Volume 50 – Report No. 3 • January 13-17, 2025
Copyright © 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen.
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Our Legislators in the House and Senate for Somerville:

Rep. Christine Barber
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Thirty-fourth Middlesex. – Consisting of all precincts in wards 4 and 5, precinct 1 of ward 7, and precinct 2 of ward 8, of the city of Medford, precincts 1 and 2 of ward 4, and all precincts of ward 7, of the city of Somerville, both in the county of Middlesex.
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Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Twenty-seventh Middlesex. – Consisting of precinct 3 of ward 2, all precincts of ward 3, precinct 3 of ward 4, and all precincts of wards 5 and 6, of the city of Somerville, in the county of Middlesex.
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Rep. Mike Connolly
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Twenty-sixth Middlesex. – Consisting of all precincts of ward 1, precinct 1 of ward 2, precincts 1 and 2 of ward 3, and precinct 1 of ward 6, of the city of Cambridge, and all precincts of ward 1 and precincts 1 and 2 of ward 2, of the city of Somerville, both in the county of Middlesex.
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Sen. Patricia Jehlen
DISTRICT REPRESENTED: Second Middlesex. – Consisting of the cities of Cambridge, wards 9 to 11, inclusive, Medford and Somerville, and the town of Winchester, precincts 4 to 7, inclusive, in the county of Middlesex.
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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

GOV. MAURA HEALEY SIGNS MORE BILLS INTO LAW – Here are some of the many bills that were signed into law by Gov. Healey following the end of the 2024 session:

INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME (S 2970) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation called requiring health insurance companies to provide Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) for Down syndrome patients. The legislation, sponsored by the Massachusetts Down Syndrome Congress (MDSC), will require private insurers and MassHealth to cover the cost of in-home ABA therapy for children with a single diagnosis of Down syndrome.

   “My first sister was born with Down syndrome,” said Rep. Jack Lewis (Framingham), a sponsor of the proposal. “And while she passed away before I was born, the question of how our family and society could have best ensured she had a lifetime of opportunities was regularly discussed in our house, especially around what would have been milestone events for her, like starting school and her first job.”

Lewis continued, “My first volunteer job was at a local summer camp for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities, initially because it was a place my sister may have enjoyed. This led to my first job as a habitation assistant in a group home for adults who had formed a community together. Filing this bill … answered the same question my mom regularly asked, how could we have ensured that my sister had all the opportunities she needed and deserved to thrive?”

“Unfortunately, until now [ABA] has remained only available to people with Down syndrome who either happen to have a dual diagnosis of autism or who have family that can afford to pay privately,” said Maureen Gallagher, MDSC Executive Director. “Ultimately, for those families in our community who need but have not received at-home ABA therapy, insurance coverage will now have the potential to change their and their children’s lives in real, meaningful and lifelong ways.”

ALLOW CAMERAS ON SCHOOL BUSES (H 4940) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that will allow cities and towns to use cameras, installed on school buses, to identify and record vehicles that illegally pass stopped school buses. The measure does not change the current fines for these violations. The fines would remain at $250 for a first offense, $500 for a second offense, and $1,000 for a third and subsequent offense. The bill also prohibits these violations caught on camera from being considered “moving violations” that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums.

“As a dedicated advocate for schoolchildren and improved traffic safety, I was honored to have [the bill] which I sponsored, signed into law,” said Rep. Paul Donato (D-Medford) who sponsored an earlier version of the measure. “This bill gives school districts the opportunity to add cameras to school buses that will allow municipalities to ticket drivers for dangerous maneuvers. Children around the commonwealth will be further protected by this law while they are riding the bus.”

“With the signing of this bill, we are taking a big step toward safer streets and more local control for communities across the commonwealth,” said Sen. Michael Moore (D-Millbury), also a sponsor of an earlier version of the bill. “Passing a stopped school bus endangers our children and is against the law. In cities and towns that choose to use them, school bus mounted traffic safety cameras will help apply the law to those who violate it evenly and without bias. I’m thrilled that Massachusetts has joined over half of U.S. states in legalizing this type of automated traffic enforcement. I look forward to continuing our work to make our roads safer for all in the new legislative term.”

CAMERAS ON PUBLIC TRANSIT BUSES (H 4057) – Gov. Healey signed into law a measure that would allow public transit agencies to use bus-mounted cameras to record and issue fines against illegal parking in bus lanes and bus stops.

The bill sets a minimum fine of $25 and a maximum of $125 for bus lane violations, and a flat $100 fine for bus stop violations. It also prohibits bus lane and bus stop violations caught on camera from being considered “moving violations” that would raise a diver’s insurance premiums.

“This is something the MBTA has been looking to do for a long time,” said Christian MilNeil, the editor of StreetsblogMASS. “The MTA has been using cameras to enforce bus lanes in New York City since 2019, and the vast majority of drivers who receive a camera-based bus lane violation don’t make the same mistake twice. So the value in these systems isn’t in issuing more fines – it’s in keeping bus stops clear so riders can access buses safely and keeping bus lanes clear so that bus operators can spend more time moving passengers instead of waiting stuck in traffic.”

FEBRUARY 4TH IS NOW ROSA PARKS DAY (H 3075) – Gov. Healey signed into law a bill establishing February 4th as Rosa Parks in recognition of the historic civil rights leader.

“Rosa Parks’ bravery on that Montgomery bus was not just a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement—it was a lesson in courage, dignity and the power of standing up for what is right,” said co-sponsor Rep. Kip Diggs (D-Barnstable).

“February 4th is the birthday of Rosa Parks, so it will be a great reminder to all those within the commonwealth to reflect on the role she played in raising international awareness of the struggles for civil rights,” said co-sponsor Rep. Mike Kushmerek (D-Fitchburg).

BOSTON CAN RAISE FINES (H 4507) – Gov. Healey signed into law legislation that would allow the city of Boston to raise from the current $300 to up to $2,000, the fines imposed on property owners, landlords and businesses that violate the city’s sanitary code. The bill also allows Boston to adjust the maximum fine for inflation every five years.

Supporters said that the city’s fine limit has not been raised since 1989. They said that raising fines will help crack down on repeat offenders who are not deterred by the small current $300 fee.

Rep. Kevin Honan (D-Boston), the sponsor of the bill, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill to comment on the bill being passed and signed into law.

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

MARIJUANA SALES CLIMB TO AN ALLTIME HIGH – Marijuana establishments in Massachusetts generated more than $1.64 billion in gross sales in 2024, setting a new annual record for the state.

“The cannabis industry in Massachusetts continued to mature in 2024 as the commission approved the 700th – and counting– notice to commence operations,” Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins said. “The clear growth of the industry is the result of ongoing collaboration between commissioners and agency staff, business owners, host communities, an engaged consumer base and the medical community. We’re looking ahead to continued growth in 2025 and beyond as we seek to expand the industry with new social consumption licenses.”

PROTECT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY (SD 847) – Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough) and Rep. Natalie Blais (D-Sunderland) filed legislation that would enable the Bay State to develop minimum statewide water quality standards for private wells and expand a financial assistance program to remediate wells affected by PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and other harmful contaminants in drinking water supplies. Residents, located heavily in rural areas but also in all 351 cities and towns, rely on private wells for their drinking water. They note that many people are consuming water that may be unsafe because the source is not regularly tested and treated like public water supplies and could have harmful contaminants such as PFAS, arsenic, radon, uranium and more.

“As the Legislature continues to address PFAS contamination in communities across the state this session, it’s crucial that the hundreds of thousands of households relying on private well water have access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Sen. Eldridge. “That’s why I’m proud to once again file legislation to empower the DEP to regulate private wells and establish a program to help homeowners test their wells for dangerous contaminants.

MASSACHUSETTS GUN LAWS RANKING – Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2025 State Gun Law Rankings were released last week, and they report that Massachusetts has the second strongest gun laws in the nation, just behind California.

According to the report, the rankings show a clear connection between stronger gun safety laws and lower rates of gun deaths. The report suggests that if every state in the country had the gun death rates of the nine states with the strongest gun safety laws, 299,000 lives could be saved in the next decade.

“Gun laws save lives and states that enact common-sense, bipartisan policies are clearly standing on the side of public safety,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “As 2025 gets underway, we’re doubling down in the states, defending the gains we’ve made and charting new paths ahead. We can turn the tide on our nation’s gun violence crisis, but only if all leaders step up to meet the moment.”

“Our lawmakers took lifesaving action last year to enact a major piece of gun safety legislation – and our communities have already benefited from this challenging work,” said Rachel Everley, a volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Today’s announcement is just further evidence of the value of our combined efforts. Now Massachusetts has the second strongest gun safety laws in the country, and we will continue forging ahead because we have seen what can be accomplished when we do.”

NEW PHOTO DISPLAY AT THE STATE HOUSE – Gov. Healey unveiled a new photography display featuring archival film images of the Statehouse from the 1920s to 1940s, alongside equivalent modern-day film photographs.

“The Massachusetts Statehouse has a storied, revolutionary history – from Sam Adams and Paul Revere laying the first cornerstone in 1795, to President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 address ahead of his inauguration, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 address at the height of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Gov. Healey. “I’m thrilled to unveil this photography project, led by some of our most talented young people, which reminds us all of our obligation to honor the legacy of this incredible building while also striving to continue to deliver history-making progress for our residents.”

QUOTABLE QUOTES – State of the Commonwealth Edition

Gov. Healey delivered her annual State of the Commonwealth address to a joint session of the House and Senate. Here are some excerpts from the speech:

“Two hundred and fifty years ago this April, on a common in Lexington and a bridge in Concord, the farmers, tradesmen and shopkeepers of the Massachusetts Militia took a stand. They risked everything for the right to self-government and they started the Revolution that gave us our country. This is our legacy, Massachusetts, and it’s more than history. It’s who we are.”

“I am moved beyond words by the grit, drive and sheer goodness of the people of Massachusetts. I see it in our citizen soldiers. It’s in the firefighters who spent weeks battling wildfires last fall. When we see what firefighters are doing in Southern California right now, and what our own firefighters and first responders do every day, we are so grateful.”

“I see it in the teachers and schools where we pioneered public education. And I see it in breakthroughs by our scientists and innovators. Did you know, in 2024, one-third of all the Nobel Prizes were won by people in Massachusetts? That’s not unusual for our state.”

HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION?

Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of Jan. 13-17, the House a met for a total of nine hours and 27 minutes while the Senate met for a total of nine hours and 13 minutes.

Mon. Jan. 13
House 11:03 a.m. to 11:20 a.m.
Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:27 a.m.

Tues. Jan. 14
No House session
No Senate session

Wed. Jan. 15
No House session
No Senate session

Thurs. Jan. 16
House 11:00 a.m. to 8:10 p.m.
Senate 11:06 a.m. to 8:08 p.m.

Fri. Jan. 17
No House session
No Senate session

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Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com