Late last night, the MA Senate passed its economic development bill after going through 600 amendments.

Of those 600, only 5 received recorded votes. The Senate voted….

• 31 to 8 to revise the calculation of the state’s revenue cap (known as 62F) to be 7.5% of the combined personal income of the state, as opposed to the existing formula based on the growth of wages and salaries. The new formula would protect the state’s ability to invest and ensure that public services are protected during economic downturns. Democrats Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), Michael Moore (D-Millbury), and John Velis (D-Westfield) joined the five Republicans in voting no.
• 7 to 32 to reject a Republican amendment to adopt Trumpian tax gimmicks of “no tax on overtime” and “no tax on tips” that put downward pressure on base wages and encourage anti-worker policies. Democrats Nick Collins (D-South Boston) and Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford)
• 5 to 34 to reject a Republican amendment to eliminate estate tax, a move that would blow a major hole in the state budget and redistribute wealth upwards
• 7 to 32 to reject a Republican amendment to reduce revenue raised from the state income tax and trigger cuts to essential public services. Democrats Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) and John Velis (D-Westfield) joined the five Republicans in voting yes.
• 5 to 34 to reject a Republican amendment that would have made the bill’s legalization of duplexes into a local option

Several amendments that we had supported were adopted via voice vote.

• Amendment #18: Adjunct Faculty Special Commission, filed by Sen. Jamie Eldridge, which would create a commission to study how much it will cost to cover healthcare and retirement benefits for our adjunct professors
• Amendment #495: Juvenile Jurisdiction, filed by Sen. Brendan Crighton, which would shift 18-year-olds into the juvenile justice system, where young people are more likely to be held accountable for their actions by engaging in education and treatment
• Amendment #511: Requiring Automated Criminal Record Sealing, filed by Sen. Cindy Friedman, which would take away unnecessary bureaucracy in the criminal record sealing process

Sen. Pat Jehlen’s Amendment #12 (Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act) was adopted after being redrafted twice and limited to a pilot program allowing five communities to adopt ordinances granting tenants the right of first refusal to purchase their building when it goes on market.

One amendment that we supported was rejected via voice vote:

• Amendment #193: Data Centers, filed by Sen. Vanna Howard, which would ensure that data centers cover their energy needs with clean energy and do not increase water and electric bills

And several others were simply withdrawn:

• Amendment #224: Identification for Youth and Adults Experiencing Homelessness, filed by Sen. Robyn Kennedy, which would ease access to Massachusetts IDs for people experiencing homelessness by waiving the $25 fee for standard Mass IDs
• Amendment #268: Fairness for Agricultural Laborers, filed by Sen. Adam Gomez, which would grant agricultural workers basic labor protections historically excluded under state law, such as minimum wage or overtime
• Amendment #359: Midwife Reimbursement Parity, filed by Sen. Joan Lovely, which would expand access to care by ensuring equitable reimbursement rates from MassHealth for certified professional midwives