House Voting Records on Vetoes

Interesting commentary about voting in lock-step with leadership --

Voting records of Dems on Patrick's vetoes examined

By Bob Katzen
Updated: 10/29/2012

UPDATE: In a recent report, Beacon Hill Roll Call examined the percentage of times in 2012 that Democratic representatives voted with Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo on 137 key roll-call votes.

We followed that with a report on the percentage of times in 2011 and 2012 that Republican representatives voted with GOP House Minority Leader Bradley Jones on 262 key roll-call votes.

In hindsight, it would have made for a better comparison if we used the 262 roll calls from both years -- 2011 and 2012 -- when analyzing Democrats' votes with DeLeo, just like we did with the Republicans' votes with Jones.

While the percentage of times each Democrat voted with DeLeo did not dramatically change when using the two years rather than just one, the one thing that did change substantially was the number of Democrats who voted with DeLeo 100 percent of the time. That number was reduced by 28 representatives from 42, when counting only 2011, to only 14, when counting both years.

Here is the list of Democrats who voted 100 percent of the time with DeLeo in 2011, but less than 100 percent with him in the two-year period of 2011 and 2012. The number in parentheses is the number of times the representative voted against DeLeo in 2011 and 2012.

Reps. John Binienda, D-Worcester (5); Garrett Bradley, D-Hingham (1); Michael Brady, D-Brockton (3); Paul Brodeur, D-Melrose (2); Gailanne Cariddi, D-North Adams (1); Tackey Chan, D-Quincy (1); Nicholas Collins, D-South Boston (7); Edward Coppinger, D-West Roxbury (2); Sean Curran, D-Springfield (6); Mark Cusack, D-Braintree (2); Paul Donato, D-Medford (1); John Fernandes, D-Milton (4); Ann-Margaret Ferrante, D-Gloucester, (1); Denise Garlick, D-Needham (5); Anne Gobi, D-Spencer (3); John Keenan, D-Salem (1); David Linsky, D-Natick (1); John Mahoney, D-Worcester (2); Paul Mark, D-Pittsfield (2); James Murphy, D-Weymouth (1); Kevin Murphy, D-Lowell (8); Harold Naughton, D-Clinton (2); Sarah Peake, D-Provincetown (4); Angelo Puppolo, D-Springfield (8); Kathi-Anne Reinstein, D-Revere (1); Theodore Speliotis, D-Danvers (2); Joseph Wagner, D-Chicopee (3); and Steven Walsh, D-Lynn (1).

THE HOUSE AND SENATE. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week.

Beacon Hill Roll Call this week examines the voting records of local representatives on Democratic Gov. Deval Patrick's 28 vetoes during the 2011-2012 session. A two-thirds vote is required to override a gubernatorial veto in a full 160-member House that includes 127 Democrats and only 33 Republicans. The governor needed the support of 53 representatives to sustain a veto when all 160 members voted and fewer votes if some members were absent or had resigned. Patrick fell far short of that goal. Six votes were the most support he received on any veto. The House easily overrode all 28 vetoes including 22 that were overridden unanimously.

The vetoes had no support from GOP members and very little support from the chamber's Democrats. One Republican, Rep. Geoff Diehl, R-Whitman, voted with Patrick in favor of sustaining one of the 28 vetoes.

Twenty-five Democrats voted with Patrick to sustain any vetoes, including Rep. Denise Andrews, D-Orange, who gave him the most support, siding with him on six vetoes. Sixteen Democrats supported the governor on one veto while 102 did not give him any support.

Here's how local representatives fared in their support of Patrick's vetoes.

The percentage next to the representative's name represents the percentage of times the member supported Patrick's vetoes. The number in parentheses represents the number of times the legislator supported Patrick's vetoes.

Some representatives voted on all 28 roll-call votes. Others missed one or more of the votes. Their records are based on the number of roll calls on which they voted and does not count the roll calls for which they were absent.

Rep. Paul Adams, 0 percent (0); Rep. James Arciero, 21.4 percent (6); Rep. Cory Atkins, 7.1 percent (2); Rep. Jennifer Benson, 0 percent (0); Rep. Colleen Garry, 0 percent (0); Rep. Thomas Golden, 0 percent (0); Rep. Sheila Harrington, 0 percent (0); Rep. Marc Lombardo, 0 percent (0); Rep. James Miceli, 0 percent (0); Rep. Charles Murphy, 0 percent (0); Rep. Kevin Murphy, 0 percent (0); Rep. David Nangle, 0 percent, (0).

ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL

NO PENSION FOR FORMER SPEAKER FINNERAN: The State Retirement Board voted to permanently strip former House Speaker Tom Finneran of his roughly $33,000 state pension and repay him the amount he contributed to his own retirement. Finneran served as speaker of the House from 1996 to 2004. In January 2007, he pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice in a case associated with the Legislature's 2001 redistricting plans. Finneran has not received pension payments since he pleaded guilty in 2007 but last week's ruling makes the revocation permanent. The former speaker has the right to appeal the ruling.

RECORKING WINE (S 115): The House gave initial approval to a Senate-approved bill that would expand the current law allowing restaurant and hotel customers to bring home an unfinished bottle of wine. The proposal would expand the law to taverns, clubs and veterans' organizations like American Legion posts. The wine would have to be resealed and then placed in a one-time-use tamper-proof, transparent bag.

LAWS TAKING EFFECT: Several laws approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Patrick in August have recently taken effect or are about to do so.

Most approved new laws don't take effect until 90 days after the governor signs them.

New laws include:

EMERGENCY BATHROOM USE (H 2366): Effective Oct. 30: Requires retail establishments to allow use of their bathrooms by people who have written documentation from a doctor of any medical condition, including ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, that requires immediate access to a restroom. Retail establishments are defined as "any business or place where members of the public have access as invitees or licensees."

The law applies only if a public restroom is not immediately accessible; the establishment's restroom is not located in an area where providing access would create a health or safety risk to the customer or a security risk to the business; and three or more employees of the establishment are working at the time of the request. Businesses that violate the proposed law would be subject to a $100 fine for a first offense and up to $200 for subsequent offenses.

BAN CYBER CAFÉS (H 3765): Effective Oct. 30: Prohibits cyber cafés that allow gamblers to play online slots. The new law makes it a crime to conduct a sweepstakes with an electronic machine and punishes offenders with up to 15 years in state prison or a $250,000 per machine fine.

Supporters of the ban say the cafés, pretending to sell Internet access or phone cards, actually allow gamblers to play online slots and sweepstakes in which they win "points" that can be redeemed for cash at the café. They argued these are simply cyber scams, with no posted odds or guarantee of payouts for players. Opponents argue the cafés are a good source of entertainment and customers are aware of the long odds.


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