Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 5, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 20 the difference between getting to a doctor ten minutes faster or wasting ten minutes trying to fi nd the emergency department due to poor signage, confusing layouts, going to the wrong door, could be life changing. It was for Laura.” “I hope so much these new regulations serve as a stepping stone for other states to take a serious look at whether their residents could benefi t by establishing rules for emergency department signage, lighting, wayfi nding and security monitoring as well,” continued DeMarco. “Maybe that starts with every state in New England.” “There is no way to change the past, but we have done our best to expect a future with optimal outcomes when any of us visits a hospital emergency department,” said Sen. Pat Jehlen (D-Somerville), cosponsor of the legislation. “I continue to thank Peter, the Department of Public Health and other advocates committed to honoring Laura’s memory by collaborating on this new set of regulations that I believe will save lives.” “After years of advocacy, I am grateful to Peter for his extensive research and willingness to share Laura’s story, which led to the passage of our bill, Laura’s Law, in early 2021,” said co-sponsor Rep. Christine Barber (D-Somerville). “After more than two years of additional work, new regulations and guidance from the Department of Public Health refl ect a number of new requirements to ensure all hospitals in Massachusetts will follow appropriate safety measures on lighting, security and wayfi nding. Particularly in an emergency situation, patients need clear and obvious information about how to get to care quickly, no matter where people are seeking emergency care.” The rules are aimed at eliminating as much confusion as possible for patients in crisis who rush to an emergency department, and to provide fail safes should they have diffi culty getting inside. They were fi nalized in early April, more than six years after Laura’s passing from an asthma attack on the doorstep of a Somerville emergency department where she was unable to get inside, in part because the hospital lacked a single “Emergency” sign above any door for her to have followed. The regulations now specifically require such signs. Other regulations include requiring any prominent door that is locked at night, as well as a hospital’s main door and Emergency Department door and ambulancebay door, has to have an audio-video intercom connecting a lost patient to a live operator as well as a duress alarm; requiring hospitals to set up directional signs to their emergency departments, starting the moment you reach the property, so that after you pass one sign another is already within your sight; requiring doors and patient drop-off and pick-up areas must be brightly lighted and on surveillance 24 hours a day; and requiring each emergency department to have its own GPS address for navigation purposes if its doors are not located at the hospital’s main address. ALLOW JAILED FELONS TO VOTE (H 26) – The Election Laws Committee has recommended passage of a proposed constitutional amendment to restore the right to vote for incarcerated felons. Under a constitutional amendment approved by voters in 2000, these felons were stripped of the right to vote. “We’ve had this fundamental right in one of the oldest constitutions, the constitution that our U.S. constitution is based on, up until the 2000s,” said sponsor Rep. Erika Uyterhoeven (D-Somerville). “And it was taken away in our lifetime. That didn’t fall out of the sky. It came from the context of the tough on crime era in the ‘90s as a response to civic engagement and organizing among people who are incarcerated, and civic engagement and the right to vote are fundamental human rights.” “I think [this proposed amendCOMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Happy Spring Sandy Juliano Broker/President Follow Us On: THIS WEEKEND! EVERETT - 26-26A Victoria Street. 2 family, 5 & 6 room, $850,000. Call Sandy at 617-448-0854 OPEN HOUSE - SUN., MAY 7 Norma Capuano Parziale 617-590-9143 ment] fi ts into what is becoming a recurring theme for this session, which is ‘we really don’t care what the voters do, we can do what we want,’” said House GOP Minority Leader Brad Jones (R-North Reading), one of three legislators on the committee who voted against the measure. He added that a majority of voters in all of the state’s counties voted for the measure in 2000. Jones continued, “During the period of your incarceration, because if you’re incarcerated then you’re separated from society, you should not necessarily be involved in electing the offi cials and crafting the laws that govern that society.” The proposed constitutional amendment 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. QUOTABLE QUOTES “Massachusetts has a real opportunity to close the digital divide and ensure all people in our state can participate in the digital economy. These grants will help residents build their digital skills and get online aff ordably, thereby expanding their connections to job and training opportunities, healthcare resources, social connections and so much more.” --- Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao announcing $14 million in new grants from the state’s Digital Equity Partnerships Program to address statewide digital equity gaps. “Thanks to a number of forwardthinking supporters and partners, Tech Goes Home has been working for more than 20 years to advance digital equity in Greater Boston and beyond and has a proven model for how to address the challenges facing individuals and families. Today’s announcement represents a major step forward in expanding our work across the commonwealth and bringing greater attention to the economic, educational, and health disparities that LISTED BY SANDY! UNDER AGREEMENT FROM 12 - 2:00 PM 3 Bedroom, 1 1/2 Bath Ranch, 6 Bridge Street, Tewksbury - $499,900. Open House Sunday, April 30 from 12-2. Call Sandy with questions, 617-448-0854. 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 Joe DiNuzzo 617-680-7610 Rosemarie Ciampi 617-957-9222 are connected to digital inequity.” --- Dan Noyes, CEO of Tech Goes Home upon receiving a historic $4.5 million dollar grant to expand its programming and help build stronger systems to equitably and sustainably close the digital divide. “The court’s decision today is Denise Matarazzo 617-953-3023 617-294-1041 welcome and important news, and it affirms what we already knew: the leaders and managers of facilities like the Soldiers’ Home share responsibility for the health and safety of their residents. Today’s decision allows us to focus once again on securing accountability for the tragic and preventable deaths at the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell on the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruling that a criminal trial can proceed against two former Holyoke Soldiers’ Home officials accused of negligence that led to the deaths of elderly veteran residents early in the COVID-19 pandemic. “The dedicated men and women who keep our communities safe too often hide the signifi cant stress and trauma they incur from the job. Every offi cer in the commonwealth must have access to quality mental health services and peer support to combat this stigma, improve policing, and enhance the lives of our police and their families.” ---Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford) on the program he created that this year will deliver $1 million in grants that will provide police offi cers across Massachusetts access to mental health services, peer support and critical incident stress management. 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. 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 24-28, the House met for a total of 26 hours and 30 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 38 minutes. Mon. April 24 House 11:00 a.m. to 9:07 p.m. Senate 11:16 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. Tues. April 25 House 11:02 a.m. to 8:37 p.m. No Senate session Wed. April 26 House 12:02 p.m. to 6:21 p.m No Senate session Thurs. April 27 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:31 a.m. Senate 11:18 a.m. to 11:48 a.m. Fri. April 28 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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