THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from budget vetoes by Gov. Maura Healey. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

$2.5 MILLION FOR PROGRAMS TO TREAT PRISONERS SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS (H 4800): House 133-25, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of the entire $2.5 million for a prison program to treat prisoners, suffering from serious mental illness, with clinically appropriate long-acting injectable medications.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $2.5 million was eliminated.

“I am vetoing this item due to the availability of alternative resources,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “This operating funding overlaps with alternative funding intended to support this purpose.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $2.5 million. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais, Yes; Rep. Daniel Carey, Yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, Yes; Rep. Kelly Pease, No; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Yes; Rep. Aaron Saunders, Yes

$750,000 FOR THE TRANSFORMATIVE DEVELOPMENT FUND (H 4800): House 134-24, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $750,000 (reducing funding from $1 million to $250,000) for the Transformative Development Fund which is designed to accelerate economic development in focused districts that are walkable and have dense environments; and that have the potential to attract investment, inspire a wave of growth and transform Gateway Cities and beyond.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $750,000 was eliminated.

“I am reducing this item to an amount consistent with my [budget] recommendation due to the availability of alternative resources,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “MassHousing will maximize available alternative capital funding in the fiscal year 2025 Capital Investment Plan for the Neighborhood Hub Program that will serve the same purpose as the funding being vetoed.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $750,000. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais, Yes; Rep. Daniel Carey, Yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, Yes; Rep. Kelly Pease, Yes; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Yes; Rep. Aaron Saunders, Yes

$300,000 FOR THE MASSACHUSETTS MANUFACTURING EXTENSION PARTNERSHIP (H 4800): House 156-2, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $300,000 (reducing funding from $2 million to $1.7 million) for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership to maintain and promote manufacturing as an integral part of the economy, and for programs designed to assist small and mid-sized manufacturing companies.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $300,000 was eliminated.

“I am reducing this item to an amount consistent with my [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message.

(A “Yes” vote is for the $300,000. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais, Yes; Rep. Daniel Carey, Yes; Rep. Mindy Domb, Yes; Rep. Kelly Pease, Yes; Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa, Yes; Rep. Aaron Saunders, Yes

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

BREAST CANCER SCREENINGS (H 4918): The Senate approved and sent to the House a bill that would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for diagnostic examinations for breast cancer, digital breast tomosynthesis screening and medically necessary and appropriate screening with breast magnetic resonance imaging.

Supporters noted that although access to routine preventive screening mammograms is currently covered under the Affordable Care Act, this legislation would go further and require coverage for certain screenings and exams currently not uniformly covered by law.

“I am grateful to see this legislation, which I have worked on for nearly a decade, move forward,” said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “Early detection of breast cancer saves lives. This legislation makes those diagnostic exams used for early detection accessible and affordable, giving women the vital resources needed to catch breast cancer in its earliest stages. With this bill we are bolstering the commonwealth’s commitment to providing higher quality, more equitable and more accessible healthcare for women.”

“We know that in the fight against cancer, early detection is absolutely vital for the long-term success of the patients,” said Sen. Michael Rush (D-Boston). “We also know that for one out of every ten women, initial mammogram screenings are not sufficient to detect possible indicators of breast cancer. This legislation passed by the Senate … ensures that all women in the commonwealth have access to the digital breast tomosynthesis and MRI screening they need to catch cancer early without facing financial barriers.”

DOWN SYNDROME (S 617): The Senate approved and sent to the House legislation that would require health insurance companies to provide coverage for the treatment of Down syndrome through speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy and applied behavior analysis services.

“Every child deserves a fair shot at learning, growing and thriving in their community—and that includes children with Down syndrome,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Provincetown). “Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA) therapy has proven transformative for so many, yet too often, access to this essential support is out of reach for those who need it most. By ensuring insurance coverage for at-home ABA therapy, this legislation will make a powerful difference for families across the commonwealth, lifting a burden that has existed for too long. It’s about time we make this gold-standard care accessible to all, so every child has the chance to realize their fullest potential.”

An estimated 5,000 people in Massachusetts live with Down syndrome. According to studies performed by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, speech therapy intervention improved decoding skills for word reading and had a positive impact on articulation in children with Down syndrome.

APPOINTMENT OF ATTORNEY TO OVERSEE ELECTION DAY PROBLEMS: Acting United States Attorney Joshua Levy appointed Assistant United States Attorney Lucy Sun as the District Election Officer who will oversee the handling of election day criminal complaints, threats of violence to election officials or staff and election fraud efforts.

“Every citizen must be able to vote without fear, intimidation or interference and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” said Levy. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence. The Department of Justice will always work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the election process.”

Anyone who sees a problem can call Levy’s office in Boston at 833-634-8669.

$24.6 MILLION TO IMPROVE FOOD SECURITY AND RESILIENCY: The Healey administration announced $24.6 million in grants to 163 Massachusetts food system enterprises to help sustain Massachusetts’ food production and distribution sectors.

“Our food system is an integral part of our economy, our landscape, our culture and public health,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “These investments will help ensure that farmers, fishers, schools, distributors and other stakeholders can continue to produce food and that all Massachusetts residents rely on.”

“As food producers face growing threats from climate change, the [grant] program helps farmers and fishers build resilience so that they can adapt,” said Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “From changing weather patterns to new invasive species to worker health concerns, our food producers must constantly innovate to remain sustainable, and we are proud to help them do so.”

“As we learned from the COVID pandemic, food insecurity is a real problem in the commonwealth for too many families, said Chair of the Senate Ways and Means Committee Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport). “I have made addressing this disparity a priority and have worked closely with the Healey-Driscoll administration to help grow and sustain food production for our farming communities in the state.”

$7.8 MILLION TO ENHANCE SECURITY AT NONPROFITS: Gov. Healey announced the awarding of federal funds to 56 nonprofits that are at heightened risk of an extremist attack in the Bay State.

“These faith-based and community nonprofits play such a critical role in our communities, and we are proud to deliver this funding that will help them implement security measures to keep their residents safe and ensure peace of mind,” said Gov. Healey. “We’re grateful to the Biden-Harris Administration for making this funding available to ensure these organizations can continue to serve those who depend on them, without fear or interruption.”

“Protecting our communities means safeguarding the organizations that uplift, support and inspire us daily,” said Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy. “This funding reaffirms our commitment to protecting these essential community spaces, ensuring they remain safe havens where people of all backgrounds can gather and feel secure.”

QUOTABLE QUOTES

“We are asking for the ability to form a committee to start a captive insurance plan or start a plan that would allow us to get assistance to fix these foundations. We are mirroring a plan that’s already in place and working in the state of Connecticut. They’ve replaced over 1,000 homes. They use a $1 a month surcharge on homeowners’ policies, no more than $12 a year. The first year alone, if we were able to put that together in Massachusetts, we’d raise close to $22 million.”

— Cynthia Poirier, an assessor in Brimfield and Holland, urging Gov. Healey to issue an executive order to create a committee to develop recommendations on providing assistance to the many Bay State homeowners dealing with crumbling concrete foundations, caused by pyrite or pyrrhotite minerals, which could eventually render their houses unlivable.

“The Healey-Driscoll Administration recognizes the importance of providing support to homeowners whose concrete foundations are crumbling. We will continue to work together with our partners in the Legislature to evaluate potential solutions that would provide relief to homeowners.”

— Karissa Hand, spokesperson for Gov. Healey, responding to a State House News Service question asking whether the governor is willing to issue the executive order to create a committee to explore providing assistance to homeowners dealing with crumbling concrete foundations.

“The public should expect strong, clear and specific recommendations when our work is complete. We will approach thorny questions humbly, diligently and with an open mind. We will do our best to draw in voices that are not already represented on this commission, including but not limited to, Orthodox Jews, Israeli Jews and those who may have differing opinions about what counts as antisemitism.”

— Rep. Simon Cataldo (D-Concord) co-chair of the newly established Special State Commission for Addressing Antisemitism, which held its first meeting last week.

“The latest report … underscores the main issue driving residents out of Massachusetts. Oppressive taxes aren’t just a business community concern. This is a quality of life issue for everyone in the commonwealth. Our polling shows 80 percent of people agree Massachusetts taxes are too high. The long-term consequences aren’t hypothetical. If we don’t turn the tide, we will continue to lose talented residents, families and entrepreneurs to states with more competitive taxes.”

— Chris Anderson, president of the Massachusetts High Technology Council, on the release of the Tax Foundation 2025 State Tax Competitiveness Index, which ranked Massachusetts among the 10 worst states in the country (41st out of 50).

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com