That echo you hear is from the practically empty halls of the State House, which will stay empty for most of August now that most representatives and senators have started their summer recess. It was a busy final week for lawmakers, which saw them override many of Governor Charlie Baker’s budget vetoes and put $97 million dollars of spending back on the books.
Many of those vetoes were for earmarks line items or pet projects lawmakers can show off when they’re back in their home districts for the month.
Lawmakers will be back to Beacon Hill in September and could take up a slew of pressing legislation. There’s a bill to enforce controls against gender and racial wage gaps - a massive plan to fight opiate abuse that needs approval - and Baker wants to make a deal on the future of clean energy.
Legislators almost finished work on a revamp of the state’s public records law just before their August break, and advocates are eager that get it across the goal line once the wheels of power start to grind again.
