After weeks of legislative procrastination, parliamentary delays and finger-pointing, a $3.1 billion spending bill packed with money for the stretched-thin emergency shelter system and public worker raises was passed and signed into law on Monday.
House Democrats were able to get a quorum of members together to push through a compromise on a long-overdue package they failed to wrap up in a timely fashion before the Legislature shifted into a seven-week holiday stretch of informal sessions.
Republicans in the House successfully stalled the bill on Thursday, Friday and Saturday by pointing out that not enough lawmakers were present to constitute a quorum, but enough Democrats ventured to the State House on Monday to avoid another repeat.
The House adopted the compromise bill on a hand-counted 105-14 vote, and the Senate followed through several hours later with a 20-3 vote. Both branches then gave the measure final approval on unrecorded voice votes, sending it to Gov. Maura Healey's desk.
Healey signed it soon afterward.
"I'm proud to sign this supplemental budget that dedicates critical funding for hard-earned raises for workers, supports municipalities with covering the costs of special education and flood relief, sustains our Emergency Assistance program, and more. I'm grateful to our colleagues in the Legislature for their partnership," Healey said in a statement.
Language to facilitate a New England Revolution stadium in Everett was dropped from the final compromise, but top Democrats in the House and Senate say the idea, which has won favor in both branches, remains under consideration.
