Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 23, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 20 “We put the bill forward to prevent public entities from requiring vaccination for entry into public buildings,” said Sponsor Rep. Peter Durant (R-Spencer). “This includes schools of any types. We have heard from a number of concerned parents that their children were not being allowed to attend college or other schools unless they were vaccinated. This created a devastating situation in which students and parents had to make a choice between getting something they may not have wanted and getting an education that they need. We believe that this creates a problem within the 14th amendment Privileges and Immunity Clause, as well as the Commerce Clause of the US Constitution. ALLOW ALCOHOL SALES ON THANKSGIVING (H 353) – The Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would allow for the sale of alcohol on Thanksgiving. “Currently, 33 states already allow Thanksgiving alcohol sales including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York and New Jersey,” said sponsor Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick). “Prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Thanksgiving likely dates back to colonial times when drinking alcohol on holidays was considered ‘unholy.” [The bill] would not require that a liquor store be open on Thanksgiving, but rather would give them that option. Notably, a majority of liquor stores that are open in states which do allow sales on Thanksgiving are closed by mid-day. This gives last minute shoppers the opportunity to purchase alcohol as they would any other item at the grocery store, while still allowing employees to celebrate Thanksgiving.” FINANCIAL SCAMS AGAINST SENIORS AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (H 613) – The Elder Affairs Committee held a hearing on a measure that would impose an additional $2,500 fi ne on anyone who is convicted of perpetrating a fi nancial or other fraud against a person if the person is a senior or disabled individual. The bill would also create a special account to distribute educational materials to seniors and people with disabilities on how to be on the lookout for frauds or scams and would fund seminars people to better inform them of their rights as a consumer. “I fi led this bill after hearing from many constituents over the years who were concerned with deceptive actions being perpetrated against seniors or people with disabilities,” said sponsor Rep. Bruce Ayers (D-Quincy). “Those who perpetrate fraud against seniors and disabled individuals are constantly changing their methods to A GREAT SEASON TO START FRESH IN A NEW HOME! Welcome Summer! Sandy Juliano Broker/President Follow Us On: OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, JUNE 25 12 NOON - 1:00 PM NEW LISTING BY NORMA! 709 Broadway, Everett, 4 units $1,350,000. SOLD OVER ASKING! LISTED BY SANDY! 3 Bedroom, 1 1/2 Bath Ranch, 6 Bridge Street, Tewksbury - $499,900. 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 Norma Capuano Parziale 617-590-9143 try and fi nd new ways of committing fraud. We need to adjust our eff orts for prevention to be proactive in protecting our vulnerable residents from scams and fi - nancial abuse.” LOAN REPAYMENT ASSISTANCE FOR HUMAN SERVICE WORKERS (H 214) – The Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities Committee held a hearing on legislation that would provide fi nancial assistance to some human service workers to repay their student loans. Under the program, human service workers who work 12 consecutive months for a minimum of 35 hours per week and who have an individual income of no more than $50,000 can qualify for loan repayment of up to $150 per month for up to 48 months. “Human service workers perform an extremely diffi cult job for woefully low wages,” said Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). “Assisting with repayment of student loans could help alleviate some of the fi nancial burdens that new graduates face when choosing to work in their fi eld of study. Given the cost of living in Massachusetts and the value added by ensuring that those who are in need receive the best care the commonwealth can give them, [this bill] seems a small step to show our human service workers that we value their important contributions.” COMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS SHOOTING AT A HOUSE OR APARTMENT (H 1681) – The Judiciary Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would impose up to a fi ve-year prison sentence and/ or $10,000 fi ne on anyone who discharges an assault weapon, fi rearm, large capacity weapon, machine gun, rifl e, sawed-off shotgun or shotgun into a dwelling. Under current law this crime is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a 30day jail sentence and/or $100 fi ne. Supporters also said that under current law the punishment is disproportionate to the severity of this type of incident. They noted this crime, primarily committed by gang members, is often used as an intimidation tactic without regard for the innocent people in the home. “Random and intentional gun shots into homes can cause grave physical and mental consequences to homeowners and their families,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Rady Mom (D-Lowell). “It also creates an unsafe environment and heightens public distrust in the neighborhood where it occurs. This bill will give law enforcement offi cers the necessary tools to keep our cities safe.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “Recently, multiple news articles, op-eds, and think tank reports have asserted that Massachusetts is suff ering an exodus of households, particularly high-income households, fl eeing to states with lower taxes. A closely related claim is that outmigrants are taking billions of dollars out of the Massachusetts economy when they leave. These claims about income migration are both overblown and based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the available data.” --- From a report by the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center. Rosemarie Ciampi 617-957-9222 “The MassTrails Grant program enables the Healey … Administration and our partners to grow our trails system and, ultimately, reduce transportation emissions. We know our residents want to get outside and enjoy their commute and their communities, but don’t always have an accessible, safe way to get around. MassTrails makes that possible through collaboration and connection.” --- Secretary of Energy and Environmental Aff airs, Secretary Rebecca Tepper announcing $11.6 million in funding through the MassTrails Grant Program to support 68 trail improvement projects across the Bay State. “Residents throughout our disDenise Matarazzo 617-953-3023 617-294-1041 tricts are struggling with substance use disorders and the data shows that this crisis is only continuing to grow. It is on us –as a commonwealth– to do whatever we can to increase treatment services in our communities, and these reimbursement rates for substance use providers play a critical role in that.” ---Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld) calling for the state to increase the MassHealth reimbursement rates for substance-related and addictive disorders program. “Action on reducing plastics is overdue. The pollution and litter are everywhere, the public --by dint of the 156 cities and towns who have passed local bans---is in support, and passing these bills will result in a cleaner and more sustainable commonwealth.” ---Janet Domenitz, Director of MASSPIRG on her support for several bills limiting the use of a variety of single use plastics. “The proposed bag regulations override the majority of local rules to ban reusable, recyclable American-made plastic bags in favor of higher-cost, imported alternatives that are still made from plastic, cannot be recycled, and have larger environmental impacts. We urge lawmakers to reject these unsustainable proposals that would increase costs on Massachusetts families and look forward to collaborating with all stakeholders on more sustainable, alternative approaches as these discussions continue.” --- Zachary Taylor, director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance criticizing many of the bills. 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 June 12-16, the House met for a total of 35 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 09 hours and 51 minutes. Mon. June 12 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:17 a.m. Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Tues. June 13 No House session No Senate session Wed. June 14 No House session No Senate session Thurs. June 15 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:18 a.m. Senate 11:26 a.m. to 9:06 p.m. Fri. June 16 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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