Page 20 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 2023 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 25,000 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 infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by MASSterlist’s editor, Erin Tiernan, with help from Matt Murphy. Both are pros, with a wealth of experience, who introduce each article in their own clever 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: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of July 24-28. $375 MILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES (S 2375) House 157-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a House-Senate conference committee version of a bill that includes authorizing $200 million in one-time 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 House and Senate had approved diff erent versions of the package and this compromise version was drafted by a 6-member conference committee. 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 … bill secures historical levels of funding for our municipal roads, bridges and sidewalks,” said Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), Senate Chair of the Committee on Transportation. “In addition to our annual authorization, we have added additional funding for various transportation programs, from bridge repair to improving access to mass transit. No matter how you get around, this funding will benefi t transportation systems in every region of the commonwealth.” “Providing funding for critical in frastructure projects through investments in the commonwealth’s public transportation, roads, and bridges is one of the most important responsibilities that we have as members of the Legislature,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “I’m proud of the support for regional infrastructure that this legislation provides, and of the funding that it allocates for the purchasing of electric vehicles by transit authorities.” “The passage is good news for cities and towns, and with the changes this year, especially for rural communities,” said Sen. John Keenan (DQuincy). “I hope that in the future we will pass a two-year authorization so that municipalities will have access to these essential funds in a more timely manner, allowing them to better plan work on their roads and bridges.” “Our communities rely so heavily on Chapter 90 funding to make critical transportation improvement projects,” said Rep. Mike Finn (D-West Springfi eld), House Chair of the Committee on Bonding, Capital Expenditures and State Assets. “Today’s funding ensures our roads remain safe and effi cient for the travel of people and commerce. Additionally, with extra resources being made available through competitive application grant programs, the legislative funding is now forward looking in striving to meet broad ranges of municipal needs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $375 million package.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Rep. Jeff Turco Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes Yes Yes GENDER X (S 2207) Senate 39-0 approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow Bay Staters to choose the gender-neutral designation “X” in lieu of “male” or “female” on their birth certifi cates and marriage certifi cates. Another provision in the bill cod ifi es into law a current practice that allows individuals to select “X” as their gender designation on their driver’s license, learner’s permit, identifi cation card and liquor purchase identifi cation card. In addition, current state law re~ Home of the Week ~ Welcoming 6 room 3 bedroom Cape Cod style home boasting great, open concept living room, dining area and updated kitchen featuring maple cabinets, granite counter tops and windows, circular driveway, nicely manicured fenced yard newer above ground pool, just in time for summer enjoyment! View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. quires medical documentation in order to change a gender designation on a birth certificate. The bill does away with that requirement. Similar proposals were approved by the Senate during the 2018, 2020 and 2022 sessions but died from inaction in the House. “People know what gender they are,” said sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “This bill affirms the ability of people to choose a nonbinary gender option on state documents and forms, which would align the commonwealth with many other states that have adopted this designation… Together, with our partners in the House, we will continue to move our commonwealth to embrace this basic human right.” “Giving people the opportunity to be who they are is a human right and one that we are proud to extend to every member of the commonwealth, regardless of how they identify,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) who fi rst introduced the bill in 2017. “Allowing a nonbinary option for state licenses and birth certifi - cates is fundamental to building a society that welcomes, protects and respects all individuals… I am as hopeful as ever that Massachusetts will be able to enshrine this change into our state laws this session and continue welcoming everyone into our commonwealth with open arms.” Although no senators voted against the bill, there was opposition from some outside groups. Catholic Action League Executive Director C.J. Doyle called the bill a “malign, non-rational proposal” that will “require the state to affi rm and give legal sanction to the ideologically driven delusion that gender is a subjective social construct, which can be altered arbitrarily and capriciously, rather than what it is, which is an objective and immutable biological reality.” “It will make government a party to this delusion,” continued Doyle. “It will confuse and falsify public records and compel government employees to participate in this falsifi cation. It will result in discrimination in public employment against those who hold a traditional understanding of reality and will make the investigation of offenders more diffi cult for law enforcement. Section 4 of the bill will essentially empower government bureaucrats who administer programs for youth to proselytize the minors in their care for so-called gender transitioning.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes MAKE OBTAINING ID CARDS EASIER FOR HOMELESS PERSONS (S 2251) Senate 39-0 approved and sent to the House legislation that would make it easier for homeless youth and adults to secure free state ID cards. Supporters said that currently a person experiencing homelessness faces prohibitive fees and documentation requirements when trying to obtain an ID card. They noted that this legislation removes those barriers by eliminating fees and only requiring that applicants present documentation showing that they are currently receiving services provided by the state, a homeless service provider or another service provider. They argued that ID cards are necessary for applying for jobs, enrolling in school, interacting with law enforcement, accessing government buildings, opening fi nancial accounts and many other basic services that many take for granted. “When we listen to our homeless youth about the challenges they face, there is a common denominator and that is access to identifi cation,” said Sen. Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester), the Senate sponsor of the bill. “Having proper identifi cation is the foundation to accessing food, shelter and employment opportunities, while also breaking the cycle of poverty.” “Fees and documentation are not just barriers to identifi cation. By extension, they are barriers to getting a job, accessing healthcare and applying for services—the most basic of necessities,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “These barriers harm the most vulnerable people in our commonwealth and eliminating them is a compassionate step that makes the path to stability a little bit easier.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes $513 MILLION FISCAL 2023 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (S 2426) Senate 38-0 approved a $513 million fi scal supplemental budget to help close out the books on fiscal year 2023 that ended on June 30. The House has already approved its own $693 million package. A HouseSenate conference committee will eventually hammer out a compromise version. Provisions in the Senate version include $180 million for fi scally strained hospitals; $60.3 million for staffi ng at the Department of Transitional Assistance; $100 million for the state’s pension fund; $40 million for a settlement of a court case related to police promotion discrimination; and $75 million for school districts with extraordinary special education costs. “As we fully emerge from the pandemic, the Legislature has addressed several sectors of state government with crucial funding to continue to keep the economy of the commonwealth on a fi rm footing,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “The passage of this supplemental budget today utilizes robust tax revenues to its fullest eff ect, making substantial investments in health care, special education, unemployment assistance and disaster relief funding. Those investments will keep Massachusetts as a leader in the key economic sectors for decades to come.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $513 million supplemental budget.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL 7.5 PERCENT PAY HIKE FOR SENATE STAFFERS – Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) announced a pay BEACON | SEE Page 22
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