Beacon Hill Roll Call
Volume 51 – Report No. 9
February 23 – 27, 2026
Copyright © 2026 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.
THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of February 23-27.
During the week of February 23-27, the House met for a total of 11 hours and 22 minutes and the Senate met for a total of five hours and 55 minutes.
ENERGY (H 5151)- House 128-27, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that supporters said would result in over $9 billion in savings for utility ratepayers over the next ten years. The measure cuts roughly $1 billion from the Mass Save program’s marketing and administrative budgets; returns 70 percent of alternative compliance payments to ratepayers through mid-2029; expands clean energy procurement authority; eases political barriers to nuclear development by repealing a voter law that placed restrictions on it; and delays an offshore wind contracting deadline by two years to 2029.
A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – Yes
Rep. Donald Wong – No
SUSPEND CHARGES (H 5151)- House 25-130, rejected an amendment that would suspend the electric distribution companies from assessing and collecting from consumers “public benefit energy charges” on electric utility bills for twelve consecutive billing months. These charges currently fund programs such as energy efficiency, renewable and clean energy initiatives, distributed solar, electric vehicle programs and residential assistance.
The amendment also prohibits the Department of Public Utilities from deferring or later recovering the forgone revenue through future rate increases. Program administrators would be
required to adjust expenditures accordingly during the suspension.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
NATURAL GAS (H 5151)- House 25-129, rejected an amendment that would require the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, in consultation with the Department of Public Utilities and the Energy Facilities Siting Board, to conduct a competitive solicitation for proposals to increase firm interstate natural gas transmission capacity into the Bay State with a goal of enhancing winter energy reliability and mitigating price volatility affecting ratepayers.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
BATTERY STORAGE FACILITY (H 5151)- House 26-127, rejected an amendment that would prohibit the state from approving a battery storage facility in a municipality, unless the city or town governing body of the municipality in which the facility is proposed has voted to approve the project. The amendment also gives cities and towns the authority to establish additional siting, safety and environmental requirements for these storage facilities, as long as they don’t conflict with state law.
(A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.)
Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian – No
Rep. Donald Wong – Yes
UNIT PRICING IN CONVENIENCE STORES (S 2965)- Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that amends a current law which exempts smaller convenience stores from being required to display unit pricing. Unit pricing is the identification of and labeling of items for sale with the retail price per unit,
permitting easier price comparisons among similar products in different sized containers.
Under current law, an exemption from unit pricing is given to retailers with lower sales volumes—defined as establishments that generate less than $5 million in in-store sales each year, including sales of Lottery products and gift cards. The bill would remove Lottery products and gift card sales from the calculation of whether a store can be included in the unit price exemption.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
$3.28 BILLION TO MODERNIZE BAY STATE PUBLIC COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES (S 2962)- Senate 37-0, approved a $3.28 billion package, known as the BRIGHT Act, that funds the modernization of Bay State public colleges and universities by using the revenue from the 2022 voter-approved law, known as the Millionaire’s Tax, that imposes an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current flat 5 percent one, on taxpayers’ earnings of more than $1 million annually. The House has already approved its own version of the bill and a House-Senate conference committee will likely hammer out a compromise version.
(A “Yes” vote is for the bill.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – Yes
$300 MILLION FOR K-12 EDUCATION (S 2962)- Senate 6-31, rejected an amendment that would provide local cities and towns with $300 million in education aid for public elementary and secondary education, including “programs, services, operations, supports and improvements that advance educational quality, equity, access and student success in the commonwealth.”
(A “Yes” vote is for the $300 million. A “No” vote is against it.)
Sen. Jason Lewis – No
TAX REVENUE FROM MILLIONAIRE’S TAX (S 3)- Senate 5-32, rejected an amendment that would remove a section in the higher education bill that exempts tax revenue generated from the voter-approved
Millionaire’s Tax from counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations, under Chapter 62F, which provides that whenever revenue collections in a fiscal year exceed an annual cap tied to wage and salary growth, the excess is returned to taxpayers.
Two years ago, $3 billion in refunds were returned to taxpayers when the law was triggered for just the second time since its passage in 1986. The revenue from the Millionaire’s Tax is deposited into the new Education and Transportation Stabilization Fund.
(Please note what a “Yes” and “No” vote mean. The amendment was on striking the section that exempts tax revenue generated from the recently voter-approved Millionaire’s Tax from counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations. Therefore, a “Yes” vote is for the amendment that favors tax revenue generated from the recently voter-approved Millionaire Tax counting toward the allowable state tax revenue limitations. A “No” vote is against the amendment and supports exempting the revenue from the allowable state tax revenue limitations.)
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