Last week:
The Massachusetts House of Representatives passed their fiscal year 2024 budget recommendations in Massachusetts. House debate began on Monday and was completed in 3 days on Wednesday, April 26 — track action on amendments. The Senate will now have the opportunity to propose its version of the budget. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means is expected to release their version on May 10th with floor debate likely the week of May 22.
In Cambridge, the City Council’s Ordinance Committee held their second public meeting on the Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance (BEUDO) and voted in favor of the 2035 net zero deadlines for non-residential buildings of 100,000 square feet or more, and in acceptance of additional BEUDO amendments proposed by Councilors Zondervan and Nolan, and Mayor Siddiqui.
This week:
In DC, the Senate HELP Committee will hold a bipartisan markup on legislation including transparency for pharmacy benefit managers. Senate Finance Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Ranking Member Mike Crapo (R-ID) have released a set of policy principles for reining in PBMs. The House Oversight Committee also announced it will hold a hearing on PBM business practices.
In Massachusetts, the Joint Committee on Financial Services will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, May 2, at 10 am at the State House in Gardner Auditorium. Bills of interest are H953/S609 – Relative to Consumer Deductibles and H1074/S689 – Relative to patient access to biomarker testing to provide appropriate therapy.
In Boston, some voters will head to the polls in a pair of Boston-area special primary elections to fill two House seats. The primary contest will presumably confirm the victor in both races, neither featuring any Republicans on the ballot. In the 10th Suffolk District that stretches from Jamaica Plain to West Roxbury across parts of Brookline, three Democrats are on Tuesday’s ballot: Bill MacGregor of West Roxbury, Robert Patrick Orthman of Roslindale, and Celia Segel of Jamaica Plain. In the 9th Suffolk District, the result appears already been decided. Amparo “Chary” Ortiz dropped out earlier this month, leaving Biogen employee John Moran as the lone candidate actively campaigning and the contest’s presumptive winner. He would succeed former Rep. Jon Santiago, who left the House to become veterans’ services secretary in Governor Healey’s Cabinet. The special general election will take place on May 30.