BOSTON (AP) - House Speaker Robert DeLeo said on Friday he was disappointed with the Senate’s decision to take the weekend off even as the legislative session winds to a close.
Senate President Karen Spilka, who was elected to the leadership post on Thursday, adjourned the Senate until 10:30 a.m. on Monday. That would give lawmakers less than 48 hours to act on a slew of pending bills and line item budget vetoes before the Legislature, by rule, must end formal meetings for the year.
DeLeo said he believed he had an understanding with former Senate President Harriette Chandler that the two chambers would stay in session through the weekend, partly as a way of putting pressure on several conference committees working to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of bills concerning education funding, health care and other issues.
“Deadlines are deadlines,” DeLeo said. “July 31 is there for a reason.”
Spilka was confident there would be enough time to finish up important matters by the end of Tuesday, her spokeswoman said.
On Friday, the House approved a compromise version of a bill that would create an automatic voter registration system in Massachusetts. The bill, which needs final approval in the Senate, would automatically update a person’s voter registration when that person notifies a state agency such as the Registry of Motor Vehicles of a new address or other change in status.
Republican Gov. Charlie Baker on Thursday vetoed about $49 million from the $41.7 billion budget, and he asked lawmakers to amend several policy changes included in the spending package.
The Democratic-controlled Legislature is expected to take votes to override at least some of those spending vetoes before the end of the session.
Legislative leaders, including DeLeo and Spilka, were critical of Baker’s decision not to sign language in the budget that repeals a state welfare rule, often referred to as the “cap on kids,” which denies additional welfare benefits for children born to parents who are already on welfare.
Baker said lifting the cap without other reforms in the welfare system would reduce incentives for welfare recipients to return to work.
Democratic Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez, chairman of the House Ways and Means Commitee, said adopting the changes sought by the governor would cause more than 7,000 children to lose their welfare benefits or have them dramatically reduced.
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