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Massachusetts Senate adopts amendment and passes bill extending certain COVID-19 measures
Summary
The Senate adopted an amendment offered by Senator Rodricks and passed House No. 62, extending COVID-19-era meeting flexibilities; the bill cleared an emergency preamble by standing vote and was sent to the governor for approval.
The Massachusetts Senate during its session adopted an amendment and passed House No. 62, "An Act relative to extending certain COVID-19 measures adopted during the state of emergency," moving the bill first to engrossment and then to final enactment for delivery to the governor.
Senator Rodricks, the senator from Bristol and Plymouth, presented an amendment to the bill that would strike portions of the enacting clause and other text identified by the clerk. The amendment was adopted on a voice vote after brief remarks.
Senator O'Connor, First Plymouth and Norfolk District, spoke in support of the measure, saying remote-access changes brought in during the COVID-19 emergency increased flexibility for municipal officials and for members of the public. "Some good things did come out of COVID-19 and some of the changes that we made . . . allowed those who represent our municipalities . . . to attend meetings, vote on meetings, but also the general public to be able to open these meetings up, virtually, and have them be able to testify and not worry about childcare," O'Connor said. She added that she hoped the changes could be made permanent and praised legislative leaders for acting before the prior extension expired.
After the amendment was adopted, the Senate voted to pass the bill to be engrossed by voice vote. Under the Constitution, adoption of an emergency preamble required a standing count; members voting in the affirmative rose and were counted, with the clerk recording three in the affirmative and none opposed. The clerk then reported the emergency preamble adopted.
On final passage, the Senate again approved the measure by voice vote. The president signed the bill on the floor and the bill was ordered laid before the governor for her approbation.
The session record shows no roll-call vote tallies for the amendment, the engrossment motion, or the final passage beyond the standing-count result on the emergency preamble. There were no recorded objections in the transcript excerpt and no amendments other than the Rodricks amendment described.
