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Page 16 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, FEbrUAry 7, 2025 make it easier for homeless 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 50 - Report No. 5 January 27-31, 2025 Copyright © 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen G ET 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/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. When the 2024 legislative session ended on January 1, thousands of bills that did not get fi - nal approval by the House and Senate died. Beacon Hill Roll Call’s research highlights four major bills that were easily approved by the Senate but died from inaction in the House. Three of the measures died in the House Ways and Means Committee. Under House rules, any individual representative can move to discharge any bill from the Ways and Means Committee. There is a 7-day waiting period prior to the House considering the motion to discharge. The discharge motion must receive a majority vote of the members present. If the measure is discharged from the committee, the committee has four days within which to report out the measure for placement on the House’s agenda for action. A bill may also be discharged from the Ways and Means Committee by any representative by fi ling a petition signed by a majority of the House. The bill would then be discharged seven days later and go onto the House agenda for the next session. Rarely are either of those methods used to discharge a bill from a committee. Some critics say that sometimes bills are held up in committee because someone in a high position of power either inside or outside the Statehouse is opposed to it. An ex-state representative who wished to remain anonymous told Beacon Hill Roll Call, “Although under House rules, every representative has the power to attempt to discharge a bill, hardly any attempt is made to do this out of fear of off ending and alienating the powerful speaker, his leadership team and committee chairs.” Beacon Hill Roll Call’s archives show that motions to discharge a bill from a committee and bring it to the full House for debate and a vote was a common practice back in the 1970s and 1980s. Beacon Hill Roll Call contacted the offi ce of House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) and House Ways and Means chair Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston) several times last week and asked why these bills, easily approved by the Senate, died in the House. Neither offi ce responded. Here are the four bills that were easily approved by the Senate but died in the House. Beacon Hill Roll Call asked the Senate sponsor of each bill how they feel about it dying in the House and whether they have fi led the bill for consideration in the 20252026 session. MAKE OBTAINING ID CARDS EASIER FOR HOMELESS PERSONS (S 2251) On July 27, 2023, the Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House legislation that would youth and adults to secure free state ID cards. The House took no action on the bill and it died. 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. Last week, sponsor Sen. Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester) told Beacon Hill Roll Call, “This bill refl ects a continued commitment to addressing homelessness, building on the work of my predecessor and in collaboration with the Coalition for the Homeless. It represents an important step in supporting our most vulnerable residents, and I appreciate the efforts of all advocates and stakeholders involved. As it moves forward this session, I look forward to working with colleagues in the Senate to pass it again. I defer to my colleagues in the House to get it passed in their chamber.” MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS (S 2491) On October 26, 2023, the Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would require all prisons, homeless shelters and K-12 schools to maintain free menstrual products, including sanitary napkins, tampons and underwear liners in private and public restrooms and to make them available in a “convenient manner that does not stigmatize any persons seeking the products.” The House took no action on the bill and it died. Supporters said that according to the Massachusetts Menstrual Equity Coalition, approximately one in seven children in Massachusetts is living in poverty and struggles to pay for menstrual products. They argued that research shows that the inability to access menstrual products affects students’ class attendance. They also noted that women facing homelessness or who are incarcerated face high barriers to access, with Massachusetts shelters reporting that menstrual products are among the least donated items. They argued that restricted access in shelters and prisons means that products can be used as bargaining chips and tools of control for people in vulnerable circumstances. Last week, sponsor Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville) told Beacon Hill Roll Call, “I refi led the bill and am hopeful for its passage.” HIV PREVENTION DRUGS (S 2480) On October 26, 2023, the Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would allow pharmacists to prescribe, dispense and administer a shortterm supply (60-days once in a two-year period) of HIV prevention drugs, known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), to a patient without a prescription. The House took no action on the bill and it died. The bill requires pharmacists to provide counseling to the patient regarding the use of PrEP, to inform the patient’s primary care doctor that the pharmacist has prescribed the drug, to connect patients without a primary care provider with a health care provider for ongoing care and to obtain a prescription for PrEP. Under the bill, pharmacists could only prescribe PrEP to patients who have tested negative for HIV within the past seven days, do not have HIV symptoms and are not taking medications that are not safe to use with PrEP. Supporters said that PrEP is a life-saving medication that is 100 percent eff ective in stopping the transmission of HIV. They note that under current law, individuals who take PrEP must make an appointment and go through their doctor, a barrier that can stand in the way for people who need the medication on short notice, cannot make an appointment or cannot access medical care. Last week, sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro) did not respond to Beacon Hill Roll Call’s repeated requests to comment on the bill dying in the House and whether he has refi led it. ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL LOCAL OPTIONS INCLUDING TAX HIKES FOR CITIES AND TOWNS Gov. Maura Healey fi led legislation, dubbed by her as the Municipal Empowerment Act, that would allow cities and towns to increase local taxes on meals, lodging and vehicle registration; permanently authorize municipalities to permit hybrid public meetings; change state procurement laws; and create enforcement mechanisms to push utilities to more promptly remove double poles. The tax hike provisions include giving local cities and towns the option to Increase the maximum local option lodging tax on hotel, motel and other rentals from 6 percent to 7 percent in most communities, and 6.5 percent to 7.5 percent for Boston; increase the local meals tax ceiling from 0.75 percent to 1 percent; and adding a new local option surcharge of up to 5 percent on motor vehicle excise bills that can be dedicated to local stabilization funds. “Every Massachusetts resident deserves to live in a community with high-quality local services, from safe roadways to access to good jobs and schools,” said Gov. Healey. “Our administration knows that city and town offi cials know their communities the best, and that’s why we want to empower them with the tools to make the choices they need to provide the best local services that meet the unique needs of their communities.” “At a time when Massachusetts is already struggling with affordability and large-scale out-migration of people and wealth, the last thing we need is another round of tax hikes,” said Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “These proposals will make it even more expensive to live, work and do business here, pushing more families and employers to states with lower taxes and fewer regulations.” $712,500 FOR WELLBEING OF FIRST RESPONDERS – The Healey Administration announced the awarding of $712,500 to support the wellbeing of fi rst responders. The grants are designed to ensure that services are available to members of law enforcement and other emergency responders in the aftermath of a traumatic incident in the line of duty. “When police offi cers encounter life threatening dangers as they work to protect communities, we have a duty to ensure they have access to services and supports as they cope with the trauma they’ve experienced,” BEACON | SEE PAGE 17

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