Legislation State House Busy Despite Budget Delay Main Menu
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NOVEMBER 1999 - Work Continues On Retirement Legislation - To
many, the fact that the FY 2000 State Budget is four months overdue
would mean that not much work was getting done under the golden dome
atop Beacon Hill. With the legislative leaders locked in daily
negotiations, how can anything else get done?
Since June, House Speaker Thomas Finneran and Senate President Thomas Birmingham, along with their leadership teams, have been locked in a philosophical battle of wills as to whose blueprint will be used to set the course for the state’s future. Senator Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) and Representative Paul Haley (D-Weymouth) head-up the respective conference teams. "Believe it or not business continues on Beacon Hill," says Association Legislative Liaison Shawn Duhamel. "While it may seem as if things are at a standstill with the budget, a lot is actually going on behind the scenes. The budget is only one of many things being worked on in the State House." Action Pending Under legislative rules, the formal session ends on Wednesday, November 17. While the legislature will continue to meet informally, no controversial matters or roll call votes will be taken up until the legislature formally reconvenes in January. All Association bills will carry over into the year 2000. During the course of the past four months, the Association’s legislative team has kept in close contact with key legislators and their staff to keep our legislative package fresh in their minds. The staff of the Public Service Committee has taken the time to dig deep into the facts behind the various bills being studied by the Committee. Early retirement, disability reform, and pension obligation bonds are just three of the many issues being looked at by the Public Service Committee. The majority of the Association’s legislative package has passed through the public hearings and has been favorably discharged to the House and Senate Ways and Means Committees."I cannot speculate on the status of our bills, since we expect a flurry of activity in early November. The important thing is that most of our bills are in the right place to move quickly once they are brought to the floor for a vote," explains Legislative Chairman Bill Hill. "Members should look to our January edition of the Voice, which will be mailed in mid-December, for a complete update of our legislative package." |
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