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Page 20 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRiDAy, SEpTEmbER 29, 2023 THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week’s report is on the latest fundraising and expenditure numbers for the state’s 40 senators’ campaign committees from the latest filing period of August 1, 2023 to August 31, 2023. It also includes how much money each senator has on hand as of August 31, 2023. The numbers are from the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance. To get more information and details on any senator’s fundraising and expenditures, go to www.ocpf.usClick on “Filer listing” under “Browse candidates” and then type the name of your senator in the box that says “Filter by name” in the upper lefthand corner of the page. MOST AMOUNT OF CASH ON HAND: The senator with the most cash on hand is Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) who currently has $787,702.35 in his campaign account. Rounding out the top ten senators with the most cash on hand are Sens. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) $754,817.96; Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) $459,883.21; Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) $347,117.88; Julian Cyr (D-Truro) $231,304.78; James Eldridge (D-Marlborough) $210,334.29; William Brownsberger (D-Belmont) $205,110.65; Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton) $202,580.87; Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) $145,572.56; and Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) $144,815.87. LEAST AMOUNT OF CASH ON HAND: The senator with the least cash on hand is former Sen. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer) whose campaign account currently has a balance of $0. Rounding out the bottom ten senators with the least cash on hand are Sens. Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence) $41.15; Liz Miranda (D-Boston) $1,152.83; John Cronin (D-Lunenburg) $2,530.57; Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) $15,236.10; Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester) $15,693.29; Jacob Oliveira (D-Ludlow) $16,580.45; Michael Brady (D-Brockton) $26,532.35; John Keenan (D-Quincy) $31,315.43; and Michael Rush (D-West Roxbury) $34,449.93. RAISED THE MOST MONEY: The senator who raised the most money is Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) who raised $51,632.99. Rounding out the top ten senators who raised the most money are Sens. JuBeacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen lian Cyr (D-Truro) $51,117.81; Susan Moran (D-Falmouth) $14,610.96; Nick Collins (D-Boston) $8,236.70; John Velis (D-Westfield) $4,450.00; Paul Mark (D-Becket) $2,894.71; Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough) $2,874.01; Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) $2,467.75; Rebecca Rausch (D-Needham) $2,176.32 and Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) $1,391.08. RAISED THE LEAST MONEY: There are seven senators who raised $0 each: Cynthia Creem (D-Newton); Anne Gobi (D-Spencer); Adam Gomez (D-Springfield); Edward Kennedy (D-Lowell); Jacob Oliveira (D-Ludlow); Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton) and Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence). SPENT THE MOST MONEY: The senator who spent the most money is Sen. Michael Rodrigues (D-Westport) who spent $28,449.94. Rounding out the top ten senators who spent the most money are Sens. Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) $22,144.30; Nick Collins (D-Boston) $11,140.85; Julian Cyr (D-Truro) $7,965.65; Paul Mark (D-Becket) $6,211.24; Lydia Edwards (D-Boston) $5,038.83; Michael Barrett (D-Lexington) $3,850.20; Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) $3,468.58; James Eldridge (D-Marlborough) $2,811.80; and Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn) $2,769.22. SPENT THE LEAST MONEY: The senator who spent the least amount of money is Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Lowell) who spent $0. Rounding out the top ten senators who spent the least money are Sens. Michael Brady (D-Brockton) $60.00; Pavel Payano (D-Lawrence) $97.74; Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) $130.94; Cynthia Creem (D-Newton) $135.08; Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington) $228.72; Adam Gomez (D-Springfield) $376.30; Jacob Oliveira (D-Ludlow) $442.44; John Keenan (D-Quincy) $457.00; and Robyn Kennedy (D-Worcester) $633.12. TOTAL CASH ON HAND AS OF AUGUST 31, 2023 Here is the total amount of cash your local senators have on hand as of August 31, 2023. Sen. Sal DiDomenico $83,940.67 TOTAL MONEY RAISED IN AUGUST 2023 Here is the total amount of money your local senators raised in August 2023. Sen. Sal DiDomenico $1,136.17 TOTAL MONEY SPENT IN AUGUST 2023 Here is the total amount of money your local senators spent in August 2023. Sen. Sal DiDomenico $2,710.31 ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL HOUSE AND SENATE AGREE ON TAX RELIEF PACKAGE – House Speaker Ron Mariano (D-Quincy) and Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland) announced in a press release that the House and Senate conference committee has finalized a compromise version of a tax relief package. The House and Senate months ago approved different tax relief packages. The Senate’s package would cost the state about $590 million annually, while the House’s would cost close to $1.1 billion. No details were released about the new package. Mariano and Spilka said they plan to have a vote on the package during the week of September 25. “In an effort to provide meaningful financial relief to the commonwealth’s residents and businesses, we are thrilled to announce that an agreement has been reached in principle that reconciles the differences between the House and Senate tax relief packages,” said the statement. “We look forward to filing and taking up the conference report next week, which responsibly implements our shared goal of making Massachusetts more affordable, equitable, and competitive.” “As I’ve said from day one, tax relief is essential for making Massachusetts more affordable, competitive and equitable,” responded Gov. Maura Healey. “I’mpleased that the Legislature has taken this step and look forward to delivering urgently needed tax relief to Massachusetts residents and businesses.” The lack of details thus far has led to some criticism. “The public is told that they’ve come to agreed terms, but they haven’t released any details and plan to vote on it next week,” said Paul Craney, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “This process should be occurring out in the open, not behind closed doors like it has for the majority of the last two years. Unfortunately, the basic tenets of openness, transparency and good government are anathema to Beacon Hill leaders.” EQUITY IN EDUCATION - What can our business, political and education leaders do differently to connect Black and Latino students to pathways to careers that our thriving life sciences, health, clean tech and other sectors so urgently need to fill? Join MASSterList, the State House News Service, and the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education on Tuesday, October 24th, for a policy event from 8:15 – 10:30 am at the MCLE New England – 10 Winter Place, Boston (Downtown Crossing), (in-person only). Register for this FREE ev ent: https://w ww . eventbr it e .c om/e/eq - uit y-in-education-tickets-723011084617?aff=BHRC HEALEY BANS STATE AGENCIES FROM BUYING SINGLE-USE PLASTIC BOTTLES - Gov. Healey announced an executive order that, effective immediately, will prohibit state agencies from buying single-use plastic bottles. Healey noted that this historic move will make the Bay State the first state in the nation to implement this type of ban. “We know that plastic waste and plastic production are among the leading threats to our oceans, our climate and environmental justice,” said Healey. “In government, we have an obligation -- we also have an opportunity -- to not only stop contributing to this damage, but to chart a better path forward. In our coastal state, we know climate change is our biggest threat. We also believe that taking action is our greatest opportunity, an opportunity to secure a safe, prosperous and sustainable future.” “We applaud Gov. Healey’s announcement, which shifts our state’s focus on plastics from recycling waste to reducing waste,” said MASSPIRG Executive Director Janet Domenitz. ”While recycling is better than just throwing things out, after several decades it’s clear that we cannot recycle our way out of the mess we are in. Recent studies and reports show that it is next to impossible to recycle plastic.” She continued, “Massachusetts sends to landfills or incinerates almost six million tons of waste each year. Reducing single-use plastics would reduce that waste and the commonwealth’s new commitment to use fewer water bottles is an important step towards zero waste in Massachusetts.” HUNGER ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES (S 835) – The Higher Education Committee held a hearing on legislation that would create the Hunger-free Campus Grant Program to provide funding to address food insecurity among college students at the state’s public universities. “Thirty-seven percent of public college students are food insecure, with a disproportionate impact on Black, Latin, LGBTQ students and student parents,” said sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “However, only 20 percent are enrolled in SNAP. The Hunger-Free Campus legislation creates a grant program to support college campuses in taking steps toward ending food insecurity. Initiatives funded through the grant program can include notifying students about eligibility for federal food assistance like SNAP or WIC and establishing on-campus EBT/SNAP vendors or meal-sharing programs. No one should have to choose between furthering their education and being able to feed themselves or their families. By fighting hunger insecurity on our public college campuses we can remove barriers to graduation for low-income students and help them secure a brighter future.” FREE COLLEGE EDUCATION (H 1265, S 823) – Another bill heard by the Higher Education Committee would make it the policy of the state to guarantee free public higher education as a right for all residents, including undocumented ones. The measure would create a grant program to pay the equivalent of tuition and mandatory fees to an eligible student at any Massachusetts public college or university, or certificate, vocational or training program at a public institution. “I want to emphasize that making college free is critical to strengthening our democracy, at a time when threats nationwide to our democracy are at a peak,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough). “Giving young people the opportunity to build upon their roots and experiences in the community they grew up, by going to college without financial insecurities, plays a critical role in the development of young people as they become active citizens and contribute to the world in a way that makes the fabric of Massachusetts society stronger.” “As a proud first-generation college student (I graduBEACON | SEE PAGE 21

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