Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, July 22, 2022 DiDomenico’s CROWN Act Heads to Governor’s Desk B Compromise bill to prohibit discrimination based on hair texture or style, including discrimination against natural and protective hairstyles, passes the legislature OSTON – On Monday, July 18th, the Massachusetts State Senate passed the CROWN Act, a bill sponsored by Senator Sal DiDomenico and Senator Adam Gomez of Springfield which prohibits discrimination based on a person’s hair texture or style in Massachusetts. Having been enacted in both the Senate and the House, the bill now goes to Governor Baker for his signature. The CROWN Act prohibits denial of employment and educational opportunities in places of work, schools, and school-related organizations on account of hair texture or protective hairstyles, such as braids, locks, and twists, used by people by color. Hair-based discrimination has excluded people of color from classrooms and workplaces, with serious academic and economic consequences. “As a long-time supporter and one of the Senate lead sponsors of this legislation, I am thrilled to see the CROWN Act going to the Governor to be signed into law,” said Senator DiDomenico (D-Everett), Assistant Majority Leader of the Massachusetts Senate. “The CROWN Act will protect people of color from experiencing hair discrimination and ensure we can celebrate all hairstyles. We are sending a message that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated and we will now have a law in place to back this up. We could not have accomplished We Sell Cigars & Accessories R.Y.O. TOBACCO ---------TUBES CIGAR SMOKERS DELIGHT! 15 Handmade Churchill Size Cigars including a Cohiba - Long Leaf filler - wrapped $43.95 Knocking Out Inflation with Our Everday LOW PRICES! HUMIDOR SPECIAL! $99.95 Complete! Reg. Priced $149.95 * Travel Humidors * Desk Top Humidors * Many Types of Lighters * Ash Trays * Juuls * Vapes * Glass Pipes * Rewards Program * CBD Infused Products * GIFTS UNDER $30 - GIFT CERTIFICATES A.B.C. CIGAR 170 REVERE ST., REVERE (781) 289-4959 STORE HOURS: Monday - Saturday: 8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Sunday & Holidays: 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM Sal DiDomenico State Senator Take Advantage of all our HOLIDAY SPECIALS! Buy Cigars by the Box & SAVE! Competitive prices on all Brands, Great Selection this without the tenacious work from advocates from the CROWN Coalition and bravery from students who have shared their personal experiences with hair discrimination. I would also like to thank Senate President Spilka and Chair Rodrigues for making this a priority this session and my legislative partners, Senator Gomez, Representative Ultrino, and Representative Tyler, for their dedication and tireless work getting this bill across the finish line.” “Having the right to be and present as our authentic selves, without fear of discrimination, matters to each one of us,” stated Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). “For too many Black and Brown residents of Massachusetts this right has not always been honored. By enacting the CROWN Act, the Senate is once again affirming that hair discrimination has no place in professionMCGONAGLE | FROM PAGE 4 ployee Premium Pay Program, the economic development bill passed by the House includes one-time rebates of $250 for a taxpayer who files an individual return, and $500 for married taxpayers who file joint returns that will be issued before September 30, 2022. These rebates are expected to be issued to about two million Massachusetts residents who reported earning between $38,000 and $100,000 for individual filers, and between $38,000 and $150,000 for joint filers in 2021. The one-time rebates will not be subject to the state’s personal income tax. Permanent tax changes The bill that was passed makes significant changes to al or school settings in the Commonwealth. I am grateful to Mya and Deanna Cook, who stood up and fought hard to right this wrong for Black women and girls across the state. Thank you to Senators Gomez, DiDomenico, Rodrigues, Lewis and Edwards, as well as their staff members, for their work on this issue, and to the advocates for their collaboration.” This legislation was inspired in part by two Black teenagers from Malden, Mya and Deanna Cook, who were punished by their school and barred from extracurricular activities for wearing their hair in braids. After gaining national attention and organizing public protests, the school eventually reversed their policy. The CROWN Act will protect Massachusetts children from experiencing this kind of discrimination. The CROWN (Creating a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair) Coalition has played a crucial role in supporting the passage of this legislation in Massachusetts and in states across the country. Massachusetts will soon join 17 other states that have passed some version of the CROWN Act, which has also been proposed at the federal level. Having passed both branches of the legislature, the bill now goes to the Governor for his review. the Massachusetts tax code to provide structural relief to millions of residents across all income levels. These include: • Increasing the Child and Dependent Care Credit from $180 per child to $310 per child, as well as eliminating the current cap of $360 for two or more children. This is expected to impact over 700,000 families. • Increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from 30 percent to 40 percent of the federal credit. This is expected to impact about 396,000 taxpayers with incomes under $57,000. • Increasing the Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit from $750 to $1,755. Currently, the Department of Revenue caps this credit at $1,170 due to cost-of-living adjustments MCGONAGLE | SEE PAGE 7
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