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BHRC | FROM PAGE 17 lowing these immigrants to pay the lower rate. In May, she said that offering in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants is "absolutely essential and a no-brainer.” Rep. Sarah Peake (D-Provincetown), the chief supporter of the provision during House floor debate and Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn), the chief opponent, did not respond to repeated requests from Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them to comment on the provision and on the motion to suspend rules. (A “Yes” vote is for rule suspension. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Paul Donato No Rep. Steven Ultrino No ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL $375 MILLION FOR ROADS AND BRIDGES (S 2375) - Gov. Healey signed into law a bill that includes authorizing $200 million in one-time funding for the maintenance and repair of local roads and bridges in cities and towns across the state. The $375 million package, a bond bill under which the funding would be borrowed by the state through the sale of bonds, also includes $175 million for several transportation-related grant programs. The programs funded by the $175 million include the municipal small bridge program; the complete streets program; a bus transit infrastructure program; and grants for municipalities to purchase electric vehicles and the infrastructure needed to support them. “This Chapter 90 bill will deliver funds straight to municipalities to support projects that we know are critical to their economic development, including bridge and road maintenance, public transit, electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, and pedestrian, cyclist and car safety,” said Gov. Healey. “As a former mayor, I know firsthand how much cities and towns rely on Chapter 90 funding to ensure that residents and visitors can get around safely and to spur economic activity,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. HEARINGS – The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on several proposals including: PRISON LABOR (H 1400) – Would prohibit any prisoner from being transferred to other states and being required to work on labor projects in that state. The measure was first filed in 2017 when former Bristol County Sheriff Tom Hodgson was planning to transport Bristol County prisoners across state lines to the nation’s southern border to help build former President Trump’s proposed border wall. “I simply believe it is in the best interests of Massachusetts residents, both morally and financially, for our criminal justice system and our county correctional facilities to be focused on the successful rehabilitation of inmates within their community,” said sponsor Rep. Tony Cabral (D-New Bedford). “To the extent prison work programs have value, the return from those programs should be recouped in our local communities, right here in the commonwealth and not on chain gangs in Texas.” NO/LIMITED SOLITARY CONFINEMENT (H 1740) – Would prohibit prisoners under 21 years old from being held in solitary confinement. “Research has shown a link between solitary confinement and mental disorders, as well as increased rates of suicide,” said sponsor Rep. Dave Rogers (D-Cambridge). “Young people are especially vulnerable to these negative effects, due to the developing state of their minds. [The bill] offers a reasonable solution which will protect incarcerated youth, ultimately strengthening their ability to rehabilitate.” DEDICATE 1 PERCENT OF MARIJUANA EXCISE TAX TO YOUTH SUBTHE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 11, 2023 “This is really an opportunity for us Page 19 STANCE USE PREVENTION (H 103) – Would require that 1 percent of the excise tax on recreational marijuana be used for youth substance abuse prevention. “There are many compelling statistics that suggest recreational drug use among younger people can lead to greater risk of substance use later in life,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). "Utilizing this revenue would help create programs and awareness among young people to ensure we are doing our part to prevent them from becoming addicted to harmful substances.” GUILTY BUT WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS (S 981) – Would create a new court verdict of “guilty but with a mental illness” that would carry the same sentence as provided by law for a defendant found guilty of the same crime, except they would serve the sentence at a mental health facility instead of a prison. The measure also provides that if the defendant is a male and the court determines that strict security is required, he would be housed at Bridgewater State Hospital. “This legislation aims to address the use of prisons as wholly inadequate facilities to treat mental illness,” said sponsor Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington). “In Massachusetts, defendants often fail to receive the mental health treatment they need which often contributes to committing a crime and winding up in our criminal justice system. For far too many years, we have relied on prisons to treat mental illness when they cannot, all while we have therapeutic, safe and secure facilities dedicated to this treatment that can be used instead.” ALLOW BUSINESSES TO OPT INTO "DO NOT CALL" LIST(S 202) - Would restrict telemarketing companies doing business in the state by allowing businesses to sign up for a "Do Not Call" list and fining companies up to $5,000 if they call a business on the list. Current law only allows individual consumers to sign up for the list. Under the bill, all current laws that now apply to individuals would also apply to businesses including allowing an individual on the list to sue a company for up to $5,000 if the company violates the law and calls the individual more than once a year; preventing companies from blocking their number from appearing on any business' Caller ID; prohibiting companies from using recorded message devices to make these calls; and restricting these calls to between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Sponsor Sen. Patrick O’Connor (R-Weymouth) said he filed this bill to allow businesses to protect themselves from spam calls. “These harassing calls can clog up phone lines and waste time, which can be particularly harmful to the operation and revenue of thousands of small businesses across the commonwealth,” said O’Connor. REGULATE USE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) IN MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (H 1974) - Would create new safeguards and patient protections governing the use of AI in mental health services. “With the rise of telehealth and other technology changes in the delivery of behavioral health care, the prospect of generative AI use in therapy settings is no longer just the stuff of science-fiction novels,” said sponsor Rep. Josh Cutler (D-Duxbury). “We need to ensure that the rights of patients are always protected and that any AI use is fully disclosed and transparent. This bill would create those important safeguards and ensure we stay ahead of the curve.” QUOTABLE QUOTES - The NAACP held its national convention in Boston last week for the first time since 1982. Here’s what some of the participants said: here in Boston to reintroduce ourselves to Black America. We know the perception, the reputation we have as one of America’s most racist cities. This moment gives us the opportunity to reframe that.” ---NAACP Boston Branch President Tanisha Sullivan. "We aren't at the promised land by any means. But nowhere else in America is, either. But we aren't what we were.” ---Former Gov. Deval Patrick. “What I know about the leaders who are here is that the members of the NAACP are up to the challenge to fight for these hard-won rights and freedoms.And we know every day we must be vigilant in protecting that which we have achieved and keeping our eyes on our vision — our collective vision of how we can continue to strengthen our nation.” ---Vice-President Kamala Harris. “If you want policymakers who align with, say, your lived experience, who share your values, who operate with a sense of integrity and intentionality to get things done, they don’t get there by accident.They’re placed there by people who vote.And so I’m going to keep stressing that as a theme that keeps coming up.” ---Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. "They continue to wage a war on education, health care, and opportunity to create new ways to criminalize our brothers and sisters and we have all felt the impact and bitter sting of this bigotry and bias. But today and every day after, the NAACP will not back down. --- Leon Russell, NAACP National Board of Directors Chairman. 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 filed. 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 July 31-August 4, the House met for a total of ten hours and 56 minutes while the Senate met for a total of ten hours and 20 minutes. Mon. July 31 House11:01 a.m. to9:51 p.m. Senate 11:59 a.m. to9:55 p.m. Tues.August 1 No House session No Senate session Wed. August 2 No House session No Senate session Thurs. August 3 House11:03 a.m. to 11:09 a.m. Senate 11:18 a.m. to 11:42 a.m. Fri. August 4 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975 and was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019. 1. On Aug. 11, 1911, in Honolulu, Duke Kahanamoku set a 100-yard freestyle swim record (55.4) that was thought too good to be true but was later accepted by AAU, which stands for what? 2. What foreign beverage’s name means “drowned”? 3. What U.S. state has only one school district? 4. August 12 is World Elephant Day; what are elephant tusks made of? 5. In what Olympic sport would you find the “clean and jerk”? 6. What clam’s name includes the name of a waterfowl? 7. On Aug. 13, 2004, what chef who had played on Smith College’s basketball team died at 91? 8. What is the most common animal for solar grazing? 9. On Aug. 14, 1959, athlete Earvin Johnson, Jr. was born; he is better known by what nickname? 10. What model was the first celebrity to become a Barbie doll (in 1967)? 11. What is the most populous island: Java, Sri Lanka or Taiwan? 12. Sand in Massachusetts beaches is made up mostly of what mineral: garnet, mica or quartz? 13. On Aug. 15, 1939, what musical film that included the song “If I Were King of the Forest” premiered at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in LA? 14. In 1991 why did lab mates at the University of Cambridge set up a webcam (the first ever) to monitor a coffee pot? 15. What sport includes a term that is the name of an emotion? 16. What president in 1825 was the first who did not wear knee breeches to his inauguration? 17. On Aug. 16, 1777, the Battle of Bennington took place in what state when the British were headed to another state for a cache of munitions and weapons? 18. What bird’s name includes the name of a pasta shape? 19. What is it called when a lobster sheds its shell? 20. August 17 is National Massachusetts Day; in what year did Maine and the Plymouth colony merge into the Massachusetts Bay Colony: 1501, 1691 or 1734? ANSWERS 1. Amateur Athletic Union 2. Affogato (Italian) 3. Hawaii 4. Ivory 5. Weightlifting 6. Geoduck 7. Julia Child 8. Sheep; they enjoy low-mount solar panels’ shade 9. “Magic” Johnson (basketball star) 10. Twiggy 11. Java 12. Quartz 13. “The Wizard of Oz” 14. So they would not have to make pointless trips to check if it was empty 15. Tennis (“Love” means no score.) 16. John Quincy Adams 17. New York (in Walloomsac, which is near Bennington, Vt.; Vermont celebrates Bennington Battle Day) 18. Macaroni penguin 19. Molting 20. 1691

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