THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2021 Page 25 BHRC | FROM PAGE 20 “There is an expression in the military,” said Velis. “‘Train as you fi ght, fi ght as you train.’ In order to be the best, you need to train to be the best and with that training comes its own set of dangers. Lt. Col. Fontenot’s story is not alone. We have service members completing missions and trainings like him every single day. It is imperative that we recognize the dangers that these even routine missions present and properly honor the sacrifi ces of all of our service members.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment). Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes ALLOW AMBULANCES TO BE USED FOR INJURED POLICE DOGS – NERO’S LAW (S 1606) Senate 38-0, approved legislation that would require EMS personnel to provide emergency treatment to a police dog and use an ambulance to transport the dog injured in the line of duty to a veterinary clinic or veterinary hospital if there are not people requiring emergency medical treatment or transport at that time. Sponsor Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) fi rst fi led the bill in 2019 following the tragic death of Yarmouth Police Sgt. Sean Gannon who was shot and killed in the line of duty. His K-9 partner Nero was severely injured and had to be rushed to the animal hospital in the back of a police cruiser. Nero survived. Montigny also cites the heartbreaking loss of the beloved K-9 Kitt of the Braintree Police Department. “K-9 offi cers protect the men and women in law enforcement as well as the community at-large,” said Montigny. “These animals endure extreme danger from gun violence, narcotics and even explosive materials. Allowing our emergency personnel to provide basic treatment and transport is a commonsense measure that honors their contributions across the commonwealth. Sgt. Gannon was a native son of New Bedford and therefore his K-9 partner Nero is part of our community’s extended family. Words cannot describe the gratitude we have for the Gannon family for their tenacious and compassionate advocacy to get this bill done.” “With Nero’s Law, we have the opportunity to save K-9 members of law enforcement where the opportunity to do so would not place a person at risk,” said Sen. Susan Moran (D-Falmouth). “K-9s are their offi cers’ partners, shields and scouts. Like Nero and Kitt, their job is to put themselves in danger to protect us, and despite the K-9’s service to our commonwealth, an archaic law stood in the way of measures that could save these valued members of law enforcement. This has gone on long enough.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes CONTINUE SESSION BEYOND 8 P.M. Senate 35-2, approved a motion to suspend Senate rules to allow the Senate session to continue beyond 8 p.m. Under Senate rules, the Senate cannot meet after 8 p.m. unless the rule is suspended. The session lasted almost three hours beyond 8 p.m. and adjourned at 10:40 p.m. Supporters of rule suspension said that the Senate has important work to fi nish on the $3.82 billion COVID relief and recovery package and should stay in session to work on it. Opponents of rule suspension said it is irresponsible for the Senate to debate and vote late at night when taxpayers are asleep. (A “Yes” vote is for meeting beyond 8 p.m. A “No” vote is against it.) 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 fi led. 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. During the week of November 8-12, the House met for a total of one hour and 24 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 12 hours and 25 minutes. Mon. Nov. 8 House 11:04 a.m. to 12:18 p.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:23 a.m. Tues. Nov. 9 No House session Senate 1:13 p.m. to 1:24 p.m. Wed. Nov. 10 House 11:03 a.m. FRANK’S Housepainting (781) 289-0698 • Exterior • Ceiling Dr. • Power Wash • Paper Removal • Carpentry FREE ESTIMATES — Fully Insured ~ HELP WANTED ~ Construction Help Wanted Seeking Full-Time Laborers Basic construction knowledge, MA Drivers License with clean driving record a must. EVERETT ALUMINUM Call Steve at: (617) 389-3839 For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net to 11:13 a.m. Senate 10:34 a.m. to 10:40 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 11 No House session No Senate session Fri. Nov. 12 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com “Proper prep makes all the difference” – F. Ferrera • Interior
26 Publizr Home