Wednesday, July 23, 2014
Nearing the End of Formal Sessions
With July 31st nearing quickly, signifying the
end of formal sessions, there is a great amount of work still to be completed
by the legislature. Currently, there are several bills within conference
committees, which are committees of six members (three from the House and three
from the Senate) that are formed after the House and Senate engross their own
respective versions of a particular bill and work together to produce a final
version of the legislation. Those bills
in conference committee include:
·
An Act promoting economic growth across the
Commonwealth;
·
An Act relative to the reduction of gun
violence;
·
An Act enhancing protection for victims of
domestic violence;
·
An Act financing information technology
equipment and related projects; and
·
An Act providing for the preservation and
improvement of lands, parks and clean energy in the Commonwealth.
Recently, the House and Senate also passed their own
versions of a capital bond bill; however, a conference committee has yet to even
be appointed. Including today, there are
only 8 days left of formal sessions for the conference committees to file their
reports on the various bills in order for the legislature to have the
opportunity to debate and possibly enact them.
Also of concern, there are several important measures still awaiting committee action before the legislation can be brought to the floors for a vote. Those bills include:
·
An Act relative to the penalty for killing,
maiming or poisoning of animals;
·
An Act establishing a Massachusetts seafood
marketing program;
·
An Act relative to the expansion of the state
DNA database; and
·
An Act relative to local housing authorities.
With time running out, the legislature needs to act swiftly
to ensure these matters get the attention they deserve. Keep checking back to read updates on these
measures and others as the legislature continues to progress towards the July
31st deadline.
