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Massachusetts Senate convenes for 2026 session, suspends rules to appoint committees and process papers
Summary
The Massachusetts Senate opened its 2026 session, appointed committees to notify the House and governor, suspended rules to allow immediate consideration of several orders and petitions, scheduled a reconvening for 11:00 a.m. the next day, and referred a petition to the Judiciary Committee.
The Massachusetts Senate convened to begin its 2026 session and used suspensions of its rules to expedite a slate of procedural orders, including committee appointments and the referral of a petition to the Judiciary Committee.
Senator Lovely presented an order to appoint a committee to wait upon the House and the governor and to inform them that the Senate was assembled and ready to do business; the Senate suspended its rules to take the matter up immediately and adopted the order, with the chair naming Senator Lovely (Essex), Senator Keenan (Quincy), and Senator Durand as the committee members. The committee was directed to meet in the well of the chamber and be escorted by the sergeant at arms.
Later, Senator Brownsberger presented a similar order to appoint a committee to inform the House that the Senate was assembled; the Senate suspended its rules and appointed Senators Feeney (Norfolk), Friedman (Middlesex), and Doona (Bristol) to that committee.
Under the authority cited in the chamber, the Senate also approved an order to begin printing the daily journal and to dispense with its reading under section 22A of chapter 3 of the General Laws. The chamber received multiple petitions and bills from the House under a suspension of joint rule 12 and referred them to their respective committees.
A committee report was read recommending suspension of joint rules for a petition and accompanying bill by Rebecca L. Rose to establish a sick leave bank for Shannon Manning; the matter was suspended and referred to the Judiciary Committee for further consideration.
An order from Senator Driscoll set the Senate to adjourn today and to convene again the following day at 11:00 a.m.; the body adopted that scheduling order by voice vote.
The actions taken were procedural and administrative in nature: committee appointments, rule suspensions, the printing of journals, interchamber communications, and formal referral of bills to standing committees. No floor debate on policy merits of the referred bill is recorded in the transcript; the Judiciary Committee was assigned to review the matter.
