The House of Representatives did not meet in formal sessions for another week. It appears that we are off to a rather slow start this session.
The Speaker of the House and his lieutenants in the Majority Party control the calendar of the House and they decide what bills are brought up and when. To be fair, since it is the start of a new session, most of the legislation filed by members has only recently been numbered and assigned to the appropriate legislative committee by the House and Senate Clerks so that public hearings may be scheduled.
Since Democrats are in the majority in the Massachusetts legislature, the Chairs and Vice Chairs, all of who are Democrats, run the committees. There are no Republican Chairmen or Vice Chairmen of any committees at the State House.
I was on Beacon Hill Thursday for a full plate of meetings including the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. We voted on the rules the committee will operate under for the duration of the 2-year session.
If you’ve ever sat in on a committee hearing or testified before a legislative committee in support or opposition to a proposed bill you may wonder if there is any rhyme or reason to the process. It can seem, many times, loud, crowded, and chaotic. It probably appears as though there aren’t many Representatives or Senators in attendance, and the legislators who are in the room may appear to be distracted by piles of paper in front of them or by their cell phones. That is sometimes the reality. But most of the times the committee members, while moving in and out of the hearing room to meet the commitments of their schedules, do manage to get through the public testimony on a pretty significant quantity of proposed legislation.
After the public hearing on a bill, the committee Chairs (House and Senate), committee staff, and the members decide what will happen to the bill. Once it is scheduled for a vote, members have three main choices. They may vote to recommend to the full House or Senate that the bill “ought to pass,” “ought not to pass,” or be kept in committee for further study. A bill that is voted out of committee favorably may then be assigned to another committee like Ways and Means, or it can go off to the Committee on Bills in the Third Reading that is the first step in getting the bill passed by the full House of Representatives.
Of course, if you remember your high school civics class or Saturday morning School House Rock songs, you know that a bill has to pass both the House and Senate before it gets to the Governor for his review. The Governor can sign the bill, veto the bill, or send it back with changes. But I’m getting way ahead of myself.
Right now, the only committee holding public hearings is the Ways and Means Committee with the Representatives and Senators meeting jointly to hear from citizens, constituents, and voters about their thoughts on the Governor’s budget proposal, House 1. Once those hearings are done the House Ways and Means Committee has the first crack at drafting their own version of the budget for the Fiscal Year 2014 that begins on July 1, 2013.
I’ll be sure to keep you posted if any interesting bills come before me in my committees or on the House floor. And I would appreciate it if you would contact me at my district office in Westfield if you hear of a bill that you either support or oppose. Let me know what the bill number is, who the sponsors are, what the bill would do, and why that is important to you. Thanks.
I love this time of year. Pomeroy’s Sugar House is now open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 7:30 -1:00 p.m. for breakfast and lunch. Call them at 568-3484 for more information.
The Hampton Ponds Association is holding their annual Corned Beef and Cabbage dinner at the Ponds Association building on North Road Saturday night at 5 p.m.. I’m sure they’ll have some tickets available for sale at the door if you’re interested in some good home cooking. It’s for a great cause too. The money they raise goes toward the scholarships the association awards to worthy students every year at their Fourth of July parade and ceremony.
Finally, the Westfield Kiwanis Club is holding its annual auction on Sunday. Bidding kicks off around noon and goes all afternoon. The auction may be viewed on the Westfield Community Programming Channel 15. This auction is a long-time Westfield tradition and also raises money that the Kiwanis Club uses to support worthy causes throughout the year.
I’d like to congratulate Colonel James Keefe who assumes the reigns of the 104th Fighter Wing at a Change of Command ceremony up at the base on Saturday. Colonel Keefe will take over from Colonel Robert Brooks who was recently promoted and will be moving on to new duties. The Barnestormers are an elite group of men and women who have been fortunate to have a long line of excellent commanders. They make Westfield proud.
Have a great week!
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this column are those of the author and not the staff, editor, or publisher of the Westfield News.
Representative Don Humason and his Chief of Staff Maura Cassin may be reached at their Westfield District Office, 64 Noble Street, Westfield, MA 01085, (413) 568-1366.
Representative Don Humason may be reached at his Boston office, State House Room 542, Boston, MA 02133, (617) 722-2803.
Email address: [email protected]
Website: www.DonHumason.org
