14

Page 14 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 2, 2024 Library presents outdoor family ‘Movie Night in the Park at River’s Edge’ J oin us for a “Movie Night in the Park at Rivers Edge” on Wednesday, August 7. The movie will be at the Park at River’s Edge Great Lawn adjacent to 200 River’s Edge Dr. in Medford. The Great Lawn section of the park will be transformed into an outdoor movie theatre where residents and visitors of all ages are welcome to gather and enjoy a free movie night featuring “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl” (rated PG-13). The movie begins at sunset (at 7:30 p.m.). The event is free and open to the public – sponsored by Preotle, Lane & Associates and the Malden Public Library. Attendees should bring their own blankets and chairs for use. There will be free snacks and water provided. The MBTA’s Wellington Station is just 0.4 miles from River’s Edge. Free parking is available at the River’s Edge Garage. Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST – Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and influence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https://massterlist.com/subscribe/ THE HOUSE AND SENATE:Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of July 22-26. $1.26 BILLION BOND FOR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (H 4889) House 156-2, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would invest in information techMovie Night Flyer Senator Lewis Supports Legislation to Reform Oversight of Long-Term Care Facilities B OSTON—State Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to approve legislation that reforms the Commonwealth’s long-term care and assisted living sectors, in order to ensure safe, high-quality care for residents in these facilities. An Act relative to long term care and assisted living substantially strengthens oversight and enforcement of health and safety standards in long-term care facilities in Massachusetts. The bill passed with unanimous, bipartisan support. “We should do everything possible to ensure that seniors and individuals with disabilities who reside in nursing homes and other longterm care facilities are getting high-quality care at all times,” said State Senator Jason Lewis. “I’m very pleased that the Senate has unanimously passed this important legislation.” Key provisions in this bill include: • Requiring the Department of Public Health (DPH) to inspect each long-term care facility every 9 to 15 months to assess quality of services and compliance. It also requires DPH to review the civil litigation history, in addition to the criminal history, of long-term care facility applicants, including any litigation related to quality of care, patient safety, labor issues, or deceptive business practices. • Allowing DPH to limit, restrict, or revoke a long-term care facility license for cause, such as failure to provide adequate care, failure to comply with laws or regulations, or lack of financial capacity to operate a facility. It also gives DPH the power to appoint a temporary manager if a long-term care facility owner fails to maintain compliance with laws and regulations. • Requiring long-term care facilities to submit outbreak response plans to DPH with clear protocols for the isolation of residents, lab testing, visitor screening, preventing spread from staff, and the notification of residents, family, and staff in the event of a contagious disease outbreak. • Allowing assisted living facilities to offer basic health services such as helping a resident administer drops, manage their oxygen, or take a home diagnostic test, to make it easier for residents to get timely and efficient care. • Enhancing oversight and compliance of assisted living facilities by lowering the threshold for ownership interest disclosure from 25% to 5%, strengthening certification requirements, staff training, and giving the state new powers to penalize non-compliance. It also adds whistleblower protections for staff and residents who report anything happening at a facility that they reasonably believe is a threat to the health or safety of staff or residents. • Prohibiting long-term care facilities from discriminating against residents based on LGBTQ+ identity or HIV status, whether through the denial of admission, medical or non-medical care, access to restrooms, or through room assignments. It also requires staff training on preserving LGBTQ+ rights and care. A Conference Committee will now be appointed to reconcile differences between the versions of long-term care bills passed by the Senate and House of Representatives, before being sent to Governor Maura Healey for her signature. nology (IT) upgrades, improvements and new projects across state government. The measure authorizes $1.23 billion in bonded spending and $400 million in anticipated federal funds. “Today the Legislature is investing in a safer, more efficient and modernized digital experience for residents and state employees alike,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our technology infrastructure is a lynchpin for nearly every service and resource our state delivers, and enhancing it is a fundamental step toward increasing access and creating systems that work for everyone.” “I am immensely proud of the dedication and effort demonstrated … to bring this report to fruition,” said Rep. Marcus Vaughn (R-Wrentham). “This achievement stands as a testament to the power of collaboration. By working together, we have shown our shared commitment to serving the best interests of the commonwealth.” "Government spending is wildly out of control and it's fiscally irresponsible to keep passing these boondoggle bills,” said Rep. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick), one of only two members to vote against the measure. “We need to reduce spending and taxes in order to lower the cost of living in the commonwealth. The path we're on is unsustainable and will lead to more businesses and taxpayers fleeing the state." (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Paul Donato Yes Rep. Steven Ultrino Yes Sen. Jason Lewis Yes WAGE TRANSPARENCY (H 4890) House 152-5, Senate 38-2, approved and sent to Gov. Healey a bill, named the Frances Perkins Workplace Equity Act, in honor of the first woman to serve as U.S. Labor Secretary. The measure would require employers with 25 or more employees to disclose a salary range when posting a job position. The measure also would require employers with 100 or more employees to file annual employment data reports, including information on employee demographics and salaries, with the state. “The 2016 Equal Pay Act was a huge step forward in closing pay gaps and it worked," said Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville). "One study from 2020 showed salary history bans alone increased pay by as much as 5 percent increase for all job changers, an 8 percent increase for women and a 13 percent increase for Black workers. This bill takes the next steps in providing more information for job seekers and ensuring that women and people of color enter wage negotiations with more information at their fingertips to secure better offers. With the data collected we’ll learn about inequities that persist and be able to identify ways to solve them.” “True progress towards justice and equality demands that we not only acknowledge the critical importance of wage equity, particularly for women and people of color, but actively strive to achieve it,” said Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley (D-Mattapan). “By achieving wage equity, we empower individuals and strengthen our communities, fostering an environment where everyone can thrive and contribute to a more equitable future.” "I voted ‘no’ on the wage transparency bill because this is just another burden being unfairly placed on small businesses,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “The National Federation of Independent Businesses wanted the threshold to be 100 or more. Small businesses will inevitably be unaware of this law and receive fines and penalties that are significant, even though they're not operating with malicious intent. Massachusetts is already an increasingly difficult state to operate a business and this well-intentioned bill will only make it more difficult." "Burdensome regulations and taxes already make Massachusetts one of the least friendly states in the country to run a business,” said Rep. Nick Boldyga (R-Southwick). “In addition to the cost of compliance, DEI policies, such as socalled salary transparency mandates, crush innovation and stifle talent development. This bill is just the latest attempt to advance a toxic ideology that is destroying free market enterprise. Beacon Hill is killing small businesses." (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Paul Donato LAW (H 4919) House 159-0, approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would allow the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources to establish rules and regulations for dog kennels in the Bay State, to ensure animal welfare, protect consumers and keep kennel staff safe. Requirements include, obtaining a license from the municipality, an annual inspection, dog to staff ratio specifications, injury reporting, indoor and outdoor physical facility requirements, insurance and minimal housing and care requirements. Supporters said that currently, the state has no oversight of dog daycare or boarding kennels.They argued it is estimated that a dog is injured or killed every nine to ten days in Massachusetts at these kennels. They noted that many families in Massachusetts have suffered the loss or injury of an animal at a dog daycare or kennel that could have been avoided by commonsense regulations over these facilities. “I filed this bill on behalf of my constituent, Amy Baxter, whose 7-monthold puppy was attacked by other dogs at a boarding kennel in my district,” said Rep. Brian Ashe (D-Longmeadow).“Sadly, Ollie eventually succumbed to his many injuries. People assume these facilities are regulated by the state and have safety protocols in place.Many already do, however, far too many do not, leaving animals and staff at risk.I and the Coalition that was formed, wanted to do everything possible to prevent these types of situations from occurring again. I am proud of this legislation and know it will make a difference BHRC| SEE PAGE 15 Yes Rep. Steven Ultrino Yes Sen. Jason Lewis Yes DOG KENNEL SAFETY – OLLIE’S

15 Publizr Home