Beacon Hill 101: Joint Rule 10 Day

If you have read news about the State House or seen advocacy alerts or legislative newsletters recently, you may have heard the term “Joint Rule 10 Day.” This poses a key question: What is Joint Rule 10 anyway?

In the Joint Rules governing the MA House and MA Senate, Rule #10 creates deadlines for committees to take action. By the first Wednesday of December, i.e., tomorrow, every joint committee needs to take action on every bill in its purview. (It wouldn’t be Beacon Hill without exceptions: The Health Care Financing Committee has a later deadline, and committees aren’t held to the deadline for bills filed after January, when there’s an early session filing deadline).

Also new this year: rather than voting as one joint committee, the House and Senate members of the committee will each vote on their own bills.

What happens next?

  • The committee can give a bill a favorable report: that means the committee thinks the bill ought to pass. It then advances to the next stage of its journey from bill to law, typically moving to the Ways & Means Committee.
  • The committee can give the bill an adverse report: that means the committee thinks the bill ought not to pass, and it is done for the session.
  • The committee can send the bill to study: that means the committee does not plan to take further action on the bill. It is, in other words, a polite way to vote the bill down. No “study” results.
  • The committee can give the bill an extension: that means the committee has not yet decided the fate of the bill and wants more time to decide or redraft/combine bills.

There are several ways your legislators can vote in a committee (and with the new rules, you’ll be able to see):

  • Favorable: the bill ought to pass
  • Adverse: the bill ought not to pass
  • Reserve Rights: the bill ought not to pass barring major revisions
  • No Action: the legislator was not present for the vote

Here are a few bills we’re supporting that have already advanced favorably from their first committee in either House or Senate:

  • Same Day Registration: Advanced 5 to 1 from the Senate Committee on Election Laws
  • Delinking the Municipal Census from the Voter Rolls: Advanced 5 to 1 from the Senate Committee on Election Laws
  • Clean Slate (i.e., automatic record sealing: Advanced 6 to 0 from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
  • Raise the Age (i.e., keeping young people out of the adult prison system): Advanced 5 to 1 from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary
  • Prison Moratorium (i.e, putting a five-year pause on new prison and jail construction): Advanced 8 to 0, with 1 reserving rights and 2 taking no action, from the House Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight
  • Location Shield Act (i.e., banning the sale of cell phone location data): Included in the Senate’s data privacy omnibus bill in September; Included in the House Committee on Advanced IT’s data privacy omnibus bill (favorable report of 9 to 0, with 2 reserving rights)
  • Right to Free Expression (i.e., reining in politically motivated book bans): Passed by the Senate last month; Advanced 11 to 0 from the House Committee on Tourism, Arts, and Cultural Development

That’s the good news. Unfortunately, at least one of the bills on our priority agenda got sent to study. The Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources voted 4 to 0 on sending a bundle of bills to study, including Make Polluters Pay (i.e., requiring major oil and gas companies to pay fee on historic emissions). The vote was 4 to 0, with 1 senator reserving rights and 1 registering a dissent in the Senate Journal.

After bills leave their first committee, then legislators can no longer co-sponsor the bills. But there are plenty of other asks to make of your legislators!

Stay tuned for more updates.

Legislative Session Update

Today was the last day for the MA House and Senate to take recorded votes before going on recess until the new year.

So far, only 61 bills have become law:

  • 31 of them were home rule petitions about specific cities or towns
  • 15 were personnel matters about specific individuals
  • 8 were budgets or supplemental budgets
  • 2 were bond authorizations
  • 2 were disease awareness days

That leaves only three other bills: a temporary extension of hybrid meeting access (good; make it permanent), setting next year’s state primary as September 1 (terrible for turnout), and updating our shield laws protecting access to abortion care and gender-affirming care (good and necessary).

Clearly, there’s work to do.

New State House Accountability Tool Launched

Two weeks out from the Legislature’s new deadline for committees to report out bills, a new tool — Beacon Hill Compliance Tracker (https://beaconhilltracker.org/) — highlights the extent to which the MA Legislature has yet to follow its own new rules.

In June, the MA House of Representatives and MA Senate agreed to joint rules for the first time since 2019. Following years of activist organizing around greater transparency in the legislative process, Beacon Hill adopted key reforms like public committee votes, public bill summaries, and 10-day notice for hearings. The House also adopted a series of rolling deadlines for reporting out bills from committees, with action required by 60 and, at latest, 90 days following a hearing.

The Beacon Hill Compliance Tracker, an independent, citizen-built tool developed in collaboration with us here at Progressive Mass and with Act on Mass, measures how well the Massachusetts Legislature complies with its own new commitments to transparency.

Democracy in Action: House’s MAGA Energy Bill Delayed

Because of calls and emails from people like you, the House delayed their MAGA energy bill that would have rolled back our climate, clean energy, and energy efficiency commitments.

The House will be redrafting an energy bill to vote on in the new year, so pressure will still be needed to ensure that we move forward, not backward. Stay tuned.

Standing up for Democracy – Resistance Training for Everyone

Becca Kornet, Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County

Progressive Mass Western Norfolk County (PMWNC) recently held our first session of “Citizens Standing up for Democracy” in Medfield. The two hour in-person session was based on learnings from Rep. Pramila Jayapal(D/WA)’s Resistance Lab Training and Indivisible’s One Million Rising program. During the session, we:

  • Shared information about democratic backsliding, featuring Erica Chenoweth’s video essay “History and Practice of Nonviolent Resistance”
  • Reviewed the pillars that hold up an authoritarian regime (e.g., military, business, religion, education), and thought about how we are each connected to them
  • Explored the spectrum from opponents to allies, highlighting the importance of trying to move someone just one click toward allyship
  • Presented a range of tools and tactics (e.g., the Five R’s – reveal, redeem, reframe, redirect, and resist) that everyday people can use to stand up for democracy
  • Worked together to come up with ideas for how we could stand up for issues we care most about

Participants felt empowered to think about actions they could take as everyday citizens. They also felt hopeful because we had a strong sense of community in that room, with folks showing a lot of empathy and compassion for others. 

PMWNC’s is planning future sessions, which will to be relatively small (10-12 attendees max) and hyper-local (most all participants from the same town). We are continuing to build our list of interested folks and will be scheduling more sessions soon. Currently, we are planning additional sessions in Medfield, as well as sessions with participants from Norfolk, Millis, Franklin, Milford, Wrentham, and Foxboro. If you live in one of these towns or somewhere else in the area and would like to participate, please email ProgressiveMAWNC@gmail.com!

(Source of images: Pramila Jayapal’s ‘Resistance Lab Training’)

What Resistance Looks Like: A Progressive Mass Chapter’s Perspective

Jan Soma, Progressive Needham

Progressive Needham is pushing back against the dangerous overreach of the Trump administration by mobilizing supporters. We focused on resisting authoritarianism through non-cooperation in our September 2025 meetings. For example, we looked at ways we can all weaken the pillars that allow Trump to maintain power that Eric Chenoweth highlights in her book Civil Resistance.

Among the ideas generated:

    • Support MA bills/ballot questions that rise above current authoritarian policy (e.g., same day voting and immigration protections).  

    • Support labor unions. 

    • Encourage federal legislators to have public hearings that shine light on wrongdoing. 

    • Boycott companies that don’t share your values (note recent success with Disney/Jimmy Kimmel). 

    • Donate to organizations that sue to uphold laws that protect our democracy. 

    • Tell your alma mater that you want them to fight back against federal government extortion efforts. 

    • Support faith institutions that provide sanctuary for immigrants and reject the politicization of religious organizations. 

    • Encourage teachers to refuse federal government control over what they teach. 

    • Help elect pro-democracy candidates across the country. 

    • Support DEI

Karen Walker, who represented the Needham Area Immigration Justice Task Force, gave a presentation on how we can push back and protect immigrants who are being targeted by ICE. Action ideas to support immigrants are summarized here.

We also signed a letter from Progressive Massachusetts to thank Governor Healey for protecting vaccine access in Massachusetts.  

In this work, we join grassroots organizations, like Indivisible, from across the country and other Progressive Mass chapters across the state, in building support for spirited, nonviolent protests and actions.   

If you live in Needham, contact us here to get on Progressive Needham’s list. We’d love to see you at our next event! If you don’t live in Needham, find a local chapter near you here or contact chapters@progressivemass.com to learn how you could organize a chapter in your community. 

2025 Ballot Question Info Session Follow-ups

Thank you so much for joining our ballot question info session last night! You can watch the video:

Check out links below for how to get involved. Find it overwhelming to coordinate across several campaigns? Let me know, and I can help coordinate across campaigns to get you materials. Just email me back or fill out this form. 

Yes for a Safe Massachusetts (Gun Safety)

This is the one guaranteed question on the ballot next year due to the state NRA affiliate collecting signatures for a veto referendum. It is a YES to keep the gun safety law. 

Overview of the new gun safety law: https://www.mapreventgunviolence.org/_files/ugd/b6bae3_75df0455b1824bccab7b3a5a0498e712.pdf
Ballot campaign website: yesforasafema.com

Keep Mass Home (Rent Control)

Website: keepmasshome.com

Campaign Materials: hfama.us/materials

Volunteer: https://www.keepmasshome.com/get-involved

Legislative Effectiveness and Accountability Partnership (Stipend Reform) 

Website: https://www.stipendreform.com/

Volunteer: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-3Cf3u9iVdCu3I4tP4C1_sK_KRnBetkSuLlNFiJi4t_yGTA/viewform

Open Records

To get involved with this campaign, contact Auditor Diana DiZoglio via https://www.dianaforma.com/feedback or via diana@dianadizoglio.com. 

Universal Voting Rights

Website: https://www.edc-unlockdemocracyma.com/ 

Signature Collection Form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdyVHxOufZvPMswUIcrryszKtoxd5mNlrkoDxUp4lhvtBr9Wg/viewform

Election Day Registration

Email info@billgalvin.org or Norma Shulman at nbshulman@gmail.com. 

Website: https://electiondayvoterregistration.com/

Progressive Massachusetts Stands in Solidarity with Worcester City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj

Councilor Haxhiaj is fighting every day on the ground with and for her constituents. She has been a champion of housing justice, climate justice, and immigrants’ rights–a leader who speaks with moral clarity and backs it up with action. 

We condemn the retaliation against her for defending her constituent against a brutal and unnecessary abduction. Communities are under attack daily by lawless, violent ICE agents, and local elected leaders are best positioned to intervene to protect their constituents and to make clear that our communities do not support President Trump’s harmful, xenophobic agenda. City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj stands up for her constituents, and we stand with her. 

Top 12 Excuses You’ll Hear When Lobbying Your Legislators

Your state legislators may be good at many things, but being creative in the excuses that they give you is not one of them. When you lobby your legislators on key issues, you’ll likely hear the same set of excuses. We highlight what the most common ones are — and why they don’t hold up — below.

(1) Lack of Knowledge

What They Say: “I’m not familiar with the issue.”

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: If a bill is new, they might actually not be that familiar (even though it is their job). But if they keep asking you for more and more answers, or keep saying they aren’t familiar even after you’ve spoken with them, they’re not being honest with you. This is an easy excuse to neutralize.

(2) Lack of Expertise / Focus

What They Say: “My expertise is [ISSUE], and I only focus on that.” / “There are more than 6,000 bills. I can’t read all or co-sponsor all of them!” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Your legislators aren’t just elected to work on one narrow issue. They should care about a broad set of issues, and co-sponsorship is the lowest-hanging fruit when it comes to ways to show support.

(3) Lack of Pressure

What They Say: “My constituents aren’t calling me about this.” / “My constituents don’t care about this.” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Make sure that they are actually hearing from constituents. If they still claim this after public displays of support for legislation, then they are just making excuses for their own lack of support for it.

(4) Lack of Popular Support

What They Say: “My district is very conservative.” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Studies have shown that both Democrats and Republicans believe that their districts are more socially and economically conservative than they really are. This is true in MA where Biden beat Trump in more districts than Democrats hold in either chamber. But beyond that, it’s the job of legislators to lead.

(5) Lack of Will

What They Say: “I don’t sign on to things.” /  “If I take a public position, it harms my ability to negotiate.” / “I’m in Leadership, so I don’t co-sponsor.” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: As noted earlier, co-sponsorship is the most basic of asks. Moreover, strong starting asks actually increase negotiating power — if you want a strong outcome. But if your legislator won’t co-sponsor bills at all, still urge them to support a bill and ask what they will do to build support for it. 

(6) Lack of Leadership

What They Say: “You don’t need to bother me. Spend your time on other legislators.”

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Even the best legislators need reinforcement–it helps them make a better case to Leadership about why they need to vote on X, Y, or Z. Moreover, passive supporters of legislation can be made into active supporters: true champions who lobby colleagues and Leadership. 

(7) Lack of Independence

What They Say: “What does Leadership think about it?” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Legislators serve at the will of their constituents, not the Leadership of the chamber. You — not the Speaker or Senate President — are their boss. Accordingly, if Leadership isn’t on board with a bill yet, it’s their job to change that reality, not resign themselves to it.

(8) Lack of Time

What They Say: ““We have a lot of competing priorities.” / “I’m busy with the budget!”

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Here in Massachusetts, we have a full-time legislature. The legislative session goes from January in the odd-numbered year to July in the subsequent even-numbered year—more than a year and a half. If they run out of time, it’s because of their procrastination — and they should start legislating earlier, rather than waiting until the end of the session.

(9) Lack of Money

What They Say: “We don’t have the money.” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: We are one of the richest states in the country. “Not enough money” is never an acceptable excuse for not ensuring a high quality of life for all.

(10) Lack of Initiative 

What They Say: “We don’t have consensus on this.”

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: Legislators should be proactive, not seek to make policy based on the lowest common denominator. If other legislators are not on board yet, your legislator should try to be a partner in bringing them on board, and not deflect for them.  

(11) Lack of Ability to Maneuver

What They Say: “I don’t co-sponsor bills that pass through the committee I chair / serve on in order to give every bill a fair hearing and preserve my leverage in the redrafting process.” 

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: A legislative committee is not a court of law where impartiality is critical. Legislators, chairs included, enter every committee hearing with opinions on the bills before them, and indeed, they can file bills that appear before the committees that they chair and/or serve on. This is a common excuse, although it is not a good one. However, if a legislator won’t co-sponsor, follow up by asking them, “What will you do instead to show your support?” If they want you to believe that they are an ally behind the scenes, demand that they show you how.

(12) Lack of Independence

What They Say: “I don’t co-sponsor bills because I’m in Leadership.”

Why It Doesn’t Hold Up: We need our leaders to…lead. The idea that those in a room making a decision can’t be public about their support is a self-imposed constraint, not something baked into any rule. Similar to #11, if a legislator won’t co-sponsor, follow up by asking them, “What will you do instead to show your support?” If they want you to believe that they are an ally behind the scenes, demand that they show you how.

Transparency Advocates Call out Legislature’s Violation of Its New Rules 

Last month, the Massachusetts House and Senate finally agreed to a package of reforms in the Joint Rules, with measures to improve access to information and create a more efficient legislative process. But according to transparency advocates, the legislature is not obeying its own rules. 

Ironically, the Legislature’s tenuous relationship to rule-following was on display the day they passed these new transparency reforms: on June 26, 2025, the House voted to suspend the rules in order to vote later that day. 

Did Members Read the Budget? The new rules stipulate that conference reports must be available for 24 hours before a vote, and that they cannot be voted on the next calendar day if posted after 8 pm. However, according to the bill page for the conference report (H.4240), the conference report for the FY 2026 budget was released on June 30 and voted on later that day. 

What Happened to 10 Days Notice for Hearings? The new Joint Rules require that committees give 10 days notice before scheduling a hearing. This reform responds to years of calls from advocates to give members of the public and rank-and-file lawmakers more time to plan and prepare for public hearings. 

However, since Joint Rules were passed just two weeks ago, a hearing of the Joint Committee on Public Service was recently scheduled for July 16th with 9 days notice. More recently, a hearing of the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development scheduled for July 15th with only 6 days notice. 

“Seeing the legislature finalize rules reforms for the first time in 6 years was an exciting moment for our state democracy,” said Act on Mass executive director Scotia Hille. “With the ink barely dried, to see them flouting those rules just days later is a really disappointing bait-and-switch. These lapses undermine the intent of the reforms, leaving the public and rank-and-file lawmakers still scrambling to attend hearings and read legislation. They also exacerbate confusion about procedure. Why write down rules if you’re not going to follow them?” 

Is the House Following Its Rolling Deadlines? The House, earlier this year, adopted a new set of rolling deadlines. According to the House’s own rules, reinforced in the Joint Rules’s recognition of these deadlines from House sides of joint committees, committees will report out bills within 60 days of a hearing. After that hearing, the chair may ask for a 30-day extension. 

As of today, ten hearings occurred more than 90 days ago, and additional 18 occurred more than 60 days ago. 

According to an analysis of these hearings, of the ten hearings that occurred more than 90 days ago, only three committees (Public Health, Cannabis Policy, and Elections) have taken action on the bills in their purview, with the House Elections Committee rejecting a proposed constitutional amendment without a recorded vote. 

The House Public Health Committee and the House Cannabis Policy Committee, to their credit, both provide recorded votes, but with inconsistent formats. The House Public Health Committee lists recorded votes as PDFs under an inconspicuous “Documents” tab on the hearing page, whereas the House Cannabis Policy Committee includes a recorded vote on the page of the redrafted bill itself, a more accessible placement. 

No bill page has an indication of an extension, leaving a large number of bills in a state of limbo.

“The House promised greater transparency with its new rules, but by leaving so many bills in limbo, everyday people are left with less information about the status of bills than they did before,” said Jonathan Cohn, policy director of Progressive Massachusetts. 

Will Committees Make Testimony Available to the Public? The rules give discretion to chairs to set policies and procedures around making testimony available to the public. As of now, only two committees — Aging and Independence and Municipalities and Regional Governments — are defaulting to making all testimony available, publishing it on the hearing page. Both deserve credit for setting a model that other committees should follow. 

Contact: 

Jonathan Cohn, jonathan@progressivemass.comScotia Hille, scotia@actonmass.org