Activism

Legislative logjam

by Laura A. Siegel

The Massachusetts House of Representatives is so tightly controlled that it's anti-democratic, say activists organizing a rally at the State House next week. Four controversial but important bills, on issues including domestic-partner benefits and affordable housing, flew through the Senate months ago. But the House has never voted on them. Why? Because the leadership -- i.e., Speaker Tom Finneran -- never brought them up for a vote.

Advocates hoping to push the bills through before the session ends on July 31 are holding the rally Wednesday at noon in front of the State House. They're calling it the Rally for Democracy because "the principles of democracy demand that the House be allowed to vote on [these bills]," says rally organizer Eric Weltman, the organizing director of Citizens for Participation in Political Action (CPPAX). "We're calling on members of the House to make it a priority that these bills be voted on before the session ends."

There is proven House support for at least one of the bills: 82 House members recently signed a letter to Finneran asking him to bring to a vote legislation that would create a buffer zone around abortion clinics where protesters would not be allowed. That's enough members to pass it. "Our representatives aren't having a chance to represent us," says Jeremy Pittman, chair of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Political Alliance of Massachusetts.

The three other bills at issue are a contraceptive bill that would require insurers to cover the pill (fewer than half do now), which sponsors say has broad House support; a domestic-partnership bill that would give health-care benefits to partners of state employees and let cities and towns do the same; and an affordable-housing bill that would let cities and towns prevent landlords from converting "expiring use" properties -- buildings built with government help that are used for subsidized housing -- to market-rate housing. All but the contraceptive measure have actually passed through the Senate twice.

After the rally, supporters will lobby their individual legislators to get these bills to the floor. "People should come and express their concern around legislation that they would like to see taken up this year by the legislature," says Representative Alice Wolf, who will be speaking at the rally. She points out that of the roughly 10,000 bills filed each year, only a few hundred are normally passed.

Members of the Massachusetts chapter of NOW, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the Cambridge Lavender Alliance, and the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Political Alliance of Massachusetts will join CPPAX at the rally.

If you want to get involved, show up on the State House steps on July 19. Or you can urge your state rep to push for those bills to get to the floor. For more information, call Eric at CPPAX, (617) 426-3040.