What’s When: Massachusetts State House
If you’re new to state politics, calendars can be confusing. Each state has its own quirks and deadlines, and you may find yourself closely following the slow-moving proceedings in one legislature while another is in the middle of a flurry of votes. Especially if you’re a new staffer whose experience in politics has been campaigning and/or federal government, it can take time to understand when everything happens.
This is the first installment of a series that looks at the timetables of legislative bodies and what you need to know to stay on top of events.
Here, we’ll be looking at the Massachusetts State House.
Two-year cycles
Beacon Hill works on a biennial basis, with all Senators and Representatives elected for two-year terms in even-numbered years. In January following the November election, the legislative session begins.
Starting year 1
After swearing in, bills get filed. This is the first big deadline -- the third Friday in January -- and takes a lot of energy. Legislators and advocacy groups are figuring out which horses to back and which issues to prioritize without much time to weigh their options.
Especially for first-time members -- who may not even have offices yet -- it’s a big jump into the deep end.
However, that all seems easy when the bills get filed and the cosponsorship window opens. Legislators then have a couple of weeks to sign onto bills (technically, the deadline isn’t absolute, but it’s often treated as the marker), which means that they and their staff have to at once promote their own bills and read thousands of others filed by their colleagues.
Advocacy groups will often do lit drops in this period, walking around the building dropping off packages of information supporting their favored bills. If you work at one of these groups, be sure to be friendly to every staffer! They very well may be the ones reading your literature and recommending action on your legislation. And if you’re a staffer, be kind in turn - those doing a lit drop have to go to 200 offices and make an impression in each one.
Hearings and votes
Whichever year, the session begins in January. In the first year, the formal session ends the third Wednesday in November, and in the second year, it ends July 31st. Priority legislation is therefore passed between January-November and January-July over a two-year period.
Once bills have been filed at the start of the two-year session, hearings will be held in the relevant committees. Scheduling is at the discretion of the chairs, so be sure to follow closely on the legislative website or develop a good rapport with the committee staff to get a heads-up when your legislation gets its hearing date.
The budget sprint
Amidst all this voting on legislation, June and July are turbulent as the assembly works to pass the budget for the coming fiscal year. The year officially begins July 1st, but the budget is often not approved until mid-July.
The budget often contains other pieces of policy (a bit like how reconciliation bills in Congress have become catch-all legislative packages). Be aware that this can be the most intense time of the year.
The budget cycle begins in January every year with the Governor’s proposal. The House Ways and Means Committee presents its own proposal to the House around mid-April, and members propose amendments before voting on a final version around the beginning of May. The Senate does the same thing roughly a month later, passing a final version typically around the beginning of June. Differences between the two are then resolved by a Conference Committee, and the Governor has 10 days to sign the final version. The Governor may veto particular elements, but a two-thirds majority in both chambers allows an override of any vetoes.
End of the formal session in year 2
The biennial session formally ends July 31st of the second year (ie, the even-numbered year).
This is the deadline for big issues like healthcare and school funding, but there are often also localized bills that may still require formal roll call votes (when each legislator is recorded as a "yea" or "nay”).
Early summer in year 2 is the perfect storm - in addition to the looming end of the two-year period, the legislature will also have to pass its second budget of the session. This usually means an even more drastic time crunch than in the year before.
August break
This is often followed by a lull in August (see our tips for making the most of summer!). Be sure to take advantage of this time to take a break and to set yourself up for the fall.
Informal session
When the time for formal sessions ends there are still informal sessions. Instead of roll call votes (where everyone’s yea or nay is recorded) there are voice votes, and only non-controversial issues are considered or advanced. There is no attendance taken, but members who oppose the legislation will likely attend: if there is any objection, the motion will not advance until it can be taken up in a formal session again.
Particularly in the second year, September through December is then a key time for campaigns and reelections, constituent services, supplemental budgets (ie, spending bills), passing small local bills in informal sessions, and reorganizing in order to pass legislative priorities next time.
Once the next House and Senate are elected in an even-numbered November, the calendar cycle starts over again the following January.
How Legislata Can Help
Legislata is a productivity software launching this month. Our team has experienced firsthand the challenges of working in the State House, and we want to help those at the frontline of government serve their constituents in ways that make everyone’s lives easier. Get in touch for information on how Legislata can work for your office.