Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 21
May 18 – 22, 2026
Copyright © 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators’ and representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of May 19-23. All Senate roll calls were related to the Senate version of a $63.37 billion fiscal 2027 state budget.
During the week of May 18-22, the House met for a total of five hours and 19 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 32 hours and 42 minutes.
“BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE SENATE BUDGET DEBATE”
Of the 1,161 amendments filed by senators, only 26 came to a roll call vote. And 21 of those were approved unanimously.
Many others were simply approved or rejected one at a time on voice votes, some with debate and some without debate.
To move things along even faster, the Senate also did its usual “bundling” of many amendments. Instead of acting on each amendment one at a time, hundreds of the proposed amendments are bundled and put into two piles—one pile that will be approved and the other that will be rejected, without a roll call, on voice votes where it is impossible to tell which way a senator votes.
Senate President Karen Spilka, or the senator who is filling in for her at the podium, orchestrates the approval and rejection of the bundled amendments with a simple: “All those in favor say ‘Aye,’ those opposed say ‘No.’ The Ayes have it and the amendments are approved.” Or: “All those in favor say ‘Aye,’ those opposed say ‘No.’ The No’s have it and the amendments are rejected.”
Senators don’t actually vote “Yes” or “No,” and, in fact, they don’t say a word. The outcome was predetermined earlier behind closed doors.
EPINEPHRINE TO TREAT ANAPHYLAXIS (H 5443)- House 154-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would expand access to epinephrine autoinjectors that are used to treat anaphylaxis – a severe, sudden and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
BIRTH DEFECTS (H 5441)- House 155-1, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would mandate that hospitals screen all newborns for congenital cytomegalovirus (CCMV) by using saliva or Urine Polymerase Chain Reaction tests. The cost of providing the screening would be required to be a covered benefit by all health insurers.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
DRONES (H 5444)- House 155-1, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that makes it illegal for a person to manufacture, modify, sell, transfer, possess or operate a robotic device equipped or mounted with a weapon. Other provisions prohibit anyone from using a robotic device to threaten to commit a crime, criminally harass a person or physically restrain or attempt to physically restrain a person; and exempt law enforcement agencies from the proposed new law.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
AUTISM AND POLICE STOPS (H 5438)- House 156-0, approved a bill designed to improve interactions between police officers and persons with autism spectrum disorder during traffic stops. The measure, dubbed the “Blue Envelope Bill,” would create a program giving people with the disorder the option to be given a special blue envelope that holds the person’s driver’s license and vehicle registration. On the outside of the envelope there would be written information and guidance on the envelope regarding ways to enhance effective communication between a police officer and a person with autism spectrum disorder. The envelope must also include instructions for access to the envelope, including attaching it to the sun visor on the driver’s side of the vehicle. The bill is designed to enable the driver to quickly and easily hand the envelope to a police officer during a traffic stop.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
BLUE STAR LICENSE PLATES (H 5439)- House 156-0, approved its version of a measure that would create a new special license plate to honor the memories of fallen law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. The measure would require the Registry of Motor Vehicles to provide the plates, at no charge, to the officers’ surviving parent, child, spouse, sibling or grandchild. It would also create a Blue Star Family emblem for motorcycle plates.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
SENATE APPROVES $63.37 BILLION FISCAL 2027 STATE BUDGET (S 4)- Senate 40-0, approved a $63.37 billion fiscal 2027 state budget after three days of debate. The House has already approved a different version, and a House-Senate conference committee will eventually craft a compromise plan that will be presented to the House and Senate for consideration and then sent to Gov. Maura Healey.
(A “Yes” vote is for the $63.37 billion fiscal 2027 state budget.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
$300,000 TO INVESTIGATE THE GROUP INSURANCE COMMISSION (S 4)- Senate 4-35, rejected an amendment that would provide $300,000 for the Inspector General to conduct an investigation into the spending by and practices of the Group Insurance Commission (GIC) which provides health insurance coverage for the 460,000 public employees, retirees and dependents.
(A “Yes” vote is for the $300,000 investigation. A “No” vote is against it.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
UNEXCUSED SCHOOL ABSENCES AND WELFARE BENEFITS (S 4)- Senate 36-4, approved an amendment that would repeal a current law, often called “Learnfare,” that allows the state to reduce Transitional Aid to Families with Dependent Children (TAFDC) financial assistance to families whose children under age 16 have excessive unexcused school absences. The reduction or end to the benefits would apply only to the aid received by the child with the unexcused absences.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment that would repeal a current law that allows the state to reduce TAFDC financial assistance to families whose children under age 16 have excessive unexcused school absences. A “No” vote is against the repeal and favors keeping the current law on the books.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT (H 4000)- Senate 5-34, rejected an amendment to the current law, known as the MBTA Communities Act, which according to the state’s website, requires that an MBTA community “must have at least one zoning district of reasonable size in which multi-family housing is permitted as of right and meets other criteria including minimum gross density of 15 units per acre; and a location not more than 1/2 mile from a commuter rail station, subway station, ferry terminal or bus station. No age restrictions can be applied and the district must be suitable for families with children.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment that would put the law on hold for two years for any municipality categorized as an adjacent community or an adjacent small town” without direct access to MBTA service. A “No” vote is against the amendment.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
PROHIBIT TAX REDUCTION AMENDMENTS FROM BEING CONSIDERED (S 4)- Senate 35-4, upheld the ruling of Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont), the acting Senate president at the time of the ruling, that ten amendments which proposed tax reductions will be prohibited from being debate and voted on by the Senate.
The proposed tax reductions include a reduction in the income tax, short term capital gains tax, estate tax, tax on overtime work and tax on tips.
(A “Yes” vote supports the ruling that prohibits the tax reductions amendments from being debated and voted on by the Senate. A “No” vote is against the ruling and favors allowing the tax reduction amendments to be debated and voted upon.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
$800,000 FOR YMCA (S 4)- Senate 39-0, approved an amendment that would increase funding for YMCAs across the state by $800,000 (from $7.2 million to $8 million.)
(A “Yes” vote is for the $800,000.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
SECURITY GUARDS AT NONPROFITS (S 4)- Senate 39-0, approved an amendment that would increase by $450,000 (from $300,000 to $750,000) funding for a grant program that helps pay for security guards at nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of being targeted for terrorist attacks or hate crimes.
(A Yes” vote is for the $450,000. A “No” vote is against it.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
For more information and details on each bill, roll call attendance, and other relevant information, please visit the Wakefield Daily Item at www.localheadlinenews.com