Latest news with #KarenSpilka
Axios
27-05-2025
- Business
- Axios
Top Mass. Democrats face off on liquor, school reform
Deehan here, back with Spill of the Hill, my column unraveling Massachusetts politics. Tensions are high between House and Senate Democrats on Beacon Hill as their leaders clash on changes to local liquor licensing, vocational school reforms and health care protections. Why it matters: With 35 days until the new fiscal year begins, House and Senate negotiators are trying to reconcile significant differences between their budget proposals. The big picture: Both chambers approved spending roughly 6% more this year. Though they're ostensibly part of the same political party, Senate President Karen Spilka and House Speaker Ron Mariano diverge on several big issues that will require compromise. What we're watching: The Senate wants to end the nearly century-old population-based cap system for local liquor licenses and let cities set their own limits. House leaders have historically opposed a change. The two chambers are also at odds over how to end broker fees on apartment rentals. The House wants to pause new changes to vocational school admissions. The Senate plan includes prescription drug price caps and more funding to protect hospitals from closing. How it works: Budget negotiations are top-down affairs, with the Ways and Means committee chairs — Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues — making offers, trading proposals and protecting their bosses' priorities. Between the lines: Aside from the chaos before the end of the lawmaking session, budget season is the pinnacle of horse-trade politicking in this one-party state. Whatever compromises are hashed out will almost certainly become law. Rank-and-file lawmakers don't go against leadership. The Republican minorities in the House and Senate have little to no influence on the outcome.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Senate budget debate day 2 recap
BOSTON (WWLP) – The Senate is almost done with its budget negotiations after adding $74 million to the bottom line, and mostly Republican amendments remain on the table. The original bottom line of this budget is $61.32 billion, and senators have been considering 1,058 amendments that would add at least $2 billion more. During Wednesday's debates, senators dealt with more than 300 of these amendments. Senators chose to add funding for reduced fares for students on public transportation, regional libraries, a jail diversion program, and pediatric palliative care. The proceedings also included a rare real debate, instead of just pre-written remarks. Senators argued back and forth for 90 minutes on prescription drug price caps, which ultimately passed. Opponents expressed worries about passing the policy-heavy amendment without public hearings. Westfield Senator John Velis took the floor to change a policy that ends benefits for Gold-Star spouses should they remarry. The Senate president says the amendment is common sense. 'It makes no sense, we changed that so the surviving spouse can keep the benefits. That's important to families,' said Senate President Karen Spilka. Senators still need to make a decision on 156 amendments,142 of which were filed by Republicans, and the vast majority of which were filed by minority leader Bruce Tarr. Once the remaining 156 amendments are settled, the House and Senate will need to reconcile their differences and send a compromise budget to the governor's desk. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Senators use budget stage to preview priorities
BOSTON (SHNS) – Senators churned through nearly 330 amendments during a 150-minute first shift of work on the fiscal 2026 state budget and largely sidestepped off-budget issues that could have elicited greater debate. When senators broke for lunch around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, they had adopted 153 amendments, rejected 75 others and withdrew 101 ideas from consideration. Additional 'bundles' were voted on soon after the Senate returned at 1:30 p.m. — a collection of 54 amendments was adopted and another of 54 amendments was rejected. After passing a few amendments highlighted by President Karen Spilka in a pre-session press scrum, senators went on a run of withdrawing policy amendments in favor of other advocacy avenues, rather than trying to force the issues in the Senate budget. Sen. Michael Moore advocated for and then withdrew his pitch to delay the implementation of minimum electric vehicle sales requirements, a topic that came up during the House budget debate as well, saying he recognized 'the bill we are taking up today is not focused on this policy.' Under the Advanced Clean Cars II regulation that Massachusetts adopted following California's lead in 2023, vehicle manufacturers must produce and make available for sale a gradually-increasing percentage of zero-emission vehicles starting at 35% in model year 2026. 'By enforcing this rule, manufacturers will have to artificially manipulate vehicle inventory to force more zero-emission vehicles into the state while reducing the number of gas-powered vehicles available,' the Millbury Democrat said. 'Looking at last year, 280,000 new vehicles were sold in Massachusetts. To artificially meet the 35% threshold, there would have to be a reduction of 198,000 gas-powered vehicles, representing a $9 billion reduction in economic activity in Massachusetts.' Also Tuesday, a coalition of 16 chambers of commerce and business organizations sent a letter to Gov. Maura Healey asking her to delay implementation of the ACC II rules, similar to action her administration has already taken related to similar mandates for truck sales. 'The fact is that even with the Commonwealth's aggressive efforts to encourage EV sales over the last several years, we are still short of goals. In 2024, approximately 14% of new vehicle sales in Massachusetts were ACC II compliant,' the coalition wrote. It added, 'These below-expected levels of demand make clear that many Massachusetts drivers do not consider EVs a practical or affordable purchase at the scale needed to satisfy the current timeline in this mandate. A primary concern is the lack of public charging infrastructure. In their 2024 Massachusetts Climate Report Card, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) reported that less than half the number of needed public EV charging stations have been installed.' The coalition includes the National Federation of Independent Business, Retailers Association of Massachusetts, Cape Cod Canal Regional Chamber of Commerce, Franklin County Chamber of Commerce, Metro South Chamber of Commerce, Neponset River Regional Chamber of Commerce, United Regional Chamber of Commerce, and the Western Massachusetts Economic Development Council. Sen. Patrick O'Connor did the same with his amendment to move towards a single statewide inspection and permitting process for food trucks, eliminating the patchwork of differing municipal processes. He said he will focus his efforts instead on the standalone legislation he filed to the same end. 'We've seen too many times over and over again, with different businesses and different industries that have grown here in Massachusetts, that we don't do enough to foster their growth. And this is something so simple — that we're basically taking the control from a local municipality and putting it into a statewide umbrella, asking the Department of Public Health to promulgate regulations that will be one standard regulation for food trucks,' the Weymouth Republican said. In her maiden speech in the Senate Chamber, Sen. Kelly Dooner of Taunton gave a preview of an issue that could spark greater debate as the budget debate goes on: the zoning requirements of the MBTA Communities Act. Her remarks focused on the burdens small communities like those she represents — Carver, Berkley and Rehoboth among them — face as they try to comply with the multi-family zoning mandate. 'I ask you, and I will continue asking you, for as long as I'm here, to have some compassion for those communities that are smaller, whether it's an extension, whether it's revisiting the conversation, both of which I believe need to happen, but anything to help our small adjacent communities that do not have the infrastructure to comply,' the first-term Republican said. She added, 'I just ask for your help in stopping the one-size-fits-all plan. And let's be partners to our municipalities, not the enemies that we have become known as by this MBTA Communities Act.' One of the MBTA Communities Act-related amendments highlighted by Dooner, O'Connor's bid to exempt so-called adjacent communities from the mandate, was rejected by the Senate without discussion. The others — amendments 12, 13, 140, 147, 296, 297 and 298 — remained pending just before 2 p.m. Tuesday. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State Senate President calling on lawmakers to consider banning cell phones in public schools
WESTFIELD, Mass. (WWLP)—The State Senate President's proposal to make public schools cell phone-free has sparked much discussion and debate among community members. Some welcome the idea as they believe it could improve student focus and productivity in the classroom, but others are worried about the potential safety risks of not having cell phones during an emergency. Cell phones have become an integral part of our daily lives, but their presence in classrooms has sparked a heated debate. Senate President Karen Spilka is calling on Massachusetts lawmakers to 'explore' a ban on cell phones in all public schools. And many are for it. 'I think cell phones shouldn't be involved in schools at all. It's a complete distraction. If they don't have distractions, they're going to learn more,' said Brian Friedrich of Connecticut. Spilka said in a speech to business leaders Wednesday morning that her son, a public high school teacher, often tells her about the unique challenges of teaching students who sit with a cell phone at their desk. She stated, 'There is mounting evidence that cell phone usage among students during the school day is detrimental for several reasons—from simple distraction to more worrying issues such as cheating and cyberbullying.' However, some are not in complete agreement with banning cell phones since they believe students should be able to use them in emergencies. 'A lot of different students might have health issues where they, you know, really need their cell phone,s and the influx of school shootings in the country. That's scary. I know as a mom, I would want to be able to contact my child if I ever needed it or if he ever needed it,' said Keira Hildack of Westfield. Some suggest setting guidelines for cell phone use, like keeping phones in a lockbox during class and then letting students have them back after the bell rings. It remains to be seen if this ban will potentially be implemented across Massachusetts school,s but Spilka says this idea has received broad bipartisan support. According to Spilka, at least 18 states have laws limiting cell phone usage. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Teachers, students react to Mass. Senate President's idea to keep cell phones out of schools
Massachusetts Senate President Karen Spilka wants the state to consider making public schools free of cell phones to remove distractions from the classroom. And some school districts, including in Brookline, have already started similar practices. Public Schools of Brookline Superintendent Linus Guillory said the district's K-8 schools have been using some form of 'off and away' all school year, and it differs among schools. Guillory said some have lock boxes in classrooms, others collect and return phones, and then there are schools where students are asked to leave their phones in their locker or backpack. Guillory said 'off and away' has yielded positive results with all schools reporting increased focus on academics and more positive social interactions. 'I think it really helps when I'm getting a lot of texts or something to not have it [cell phone] right next to me, so I'm not like feeling tempted to look at it,' said Allora Jajoo, a junior at Brookline High. As for a plan to make all public schools in Massachusetts free of cell phones, Lexy Bader, an English teacher at Brookline High, said she'd like to learn more about what this plan entails. 'I'd be curious to hear about it,' Bader said. 'I don't have a strict opinion at this point. I would have to hear more about it.' High school students like Aviv Schwab Jacobson shared similar feelings, but she would like students have access to their phones in case there was an emergency. 'I feel like there are some cases where it's helpful to have a phone. Sometimes I'll need to text my parents or something and it's urgent, and that's the one concern,' said Schwab Jacobson. Spilka did not mention any specific legislation, but she urged the Senate to look into ways that'll keep public schools in Massachusetts free of cell phones. This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
