McMurtry says he'll paralyze the House

State Rep. Paul McMurtry said yesterday he will block any and all legislation from going to the governor's office for enactment until the House advances his long-stalled petition to get a beer license for a Westwood Station supermarket.

"I'm trying to be the most effective but least disruptive to my colleagues," said McMurtry, a Dedham Democrat whose district includes Westwood. "If all of the bills come up to the enactment stage, the last step necessary in the House and Senate (is) to send a bill to the governor's desk, where mine has been for weeks. Maybe colleagues will continue to support and join with me for a resolution, a final resolution for all of us. That will be the strategy, if you will."

Stemming the flow of bills could have untold consequences in the coming weeks, and may cause a local dispute between a few communities to begin having a statewide impact.

Until now, lawmakers for and against the proposed Westwood Station, whose builders want the beer and wine license for future tenant Wegmans supermarket, have periodically allowed other bills to advance to the governor's desk, while occasionally shutting down House business to make a point.

State Reps. Angelo Scaccia, D-Hyde Park, and William Galvin, D-Canton, have blocked passage of the Westwood home rule petition by questioning the quorum. At these informal sessions, less than half the House's 160 members are generally present and a quorum call results in adjournment, meaning bills cannot be passed. Eighty-one representatives constitute a quorum.

Questioning the quorum and closing the session prevents the Westwood Station petition from going to Gov. Deval Patrick's desk, where he could sign and thereby enact it.

Scaccia has said he has blocked the bill for a Wegmans beer permit because the Roache Bros. Westwood store does not have a similar license and would be put at a competitive disadvantage. Galvin has opposed the petition because Canton officials fear Westwood Station could cause traffic problems in that town.

The Roache chain has three alcohol licenses in Massachusetts, the most any chain can have in this state.

The $1.5 billion Westwood Station is a proposed retail, residential, office and hotel complex targeted for University Avenue. Wegmans supermarket is considered one of its key stores. Westwood officials have touted the potential tax benefits of the overall project.

Asked about his own strategy, McMurtry said, "I'm going to stay firm. I understand everyone's concerns and everyone's positions. That's why I need to emphasize mine. (The bill) is something that's going to impact the entire commonwealth. In these challenging economic times, it's too risky of a process to delay this any further."

McMurtry's plan could further rankle legislators hoping to pass time-sensitive bills and other legislation that would otherwise advance in the absence of the local dispute.

Some of McMurtry's House colleagues were supportive yesterday.

"I said, 'Why don't we let all the runners get to third base and then nobody can score until a resolution is reached,"' said House Minority Leader Bradley Jones. "The reality is, there are a number of pieces of legislation with varying deadlines and timeliness. The representative has been great about talking, discussing and learning. He was great today. He was very sympathetic to other members."

Another lawmaker, who requested anonymity to avoid being pitted against colleagues, said McMurtry "is doing his job" and that members were generally supportive of his efforts even though their bills were being blocked.

"Our hope is that it will move for him so we can put this behind us," the lawmaker said.

McMurtry said he would consider the highly unusual step of trying to round up 81 members during an informal session to circumvent Galvin's procedural roadblock.

"It's something that I've contemplated," he said. "I want this to end. It's been four or five months of complications and overcoming obstacles."

Nearly two-dozen members were in the chamber yesterday morning.

A spokesman for House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi said the speaker was continuing to work with both sides in the dispute and that he and his staff have been meeting regularly with members involved. A spokesman for Senate President Therese Murray said the dispute in the House had not spilled over into the Senate but that "it's something we'll have to pay close attention to."

State Rep. Paul Donato, who has overseen many of the recent House sessions, including last Tuesday's, when Galvin flew into a rage, said the dispute was in a "stalemate" with both Galvin and McMurtry "adamant" about their positions.

Other lawmakers discussing the session laughed and walked off when asked whether members were upset about the dispute tying up House business.