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THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, January 6, 2023 Page 15 BHRC | FROM PAGE 14 order that also unseals their record. The measure closes this gap and allows adopted individuals over the age of 18 or the adoptive parents of a child under 18 to access the adoptee’s original birth certificate without the unsealing of the information. “The Joint Committee on Public Health heard powerful testimony from adoptees who could not access their original birth certificate due to a current loophole in state law addressed by this legislation,” said Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton), Senate Chair of the Committee on Public Health. “The Senate took a major step in assuring equality by guaranteeing that all adoptees, regardless of when they were born, will have access to their original birth certificate,” said Sen. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer), sponsor of the bill. She noted that she has waited six years for its passage and that so many have waited their entire lives. “We tell them the wait is over and they matter,” said Gobi. “Many adoptees have been waiting their whole lives to learn their history, and I am honored to have played a part in helping them access their original birth certificates,” said Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). “For the sake of preserving our health and well-being, it is crucial to know what physical or mental health conditions to which we may be predisposed. By giving all adoptees born in Massachusetts access to their original birth certificates, this legislation closes a 34-year gap granting generations of individuals medical knowledge they have otherwise been denied.” (A "Yes" vote is for the bill.) Sen. Jason Lewis Yes ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE (S 3097) Senate 39-0, (House on a voice vote without a roll call), approved and Gov. Bakersigned into law a bill designed to make mental health care more accessible in the Bay State. Provisions include mandating coverage for an annual mental health wellness exam, comparable to an annual physical; a public awareness campaign on the state’s red flag laws that limit access to guns for people at risk of hurting themselves or others; implementation of the nationwide 988 hotline to access 24/7 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis services; mandating coverage and eliminating prior authorization for mental health acute treatment and stabilization services for adults and children; establishing an Office of Behavioral Health Promotion to coordinate all state initiatives that promote mental, emotional and behavioral health and wellness for residents; and creating an interim licensure level for licensed mental health counselors so that they can be reimbursed by insurance for their services and be eligible for state and federal grant and loan forgiveness programs. “The Massachusetts Legislature took vital strides toward transforming mental health care in Massachusetts,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), Senate chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “By unanimously passing the Mental Health ABC Act, we affirm that mental health is just as essential as physical health and take a leap forward to ensure that all people in Massachusetts can access the mental health care they need and deserve.” “Too many people in communities across the commonwealth struggle to get the mental, emotional and behavioral health care they deserve,” said Rep. Adrian Madaro (D-Boston), House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery. “This legislation helps reduce barriers to resources, support, and treatment residents need for their overall wellbeing. It enables enforcement of existing parity laws, enhances emergency response services and acute psychiatric care, develops programs to strengthen the workforce and invests in mental health. Importantly, our legislation also creates initiatives to address the unique mental health needs of young people. This legislation is the first step in addressing the structural deficits in our mental health care delivery system by prioritizing the people it serves and the people who make it work.” “The health care system in Massachusetts is only as strong as its weakest link, and for far too long, mental health care has been overlooked and underfunded,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), Senate Chair of theCommittee on Health Care Financing. “This legislation confronts this reality with the most comprehensive mental health care legislation the commonwealth has seen in recent years, and it builds off of the historic investments we made in this care system over this past twoyear legislative session. Of particular importance to me, this bill will finally provide the state the tools it needs to enforce existing mental health parity laws and it will address the emergency department boarding crisis that’s impacting too many of our children and their families. I have long believed that Massachusetts should deliver affordable, high quality, and accessible care to its residents, and this includes mental health care.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Jason Lewis Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL PAY HIKES FOR LEGISLATORS, MAURA HEALEY AND OTHERS – The governor, lt. governor, treasurer, secretary of state, attorney general, auditor, 40 senators and 160 representatives will all receive pay raises when they assume office on January 3, 2023. Here’s how it all went down last week: Outgoing Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the 200 members of the Legislature will receive a 4.42 percent pay hike for the 2023-2024 legislative session that begins January 3, 2023. The hike will increase the base salary of each senator and representative by $3,117 per year— from the current $70,537 to $73,654. The total cost of the hike for all 200 legislators is $623,400 per year. Baker is required under the state constitution to determine the amount of a pay raise or cut that state legislators would receive for the 2023-2024 session. All Massachusetts governors are obligated to increase or decrease legislative salaries biennially under the terms of a constitutional amendment approved by the voters in 1998. The amendment, approved by a better than two-to-one margin, requires legislative salaries to be "increased or decreased at the same rate as increases or decreases in the median household income for the commonwealth for the preceding twoyear period, as ascertained by the governor.” Looking back, legislators’ salaries were increased by $4,280 per year for the 2021-2022 legislative session, $3,709 per year for the 2019-2020 legislative session and $2,525 per year for the 2017-2018 session. Those hikes came on the heels of a salary freeze for the 2015-2016 legislative session, a $1,100 pay cut for the 2013-2014 session and a $306 pay cut for the 2011-2012 session. Prior to 2011, legislators' salaries had been raised every two years since the pre-constitutional amendment base pay of $46,410 in 1998. The new $73,654 salary means the 1998 legislative salary of $46,410 has been raised $27,244 or 58.7 percent. In the meantime, a second pay hike for close to 70 percent of the state’s 200 legislators also takes effect January 3. Currently an estimated 139, or almost 70 percent, of the state's 200 legislators receive a stipend for their service in Democratic or Republican leadership positions, as committee chairs or vice chairs and as the ranking Republican on some committees. All 40 senators and 99 of the 160 representatives receive this bonus pay which currently ranges from $17,039 to $90,876. Legislation approved by the Legislature in 2017 requires that every two years the stipends of these 139 legislators be increased or decreased based on data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measures the quarterly change in salaries and wages. That formula will raise the stipend in 2023 for all of these 139 legislators. The biggest hike goes to House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka’s whose salaries will rise from $178,473 to more than $214,000. And there’s more. The 2017 law also requires that every two years the salaries of the governor and the other five constitutional statewide officers be increased or decreased based on the same data from the BEA. Incoming Gov. Healey’s salary will increase by $37,185 above Baker's current $185,000 salary for a total of $222,185. Healey also will receive the governor's standard $65,000 housing allowance bringing her total annual compensation $287,185 in 2023. Incoming Lt. Governor Kim Driscoll’s pay will increase by $33.165-- from $165,000 to $198,165 under the 2017 law. Supporters defend the hikes noting that voters themselves in 1998 approved the adjustment for all future legislators every two years and that two independent commissions had recommended many of the other hikes in 2017.They say that pay raises of any type are always the subject of disagreement. They note it is important to pay government officials a salary adequate enough to enable a family breadwinner or a professional to run for the office and serve. Critics of the hikes were quick to respond. “It appears the first act the Legislature and Statehouse leaders are set to take after the narrow passage of Question 1 is to accept a 20 percent pay raise,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Voters were told the 80 percent income tax hike in Question 1 would go to education and transportation needs but Statehouse leaders are taking care of themselves before anyone else with their largest pay raise since 2017. Question 1 is set to raise taxes … and for many small business owners, retirees, home sales and high-income earners, they will be shocked to see their taxes go up by 80 percent.” 4 PERCENT INCOME TAX HIKE ON EARNINGS OVER $1 MILLION ANNUALLY TAKES EFFECT JANUARY 1 – Beginning with 2023 earnings, taxpayers who earn more than $1 million annually will pay an additional 4 percent income tax, in addition to the current flat 5 percent one, on their earnings of more than $1 million annually. Language in this new constitutional amendment, approved as Question 1 by voters in November 2022, requires that “subject to appropriation” the revenue will go to fund quality public education, affordable public colleges and universities and for the repair and maintenance of roads, bridges and public transportation. “Our coalition of community organizations, faith-based groups, and labor unions is committed to protecting the will of the people as expressed through Question 1: higher taxes on those who can most afford them, and greater investment in transportation and public education across the state,” said Steve Crawford, spokesman for Raise Up Massachusetts, the group that spearheaded the Vote Yes on Question 1 campaign and promoted the question as the Fair Share Amendment. “We will work with state leaders to ensure that the new revenue from the Fair Share Amendment is directed toward critical investments in our classrooms, campuses and transportation systems. And we will fight any efforts to weaken the Fair Share Amendment by creating new tax breaks, avoidance schemes or giveaways for the ultra-rich.” “For some taxpayers, Question 1 will mean an 80 percent increase to their state income tax,” said Paul Craney, spokesman for the Mass Fiscal Alliance. “The taxpayers that will be impacted by this are small business owners, retirees, home sales and high-income earners. The only appropriate response by the speaker, Senate president and Governor Elect Maura Healey is to support broad tax cuts and tax eliminations that everyone will benefit from. Massachusetts is on the verge of returning to the days of Taxachusetts unless these broad tax cuts are adopted and they must be done so very quickly because the negative impacts associated from Question 1 will not wait.” REVENGE PORN (S 3167) - Senate approved a proposal that would prohibit the posting of sexually explicit images of another person online without their permission—commonly referred to as “revenge porn.” The practice is often used by ex-spouses or ex-partners. Massachusetts is one of only two states that does not have a law about this crime. Another provision changes current law under which minors, under 18 years of age, who BHRC| SEE PAGE 16

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