Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2021 on your phone or tablet • Listen online at www.wmexboston.com • Or tune into 1510 AM if you have an AM radio. • Visit us at www.bobkatzenshow.com A note from Bob Katzen, Publisher of Beacon Hill Roll Call: Join me this Sunday night and every Sunday night between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m. for my talk show “The Bob Katzen Baby Boomer and Gen X Show.” Jump in my time capsule and come back to the simpler days of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. On Sunday, June 6, we will be celebrating our one-year anniversary with a special episode of the show. There are many ways you can listen to the show from anywhere in the world: • If you have a smart speaker, simply say, “Play WMEX on Audacy.com” • Download the free Audacy app THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of May 24-28. All Senate roll calls are on proposed amendments to the $47.72 billion fi scal 2022 budget. There were no roll calls in the House last week. This was the Senate’s second state budget in the COVID-19 era and most senators participated virtually from their homes or offi ces. Of the 923 amendments fi led by senators only 15 came to a roll call vote. Many others were simply approved or rejected one at a time on voice votes without debate. To move things along even fastNOTICE CITY OF REVERE, MA APPROVED LOAN ORDER MWRA WATER MAIN IMPROVEMENTS ORDERED: That $1,110,000 is appropriated to pay costs of designing and constructing water main improvements, including all costs incidental and related thereto; that to meet this appropriation, the Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, is authorized to borrow said amount under and pursuant to M.G.L. c.44, §8(5), or pursuant to any other enabling authority, and to issue bonds or notes of the City therefor; that the Treasurer, with the approval of the Mayor, is authorized to borrow all or a portion of such amount from the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (the “Authority”) pursuant to the Authority’s local water system assistance program and in con assistance agreement with the Authority and otherwise to contract with the Authority with respect to such loan and for any grants or the Mayor is authorized to accept and expend any grants or aid amount of the authorized borrowing for the project shall be reduced by the amount of any such grants or aid received. ORDERED: That any premium received by the City upon the sale of any bonds or notes approved by this order, less any such premium applied to the payment of the costs of issuance of such bonds or notes, may be applied to the payment of costs approved by this order in accordance with Chapter 44, Section 20 of the General Laws, thereby reducing the amount authorized to be borrowed to pay such costs by a like amount. setts (the “Commonwealth”) to qualify under Chapter 44A of the General Laws any and all bonds of the City authorized to be borrowed pursuant to this loan order, and to provide such information may require in connection therewith. In City Council May 24, 2021 ORDERED on a Roll Call: Councillors Giannino, Guinasso, Keefe, McKenna, Morabito, Novoselsky, Powers, Rotondo, Serino, Visconti, and Council President Zambuto voting “YES”. Attest: Ashley E. Melnik, City Clerk Approved by: Mayor Brian M. Arrigo Date: June 1, 2021 Attest: Ashley E. Melnik City Clerk June 4, 2021 er, the Senate also did its usual “bundling” of many amendments. Instead of acting on all the amendments one at a time, hundreds of the proposed amendments are bundled and put into two piles— one pile that will be approved and the other that will be rejected-with a single vote on each pile. Senate President Karen Spilka, or the senator who is fi lling in for her at the podium, orchestrates the approval and rejection of the bundled amendments with a simple: “All those in favor say ‘aye,’ those opposed say ‘no.’ The ayes have it and the amendments are approved.” Or “All those in favor say ‘aye,’ those opposed say ‘no.’ The no’s have it and the amendments are rejected.” Senators don’t actually vote yes or no, and, in fact, they don’t say a word. The outcome was predetermined earlier behind closed doors. «The effi cient Senate budget process this year refl ected lots of careful work by our Ways and Means Chair, Michael Rodriques, and our Senate President, Karen Spilka, to build consensus in the weeks before the budget,» said Senate President Pro Tempore Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont). Despite repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call, Senate President Karen Spilka’s offi ce did not respond to a request to comment on the bundled amendments and the small number of roll calls. And no response was received from Spilka’s leadership team of Sens. Cindy Creem (D-Newton), Joan Lovely (DSalem), Mike Barrett (D-Lexington) and Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett). «Roll call requests are based on a number of factors that are the subject of both continuing and contemporaneous discussions within the caucus based on specifi c issues,» said GOP Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-North Reading). “[The process] more accurately highlights the increasingly effi cient use of the legislative rubber stamp,” said Chip Ford, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation. “Massachusetts doesn’t need the cost of 200 legislators when a handful decide all legislation before it comes for a vote. If the three token ‘loyal opposition’ Republican senators weren’t taking up space taxpayers could at least save the ‘leadership stipends’ they collect.” “This type of process was not the norm only several years ago,» said Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance executive director Paul Craney. «Over the last few years, with new legislative leadership, they rush through votes, often don’t record the votes and don’t allow the public to gain access to what is happening because most of the important work is done behind closed doors. With that being said, the state Senate is much more transparent than Speaker Ron Mariano and Republican Brad Jones in the House. The House is arguably the most opaque legislature in America.” $47.72 BILLION FISCAL 2022 BUDGET (S 3) Senate 40-0, approved a $47.72 million fiscal 2022 state budget for the fi scal year that begins July 1, 2021. Senators added on an additional $63.7 million in spending during three days of debate on the Senate fl oor. The House recently approved its own version of the budget. A House-Senate conference committee will hammer out a compromise version. “This is an extraordinarily hopeful budget, designed to get us ‘back to better,’” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “The Massachusetts Senate vowed to act on what we learned from the COVID-19 public health crisis and invest in areas that lift up our children, families and seniors across all communities -- and that is exactly what this budget does.” Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means said, “The Senate has charted a hopeful path forward this week and passed a fi scally responsible fi scal Year 2022 budget that makes investments to expand educational opportunity, safeguard the health and wellness of our most vulnerable, support our children and families and meet the needs of our post-pandemic economy. “The budget that we passed today focuses on the future and ensures that every resident, business, and family can fi nd success in a postpandemic Massachusetts,” said Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth), Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The past year has been diffi cult for so many, and this budget strives to put in place programs designed to recover from the eff ects of COVID-19. Now is the time for us to rebuild and make the commonwealth an even better place to call home.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget). Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes TAX DEDUCTION FOR REMOTE LEARNING SUPPLIES (S 3) Senate 5-34, rejected an amendment that would provide up to a $500 tax deduction for any K-12 teachers’ expenses they paid for the costs of remote teaching their students. Eligible expenses include professional development courses taken related to the curriculum, books, supplies, computer equipment and for personal protective equipment, disinfectant and other supplies used for the prevention of the spread of COVID-19. Amendment supporters said it is unfair that teachers have to personally pay from their own pockets to cover for these costs. He noted that a recent survey showed that teachers spent an average of $745 was spent of their own money on learning materials. Amendment opponents said they support reimbursing these teachers but argued a tax deduction is not the best way to do it. They noted the state should use some of the billions of dollars in federal funds it receives under the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund and directly reimburse the teachers. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment allowing a $500 deduction. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No ALLOW FARMERS A TAX DEDUCTION FOR DONATING FOOD (S 3) Senate 6-33, rejected an amendment that would give a taxpayer who is in the trade or business of farming and makes a charitable contribution of food to a nonprofi t food organization a deduction on their income tax return for up to 25 percent of the value of the food. The amendment also regulates the contributions and sets standards that the food quality must meet. Amendment supporters said the deduction will help these generous farmers and the charities. They noted that the federal government and several states already allow this deduction. Amendment opponents said the state cannot aff ord the revenue loss in a budget that is tight and still relies on money from the Rainy Day Fund. They noted the budget delays the implementation of the overall charitable deduction that was discontinued in 2001 and argued it is not time to pick and choose a specifi c group of taxpayers who will receive a charitable deduction. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment allowing the charitable deduction for farmers. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Joseph Boncore No ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION FOR LOCAL BOARDS OF HEALTH (S 3) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment increasing funding for local boards of health by $3 million (from $10 million to $13 million). Amendment supporters said that these grants will improve public health protections across the state by strengthening local capacity and supporting sharing of services among cities and towns. “The pandemic made clear what has long been true: Protecting our health requires strengthening investments at the local level,” said sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford (DNorthampton). “In our commonwealth, every municipality has their own board of health or health department. These funds will decrease inequities between communities and promote better health for everyone.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $3 million increase in funding). Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes ADDITIONAL $508,419 FOR DOMESTIC VIOLENCE PREVENTION AND SURVIVOR SERVICES (S 3) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment increasing funding for Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention and Survivor Services by $508,419 (from $50,874,714 to BEACON | SEE Page 19
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