Clean energy, hospital regulation among bills left on the table as Massachusetts legislative session ends
BOSTON - The 2024 Massachusetts legislative session finally came to a close after what felt like a marathon run-up to the end, overnight Wednesday and into the early morning hours of Thursday. Some bills weren't passed, leaving some disappointed.
Clean energy bill fails to pass
"There's frustration among any advocates who have watched their issues on the table for a year and a half, and to see this come down to a, sort of, chaotic couple of weeks," said Jessica Nahigian with the Massachusetts Sierra Club. She waited in the halls of the state house in the wee hours with protesters who've been on the front lines pushing for a proposed clean energy bill moving the state away from natural gas, and toward alternative energy. But there was no deal. "Clearly these are important and complex issues, and also we've had months and months of time to talk about them, to learn about them."
Another bill that did not survive the July 31 deadline is one that would have regulated hospitals, in light of the Steward Healthcare financial collapse forcing the sudden closure of hospitals in areas with the highest needs.
Also a no-go, a highly-anticipated economic development bill. "I think one of the things that we're really trying to highlight is for some of those critical bills that didn't get done, let's find a way to get them done," said Doug Howgate, president of the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
What Massachusetts bills did pass?
What proposals did survive? A bill boosting services for veterans and another one for housing that included a $5.6 billion bond bill aimed at making Massachusetts a more affordable place to live. "It had a number of really, I think, positive proposals including one to incentivize conversion of office space, unused office space into residential units," said Howgate.
Even though the 2024 session is over, lawmakers say they're not going to wait until January to resume working. They still plan to meet twice a week, and while it'll be in an informal session, it's still possible for bills to advance.
