THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 10, 2020 Page 15 BEACON | FROM PAGE 14 tion to $200 million. The Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) expressed mixed feelings. “On behalf of cities and towns, we are glad that the Chapter 90 bond bill has been enacted, so that communities can access desperately needed funds to repair and rebuild local roadways,” said MMA Executive Director and CEO Geoff Beckwith. “However, our members are understandably disappointed that the funding level remains flat at $200 million, rather than the $300 million amount that representatives and senators voted to support earlier in the process. MMA will continue to advocate for an increase in Chapter 90 road funds, so that communities can adequately maintain 30,000 miles of local roads.” (A “Yes” vote is for the $200 million) Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes RACIAL DISPARITIES IN MATERNAL MORTALITY (H 4818) House 159-0, approved and sent to the Senate a bill that would create a special 23-member commission to examine and make recommendations to reduce or eliminate racial disparities in the death of mothers before, during and after childbirth. The commission would look for problems and solutions by examining evidence-based practices, including approaches taken by other states or grassroots organizations to reduce or eliminate racial disparities in maternal mortality or severe maternal morbidity; barriers to accessing prenatal and postpartum care, how that care is delivered and the quality of that care; and how historical and current structural, institutional and individual forms of racism, including implicit bias or discrimination, affect the incidence and prevalence of maternal mortality in communities of color. “Tragically in the commonwealth, black women are twice as likely to die from pregnancy-related causes and have twice the rate of maternal morbidities as white women,” said Rep. Kay Khan (D-Newton), one of the bill’s sponsors. “These inequities are the result of generations of systemic racism in health care. This legislation offers a long overdue opportunity to begin righting this wrong. As leaders in state government, and personally for me as a nurse, I believe it is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to ensure all Massachusetts mothers are healthy and thriving.” The 23-member commission would include the House and Senate chairs of the Committee on Public Health, a member of the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus, the Massachusetts Medical Society and the Ellen Story Commission on Postpartum Depression. Others include a midwife, an obstetrician and a gynecologist; two members from a community of color; and a person who has lost an immediate family member to maternal mortality. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Rep. Joseph McGonagle Yes $1.1 BILLION FOR COVID-19 RESPONSE (S 2789) Senate 39-0, approved a bill that would provide $1.1 billion to cover expenses related to response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Gov. Baker has been urging the Legislature to quickly get a spending bill to his desk because the state cannot be eligible for federal reimbursements for costs related to the respiratory virus until a package is approved by the Legislature and signed by the governor. The package includes $350 million for personal protective equipment, $139 million for rate addons for providers, $82 million for child care needs including emergency child care for essential workers, $15 million for essential behavioral health services including services for children, $15 million for food security support, $10 million for grants to community foundations with direct support like housing assistance, and $10 million for wage and benefit support to workers impacted by the virus. “This bill will help the commonwealth continue to make strides in its fight against COVID-19 as well as support the many sectors impacted by this unprecedented public health crisis,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “With the Senate actively working on legislation to address racial inequities, I am thrilled this bill takes the historic step of recognizing the importance of Juneteenth—a day celebrating the liberation of the remaining enslaved African Americans—and making it a state holiday.” “Due to the unprecedented challenges facing our commonwealth, this supplemental budget will allow us to maximize federal aid to support COVID-19 response costs and provide critical resources to help working families and our most vulnerable populations,” said Sen. Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport) the chair of the Senate Committee on Ways & Means. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico 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 filed. 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. ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ ENROLLED ORDINANCE PUBLISHED PURSUANT TO CHAPTER 1 SECTION 4.5 OF THE REVISED ORDINANCES OF THE CITY OF EVERETT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS Chapter 43, Section 23. ENROLLED: 06/22/2020 DATE OF PROPOSED ORDAINMENT: 07/27/2020 During the week of June 29-July 3, the House met for a total of 13 hours and 22 minutes while the Senate met for a total of eleven hours and 33 minutes. MON. JUNE 29 House 11:02 a.m. to 3:57 p.m. Senate 11:17 a.m. to 4:02 p.m. TUES. JUNE 30 House 11:01 a.m. to 2:25 p.m. No Senate session WED. JULY 1 No House session No Senate session THURS. JULY 2 House 11:01 a.m. to 4:04 p.m. Senate 11:26 a.m. to 6:14 p.m. FRI. JULY 3 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com CITY COUNCIL …………………………………………………………….No. C0216-20 IN THE YEAR TWO THOUSAND AND TWENTY An Ordinance amending Article IX, Section 13A-62.0 §14(6.), Construction Work Councilor /s/ Wayne A. Matewsky Whereas: In the interest of community peace and tranquility in the late evening hours and Sundays; and Whereas: The City of Everett has a vested interest in keeping resident safe, including safe from loud noises from construction after 7 p.m. Now, therefore, by the authority granted to the City Council of the City of Everett, Massachusetts to make ordinances: Be it Ordained by the City Council of the City of Everett, Massachusetts that the Revised Ordinances of the City of Everett be amended as follows: By deleting in line two. “between the hours of 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM” and replacing it with the following; “between the hours of 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM and Sundays in Residential districts” This ordinance shall take effect upon passage by the City Council and subsequent approval by His Honor the Mayor. A true copy attest Sergio Cornelio, City Clerk July 10, 2020
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