What's on the line

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One way to react to the relative quiet that marked the start of this week on Beacon Hill: pop open a window and let the summer breeze float in as your thoughts drift toward the beach.

Another: pop open some antacids and let your fears of a frantic winter start to take shape.

There's a more relaxed vibe at the State House this late July, with the House and the Senate preparing to embrace something other than "the old, traditional July 31," as House Ways and Means Chairman Aaron Michlewitz put it last week.

"It's more about things getting into conference definitively than actually getting to the governor's desk," Michlewitz said.

A new rule will let lawmakers vote on bills past July 31 as long as conference committee talks start before then. It won't be fully clear until Jan. 5, 2027, when the books officially close on the 2025-2026 legislative session, whether that deadline tweak results in more new laws and a smoother process — or if, instead, the last-minute frenzy gets pushed further down the calendar.

By setting up a conference committee, legislators essentially buy themselves five more months of time to nail down a compromise. And that longer runway is getting crowded.

Seven bills are now actively before conference committees, with the potential for deals from now until the final gavel in January. That includes immigrant protections some supporters hoped would be finalized by the World Cup, a school cellphone ban meant to start with the new academic year, and a borrowing bill to modernize public higher education facilities that, in some cases, date back to the 1970s.

The energy affordability bill Gov. Maura Healey often touts could still be lingering as she hits the campaign trail this fall … or could conveniently emerge from negotiations in time for a signing ceremony as the general election heats up and the specter of winter utility bills looms.

Child welfare protections, new rules around data privacy and youth social media use and a range of environmental investments and policies are also part of the conference committee waiting game, with more to come.

A bill to require more frequent financial updates from ballot question campaigns is on its way into conference after the Senate tapped negotiators Monday. And the policy grab-bag that is the economic development bill will be headed there, too, after a Senate vote this week.

There’s also a pile of bills where the House and Senate have each passed different versions but so far haven’t taken formal action to reconcile them — everything from pet protections to workplace violence prevention to access to school library books. The two branches could work out deals informally in the next nine days, but why rush when there’s a new lever to pull that keeps everything alive?

If all seems a little too quiet in the State House right now, rest assured that the back rooms where the dealmaking happens will still be plenty busy … just maybe not as much as they used to be at 11:59 p.m. next Friday.

What’s your bet on which conference committee is first to strike a deal — and which one’s last? Let me know what you’re hearing at [email protected].

LETTER TO THE EDITOR ON BIKE TRAGEDY: We received several responses from readers to Jon Keller's latest column about street-safety messaging in the wake of the crash that killed cyclist Louisa Gag. In a letter to the editor, Allston-Brighton resident Brandon Stanaway says the column "disrespects the Massachusetts cycling community and all the people who want to make their cities safer places to live" and that publishing it represents “a prioritization of vitriolic opinion writing over the news.” | Full letter

Healthcare workers continue to suffer assaults and other incidents of workplace violence. The Massachusetts Nurses Association, the Massachusetts Health & Hospital Association, the Massachusetts Division of 1199SEIU, the Massachusetts Emergency Nursing Association and the Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians have come together to support meaningful, measurable and enforceable legislation addressing workplace violence in our healthcare facilities. Pass H.4767 - Learn more.

HAPPENING TODAY

10:30 | Massachusetts Gaming Commission holds an open meeting | More Info and Livestream

11:00 | Lt. Gov. Driscoll speaks at Music Drives Us Day to support music education programs across New England | State House well (rain location: Nurses Hall)

11:00 | Senate convenes in a formal session, with plans to take up Senate Ways and Means' $325 economic development borrowing package (S 3178). Senate President Spilka spokesperson Gray Milkowski said opening remarks are planned for Wednesday, while a "large portion of Senate debate will take place on Thursday" | Senate Chamber

11:00 | House holds formal session with plans to vote on an amended version of H 2370, an abortion access bill | House Chamber

11:30 | Mayor Wu visits the SEIU 1199 picket line | Front of Boston Medical Center, 1 Boston Medical Center Pl, Roxbury

12:00 | MassDOT Board of Directors meets | 10 Park Plaza, MassDOT Board Room, Boston | More Info

12:00 | Governor's Council meets. Lt. Gov. Driscoll chairs | Council Chamber

1:00 | Rep. Sabadosa and Sen. Moore host a robotics exhibition and call for the passage of their robotics and drone safety legislation(S 1208 / H 5444) | Room 428

6:00 | MassDOT's Allston Multimodal Transportation Task Force hosts an in-person open house to provide information about "public projects, plans, and initiatives" happening in the Allston-Brighton neighborhood of Boston | Josephine A. Fiorentino Center, 123 Antwerp Street, Brighton | More Info

6:00 | Department of Conservation and Recreation holds a public meeting about a pier improvement project at Mary O'Malley State Park in Chelsea | Zoom

7:00 | Republican Candidate for U.S. Senate John Deaton holds a town hall forum | American Legion Post 303, 73 Ocean Grove Ave., Swansea

MASSterList Job Board
Human Resources Business Partner, Recruitment & Retention — NEW!, City of Newton
Mid-Career Fellowship — NEW!, Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation
Program Analyst, Massachusetts Housing Partnership
Senior Investigator, AOI, Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General
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Project Accountant, Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC)

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FROM BEACON HILL

ABORTION ACCESS: A bill teed up for a House vote today would give Massachusetts one of the country's broadest abortion laws. The legislation would lift specific criteria required for patients ending a pregnancy at 24 weeks or later, instead basing it on a doctor's judgement. | Boston Globe

TAX CAP BATTLE: Lawmakers have their sights on action around another ballot question. A majority of senators back a measure that would repeal the law known as Chapter 62F, which calls for money to go back to taxpayers when state revenue growth surpasses a set cap. The late-session push comes as Question 5 on November's ballot would rewrite the law to generate more frequent refunds. | CommonWealth Beacon

MARIJUANA REPEAL: The ballot question to repeal adult-use cannabis sales in Massachusetts is cleared to go before voters after surviving a second challenge. The campaign behind the question calls the Ballot Law Commission's decision a win. | Telegram & Gazette

BY THE WAY: All nine ballot questions now have their official numbers. Study up on the full list before the ads really hit the airwaves. | Secretary of the Commonwealth’s office

MASSACHUSETTS CUP: Massachusetts would convene a working group to figure out how to host its own international soccer tournament, welcoming back Scotland and other countries with local ties. Amendment sponsor Sen. Paul Feeney, a Foxboro Democrat, wants to keep the World Cup party spirit alive. | NBC10 Boston

NEWS NEXT DOOR

ALL ABOARD: The 10-day Red Line shutdown between Alewife and Park Street has MBTA commuters sweating, literally and figuratively, as they switch to shuttle buses. | GBH News

STREET SAFETY: After hundreds gathered at City Hall Plaza for a vigil honoring Louisa Gag, a cyclist and city transportation planner killed by a truck earlier this month, Boston City Councilors Enrique Pepén and Liz Breadon are pushing for annual street safety reporting from the city. | Boston Herald

SAUGUS BACKS AUDIT: The Saugus Board of Selectmen unanimously agreed to send top lawmakers a letter voicing support for Auditor Diana DiZoglio's legislative audit. | Itemlive

DOC GOES ABROAD: State corrections officials, while considering ways to revamp the women's prison in Framingham, toured prisons in Norway and Northern Ireland to experience other approaches to incarceration. Commissioner Shawn Jenkins says the Department of Correction is considering a "deeper" look at staff training. | WBUR

Colorectal cancer is largely treatable and preventable. Mass General Brigham is encouraging routine screening for patients over age 45 with a wide range of test options. Our providers treat every patient interaction as a chance to educate and offer screening.

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JOB BOARD

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