing assistance program shelters; and $7 million for resettlement agencies and shelter providers to assist families with rehousing, work authorization and English language learning. Other provisions keep in place some pandemic-era programs, set to expire, including allowing restaurants to sell beer, wine and cocktails for take-out; expanding outdoor dining; and allowing graduates and students in their last semester of nursing education programs to practice nursing. “I’m proud that this legislation puts us on a responsible path forward without sacrifi cing our values of treating families with dignity and respect,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (DAshland). “This legislative action was warranted because of inaction at the federal level on a challenge of their own creation. Massachusetts has once again shown that we can work together to address complicated issues, as we have done today.” “Ensuring that people exit the shelter system in a timely manner is crucial to the emergency assistance program’s long-term viability,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “This is the current reality due to the status of the migrant crisis, the lack of federal support, the number of people on the waitlist and the revenue challenges facing Massachusetts. It’s also critical that we ensure that folks in the shelter system receive ample support aimed at helping them to successfully enter the workforce, which is exactly what this legislation does.” “Once again the Massachusetts Senate was given the opportunity to do right by our residents and the majority party failed to do so,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “The supplemental budget did not have a residency requirement nor prioritization criteria for the right to shelter program and therefore earned a ‘No’ vote from me. In a time when the state budget is being trimmed back, adding nearly half a billion dollars to the right to shelter program which has housed thousands of people who are not Massachusetts residents and has only hemorrhaged money is not the answer.” “I fi rmly believe that the state of Massachusetts cannot continue to aff ord to fund this program ourselves without jeopardizing many of the countless critical programs we hold dear,” said Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld). “Our emergency shelter system was simply never meant to handle the number of individuals it is housing today and unlike the federal government, who has completely abdicated their responsibility to address the immigration crisis, the commonwealth must have a balanced budget and cannot simply run up debt without any consequences.” (A “Yes” vote is for the supplemental budget. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (H 4460) House 30-125, rejected an amendment that would change the state’s Right to Shelter Law which requires the state to provide shelter and other necessities to homeless parents with young children, pregnant women and recently the many migrant families arriving in the Bay State. Homeless individuals are not covered by the Right to Shelter law. The amendment would require that people provide proof that they have lived in the state for at least three months to qualify for the program. It also exempts from the requirement a victim of domestic violence or a person whose living situation has been aff ected by a fi re or other natural disaster that occurred in Massachusetts. Amendment supporters said the current interpretation of residency in Massachusetts by the Healey administration is that the person can be in the state for a matter of minutes to qualify to get services. “The emergency housing assistance program is operating under a 7,500-family cap imposed

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