THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, MAy 30, 2025 Page 25 BEACON | FROM PAGE 24 ation and then sent to Gov. Maura Healey. “This budget refl ects the Senate’s commitment to a commonwealth that carefully balances investing in our people with responsible money management so we can protect our residents, communities and economy for years to come,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “The Senate’s statewide approach to investment delivers resources to every part of the state and protects our most vulnerable residents, while our continued focus on education and mental health ensures that residents have the keys to unlock the doors of opportunity.” “This budget is a testament to the Senate’s collective values and our shared responsibility to invest in every community and every person in the commonwealth— from the Connecticut River Valley to Cape Cod,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. “By prioritizing education, transportation, health care and support for municipalities, we are not only addressing immediate needs but also laying the foundation for a more equitable and resilient commonwealth amid a time of great national turbulence and strife.” “Constituents and businesses from across my district are exhausted by Gov. Healey’s budget priorities that underfund core local services, overfund benefits for non-residents with billions of tax dollar and burden them with ever-increasing taxes and energy costs,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), one of only two senators to vote against the budget. “Massachusetts residents are going to keep voting with their feet as they move out-of-state if we continue with the status quo – it’s unsustainable and must end.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes PRESCRIPTION DRUGS (S 3) Senate 34-5, approved an amendment that would allow Health Policy Commission regulators to place a maximum price limit on some medications, capping what patients, providers, pharmacies and others in Massachusetts would pay. “I was supportive of this amendment because of the impact high prescription drug prices have had on the most vulnerable in my community” said Sen. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence). “Nobody should have to make a choice between paying their bills and paying for their prescriptions.” “While I agree with the intention behind this amendment, I believe that the subject matter needs to be addressed. I voted no … because I believe, given its magnitude, that it should go through the regular committee-review process,” said Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy). “While versions of the legislation that this amendment refl ect have been fi led in previous sessions, this amendment includes new language that deserves a committee hearing and additional committee review.” “If this doesn’t belong in a budget, I’m not sure where else it belongs,” said amendment sponsor Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington). “This is having a profound effect on how we use our resources in the commonwealth, and if we don’t address this issue sooner rather than later, we will be in major trouble. Our hospitals are in major trouble because of this, our insurers are in major trouble, our state is in major trouble, so this, in my mind, is absolutely the right place for this.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes HUMAN TRAFFICKING (S 3) Senate 12-28, rejected an amendment that would mandate human traffi cking training for all hotel, motel, lodging house or bed and breakfast establishment employees in the Bay State, from the front desk to housekeeping and food service, in order to equip them to recognize and respond to traffi cking situations. The measure also requires these establishments to post in plain view, in the lobby and in any public restroom in their establishment, a written notice developed by the attorney general, which must include the national human traffi cking hotline telephone number. Amendment sponsor Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) said the passage of the amendment will send a message to survivors that we support them. He noted that almost no one traffi cking people is in jail in Massachusetts and said that when people call him and ask him why, he doesn’t have an answer. Training front-line people in hotels to recognize traffi cking and posting a hotline number might give a victim a chance. He said he has worked with hundreds of survivors and advocates on this and they always stress why is there so much inaction on Beacon Hill. Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport), who voted against the amendment, said the goals are laudable, but this is a situation where you really don’t create a mandate that every hotel employee, no matter their job, is required to be trained to recognize human traffi cking without extensive discussions with the labor unions that represent the employees. He noted this mandate could arguably involve tens of thousands of individuals. BEACON | SEE PAGE 26 CITY OF EVERETT ~ Legal Notice ~ ~ Legal Notice ~ PUBLIC HEARING FOR PETITION FROM MASSACHUSETTS ELECTRIC COMPANY D/B/A NATIONAL GRID OF NORTH ANDOVER, MASSACHUSETTS & VERIZON, NEW ENGLAND To all parties interested in the public hearing. Be it hereby ordered: Massachusetts Electric Company d/b/a National Grid of North Andover, Massachusetts and Verizon New England requests permission to locate poles, wires, fixtures, including the necessary sustaining and protecting fixtures, along and across the following public way or ways hereinafter named. The following are the streets and highways referred to: No. # 31032275 – Thorndike Street - National Grid to install 1 JO pole on Thorndike Street beginning at a point approximately 131 feet Southeast of the centerline of the intersection of Bow Street and Thorndike Street and continuing approximately 35 feet in a Southeasterly direction. National Grid to install a new pole on Thorndike Street about 35 feet Southeast of existing pole #1049 to clear a future clearance issue regarding the service drop to 10 Thorndike Street. The temple wants to install hydraulic flag that can be raised and lowered. The existing service drop will be obstructing the flag if it is not moved. Everett MA Also, for permission to lay and maintain underground laterals, cables and wires in the above or intersecting public ways for the purpose of making connections with such poles and buildings as each of said petitioners may desire for distributing purposes. Your petitioner agrees to reserve space for one cross-arm at a suitable point on each of said poles for fire, police, telephone, and telegraph signal wires belonging to the municipality and used by it exclusively for municipal purposes. Wherefore it prays that after due notice and hearing as provided by law, it be granted a location for and permission to erect and maintain poles and wires, together with such sustaining and protecting fixtures as it may find necessary, said poles to be erected substantially in accordance with the plan filed herewith marked: Thorndike Street - Everett - Massachusetts. Hearing to be held with the Everett City Council, held on Monday at 7:00PM, on the 9th of June, 2025 at the Everett City Council Chambers, 3rd Floor, Everett City Hall. May 30, 2025
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