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THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JANUARY 24, 2025 Page 19 ed more than $1.64 billion in gross sales in 2024, setting a new annual record for the state. “The cannabis industry in Massachusetts continued to mature in 2024 as the commission approved the 700th—and counting—notice to commence operations,” Acting Chair Bruce Stebbins said. “The clear growth of the industry is the result of ongoing collaboration between commissioners and agency staff, business owners, host communities, an engaged consumer base and the medical community. We’re looking ahead to continued growth in 2025 and beyond as we seek to expand the industry with new social consumption licenses.” PROTECT DRINKING WATER SUPPLY (SD 847) — Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Marlborough) and Rep. Natalie Blais (D-Sunderland) filed legislation that would enable the Bay State to develop minimum statewide water quality standards for private wells and expand a financial assistance program to remediate wells affected by PFAS (“forever chemicals”) and other harmful contaminants in drinking water supplies. Supporters say that more than 500,000 Massachusetts residents, located heavily in rural areas but also in all 351 cities and towns, rely on private wells for their drinking water. They note that many people are consuming water that may be unsafe because the source is not regularly tested and treated like public water supplies and could have harmful contaminants such as PFAS, arsenic, radon, uranium and more. “As the Legislature continues to address PFAS contamination in communities across the state this session, it’s crucial that the hundreds of thousands of households relying on private well water have access to clean and safe drinking water,” said Sen. Eldridge. “That ’s why I’m proud to once again file legislation to empower the DEP to regulate private wells and establish a program to help homeowners test their wells for dangerous contaminants. MASSACHUSETTS GUN LAWS RANKING — Everytown for Gun Safety’s 2025 State Gun Law Rankings were released last week, and they report that Massachusetts has the second strongest gun laws in the nation, just behind California. According to the report, the rankings show a clear connection between stronger gun safety laws and lower rates of gun deaths. The report suggests that if every state in the country had the gun death rates of the nine states with the strongest gun safety laws, 299,000 lives could be saved in the next decade. “Gun laws save lives and states that enact commonsense, bipartisan policies are clearly standing on the side of public safety,” said Nick Suplina, Senior Vice President for Law and Policy at Everytown for Gun Safety. “As 2025 gets underway, we’re doubling down in the states, defending the gains we’ve made and charting new paths ahead. We can turn the tide on our nation’s gun violence crisis, but only if all leaders step up to meet the moment.” “Our lawmakers took lifesaving action last year to enact a major piece of gun safety legislation — and our communities have already benefited from this challenging work,” said Rachel Everley, a volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Today’s announcement is just further evidence of the value of our combined efforts. Now Massachusetts has the second strongest gun safety laws in the country, and we will continue forging ahead because we have seen what can be accomplished when we do.” NEW PHOTO DISPLAY AT THE STATE HOUSE — Gov. Healey unveiled a new photography display featuring archival film images of the Statehouse from the 1920s to 1940s, alongside equivalent modern-day film photographs. “The Massachusetts Statehouse has a storied, revolutionary history — from Sam Adams and Paul Revere laying the first cornerstone in 1795, to President John F. Kennedy’s 1961 address ahead of his inauguration, to Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1965 address at the height of the Civil Rights Movement,” said Gov. Healey. “I’m thrilled to unveil this photography project, led by some of our most talented young people, which reminds us all of our obligation to honor the legacy of this incredible building while also striving to continue to deliver history-making progress for our residents.” QUOTABLE QUOTES — State of the Commonwealth Edition Gov. Healey delivered her annual State of the Commonwealth address to a joint session of the House and Senate. Here are some excerpts from the speech: “Two hundred and fifty years ago this April, on a common in Lexington and a bridge in Concord, the farmers, tradesmen and shopkeepers of the Massachusetts Militia took a stand. They risked everything for the right to self-government and they started the Revolution that gave us our country. This is our legacy, Massachusetts, and it’s more than history. It’s who we are.” “ I am moved beyond words by the grit, drive and sheer goodness of the people of Massachusetts. I see it in our citizen soldiers. It’s in the firefighters who spent weeks battling wildfires last fall. When we see what firefighters are doing in Southern California right now, and what our own firefighters and first responders do every day, we are so grateful.” “I see it in the teachers and schools where we pioneered public education. And I see it in breakthroughs by our scientists and innovators. Did you know, in 2024, one-third of all the Nobel Prizes were won by people in Massachusetts? That’s not unusual for our state.” “People also need childcare. After the pandemic, childcare across the country was collapsing and childcare centers were closing. So, we got to work because our working parents depend on it. We were the only state to fully replace federal support that went away with a $1.5 billion investment. We not only saved our system, but affordable childcare is growing in Massachusetts. Today 36,000 more children are getting care and their parents can go to work and support their families.” “People want to be able to afford a home. So, we passed the Affordable Homes Act to create tens of thousands of affordable homes and new homeowners. We already increased production in state programs by 50 percent, adding 4,000 homes and helping 2,400 first-time homeowners last year alone.” “Whatever else is happening, we will always put our veterans first. We passed the HERO Act, the biggest veterans’ legislation in state history, to expand health benefits, job opportunities and much more. We’re ending veteran homelessness once and for all, because no one who served our country should ever be left behind in their time of need. And we built brand-new, worldclass facilities at the veterans’ homes in Chelsea and Holyoke.” 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 Jan. 1317, the House a met for a total of nine hours and 27 minutes while the Senate met for a total of nine hours and 13 minutes. Mon. Jan. 13 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:27 a.m. Tues. Jan. 14 No House session No Senate session Wed. Jan. 15 No House session No Senate session Thurs. Jan. 16 House 11:00 a.m. to 8:10 p.m. Senate 11:06 a.m. to 8:08 p.m. Fri. Jan. 17 No House session No Senate session Bob Kat zen 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.

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