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THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2020 Page 17 LISTEN TO BOB’S SHOW: Beacon Hill Roll Call’s publisher, Bob Katzen, hosts “The Bob Katzen Baby Boomer and Gen X Fun and Nostalgia Show” every Sunday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jump into Bob’s DeLorean time machine and tune in for a trip back to the simpler and happier days of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Recent guests include Tony Dow who played Wally on “Leave it to Beaver.” 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 RADIO.COM” Download the free RADIO. COM app on your phone or tablet Listen online at: www.radio.com/1510wmex/listen Tune into 1510 AM if you still have an AM radio THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. FIVE CONFERENCE COMMITTEES HAVE YET TO COME UP WITH COMPROMISE LEGISLATION – This week Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on five conference committees that have been charged by the Legislature to hammer out compromise versions of different versions of five major bills approved by the House and Senate. The committees were appointed In July and August by House Speaker Bob DeLeo (D-Winthrop) and Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) who each appoint three members to each conference committee—two Democrats and one Republican. The five bills deal with climate change, economic development, transportation, policing and health care. According to House and Senate rules, all meetings of conference committees must be open to the public, unless a majority of the committee votes to close the meetings. All five conference committees have voted to bar the public and the media from their meetings. The 26 members of the conference committees include: Reps. Thomas Golden (D-Lowell), Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset); Brad Jones (R-North Reading); Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester); Donald Wong (R-Saugus); Claire Cronin (D-Easton), Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield), Tim Whelan (R-Brewster), William Straus (D-Mattapoisett), Mark Cusack (D-Braintree), Norman Orrall (R-Lakeville), Ron Mariano (D-Quincy), John Mahoney (D-Worcester) and Randy Hunt (R-Sandwich). Sens. Michael Barrett (D-Lexington), Cindy Creem (D-Newton), Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth), Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow), Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport), Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston), Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop), Dean Tran (R-Fitchburg), Cindy Friedman (DArlington) and Julian Cyr (D-Truro). Despite repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking all 26 legislators on the five committees if they would provide us with a list of how many meetings the committee has held and the length of each meeting, only one responded—Sen. Dean Tran (R-Fitchburg), a member of two of the conference committees. On the conference committee on a bill sponsors say will increase access to health care, protect patients and enhance quality care: “I am anxiously awaiting for the chairs of the Health Care Financing conference committee to convene a meeting of the members for this important legislation,” said Tran. “I’m looking forward to discussing the similarities and differences of the bills and hopefully assist with the passage of the legislation.” On the conference committee on a bill sponsors say will allow the state to borrow an estimated $16.9 to $18 billion to spend on transportation projects and infrastructure: “I and members of the Transportation Conference Committee members met in July and the meeting ended in executive session,” said Tran. “I very much look forward to continuing the conversation in passing a compromise bill to address the infrastructure needs of our transportation system.” Beacon Hill Roll Call also made repeated attempts asking each member of the conference committees for information on how the talks were going, what are the major differences between the House and Senate version of the bills, why a compromise hasn’t yet been reached and whether they think there will be one before the end of the 2020 session. Only three legislators responded and none of those answered the questions. The others did not respond. “[Rep. Cronin] cannot comment on the bills or the negotiations while the bills are in conference committee,” said Cronin’s staff director Stephanie Leone. “The committee is working diligently.” “No comment,” said Sen. Brownsberger (D-Belmont). “We can’t talk about that,” said Rep. Golden (D-Lowell). Here are the details about the five committees and the issues: CLIMATE BILL (H 4933 and S 2500)–IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SINCE AUGUST 6, 2020 HOUSE CONFEREES: Co-chair Thomas Golden (D-Lowell), Patricia Haddad (D-Somerset) and Brad Jones (R-North Reading). SENATE CONFEREES: Co-chair Michael Barrett (D-Lexington), Cindy Creem (D-Newton) and Patr ick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). House 142-17, Senate 36-2, approved different versions of a climate change bill. Both bills include a key section that makes the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal net zero by 2050. “The science is clear: to avoid the devastation of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net zero by 2050,” said Rep. Joan Meschino (D-Hull) following passage of the House version of the bill on July 31. “This goal will only be met by a comprehensive planning process, which locks in key milestones now to get us there in 30 years.” Some think the bill goes too far. “Both bills are equally as bad, it’s only a question to what degree of bad are they,” Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance told Beacon Hill Roll Call last week. “They both will result in negligible environmental benefit and very high costs. At the end of the day, this debate is not about improving the environment, but instead about imposing a carbon tax, which is a new way of taxing Massachusetts residents on a wide variety of everyday activities.” “If lawmakers wanted to get serious about improving the environment, they would begin discussions on nuclear energy, cleaning water sources including the heavily polluted Merrimac River, and banning the use of clear-cutting forests for solar fields,” Craney concluded. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes ECONOMY (H 4887 and S 2874)–IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SINCE JULY 30, 2020 HOUSE CONFEREES: Cochair Aaron Michlewitz (D-Boston), Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester) and Donald Wong (R-Saugus). SENATE CONFEREES: Cochair Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow), Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) and Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). House 156-3, Senate 400, approved different versions of an economic development package. One of the major differences is that only Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen the House version legalizes sports betting. The packages include $20 million for financial and capital assistance grants to restaurants impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus; $10 million for grants to promote marketing and advertising for in-state cultural and tourist activities during the reopening process; $40 million to redevelop blighted buildings; $50 million for local economic development projects; $10 million for climate-resilient affordable housing developments; and $15 million for community college high-demand workforce grants. (A “Yes” vote is for the package. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes POLICING (H 4866 and S 2820) IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SINCE JULY 27, 2020 HOUSE CONFEREES: Co - chair Claire Cronin (D-Easton), Carlos Gonzalez (D-Springfield) and Tim Whelan (R-Brewster). SENATE CONFEREES: Cochair Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), Sonia Chang-Diaz (D-Boston) and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). House 93-66, Senate 307, approved different versions of a bill making major changes in the state’s policing system. In July, the newly created nonpartisan Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University released a report outlining the framework for understanding key differences between the two bills and highlighting the choices and trade-offs involved in achieving common ground. A copy of the analysis can be found at: https://tischcollege.tufts. edu/sites/default/files/cSPA_ police_reform.pdf (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Rep. Donald Wong No Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes TRANSPORTATION (H 4547 and S 2813) IN CONFERENCE COMMITTEE SINCE JULY 27, 2020 HOUSE CONFEREES: Cochair William Straus (D-Mattapoisett), Mark Cusack (D-Braintree) and Norman Orrall (R-Lakeville). SENATE CONFEREES: Cochair Joseph Boncore (D-Winthrop), Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) and Dean Tran (R-Fitchburg). House 150-1, Senate 36-4, approved different versions of an estimated $16.9 to $18 billion package authorizing spending on transportation projects and infrastructure. The package is a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds. The Senate version of the bill includes a controversial section that allows cities and towns and regions to raise local taxes to fund transportation projects outside of Proposition 2½, which limits property tax increases in cities and towns. The section is not in the House bill. “It’s clear that more and better public transit is needed across the state, and it is important to give local communities and regions the ability to raise funds when they identify particular needs,” said Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton) when the bill was approved on March 5. “Improving access to business districts that are not currently accessible by public transit is good for workers, small businesses and the overall economy. We are giving communities this option if the voters choose to use it.” “Auda c iou s end -r un s around Proposition 2½ do not belong in a bond bill,” Chip Ford, executive director of Citizens for Limited Taxation told Beacon Hill Roll Call last week. “If CLT’s property tax limitation, which celebrates its 40th anniversary in less than two weeks, is to be assaulted it should be done openly, in the light of day, not buried in an unrelated must-pass bill—and certainly not by stealth in a transportation bond bill.” The House version includes an estimated $522 million to $600 million tax hike to fund improvements BEACON | SEE PAGE 18

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