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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, JunE 17, 2022 Page 25 BEACON | FROM PAGE 24 ers with disabilities and military service members; allowing a voter with disabilities to request accommodations including an accessible electronic ballot application, ballot and voter affidavit that can be submitted electronically; ensuring that non-felons who are incarcerated who are currently eligible to vote are provided with voting information and materials to exercise their right to vote; mandating that felons who are incarcerated but prohibited from voting are notified of their right to vote upon release and given the opportunity to fill out a voter registration form; and requiring the secretary of state to conduct a comprehensive public awareness campaign to publicize the new voting and registration options. “This landmark election reform bill will empower voters and strengthen our democracy,” said Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), Senate Chair of the Committee on Election Laws and the co-sponsor of the bill. “In 2020, mail-in and early voting options helped generate record-breaking turnout. It is now time to build on this progress and enact long-lasting voting reforms. The [bill] is a big step in the right direction and will help ensure that every voter can exercise their fundamental right to vote.” “I am so proud that at a time when access to the ballot is under attack in states nationwide, Massachusetts is passing landmark voting reforms to permanently enshrine expansions to voting access in statute and further underscore the Commonwealth’s commitment to ensuring all eligible voters can exercise their right to vote,” said Senate Majority Leader Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton). “Although I am disappointed same-day registration was not included in the final bill, even with the Senate offering multiple compromise approaches, I will continue to push for its passage and plan to file legislation on the subject going forward.” Opponents saythe bill goes too far and does not provide sufficient safeguards to protect the integrity of the voting process. They argued that universal mail in voting was designed solely to protect voters during the pandemic. They argued that continuing this forever would cost far too much for smaller towns Despite repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call, none of the three Republican senators who voted against the bill responded to requests for a comment on the reason they voted “No.” The three non-responsive senators are: Sens. Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester), Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) and Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it). Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes REQUIRE CERTIFICATION FOR TECHNICIANS WHO STERILIZE AND MAINTAIN HOSPITAL SURGICAL EQUIPMENT (S 2913) Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House a measure that requires standardized certification of an estimated 1,800 Bay State hospital technicians, by a nationally accredited organization, of hospital technicians who are responsible for ensuring that surgical instruments are safe and sanitary to protect patients from possible infection. The measure also requires the technicians to complete an annual continuing education curriculum. It was filed as a response to several high-profile incidents across the state in which surgical tools used in operations on patients may have been improperly disinfected. Supporters said that technicians are currently allowed to work with a high school diploma or equivalent degree and without additional relevant training, despite being required to keep up to date with the latest practices for over 37,000 different surgical instruments. “As a world leader in the healthcare industry, Massachusetts must maintain the highest standards of patient safety,” said sponsor Sen. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury). “I’m proud of the work my colleagues in the Senate and I have done today to protect the citizens of the commonwealth as well as those who come from around the globe to seek treatment.” “[These] technicians play an unseen but vital role for patients undergoing surgery,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Senate chair of the Committee on Public Health. “They are responsible for ensuring that equipment and instruments used during surgical procedures are properly decontaminated, cleaned, inspected and sterilized prior to patient use. Every day, thousands of Bay Staters rely on them doing their job with perfection.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL $350 MILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES AND MORE (H 4638) – The Senate approved a House-approved $350 million package that includes authorizing $200 million in onetime funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state to be distributed under the Chapter 90 program formula. Only final House and Senate approval are needed prior to the measure going to the governor. Thepackage, a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds, also includes $150 million to pay for bus lanes, improvement of public transit, electric vehicles and other state transportation projects. “The commonwealth’s overall transportation system relies on the health of our roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure,” said Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn), chair of the Senate Committee on Transportation. “The bill … represents a $350 million investment that will help cities and towns make the improvements they need so that residents can travel safely and efficiently.” Geoff Beckwith, the executive director of the Massachusetts Municipal Association, is one of the biggest advocates for increased Chapter 90 funding. “With the local road construction season underway, passage of the Chapter 90 bond bill is an important priority so that communities can maximize the number of projects that can be completed this year,” said Beckwith. Many local officials across the state continue to advocate for additional money to increase the funding and argue that the cost of repairing roads has increased by up to 40 percent while the state has kept this funding flat at $200 million for the past 11 years. EXPANDED USE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA (H 4537) – A bill that would add Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and opioid use disorder to the current list of conditions for which a doctor could prescribe medical marijuana, is stuck in the Committee on Health Care Financing which gave it a favorable report on March 24. The bill is a redrafted different version of an earlier bill, sponsored by Rep. Michael Soter (R-Bellingham), designed to expand access to medical marijuana for veterans. “This legislation is the result of a collaboration with a constituent of mine, Stephen Mandile, who is a veteran, local elected official and father,” said Soter. “The initial intent of the bill was to expand access to medical marijuana for veterans. However, I am disappointed to say that specific veteran-related pieces of the original bill were removed during the committee process, the scope of the bill has changed and the current language works to benefit a broader population while straying away from the initial intent of a strong veteran-centric bill. Beacon Hill Roll Call asked Soter several times whether he supports the new version of the bill since his version is now essentially dead. Soter’s “non-answer” came from his chief of staff Eric Eisner. ““The representative stated that he is disappointed that the veteran-centric language within the bill has been stripped out during the committee process,” said Eisner. Further, this is not the first session that this legislation has been presented. “ SEVERAL BILLS ON THEIR WAY TO A “STUDY” COMMITTEE – TheCommittee on Cannabis Policy recommended that several bills be shipped off to a study committee where bills are rarely actually studied and are essentially defeated. It is a way to kill a proposal without holding a vote on the bill itself. Here are some of the bills that will soon be sent off to a study committee: PREVENT YOUTH SUBSTANCE ABUSE (S78) – Would direct 1 percent of the state tax revenue generated from the cannabis excise tax toward a fund that would be responsible for supporting programs dedicated to prevention of youth substance use. “A report released this week by the Department of Public Health indicated the rate of opioid-related overdose deaths increased 8.8 percent in 2021 compared to 2020,” said sponsor Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth). “With the continued rise in substance use deaths, I believe we need to provide as much support as possible to ensure we do not lose any more of our neighbors. The state currently financially benefits a great deal from the legalization of cannabis, and I believe this legislation provides us with an opportunity to educate young people on the dangers of addiction. I am looking forward to filing the bill again next session.” PROHIBIT TESTING FOR MARIJUANA USE WITHOUT CONSENT (H 4026) – Would prohibit doctors and health care facilities from testing a patient for the presence of marijuana without first obtaining written consent from the patient. If written consent is given, the measure prohibits the release of the results to anyone except for the patient unless the patient gives written consent. Sponsor Rep. Russell Holmes (D-Boston) said he filed the bill after hearing from a constituent who was tested for marijuana, without her consent, by her primary care physician during a routine physical that included standard urine and blood work. Holmes noted she was under federal probation and marijuana, while legal in Massachusetts, is still prohibited federally and a positive test could have forced her again away from her family and back to federal prison. “My constituent changed her primary care physician because she could no longer trust her,” said Holmes. “That was the only recourse she had. The bill will be filed again nextterm because more protection is needed.” FINE FOR OPEN CONTAINER OF MARIJUANA IN VEHICLE (H 149) – Would apply the current alcohol open container law to marijuana. This would impose a $100 to $500 civil penalty on anyone who is driving with an open container of marijuana or any marijuana products in the passenger area of a motor vehicle. Sponsor Rep. Shawn Dooley (R-Norfolk) said the bill doesn’t criminalize anything but it simply imposes a civil fine—the same as having an open container of beer. He noted that police have a very hard time enforcing impaired driving under the influence of marijuana use due to lack of a Breathalyzer-type test. “As dispensaries become more popular and accessible—there will naturally be more of a chance for use while driving,” said Dooley. “And while I believe the vast majority of users are responsible— this is meant to hopefully incentivize those few who might partake while driving—just like with alcohol to not do it and wait till they are not behind the wheel.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “I think on this matter I will turn it over to[Sen. Brendan Crighton] the real expert on this subject matter, the gentleman from Lynn, the Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation. Because he truly is the expert on this and so many other issues before this body.” ---Ways and Means chair Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) when asked during floor debate to comment on the bill providing $350 million for local roads and bridges and other transportation projects. “I want to say thank you to the chair of Ways and Means BEACON | SEE PAGE 27

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