Beacon Hill Roll Call, Jan. 5-9

THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on the percentage of times local representatives voted with their party’s leadership in the 2025 session.

Beacon Hill Roll Call uses 113 votes from the 2025 House session as the basis for this report. This includes all roll calls that were not votes on local issues.

The votes of 132 Democrats were compared to the votes of Democratic Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy).

The votes of the 24 Republicans were compared to the votes of House Republican Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading).

On the 113 roll calls, Mariano and Jones voted the same way on 68 roll calls (60.2 percent) and voted the opposite way from each other on 45 roll calls (39.8 percent).

THE DEMOCRATS: A total of 122 (92.4 percent) of the 132 Democrats voted with Mariano 100 percent of the time. There were only 10 Democratic representatives who voted differently than Mariano on any roll calls. And five of those only voted differently from Mariano just one time.

Mariano did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to comment on why he thinks that 92.4 percent of Democratic representatives voted the same way that he did 100 percent of the time.

The Democratic representative who voted the least percentage of time with Mariano was Rep. Colleen Garry (D-Dracut) who voted with Mariano only 81.8 percent of the time. Garry did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her to comment on this.

The other four Democrats who voted the opposite of Mariano more than once are Reps. David Robertson (D-Tewksbury) who voted with Mariano 92 percent of the time; Alan Silvia (D-Fall River) who voted with Mariano 95 percent of the time; Jeffrey Turco (D-Winthrop) who voted with Mariano 95.5 percent of the time; and Francisco Paulino (D-Methuen) who voted with Mariano 96.3 percent of the time.

The five Democratic representatives who voted the opposite of Mariano only one time are Reps. Jennifer Armini (D-Marblehead); Michelle Badger (D-Plymouth); Dennis Gallagher (D-Bridgewater); Steven Ouellette (D-Westport); and Richard Wells (D-Milton). They voted the same as Mariano 99.1 percent of the time.

Beacon Hill Roll Call asked all these representatives why they voted at least once the opposite of Mariano, while 122 of their colleagues voted with Mariano 100 percent of the time. Only two responded.

Rep. Jeff Turco: “The people of Winthrop and Revere elected me knowing I would vote my conscience. I proudly voted with Speaker Mariano and the overwhelming majority of the House of Representatives, in often unanimous votes, when I agreed that the particular legislation was more positive than negative. On several occasions, I concluded as a matter of conscience that the negative outweighed the good and I voted accordingly.”

Rep. Alan Slivia: “While I respect the speaker, my votes reflect the specific concerns of my district. I strongly believe that we are elected to independently review each issue and cast a vote in the best interest of the people I represent. Differences of opinion are or should be viewed as a healthy part of the legislative process. I remain committed to working collaboratively with my colleagues and leadership as we move forward.”

Beacon Hill Roll Call also asked all 122 representatives who voted with Mariano 100 percent of the time to explain why they did so. Only five responded.

Rep. John Rogers: “Throughout the 2025 session, I supported the House leadership on roll call votes because I believed those measures advanced the best interests of my district and the commonwealth. Speaker Mariano and I share broad priorities around responsible governance, economic stability and protecting critical public services. As with any legislative session, there are policy areas where members may raise concerns or work behind the scenes to shape outcomes, but roll call votes do not always capture the full scope of those discussions.”

Rep. Dawne Shand: “Those bills met the needs of my district or aligned with its values. I work with my fellow legislators to make sure my district’s concerns are heard as the legislation is in progress. My votes represent an agreement with my colleagues on their hard work.”

Rep. Tom Stanley: “The reason there is a high percentage of members voting with Speaker Mariano is because the speaker and his leadership team work to find consensus between members and stakeholders on legislation before it comes to the floor for a vote. In 2025, the House passed legislation protecting health care workers, public transit workers and home care workers; enhancing child welfare protections; reforming early literacy instruction; extending benefits for retired teachers; and removing offensive language in the General Laws. The House also passed several supplemental budgets, including one directing $1.39 billion in surplus Fair Share surtax revenue to make new investments in public transportation and public education. 2026 will be another productive year and I look forward to working with Speaker Mariano and my colleagues in the House on supporting the 9th Middlesex and the City of Waltham.”

Rep. Brian McMurtry: “Legislation that reaches the floor is rarely the work of a single moment, it is the result of years of committee hearings, commissions, careful research, extensive discussion and multiple drafts that together form consensus. I am proud of my voting record because it reflects the priorities and concerns of the constituents I am honored to represent.”

THE REPUBLICANS: None of the 24 GOP members voted with Jones 100 percent of the time.

The Republican representative who voted the least percentage of times with Jones is Rep. John Gaskey (R-Carver) who voted with Jones only 64.2 percent of the time. “I was sent to Beacon Hill by my district that was demanding change,” Gaskey told Beacon Hill Roll Call. “They were tired of the state funding and supporting illegal immigrants over citizens and veterans. They were tired of ‘go along to get along’ politics. That message is codified in my voting record.”

Rounding out the top five GOP representatives who voted with Jones the least percentage of times are Reps. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick) who voted with Jones 66.6 percent of the time; Marc Lombardo (R-Billerica) who voted with Jones 67.9 percent of the time; Alyson Sullivan-Almeida (R-Abington) who voted with Jones 77.7 percent of the time; and Ken Sweezey who voted with Jones 81.2 percent of the time.

Beacon Hill Roll Call asked all these representatives why they voted the most times of the 24 GOP representatives who voted the opposite of Jones on some roll calls. Only one responded.

“The Minority Leader [Brad Jones] votes in lockstep with the Democrats and their failed policies,” said Rep. Boldyga. “He allows the Beacon Hill Machine to continue to steamroll the taxpayers. My voting record is consistent and principled in defense of my constituents and taxpayers all across the commonwealth. It only makes sense that our voting records do not align.”

Jones told Beacon Hill Roll Call, “The members of the House Republican Caucus represent many diverse districts across the state, so a particular policy or budget issue that is popular in some members’ districts might not have the same support in other members’ districts. It does not surprise me that none of the caucus members voted with me 100 percent of the time. The numbers seem to be a reflection of my encouragement to members to always be mindful of voting the interests of their district and constituency first and foremost.”

THE UNENROLLED: Rep. Susannah Whipps (U-Athol) is the only unenrolled House member and is not affiliated with either the Republican or Democratic party. We based her record on how many times she voted with Democratic House Speaker Ron Mariano. She voted with Mariano 100 percent of the time.

THE CRITICS:

Aaron Singer, the producer and director of the documentary “Shadows on the Hill”: “If representatives are ashamed of voting in lockstep with Mariano, they can band together and force a rules rewrite. Until they do, the speaker will keep punishing dissent, and 92 percent of House Democrats will face an opponent with a great slogan: ‘my opponent answers to Mariano, not you.’”

Mary Connaughton, Chief Operating Officer and Director of Government Transparency at the Pioneer Institute: “Legislators come into office believing they’ll make a difference on Beacon Hill. They learn quickly that it’s in their best interest to get along by going along. The stipend scheme rewards loyalty to party leadership and is a systematic way of thwarting open debate and legislator independence. We will never have the Legislature envisioned by John Adams without meaningful reform.”

Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance: “The leader of the House Republicans voted with the Democratic speaker over 60 percent of the time. Taxpayers are completely abandoned at the Statehouse when the Republican Minority Leader gets his marching orders from the Democratic speaker. Taxpayers need a watchdog by the leader of the minority party, not a lap dog for the majority party. The Republicans in the House need to elect a leader to lead them, not a babysitter for the speaker. It’s time new people step up into leadership roles with the Republican House caucus.”

Scotia Hille, Executive Director of Act on Mass: “2025’s voting record proves that leadership’s consolidation of power in the Statehouse is near-absolute and our representative democracy is broken. The 6 million Bay Staters represented by Democrats on Beacon Hill are left to hope that their needs and opinions are shared by the 15,000 people in Quincy and Randolph who elect Speaker Mariano to his House seat. For a healthy democracy and a Statehouse that works for all Massachusetts residents, rank-and-file Democrats must be able to publicly break from leadership without fear of retribution. This year, we challenge tools of power like the corrupt stipend system in hopes of securing such a Statehouse in 2027.”

REPRESENTATIVES’ SUPPORT OF THEIR PARTY’S LEADERSHIP IN 2025

The percentage next to the representative’s name represents the percentage of times the representative supported his or her party’s leadership in 2025. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the representative opposed his or her party’s leadership.

Some representatives voted on all 113 roll call votes. Others missed one or more roll calls. The percentage for each representative is calculated based on the number of roll calls on which he or she voted.

Rep. Natalie Blais 100 percent (0); Rep. Mindy Domb 100 percent (0); Rep. Homar Gomez 100 percent (0); Rep. Kelly Pease 86.7 percent (15); Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa 100 percent (0); Rep. Aaron Saunders 100 percent (0); Rep. Susannah Whipps 100 percent (0)

Also Up on Beacon Hill

TWO MORE POSSIBLE BALLOT QUESTIONS FOR NOVEMBER 2026 ARE CERTIFIED: Two additional proposals were certified by Secretary of State Bill Galvin’s office indicating that they contain the required 74,754 certified signatures needed to advance another step toward going on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. That brings the final total of possible 2026 ballot questions to 11.

One would place sales tax revenue from sporting goods like golf clubs, RVs and camping gear into a new “Nature for All Fund” that sponsors say could generate $100 million annually for water and nature conservation and restoration efforts.

A second one is designed to make it easier for residents to purchase a home by updating zoning rules including allowing single-family homes to be built in a residentially zoned area as long as the land on which it is to be constructed is at least 5,000 square feet, has at least 50 feet of land bordering the street, road or public way that it faces and has access to public sewer and water services.

The 11 proposals were sent by Galvin to the Legislature and if not approved by the Legislature by May 6, 2026, proponents must gather another 12,429 signatures by July 1, 2026, in order for the question to appear on the November 2026 ballot.

LOBULAR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS DAY (H 4625): The House gave initial approval to legislation that would designate October 15 as Lobular Breast Cancer Awareness Day in Massachusetts — recognizing the day to promote public awareness of lobular breast cancer, encourage education and support related research efforts.

“While knocking doors during my campaign in Pinehills, I had a conversation at one home with Plymouth resident Laurie Hutcheson, Executive Director of the Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance, that introduced me to lobular breast cancer—a disease I had never heard of, despite the fact that it accounts for 10 to 15 percent of all breast cancer cases and is the second most common form of the disease,” said sponsor Rep. Michelle Badger (D-Plymouth). “Through continued conversations, Laurie shared critical information about how lobular breast cancer is difficult to detect on mammograms because it does not form distinct lumps but instead appears as striations, often described as spider-web-like patterns, lacks its own targeted treatment and frequently goes undiagnosed for years. I am proud to have filed this bill … to raise awareness, promote earlier detection and help prevent further unnecessary loss of life.”

FOREVER CHEMICALS (H 4870): The Public Health Committee gave a favorable report to and recommended passage by the full House and Senate of a bill to protect public health from toxic “forever chemicals” which are per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The measure would phase out PFAS in many products; cut industrial discharges of PFAS; and set up a fund to help communities test and treat PFAS in drinking water, soil and groundwater.

Supporters said that in Massachusetts, 172 public water systems in 96 cities and towns, and many private wells, have exceeded the state’s legal limit for PFAS which are toxic even at very low level exposure and do not break down easily, meaning they will persist for thousands of years in the environment. They argued that PFAS can increase the risk of developing cancers, immunosuppression, liver disease and developmental and reproductive illnesses. They said that 28 states have passed laws to ban PFAS in at least one product, and most states in New England, except Massachusetts, have banned PFAS in food packaging, firefighting foam, carpets, clothing, fabric sprays and personal care products.

“This is great news for Massachusetts residents,” said Deirdre Cummings, MASSPIRG Legislative Director.

“Other states have already enacted laws to restrict PFAS in some or all products,” said Laura Spark, Environmental Health Program Director at Clean Water Action. “Now it’s time for Massachusetts to act. PFAS contamination in Massachusetts will continue to worsen until PFAS restrictions go into effect.”

PERSONNEL RECORDS (H 2112): The House gave initial approval to a bill that would expand a current law that prohibits an employer from penalizing, in any way, an employee as a result of any action on the part of the employee to seek his or her rights under the Massachusetts wage laws which are designed to ensure that workers are fairly treated and paid for all the hours they work. The bill would provide the same protection to employees who ask their employers to provide the employee with any of his or her personnel records.

Under current law, an employer is required to notify an employee within 10 days of the employer placing in the employee’s personnel record any information to the extent that the information is, has been used or may be used, to negatively affect the employee’s qualification for employment, promotion, transfer, additional compensation or the possibility that the employee will be subject to disciplinary action. Once notified, the employee can request a copy of his or her records. The bill would prohibit the employer from penalizing an employee who does so.

Supporters said the bill will guarantee that an employee is not penalized for making a simple and reasonable request to see his or her personnel records.

Rep. Kenneth Gordon (D-Bedford), the sponsor of the measure, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him to explain why he filed the bill and to comment on its passage.

Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com

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