THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate for Dec. 5-9.
This week, with the end of the 2016 session only weeks away, Beacon Hill Roll Call, in the second of a series of special reports, looks at some of the bills that were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in the 2016 session.
MODERNIZING LOCAL GOVERNMENT (H 4565) — House 158-0, Senate 39-0, approved a new law aimed at modernizing municipal finance and government including updating or outright repealing of several prior archaic laws and creating a new law allowing communities to issue driver citations electronically. Many provisions in the bill are technical and Gov. Baker called the measure “a great example of some true weed whacking of outdated, clunky laws that will empower our municipalities and support good-governing at the local level across the Commonwealth.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the new law.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik Yes
Rep. Paul Mark Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee Yes
Sen. Benjamin Downing Yes
Sen. Stanley Rosenberg Yes
$50 MILLION TO COMMUNITIES FOR SMALL BRIDGE REPAIRS (H 4557) — House 158-0, Senate 38-1, approved a $750 million package for transportation projects across the state. The package includes $700 million for highway improvements and $50 million for a new grant program to fund the repair of cities’ and towns’ bridges that are 20 or less feet in length.
Supporters of the package say it will fund critical improvements to highways across the state. They note the $50 million for bridge repairs goes directly to cities and towns in need of funds to repair bridges that are crumbling.
The lone opponent opposed a provision that exempts from the state’s debt ceiling large amounts of borrowing authorized in a 2014 transportation bond bill. He said this action is fiscally irresponsible.
Another section of the proposed new law, later vetoed by the governor, would have created a pilot program that would charge drivers a fee based on how many miles they drive. The program would include 500 drivers who volunteer for the program.
(A “Yes” vote is for $700 million for highway improvements and $50 million the repair of cities’ and towns’ bridges. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik Yes
Rep. Paul Mark Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee Yes
Sen. Benjamin Downing Yes
Sen. Stanley Rosenberg Yes
$1 BILLION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE (H 4569) — House 157-0, Senate 38-1, approved a new package allowing the state to borrow money over five years as part of an economic development package aimed at boosting the economy, creating jobs, workforce development and infrastructure investment. The biggest ticket item is $500 million for the MassWorks infrastructure grant program which is promoted as one-stop shopping for cities and towns and other eligible public entities seeking public infrastructure funding to support economic development and job creation.
Municipalities could use the money for a variety of things including housing construction, city and town center revitalization projects and mill redevelopment opportunities.
The package also gives “angel investors” a state tax credit equal to 20 percent of the amount of the investment they make in a qualifying business. In order to qualify, the business must have its principal place of business in the Bay State, have at least 50 percent of its employees located here, employ 20 or fewer full-time employees and have gross revenues equal to or less than $500,000. The tax credit rises to 30 percent if the business is in one of the state’s struggling cities, known as gateway cities.
Another key provision creates a new tax incentive to encourage families to put away money for higher education costs. Under the program, individual filers would get a $1,000 tax deduction for contributions to a prepaid tuition or college savings program, also known as a 529 plan. The deduction would increase to $2,000 for married couples.
(A “Yes” vote is for the package. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik Yes
Rep. Paul Mark Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee Yes
Sen. Benjamin Downing Yes
Sen. Stanley Rosenberg Yes
CLOSE THE GENDER WAGE GAP (H 4509) — House 154-0, Senate 40-0, approved a new law to strengthen the Bay State’s prior pay equity law by closing the wage gap between men and women doing the same job. The new law requires that women be paid equal pay for comparable work unless the variation is based upon mitigating factors including seniority, a system that measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, sales or revenue and education, training or experience.
The new law establishes pay transparency, prohibits screening of prospective employees based on salary history, requires fairness in hiring practices and increases fines for violations. Other provisions prohibit employers from reducing salaries in order to comply with the new law and from preventing employees from talking about their salaries.
(A “Yes” vote is for the new law.)
Rep. Stephen Kulik Didn’t Vote
Rep. Paul Mark Yes
Rep. Susannah Whipps Lee Yes
Sen. Benjamin Downing Yes
Sen. Stanley Rosenberg Yes
BAKER SLASHES $98 MILLION IN SPENDING — Gov. Baker last week cut $98 million from the $39 billion-plus fiscal 2017 state budget to address what he says is the estimated state shortfall unless revenues dramatically increase.
Cuts include $7.6 million for the Office of Travel and Tourism; $6.4 million for the State Police; $1.9 million for the Bureau of Substance Abuse Services; $665,000 for the Emergency Food Assistance Program; $630,000 for the Stop Stroke Program; $300,000 for Prostate Cancer Research; $250,000 for the School Breakfast Program; and $185,000 for domestic violence and sexual assault prevention and survivor services.
“It’s pretty clear that with the deficiencies we need to fund — court-ordered attorneys, snow and ice, emergency assistance, stuff that I think there’s general agreement that we’re going to need to pay for — and the downturn that we’ve all seen in revenue despite the success of our economy that we needed to take action at this time,” Baker told the State House News Service.
“The governor’s really trying to achieve only one policy objective and that’s a constitutionally required balanced budget,” said House GOP Leader Rep. Brad Jones, R-North Reading.
The response from the Legislature’s Democratic leadership was swift. House Speaker Robert DeLeo, D-Winthrop, calling the cuts premature, said, “Recent revenue numbers indicate a need to be vigilant. They do not, however, necessitate cuts at this time.”
DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg, D-Amherst, said they will focus on restoring programs that help the neediest and may file a supplemental budget to restore the funds.