Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 15 to June 19.
Literacy education standards (H 5511)
The House, 153-0, and the Senate, 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill dealing with teacher preparation and student literacy. The measure would establish clear statewide standards for evidence-based reading instruction — requiring the teaching of phonics, ensuring access to high-quality K-3 curricula, enhancing educator training and support, and creating new reporting and accountability systems.
The bill defines evidence-based early literacy as instruction featuring phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension and phonemic awareness, and that is demonstrated to produce significant and positive effects on student learning outcomes.
Another provision formalizes dyslexia and literacy screening requirements by requiring schools to develop protocols for identifying potential neurological learning disabilities, including dyslexia, and to report their screening practices annually.
“It is unacceptable that less than half of young students in Massachusetts are proficient in reading at their grade level,” said Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, Senate chair of the Education Committee. “This important legislation ensures that educators use evidence-based early literacy curricula that are backed by science while leaving schools flexibility to decide what curriculum is best for their students and teachers. Strengthening student literacy through evidence-based instruction has decades of scientific research and improved outcomes backing it up. With the passage of this bill, the Massachusetts Legislature continues its commitment to providing a high-quality education for all students across the commonwealth.”
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
- Sen. Jo Comerford — Yes
- Sen. Paul Mark — Yes
Environmental laws (H 5510)
The House, 151-0, approved a $3.5 billion bond bill that supporters said will modernize environmental laws, strengthen climate resilience, support agricultural and food systems, streamline permitting processes and improve the management of the state’s natural resources. They noted the bill advances a broad set of reforms designed to help communities prepare for the impacts of climate change, accelerate critical infrastructure projects and improve environmental protections.
The Senate has already approved its own version of the bill, and a House-Senate conference committee will likely be appointed to hammer out a compromise version.
Provisions of the House bill include establishing a new Resilience Revolving Fund to help municipalities, tribal governments, and public water and wastewater districts finance climate-resilient infrastructure projects and technical assistance; creating new commissions and advisory bodies focused on flood mitigation, air quality, coastal resilience and long-term climate preparedness; streamlining permitting and environmental review processes for priority housing developments, nature-based solutions projects, culvert replacements, wetland restoration efforts and other projects that advance climate resilience while maintaining environmental protections; expanding representation on the Massachusetts Food Policy Council; modernizing commercial feed regulations; strengthening enforcement tools for agricultural programs; and improving transparency for prospective homebuyers and tenants by requiring flood risk disclosures.
Funding includes $385 million for the Water Pollution Abatement Trust to support wastewater, stormwater and drinking water projects; $315 million for the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness Grant Program for cities and towns to assess climate risks; and $308 million for the repair, construction and removal of state-owned dams and coastal infrastructure including seawalls, docks, culverts and salt marshes.
“There is perhaps no responsibility more fundamental to the role of government than ensuring that residents have access to clean drinking water and are breathing clean air,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy. “This legislation is the latest example of Massachusetts’ ironclad commitment to protecting our environment and to leading the fight against climate change. At the same time, the bill takes steps to ensure that the commonwealth’s environmental regulations aren’t unnecessarily burdensome when issuing permits for new housing developments and other critical infrastructure projects.”
A “Yes” for the bill.
- Rep. Aaron Saunders — Yes
- Rep. Susannah Whipps — Yes
Primary care doctors (S 3116)
The Senate, 35-4, approved and sent to the House legislation that supporters said would make it easier for Massachusetts residents to get a primary care doctor and an appointment with him or her. They noted the bill reduces the amount of time providers have to spend on administrative paperwork and aims to reduce health care costs.
Provisions include requiring health care providers and insurers to invest more heavily in primary care services; ensuring fairer compensation for community health centers, which serve as the frontline of primary care for many residents; and increasing the Massachusetts’ primary care workforce by unlocking matching federal funds to train and recruit more primary care doctors.
“Too many of our residents are struggling to find a primary care doctor or putting off basic care because of the cost,” Senate President Karen Spilka, D-Ashland. “That’s not acceptable, and it’s not sustainable. This legislation takes direct aim at the problem. It requires greater investment in primary care, lifts up the community health centers at the heart of so many neighborhoods and grows the workforce our residents need. When we get primary care right, everything else in our health care system works better.”
“After an exhaustive and thorough analysis of our primary health care delivery system, the Senate today acted on a comprehensive package of provisions informed by recommendations from the Primary Care Task Force, improving access to primary care for all Massachusetts residents,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues, D-Westport, chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “This sweeping legislation supports residents of the commonwealth by incentivizing significant investments into primary care, grows our health care workforce, assists community health centers and cuts down on administrative bureaucracy.”
Opponents said the bill has some good points but does not do enough to control skyrocketing medical costs. They supported a number of failed amendments that they said would improve the measure.
None of the four GOP senators who voted against the legislation responded to requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they opposed the measure. Those four senators are Sens. Kelly Dooner, R-Taunton, Peter Durant, R-Spencer, Ryan Fattman, R-Sutton, and Bruce Tarr, R-Gloucester.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill.
- Sen. Jo Comerford — Yes
- Sen. Paul Mark — Yes
Also up on Beacon Hill
Supreme Judicial Court bans income tax reduction question from November ballot
The Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) ruled that the ballot question seeking to reduce the state income tax from 5% to 4% over a three-year period is ineligible to appear on the Nov. 3 ballot, with justices concluding that Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office provided a “significantly misleading” summary of the proposal that was likely to influence voters.
Opponents of the tax cut filed a lawsuit with the SJC in January contending that Campbell’s summary of the proposal is flawed and unfair because it fails to make clear that voter approval of the question would also automatically reduce the tax rate for long-term capital gains income, which under current law is tied to the income tax rate.
Campbell’s office had argued that her summary accurately summarized the proposal because the initiative “does not specifically propose to amend the statutes setting the rate of taxation for capital gain income.”
The court did not buy the argument by supporters of the ballot question that a reduction in the long-term capital gains tax rate is not guaranteed, because the Legislature could amend the current law before the election and untether the capital gains rate from the income tax rate. The court ruled that that possibility does not make the summary fair, noting that the court reviews the summary against the law as it exists, not based on speculation about a hypothetical future statute.
“The court has made its decision. I think what doesn’t change is the need for everyone to focus on driving down costs and making life more affordable for people in Massachusetts,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “That’s been my top priority.”
“A $5 billion annual loss in state revenue would’ve meant significant cuts to services and programs that Massachusetts residents rely on, while doing little to bolster competitiveness and address the affordability challenges facing the commonwealth,” said House Speaker Ron Mariano, D-Quincy. “I’m grateful that this irresponsible initiative petition won’t appear on the ballot in November.”
“This is a disgraceful outcome for Massachusetts taxpayers and a direct result of the attorney general’s failure to do her job properly,” said Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Executive Director Paul Craney. “More than 100,000 residents signed petitions to put tax relief before the voters. They followed the process, did the work and earned a place on the ballot. Now, because the Attorney General’s Office produced a summary the court found to be significantly misleading, voters are being denied the chance to decide for themselves whether Massachusetts should lower its income tax.”
The Pioneer Institute said, “Today’s ruling by the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is a serious disappointment for commonwealth families struggling under one of the highest tax and cost burdens in the nation. The court’s decision rests on a drafting error in the attorney general’s summary of the petition — a matter entirely outside the control of voters and petition signers. As a result, the people of Massachusetts will be denied the opportunity to decide whether the commonwealth should reduce the income tax rate from 5% to 4%.”
Protect firefighters (H 5488)
The House and Senate, on a voice vote without a roll call, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey legislation that would create a public database of violations of the state’s fire prevention laws and a public notification system to alert workers of violations.
The measure is designed to boost safety for firefighters and people conducting “hot work,” including welding, plasma cutting and spark-producing construction. The proposed law has been 10 years in the making and was first prompted by the March 2014 deaths of firefighters Edward Walsh and Michael Kennedy, who perished while fighting a fire that was caused by welders, working without a city permit, on a building next door to the brownstone in which they died.
“This legislation is another important tool in protecting the safety of residents, firefighters and trades workers,” said sponsor Rep. David Biele, D-Boston. “Collecting statewide data regarding fire code violations and non-compliance with fire prevention laws and hot works requirements in a publicly available database combined with an automated notification system for relevant property owners will increase public safety.”
Autism and police stops (H 5438)
The House and Senate approved, on a voice vote without a roll call, and sent to Gov. Maura Healey legislation designed to improve interactions between police officers and people with autism spectrum disorder during traffic stops. This program was adopted by the Massachusetts State Police in 2024 but is not an actual law. This bill would codify the program into Massachusetts law.
The measure, dubbed the “Blue Envelope Bill,” would create a program giving people with the disorder the option to be given a special blue envelope that holds the person’s driver’s license and vehicle registration. On the outside of the envelope, there would be written information and guidance regarding ways to enhance effective communication between a police officer and a person with autism spectrum disorder. The envelope must also include instructions for access to the envelope, including attaching it to the sun visor on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The bill is designed to enable the driver to quickly and easily hand the envelope to a police officer during a traffic stop.
“Enacting the Blue Envelope Bill is a major win for the commonwealth and for individuals living with autism spectrum disorder,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford, D-Northampton. “Enshrining the Blue Envelope program in law will help ensure safer, more informed interactions during traffic stops and emergencies, making permanent a simple but powerful tool for both drivers and emergency responders.”
“I’d like to recognize the many advocates who have shaped and led this legislation, including disability rights organizations, law enforcement and especially those with lived experience,” said House sponsor Rep. Mindy Domb, D-Amherst. “UMass Amherst student Max Callahan brought this issue and its solution to the Legislature, and he and his peers’ expertise has been pivotal in its advancement.”
Domb continued, “Max, who has autism, shared how his desire to drive was overshadowed by his concern that if he were to be pulled over, his reaction to stress could be misinterpreted as dangerous or avoidant, potentially putting him in danger. The Blue Envelope is a simple, common-sense solution to this challenge, one supported by law enforcement and affected individuals. This bill will increase use of this important program and strengthen the commonwealth’s commitment to ensuring the safety, well-being and independence of all residents.”
Reduce wrong-way driving
Gov. Maura Healey announced a statewide plan to reduce wrong-way driving incidents through a combination of advanced detection technology, enhanced roadway signs, infrastructure improvements and targeted safety upgrades. The multi-year effort will focus on more than 500 high-risk locations across Massachusetts where drivers may be more likely to enter roadways in the wrong direction due to driver confusion or roadway design.
“We’ve seen firsthand the devastating impact that wrong-way driving crashes can have on families, law enforcement and communities across Massachusetts,” Healey said. “People deserve to be safe on our roads, and we’re taking action. By investing in new technology, stronger safety measures and targeted infrastructure improvements, we’re working to prevent these crashes before they happen and help save lives. Our hearts are with every family that has lost a loved one in a wrong-way driving crash, and we are committed to doing everything we can to prevent these tragedies from happening again.”