Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 23
June 1 – 5, 2026
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THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of June 1-5.
During the week of June 1-5, the House met for a total of 13 hours and 27 minutes and the Senate met for a total of six hours and four minutes.
$1.35 BILLION SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (H 5470)- House 153-0, Senate 37-3, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a $1.35 billion fiscal 2026 supplemental budget that includes $558 million for education and $794 million for transportation.
Some of the funding will come from the $1.3 billion generated by the 2022 voter-approved constitutional amendment, known by supporters as the Millionaire’s Tax and the Fair Share Amendment, which imposes a surtax of an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current flat 5 percent one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. Language in the constitutional amendment requires that “subject to appropriation, the revenue will go to fund quality public education, affordable public colleges and universities, and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation.”
Education provisions include $152 million for special education reimbursements; $150 million for making childcare more affordable and accessible; and $40 million to help young learners read, including $20 million for high-dosage tutoring and $20 million for classroom programs designed to accelerate reading skills for kids in kindergarten through third grade.
Transportation provisions include $595 million for the MBTA including $450 million to keep the T running; $60 million for maintenance and upgrades to physical infrastructure with an emphasis on commuter rail improvements; $50.4 million to improve workforce and safety; $20 million to make fares more affordable for low-income riders; and $15 million for water transportation infrastructure across the state.
Other provisions create a new tax exemption, capped at $35 million per year, on building materials used in the construction of affordable, moderate-income and middle-income housing projects; a permanent extension of the state’s temporary 20-cent fee on Uber, Lyft and other rideshare trips; $100 million to help cities and towns recover from major storms over the winter; $1 million to help public school districts implement bell-to-bell cell phone-free policies; and $1 million toward free legal services for immigrants and refugees who need help navigating the courts.
(A “Yes” vote is for the $1.35 billion budget. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
$4.58 BILLION FOR TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS INCLUDING $300 MILLION FOR LOCAL ROADS AND BRIDGES (H 5375)- House 152-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Healey a measure that authorizes $4.58 billion in bonding for various local, regional and state transportation programs. The package includes $300 million for cities and towns for local road and bridges — $200 million which will be distributed to all municipalities based on the standard Chapter 90 Program distribution formula and another $100 million which will be distributed to all municipalities based solely on road mileage.
Other provisions include $500 million for the Lifecycle Asset Management Program which aids non-federally funded roads and targets the pavement and bridges across the state that are in the worst condition; $200 million for capital projects to support housing development, including stormwater management, culverts and bike and pedestrian improvements; $200 million for a new accelerated deferred maintenance and modernization program for infrastructure under the care and control of the Department of Conservation and Recreation; and $200 million for the MBTA for the procurement of electrically powered locomotives.
The legislation also reauthorizes $3.18 billion in funding for several programs included in the 2022 Transportation Bond Bill including $2.3 billion for projects on interstates and other federally aided highways; $800 million for improvements to non-federally aided roadways and bridges; $65 million for the Municipal Pavement Program for engineering, permitting, design and climate change adaptation on municipal ways; and $12 million for grants for the Shared Streets Program for improvements to municipal streets to create additional capacity for pedestrians and cyclists.
(A “Yes” vote is for the $4.58 billion package.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
AUDIT THE LEGISLATURE AND MORE (H 5469)- House 125-28, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would narrow the scope of a voter-approved legislative audit and create a formal process to govern public access to legislative records. Democratic leaders argued the bill preserves the constitutional separation of powers between the legislative and executive branches, where the auditor’s office is positioned. Democratic State Auditor Diana DiZoglio and the Republicans disagreed and argued the bill goes against the will of the voters who, in the November 2024 election, approved Ballot Question 1 asking them if they favor allowing the state auditor to audit the Legislature. The question passed overwhelmingly by 72% of the vote. It has now been 19 months since the voters approved the audit but an audit has yet to take place.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – No
CHANGE ARCHAIC LANGUAGE REFERRING TO PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES (H 5474)- House 150-0, approved, Senate approved on a voice vote without a roll call, and sent to Gov. Healey legislation that would modernize and remove archaic language in state laws to reflect the evolution of terminology relating to persons with disabilities.
Changes include replacing “handicapped persons” with “persons with disabilities;” replacing “the mentally retarded” with “persons with an intellectual disability;” replacing “retarded children” with “children with an intellectual disability;” and replacing “disabled American veterans” with “American veterans with disabilities.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
MOVE “LAST CALL” FOR ALCOHOL TO 3 A.M. (H 5478)- House 150-0, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would enable Massachusetts bars to push their “last call” to as late as 3 a.m., this summer, from June 8 to July 31, if they get local approval from their city or town. The measure would also allow municipalities to establish designated public consumption districts for expanded alcohol purchase and consumption.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
DATA PRIVACY (H 5479)- House 146-0, approved a proposal that would guard personal privacy and provide data protection for Massachusetts residents.
The Senate has already approved a different version of the measure and the House version now goes to the Senate for consideration.
The House proposal gives all Bay State residents the right to access their personal information; the right to correct inaccurate information; the right to opt out of certain processes such as targeted advertising; the right to transport personal data; and the right to delete certain information.
A key provision would prohibit sensitive data from being sold or shared without a user’s consent. Sensitive data includes information such as biometric or genetic information, precise geolocation data, health and wellness information, reproductive and sexual health data, data of a minor under 18, government-issued identifiers, and data that reveals an individual’s racial or ethnic origin, national origin or citizenship or immigration status, religious beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, status as transgender or non-binary, union membership, status as a military service member or veteran and status as a victim of a crime.
Other provisions include requiring that personal data collection must be proportionate to providing requested services, and data must be protected and deleted when no longer necessary or required by law; special protections for individuals under 18, including a prohibition on targeted advertising to minors; and giving the Office of the Attorney General broad regulatory authority to enforce these new laws.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
TEACHERS’ RETIREMENT BENEFITS (S 3109)- Senate 39-0, approved legislation that would allow longtime public school teachers the opportunity, until mid-2027, to join “Retirement Plus” and buy into an enhanced savings program if they missed out when the program was first established in 2001.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
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