Page 22 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 28, 2022 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Chris Van Buskirk and Keith Regan who introduce each article in their own clever and inimitable way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription go to: www.massterlist. com/subscribe THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of January 17-21. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week. $55 MILLION FOR COVID-19 (H 4340) The House 159-0, approved and sent to the Senate a $55 million COVID-19 response bill. A key provision provides $30 million to increase the number of COVID-19 testing sites and purchase COVID-19 tests—with $5 million of that earmarked to expand vaccination rates among kids ages 5 to 11 in communities disproportionately aff ected by the virus. Another $25 million would be used for the acquisition and distribution of high-quality personal protective masks, including N95s and KN95s, to be distributed by February 28, 2022 to children and faculty in elementary and secondary public school districts. The measure also mandates that the Baker administration pursue the highest allowable rate of federal reimbursement for the $55 million package. “In the last couple of years we have learned a lot about how to treat, prevent and reduce the risks associated with the virus,” said Rep. Bill Driscoll (D-Milton), the House chair of the Committee on COVID-19 and Emergency Preparedness and Management. “We held additional oversight hearings in December and January because we wanted to understand the administration’s current and evolving plans to address Omicron and what might be around the corner in the weeks and months ahead. The funding included in this legislation aims to close several gaps regarding accessibility to testing and high fi ltration masks, particularly in schools. By providing the funding resources and several other extensions, like remote participation in public meetings, the commonwealth can take stronger and focused measures toward driving infection rates down and hopefully keep them down in the months ahead.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes CONSOLIDATED AMENDMENT TO COVID PACKAGE (H 4340) House 158-1, approved a package of several amendments to the COVID-19 package. The amendments were based on 23 individual amendments fi led by individual representatives. Supporters said the amendments would enhance the bill and help in the fi ght against COVID-19. Rep. Jeff Turco (D-Winthrop), the only representative to vote against the package of amendments, said he voted against them because they included substantive changes to the tort laws of the commonwealth. “Specifi cally, the amendment included language that granted hospitals and medical providers immunity from liability for acts of negligence related to care and treatment involving COVID-19. I do not support such a change without a full vetting and hearing process.” (A “Yes” vote is for the package of amendments. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK’S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature’s job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of January 1721, the House met for a total of six hours and 50 minutes and the Senate met for a total of one hour and two minutes. Mon. Jan. 17 No House session No Senate session Tues. Jan. 18 House 11:03 a.m. to 1:12 p.m. Senate 11:14 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. Wed. Jan. 19 House 11:19 a.m. to 3:54 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. Jan. 20 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:06 a.m. Senate 12:13 p.m. to 1:12 p.m. Fri. Jan. 21 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com. Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019. Sa nir Sa a H R i Mii ior y Senior Seni BY JIM MILLER How to Recognize a MiniStroke and What to Do Dear Savvy Senior, How can a person know if they’ve had a minor stroke? My 72-year-old mother had a spell a few weeks ago where she suddenly felt dizzy for no apparent reason and had trouble walking and speaking, but it went away, and she seems fi ne now. Concerned Son Dear Concerned, The way you’re describing it, it’s very possible that your mom had a “mini-stroke” also known as a transient ischemic attack (TIA), and if she hasn’t already done so she needs to see a doctor as soon as possible. Each year, around 250,000 Americans have a ministroke, but less than half of them realize what’s happening. That’s because the symptoms are usually fl eeting – lasting only a few minutes, up to an hour or two – causing most people to ignore them or brush them off as no big deal. But anyone who has had a ministroke is much more likely to have a full-blown stroke, which can cause long-term paralysis, impaired memory, loss of speech or vision, and even death. A mini-stroke is caused by a temporary blockage of blood fl ow to the brain and can be a warning sign that a major stroke may soon be coming. That’s why ministrokes need to be treated like emergencies. Who’s Vulnerable? A person is more likely to suff er a TIA or stroke if they are overweight or inactive, have high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol or diabetes. Other factors that boost the risks are age (over 60), smoking, heart disease, atrial fi brillation and having a family history of stroke. Men also have a greater risk for stroke than women, and African Americans and Hispanics are at higher risk than those of other races. Warning Signs The symptoms of a ministroke are the same as those of a full-blown stroke, but can be subtle and shortlived, and they don’t leave any permanent damage. They include any one or combination of the following: Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination. Sudden, severe headache with no known cause. The easiest way to identify a stroke is to use the F.A.S.T. test to identify the symptoms. F (Face): Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop? A (Arm): Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward? S (Speech): Ask the person to say a simple sentence. Is their speech slurred? T (Time): If you observe any of these signs of stroke, call 911. Get Help If these warning signs sound like what happened to your mom, but they went away, she needs to go to the emergency room or nearby stroke center. If the doctor suspects a TIA, he or she will run a series of tests to determine what caused it and assess her risk of a future stroke. Once the cause has been determined, the goal of treatment is to correct the abnormality and prevent a full-blown stroke. Depending on the cause(s), her doctor may prescribe medication to reduce the tendency for blood to clot or may recommend surgery or a balloon procedure (angioplasty). For more information on mini-strokes and how to recognize one, visit the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association at StrokeAssociation.org. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior. org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book. nior
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