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That’s just some of what lawmakers are dealing with heading into the final three days of formal sessions, in which bills that would legalize sports betting, update cannabis regulations, expand access to mental health and more have yet to emerge from conference committee, the Senate has yet to take up the gun legislation Democratic legislative leaders vowed would make it to Baker’s desk by Sunday, and the governor has yet to sign or return key reproductive rights and climate bills. And a little-known tax law from 1986 is potentially scrambling spending plans and could result in the state returning upwards of $2.5 billion to taxpayers.

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Charlie Baker threw lawmakers a curveball yesterday by, through a budget amendment, tacking elements of his now-defunct dangerousness bill onto lawmakers’ push to make phone calls free for inmates. GOOD FRIDAY MORNING, MASSACHUSETTS.Speaking of late-session surprises, Gov. “Hearing from lawmakers … who have refused to act on the will of their own employees in a state that champions itself on its deep labor history, it is very demoralizing,” Evan Berry, a union organizer who works for state Sen. Spilka told staffers in the email obtained by Playbook that she remains “committed to making the Senate a great place” to work and that senators will “continue our efforts to improve working conditions, benefits, and salaries.” She invited staffers to a meeting with Senate counsel this afternoon to discuss the results of the four-month legal review into the unionization effort.īut staffers contend there’s nothing explicitly prohibiting them from unionizing - and they’re vowing to fight on. “I appreciate the work done to analyze this issue, but the final decision by the Senate president is simply not OK.” Diana DiZoglio, an auditor hopeful who’s been working with staffers to address their workplace issues, told Playbook. that they do not have adequate representation and that they are operating in a toxic workplace environment,” state Sen. And the criticism was as much about the message as it was the timing: Spilka's announcement, via email late Thursday afternoon, came with less than four days left of formal sessions when staff, who are often those writing the bills lawmakers are voting on, are already scrambling. Spilka’s decision drew swift rebukes from current and former staffers, some of her own caucus members, and Democrats running for statewide office. … I don’t think I’ve ever heard the excuse before that we’re not going to do something because it’s too complicated.” William Brownsberger told reporters that the legislative staffing structure is different here than in other states where union efforts are proceeding, And he said legislative rules mean union contracts would have to be renegotiated every two years with each new Legislature.īut Tara Wilson, a legislative and budget director in the Senate, told reporters that leadership has “closed the door without reason. Modifying that law would necessitate other changes, including to the state’s campaign finance and conflict-of-interest laws, to cover staffers' off-hours political work, they said. Senate officials say there’s nothing in state law that allows staffers to unionize, citing a statute that carves out legislative staff from the list of which public employees can collectively bargain. Suffolk county news archives.LABOR DISPUTE - Beacon Hill is reeling after Senate President Karen Spilka abruptly rejected Senate staffers’ long-languishing request to recognize their union, saying her chamber “does not at this time see a path forward for a traditional employer-union relationship.”

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