THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Wednesday, November 26, 2025 Page 19 BHRC | FROM PAGE 17 CAR RENTALS (H 4705) – The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Healey a bill that supporters said would align the Bay State with the majority of other states by updating car rental insurance requirements to maintain liability coverage on a secondary basis, making rental companies responsible only if the renter is uninsured or underinsured. If a lessee or operator of a leased vehicle already has a valid liability policy or equivalent financial security meeting the state minimum requirements, the lessor’s coverage obligation is considered satisfied. Supporters said that by shifting primary liability to the renter’s personal auto insurance, the legislation helps make car rentals more affordable and accessible for Massachusetts residents, reducing costs while maintaining necessary protections. “When friends visited me on Cape Cod this summer, they were stunned at just how expensive it was to rent even a small sedan for the weekend,” said sponsor Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro). “And they're not wrong — rental car prices in Massachusetts are higher than almost anywhere else in the country, in part because we've kept an outdated insurance requirement on the books. We're one of the only states where rental companies, not your own insurance, are required to carry primary coverage, and the cost of that policy gets passed right along to consumers.” Cyr continued, "By aligning Massachusetts with the rest of the country, we're helping lower rental car prices for families, travelers and anyone who needs to rent a car in a pinch. I'm proud the Senate has taken this step to make life just a little more affordable for our residents and visitors.” PROTECT COMMUNICATIONS OF LABOR UNIONS (H 2087) – The House gave initial approval to a measure that would protect the confidentiality of all modes of communications between labor unions and their union members, except in the rare circumstances where disclosure appears necessary to prevent injury from a crime or when legal claims are SAFETY OF CANDIDATES (S 2742) – Sen. Becca Rausch last week filed a bill that supporters say will enhance the safety and security of candidates for public office and other professionals by removing home addresses from ballots, nomination papers and other materials. The measure also similarly would protect from disclosure personal contact information maintained by government entities on elected officials, judges, judicial officers, law enforcement personnel, public prosecutors, public defenders and state licensed professionals whose work subjects them to an elevated safety risk. Supporters said that Massachusetts is the only state in the nation that unnecessarily puts people at risk by requiring candidates to put their street addresses on nomination papers and ballots. “Amid harassment, intimidation, assault and cold-blooded murder of elected officials and their families, as well as health care professionals, law enforcement officers and others, we must do everything we possibly can to protect our existing public servants and make it safe for anyone to run for and serve in office,” said Rausch. “Notably, this is not a partisan issue, as figures spanning the political spectrum have faced terrible violence. I am proud to dibrought in formal proceedings against unions. "Workers need to know they can bring issues on the job to their union without fear of reprisal or retaliation,” said Lindsay Kenney, Legislative Director of the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. “If workers don’t feel safe to disclose safety issues – they won’t disclose. If workers fear inquiring with a union about representation could get them fired – they won’t seek out union representation. “[The bill] would address that issue by establishing a legal privilege preventing labor organizations and workers from being compelled to disclose confidential communications made in the course of seeking or providing representation.” Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge), the sponsor of the bill, failed to respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her to comment on the passage of the proposal. rect my deep expertise in elections and public records laws to the widely shared goal of safety and security for all by crafting and filing this comprehensive legislation.” 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 November 17-21, the House met for a total of 14 hours and 13 minutes and the Senate met for a total of ten hours and 16 minutes. Mon. Nov. 17 House11:01 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:02 a.m. to 11:12 a.m. Tues.Nov. 18 House11:01 a.m. to4:59 p.m. No Senate session. Wed. Nov. 19 House11:00 a.m. to6:55 p.m. Senate 11:04 a.m. to9:05 p.m. Thurs. Nov. 20 House11:00 a.m. to 11:14 a.m. Senate 11:07 a.m. to 11:12 a.m. Fri. Nov. 21 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 bedroom, 1 bath furnished room for rent. $275. per week rent. Two week deposit plus 1 week rent required. Call: 617-435-9047 - NO TEXT OBITUARY Robert L. Chesson A longtime resident of Malden. Passed away on Tuesday, November 18. Robert was born in Rocky Mount, NC in 1936, spent his early years in Ann Arbor, MI with his and parents. To ensure a better future for himself, Robert enlisted in the U.S. Navy, where he served for over 15 years, including service in Vietnam, earning two Bronze Stars for his dedication and bravery. After completing his service, Robert met his wife Debbie, and together they settled in Malden to raise their family. For many years, Robert worked as the building superintendent in downtown Boston, retiring in 2008. Robert made it his mission in life to be the most loving and supportive father. He also didn’t let two hip surgeries and arthritis stop him from being a loving and active grandfather. He is survived by his wife Debbie, his sons Michael Chesson and Matthew Chesson, his daughter-in-laws Veronica and Krystal, and his grandchildren, David, Mason, Jazmine, and Myles. Visitation was held at the Weir-MacCuish Golden Rule Funeral Home, Malden, on Tuesday, November 25th, Funeral from the funeral home on Wednesday. Interment followed in Puritan Lawn Cemetery in Peabody. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspapers at 617-387-2200 or Info@advocatenews.net FURNISHED ROOM FOR RENT EVERETT
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