Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2020 Westport) said the Baker administration and the Legislature joined together in a bipartisan manner to move the tax fi ling date and agreed on a way to pay the state’s bills despite what will be a sharp temporary dip in the state’s revenues from April 15 to July 15. THE HOUSE AND SENATE: The House fi nally agreed on the details of changing the House rules in order to hold a remote session during the COVID-19 pandemic. Then it made history last week when it held the fi rst remote session with just a few members in the House chamber while most members watched and listened to the debate on their computers and voted via phone from the comfort of their own homes or business offi ces. The Senate continued to hold its sessions with just a handful of senators present but agreed on rules changes that will allow it to hold a remote session the week of May 11. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on one roll call from the week of May 4-8. There were no roll calls in the Senate last week. ALLOW THE STATE TO BORROW BILLIONS OF DOLLARS (H 4677) House 157-0 approved, and Senate approved on a voice vote without a roll call approved a bill that would authorize the state treasurer to borrow billions of dollars needed to keep the state running through June because of diminishing tax revenues during COVID-19. State tax collections dropped in April by more than $2.3 billion compared to April 2019. The loss is attributed to the reduced income tax revenue since the Bay State moved the tax return fi ling deadline from April 15 to July 15 and to the loss of sales tax and other revenue as a result of business shutdowns. The bill still needs fi nal approval in both branches prior to it going to the governor for his signature. Supporters said they anticipate the borrowing could reach $3 billion in order to keep the state fi nancially afl oat. They said the state is obligated to pay its bills and has no other choice. Senate Ways and Means chair Sen. Mike Rodrigues (DCOVID-19 | FROM PAGE 12 Moore said North Suffolk Mental Health has diff erent resources and programs available, and she urged people who feel they need help to reach out. The announcement that a plan to reopen the city is in the works was, no doubt, welcome “The Legislature and the administration agreed to engage in what is called … RANs — Revenue Anticipation Notes,” said Rodrigues. “Meaning that we are going to borrow in fi scal 2020 in anticipation of revenue coming in in fi scal year 2021 the amount of money that was deferred or estimated to have been deferred by the movement of the tax fi ling date.” (A “Yes” vote is for the borrowing). Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Ye s Ye s 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 May 4-8, the House met for a total of fi ve hours and 39 minutes while the Senate met for a total of one hour and three minutes. Mon. May 4 House 11:01 a.m. to noon Senate 11:14 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Tues. May 5 No House session No Senate session Wed. May 6 House 11:05 a.m. to 1:48 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. May 7 House 11:03 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Senate 11:19 a.m. to 12:02 p.m. Fri. May 8 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com news for residents. However, Arrigo and Kong stressed that success depends on people continuing with social distancing, face masks and handwashing. “I know things are trending in the right direction, and that’s a testament to the work we’ve done with social distancing, face masks and all the sacrifi ces we’ve made,” said Arrigo, adding that the city doesn’t want to undo all the good work that’s been done. Arrigo said the city needs to take a responsible approach to reopening that is slow, deliberate and cautious. “We are not going to get a second chance at doing this right,” he said. ~ Home of the Week ~ SAUGUS...Nicely maintained 6+ rm. Cape Cod View the interior of this home right on your smartphone. Do Pneumonia Vaccines Protect Seniors from Coronavirus? Dear Savvy Senior, Do currently off ered vaccines against pneumonia provide seniors any protection against the coronavirus disease? I’ve always been bad about getting vaccinated, but this coronavirus pandemic is causing me to change my thinking. Pro-Vax Patty Dear Patty, This is a great question. Because the coronavirus (COVID-19) attacks the lungs and respiratory system, many readers have asked whether the pneumonia vaccines, which are administered to millions of patients each year, might protect someone if they contract the coronavirus. But unfortunately, the answer is no. Vaccines against pneumonia, such as pneumococcal vaccine and Haemophilus infl uenza type B vaccine, do not provide protection against the new coronavirus. This virus is so new and different that it needs its own vaccine. Researchers are in the process of rapidly developing a vaccine against COVID-19, but it is expected to take at least a year before it’s ready. Having said that, you should also know that there are several other important vaccines the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all seniors should get up to date on after the coronavirus pandemic dies down. Here’s a rundown of what they are, when you should get them, and how they’re covered by Medicare. Flu vaccine: While annual flu shots are recommended each fall to everyone, they are very important for older adults to get because seniors have a much greater risk of developing dangerous fl u complications. According to the CDC, last year up to 647,000 people were hospitalized and 61,200 died because of the fl u – most of whom were age 65 and older. To improve your chances of escaping the seasonal fl u, this September or October consider a vaccine specifi cally designed for people 65 and older. The Fluzone High Dose or FLUAD are the two options that provide extra protection beyond what a standard fl u shot off ers. And all fl u shots are covered under Medicare Part B. Pneumococcal vaccine: As previously stated, this vaccine protects against pneumonia, which hospitalizes around 250,000 Americans and kills about 50,000 each year. It’s recommended that all seniors, 65 or older, get two separate vaccines – PCV13 (Prevnar 13) and PPSV23 (Pneumovax 23). Both vaccines, which are administered one year apart, protect against diff erent strains of the bacteria to provide maximum protection. Medicare Part B covers both shots if they are taken at least a year apart. Shingles vaccine: Caused by the same virus that causes chicken pox, shingles is a painful, blistering skin rash that aff ects more than 1 million Americans every year. All people over age 50 should get the new Shingrix vaccine, which is given in two doses, two to six months apart. Even if you’ve already had shingles, you should still get this vaccination because reoccurring cases are possible. The CDC also recommends that anyone previously vaccinated with Zostavax be revaccinated with Shingrix because it’s signifi cantly more eff ective. All Medicare Part D prescription drug plans cover shingles vaccinations, but coverage amounts, and reimbursement rules vary depending on where the shot is given. Check your plan. Tdap vaccine: A one-time dose of the Tdap vaccine, which covers tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough) is recommended to all adults. If you’ve already had a Tdap shot, you should get a tetanus-diphtheria (Td) booster shot every 10 years. All Medicare Part D prescription drug plans cover these vaccinations. Other vaccinations: Depending on your health conditions, preferences, age and future travel schedule, the CDC offers a “What Vaccines Do You Need?” quiz at www2.CDC.gov/nip/adultimmsched to help you determine what additional vaccines may be appropriate for you. You should also talk to your doctor during your next visit about which vaccinations you should get. To locate a site that off ers any of these vaccines, visit VaccineFinder.org and type in your location. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.
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