Thank you all for your help in getting the word to our Reps.  The House of
Reps. met today and they did speak on the bill.  They elected not to bring it
up on the floor but have instead placed it in the Bills in the 3rd Reading
Committee.
 
I will list the Reps. in that Committee again:
 
Rep. David B. Cohen, Chairman (617) 722-2380
Rep. Carol A. Donovan, Vice Chairman (617) 722-2692
Rep. Robert Kraus (617) 722-2120
 
You can write to them C/O State House, Boston, MA  02133-1054
 
 
Just an overview on what the 3rd reading committee does is:
 
they examine technical points, as well as the legality and constitutionality
of the measure, and ensures that it does not duplicate or contradict existing
law.  Matters are "held" in this committee until all corrections are made.  Th
e committee then issues a  report and returns the bill to the House or Senate
for its third reading.  At that time, legislators can further debate and
amend the bill.  Following the third reading, the body votes on "passing the
bill to be engrossed."  This amounts to the preliminary passage of the bill
in one branch.
 
Sorry for all this technical stuff but people have asked me what the 3rd
reading committee does.  I hope this clairfys it for them.  I got this info
from Lawmaking in Massachusetts which is put out by the state of MA.
 
It looks like we've bought ourselves some time.  I will keep all posted as
soon as I hear anything, right now we're taking it day by day.
 
This bill has never gotten this far in the process.  Again, thanks, thanks,
thanks.
[Posted in FML issue 1190]