THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll call votes in the House or Senate during the week of August 23-27.  

Beacon Hill Roll Call reports local representatives’ roll call attendance records for the 2010 session through August 27.

The House has held 239 roll call votes. Beacon Hill Roll Call tabulates the number of roll calls for which each representative was present and voting and then calculates that number as a percentage of the total roll call votes held. That percentage is the roll call attendance record.

Several quorum roll calls, used to gather a majority of members onto the House floor to conduct business, are also included in the 239 roll calls. On quorum roll calls, members simply vote "present" in order to indicate their presence in the chamber. When a representative does not indicate his or her presence on a quorum roll call, we count that as a roll call absence just like any other roll call absence.

Only 20 percent or 31 of the 157 House members have perfect 100 percent roll call attendance records.

Some representatives may have poor attendance records because of a variety of reasons including health problems or military service. Beacon Hill Roll Call does not ask each individual representative why he or she missed roll call votes.

The worst roll call attendance record belongs to Rep. Robert Spellane (D-Worcester) who missed 92 roll calls (61.5 percent roll call attendance record).

Rounding out the top ten worst are Reps. Geraldine Creedon (D-Brockton) who missed 82 roll calls (65.7 percent attendance); Demetrius Atsalis (D-Barnstable) who missed 81 roll calls (66.1 percent attendance); Brian Wallace (D-South Boston) who missed 53 roll calls (77.8 percent attendance); Daniel Bosley (D-North Adams) who missed 48 roll calls (79.9 percent attendance); Linda Dorcena Forry (D-Dorchester) who missed 43 roll calls (82.0 percent attendance); Lida Harkins (D-Needham) who missed 34 roll calls (85.8 percent attendance); Joseph Wagner (D-Chicopee) who missed 30 roll calls (87.4 percent attendance); Denis Guyer (D-Dalton) and Robert Rice (D-Gardner) who both missed 25 roll calls (89.5 percent attendance); and Harriett Stanley (D-West Newbury) and Thomas Conroy (D-Wayland) who both missed 24 roll calls (90.0 percent attendance).

LOCAL REPRESENTATIVES’ 2010 ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS

The percentage listed next to the representative’s name is the percentage of roll call votes for which he or she was present and voting. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that the representative missed.

Rep. Thomas Calter, 100% (0)                              Rep. Daniel Webster, 100% (0)

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

TOWN MANAGERS (S 793) - The House approved a Senate-approved bill giving boards of selectmen the power to establish the length of the appointment of a town executive secretary or town administrator. Current law only allows the appointment for one or three years. Supporters said selectmen should have the authority to determine the length of the appointment and not have their hands tied by some arbitrary and antiquated state law. Additional approval by each branch is needed prior to the measure going to Gov. Deval Patrick. The same measure was approved by the Senate 36-0 last year but died in the House Ways and Means Committee.

TAMPERING WITH WATER METERS (S 1486) - The House approved a Senate-approved bill increasing from $100 to $1,000 or triple the amount of damages, whichever is greater, the fine for tampering with a city or town water meter. Damages would include the cost of the water used and the cost of labor and equipment repair or replacement. Supporters said tampering is costing cities and towns much needed revenue. Additional approval by each branch is needed prior to the measure going to the governor.

CREATE SENIOR SAFETY ZONES (H 543) - The House gave initial approval to legislation allowing cities and towns to implement senior safety zones in which the speed limit would be lowered to 20 mph. The zones would be near senior citizen housing, hospitals, nursing homes, assisted living facilities, senior centers and other senior establishments. Supporters said these senior zones, similar to current school safety zones, would reduce accidents and injuries and save lives.

POST-PARTUM DEPRESSION (H 4859) - Gov. Patrick signed into law legislation that would require the state's Department of Public Health (DPH) to develop a program to promote awareness of and help destigmatize postpartum depression, a condition that can affect women following childbirth. The measure also requires DPH to compile statistics on how many women are suffering from this disorder and creates a special commission to investigate and study the best ways to prevent, detect and treat the condition and recommend legislation to promote greater public awareness of it. Supporters said it is time to take this disease out of the shadows and to help the millions of people afflicted by it.

QUOTABLE QUOTES

"It’s going to depend on the economics of the state and casinos and those types of things. A lot of frustrated people out there about jobs."

–– Massachusetts AFL-CIO President Robert Haynes when asked by the State House News Service whether his group would endorse Gov. Patrick for re-election.

"Boston is going to the birds - chickens to be exact."

–– From a press release from Boston Mayor Thomas Menino announcing the city's first free-range chicken farm on Long Island in Boston Harbor.

"The right to vote was not a battle that was easily won. Many women were imprisoned and went on hunger strikes in order for us to enjoy this freedom."

–– Attorney General Martha Coakley commenting on Women's Equality Day marking the 90th anniversary of Women's Suffrage.

Beacon Hill Roll Call

Volume 36-Report No. 34

August 27, 2010

Copyright © 2010 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved.