The Session in Review

A postmortem roundup of new laws and dead bills

By CARA BAYLES

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If you walked by the State House at all last week, chances are you saw some concerned citizens standing by the marble steps: raging grannies in ridiculous hats singing about reforming the state's criminal record policy, a group clutching signs in Chinese characters imploring for bilingual ballots with transliterated names, or housing advocates waving giant cardboard keys.

The last week was a mad rush, with activists and lobbyists jostling to be heard by legislators who were dizzy with the final push of the session. This year, we've fawned over about a dozen superstar bills that got significant press while several others languished or passed with little fanfare.

This is by no means intended as a comprehensive list of the thousands of bills filed over the course of the session, but rather, a "best of," acknowledging some of the rock stars and some of the less sexy bills, a sampling of the varied concerns of your elected officials and the glacial pace of democracy.

National Popular Vote

Sponsored by Rep. Charles Murphy, D-Burlington

This bill fought until the bitter end. Part of a national movement to do away with the electoral college (where voting numbers are reduced to who won the majority of each state), to pass the initiative must be approved by enough state governments to win the majority of the electoral college. If that ever happens, it would essentially end campaigning-by-numbers and the focus on swing states because every vote in every state would have equal weight. It passed in the House, but last week the Senate postponed it to the next session.

Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI) reform

Senate President Therese Murray, D-PlymouthGov. Deval Patrick

The governor's original bill shortened the period ex-offenders had to wait for their records to be sealed, from 15 years for a felony and 10 for a misdemeanor, to 10 and five years, respectively. But Sen. Diane Wilkerson, D-Boston, has suggested that Patrick didn't consider the recommendations of the Black Caucus (including protections for employers who hire people with records and relief for juvenile offenders), and several activist groups think that the governor's waiting period is still too long, that CORIs should be sealed after seven and three years. Last week, the Judiciary Committee reported the bill out favorably, with amendments also requiring that preliminary job applications don't ask if you've been convicted of a crime. The bill transformed so much during the season, that Patrick was coy when asked if he'd sign the bill ("let me see what I get."). But it never got to his desk.

Bilingual ballots

The Boston City Council unanimously passed legislation in May that would renew bilingual ballots in neighborhoods with large immigrant communities, but would also transliterate candidates' English names into Chinese characters. Secretary of State William Galvin opposed the measure, insisting transliterated names would be too confusing. This is not the first time Galvin's clashed with such efforts ... Boston only got bilingual ballots in 2005 after activists sued the city. The home rule petition didn't pass ... though a similar proposal (without transliterated names), for Worcester passed in May.

Life Sciences

Gov. Deval Patrick

This is a 10-year, $1 billion bill to promote biotechnology, pharmaceutical and medical device industries (to name a few). The bill stalled out for a while in 2007, as the governor and the speaker sparred (not literally, unfortunately) over the exact terms of the funding, and it didn't pass until June 2008, over a year after it was first proposed.

Health insurance reform

Several bills attempted to make healthcare more affordable and comprehensive, while relieving the costs of money known as universal healthcare. They were all swept under one legislative umbrella, and under the wing of Murray, a legislative leader. The bill includes mandates to standardize the paperwork process (one way for insurers and providers to quit hemorrhaging money) from Sen. Karen Spilka, D-Ashland, and expansion for more comprehensive coverage (including dental and ambulance coverage) from Sen. Mark Montigny, D-New Bedford. It's passed in both the House and the Senate, and awaits approval from the governor (who, just to be clear, can still sign or veto the bill even though the session is over).

Buffer Zones

Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge

This law, passed in November, extended the protected zone around reproductive health centers (read: Planned Parenthood) from a six-foot floating bubble where protesters could only approach with a client's consent, to a 35-foot buffer zone that protesters cannot enter.

Broadband in western Massachusetts

Gov. Deval Patrick

Another huge bond bill from the governor: $25 million to create a Broadband Institute, which would invest in bringing broadband internet to the 32 unserved communities in the state, by investing in publicly-owned broadband infrastructure and partnering with private firms. The goal would be to connect everyone by 2010, so you could stop stealing your neighbors' weak wireless signals, or (gasp!) using dial-up. You would think borrowing money to invest public funds in private industry is a tough sell, but it passed just last week, and Patrick signed it into law on Monday (he usually signs off on his own stuff).

Cremation

Rep. John Binienda, D-Worcester

This bill, allowing funeral parlors to bury or scatter ashes that go unclaimed for two years, was filed after Peter Stefan, director of Putnam & Mahoney Funeral Parlors in Worcester, complained that many people never claim their relatives' remains (Stefan has some dating back to the 1800s!). But disposing of unclaimed remains is always a litigious nightmare—relatives might pop up 20 years after a body is cremated asking what you did with their loved one. The bill passed in the House, but never made it to the Senate before the end of the session. Binienda will re-file it next year.

Life insurance

Rep. Ruth Balser, D-Newton, and Senate President Therese Murray, D-Plymouth

Ladies, did you know that annuity insurance policies (premium plans that go toward retirement income) in Massachusetts either charge women higher premiums, or offer them lower pay-offs? The reasoning is that women live longer (the estimate is eight percent of women outlive men). Premium discrimination on the basis of race or religion is already illegal in the state, and both chambers of the legislature have passed this bill, which outlaws gender discrimination as well. It's sitting on the governor's desk.

Hypodermic needles

Rep. Louis Kafka, D-Stoughton

It seems like just yesterday (well, 2006) the legislature allowed pharmacies to sell needles on the cheap, in an effort to improve public health by discouraging needle sharing. This bill would amend that legislation, criminalizing any uncapped needles (punishable with a one to two year prison sentence or a $500-$5,000 fine.) During a Judiciary Committee hearing on the bill, police officers testified that they were scared shitless by the prospect of getting pricked during an arrest and getting HIV. The bill mandates that, should that occur, the arrestee must get a blood test. It progressed quickly in the Senate, but got lost in the July shuffle.

Global Warming Solutions Act

Sen. Marc Pacheco, D-Taunton

This bill is Al Gore's wet dream (no, really! He wrote a letter to Speaker DiMasi endorsing it). It's like the state's own personal Kyoto, and requires Massachusetts lower greenhouse gas emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent below 'em by 2050. It passed on the very last day of the session at 9:25pm! It tops off a session that also saw the passage of the Biofuels Bill, which offers tax incentives for companies that use cellulosic ethanol, and the Green Communities Act, by which utilities companies can buy solar energy from individuals, and offer rebates to customers who invest in energy-efficient equipment.

Housing and Foreclosure bills

Sen. Diane Wilkerson, D-Boston

Several bills intended to stem the sting of predatory loans and foreclosures in working-class communities were filed. Three from Wilkerson would require "just cause" for eviction, court hearings on all eviction cases and a moratorium on foreclosures that stemmed from predatory, sub-prime loans all mired in the Judiciary. Maybe next year?

Transgender discrimination

Rep. Carl Sciortino, D-Somerville

So, you can't discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, ability, sexual orientation ... or gender. Well, sort of. The state doesn't protect transgendered individuals, though 13 states, D.C. and the cities of Boston and Cambridge have already outlawed discrimination on the basis of "gender identity or expression." This was sent to study (a death sentence for a bill), though it's the first year that the transgender discrimination bill was filed, and Sciortino's office thinks it may be a matter of educating legislators, since this is a new issue for many of them. Sciortino plans to re-file next year.