The major legislative pieces are falling into place as legislative leaders navigate the final weeks of formal sessions, accelerate their work on major bills, and plan for rare mid-July national political conventions. Lawmakers will spend part of the week poring over $256 million in budget vetoes as well as scores of amendments handed down Friday by Gov. Charlie Baker as he signed a $38.92 billion state budget (H 4450). Baker issued vetoes in 301 line items, slashed 497 earmarks worth $60.6 million, and vetoed 36 of the budget’s 200 outside sections while proposing amendments to 23 budget riders. Legislative leaders must determine which vetoes to act on before formals end for the year on July 31 and informal sessions ensue for the remainder of 2016. Vetoes may only be overridden with recorded roll call votes, which are not permitted once July is over.
On budgetary and other legislative matters, legislative leaders want to get proposals to Baker’s desk by next week in order to preserve their ability to act should the governor file amendments or vetoes. As they head deeper into July, power can shift to the governor since lawmakers aren’t able to override vetoes in informal sessions and need unanimous agreement in informals on any legislative amendments returned from the Corner Office.
The House next week plans to take up legislation aimed at ensuring pay equity for women, a bill (S 2107) that has already cleared the Senate. The Senate is getting ready to pass a bill modernizing municipal government laws (H 4419), a measure that the House has approved. Both of those bills could end up before conference committees. Conferences appointed on Thursday and Friday are working with tight deadlines to produce consensus bills diversifying the state’s energy mix (H 4385 and S 2400) and regulating transportation network companies (H 4049 and S 2371). And it’s the Senate’s turn next week to mark up a $915 million House economic development bond bill (H 4461), which is being scheduled for floor debate on Thursday.
Click the audio player above to hear NEPR’s Henry Epp talk Beacon Hill politics with reporter Matt Murphy of the State House News Service.
