Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 7, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 20 amendments fi led by representatives and senators to amend the state constitution. Any proposed constitutional amendment sponsored by legislators needs the votes of a majority of the 200-member Legislature in the 2023 to 2024 session and the same in the 2025 to 2026 session in order to appear on the November 2026 ballot for voters to decide. None of these proposals have yet been approved. EMINENT DOMAIN (H 83) – Would prohibit private property from being taken by the government for private commercial enterprise, economic development or any other private use without the consent of the owner. A similar measure was originally fi led in 2005 as a response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows communities to seize private homes and businesses solely for commercial purposes. The ruling also allows states to establish laws prohibiting the practice. “The right to own property is a basic principle of the commonwealth and it is one that I feel strongly should be upheld,” said the proposal’s sponsor House Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “The government should never have the power to make value judgments with respect to private property. This proposed amendment would protect property owners by explicitly affi rming that economic development and private commercial uses do not constitute acceptable public uses for the purpose of eminent domain takings in the commonwealth.” CHANGE MANDATORY RETIREMENT AGE FOR JUDGES (H 36) – Would change the mandatory retirement age for judges from 70 years old to 75 years old. “In recent years we have seen an increased need to bring judges back to the bench after their mandatory retirement age,” said sponsor Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham). “This proposal would allow them to stay on the bench and provide the court with their years of experience.” HIS OR HER EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR (S 10) – Would amend the part of the state constitution that creates the title “His Excellency” for the governor and lieutenant governor. The proposal would add “Her Excellency” as a possibility. “[The bill] is one of a several bills filed to clean up language in our constitution that privileges male gender by using male pronouns to refer to office holders,” said sponsor Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont). “I’m hopeful that the Judiciary Committee will report out a consolidated bill that makes all the necessary corrections.” OATH OF OFFICE (H 33) – Would amend a current section of the constitution that gives Quakers the option to change the oath a person must take upon taking office from the current: “I do solemnly swear, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the commonwealth of Massachusetts and will support the constitution thereof. So help me God.” Currently Quakers are allowed to change the word “swear” to “affi rm” and the words “So help me God” with “under the pains and penalties of perjury.” The amendment would give that same option to anyone, not just Quakers. “The state constitution only allows people of Quaker faith to have the option of affi rming their oath,” said sponsor Rep. Mindy Domb (D-Amherst). “The amendment would remove the Quaker eligibility [only] for this option. Federal offi cials, including the President, a U.S. Representative and a U.S. Senator all have the opportunity to choose to swear or affi rm their oaths of offi ce.” COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Have a Happy Easter & Passover! Sandy Juliano Broker/President Listed by Sandy Single family, 81 Florence St., Everett $649,900 UNDER AGREEMENT! New Listing by Norma UNDER AGREEMENT! Everett 2 family, $729,900. Call Norma for details! 617-590-9143 REVERE Rental - 2 bedroom - $2,000 /mo with utilities Call Sandy for details at: 617-448-0854 Open Daily From 10:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M. 433 Broadway, Suite B, Everett, MA 02149 www.jrs-properties.com Denise Matarazzo 617-953-3023 617-294-1041 Norma Capuano Parziale 617-590-9143 Follow Us On: APPOINT LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR. (H 38) – Would grant the governor the power to appoint a lieutenant governor if the offi ce is vacant because of the death, resignation, removal from offi ce or incapacity of the lieutenant governor. The appointment would have to be confi rmed by a majority vote of the House and Senate. Current law leaves the seat vacant until the next election. Sponsor Rep. Susannah Whipps (U-Athol) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her why she fi led the proposal. LIMIT JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS TO 7 YEARS (H 34) – Would limit judicial appointments to seven years but would allow judges to be re-appointed by the governor for an unlimited number of years every seven years. The appointment would have to be approved by the Governor’s Council as required under current law. Sponsor Rep. Vanna Howard (D-Lowell) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking her why she fi led the proposal. QUOTABLE QUOTES “Massachusetts remains deeply committed to working with our partners across state and local agencies to ensure our schools offer a safe and healthy learning environment for our children and educators. These grants will provide the resources that school offi cials need to enhance safety and mitigate potential threats.” ---Gov. Maura Healey announcing $570,000 to some Massachusetts school districts to bolster school safety and enhance violence prevention eff orts. “If we truly want to fix the Rosemarie Ciampi 617-957-9222 Joe DiNuzzo 617-680-7610 broken childcare sector that is having damaging eff ects on our children, families, educators, and economy, we need public investment. This funding is a win for everyone and we are committed to continuing our work with our state partners to solve the child care crisis.” ---Lauren Kennedy, co-president of Neighborhood Villages, a Boston-based nonprofi t that advocates for solutions to challenges faced by the early education sector, commending Gov. Healey for signing the supplemental budget which includes $68 million to help extend a grant program. “The tourism industry is critical to local economies across our state, and we are committed to supporting the small businesses, hospitality industry partners, and incredible attractions that make communities throughout Massachusetts some of the best tourism destinations in the world. By marketing Massachusetts to visitors outside of our borders, we are investing in this key sector of our economy.” ---Massachusetts Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao on the announcement of a new state marketing campaign “Take a Moment,” which encourages visitors to pause from their daily lives and engage in new experiences and sensory moments in Massachusetts. “The Credit for Life Fairs off er high-quality experiential learning for young adults in Massachusetts. Students deserve access to education that will prepare them for the kind of fi nancial situations they will encounter throughout their lives.” ---State Treasurer Deb Goldberg on $42.2 million in grants that provide Massachusetts high schools and special education programs with funding to hold “Credit for Life Fairs which provide fi nancial education for students. 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 2731, the House met for a total of two hours and seven minutes while the Senate met for a total of four hours and fi ve minutes. Mon. March 27 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:31 a.m. Senate 11:35 a.m. to 1:18 p.m. Tues. March 28 No House session No Senate session Wed. March 29 No House session No Senate session Thurs. March 30 House 11:03 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Senate 11:10 a.m. to 1:32 p.m. Fri. March 31 No House session No Senate session 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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