The two branches of the Massachusetts Legislature have an inherently complicated relationship. When it comes to lawmaking, the House and Senate are partners and part of a collective whole that acts as a counterweight to the governor. But they’re also rivals who frequently have very different ideas about policymaking.
Now, that tension is coming to the fore thanks to a very public spat between the two co-chairs of the Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy — which, at present, isn't operating as a “joint” committee at all. Adam Reilly is joined by one of the parties involved, state Sen. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), who offers his point of view on the disagreement and how he views it as a broader institutional power grab.
Is the Massachusetts House trying to usurp the prerogatives of the state Senate? Email us at TalkingPolitics@wgbh.org,or share your thoughts via the Talking Politics page.
You can watch the discussion below right now, or catch the full show at 7 p.m. on GBH 2. Subscribe to the GBH News’ YouTube channel to get alerted to future episodes.
