FROM OUR PRINTED SEPT. 2024 EDITION

by Kathy Lynch
Massachusetts Republican State Committeewoman

On August 22nd, the Massachusetts Republican Party (MassGOP) had the opportunity to vote on the resolution listed below.

In essence, the Massachusetts Legislature is taking unconstitutional shortcuts by passing a large number of bills into law or moving them forward through what they call “informal sessions.”

Alarmingly, these sessions are held with as few as two or three legislators present. The proper quorum for conducting business required by the Massachusetts Constitution is a majority of legislators, which is equal to 81 state representatives or 21 senators.

This resolution calls on the Massachusetts Legislature to hold all legislative sessions with the constitutionally required quorum.

I am sharing the following resolution I presented to the MassGOP, the unbelievable roll call results, and how the current system hurts Massachusetts’ residents.

RESOLUTION AGAINST INFORMAL SESSIONS THAT ARE
HELD WITHOUT A QUORUM

Whereas, the Massachusetts Legislature is a full-time, paid body, with travel stipends, and legislators are expected to report to work;

Whereas, the Massachusetts Constitution specifically says that a “majority of the members of each branch of the general court shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.”

Whereas, informal sessions have too few (oftentimes only two to three) representatives or senators meeting, typically two or three times every week, to pass dozens of bills before an empty chamber under the false pretense that there is the required quorum. [See posted House and Senate informal sessions on the State House website.]

 Whereas, a majority of all bills in Massachusetts get passed through this corrupt practice.

Whereas, all bills deserve the same attention to proper legislative process as required by the Massachusetts Constitution.

 Therefore, be it:

 Resolved, that the Massachusetts Republican Party condemns informal sessions that do not have a quorum.

 Resolved, that the Massachusetts Republican Party urges all members of the Massachusetts Legislature to hold all legislative sessions with the proper quorum so that they properly conduct business for the benefit of its citizens as they were elected to do.  

 Resolved, that any time legislators conduct informal sessions without a quorum, the Massachusetts Republican Party calls for a representative or senator to show up at the session to announce, “I doubt the presence of a quorum” so that this corrupt practice ends.

At the August 22nd State Committee meeting, the resolution did not prevail. The vote was 26 Yes, 33 No, and 1 Abstention. The roll call vote is reproduced nearby. Note the asterisks (*) in the table; These are for the members who are both State Representatives and State Committeemen. This is a conflict of interest. Think about it. If they can avoid driving into Boston to vote on a bunch of boring bills while still getting paid, why would they ever vote for the resolution?

33 WHO VOTED “NO” AGAINST THE RESOLUTION TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST CONDUCTING VOTES WITHOUT A QUORUM:

[NOTE: 16 members were absent.  Member Janet Fogarty abstained from the vote (chose not to vote).]

But why would State Committee members vote against the resolution? Because they were convinced by misleading arguments by Representatives Paul Frost, Dave DeCoste, or others? Or was it to demonstrate loyalty to GOP leadership in order to gain access to power, perks, and parties?

It’s really important to see what’s going on with informal sessions for yourself. I suggest you watch the video at https://malegislature.gov/Events/Sessions/Detail/4932.

Watch the speaker ask, “All those in favor say ‘Aye’; all those opposed say ‘Nay’; the Ayes have it” to a chamber full of ice hockey players – not legislators! Watch how bills go from first to third reading in mere minutes.

At the State Committee meeting, Representative Paul Frost (who, by the way, voted for both taxpayer funding of “free” college tuition for illegal aliens and minors’ sex reassignment surgeries) said that only non-controversial bills are passed or forwarded through informal sessions. That is patently FALSE.

In the above informal session video, you will see that the House Bill H2359 anti-gun-rights bill (https://malegislature.gov/Bills/193/H2359) was forwarded. That very controversial bill basically obliterates concealed carry and your right to self-defense through the 2nd Amendment. That’s just one example. There are many more controversial bills being moved forward through informal sessions, so State Committee members were misled by Frost’s smooth-talking word salad.

All that would be required to stop the bill from being forwarded would be a legislator to show up and say, “I doubt the presence of a quorum.” The session would then shut down. But no one did that for H2359. Did they? Representative Donald Wong was there, but he didn’t say one word to stop H2359 from moving forward! That failure, alone, classifies him as a RINO!

At the State Committee meeting, Representative Frost iced the cake when he stated that if the session was shut down, the Democrats would bring in a majority of voters, later on, and stop any roll calls. But if it’s all for non-controversial bills like Frost said, it wouldn’t matter. Right?!

I feel bad for the State Committee members who wanted to vote correctly but were misled by Paul Frost’s efforts to freeze out conservative voters.

Imagine how many bad bills would be stopped if lawmakers would just show up to work and follow their oath to the Constitution?!

We need to end unconstitutional, informal sessions. They are unwarranted, shortcut sessions for the convenience of salaried legislators at the expense of the Massachusetts people. All bills deserve the same procedures including a quorum, hearings, and roll call votes.

Finally, all legislators and State Committee members should vote for good governance as they were elected to do!

26 MEMBERS WHO VOTED “YES” IN FAVOR OF THE RESOLUTION TO SPEAK OUT AGAINST CONDUCTING VOTES WITHOUT A QUORUM:

ABSENT MEMBERS:

Please Sign and Share the Petition

Are you outraged by our Legislature ignoring their duty to conduct business with a quorum? If so, please sign and share the petition: https://ourfight.online/EndInformalSessions.

This issue is not over. Let us keep demanding good governance in Massachusetts!   ♦