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Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 2023 and signed by the late Gov. Frank Sargent. The new law made national headlines. To comply with the new law, By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562 GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST: Start off following the 2023-2024 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. 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 writer Matt Murphy with help from Keith Regan who introduce each article in their own clever and 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: https://lp.constantcontactpages. com/su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House and Senate last week. “THERE OUGHTA BE A LAW” – Friday, January 20 at 5 p.m. is the “soft deadline” for legislation to be fi led for consideration by the Legislature during the 2023-2024 legislative session. However, under House and Senate rules, bills fi led after January 20 can still be admitted to the Legislature following the deadline if the Legislature agrees to admit it by a four-fi fths vote of the members of the branch where the bill is introduced. Massachusetts is one of a handful of states that give citizens the “right of free petition”—the power to propose their own legislation. A citizen’s proposal can be fi led in conjunction with his or her representative or senator or any other representative or senator from another district. Sometimes a legislator will support the legislation and sponsor it along with the constituent. Other times, a legislator might disagree with the bill but will fi le it anyway as a courtesy. In those cases, the bill is listed as being fi led “by request”—indicating that the legislator is doing so at the request of the constituent and does not necessarily support it. Citizens that are interested in fi ling legislation should contact their own or any other representative or senator. The legislator will likely help you draft the language of the bill. Perhaps one of the most famous bills fi led “by request” goes all the way back to 1969 when a constituent opposed to the Vietnam War asked the late Newton Democratic Rep. James Shea to fi le a bill prohibiting Massachusetts citizens from being forced to fi ght in an “undeclared war.” The bill challenged the constitutionality of sending Bay State men to fi ght without a Congressional declaration of war. It was approved by the House and Senate Your Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE MALDEN ADV REVERE ADV SAUGUS ADV One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $150 per paper in-town per year or $200 per paper out-of-town per year. Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 Massachusetts initially fi led a complaint in the U.S. Supreme Court. The high court declined to hear the case, which was later refi led in the U.S. District Court federal court and dismissed—rejecting the state’s argument that President Richard Nixon had usurped the war-making powers of Congress. In a tragic footnote, Rep. Shea committed suicide in the fall of the year the legislation passed. ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL FOOD INSECURITY EVENT - As the costs for basic necessities rise, more Massachusetts residents living on the economic margins must choose between buying groceries and paying for housing, transportation, childcare and other basic utilities. It’s a dilemma that plays out in hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts households every day. Hunger and access to proper nutrition remain pervasive, with nearly 1 in 3 adults experiencing food insecurity in Massachusetts in 2021. Join a State House News Service/MASSterList forum featuring leaders, advocates, and experts for a discussion of opportunities and obstacles for Massachusetts to stem food insecurity. The event is at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education (MCLE) in Boston’s Downtown Crossing at 10 Winter Place, Suite #4751 at 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, January 25. U.S. Rep. Jim McGovern will provide keynote remarks. All ticket proceeds benefi t The Greater Boston Food Bank. Tickets are available at MASSterList.com/ending-hunger-in-massachusetts/ WRAPPING UP THE 2022 SESSION – Before the 2022 session ended on January 3, the House and Senate acted on several bills including: REVENGE PORN (H 4498, S 3167) – The House and Senate approved diff erent versions of a proposal that would prohibit the posting of sexually explicit images of another person online without their permission—commonly referred to as “revenge porn.” The practice is often used by ex-spouses or ex-partners. Massachusetts is one of only two states that does not have a law about this crime. The measure died in the House when the House did not take action on the Senate version of the legislation. Another provision changes current law under which minors, under 18 years of age, who share explicit images of themselves or other minors can be charged with violating Massachusetts child pornography laws and be required to register with the Sex Off ender Registry. The bill allows minors to be diverted to an educational program that would provide them with information about the consequences of posting or transmitting indecent visual depictions of minors. Supporters say that currently law enforcement are faced with either charging off enders with a felony or doing nothing. They note the bill provides a middle ground that will allow law enforcement to sentence kids to a diversion program to educate them about the consequences of their actions without ruining their lives and giving them a criminal record. Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), the Senate chair of the Judiciary Committee, did not respond to repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking how he felt about the measure dying in the House. “Rep. Roy is on an overseas trade mission so I am unable to provide a quote for you,” responded a spokesman for the bill’s sponsor Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). The spokesman did say that Roy plans to refi le the bill in the 2023-2024 session. DEATH OF A CHILD UNDER 2 (H 5422) – The House and Senate both approved a bill that would require that the autopsy report for a child under the age of two be reviewed and approved by the Chief Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death. Changes to the autopsy report would also have to be reviewed and approved by the Chief Medical Examiner. The bill needed a fi nal round of approval by the House and Senate before going to the governor’s desk but neither branch acted upon it and the bill died. Supporters said the measure addresses recent cases in which the Chief Medical Examiner’s office changed the cause of death for deaths of children under two, creating serious implications for ongoing court cases and for the families of those children. They noted that the most experienced person in the offi ce should provide oversight to what are typically junior medical examiners without pediatric autopsy experience. They argued this will provide more confi - dence and peace of mind for families who have tragically lost infants. Sponsor of the bill Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge) did not respond to repeated attempts by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking how she felt about her measure dying, not reaching the governor’s desk and whether she will refi le the bill for the 2023-2024 session. FOSTER PARENTS (S 2954) – The House and Senate approved and former-Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a bill establishing a foster parents’ bill of rights, which will govern the Department of Children and Families’ (DCF) relationship with, and responsibilities to foster parents, and would be publicly available on the department’s website. Provisions include requiring foster parents to be treated with dignity, respect, privacy and consideration; prohibiting foster parents from being discriminated against on the basis of religion, race, color, creed, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age or disability; requiring the department to give the foster parents information about the foster child, prior to placement, including the child’s physical and behavioral health history, any history of trauma or high-risk behavior and his or her education needs. Another provision requires DCF to provide a current foster parent, with the permission of the previous foster parent, the name and phone number of the previous foster parent if DCF determines that contact between the current foster parent and previous foster parent would promote the foster child’s best interest. “I am thrilled that the House and Senate passed the Foster Parents Bill of Rights legislation,” said sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford (DNorthampton). “Foster parents are true unsung heroes, providing unmatched dedication, commitment, compassion and love to those who need it the most. This bill creates a framework for foster parents to be honored with dignity, respect, privacy and consideration in caring for children, so they can provide nurturing, loving homes. As a foster parent myself, I fi led this bill to strengthen our vital foster care system.” INFLAMMATORY BREAST CANCER (H 3147) – The House and Senate approved, and former-Gov. Baker signed into law, a bill that would establish the second Tuesday of every October as “Inflammatory Breast Cancer Awareness Day” in the Bay State. “This designation will go a long way to increase awareness and strengthen eff orts to provide education about this rare and aggressive disease,” said sponsor Rep. Sean Garballey (D-Arlington). “Infl ammatory Breast Cancer is the most aggressive form of breast cancer and the least understood. Many women receiving this diagnosis have never heard of Infl ammatory Breast Cancer or its presentation. Infl ammatory Breast Cancer accounts for 1 percent to 5 percent of all breast cancer cases yet represents 10 percent of all deaths due to breast cancer.” RIGHT WHALE DAY (H 3869) – The House and Senate approved and former Gov. Baker signed into law a bill that designates April 24 as Right Whale Day to promote the preservation of the critically endangered North Atlantic Right Whale. “The North Atlantic right whale is part of our rich maritime history and yet our offi cial state marine mammal is at risk of extinction,” said sponsor Rep. Josh Cutler (DDuxbury). “Establishing this annual day to celebrate right whales will help promote education and protection eff orts.” Rep. Cutler credited his constituent Matt Delaney of Pembroke for coming up with this idea. BEACON | SEE Page 16

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