Page 16 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, August 15, 2025 BHRC | FROM PAGE17 proposed law on the ballot. Sponsors had until August 6 to submit their proposals and the signatures of ten citizens to Attorney General Andrea Campbell’s office. There were 43 initiative petitions for proposed new laws filed with Campbell’s office. Campbell will decide by September 3 if the proposals pass muster and meet constitutional requirements. If an initiative petition for a proposed law is certified, the initiative’s proponents are required to gather and file with the Secretary of the State the signatures of 74,574 registered voters by December 3. The proposal would then be sent to the Legislature and if not approved by May 6, 2026, proponents must gather another 12,429 signatures by July 1, 2026, in order for the question to appear on the November 2026 ballot. Proposed laws include requiring voters to show identification at their polling places in order to be allowed to vote; overhauling or eliminating the financial stipends that legislative leaders award to many lawmakers for serving in the leadership and as committee chairs; subject the governor's office and Legislature to the state's public records law; allowing prospective voters to register and cast a ballot in a single trip to the polls on Election Day; enable Committee for Public Counsel Services staff -- which includes public defenders, social workers, investigators and administrative staff who support indigent clients -- to unionize; imposing rent control by curtailing rent increases to the cost of living with a 5 percent increase, with some exemptions; reducing the personal income tax rate from 5 percent to 4 percent over a three-year period; using a portion of the funds generated from the existing sales tax on sporting goods to fund conservation; providing indigent tenants with an attorney in eviction and foreclosure proceedings; and allowing single-family homes on small lots in areas with adequate infrastructure. A complete list of proposed laws can be found at: https://www. mass.gov/info-details/ballot-initiatives-submitted-for-the-2026-biennial-statewide-election-proposed-laws-and-2028-biennial-statewide-election-proposed-constitutional-amendments SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING (H 2302) – The House gave initial approval to a bill that would increase the amount of funds that a school district can stash away in a reserve account during good fiscal times to help alleviate the fiscal burden of paying for special education during difficult fiscal times. The mea- LEGAL NOTICE - City of Malden Massachusetts INSPECTIONAL SERVICES 215 Pleasant Street, 3rd Floor Malden, Massachusetts 02148 (781) 397-7000 ext. 2030 MALDEN SITE PLAN REVIEW COMMITTEE for ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS PUBLIC HEARING The Malden Site Plan Review Committee for Accessory Dwelling Units will hold a public hearing in Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Malden, MA, Mayor’s Conference Room, 4th Floor, at 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, August 26, 2025, on the petition of Liliana Monroy, filed in Permit Application #RES072179-2025 under Title 12, Code of the City of Malden, Section 12.32.030.D, seeking Site Plan Review and Site Plan Approval of a proposed Accessory Dwelling Unit to be constructed in the basement of the existing two-family dwelling, at the property known as and numbered, 19 Monroe Street, Malden, MA, and by City Assessor’s Parcel Identification #169 540 005. Petition and plans are available for public review in the Inspectional Services Department, Malden City Hall, 215 Pleasant Street, Room 330, Malden, MA and through the City website under Permit Application # RES072179-2025 at https://maldenmaenergovweb.tylerhost.net/ apps/SelfService#/home Nelson Miller, Building Commissioner August 8, 15, 2025 sure would increase the amount allowed from 2 percent to 5 percent of the district’s annual budget. “The districts I represent have struggled over this past year, as have districts across the commonwealth, and one of the biggest drivers of those challenges has been the rising cost of special education,” said sponsor Rep. Kathy LaNatra (D-Kingston). “I want to give districts the tools they need to plan for these difficult times in the future and give them the chance to make sound fiscal planning decisions to ensure that rising costs don't lead to budget cuts." MAKE DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME PERMANENT (S 2157) A bill before the Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight would require Massachusetts to be on Daylight Savings Time all year, meaning people would no longer change the clocks in the spring and fall. Currently, 48 states have Daylight Savings – the exceptions being Hawaii and Arizona. Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. local time on the second Sunday in March. On the first Sunday in November areas on Daylight Saving Time return to Standard Time at 2 a.m. When Daylight Saving Time begins in the United States you turn your clocks ahead one hour (“Spring forward”). At the end of Daylight Savings Time, you turn your clocks back one hour (Fall back.”) Sponsor Sen. John Keenan (D-Quincy) said, “Reflecting the recommendations made by the Massachusetts Special Commission on the Commonwealth's Time Zone, this bill could result in decreased energy usage; reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, car and workplace accidents; increased workplace productivity; and less crime.” Supporters said the bill would result in a permanent increase in daylight hours in the evening, encourage more evening activities and increase physical fitness. They noted that under the current system, changing the time even by only an hour, impacts body clocks or circadian rhythm, leading to worse sleep, particularly for infants. They noted that the mental effects of less daylight increase depression while compromising sleep duration and efficiency. FREE MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS (H 684) – A bill before the Education Committee would require all public schools, with grades 6-12 students, to maintain free menstrual products, including sanitary napkins and tampons in restrooms and to make them available in a “convenient manner that does not stigmatize any persons seeking the products.” “Requiring schools to provide free menstrual products will not only reduce distractions throughout the day but will also reduce embarrassment by guaranteeing that essential health items are readily available when needed,” said sponsor Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). “Such access ensures that students can attend classes and participate in extracurricular activities without interruption. Toilet paper and paper towels are available free of charge at high schools and middle schools, and menstrual products are no less essential to a student’s wellbeing. No student should face any barrier, financial or otherwise, to accessing basic health essentials.” The bill was given initial approval in the House in 2024 but never advanced further and died in committee at the end of 2024. INVESTIGATE AIR QUALITY IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS (S 351) – Another bill before the Education Committee would establish a 17-member task force to review and investigate indoor air quality in public school buildings that provide education for K-12 children. The committee would be tasked with identifying indicators of indoor air quality by conducting an assessment of carbon monoxide detection systems within each public school, developing best practices for placement and installation of carbon monoxide detection systems and reviewing the regulation of minimum and maximum allowable air temperatures and relative humidity. By October 1, 2026, the task force would be required to file a report on its findings, which would include recommendations for any proposed legislation. “Ensuring that our children are safe at school is of utmost importance,” said sponsor Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “This legislation creates a task force to examine current carbon monoxide monitoring, temperature settings and the impact this has on the school setting. The taskforce would then establish new practices that are in line with the highest standards possible to ensure that air quality in schools is what is best for our children.” LOCAL PLANNING BOARDS (H 2300) – The House gave initial approval to legislation that would allow associate members of local Planning Boards to act on any matter before a planning board, mirroring the current law that applies to associate members of Zoning Boards of Appeal. An associate planning board member is one that is appointed to act in place of regular members because of absence, conflict of interest or when a seat is vacant. The bill was given initial approval by the House in the 2024 session but died in committee with no further action taken. Supporters of the bill said that the attorney general has ruled that associate members may only act on a special permit application, and none of the other many functions of a planning board. They said that the attorney general's ruling can handicap a planning board when trying to attain a quorum to open a meeting, or when voting on other matters and permits before them, such as site plans or subdivisions. “Planning Boards have many responsibilities including but not limited to long range planning and permitting of special permits, site plans and subdivisions,” said sponsor Rep. Kristin Kassner (D-Hamilton). “This will help the Planning Boards in our communities keep permitting on track and move through the business in front of them. Amendments like this clear up confusion in the law and provide needed tools for community success.” NO-COST EARLY LITERACY TUTORING IN 272 SCHOOLS – The Healey Administration announced that 272 schools in Massachusetts have been selected to receive free, early literacy tutoring this school year, designed to help students in kindergarten through third grade build foundational reading skills — with Grade 1 as the top priority. This “High-dosage tutoring” provides one-on-one or small-group tutoring sessions multiple times a week for at least ten weeks. “It’s crucial for our teachers and schools to have access to the resources they need to support every young reader," said Gov. Healey. “This initiative will help bring high-dosage early literacy tutoring directly to students who need it most, giving them the foundational skills essential for longterm success.” “When our schools have access to evidence-based, culturally sustaining tutoring options, students are more likely to achieve the critical milestone of reading proficiently by third grade,” said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. “This opportunity targets first grade, a crucial year for learning to read.” “Learning to read in first grade is a milestone on the pathway to future success in school, and in life,” said Education Commissioner Pedro MartiBHRC| SEE PAGE 17
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