Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 15, 2024 BEACON | FROM Page 14 (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment giving veterans preference.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Yes Rep. Jeff Turco ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL LEARNING DISABILITY SCREENING DAY (H 4210) – The House gave initial approval to a bill designating October 2 as Learning Disability Screening Day, to raise awareness of the necessity of screening for reading disabilities. “Former Duxbury Rep. Josh Cutler fi led this legislation to promote awareness around dyslexia and other reading disabilities,” said Cole Angley, a Cutler spokesman. “Dyslexia aff ects an estimated 20 percent or one in every fi ve people of the U.S. population. However only around one in 20 of the population are diagnosed. This legislation would help to promote awareness and screening across the commonwealth.” Cutler resigned from the House on February 4 to become Gov. Maura Healey’s Undersecretary of Yes Apprenticeship, Work-based Learning and Policy in the Executive Offi ce of Labor and Workforce Development. LOCAL PLANNING BOARDS (H 3555) – The House gave initial approval to a bill that allows associate members of local planning boards to act on any matter before a planning board, mirroring the current law that applies to associate members of Zoning Boards of Appeal. An associate planning board members is one that is appointed to act in place of regular members because of absence, confl ict of interest or when a seat is vacant. Supporters of the bill said that the attorney general has ruled that associate members may only act on a special permit application, and none of the other many functions of a planning board. They said that the attorney general’s ruling can handicap a planning board when trying to attain a quorum to open a meeting, or when voting on other matters and permits before them, such as site plans or subdivisions. “Planning Boards have many responsibilities including but not limited to long range planning and permitting of special permits, site plans and subdivisions,” said sponsor Rep. Kristin Kassner (D-Hamilton). “This will help the Planning Boards in our communities keep permitting on track and move through the business in front of them. Amendments like this clear up confusion in the law and provide needed tools for community success.” $22 MILLION TO EXPAND HIGH SPEED INTERNET IN AFFORDABLE HOUSING - The Massachusetts Broadband Institute (MBI) at MassTech announced the launch of the Residential Internet Retrofit Program, a $22 million statewide program that will be used to equip public and aff ordable housing units across the state with high Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 185 of the Acts of 1983, and Chapter 13 of the will conduct a Public Hearing on March 21, 2024 at 5:00 of the City of Revere: 54 Carlson Avenue March 15, 2024 speed internet. “A substantial portion of public housing buildings are more than 50 years old,” said MBI Director Michael Baldino. “Low-income families in these buildings face barriers to accessing the speeds off ered by broadband service if the wiring in their apartment pre-dates the internet age. The Retrofi t Program will lead the charge to engage with property managers and then to engage internet service providers, who will work together to build out cutting-edge infrastructure that fully connects public and aff ordable housing units to highspeed internet.” HEALEY ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCES PLAN TO END VETERANS’ HOMELESSNESS – Gov. Maura Healey announced a $20 million campaign to end veterans’ homelessness in Massachusetts. “Our administration is committed to making Massachusetts a national leader in veterans services,” said Gov. Maura Healey. “Today, we are proud to launch the largest investment in our state’s history to end veteran homelessness in Massachusetts. It is through this initiative that we will work to ensure that every veteran in our state has a safe PUBLIC NOTICE TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE (EJ) COMMUNITIES PROJECT: Route 1A Roundabout Roadway Infrastructure Improvement Project LOCATION: Route 1A North Shore Road, Revere MA 02151 PROPONENT: City of Revere Impact Report and submittal requirements for the above-mentioned project, all environmental North Shore Road. Phase 1 Phase 2 By City of Revere and stable place to call home.” “This campaign signifi es a monumental commitment to addressing veteran homelessness in Massachusetts,” said Secretary of Veterans Services Jon Santiago. “Our mission is clear: bring veteran homelessness to functional zero and establish the necessary infrastructure to sustain this achievement.” “No one who served our country should ever worry about having a roof over their heads,” said Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll. “This campaign acts on our administration’s shared commitment to restore dignity, provide hope and keep a promise to our veterans that they will never be forgotten or left behind. As the daughter of a veteran, I appreciate the positive impact this initiative will have on all of Massachusetts’ veterans.” For more information on the End Veteran Homeless Campaign, visit mass.gov/endvethomelessness QUOTABLE QUOTES – By the Numbers Edition Research by AAA has found that vehicle crashes tend to increase in the days following moving the clocks ahead in the Spring as drivers get behind the wheel while sleep-deprived and with their circadian rhythms out of whack. Studies have outlined the risks associated with drowsy driving: drivers who slept for less than fi ve hours the night before may have a crash risk comparable to driving drunk, and losing just a couple of hours of sleep can double the risk of a crash. AAA says that offi cial statistics on the prevalence of drowsy driving have long been underestimated since most drivers don’t admit to being drowsy after a collision. The group says that new research shows just how underreported these crashes are. According to a study, AAA estimates that drowsy driving is a factor in ten times as many traffi c fatalities as traditional crash data indicates. -2,692 ---Number of crashes in Massachusetts between 2021 and 2023 where police indicated that drowsiness, fatigue or a driver falling asleep was a contributing factor. 30,000 ---Number of people nationwide who died between 2017 and 2021 as a result of a drowsy driver. 18 percent ---Percentage of nationwide acciNECBL | FROM Page 13 bags during the series, while walking once and striking out just one time. Jones brought his on-base percentage to a teambest.472 and has struck out the fewest times of any Hatter hitter with more than 25 at-bats. Jake Kulikowski (Miami) and Zach Fjelstad (Ohio State) both collected run-scoring doubles over the weekend. Kulikowski drove in two with his double in the fourth inning to give Miami dents between 2017 and 2021 that involved drowsy driving. 95 percent ---Percent of nationwide drivers who perceive drowsy driving to be very or extremely dangerous. 18 percent ---Of the 95 percent of drivers who perceive drowsy driving to be very or extremely dangerous, the percent who say they have engaged in drowsy driving in the past 30 days. 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 March 4-8 the House met for a total of seven hours and 17 minutes and the Senate met for a total of one hour and one minute. Mon. March 4 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:26 a.m. Senate 11:13 a.m. to 11:31 a.m. Tues. March 5 No House session No Senate session Wed. March 6 House 11:03 a.m. to 5:11 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. March 7 House 11:08 a.m. to 11:51 a.m. Senate 11:08 a.m. to 11:51 a.m. Fri. March 8 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. its fi rst runs against No. 13 Virginia on Sunday, while Fjelstad brought one home to score on Saturday against Cal Poly. The Navigators will return to historic Fraser Field and the NECBL for their 17th summer season in 2024, with fi rst pitch set for Tuesday, June 4. Stay up to date on the latest Navs news — including further updates on current and former players — by visiting nsnavs.com and following the team on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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