Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 18
April 27 – May 1, 2026
Copyright © 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of April 27-May 1. All roll calls in the House were on matters relating to House passage of a $63.41 billion fiscal 2027 state budget. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week.
During the week of April 27-May 1, the House met for a total of 27 hours and 19 minutes and the Senate met for a total of four hours and 49 minutes.
Most votes were strictly along party lines with most Republicans supporting the various tax cuts and other amendments, and most Democrats opposing them.
A LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE “MAKING OF THE BUDGET”
Most of the decisions on which representatives’ amendments are included or not included in the budget are made behind closed doors. Of the more than 1,700 budget amendments proposed last week, most of them were bundled into consolidated “mega” amendments. This year there were seven mega amendments and all were easily approved on roll call votes.
The system works as follows: Individual representatives file amendments on various topics. All members then pitch their amendments to Democratic leaders who draft consolidated amendments that include some of the individual representatives’ amendments while excluding others.
The categories of consolidated amendments include many subjects including programs relating to public safety, judiciary, energy, environmental affairs, housing, labor and economic development.
Supporters of the system say that any representative who sponsored an excluded amendment can bring it to the floor and ask for an up or down vote on the amendment itself. They say this system has worked well for many years.
Opponents say that too much is decided behind closed doors without debate and noted that most individual amendments that are brought to the floor are defeated.
HOUSE APPROVES $63.41 BILLION FISCAL 2027 STATE BUDGET (H 5500)- House 149-9, approved and sent to the Senate a $63.41 billion fiscal 2027 state budget after three days of debate. The House version now goes to the Senate which will approve its own version. 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 $63.41 billion budget. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
LOWER SALES TAX FROM 6.25 PERCENT TO 5 PERCENT (H 5500)- House 25-131, rejected an amendment that would reduce the state’s current 6.25 percent sales tax to 5 percent.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment reducing the sales tax to 5 percent. A “No” vote is against reducing it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
EXEMPT OVERTIME WAGES FROM INCOME TAX (H 5500)- House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would exempt a worker’s hourly overtime wages from the state’s income tax. The exemption would not apply to salaried employees.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment exempting a worker’s hourly overtime wages from the state’s income tax. A “No” vote is against exempting it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
EXEMPT TIPS FROM INCOME TAX (H 5500)- House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would exempt up to $25,000 of a worker’s tips from the state’s income tax.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment exempting up to $25,000 of a worker’s tips from the state’s income tax. A “No” vote is against exempting them.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
EXEMPT RETIREMENT INCOME FROM INCOME TAX (H 5500)- House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would exempt retirement income of seniors aged 69.5 and older from the current 5 percent tax on it.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment exempting retirement income from the current 5 percent tax. A “No” vote is against exempting it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
TAX AMNESTY (H 5500)- House 27-129, rejected an amendment that would authorize cities and towns to conduct a municipal tax amnesty program over a two-month period, as determined by the local legislative body, any time prior to June 30, 2029. It specifically authorizes communities to waive any or all penalties, fees, charges and accrued interest if the original overdue tax assessment is paid in full.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment authorizing cities and towns to conduct a municipal tax amnesty program. A “No” vote is against allowing it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
REQUIRE VOTER ID TO VOTE (H 5500)- House 27-131, rejected an amendment that would require voters to present a valid government-issued photo identification in order to vote, including a Massachusetts driver’s license or state identification card issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles; a United States passport; a United States military identification card; a Massachusetts-issued firearm identification card; or any other federal or state government-issued identification card that includes a photograph of the voter.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment requiring voters to present an ID in order to vote. A “No” vote is against requiring it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
REDIRECT $10 MILLION FOR FREE PRISONER CALLS TO INSTEAD FUND LOCAL AID FOR CITIES AND TOWNS (H 5500)- House 26-130, rejected an amendment that would delete a section of the budget that provides $10 million to fund the No-Cost Calls Law that provides unlimited phone calls for inmates at county and state correctional facilities, and would redirect the $10 million to support unrestricted local aid for cities and towns.
(A “Yes” vote is for redirecting the $10 million to fund unlimited phone calls to instead fund $10 million in unrestricted local aid for cities and towns. A “No” vote is against redirecting and favors keeping the $10 million funding for the No-Cost Calls Law.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
MUST BE A CITIZEN TO GET HOUSING AID (H 5500)- House 26-132, rejected an amendment that would require the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities to verify the United States citizenship of each applicant for any HomeBASE benefit and to deny the benefit to any applicant who fails to provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. HomeBASE is a state-funded program that provides up to $30,000 over a 2-year period to help homeless families in the Emergency Assistance system secure stable housing, by covering rent, deposits, utilities, furniture and some moving expenses.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment denying the housing benefit unless the applicant can provide satisfactory evidence of citizenship. A “No” vote is against the amendment and favors not requiring an applicant to prove U.S. citizenship.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
INCREASE LOCAL AID BY 10 PERCENT (H 5500)- House 25-113, rejected an amendment that would increase unrestricted local aid to cities and towns by 133,310,951 (10 percent) from $1,333,109,519 to 1,466,420,470.
(A “Yes” vote is for increasing unrestricted local aid for cities and towns by 133,310,951. A “No” vote is against increasing it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
LOWER INCOME TAX FROM 5 PERCENT TO 4 PERCENT (H 5500)- House 25-132, rejected an amendment that would reduce the state’s income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment reducing the income tax to 4 percent. A “No” vote is against reducing it.)
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