By Bob Katzen

The House 23-128, rejected an amendment that would require all joint committee members to be notified at least 12 hours in advance if the committee is going to poll members electronically.

“When a poll is released with a tight deadline to respond, there is always a danger that a committee member may not see it until after the poll has closed because they may be tied up in a constituent meeting, attending a municipal event in their district, or driving to the Statehouse and unable to review their e-mails,” said amendment sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This amendment simply provides members with advance notice of an upcoming poll so they can plan their schedule accordingly and provide a timely response.”

“As full-time legislators, committee work and committee votes are a major part of our role,” said Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville) who opposed the amendment. “Requiring a 12-hour notice for an electronic poll would not increase the efficiency of our legislative process and [would] only slow down our work to address critical issues.”

(A “Yes” vote is for the 12-hour minimum. A “No” vote is against it.)

Rep. Christine Barber No Rep. Mike Connolly No Rep. Paul Donato No Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven No