Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) is pleased to present it's 2005-06 Legislative Scorecard, which shows the record of each of the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives on votes of particular concern to the state's employer community. AIM releases the Scorecard at the end of each two-year legislative session in order to inform their members about legislators' records on key economic climate and public policy issues, and to recognize those lawmakers who understand the importance of a vibrant economy for all of the Commonwealth's residents.

NOTE: Should the Legislature resume formal session before January, AIM may issue an updated Scorecard.

1. Hanscom Bond Bill (Vote in House and Senate) - Enactment of a bond bill to provide for the expansion and the retention of Hanscom Air Force Base in Bedford and the Natick Army Labs, which are responsible for billions of dollars in Federal R&D and purchasing in the area and more than 30,000 jobs. As a result of the federal 2005 military base review process, both facilities will remain open and may be expanded in the future. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

2. Double Tax Increase (House Vote) - Adoption of an amendment to the "loophole closing" corporate tax bill that would have increased the tax impact on businesses from $85 to $175 million; A.I.M. opposed the amendment as well as the underlying tax measure. (A.I.M. sought a 'No' vote.)

3. Economic Stimulus (House Vote) - Engrossment of the Economic Stimulus Bill containing several items supported by A.I.M., including a requirement for a regulatory impact statement prior to the promulgation of new regulations and rules; stepped-up efforts against unemployment insurance fraud; funding for an in-state sales force to assist existing employers to retain jobs; recapitalization and improvements to the Brownfields program; continuation and funding for the Workforce Training Fund; and making contract-based and working capital loans qualified investments under the Emerging Technology Fund. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

4. Retroactive Capital Gains Increase (Vote in House and Senate) - Vote to advance a bill that made the capital gains tax increase retroactive. (A.I.M. sought a 'No' vote.)

5. Payroll Tax to Fund Health Insurance Expansion (House Vote) - Adoption of an amendment striking from the House health care bill a payroll tax of 5% for companies with 10-99 employees and 7% for employers with 100 or more employees. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

6. Regulatory Impact Analysis Requirement (Senate Vote) - Vote on a regulatory impact statement amendment to the Senate Economic Stimulus bill, adding language supported by A.I.M. establishing a requirement for state agencies to issue a "cost-benefit" analysis prior to the issuance of new rules of regulations. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

7. "Free Rider" Surcharge (Senate Vote) - Vote on an amendment to eliminate the employer surcharge under the so-called "free rider" provision of the Senate Health Care bill. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

8. Health Insurance Stability (Senate Vote) - Vote on an amendment to the Senate Health Care bill allowing certain associations to sell health insurance to their members; opposed by A.I.M. as a threat to the successful 1991 reforms of the current small group market. (A.I.M. sought a 'No' vote.)

9. Tax Compromise - Capital Gains (Vote in House and Senate) - Vote on the Governor's amended "tax loophole" bill with the retroactive capital gains tax provision eliminated. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

10. MEP Veto Override (Vote in House and Senate) - Override vote on Governor's veto of FY 07 funding for the Massachusetts Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, which provides services to help manufacturers remain competitive in the global economy. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

11. TURA Bill Approval (Vote in House and Senate) - Final approval of the Toxics Use Reduction Act (TURA) reform bill, providing better federal/state consistency and reducing bureaucracy and costs for businesses, while enhancing environmental protections and monitoring. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

12. Streamlined Permitting Bill Approval (Vote in House and Senate) - In the House, final approval of the Permit Streamlining bill allowing communities to opt into an expedited permitting process for specific sites; providing technical assistance resources for communities and for businesses for economic development activities; reducing frivolous use of the legal system to delay housing, mixed use, and commercial projects; creating new responsibilities in the land court to hear appeals; changing the "ten citizen appeal" of chapter 91 licensing and municipal harbor plan approvals to require at least five citizens from the local community as aggrieved parties; and allowing developers to proceed at their own risk in the face of an appeal of a local zoning approval. The Senate vote was to agree to the House version of the bill. (A.I.M. sought a 'Yes' vote.)

Massachusetts House of Representatives

Issue	1	2	3	4	5	9	10	11	12	% With AIM
AIM	+	-	+	-	+	+	+	+	+	100%
DiMasi, Salvatore (D-Boston)	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	+	78%
Eldridge, James (D-Acton)	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	-	67%
Hall, Geoffrey (D-Westford)	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	+	78%
Hargraves, Robert (R-Groton)	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	+	100%

Massachusetts Senate

Issue	1	6	7	8	4	9	11	10	12	% With AIM
AIM	+	+	+	-	-	+	+	+	+	100%
Panagiotakos, Steven (D-Lowell)	+	-	NV	+	-	+	+	+	+	75%
Resor, Pamela (D-Acton)	+	-	-	+	-	+	+	+	-	56%

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