Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MAY 31, 2024 BEACON | FROM Page 15 “For far too long my constituents, and homeowners across Massachusetts, have been robbed of their rightful equity by greedy profi teers and apathetic bureaucrats,” said Sen. Mark Montigny (D-New Bedford), the sponsor of the amendment. “The Supreme Court’s ruling last year, along with the Hampden Superior Court’s decision last month, brought new hope that this thievery would fi - nally come to an end. The Senate has taken the lead on ending this injustice in Massachusetts and I am proud to ensure that we’ve taken this opportunity to provide strong protections for struggling homeowners who are often facing incredible challenges in their lives. Homeowners deserve relief and any municipality who has engaged in this predatory process should proactively refund the money to those aggrieved.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL ELECTRONIC WAGE CARDS (H 1841) — The House gave initial approval to legislation designed to protect the rights and money of workers who receive their wages through electronic wage ~ Legal Notice ~ A-24-08 Public Hearing Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 40A of the Massachusetts General Laws and Title 17 of the Revised Ordinances of the City of Revere (RRO) that the City of Revere Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) will conduct a public hearing on Tuesday evening, June 18, 2024 at 5:00 P.M. in the City Councillor Joseph A. DelGrosso City Council Chamber, Revere City Hall, 281 Broadway, Revere, MA 02151 on the application of Eight Avon, LLC, 1040-1048 North Shore Road, Unit B2, Revere, MA 02151 requesting the following variances to enable the appellant to 8 Avon Street, Revere, MA 02151: 1. RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to minimum area requirement of 10,000 s.f. within the GB District; 2. RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to minimum frontage requirement of 100 feet within the GB District; 3. RRO Section 17.24.010 (q) with respect to minimum rear yard setback requirement of 20 feet for residential use within the GB District; 4. RRO Section 17.24.010 (q) with respect to minimum front yard setback requirement of 20 feet for residential use within the GB District; 5. RRO Section 17.24.01 (q) with respect to minimum side yard setback requirement of 15 feet for residential use within the GB District; 6. RRO Section 17.24.010 with respect to maximum FAR of 1.5 within the GB District; 7. RRO Section 17.28.020 with respect to minimum parking requirement for apartment use. A copy of the aforementioned proposed plan and application (A-24-08) Massachusetts, Monday through Thursday from 8:00AM-5:00PM. Proponent/opponent testimony will be accepted in writing on or before June 11, 2024. Testimony can be submitted via email to amelnik@revere.org. Ashley E. Melnik, Clerk City of Revere Zoning Board of Appeals May 31, June 7, 2024 REVERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS Public Hearing Notice is hereby given in accordance with the provisions of Section 38N of Chapter 71 of the Massachusetts General Laws, that the Revere School Committee will conduct a public hearing on Monday, June 3, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. in the Emmanuel M. Ferrante School Committee Room and via Zoom, 101 School Street, relative to the Revere Public Schools proposed Fiscal Year 2024-2025 School Operating Budget. All interested persons will be given the opportunity to be heard for or against the whole or any part of the proposed budget. May 24, 31, 2024 cards from their employers. “I sponsored this bill in order to protect workers who receive their wages through electronic wage cards from their employers,” said sponsor Rep. Tackey Chan (D-Quincy). “Without this bill, employees are subject to unfair fees when trying to access their wages. This bill would help ensure that workers are protected, made aware of any fees associated with usage of their card and provided with a means of checking their balances without cost.” PROTECT FIREFIGHTERS (H 2339) — The House gave initial approval to a measure that would require a manufacturer or person that sells Firefi ghting Personal Protective Equipment to any person or government agency, to provide, beginning January 1, 2025, written notice to the buyer, at the time of sale, if the equipment contains toxic PSAs, as well as the reason such chemicals were added to the equipment. Beginning on January 1, 2027, the bill prohibits any person from manufacturing, knowingly selling or distributing any equipment containing intentionally added PFAS chemicals. “Firefi ghters put their life on the line every day to protect the residents of Massachusetts,” said sponsor Rep. Jim Hawkins (D-Attleboro). “The gear used to protect them in the performance of their duties in fact contains PFAS which is contributing to the rates of occupational cancer among Firefi ghters. [The proposal] will not only help identify turnout gear containing PFAS but phase out such forever chemicals from this gear going forward.” REQUIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS (H 2289) — The House gave initial approval to legislation that would allow cities and towns to require the installation of an automatic sprinkler system in every newly-constructed 1- or 2-family home. Sponsor Rep. Ruth Balser (DNewton) said that today’s new homes burn hotter and faster than those of the past because of modern construction techniques and synthetic furnishings. She noted that as a result, residents have only one to three minutes to flee the average home without sprinklers. “Automatic sprinklers work fast and give people more time to escape,” said Balser. “According to the Massachusetts Fire Sprinkler Coalition, having both sprinklers and smoke alarms reduces the risk of dying in a home fi re by 80 percent. Additionally, automatic sprinklers put out 90 percent of home fi res before the fi re department arrives, which reduces ~ Legal Notice ~ fi refi ghters’ exposure to the toxic products of combustion that cause cancer.” $13 MILLION FOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAM — Gov. Healey announced that the state is investing $13 million in the Bridge for Resilient Youth in Transition (BRYT) program, an inschool program supporting students who have fallen behind academically due to challenges with their mental health. This is the fi rst time the state has provided funding to establish BRYT in schools. Up until now, the program had only been available to districts with the economic resources to get it off the ground. “Far too many young people in Massachusetts have been aff ected by a growing mental health crisis that was only amplifi ed by the pandemic,” said Gov. Healey. “Every student should have the support needed to balance their mental health and education. Expanding BRYT is a critical step that is bringing us closer to that goal.” “Across Massachusetts and the nation, young people are struggling,” said?Health and Human Services Secretary Kate Walsh. “They’re expected to juggle academics, extracurriculars, social lives and family needs — often in the harsh and unrelenting light of social media — while also maintaining their mental health.?Teens frequently have to navigate multiple systems to address their health needs. “Our kids shouldn’t have to ‘case manage’ themselves — that’s why BRYT is so valuable,” continued Walsh. BRYT helps students navigate and balance academic requirements and mental health treatment, while also providing the space to take a step back when needed. Expanding this program means that more students than ever before will be able to access the mental health support they need, in their home and at school.?We’re thrilled to help make that a reality.”? 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 May 20-24 the House met for a total of six hours and 49 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 39 hours and 47 minutes. Mon. May 20 House 11:03 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Senate 11:01 a.m. to 3:08 p.m. Tues. May 21 No House session Senate 10:05 a.m. to 8:01 p.m Wed. May 22 House 11:00 a.m. to 5:26 p.m. Senate 10:18 a.m. to 10:13 p.m. Thurs. May 23 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:12 a.m. Senate 10:15 a.m. to 12:04 a.m. (Fri day moirning) Fri. May 24 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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