Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 14, 2022 If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562. Fun Fact: Bob invented the “BaWith today’s edition, we begin coverage of the 2022 Massachusetts legislative session with our weekly Beacon Hill Roll Call report. This iconic feature is a clear and concise compilation of the voting records of local state representatives and state senators at the State House. Beacon Hill Roll Call provides an unbiased summary of bills and amendments, arguments from fl oor debate on both sides of the issue and each legislator’s vote or lack of vote on the matter. This information gives readers an opportunity to monitor their elected officials’ actions on Beacon Hill. Many bills are reported on in their early stages, giving readers the opportunity to contact their legislators and express an opinion prior to the measure being brought up for fi nal action. The feature “Also Up on Beacon Hill” informs readers of other important matters at the Statehouse. Beacon Hill Roll Call is written and provided by Bob Katzen, a former Boston radio talk show host at WRKO, WMEX, WITS and WMRE. Bob has been providing this feature to hundreds of newspapers across the Bay State for 47 years (since 1975). Bob founded Beacon Hill Roll Call in 1975. He was inducted into the New England Newspaper and Press Association (NENPA) Hall of Fame in 2019. gel Route” when he was 10 years old. It’s like a paper route but Bob took pre-orders from neighbors and delivered bagels every Sunday morning. A note from Bob Katzen: Hey Readers: Start off following the 2022 Legislature with something that you will read every weekday morning. There aren’t many things out there that are free and valuable. But MASSterlist is a rarity. 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 infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Chris Van Buskirk and Keith Regan who introduce each article in their own clever and never-boring, inimitable way. 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: www.massterlist.com/subscribe ~ LEGAL NOTICE ~ SU21P0674EA Estate of: Date of Death: INFORMAL PROBATE PUBLICATION NOTICE To all persons interested in the above captioned estate, by Petition of Petitioner of of has been informally appointed as the Personal Representative of the estate to serve on the bond. THE HOUSE AND SENATE: The Massachusetts Legislature offi cially began its 2022 session last week. The House and Senate held brief sessions with little of the ceremonial pageantry that usually accompanies the beginning of a new year on Beacon Hill. The Massachusetts Statehouse is the last state capitol building in the nation that is still completely closed to the public, and in addition, most legislators and staff members continue to work and vote remotely amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. There were no roll calls in the House and Senate last week. This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call begins a recap of the 2021 session. Here are some of the bills that were approved by the House and Senate and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in the 2021 session. Most bills that were still pending at the end of the 2021 are carried over into 2022 in the same status they had in 2021. $48.1 BILLION FISCAL 2022 BUDGET (H 4002) House 160-0, Senate 40-0, approved and Gov. Charlie Baker on July 16, 2021 signed into law, after vetoing several items, a $48.1 billion fi scal 2022 state budget for the fi scal year that began on July 1. The budget was based on new estimates that tax collections in fi scal year 2022 will increase by more than $4.2 billion above the amount originally predicted by the governor, the House and the Senate. In light of the pandemic, elected offi cials had for months braced themselves for a substantial decrease in tax revenues and a cut in some programs and/or even a tax increase. The new estimates also led to the cancellation of a planned withdrawal from the state’s Rainy Day Fund of at least $1.5 billion. Offi cials also project a $1.1 billion deposit into the fund which will drive its balance to $5.8 billion by the end of fi scal year 2022. The budget also cancels a plan to raise fees on Uber and Lyft rides in order to generate new money for cities and towns, the MBTA and other infrastructure projects. Other provisions include a $350 million fund that could be used in future years to help cover the cost of the $1.5 billion school funding reform law passed in 2019; permanently extending the state’s tax credit for fi lm production companies in Massachusetts; and a new law, based on a bill fi led by Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) that will provide victims of violent crime and human traffi cking enhanced protections. “[This budget] … upholds our Senate values, charts a hopeful path forward for our commonwealth and more importantly refl ects our priorities,” said Senate Ways and Means chair Mike Rodrigues (D-Westport). “We maintain fi scal responsibility and ensure our commonwealth maintains healthy reserves for years to come. It safeguards the health and wellness of our most vulnerable populations and new supports for children and families.” Although she ultimately voted for the budget, Sen. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) said that she objected to the fact that legislators were given only a few hours to read the 434-page bill before voting on it. The budget was released late on a Thursday night and was voted on Friday afternoon. DiZoglio said that positioning members to take a vote on something they did not get adequate time to review is not acceptable. “If we keep doing this over and over again, it’s not going to magically become acceptable,” she said. “The fact that we didn’t get even a day to review this is very disappointing. But what’s more disappointing … is the fact that those in our communities who have a stake in what happens in the bill before us, those it will impact most—our schools, our elderly populations, those who are coming from positions of powerlessness, those folks, probably many of them, still don’t even know that we’re taking this bill up. And yet we continue to call what happens in this chamber part of the democratic process.” (A “Yes” vote is for the budget.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Sen. Joseph Boncore has resigned $400 MILLION FOR NEW SOLDIERS’ HOME IN HOLYOKE (H 3770) House 160-0, Senate 40-0, approved and on May 20, 2021 Gov. Baker signed into law a bill authorizing $400 million to fund the construction of a new Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke. The push to construct the new home follows the deaths of 77 veteran residents in 2020 as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak at the current facility. The bill also provides $200 million to increase geographic equity and accessibility of long-term care services for Bay State veterans with a focus on areas that are not primarily served by the soldiers’ homes in Chelsea or Holyoke. “Rebuilding the soldiers’ home in Holyoke and increasing access to services for our veterans is necessary and long overdue, especially after tragically losing many residents of the soldiers’ home to a COVID-19 outbreak last year,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington). “This funding will ensure that the commonwealth’s veterans are met with the services that they deserve and that address their unique and changing needs.” “As the senator for the city of Holyoke and the Soldiers’ Home, I know what this new home means to so many in our community,” said Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld), Senate chair of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Aff airs. “This has truly been a long and emotional process that started well before this legislation was first fi led. From the very start, families and veterans gave me a very clear BEACON | SEE Page 15 ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS...PERFECTLY maintained & located 11 rm. TriLevel boasting 3-4 bdrms., 4½ baths, Out-of-a-Magazine wine cooler, granite counters, built-in desk, atrium doors to wrap-around deck, open to den, formal diningrm., newer front trex stairs and exterior doors, updated roof (9 View the interior of this home right on your smartphone.
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