I spoke with Rep. Paul McMurtry on the phone today and confirmed his intention tomorrow to again be recognized and question the presence of a quorum, effectively preventing any further House business from proceeding. The process continues until McMurtry or Scaccia "blinks" or the weight of unfinished business that is piling up forces some kind of resolution. Until the legislature reconvenes--there is no way to vote this impasse away. It is possible that could happen if legislators were called back for a special session to deal with budget and other issues, but otherwise, unlikely until January. If the measure is abandoned, The BOS could resubmit the petition later or redo the whole thing next year.

The concern of course is that such a lengthy delay might "scare away" Wegmans. Although we have no official information as to their position, it is clear that is the driving concern of those involved. Paul doesn't see this as a personal contest between him and Scaccia, but an issue of doing what the town of Westwood asked through town meeting and what is in the best interests of the district he represents.

Meetings and discussions continue on Beacon Hill. Clearly this impasse is causing problems for other Representatives who cannot get anything done. I asked Paul if there was anything the rest of us could do and while there are certainly constructive ideas out there for the future, right now the most effective thing is probably communicating your position to the key players at the statehouse:

McMurtry, Paul
Rep.PaulMcMurtry@Hou.State.MA.US
617-722-2460
Scaccia, Angelo M.
Rep.AngeloScaccia@Hou.State.MA.US
617-722-2692
Speaker of the House, Salvatore F. DiMasi
Rep.SalvatoreDiMasi@Hou.State.MA.US
617-722-2500