Dear Constituents –
Spring is in the air, and it’s apparent by the pace of the Legislature. Amendments to bills are flying through committees, and committees are playing the « hurry up and wait » game. On the House floor, we passed : H.447, amendments to the Charter for the City of Springfield ; H.731, technical corrections for the 2022 legislative session ; S.206, planning and support for individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s Disease and related disorders ; S.162, collective bargaining rights for teachers ; S.197, provisions for mental health supports ; and H.704, request to send the Budget to a Committee of Conference. Also on the floor is the problematic S.210, relating to rental housing health and safety and affordable housing, which contains the Rental Housing Registry, and once divided, only passed the second reading on an 88-54 vote across party lines. This sends a strong signal that many members have heard from constituents that this portion of the bill has concerning issues and should not be considered a mandate. Several bills were postponed for a number of days so committees could do more work on them.
In the House General Committee, we spent a good portion of our time discussing amendments to S.210 and S.226, another housing bill that I’ve referred to over in recent updates that has several grave concerns.
At the REDWnG caucus, members were updated on bills relevant to the rural economy ; several amendments were proposed and discussed.
Adjournment is projected to be May 6, but with the budget in a Committee of Conference, as well as leadership-identified priority bills like H.159 (economic development), H.703 (workforce development), S.287 (Pupil Weighting), S.210, and S.226 still in various stages of passage, the date seems optimistic to me.
It is an honor to serve as your Representative. Please reach out to me with your concerns at
[email protected]
Stay well,
Rep Lisa A Hango
Franklin-5