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House advances several local measures; Scituate granted four additional liquor licenses
Summary
The Massachusetts House moved multiple bills forward Wednesday, including final passage of House 4657 allowing the town of Scituate four additional on‑premise liquor licenses, adoption of an amendment to the Randolph charter, and scheduling of several local police age‑waiver bills to third reading.
The Massachusetts House met in session and voted to advance a series of local measures and procedural actions Wednesday. Speaker 1 (Unidentified Speaker) called several voice votes that resulted in suspensions of rules, the scheduling of bills for third reading and final passage of at least two local acts.
Among the final actions, the House passed House 4657, "an act authorizing the town of Scituate to issue 4 additional licenses for the sale of all alcoholic beverages to be drunk on the premises." Speaker 1 put the question and, after a voice vote, declared, "The ayes have it," announcing the bill "is passed to be enacted." The session also passed House 2341, an act amending the charter of the town of Acushnet, by voice vote; Speaker 1 likewise declared that bill "passed to be enacted."
Earlier in the session Speaker 2 (Unidentified Speaker) read committee reports and a slate of bills to be scheduled. The steering, policy and scheduling committee recommended several House bills for consideration, including House 2112 (an act protecting an employee's right to rebut personnel records), two local bills that would direct the City of Boston Police Department to waive maximum age requirements for named applicants (House 4092 and House 4142), and House 4625 to establish a Lobula Breast Cancer Awareness Day. After no questions were raised, Speaker 1 ordered those bills to third reading following aye/nay voice votes.
A contested procedural step during the session included the suspension of joint rule 12. Speaker 1 announced the suspension motion and, after the voice vote, stated "Joint rule 12 is suspended," allowing the listed petitions to proceed to committee consideration. The House also suspended rule 7A on a separate motion announced by the chair.
On House 4400 (an act relative to the charter of the town of Randolph), Speaker 2 reported that "Mister Walsh of Peabody moves that the bill be amended by substitution" with House 4891 (a substitution amending compensation and meeting rules for multiple-member bodies). The House voted first on the amendment and then on the bill as amended; Speaker 1 announced the amendment's adoption and that the bill was "passed to be engrossed as amended."
Votes at a glance: - House 4657 (Scituate; four additional on‑premise alcohol licenses): passed to be enacted (voice vote). - House 2341 (Acushnet charter amendment): passed to be enacted (voice vote). - House 4400 → House 4891 (Randolph charter amendment by substitution; compensation and meeting provisions): amendment adopted; bill passed to be engrossed as amended (voice votes). - Multiple bills (House 2112; House 4092; House 4142; House 4625): ordered to third reading after second-reading announcements and voice votes.
The House concluded the floor session with a motion to adjourn. Speaker 1 announced that "Mister Wongasaugus now moved that the House stand adjourned," called the voice vote and declared "The ayes have it" and "House stands adjourned." Speaker 1 closed by noting the House will meet in an informal session on Wednesday "as per the constitution."
