By Maureen Glynn

The July 31 deadline for the Massachusetts legislature has come under scrutiny lately. There have been stories in the local media about the legislature not finishing work on several bills that have passed both branches but still needed to reach a compromise in time. Predictably, the naysayers and pundits had a field day, using this information to point fingers and label the legislative branch as not fulfilling its duties to the electorate.

As an observer and participant in this process for nearly four decades, I believe it is essential to highlight the passage of impactful measures in this session to accurately assess the legislature’s work.

While we can debate whether deadlines for the passage of important legislation have merit, sound policy takes time to develop. When an individual or an interest group brings a measure to the State House for consideration, many variables are at play about how and when it becomes law.

Quite often, the tenor of the times will call for action, like when we see an important economic sector needing investment or when public safety is at risk. Depending on our economic cycle, the legislature often addresses fiscal headwinds and shortfalls — or robust surpluses and funding of essential programs. Occasionally, a global crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic or a simmering cultural shift on issues affecting personal liberties spurs legislative action.

These measures require careful deliberation. Even a well-drafted policy can have unintended consequences. Getting it right takes time and input from experts and individuals with lived experience.

Take health care reform, for example. The legislature spends extraordinary time balancing the needs of consumers, employers, hospitals, payers, and the workforce. It is a monumental task that requires further review and action in each session. As someone who has sat through thousands of hours of public testimony, informational sessions, working groups, and webinars, I have seen how committed our policy leaders are to finding honest solutions.

As any long-time observer can tell you, it is a frustratingly complex system that can pit important stakeholders against each other when one group seems to be getting relief at the expense of another. It is complicated work and too crucial for our state to get wrong.

While health care is a headline grabber, an impressive portfolio of bills became law in the 2023-2024 session. These new measures include:

• Tax credits for business and childcare,
• Doubling of the senior tax credit,
• Free community college,
• Free RTA bus rides,
• Universal school meals,
• Maternal health protections,
• Salary transparency,
• Housing affordability incentives,
• Expanded veterans services,
• Coercive control protections,
• Home equity protections,
• Firearm safety,
• Parentage law updates,
• Economic competitiveness,
• Animal protections,
• Nursing home reforms,
• Access to cancer screenings,
• and clean energy siting reform. 

These new measures were deliberated and passed to create a better quality of life for citizens of the Commonwealth and reflect a productive two-year session.

As we close the book on 2024, I look forward to what is to come in the 2025-2026 session. While the exact priorities of the legislature are still being determined, we should have confidence that the next two years will be busy.