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Page 20 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2023 Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco 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 If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562. Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 48 -Report No. 17 April 24-28, 2023 Copyright © 2023 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. 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 mornings 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 infl uence. 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: BHRC records local representatives votes on six roll calls from the week of April 24-28. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week. All roll calls in the House were on matters relating to House passage of a $56.2 billion fi scal 2024 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 1,573 budget amendments proposed, most of them were bundled into consolidated “mega” amendments. This year there were seven mega amendments and all but one, which had just one vote against it, were approved unanimously. There is no real “debate” on the House fl oor. Everyone who spoke on any of the consolidated amendments spoke in favor of them. The system works as follows: Individual representatives fi le 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 upor-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. Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston) was the only member who voted against one of the consolidated amendments - the one that added an estimated $10.5 million in spending on Public Safety and the Judiciary. HOUSE APPROVES $56.2 BILLION FISCAL 2024 STATE BUDGET (H 3900) House 156-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $56.2 billion fi scal 2024 state budget after adding an estimated $120 million in spending during three days of debate. The House version now goes to the Senate which will approve a diff erent version. A House-Senate conference committee will eventually craft a plan that will be presented to the House and Senate for consideration and then sent to the governor. “From critical investments in health care and workforce development, to funding for new initiatives that are designed to increase educational opportunities, better support working families, and provide for a safer and more reliable public transportation system, the House’s fi scal year 2024 budget will help to make Massachusetts more aff ordable for residents, while allocating support for the commonwealth’s most consequential institutions,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “This budget builds off the successes of the last few years by prioritizing our residents. Whether it is greater investments into programs like housing stability, food security or early education, these initiatives are a refl ection of our shared values,” said Rep. Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), chair of the House Committee on Ways and Means. “By reinvesting in the people of the commonwealth, we will continue to assist those recovering from this pandemic while making our economy more competitive and equitable for years to come.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget.) Yes TAX REVENUE FROM MILLIONAIRE’S TAX (H 3900) House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would remove a section in the budget that exempts tax revenue generated from the recently voter-approved Millionaire Tax from counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations, under Chapter 62F, which provides that whenever revenue collections in a fi scal year exceed an annual cap tied to wage and salary growth, the excess is returned to taxpayers. Last year, $3 billion in refunds were returned to taxpayers when the law was triggered for just the second time since its passage in 1986. The revenue from the Millionaire Tax is deposited into the new Education and Transportation Stabilization Fund. “There is no justifi cation for excluding the Millionaire Tax revenues from the Chapter 62F calculations, as all other taxes including taxes constitutionally designated towards specifi c uses like the gas tax, are included in the current calculation, and tax rate increases have not been held aside from the formula previously,” said amendment sponsor GOP House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “Attempting to exclude these revenues is a slap in the face to the state’s taxpayers and the voters who supported this ballot question.” Amendment opponents said the amendment will put the new revenue in jeopardy and argued this new revenue is earmarked for education and transportation and must be protected and treated diff erently than other tax revenue. Revenue Committee House chair Mark Cusack (D-Braintree) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on why he urged representatives to vote against the amendment. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment that favors tax revenue generated from the recently voter-approved Millionaire Tax counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations. A “No” vote is against the amendment and supports exempting the revenue from the allowable state tax revenue limitations.) Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Jeff Turco No CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT ON LABOR AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (H 3900) House 157-0, approved a $31.5 million consolidated amendment that funds labor and economic development programs. “We are continuing to see positive data with jobs, unemployment rates and the labor market,” said Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury), House chair of the Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. “These datapoints tell us that the investments we’ve made in our workforce are having a positive impact. This House budget we approved … continues this trajectory by investing more resources in our people.” (A “Yes” vote is for the consolidated amendment.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco comment on why he proposed the section of the consolidated amendment that provides the 25 percent pay hike. “The budgeting process at the Yes CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT ON ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS AND HOUSING (H 3900 House 158-0, approved a $7.3 million consolidated amendment that funds energy, environmental aff airs and housing programs. “We are on the front lines of the climate crisis and if we are to minimize irreversible impacts, we must make unparalleled changes,” said State Representative Jeff rey N. Roy (D-Franklin), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy. “The House budget and adopted energy and environmental amendment together commit 1.25 percent of the state’s total budget to implement the policies and strategies stemming from robust climate bills passed over the past few sessions.” (A “Yes” vote is for the consolidated amendment.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT ON PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUDICIARY (H 3900) House 157-1, approved a $10.5 million consolidated amendment that funds Public Safety and Judiciary. “The budget is a testament to our unwavering dedication towards criminal justice reform, reducing recidivism, providing access to justice and essential services for inmates, as well as improving police and fi re departments in municipalities, and supporting directed patrols by the State Police,” said Rep. Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfi eld), chair of the Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security. Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on why he was the only representative who voted against the amendment. (A “Yes” vote is for the consolidated amendment.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT ON CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, STATE ADMINISTRATION AND TRANSPORTATION (H 3900) House 157-0, approved a $5.2 million consolidated amendment that funds Constitutional Offi cers, State Administration and Transportation. This amendment includes a $9,000 pay raise, from $36,025 to $45,025, for the eight members of the Governor’s Council which provides advice and consent on gubernatorial appointments, pardons and prison sentence commutations. Rep. John Lawn (D-Watertown) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to Statehouse is completely broke,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “This is just one example of how taxpayer dollars get thrown around with no account. There’s absolutely no excuse why the amendment sponsor or a member of the House leadership team couldn’t have made their case as to why they feel these pay increases are necessary. Why even bother having a House chamber if they’re going to conduct all of their debates in rooms that the press and public are barred from entering,” asked Craney. (A “Yes” vote is for the consolidated amendment that includes the $9,000 pay raise.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL LAURA’S LAW: NEW SIGNAGE, LIGHTING, SECURITY FEATURES NOW ORDERED FOR MASS EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS – In 2021, former-Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law “Laura’s Law” that would require all hospitals to meet minimum criteria and standards that ensure safe, timely and accessible patient access to hospital emergency departments. The Department of Public Health has fi nally established a set of regulations for “Laura’s Law” that hospitals must comply with by Jan. 1, 2024. “Laura’s Law” was named in memory of Laura Levis, a 34-yearold woman who, on September 16, 2016, went to CHA Somerville Hospital while suff ering a fatal asthma attack, but was unable to get inside.” Peter DeMarco, Levis’s husband, has led the campaign for passage of the legislation. He is a journalist who wrote about Laura’s death almost fi ve years ago for the “Boston Globe” in a story called “Losing Laura.” According to DeMarco’s story, “Laura chose a locked door to try to access the emergency room because the correct door was not properly marked. Though Laura was on surveillance video, the hospital security desk was left unattended all night, so no one saw her. When a nurse from the emergency department eventually looked out the door for Laura, she did not see her, as the spot where Laura collapsed was in near darkness.” Laura had called 911 but by the time fi rst responders found her, she had collapsed in cardiac arrest and died a few days later. “I know Laura’s name is on these new regulations, but they are not just for the rare case of someone collapsing outside an emergency department door—far from it,” said DeMarco at a Statehouse news conference last week. “These new regulations will help all of us fi nd and get inside emergency departments faster, and for some people BEACON | SEE Page 22

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