Under the new Joint Rules for the Massachusetts House and Senate, we'll see a pause coming for the Legislature for a multi-month recess. This means that lawmakers won't be able to vote on measures that aren't already in conference committee until sometime in January. So where does that leave some pressing, high profile, unresolved legislative measures? Reporter Alison Kuznitz of the State House News Service explains what we know about the status of some of these issues that lawmakers just haven't brought to final votes yet.
Alison Kuznitz, SHNS: Sure. The big thing that hasn't been finalized yet is to close out supplemental budget. Senate President Karen Spilka said on Thursday that the top budget negotiators are very, very close. So that is something that we could maybe see pop this week and be finalized before lawmakers head into their Thanksgiving recess.
The other big piece of legislation the Senate is poised to take up [this week is] a cannabis reform bill, and this is something that the House already passed in June. So, it's unclear how quickly lawmakers will be able to get that matter into conference committee.
With Massachusetts facing significant financial pressure from recent federal funding cuts. Alison, the state's budget outlook over the next three years could be challenging. But against that backdrop, a proposed bill would incrementally raise the minimum wage from $15/hour to $16.25. That's a step towards the $20/hour goal by 2029, and it's slated for a joint committee hearing today.
Now, given the tight timing and the broader economic constraints, are lawmakers still signaling a willingness to move forward on this increase during the current Trump presidency?
It could be weeks before we really know if House and Senate committee members take action on this bill. But what I will say, of course, is that lawmakers are really scrambling to navigate what the massive federal funding cuts mean.
So, I think budget writers will be very wary of any type of proposal like this that could really put a further strain on state coffers while lawmakers still don't quite have an answer on how they're going to fill major SNAP and Medicaid cuts.
So, we're not holding our breath right now.
Oh, probably not. And I will say for the worker component of the bill, it's interesting that we did see voters last November during the last election cycle, actually reject the ballot measure that would have raised the minimum wage for tipped workers. So, it's interesting to see this issue come about again, for sure.
Last week, House lawmakers on Beacon Hill advanced a sweeping energy bill that shifts the state's focus from climate driven mandates to advisory goals. This comes with a scaling back of MassSave, the state backed program that invests in energy efficiency and conservation initiatives to help Mass. residents and businesses reduce energy use and lower their utility bills. The measure also eases restrictions on the gas and nuclear energy sector and extends offshore wind deadlines. Is the Senate likely to also support this measure?
I think we are set up to see some interesting interbranch tensions again, especially with this ‘T-U-E’ committee.
And we should say that's the Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy Committee.
So, Governor Healey filed her own energy affordability bill. And under joint rules reform this session, House and Senate members of the committee need to agree together to pull a governor bill. But what's happening here is the House is acting unilaterally. Senate President Karen Spilka did express some concern about how the House is procedurally moving on that. But we also know that the Senate could use its own procedural maneuvers to take action on this.
So, if this makes it to the governor for her signature, what would her backing signal about the state's broader focus on climate goals and long-term clean energy commitments?
I think this would be a really tough sell for the governor to get on board with. You know, even when she was on the campaign trail, she really was focused on pushing for the state's clean energy goals and reaching those emission targets.
But we also know that this is a very different climate. And the governor is pushing for an ‘all of the above’ approach with energy and recognizing that the Trump administration has been hostile to offshore wind.