July 31 is the last day of the formal legislative session for Beacon Hill. That typically produces a flurry of last-minute legislative activity, and it did–but with a twist.
Two years ago, when the sun rose on August 1, the Legislature was left without agreement on a number of key bills, with conference committees having yet to settle on final text. The Legislature got a lot of negative press for that, and deservedly so. However, they came back throughout the fall to finish the work.
Now, two years later, the two chambers again failed to come to agreement on a number of key bills. However, they blessed such procrastination in the rules they adopted last year, enabling themselves to more readily take up bills after July 31 so long as they are able to appoint the negotiators by then.
So what happened these final days?
- The two chambers, as we wrote about here, sent a final version of the PROTECT Act to the Governor’s desk yesterday.
- The Senate voted in a 15 to 4 standing vote (without formal record) for legislation previously passed by the House to expand abortion access and ensure that no one needs to leave the state to get essential reproductive health care after 24 weeks. The House voted 121 to 35 to enact the bill, as the two chambers sent it to the Governor.
- The two chambers also finalized a bill to rein in politically motivated book bans, with the House voting 156 to 1. Republican John Gaskey of Carver was the only NO vote.
What is still in negotiations?
- Comprehensive data privacy
- Energy affordability
- An economic development bill that contains key priorities like Clean Slate (automatic record sealing), Raise the Age, and the Tenant Opportunity to Purchase Act (TOPA)
- Ballot Spending Transparency Act
- Environmental bond bill
- A school cell phone ban and (together or separate) teen social media regulations
- BRIGHT Act (higher ed infrastructure)
The Legislature also appointed conference committees today to work on bills expanding access to primary care and updating the public records law (but in a way less than this fall’s Question 1).
The Legislature is unlikely to do much work in August with vacations and looming elections, and they have until January 5 to finish their job. They shouldn’t wait.