Before a quick break for the holidays tomorrow, we wanted to briefly run through just a few outstanding items on the Legislature's plate as the first year of session wraps up. - ARPA Funds: The House and Senate managed to get a $4 billion American Rescue Plan Act spending bill to Gov. Charlie Baker before the year ended. It includes hundreds of millions for housing, economic development, and climate change. The legislation uses $2.55 billion of the state's ARPA share, leaving about $2.3 billion leftover. Baker sent back amendments and vetoes that the Legislature will have to deal with next year once formal sessions resume. - Hospital Expansion: The House passed a rather large bill that scrutinizes hospital system expansion, requiring them to seek a letter of support from community hospitals if they're looking to move into their service area. The Senate has yet to take up the bill, but House Speaker Ronald Mariano has flagged it as a priority. - Sports Betting: It seems like at some point every year momentum builds for a bill legalizing sports betting. The House again passed a bill this year. The governor has pointed to tens of millions of dollars in extra tax revenue that could flow into the state. But the Senate has yet to take one up, and it seems like a push in that branch will meet some resistance as Senate President Karen Spilka hasn't been quick to put a bill on the Senate floor. - COVID Mandates: This week, a group of legislative leaders -- including Spilka -- called on Gov. Charlie Baker to reimpose a statewide mask mandate for indoor public spaces. Baker has been telling reporters for a few weeks now that he won't do it, instead issuing an advisory that recommends -- but does not require -- masks in indoor spaces. This issue isn't on the Legislature's plate in the form of a bill, but rather a lingering issue that the House and Senate may choose to deal with in 2022. As we wrote yesterday, the how is still an outstanding question. - Fiscal 2023: Finally, as the new year dawns, the Legislature and Gov. Charlie Baker will find themselves in the yearly throes of creating a state budget. It's a normal process that plays out between the branches and the governor, but the uncertainty of the pandemic once again casts a shadow of caution and anxiety over the whole procedure. Lawmakers and administration officials kicked off the budget creation process this week by talking to economic experts and forecasting tax revenue for next 18 months. Is there something we missed here that you think is important? Let us know at editor@massterlist.com along with any comments, questions, or concerns you may have. | 
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