As the Mass. House can’t really discuss anything of any significance in public, they adjourned for recess four times today, but at lease some members showed up so they could put in a solid 9 minutes work of work on Beacon Hill today:
House Session Summary – Monday, June 26, 2023
State House News Service
The House gave final approval Monday to a $6.66 billion interim budget designed to keep state government funded while legislative negotiators continue their soon-to-be-overdue work on a final budget for fiscal 2024, which begins Saturday. Gov. Maura Healey recommended the stopgap spending plan last week, and both branches bounced it back and forth to ship it back to the governor’s office unchanged. The House also advanced local bills dealing with firefighters in Hancock and police officers in Conway, plus sent the Judiciary Committee a new firearms regulations bill (HD 4420) filed by the committee’s House co-chair, Rep. Michael Day. Representatives will return in another lightly-attended informal session Thursday. – Chris Lisinski
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CONVENES: Rep. Donato gaveled the House to order at 11:02 a.m.
PLEDGE: Members, staff and guests rose and recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
RESOLUTIONS: The House adopted resolutions from Reps. Whipps and Blais congratulating the owner of Dean’s Beans on his retirement and from Rep. Zlotnik commending the Polish American Veterans of Massachusetts on its 75th anniversary.
INTERIM FY24 BUDGET: The House Ways and Means Committee recommended passage of H 3936 Gov. Healey’s $6.66 billion interim budget funding government services through July 31. The House ordered the bill to a third reading.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House recessed at 11:05 a.m. and returned to order at 11:07 a.m.
SICK LEAVE BANK: The House ordered to a third reading H 3933 establishing a sick leave bank for Maritza Miranda, an employee of the Department of Children and Families.
ORDERS OF THE DAY: There was no objection to proceeding with matters contained in the Orders of the Day.
HANCOCK FIREFIGHTERS: Question came on engrossment of H 2437 authorizing the town of Hancock to allow firefighters and police to continue serving past age 65. The House adopted a Rep. Walsh amendment adding a superannuation retirement allowance, then engrossed the bill as amended.
CONWAY POLICE: Question came on engrossment of H 3792 authorizing the town of Conway to continue the employment of police officer Kenneth Ouimette. The House adopted a Rep. Walsh amendment adding a superannuation retirement allowance, then engrossed the bill as amended.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House entered recess at 11:10 a.m. and returned to order at 11:23 a.m.
INTERIM BUDGET: The House engrossed H 3936 Gov. Healey’s $6.66 billion interim budget funding government services through July 31.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House recessed at 11:24 a.m. and returned at 11:49 a.m.
INTERIM BUDGET: The House enacted H 3936 Gov. Healey’s $6.66 billion interim budget funding government services through July 31.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House recessed at 11:50 a.m. and returned at 11:56 a.m.
FIREARMS REGULATIONS: The House referred to the Committee on the Judiciary a Rep. Day petition HD 4420 modernizing firearm laws.
TIME OF MEETING: The House adopted a Speaker Mariano order scheduling its next session for Thursday at 11 a.m.
ADJOURNS: The House adjourned at 11:57 a.m. to meet next on Thursday at 11 a.m. in an informal session.
