THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2025 Page 21 fenses. Whether through civil enforcement, asset recovery or criminal prosecution, our offi ce will continue to aggressively pursue those who seek to defraud the government and exploit the public.” $158 MILLION FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING — Gov. Maura Healey announced $158 million in low-income housing tax credit and subsidy awards for fourteen affordable housing projects across the state. These awards are aimed at supporting the production and preservation of 1,138 aff ordable units for seniors and families across the state. “High housing costs are one of the biggest challenges facing Massachusetts residents,” said Healey. “Our administration is refusing to kick the can down the road. We need to increase housing production across the state to lower costs — and these aff ordable housing awards will help us get there. Because of our tax cuts package, we are able to give out more funding than ever before, which will directly support the creation of more than 1,000 affordable homes for seniors and families across our state.” EXCLUDE TIPS FROM TAXABLE INCOME — Rep. Michael Soter (R-Bellingham) fi led legislation that would exclude tipped wages from taxable Income. The measure is aimed at providing tax relief for service industry workers who rely on tips as a major source of their earnings. Supporters said that by excluding tipped wages from state income tax calculations, the bill would allow workers in restaurants, hospitality and other tipped professions to take home more of their income. “This last election, the service industry made it clear that they would rather keep tips than have the government set an hourly rate,” said Soter. “This is an industry full of hard-working individuals that deserve to keep all their hard-earned money by not taxing tips. These servers and the industry were hit the hardest after COVID, and this would give much relief to these hard-working citizens who deal with such unpredictable weekly incomes.” QUOTABLE QUOTES — BY THE DOLLAR EDITION The state’s Office of Campaign and Political Finance released figures showing that committees that supported or opposed the fi ve questions on the November 5 ballot spent a total of $25.2 million. Here is the breakdown: Question 1 (passed): Give State Auditor the Authority to Audit the Legislature Supporters: $414,808 Opponents: $0 Question 2 (passed): Elimination of MCAS as High School Graduation Requirement Supporters: $950,000 Opponents: $5,318,258 Question 3 (passed) Unionization for Uber, Lyft and other Transportation Network Drivers Supporters: $7,259,067 Opponents: $0 Question 4 (failed) Limited Legalization and Regulation of Some Natural Psychedelic Substances Supporters: $7,723,405 Opponents: $128,803 Question 5 (failed) Minimum Wage for Tipped Workers Supporters: $889,526 Opponents: $2,515,568 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 fi led. 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 Feb. 1014, the House met for a total of eight minutes while the Senate met for a total of 15 hours and 59 minutes. Mon Feb. 10 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:09 a.m. Senate 11:30 a.m. to 11:57 a.m. Tues. Feb. 11 No House session No Senate session Wed. Feb. 12 No House session Senate 11:05 a.m. to 8:05 p.m. Thurs. Feb. 13 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:04 a.m. Senate 10:04 a.m. to 4:36 p.m. Fri. Feb. 14 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. ~ School Bus Drivers Wanted ~ 7D Licensed School Bus Drivers Malden Trans is looking for reliable drivers for the new school year. We provide ongoing training and support for licensing requirements. Applicant preferably lives local (Malden, Everett, Revere). Part-time positions available and based on AM & PM school hours....15-30 hours per week. Good driver history from Registry a MUST! If interested, please call David @ 781-322-9401. CDL SCHOOL BUS DRIVER WANTED Compensation: $28/hour School bus transportation company seeking active CDL drivers who live LOCALLY (Malden, Everett, Chelsea and immediate surrounding communities). - Applicant MUST have BOTH S and P endorsements Good driver history from Registry a MUST! - Part-time hours, BUT GUARANTEED 20-35 HOURS PER WEEK depending on experience. Contact David @ 781-322-9401. Lawn and Yard Care SNOW PLOWING *REASONABLE RATES * PROMPT SERVICE * PARKING LOTS USA 781-521-9927 Call Driveways from $35
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