BOSTON — Here's how local legislators were recorded on major roll-call votes taken in late May and early June 2008:
HOUSE
1. OCEAN MANAGEMENT PLAN (S 2699) — Voting House 154-1, the House approved and sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a conference committee version of a bill requiring the state to develop and implement an ocean management plan. The compromise was reached after the House and Senate passed different versions of the bill.
Supporters of the bill said that this landmark legislation would ensure that the state has a statewide and comprehensive plan to balance the commercial and recreational uses of oceans and the protection of their environmental value. They noted that it is long past time to eliminate the current system that spreads out this important responsibility among several government agencies in a piecemeal, confusing and inconsistent manner.
A yes vote was in favor of the bill.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes
Rep. Mary Grant — Yes
Rep. Bradford Hill — Yes
Rep. Bradley Jones — Yes
Rep. John Keenan — Yes
Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes
Rep. Theodore Speliotis — Yes
Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — Yes
2. $1.275 BILLION FOR AFFORDABLE PUBLIC HOUSING (H 4594) — Voting 153-0, the House approved and sent to Gov. Patrick a $1.275-billion housing bond package for the production, protection and rehabilitation of affordable housing across the state.
Provisions include $500 million for local housing authorities to produce and rehabilitate public housing units; $50 million for community-based housing for the mentally ill and mentally retarded and $50 million for development of community-based housing for persons with disabilities who are institutionalized or at risk of being institutionalized.
Supporters said that Massachusetts home prices are among the highest in the nation and argued that the state faces a lack of affordable housing units and opportunities for home ownership. They said that the package would help thousands of people live in safe and affordable housing and would also be a boon to the economy.
A yes was was in favor of the the $1.275-billion package.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes
Rep. Mary Grant — Yes
Rep. Bradford Hill — Yes
Rep. Bradley Jones — Yes
Rep. John Keenan — Yes
Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes
Rep. Theodore Speliotis — Yes
Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — Yes
3. NURSE STAFFING LEVELS (H 4714) — Voting 119-35, the House approved and sent to the Senate a bill giving the state's Department of Public Health (DPH) the authority to regulate and limit the number of patients assigned to each registered nurse in the state's acute care hospitals.
The measure directs DPH to conduct a study of patient safety and then to establish optimal standards for nurse staffing and defined limits for the maximum number of patients for which a nurse can safely care. Hospitals would have flexibility to staff within the limits determined to be safe by DPH.
The measure also prohibits hospitals from forcing nurses to work overtime except to protect patient safety during a national or state emergency. Other provisions establish programs and initiatives, including nursing scholarships, designed to increase the number of nurses in the state.
Supporters said that this landmark bill would make Massachusetts the second state in the nation to impose these important patient-to-nurse ratio restrictions that would improve hospital care and save lives. They said that many nurses are currently assigned to far too many patients and cannot provide quality care.
Opponents said the bill allows the state to micromanage hospitals and noted that a "one-size fits all" approach is a simplistic and misguided effort that would cost hospitals millions of dollars and drive up the already skyrocketing cost of health care. They argued that the ratios would lead to hospitals turning away patients and noted that in some rural areas the next closest comparable hospital is more than 50 miles away.
The House approved a similar bill in 2005 but it died in the Senate.
A yes vote was in favor of allowing DPH to establish patient-to-nurse ratio restrictions.
Rep. Lori Ehrlich — Yes
Rep. Mary Grant — Yes
Rep. Bradford Hill — Yes
Rep. Bradley Jones — No
Rep. John Keenan — No
Rep. Barbara L'Italien — Yes
Rep. Theodore Speliotis — No
Rep. Joyce Spiliotis — Yes
SENATE
1. $28 BILLION PLUS FISCAL 2009 STATE BUDGET (S 2600) — Voting 39-0, the Senate approved a $28 billion plus fiscal 2009 state budget.
Senators added an estimated $8 million during two days of debate. Most of the nearly 900 proposed amendments to the budget were approved or rejected without debate and without a roll-call vote.
At one point, dozens of amendments were split between a "yes" pile and a "no" pile. The Senate, again without debate or roll calls, quickly approved the "yes" pile and rejected the "no" pile.
Supporters said that the budget is a fiscally responsible one that funds necessary programs, increases local aid and does not raise taxes. The House has already approved a different version of the budget and a conference committee will eventually craft a compromise version.
A yes vote was in favor of the budget.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes
Sen. Thomas McGee — Yes
Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
2. STUDY CASINOS INSTEAD OF VOTING ON ALLOWING CASINOS (S 2600) — Voting 29-9, the Senate approved an amendment creating a 13-member special commission to study the impact that casinos and slot machines would have on the state's economy, tax revenue, state lottery, public infrastructure and public health and report back to the Senate by February 15.
The study was proposed in place of Gov. Patrick's bill legalizing casino gambling in the Bay State and licensing three resort casinos. Under Senate rules, approval of the study precluded a vote on Patrick's casino proposal itself.
Most supporters of the study are opposed to casino gambling and acknowledged that setting up this study would essentially kill the proposal without having a direct roll call on the casino bill itself.
Most opponents of the study favor casino gambling and said that the study would kill the bill. They noted that the impact of casinos has already been studied to death and argued that the study proposal was an anti-democratic way to avoid a roll call on the casino bill itself.
A yes vote was in favor of the study which precluded a vote on the casino proposal itself.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes
Sen. Thomas McGee — Yes
Sen. Bruce Tarr — No
3. ELIMINATE $10 MILLION FOR LOTTERY ADVERTISING BUDGET (S 2600) — Voting 12-26, the Senate rejected an amendment to eliminate $10 million in funding for the advertising of Lottery games.
Supporters of the $10 million said that it has been used annually for ten years to increase Lottery sales and raise additional Lottery revenue that is distributed to cities and towns as local aid. They noted that the Lottery is a success and argued that the Legislature should not micromanage it and change its successful formula.
Opponents of the $10 million said that the Lottery is a very regressive mechanism for raising revenue. They argued that the ad campaign entices low-income workers and seniors to spend their scarce, hard-earned money on gambling.
A yes vote was to eliminate the Lottery Commission's $10-million advertising budget.
Sen. Frederick Berry — No
en. Thomas McGee — No
Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
4. DIVEST FROM IRAN (S 2255) — Voting 33-5 strictly along party lines, the Senate approved an amendment that would delay and essentially kill a Republican-sponsored proposal requiring the state's pension fund to divest its holdings in companies doing business related to petroleum with Iran.
The amendment would replace the mandated divestiture with a requirement that the Pension Reserves Investment Management Board (PRIM) study the fiscal impact of divesting the funds and report to the Legislature by March 1.
Supporters of divestiture said that Iran is one of the most evil and dangerous nations in the world and should not receive any support from Massachusetts' pension fund. They noted that Iran is working toward developing a nuclear bomb and has threatened to destroy Israel. They noted that the delay would basically kill the proposal because the PRIM board has always been against restrictions on where it can invest its funds.
Opponents of divestiture said that no research has been done to determine how much money the Iran divestiture would cost the pension fund. They argued that it is important to know the financial consequences prior to voting to divest.
A yes vote was in favor of the delay and study.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes
Sen. Thomas McGee — Yes
Sen. Bruce Tarr — No
5. DEDUCT LOCAL USER FEES (S 2600) — Voting 8-30, the Senate rejected an amendment allowing taxpayers an annual tax credit of up to $500 for fees paid to a city or town for their child's participation in sports, academic or other student activities.
Amendment supporters said many communities have imposed these user fees that are hurting middle and low-income families. They argued that allowing the credit could save many families up to $500 per year and noted that in 2005, an estimated 66 percent of communities charged a fee for activities that were previously free.
Amendment opponents said that the amendment is fiscally irresponsible because no one has recent and accurate figures on how many families are paying these fees and how much revenue the state would lose. Some argued that any loss in state revenue would mean further cuts in important programs.
A yes vote was in favor of allowing a tax credit to offset user fees.
Sen. Frederick Berry — DNV
Sen. Thomas McGee — No
Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
6. OCEAN MANAGEMENT PLAN (S 2699) — Voting 38-0, the Senate approved and sent to Gov. Deval Patrick a conference committee version of a bill requiring the state to develop and implement an ocean management plan. The compromise was reached after the House and Senate passed different versions of the bill. (See details with House vote above.)
A yes vote was in favor of the bill.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes
Sen. Thomas McGee — DNV
Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
7. $1.275 BILLION FOR AFFORDABLE PUBLIC HOUSING (H 4594) — Voting 37-0, the Senate approved and sent to Gov. Patrick a $1.275 billion housing bond package for the production, protection and rehabilitation of affordable housing across the state. (See details with House vote above.)
A yes vote was in favor of the $1.275-billion package.
Sen. Frederick Berry — Yes
Sen. Thomas McGee — DNV
Sen. Bruce Tarr — Yes
