There was a sense of urgency inside the Massachusetts State House Wednesday as formal sessions came to a close.
“Senators are furiously at work,” said Sen. Julian Cyr.
“It’s very important, there’s a lot of things pending,” said Rep. Steven Xiarhos.
More than 15 high-profile bills are on the legislature’s agenda, including housing, healthcare, climate, economic development and liquor licenses.
Also caught up in the last-minute talks is Boston Mayor Michelle Wu’s plan to temporarily shift property tax onto commercial buildings to ease the strain on everyday homeowners.
“We’re working with our Boston delegation of senators who understand the importance of this and need to make sure they get the support of all their statewide colleagues to pass something that is specific to one city,” said Wu.
But even as the plan passes out of the House, concerns remain on the Senate side.
Politics
“We haven’t debated, discussed nor even seen the bill,” said Senate President Karen Spilka.
“It needs to be properly understood and it shouldn’t be moving through the legislature on the last day of session,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr.
That was just one of many debates playing out as the session winds down.
“There’s a lot of moving pieces we’re still working on non-stop and I’m confident we’ll get many of them over the finish line,” said Chairman of Senate Ways and Means Committee Michael Rodrigues.
Formal sessions end on August 1, with the final moments expected to stretch into the wee hours of the morning.
