THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2021 Page 15 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen A NOTE FROM BOB KATZEN, PUBLISHER OF BEACON HILL ROLL CALL: 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, Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence in Massachusetts. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Chris Van Buskirk and Keith Regan who introduce each article in their own clever and never-boring, inimitable 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: www.massterlist.com/subscribe. THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of October 2529. All the House roll calls are on the $3.82 billion package which spends the federal money the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act and the surplus left over from the state’s fiscal year 2021 budget on relief and recovery from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 18 months. A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE $3.82 BILLION FOR COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY “DEBATE” All of the decisions on which representatives’ amendments are included or not included in the relief and recovery package are made “behind closed doors.” Or in the COVID-19 era, “behind closed Zoom meetings.” The vast majority of the more than 1,000 amendments proposed were on local projects for cities and towns in individual representatives’ districts and were bundled into consolidated “mega” amendments. There were four mega amendments and all but one, which had just one vote against it, were approved unanimously. There is no real “debate” on the House floor. Everyone who spoke on any of the consolidated amendments spoke in favor of them. The system works as follows: Individual representatives file amendments on several topics. All members then pitch their amendments to Democratic leaders who draft consolidated amendments that include some of the individual representatives’ amendments while excluding others. The categories of consolidated amendments relate to many subjects including programs for health and human services, education, housing, the environment, climate, economic development and jobs. Supporters of the system say that any representative who sponsored an excluded amendment can bring it to the floor and ask for an up or down vote on the amendment itself. They say this system has worked well for many years. Opponents say that rarely does a member bring his or her amendment to the floor for an up-or-down vote because that is not the way the game is played. It is an “expected tradition” that you accept the fate of your amendment as determined by Democratic leaders. Last week no member brought their individual amendment to the floor for debate and a separate roll call vote. Rep. Peter Durant (R-Spencer) was the only member who voted against one of the consolidated amendments—the one that added an estimated $26.6 million in spending on environment, climate and infrastructure. $3.82 BILLION FOR COVID RELIEF AND RECOVERY (H 4219) House 159-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $3.82 billion package which spends the federal money the state received from the American Rescue Plan Act and the surplus left over from the state’s fiscal year 2021 budget on relief and recovery from the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic over the past 18 months. The plan includes one-time investments in health and human services, education, housing, the environment including climate mitigation, economic development and jobs. The House added an estimated $174 million to the package through the passage of four mega-amendments. Provisions include $500 million to provide premium pay bonuses for low- and middle-income work7. What state is nicknamed the Sugar State? 8. On Nov. 7, 1913, what 1. On Nov. 5, 1960, Mack Sennett died, who produced what police silent films? 2. In November 1931 the radio series “Challenge of the Yukon” was renamed “Sergeant Preston of the Yukon” – what was the name of the series’ dog? 3. Guinness World Records stated that what building is the “World’s Farthest Manmade Leaning building”? 4. In 1910 what aircraft type became the first to have commercial service? 5. On Nov. 6, 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected president in a four-way race, receiving what vote percentage: 40, 76 or 89? 6. In what year did the U.S. military draft end: 1969, 1973 or 1980? French author of “The Plague” was born? 9. Who are known as the 3 Bs of classical music? 10. What war was known as “The Great War”? 11. Where would you find replicas of Discovery, Godspeed and Susan Constant? 12. On Nov. 8, 1997, the main channel of what Chinese river began to be dammed to create the world’s largest hydroelectric power project? 13. What early vice president (who later became president) called his office “the most insignificant office that ever the invention of man contrived”? 14. On Nov. 9, 1842, what ers who worked in-person during the COVID-19 State of Emergency; $250 million for financially strapped hospitals; $20 million for community health centers; $10 million for community-based gun violence prevention programs; $78 million to address food insecurity; $100 million for homeownership assistance; $100 million for production and preservation of affordable rental housing for residents of municipalities disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; $100 million for infrastructure for communities to adapt and become climate resilient; $100 million for grants to public school districts with high concentrations of low-income students, English language learners and communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19; $75 million for capital and maintenance projects for higher education; $10 million for programs focused on recruiting and retaining educators of color; $40 million for youth summer and school-year jobs; $50 million to close the digital divide; $12 million to assist in the resettlement of Afghan refugees in Massachusetts; and $5 million for the Inspector General’s office to create a public database and website to track total spending, including the percentage of funds spent in communities that were disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and to track the number of projects awarded to minority-owned businesses and organizations. “The funds distributed in this legislation have the potential to be transformative,” said Rep. Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester), Vice Chair of House Committee on Ways & Means. “Every dollar appropriatcountry issued its first design patent – for typefaces and borders? 15. What was the pseudonym of Greta Gustafsson? 16. On Nov. 10, 1983, who introduced Windows 1.0? 17. In what 1818 novel would you find “It was on a dreary night of November that I beheld the accomplishment of my toils. With an anxiety that almost amounted to agony, I collected the instruments of life around me…”? 18. On what two days does Arlington National Cemetery hold biannual memorial services? 19. What are known as the Twin Cities? 20. November 11 is Veterans Day; what was Veterans Day originally called? ed toward areas such as workforce development, housing and mental health services has the ability to reverse the secondary crises caused by the pandemic and assist Massachusetts residents in resetting their lives.” “The investments made by the House today address evident needs across all Massachusetts communities and sectors of the economy, particularly among those who have been disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy). “Today the Massachusetts House once again proved to the rest of the world why they maintain the top spot as the most secretive and opaque legislative body in America,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Only Speaker Ron Mariano would come up with a plan to negotiate all the 1,000 plus amendments behind closed doors at off-hours of the evening and not offer any debate on the floor. Transparency is replaced with opaqueness and the public suffers as democracy continues to decline in our state. Regular people have no way of knowing the deliberations behind how their tax dollars are spent in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes $11.7 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR HOUSING AND FOOD SECURITY (H 4219) House 159-0, approved a consolidated amendment adding an estimated $11.7 million in spending on BHRC | SEE PAGE 17 ANSWERS 1. The Keystone Cops 2. King 3. “Capital Gate” in Abu Dhabi, UAE, which was designed to slant 4. Dirigible 5. 40 6. 1973 7. Louisiana 8. Albert Camus 9. Bach, Beethoven and Brahms 10. World War I 11. Jamestown, Virginia (The ships arrived in 1607.) 12. Yangtze River 13. John Adams 14. The United States 15. Greta Garbo 16. Bill Gates 17. “Frankenstein” by Mary Shelley 18. Memorial Day and Veterans Day 19. Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota 20. Armistice Day
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