Today the Massachusetts Senate voted to raise the age of juvenile jurisdiction to include residents who are 18-years-old. The initiative, known as “Raise the Age” by advocates, is proven to decrease crime and improve public safety by allowing emerging adults who are 18 years old—the typical age of a senior in high school—to be tried as juveniles instead of adults for certain crimes.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Senate took action today to address the state’s housing crisis. S.2834, An Act relative to affordable homes—also known as the Affordable Homes Act—authorizes $5.4 billion in borrowing and makes crucial policy changes with the goal of building new housing, accelerating the rehabilitation of existing housing, reducing barriers to development, and promoting affordable housing.
Read MoreI would like to commend Attorney General Andrea Campbell and her team for their perseverance in negotiating a settlement with the state’s transportation network companies that benefits the hardworking people of Massachusetts.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed comprehensive climate legislation to make systemic changes to the state’s clean energy infrastructure that will help the state achieve its net zero emissions by 2050 goals, expand electric vehicle (EV) use and infrastructure, and protect residents and ratepayers. The bill passed the upper chamber by a vote of 38-2.
Read MoreToday, the Massachusetts Senate voted to modernize the bottle bill, adding noncarbonated beverages, wine, and spirits to the list of containers eligible for a bottle deposit, and increasing the deposit amount from 5 cents to 10 cents.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed legislation that builds on the state’s climate and environmental leadership by banning single-use plastic bags, making straws and plasticware available by request only, and making it easier to recycle. The legislation passed by a vote of 38-2.
Read MoreThis week, the Massachusetts Senate will debate comprehensive climate and plastics legislation aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping the Commonwealth achieve its net zero emissions by 2050 goals drastically reducing plastic waste statewide.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Legislature today enacted comprehensive legislation that criminalizes the non-consensual sharing of explicit images known as “revenge porn,” creates a diversion program for teens who share explicit images, statutorily defines coercive control as an element of domestic abuse, and extends the statute of limitations to pursue criminal charges for certain domestic violence offenses from six years to 15 years.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Legislature approved August 10 and August 11 as a sales tax holiday weekend for Massachusetts. On those days, the Massachusetts sales tax of 6.25% will be suspended for most items that retail for less than $2,500.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed legislation to boost support for hundreds of thousands of individuals across the state who have served in the United States military, including nearly 30,000 women veterans and thousands of LGBTQ+ veterans.
Read MoreThis Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate will take up and debate An Act Honoring, Empowering and Recognizing Our Service Members and Veterans (HERO Act).
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate passed An act relative to advancing the profession of commercial interior design. Under this legislation, commercial interior designers would have the opportunity to become registered professionals in the state of Massachusetts. As the law currently stands, with certain state and federal projects requiring licensure, Massachusetts designers often have to contract with larger firms or individuals with architectural licenses in order to be eligible for these projects. This often results in lost revenue for interior designers in this majority-women field.
Read MoreThis Thursday, the Massachusetts Senate will take up and debate An Act to provide for the future information technology needs of Massachusetts (the FutureTech Act) and An Act relative to advancing the profession of commercial interior design.
Read MoreThe Massachusetts Senate has unanimously approved a $57.999 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). Following robust and spirited debate, the Senate adopted over 400 amendments and took 43 roll call votes, adding $89.6 million in spending for statewide initiatives and local priorities for communities around the Commonwealth.
Read MoreThe Senate will begin the third day of debate of the Fiscal Year 2025 budget on Thursday morning. As of the beginning of debate on Thursday, the upper chamber adopted 375 amendments, rejected 281 amendments, and has taken 26 roll call votes.
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Approximately halfway through debate of the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2025 budget, the upper chamber has dealt with 635 amendments, spanning categories including environment, economic development, and health and human services. As of 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday, the Senate has adopted 245 amendments, rejected 204 amendments and taken 14 roll call votes.
Read MoreThe Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Tuesday released a $57.9 billion budget for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) that reflects the Senate’s vision of creating a more affordable, equitable, and competitive Massachusetts by investing in residents and communities across every district of the Commonwealth, while continuing to be fiscally responsible and chart a sustainable path forward.
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Today, Senate leaders unveiled MassEducate, a proposal for tuition-free, universal community college for all Massachusetts residents which is aimed at boosting the state’s workforce and expanding opportunity for students and families in every part of the state.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Senate took action to protect residents and consumers from predatory tactics and promote fairer interactions with businesses in the state, passing bills that would ban third-party residential electric suppliers, enhance the state’s Lemon Law for car buyers, and mandate home insurers cover residential oil spill damages.
Read MoreToday the Massachusetts Legislature gave municipalities around the Commonwealth a critical tool to make improvements to local transportation infrastructure by overwhelmingly passing a final bill to authorize Chapter 90 road funding.
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