There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local representatives voted with their party’s leadership so far in the 2025 session through Sept. 5.

Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 72 votes from the 2025 House session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not quorum calls or votes on local issues. Quorum calls are used to gather a majority of members onto the House floor to conduct business and members simply vote “present” to indicate their presence in the chamber.

The votes of the 2025 membership of 24 Republicans were compared with those of GOP House Minority Leader Brad Jones, R-North Reading. The votes of the 2025 membership of 133 Democrats were compared to those of House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy.

Democrats: A total of 123 (92.4%) of the 133 Democrats voted with Mariano 100% of the time. There were only 10 Democratic representatives who voted differently than Mariano on any roll calls.

The Democratic representative who voted least frequently in accordance with Mariano was Rep. Colleen Garry, D-Dracut, who voted with Mariano only 75% of the time. Rounding out the top five Democratic representatives who voted with Mariano least frequently are Reps. David Robertson, D-Tewksbury, who voted with Mariano 87.5% of the time; Alan Silvia, D-Fall River, who voted with Mariano 92.6% of the time; Jeffrey Turco, D-Winthrop, who voted with Mariano 93% of the time; and Francisco Paulino, D-Methuen, who voted with Mariano 94.3% of the time.

Republicans: None of the 24 GOP members voted with Jones 100% of the time.

The Republican representative who voted least frequently in accordance with Jones is Rep. John Gaskey, R-Carver, who voted with Jones only 65.4% of the time. Rounding out the top five GOP representatives who voted with Jones least frequently are Reps. Nick Boldyga, R-Southwick, who voted with Jones 71.1% of the time; Marc Lombardo, R-Billerica, who voted with Jones 72.7% of the time; Justin Thurber, R-Somerset, who voted with Jones 76.5% of the time; and Alyson Sullivan-Almeida, R-Abington, who voted with Jones 82.7% of the time.

Unenrolled: Rep. Susannah Whipps of Athol is the only unenrolled House member and is not affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic party. We based her record on how many times she voted with Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano. She voted with Mariano 100% of the time.

The percentage next to the representative’s name represents the percentage of times the representative supported his or her party’s leadership so far in 2025 through Sept. 5. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the representative opposed his or her party’s leadership.

Some representatives voted on all 72 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for each representative is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted.

  • Rep. Natalie Blais — 100% (0)
  • Rep. Aaron Saunders — 100% (0)
  • Rep. Susannah Whipps — 100% (0)

Also up on Beacon Hill

Preschool (H 703)

The Education Committee held a hearing on a bill that would require the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) to administer a publicly funded preschool program, which would be available each week that public school is in session for each child from 2 years and 9 months of age to 5 years of age who is not eligible for or enrolled in kindergarten operated by a public school. The measure would also create a Pre-K Advisory Council within EEC to assist in administering the Universal Pre-K program.

“Pre-K has been shown to have a significant effect on students’ linguistic, academic and social development, but it is prohibitively expensive for so many in the commonwealth,” said sponsor Rep. Danillo Sena, D-Acton. “I filed this bill because I believe that everyone should have the opportunity to attend Pre-K.”

Uniform age for kindergarten (H 510)

Another proposal before the Education Committee would require that children be at least 5 years old by the beginning of the school year in order to enter kindergarten that year. Under current law, the minimum age for kindergarten eligibility varies by district, as local school committees have the authority to set age requirements.

Supporters said this variation has led to inconsistencies across the state regarding when children may begin their formal education.

“Back in 2012, a few teachers approached me with the idea for this legislation,” said sponsor Rep. Brian Ashe, D-Longmeadow. “They emphasized the educational value of starting children’s learning as early as possible. I filed the bill based on its merits and the well-established fact that children who attend kindergarten build a stronger foundation for future learning.”

$10.9 million for dams, levees and coastal infrastructure

Gov. Maura Healey announced the awarding of nearly $11 million in funding for dams, levees and coastal infrastructure.

Supporters said the funds will be used to repair or remove aging dams, seawalls, levees and other critical infrastructure across the state. They noted it will support 23 municipalities and nonprofits in making long-overdue repairs and taking down outdated structures that put homes, roads and neighborhoods at risk.

“Strong infrastructure keeps our communities running — from protecting homes during storms to keeping roads open and water secure,” Healey said. “By investing in these projects now, we’re helping communities prevent future problems, save money over time and keep people and neighborhoods safe.”

“As a former mayor of a coastal city, I know how hard it is to find the funding to take on major infrastructure repairs, even when the need is obvious,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “These grants help cities and towns take on big repairs they couldn’t tackle alone.”

Prohibit ‘junk fees’

Attorney General Andrea Campbell announced that new regulations promulgated by her office earlier this year, which make junk fees and deceptive pricing illegal, took effect on Sept. 2.

Junk fees are hidden, surprise or unnecessary costs that increase the total price of a product beyond the advertised price. Businesses often do not disclose such fees upfront or only share them at the end of a transaction after consumers have already provided their personal billing information. Similarly, some businesses have engaged in practices related to trial offers, subscriptions, and automatic and recurring charges to conceal the total cost and nature of a product or service, while making it difficult for consumers to cancel or opt-out of such features.

“Today, as we build upon the commonwealth’s nation-leading legacy of consumer protection, we make clear that ‘junk fees’ and deceptive pricing are not lawful,” Campbell said. “From concert tickets and hotel bookings, to subscription services and apartment rentals, surprise and unnecessary charges have quietly cost consumers around the country tens of billions of dollars each year. Amidst rising costs, these historic regulations not only provide individuals with upfront transparency about the true cost of a good or service, but level the playing field for businesses by promoting trust and fair competition. I urge consumers and businesses to view my office’s resources to ensure compliance with the new rules, which my office stands ready to enforce starting today.”