Approves Holyoke Home Compromise on Voice Vote
The House on Monday approved a compromise version of legislation funding a new Holyoke Soldiers’ Home after negotiators reached a deal at the end of the last week. House and Senate lawmakers teed up the borrowing bill for a needed roll call vote on enactment in the House on Tuesday. Of the six members who negotiated differences between the House and Senate versions, all four Democrats signed on to the compromise proposal while the two Republicans, Sen. Ryan Fattman and Sen. Donald Berthiaume, did not. The legislation (H 3770) calls for $400 million in borrowing to build a new long-term care facility for veterans in Holyoke with another $200 million for long-term care services for veterans across the state. Administration officials are looking to secure a federal grant that would cover a majority of the project’s cost and an application with the facility’s full design plan is due to the federal government on Aug. 1. The House is back in full formal session Tuesday with roll call votes starting at 1 p.m. – Chris Van Buskirk
CONVENES: The House convened at 11 a.m., Rep. Donato of Medford presiding. Rep. Wong of Saugus was present.
PLEDGE: Members, staff, and guests pledged allegiance to the U.S. Flag.
RESOLUTIONS: The House adopted congratulatory resolutions.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House entered a brief recess at 11:02 a.m. and returned at 11:53 a.m.
HOLYOKE SOLDIERS’ HOME: The House accepted conference committee report H 3770 financing the reconstruction of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. The conference committee jacket was signed by Reps. Wagner and Gregoire and by Sens. Friedman, and Feeney.
CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT: The House engrossed H 92 authorizing the town of Berlin to continue the employment of Paul Kenneth Clark.
RECESS/RETURNS: The House recessed at 11:55 a.m. and returned at 1:01 p.m.
HOLYOKE SOLDIERS’ HOME: The House on a 2-0 standing vote adopted an emergency preamble to H 3770 financing the reconstruction of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.
SICK LEAVE BANK: The House ordered to third reading H 2775 establishing a sick leave bank for Autumn Fugere, an employee of the Department of Developmental Services.
SICK LEAVE BANK: The House ordered to third reading H 2777 establishing a sick leave bank for Charles E. McCabe, an employee of the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Service.
SICK LEAVE BANK: The House ordered to third reading H 3769 establishing a sick leave bank for Linda R. Berube, an employee of the Department of Developmental Services.
ADJOURNS: The House adjourned at 1:04 p.m. to meet next on Tuesday at 11 a.m. in a full formal session with roll call votes starting at 1 p.m. Rep. Donato notified members of a Democratic Caucus at 11:30 a.m.
DISCLAIMER: Bill texts and histories are available at http://www.malegislature.gov/. All votes are voice votes, unless otherwise noted. Bills ordered to third reading have been given initial approval. To engross a bill is to pass it and send it to the other branch. The last of three votes taken on bills that reach the governor’s desk is the vote on enactment. So, it’s third reading (initial approval), engrossment (passage) and enactment. The News Service coverage of legislative debate is an accurate summary of remarks, not a verbatim transcript.
