Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 8, 2024 BEACON | FROM Page 14 awareness and representation to the heroic actions of Rosa Parks during the Civil Rights Movement.” Kushmerek noted, “February 4th is the birthday of Rosa Parks, so it will be a strong and persevering reminder to all those within the commonwealth to refl ect on the role she played in raising international awareness of the struggles for civil rights.” PROHIBIT USE OF NATIVE AMERICAN MASCOTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS (S 245) – The Education Committee has given a favorable report to and recommended that the Legislature approve a proposal would prohibit public schools from using an athletic team name, logo or mascot which is associated with Native Americans, or which denigrates any racial, ethnic, gender or religious group. “I am pleased the bill was approved by the Education Committee,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton). “This bill acknowledges the common humanity of all, corrects historical wrongs and addresses the profound psychological harm caused by perpetuating racist stereotypes — harm caused to both people who are of Native American heritage and those who are not.” ADDRESS FOOD ALLERGIES IN SCHOOLS (S 150) – The Education Committee has also given a favorable report to and recommended passage of legislation that would require every school district, approved private day or residential school and education collaborative that enrolls a student with a life-threatening food allergy to develop and implement a Food Allergy Management and Prevention Plan. The plan would include identifying students with known food allergies, strategies for reducing exposure to allergens and treating allergic reactions. Another provision would require professional development related to food allergies for all school staff , including training on epinephrine administration for appropriate staff members. Supporters said that currently, school districts are not required to have food allergy plans but it is recommended that they do so. “I’m thrilled that the bill received a favorable report from the Joint Committee on Education and will continue forward in the legislative process,” said sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem (DNewton). “This bill would help ensure that Massachusetts children with food allergies have safe learning environments, both in the classroom and in the cafeteria.” CHANGES IN GUN LAWS(H 4139, S 2584) – The House and Senate each appointed their members of a conference committee which will attempt to hammer out a compromise version of dueling bills that would change some of the state’s gun laws. The House on October 18 of last year and the Senate on February 1 of this year approved different versions of the measure, leading to appointment of the conference committee. Sens. Cindy (D-Newton), Joan Lovely (D-Salem) and Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester) will represent the Senate while the House members will be Reps. Michael Day (DStoneham), Carlos Gonzalez (DSpringfi eld) and Joseph McKenna (R-Webster). WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH BEGINS – The Senate kicked off Women’s History Month on March 1 with the unveiling of a portrait of former First Lady and Massachusetts native Abigail Adams, the wife of President John Adams and an early advocate for women’s rights and women’s education who also opposed slavery. Adams was an advocate for women’s rights at a time in history when women were barred from voting or holding elected offi ce. Adams famously told her husband, a delegate in the First Continental Congress, to “remember the ladies.” The portrait, unveiled by Senate President Karen Spilka (DAshland), will hang permanently in the Senate lobby. “Centuries after Abigail Adams told the founders to ‘remember the ladies,’ we still have a long way to go to reach full equality when it comes to women’s representation on Beacon Hill,” said Spilka. “Either by accident or design, the many contributions of ~ House For Rent ~ Furnished Comfortable House - Malden Very comfortable fully furnished large 3 bedroom, one family house, 1,656 ft. in Malden, near Melrose line. 15 minute drive to Boston, located on 1/2 acre lawn/forested site. Quiet neighborhood. All utilities/ Grove MBTA and Wyoming commuter rail station with direct train line to downtown Boston. Short/long term $3,500/month. Call Joe at: (857) 350-0575 women who have shaped our commonwealth and our nation have been left out of the art here in the Statehouse. As we celebrate their achievements—and those of the strong women who lead our government today—I am committed to ensuring that the halls of power change to refl ect these women. As we unveil Adams, we are taking a meaningful step towards ‘remembering the ladies’ and making it clear that women belong here.” Spilka also announced the revival of the Senate Art Committee which was established in 1972, but has been dormant for many years, and the appointment of Sen. Julian Cyr (R-Truro) to head the committee. One of the committee’s fi rst order of business is to solicit nominations from residents for a woman to be honored with a bust in the Senate Chamber. The committee is seeking nominees who are infl uential woman, with some ties to the Massachusetts, who have made historic contributions to the Bay State. “The art that adorns the halls of the Statehouse should embody the values of Massachusetts and refl ect who we are as a commonwealth,” said Cyr. “Yet, as I come and go from my offi ce, I often remark that the portraits, murals, and sculptures in our capital do not encompass the richness of our history and the diversity of our communities. I am thrilled and honored to lead a renewed Senate Arts Committee, one that will work to expand inclusivity and representation in the art that beautifi es the Statehouse. As an LGBTQ+ person, I understand how integral it is to see people like yourself represented in spaces of power. As we solicit submissions for a sculpture of a trailblazing woman to join the all-male busts in the Senate chamber, I am excited to see the remarkable names that will be put forward.” A website will soon go online to accept nominations. QUOTABLE QUOTES “Retail giants have a responsibility to provide customers with the facts about the products they sell, including the health dangers associated with gas stove pollution and steps they can take to protect themselves and their loved ones. Our surveys have repeatedly shown that’s not happening. Without guidance at the point of sale, customers are too often unaware of the risks and preventative steps they can take.” ---Deirdre Cummings, Consumer Program Director, MASSPIRG Education Fund, on the group’s report that some 76 percent of surveyed sales associates at the nation’s top appliance stores (Lowe’s, Home Depot and Best Buy) fl atly denied or expressed ignorance about the health risks of gas stoves. “Logan Airport should be a secure location for people to travel, not a place for the Healey administration to use as temporary migrant housing. The governor may be holding on to the wishful thinking that the migrant situation is under control, but it’s not. Legislative leaders and our governor refuse to reform the policies that make Massachusetts a migrant magnet and instead throw taxpayer money at the problem.” ---Paul Craney, spokesman for the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “Medical debt can be both a barrier to receiving necessary future care and a source of stress, both of which contribute to higher rates of disease and death. We know that the burden of medical debt falls heavily on communities of color. More than 20 percent of those with medical debt are black, compared to 13 percent who are white.” ---Ann Hwang, President of the Atrius Health Equity Foundation, on its launching of an initiative to wipe out an estimated $500 million in medical debt in Eastern Massachusetts. “This milestone highlights the success of an extremely effective local and state partnership that has benefitted communities across the state by promoting responsible pet ownership and improving animal welfare. Thank you to the 305 cities and towns and the 74 veterinary providers and municipal partners all over Massachusetts that have worked with us to get these important resources out to our animals in need.” --- Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources Commissioner Ashley Randle announcing it has reached a milestone of helping more than 20,000 animals through its Spay/ Neuter Voucher Program. “MassDOT is proud to announce our partnership with the BU AdLab for the mass Do Not Disturb campaign. MassDOT is committed to a future without roadway deaths and raising awareness about the dangers of distracted driving is an important step towards that goal.” --- MassDOT Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt announcing a campaign urging drivers to put phones away and activate the “do not disturb” feature when driving. “I have heard from every part of the commonwealth that people want true opportunity and choice to defi ne and reach their own potential and promise, so that economics and life circumstance don’t determine the trajectory of a person’s life. By focusing on creating economic opportunity, strengthening public health and safety and prioritizing those who are too often left out and left behind, our plan not only lays out my vision and priorities, but uplifts the very real impact and hard work of the attorney general’s offi ce.” --- Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing a plan to prioritize values such as equity, accountability and dignity to advance justice and expand opportunity for all across the state. “A lot of signage lights up, there’s bright lights that will come at you if you’re a driver at night, and there’s fl ashing signs -- a lot of stuff to try to identify to the driver that they are going the wrong way. And then again, those signs for the people that are going the right way that they really, really need to use caution.” --- Highway Administrator Jonathan Gulliver announcing that MassDOT has finished implementing a pilot wrong-way driver deterrence program including 16 highway on/off ramps outfi tted to detect when a driver gets on a ramp heading in the wrong direction, alert that driver that they are going the wrong way, notify a state command center of the potential for a dangerous situation and caution drivers going the correct way on the highway. 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 February 26-March 1, the House met for a total of four hours and 19 minutes and the Senate met for a total of two hours and 48 minutes. Mon. Feb. 26 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:35 a.m. Senate 11:19 a.m. to 11:28 a.m. Tues. Feb. 27 No House session No Senate session Wed. Feb. 21 House 11:01 a.m. to 2:40 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. Feb. 22 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:08 a.m. Senate 1:24 p.m. to 4:03 p.m. Fri. Feb. 23 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.
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