Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 50 – Report No. 8
February 17 – 21, 2025
Copyright © 2025 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
CORRECTION: Beacon Hill Roll Call previously reported the wrong roll call tally by which the Senate rejected an amendment that would have required an independent review of the emergency assistance housing program by the Inspector General, to help identify savings and potential cost recovery. The amendment was in fact defeated on a 10-28 roll call vote.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senator’s votes on roll calls from recent sessions in which the Senate debated the rules by which it will operate in the 2025-2026 legislative session.
During the week of Feb. 17-21, the House met for a total of six minutes while the Senate met for a total of five minutes.
ADOPT SENATE RULES (S 14)- Senate 39-0, adopted a set of Senate rules for the 2025-2026 session.
Rules include requiring that the votes senators take in joint committees be published online; requiring in-person or written testimony received by Senate members of a joint committee be published online; requiring Senate committees to make bill summaries available online for legislation reported favorably out of the committee; and requiring every senator and Senate employee to undergo cybersecurity training every two years.
(A Yes” vote is for the rules package.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
TIGHTEN RULES FOR REMOTE VOTING (S 14)- Senate 5-32, rejected an amendment that would change the current rule that allows a senator, who is not physically at the session in the Senate chamber, to vote remotely from any location and without giving a reason for his or her absence from the Senate chamber.
The amendment would have allowed senators who are not in the chamber to vote remotely only in cases of disability, illness, providing care for an immediate family member, pregnancy or childbirth for a senator, a senator’s spouse, partner or domestic partner. The amendment does not require the senator to provide proof or documentation of the reason for not being in the chamber.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
BAN SESSIONS AFTER MIDNIGHT (S 14)- Senate 6-31, rejected an amendment that would prohibit the Senate from meeting beyond midnight. The amendment would replace the current rule that allows the Senate to meet after midnight if two-thirds of the Senate votes to do so.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment prohibiting the Senate from meeting after midnight. A “No” vote is against the amendment.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
REQUIRE THE SENATE RECORD TO REVEAL WHEN A SENATOR HAS VOTED REMOTELY (S 14)- Senate 6-31, rejected an amendment that would require that all Senate roll call votes, publicly published by the state, include “Virtual Vote” (VV) alongside any member’s name if the senator was not in the chamber and voted remotely from his or home, office or other location.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment requiring the notation “virtual voting.” A “No” vote is against the amendment.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
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.
