House approves sick leave banks for two state employees

The Massachusetts House of Representatives voted to establish sick leave banks for two state employees: House 4230 for James Caruso, an employee of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and House 4322 for Carlos Borges, an employee of the Department of Correction. For both bills the presiding officer required separate votes on the emergency preamble. For House 4230 the presiding officer recorded division counts for the emergency preamble as “First division, 0. Second division, 2. Third Division, 0. Fourth Division, 2,” and later announced, “On this matter 4 in the affirmative. 0 in the negative. The emergency preamble is adopted.” For House 4322 the recorded counts were “First Division, 2. Second Division, 3. Third Division, 0. Fourth Division, 2,” with opposition counts recorded as zeros; the presiding officer announced, “On this matter, 7 in the affirmative 0 and the negative the emergency preamble is adopted.” Both engrossed bills were later presented for final passage and the chamber passed them to be enacted; the presiding officer announced, “All those in favor say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes have it, and the bills are passed to be enacted.” The transcript records the procedural votes and division counts but does not include sustained floor debate, roll-call vote tallies for final passage, or further detail about the operation or duration of the sick leave banks.