Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 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 infl uence. 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://massterlist.com/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from budget vetoes by Gov. Maura Healey. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. $1.5 MILLION FOR BEST LENDING PRACTICES AND FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS (H 4800) House 135-23, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of the entire $1.5 million for the operation of a grant program for best lending practices, fi rst-time homeowner counseling for nontraditional loans and at least ten foreclosure education centers. The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $1.5 million was eliminated. “I am striking language for an earmark not consistent with my [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “The reduction in the item incorporates the amount of the stricken earmarked funds. This funding level will continue to support consumer counseling programs.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $1.5 million. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes $250,000 FOR FINANCIAL LITERACY (H 4800) House 154-4, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of the entire $250,000 for a competitive grant program to school districts to support the implementation of fi nancial literacy standards for students in kindergarten through grade 12. The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $250,000 was eliminated. “I am vetoing this item to an amount consistent with my [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “Other sources of funding for fi nancial literacy appropriated in this budget will mitigate the eff ects of this veto.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $250,000. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes $2 MILLION FOR INCREASING PARTICIPATION IN ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES (H 4800) House 154-2, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $2 million (reducing funding from $3.3 million to $1.3 million) for a program to increase student participation and performance in advanced placement courses, particularly among underserved populations, to prepare students for college and career success in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and English. The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $2 million was eliminated. “I am reducing this item to an amount consistent with my [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. (A “Yes” vote is for the $2 million. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL Here are the unoffi cial results on the fi ve questions on the November ballot. According to the Secretary of State’s website: Elections results are often separated into two categories: unoffi cial and offi cial. Unofficial results are announced by local poll workers shortly after the polls close on Election Night. These results are typically shared with media organizations and may even be posted online by local election offi cials. Unoffi cial results are subject to change as additional ballots are counted and tallies are confi rmed. The secretary of state does not publish unoffi cial election results on its website. Offi cial results are fi nal election results that have been certifi ed by local city and town clerks and submitted to the secretary of state’s offi ce which reviews them and then publishes them on its website. QUESTION #1 (approved 71.6 percent to 28.4 percent) asked voters if they approved of a proposed law that would allow the state auditor to audit the Legislature. SUPPORTERS REACT: “We’re grateful that more than 71 percent of Massachusetts voters stood up for a more transparent and accountable Legislature focused on making life better in the commonwealth,” said a spokesperson for Yes on 1. “Our campaign brought together advocates, community leaders and everyday people from across the political spectrum who worked together to pass this important reform. We especially thank Auditor Diana DiZoglio for championing this issue, and the voters for overwhelmingly supporting it.” OPPONENTS REACT: “Consistent with how the Legislature has moved forward with every voter-approved ballot question in the past, we will consider next steps regarding how to best respect the Question 1 election results in a manner that aligns with the fundamental principles of the Massachusetts Constitution, including separation of powers,” said Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano in a joint statement In the meantime, State Auditor Diana DiZoglio wasted no time in notifying House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka, a mere three days after the election, that she is reviving her audit of the Legislature which met a roadblock in March 2023 when the two legislative leaders refused to provide her offi ce with information for the audit. This refusal led to the ballot question which was championed by DiZoglio. In a November 8 letter to Mariano and Spilka, DiZoglio said the audit “will cover all of the topics we were unable to fully review in our previous audit, due to your refusal to participate in the audit process.” DiZoglio set a deadline of November 11 for the Legislature to provide the materials she requested. “Our work will start with a review of high-risk areas, such as state contracting and procurement procedures, the use of taxpayer-funded nondisclosure agreements, and a review of your balance forward line item — including a review of all relevant fi nancial receipts and information,” DiZoglio wrote. “Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the General Laws of the General Laws requires organizations being audited to provide our audit team with books, documents and other records pertaining to the audit. We may also make inquiries regarding audit issues with the members of your staff responsible for the functions involved in this audit, and request, from management, written confi rmation of statements your staff made to us during the audit.” In March 2023, House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) said in a letter to DiZoglio, “That your office has the legal authority to conduct an audit of the General Court is a claim entirely without legal support or precedent, as it runs contrary to multiple, explicit provisions of the Massachusetts Constitution, and is wholly unnecessary as the public currently has full and ready access to the House’s fi nancial information.” “All of the House’s accounts are available on the Commonwealth’s Financial Records Transparency Platform (“CTHRU”) webpage, which can be viewed at www.macomptroller.org/cthru,” continued the letter. “There are no expenditures of the House that are not posted on CTHRU and available for public inspection. Additionally, the House adopts rules for each legislative session, including a rule that requires all House accounts to be independently audited on an annual basis in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in the United
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