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Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 20 to 10 percent in 2001 and from 10 percent to the current 15 percent in 2004. Rep. John Cusack (D-Braintree), chair of the Revenue Committee, did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call to comment on why he supports raising the cap. (A “Yes” vote is for the amendYour Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $150 per paper in-town per year or $200 per paper out-of-town per year. Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 ment making the cap 15 percent. A “No” vote is against the 15 percent cap and favors the 25.5 percent cap). Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Jeff Turco No NEW CABINET POSITION: SECRETARY OF HOUSING AND LIVABLE COMMUNITIES (H 43) Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the House Gov. Maura Healey’s reorganization plan that would split the current Executive Offi ce of Housing and Economic Development into two separate cabinet level departments: the new Secretary of Housing and Livable Communities and the renamed Secretary of Economic Development. “The creation of a new Secretariat will bring a cabinet-level focus to the commonwealth’s housing crisis,” said Sen. Nick Collins (D-Boston), Chair of the Senate Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight. He noted that Gov. Healey who will now be able put her vision for housing and livable communities into action.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill). Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE PROPOSES $56.2 BILLION FISCAL 2024 STATE BUDGET (H 4000) – The House fi red the second shot in the long battle over the state budget for fi scal year 2022 that COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Happy Spring Sandy Juliano Broker/President Listed by Sandy Single family, 81 Florence St., Everett $649,900 SOLD BY SANDY! New Listing by Norma UNDER AGREEMENT! Everett 2 family, $729,900. Call Norma for details! 617-590-9143 List Your Home or Apartment With Us! 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: begins on July 1. Gov. Maura Healey fi red the opening volley in January when she fi led her version of the spending package. The House Ways and Means Committee last week unveiled its own $56.2 billion version. The Ways and Means budget recommendation would increase spending by $3.73 billion, or 7.1 percent over the current year’s budget. Debate on the House version is scheduled to begin during the week of April 24. After the full House finally approves a version of the package, the Senate will follow suit with its own draft, and a House-Senate conference committee will eventually craft a plan that will be presented to the House and Senate for consideration and sent to the governor. CHANGE “SELECTMEN” TO “SELECT BOARD” (S 12) – The Municipalities and Regional Government Committee held a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment that would replace the gendered reference to “Selectmen” with “Select Board” in the state’s constitution. Supporters said it is long past time to eliminate this outdated and sexist language from the state’s constitution. “This is a change which many communities have already made in their local by-laws,” noted sponsor Sen. Will Brownsberger (DBelmont). CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO HOUSING (H 29) – The Housing Committee held a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment requiring that the state provide “sufficient and comprehensive planning, for aff ordable, well-constructed and reasonably varied housing for all residents.” The housing policies would focus on restoration, rehabilitation and new construction of housing units to all identifi able population groups, without discrimination. “Housing needs to be a right, Rosemarie Ciampi 617-957-9222 more than just ‘shelter’ and ultimately, looking at improved building codes, that would encourage construction of longer-lasting and better-quality housing that will help to keep our often expanding workforce, and their families, with dignity and quality,” said private citizen Vincent Dixon who sponsored the bill under a state law that allows a private citizen to ask their state legislators to fi le bills on his or her behalf. CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO EMPLOYABLE SKILLS TRAINING (H 39) – The Labor and Workforce DevelJoe DiNuzzo 617-680-7610 opment Committee held a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment providing that “each and every inhabitant of the commonwealth of Massachusetts, has a right to employable skills training.” “Employable skills training must be a fl exible and dynamic goal of economic, and professional mechanisms for the success of the Massachusetts workforce,” said sponsor Vince Dixon. “Looking forward, updating skills for workers in many fi elds, including those that change dramatically, will strengthen the lifelong ladder of workforce success and provide employers with better quality worker skills, and greater opportunities for success.” BRING BACK THE ANNUAL TIP OFF CLASSIC TO SPRINGFIELD – Rep. Angelo Puppolo (D-Springfield) and other Springfield officials have begun a campaign lobbying National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) President and former Bay State Gov. Charlie Baker to return the annual Tip-Off Classic game to Springfi eld, the home of the Basketball Hall of Fame. The city hosted the games for some 26 years at the former Springfi eld Civic Center from 1979 to 2005. “Basketball has been a part of the city since it was invented by Springfi eld College instructor and graduate student James Naismith in 1891 and has grown to a worldwide fan favorite through the years,” Rep. Puppolo wrote in a letter to Baker. “On the heels of a very successful Final Four Tournament, and given your commitment and dedication to Springfi eld and western Massachusetts as governor of the commonwealth, I am respectfully requesting that you now return the NCAA Tip-Off Classic to the City of Springfi eld, the city where basketball was born.” 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 April 10-14, the House met for a total of four hours and 18 minutes while the Senate met for a total of one hour and 19 minutes. Mon. April 10 House 11:04 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. Senate 11:21 a.m. to 11:29 a.m. Tues. April 11 No House session No Senate session Wed. April 12 No House session No Senate session Thurs. April 13 House 11:01 a.m. to 3:13 p.m. Senate 11:03 a.m. to 12:14 p.m. Fri. April 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

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