BEACON HILL ROLL CALL
Volume 51 Number 43
October 19 – 23, 2026
Copyright © Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of October 19-23. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.
During the week of October 19-23, the House met for a total of eight hours and 44 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 26 minutes.
$2.8 BILLION FISCAL 2026 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (H 5700)- House 152-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $2.354 billion fiscal 2026 budget to close out the books on fiscal year 2026.
Provisions include $1.8 billion for MassHealth, the state’s Medicaid program that provides health care for low-income and disabled persons; $159 million for snow and ice removal costs; $54.5 million for Department of Transitional Assistance caseworkers; $22.5 million for no-cost calls by prisoners; $5.6 million to implement cannabis-related legislation; and $4 million for rest homes.
Other provisions include prohibiting the constitutional officers from spending or authorizing the use of public funds for advertisements or promotions to build personal recognition, but preserving their ability to use public funds to inform residents about state programs; regulating the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in political ads by requiring the disclosure of AI use in political ads and banning deceptive communications about a candidate or about the electoral process within three months of an election; authorizing online Lottery revenues to be distributed to the Early Education Grant Fund; and eliminating the $10 surcharge imposed on car-sharing organization rentals.
(A “Yes” vote is for the budget.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
SUSPEND THE STATE’S 24-CENTS-PER-GALLON GAS TAX FOR TWO MONTHS (H 5699)- House 30-132, rejected an amendment that would suspend the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax for two months.
(A “Yes” vote is for suspending the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax for two months. A “No” vote is against suspension and favors keeping intact the state’s 24-cents-per-gallon gas tax.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
OFFSHORE WIND (H 5700)- House 25-129, rejected an amendment that would delete a section of the budget that would transfer $35 million, in fiscal years 2026 and 2027, from the General Fund to the Massachusetts Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment which would keep the $70 million in the General Fund. A “No” vote is against the amendment and supports putting the $70 million in the Offshore Wind Industry Investment Trust Fund.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – 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.