Beacon Hill’s deadline change brings campaign considerations into energy bill timing

It’s probably too soon to start worrying about how much it will cost to heat your home this winter. 

But it is just about time for state lawmakers to try to figure out how to keep another year of swollen utility bills from costing them their seats. 

Talks officially kicked off at the State House Wednesday to reconcile competing House and Senate energy affordability bills. The two pieces of legislation have significant differences, but the negotiators agreed on broad points: people want to save real money, lawmakers should deliver those savings without sacrificing climate commitments, and they should finalize a deal doing so before winter arrives. 

Sen. Michael Barrett, the Senate’s energy and climate chief, put a finer point on that timeline: “We should do this ideally before a November election, so that those of us who have races can point to an achievement.” 

Barrett, who’s not facing a Republican challenge this year, said out loud something plenty of Beacon Hill watchers have already done the math on: there may be operational advantages to the rules change that will let lawmakers vote on major bills past July 31, but there’s a potential for a big political upside, too. 

Affordability is a big theme up and down the ballot this year, with Republican candidates in particular seizing on the state’s high cost of living as they take on incumbent Democrats. For the fraction of sitting legislators with general election opponents, getting the chance to say “I just voted to lower your energy bill” could practically be an in-kind contribution to their campaign. 

An election season vote would create an awkward dynamic for the Legislature’s 30 Republicans, many of whom have spent the year pushing for action on energy costs. They’d get it, but gift-wrapped for their Democratic colleagues. 

Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, one of the two Republicans on the conference committee, said policy, not politics, should drive next steps. 

“When we talk in the parlance of November, my thought is November is when we start to see heating bills, and I’m not thinking as much about elections,” he told MASSterList. 

Of course, before November comes the Sept. 1 primary election.

“Softening the July 31st deadline means that their constituents don’t know where they stand when they go to the ballot box on Sept. 1st,” said Daniel Zackin of 350 Mass, one of the advocates who watched as the lawmakers launched their energy talks. “And so we need the conference committee to deliver rapidly on clean, affordable energy.”

Along with the usual end-of-session horse-trading and scorekeeping, there could be a new round of calculus in play this year: which bills are better touted in a pre-primary debate, and which will look best on a general election mailer? 

A compromise bill to protect immigrants from some federal enforcement actions is freshly out of conference committee and on its way to final floor votes. What other deals might emerge next? Let me know what you’re hearing at [email protected].

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11:00 | Gov. Healey holds a press conference to announce new investments in the MassMutual Center in Springfield, with Lt. Gov. Driscoll, Administration & Finance Secretary Gorzkowicz, Interim MCCA Executive Director Barros, Springfield Mayor Sarno and others | MassMutual Center, 2nd Floor, Pre-Function Ballroom, 1277 Main St., Springfield

11:00 | Senate meets in a formal session to vote on its redrafted public records reform bill (S 3200). A House-Senate accord to protect immigrants from federal enforcement actions may also surface | Senate Chamber

11:00 | House meets in a formal session with plans to take up primary care legislation and a House-Senate accord to protect immigrants from federal enforcement actions | House Chamber

11:30 | Nurses, physicians and other healthcare workers hold an informational picket outside of Boston Medical Center. The Massachusetts Nurses Association says doctors and nurses have negotiated new contracts with BMC for nearly four months and are "frustrated by the negotiators' inadequate proposals to address burnout, retention and recruitment" | BMC Main Campus, Albany Street and East Concord Street, Boston 

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12:15 | Gov. Healey, Lt. Gov. Driscoll and U.S. Rep. Neal tour the CRRC factory in Springfield to see the assembly of the new Red Line cars with car shells and thank workers. Governor then hosts a press conference with labor leaders | CRRC MA Manufacturing Facility, 655 Page Boulevard, Springfield

1:00 | Mass Power Forward, Progressive Mass, and grassroots, housing and interfaith organizations hold press conference and rally to issue a report card grading the Legislature’s performance on housing, immigrant rights, affordability, climate and more for the 2024-2026 session | State House steps

2:00 | House-Senate conference committee tasked with hashing out data privacy legislation (H 5366, S 2581) meets Room A-2 | Livestream

2:30 | Lt. Gov. Driscoll speaks at Big Y’s 90th anniversary celebration | 650 Memorial Dr., Chicopee

5:30 | MBTA hosts virtual meeting to hear public feedback on changes to proposed bus routes under the bus network redesign | Medford City Hall, Howard Alden Memorial Chambers, 85 George Hassett Dr., Medford | More Info

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BARROS OUT: John Barros, the interim executive director of the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority, is exiting the $2 billion deal for a new Springfield courthouse that's come under fire as losing bidders charge conflicts of interest. | Boston Globe

TICK TALK: Nantucket Cottage Hospital is setting aside money to create a research institute that would help lead the response to the tick-borne illness alpha-gal syndrome. | Inquirer & Mirror

MAYOR PETE IN P-TOWN: Former U.S. transportation secretary and possible presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg is scheduled to join a Provincetown fundraiser for Gov. Maura Healey this weekend. | Cape Cod Times

STOUGHTON LATEST: Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara and Town Manager Tom Calter, a former state rep, are both on paid leave amid an ongoing dispute. McNamara recently filed a lawsuit alleging she's being forced out. | Boston 25 News

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