Make Election Day a legal holiday (SD 353): Would make Election Day, every two years, a statewide holiday and would also provide people who cannot take the holiday off because they are Election Day workers or perform other essential work with two hours of paid voting leave.

“The right to strike is one of our most fundamental rights (as) workers. … I’ve seen personally that power and strength and importance of being able to come together as a group of workers and thereby generate a better balance of power at the negotiating table,” said state Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham.

“Basically, what the bill will do is require full coverage insurance, whether public or private payer, for mental health care,” said its sponsor, Sen. Becca Rausch, D-Needham.

“This amendment would have ensured at least 30 minutes of time for the consideration of new matters pending before the Senate,” said Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham), one of only two Democrats to vote for the amendment.

Adam Reilly is joined by state Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven, who proposed the failed committee-vote amendment; state Sen. Becca Rausch, who was one of a handful of senators to vote against eliminating term limits for the body's president; and Erin Leahy, the executive director of Act on Mass, which works to make Beacon Hill more open and accessible.

The proposal would allow unions to legally strike after six months of failed negotiations with their employers.

John Keenan of Quincy, Becca Rausch of Needham and Walter Timilty of Milton. None of the opponents spoke about the amendment before casting their votes.

All three Senate Republicans — Minority Leader Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, Sen. Patrick O'Connor of Weymouth and Sen. Ryan Fattman of Sutton — voted to keep the term limit in place, as did Democrat Sens. John Keenan of Quincy, Becca Rausch of Needham and Walter Timilty of Milton.

Rausch said outside the chamber that she views term limits as "a really important part of small-d democracy."

Becca Rausch was one of only three state senators to vote against dropping term limits for the Senate presidency. We congratulate her.