Mass. Lawmakers Sprinting To Finish Legislative Session

BOSTON (AP) - With the clock ticking down to the last day of the formal session on Beacon Hill, Massachusetts lawmakers are scrambling to take final votes on a series of bills they hope to ship to Republican Gov. Charlie Baker's desk before they break on July 31.

Action on many of the bills has been slowed by negotiations on the state budget for the new fiscal year dragging on for weeks before finally being resolved.

Among the dozens of bills still up for debate are proposals that would tax and regulate short-term rental websites like Airbnb and overhaul the way the state divides up education dollars to local school districts.

Other bills would ban drivers from talking on hand-held cellphones and set a sales tax holiday for the weekend of Aug. 11-12.