Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from recent sessions.

$650,000 for microloans to businesses (H 4800)

House 155-2, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $650,000 (reducing funding from $1.5 million to $850,000) for loans to small businesses.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $650,000 was eliminated.

“I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary due to the availability of alternative resources,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “This operating funding overlaps with alternative capital funding in the fiscal year 2025 Capital Investment Plan intended to support this purpose. Specifically, capital grants for Community Development Financial Institutions will be utilized to complement this funding in support of small businesses and microbusinesses.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $650,000. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais Yes Rep. Aaron Saunders Yes Rep. Susannah Whipps Yes

$7.5 million for programs to encourage state college graduates to become public school teachers (H 4800)

House 134-24, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of $7.5 million (reducing funding from $10 million to $2.5 million) for programs to encourage graduates of the state’s public colleges to work as public school teachers.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $7.5 million was eliminated.

“I am reducing this item to the amount projected to be necessary,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message. “The amount as adjusted here, in combination with the available balance from fiscal year 2024, is sufficient to meet projected demand and result in no reduction to fiscal year 2025 spending for this item.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the $7.5 million. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais Yes Rep. Aaron Saunders Yes Rep. Susannah Whipps Yes

$875,000 for college career readiness program (H 4800)

House 154-4, overrode Gov. Healey’s veto of the entire $875,000 for a statewide college and career readiness program implemented by JFYNetWorks, a nonprofit corporation, to provide online instructional curricula to help students meet the Massachusetts state standards at each grade level and reduce learning loss and achievement gaps. The program would also prepare students for required assessments and college placement tests in middle school and high school.

The Senate did not act on the veto so the veto stands and the $875,000 was eliminated.

“I am vetoing this item because it is not consistent with my House [budget] recommendation,” said Gov. Healey in her veto message.

(A “Yes” vote is for the $875,000. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Natalie Blais Yes Rep. Aaron Saunders Yes Rep. Susannah Whipps Yes

Also up on Beacon Hill

Maternal Health (H 4999) — Gov. Healey signed into law a maternal health bill that would require certified professional midwives and lactation consultants to be licensed; encourage the creation of more freestanding birth centers; establish a grant program to address maternal mental health and substance use disorder; expand the statewide universal postpartum home visiting program; and mandate that insurers provide coverage for postpartum depression and major depressive disorder screenings for perinatal individuals.

“Massachusetts is home to the best health care, but there was work to be done to improve birth options and health equity for families across the state,” said Gov. Healey. “These important expansions in the law will help make it both safer and easier to start and grow a family here in Massachusetts, while making sure that women can make the best health care decisions for themselves.”

“Massachusetts is renowned for its world-class hospitals and health care facilities, and this legislation builds on that legacy by prioritizing maternal health care needs and providing expanded childbirth options for the commonwealth’s residents,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “In addition to creating a formal licensing process for certified professional midwives and lactation consultants, this legislation will offer expectant parents access to a wide range of services to ensure a successful pregnancy and childbirth, including universal postpartum home visits and postpartum depression screenings.”

“I am proud that this important legislation will take positive steps toward addressing the disparities in maternal healthcare,” said Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “Strengthening access to physical and mental health in Massachusetts will provide a more inclusive support system that keeps parents and children healthy as they embark on their new journey. Every single family in our commonwealth deserves high quality care and support. Not only are we safeguarding the health of new families, but also laying a stronger foundation for future generations.”

“These investments are part of our commitment across agencies to eliminate disparities in maternal health care that have led to worse outcomes in some communities and for people of color – especially Black birthing people,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. “We are taking specific steps in designated communities to support the most disproportionately impacted residents and help provide much needed access to equitable perinatal and postpartum care.”

$3.75 million to address opiod crisis — The Healey administration announced $3.75 million in grants to 18 grassroots organizations to help reduce the harm caused by the opioid epidemic in communities disproportionately impacted by overdose deaths. The grants are awarded through the Mosaic Opioid Recovery Partnership, a new grant program designed to support underserved communities and populations that have experienced a high rate of opioid-related overdose deaths.

“Too many Massachusetts families have been devastated by the impacts of substance use disorder and we have been doing everything in our power to reduce overdoses and save lives,” said Gov. Healey. “These awards underscore our commitment to equitable access to necessary resources for prevention, recovery and treatment programs in communities disproportionately impacted by the opioid epidemic.”

“These grants ensure that opioid settlement funds are invested in community organizations that are working at the grassroots level but face challenges in competing for grant funding,” said Undersecretary of Health Kiame Mahaniah. “We’re hopeful that these diverse organizations will now have the ability to build on their substance use disorder programming while centering the voices of the community they know so well and who have been directly impacted by the overdose crisis.”