Votes at a glance: Senate passes a package of age-exemption and municipal bills by voice vote

The Massachusetts Senate used voice votes to pass a series of bills and resolutions during a short floor session.

Key votes and actions (voice votes unless noted):
- Acts directing the City of Boston Police Department to waive maximum age requirements for named individuals (as read on the floor); bills passed to be enacted.
- An act regulating the number of registered voters who may petition for a special town meeting in the town of Andover (Senate No. 2544) was ordered to be engrossed.
- An act exempting Stephen Justice from the maximum age requirement for appointment as a firefighter in the city of Haverhill (House No. 2985) was ordered to be engrossed. (Age as spoken in the transcript was garbled; age not specified.)
- An act exempting Javier Vargas from the maximum age requirement for appointment as a firefighter in Haverhill (House No. 2986) was ordered to be engrossed.
- An act exempting Britney Spruill from the maximum age requirement for appointment as a firefighter in Haverhill (House No. 2987) was ordered to be engrossed.
- An act exempting Freddie Castaneda from the maximum age requirement for appointment as a police officer in Haverhill (House No. 2988) was ordered to be engrossed.
- An act changing the name of the Board of Selectmen in the town of Williamsburg to the Select Board (House No. 4524) was ordered to be engrossed.
- An act making the charter of the City of Chicopee gender neutral (House No. 4542) was ordered to be engrossed.
- The Senate adopted several ceremonial resolutions congratulating Ben Walsh, Noah Boudreau, and Joseph McManus on becoming Eagle Scouts and honoring Dr. Linda Sarris on her retirement.
- The Senate agreed to adjourn in memory of Mrs. Teresa Basil and observed a moment of silence.

Votes were taken by voice; no roll-call tallies were recorded on the floor for these items. The presiding officer announced that "the ayes have it" on each voice vote.

Details and context: Many items were routine, ministerial approvals of House bills and municipal exemptions; the session included extended remarks in memory of Teresa Basil and an explanation from the Judiciary Committee chair about a committee extension order. Where a numeric detail was spoken unclearly on the transcript (for example, ages read aloud as a string of numbers), the article reports the name and bill number and notes that the age was not specified in the published transcript.

Next steps: Engrossed bills proceed in the legislative process toward final enactment and the governor's approbation where applicable; the Senate is scheduled to meet next Wednesday at 10:00 a.m.