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Baker's spending vetoes overridden

The Enterprise - 9/29/2017

HOUSE AND SENATE:

There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives' votes on several of the roll calls from Sept. 13 overriding Gov. Charlie Baker's cuts of $320 million in spending. A two-thirds vote in both branches is needed in order for a veto to be overridden. The Senate has not yet taken up the vetoes. The House restored an estimated $275 million.

House Democratic leaders say the budget is balanced and that Baker's cuts were unnecessary and would hurt many people including the sick, seniors, children and minorities.

Gov. Baker and some Republicans say that state revenues are running behind projections and urged the House to wait several weeks to see whether revenues increase and whether restoring the funds makes fiscal sense. Some GOP members said because of the uncertainty, they voted to sustain all of Gov. Baker's vetoes, even though it meant voting against restoring funding for many good programs they would otherwise have supported.

CUT ENTIRE $1 MILLION FOR REACH OUT AND READ PROGRAM PROGRAMS (H 3800): House 139-13, overrode Gov. Baker's veto of the entire $1 million in funding for the Reach Out and Read (ROAR) program. ROAR is a national nonprofit group that began in 1989 at Boston Medical Center to address the problem that most pediatricians' waiting rooms did not have books available to read. Nationally, the group annually distributes 6.5 million books.

The Massachusetts ROAR program trains pediatricians and nurses to advise parents about the importance of reading aloud to their children in order to prepare them for school. The program also funds the purchase of books to give to children who are 6 months to 5 years old during their visits to their doctors. Some 254 hospitals and clinics in Massachusetts participate in the program, serving 186,000 children and families.

(A "Yes" vote is for spending the $1 million. A "No" vote is against spending it.)

Rep. Bruce Ayers Yes

Rep. Fred Barrows No

Rep. Thomas Calter Yes

Rep. Gerard Cassidy Yes

Rep. Claire Cronin Yes

Rep. Mark Cusack Yes

Rep. Josh Cutler Yes

Rep. Angelo D'Emilia Yes

Rep. Geoff Diehl Yes

Rep. William Driscoll Yes

Rep. Michelle DuBois Yes

Rep. Carole Fiola Yes

Rep. William Galvin Yes

Rep. Susan Gifford Yes

Rep. Patricia Haddad Yes

Rep. Steven Howitt Yes

Rep. Louis Kafka Yes

Rep. Ronald Mariano Yes

Rep. Christopher Markey Yes Rep. Mathew Muratore Yes

Rep. Shaunna O'Connell Yes Rep. Keiko Orrall Yes

Rep. William Straus Yes

$1 MILLION FOR TUFTS VETERINARY SCHOOL (H 3800): House 122-30, overrode Gov. Baker's$1 million veto reduction (from $5 million to $4 million) in funding for Tufts Veterinary School in North Grafton. Tufts is the only veterinary school in New England.

The school offers a four-year professional Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree program, three combined DVM/Masters of Science degree programs, and four stand-alone graduate programs.

Its website says that its progressive academic programs, high-quality clinical care services and original research have brought them national and worldwide acclaim.

(A "Yes" vote is for spending the $1 million. A "No" vote is against spending it.)

Rep. Bruce Ayers Yes

Rep. Fred Barrows No

Rep. Thomas Calter Yes

Rep. Gerard Cassidy Yes

Rep. Claire Cronin Yes

Rep. Mark Cusack Yes

Rep. Josh Cutler Yes

Rep. Angelo D'Emilia No

Rep. Geoff Diehl No

Rep. William Driscoll Yes

Rep. Michelle DuBois Yes

Rep. Carole Fiola Yes

Rep. William Galvin Yes

Rep. Susan Gifford No

Rep. Patricia Haddad Yes

Rep. Steven Howitt No

Rep. Louis Kafka Yes

Rep. Ronald Mariano Yes

Rep. Christopher Markey Yes Rep. Mathew Muratore No

Rep. Shaunna O'Connell No

Rep. Keiko Orrall No

Rep. William Straus Yes

$600,000 FOR BOSTON REGIONAL INTELLIGENCE CENTER (H 3800): House 128-24, overrode Gov. Baker's$600,000 veto reduction (from $850,000 to $250,000) in funding for the Boston Regional Intelligence Center (BRIC) to upgrade, expand and integrate technology and protocols related to anti-terrorism, anti-crime, anti-gang and emergency response.

According to its website, "Information gathered by the BRIC pinpoints areas of crime, shootings and gang violence, as well as helping to identify major players and ex-offenders returning to neighborhoods."

(A "Yes" vote is for spending the $600,000. A "No" vote is against spending it.)

Rep. Bruce Ayers Yes

Rep. Fred Barrows No

Rep. Thomas Calter Yes

Rep. Gerard Cassidy Yes

Rep. Claire Cronin Yes

Rep. Mark Cusack Yes

Rep. Josh Cutler Yes

Rep. Angelo D'Emilia Yes

Rep. Geoff Diehl No

Rep. William Driscoll Yes

Rep. Michelle DuBois Yes

Rep. Carole Fiola Yes

Rep. William Galvin Yes

Rep. Susan Gifford No

Rep. Patricia Haddad Yes

Rep. Steven Howitt No

Rep. Louis Kafka Yes

Rep. Ronald Mariano Yes

Rep. Christopher Markey Yes

Rep. Mathew Muratore No

Rep. Shaunna O'Connell No

Rep. Keiko Orrall No

Rep. William Straus Yes

$250,000 FOR CHELSEA SOLDIERS' HOME (H 3800): House 142-10, overrode Gov. Baker's$303,734 veto reduction (from $27,210,690 to $26,906,956) in funding for the maintenance and operation of the Chelsea Soldier's Home, a Bay State VA Hospital serving veterans.

(A "Yea" vote is for spending the $303,734. A "No" vote is against spending it.)

Rep. Bruce Ayers Yes

Rep. Fred Barrows No

Rep. Thomas Calter Yes

Rep. Gerard Cassidy Yes

Rep. Claire Cronin Yes

Rep. Mark Cusack Yes

Rep. Josh Cutler Yes

Rep. Angelo D'Emilia Yes

Rep. Geoff Diehl Yes

Rep. William Driscoll Yes

Rep. Michelle DuBois Yes

Rep. Carole Fiola Yes

Rep. William Galvin Yes

Rep. Susan Gifford No

Rep. Patricia Haddad Yes

Rep. Steven Howitt Yes

Rep. Louis Kafka Yes

Rep. Ronald Mariano Yes

Rep. Christopher Markey Yes

Rep. Mathew Muratore No

Rep. Shaunna O'Connell Yes

Rep. Keiko Orrall No

Rep. William Straus Yes

Last week's session

During the week of Sept. 18-22, the House met for a total of 23 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 31 minutes.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com.