BUDGETS

Mass. lawmakers were unable to muster a quorum for the third straight day. Efforts to advance a $3.1 billion supplemental budget bill will begin again Monday.

With most lawmakers headed home for the holiday break, members of the conference committee continue to try to work out differences between spending bills approved by the Massachusetts House and Senate. The bills hold funds for the state's emergency shelters.

Massachusetts House and Senate Democrats failed to negotiate a compromise before their holiday break that would send hundreds of millions of dollars to the state's emergency shelters. The spending bill was presented to the Legislature in September.

Appeals to the federal government have so far yielded no change to work authorizations or funding to address the strain on the Massachusetts emergency shelter system.

Massachusetts House lawmakers will hold a hearing on a revised gun bill on Tuesday. No senators are expected to participate.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has 10 days to review the tax relief package.

Two months remain in the state legislative year, and tax relief legislation remains unfinished.

Mass. Governor Maura Healey is appealing to federal government officials for assistance, housing new immigrants coming to the state. Healey is also asking religious groups and state residents to consider taking in individuals and families. The just signed state budget includes funding for homelessness and shelter funding.

The spending plan makes permanent a pandemic-era program providing free school meals to all students, clears the way for high school graduates without legal immigration status to access in-state tuition and financial aid at public colleges and universities, offers assistance to help Bay Staters ages 25 and older attend community college for free, and more.

On Monday, Massachusetts House and Senate lawmakers voted on a consensus spending plan to send to Gov. Maura Healey for her review.