Page 22 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 30, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 20 the past few years have approved home rule petitions lowering the voting age to 16 for their municipal elections. But none of the proposals were approved by the Legislature and most were shipped off to a study committee where they died. ALLOW NON-CITIZENS TO VOTE (H 671) – The Elections Laws Committee’s hearing also included a proposal that would permit cities and towns to allow non-citizens over age 18 to vote in local municipal elections. The elections in which non-citizens could vote include an election for mayor, school committee, city council, town council, select board, a school commitAmerican Exterior and Window Corporation Contact us for all of your home improvement projects and necessities Telephone: 617-699-1782 Toll Free: 1-888-744-1756 Email: info@americanexteriorandwindow.com All estimates, consultations or inspections Insured and Registered Complete Financing tee referendum and a local ballot referendum. “Non-citizen residents of Massachusetts are already participating deeply in civic life by attending parent-teacher conferences, working toward college degrees, donating their time for community projects, running local businesses and of course, paying their taxes,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge). “That is why I am proud to refi le this legislation to extend voting rights in municipal elections to noncitizen voters of the commonwealth.” A similar bill fi led by Connolly last year was shipped off to a study committee where bills are rarely actually studied and are essentially defeated. It is a way to kill a proposal without holding a vote on the bill itself. SLAVERY REPARATIONS (H 3921) – Rep. Brandy Fluker Oakley (D-Boston) has proposed a late-fi led bill that would create a commission to study and develop proposals for lineage-based reparations programs to redress the harm resulting from the institution of slavery in the state, systemic racism against enslaved people and their descendants; and the lasting eff ects of slavery and institutional and systemic racism in the Bay State. “Celebrating Juneteenth is not only about joy and fellowCOMMERCIAL & RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY SALES & RENTALS Happy July 4th! Sandy Juliano Broker/President Follow Us On: OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, JULY 1st 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 ship, but also about recognizing the work that needs to be done to make the commonwealth a more just place for all,” said Fluker Oakley. “This bill is an actionable step toward making reparations for Black Americans a reality not only in our state, but also to inspire our nation to do the same. It is not enough for us to just speak on these issues and acknowledge them, but we must also put these values into practice and support legislation that will make a real change.” “With the median net worth of $8 for blacks and $247,500 for whites in the capital city of the commonwealth, the time is now to move towards reckoning with the systems that have continued to contribute to causing this divide,” said Repair America Collective spokesperson, Aziza Robinson-Goodnight. “We’d like to emphasize this is just the beginning, repair for Black Americans is long overdue. Since the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620, Massachusetts has claimed to be the enlightened moral center of the New World and forming a commission to study and develop proposals for lineage-based reparations programs is signifi cant for Massachusetts. This is an historic step for us all and brings us closer towards holistic repair for racialized harm.” QUOTABLE QUOTES – Special “Who’s Looking At What Edition.” According to the Legislature’s website, here are some of the top bills that visitors to the site are searching. Fiscal Year 2023 $55 billion plus state budget (H 57) Protecting the rights of older adults and people with disabilities by requiring all nursing homes to establish a human rights committee with the power to investigate the complaints of residents (S 399) Regulating dress codes in schools (S 290) Allowing a person to change their gender on their marriage CONCERT | FROM Page 1 “We expect the professionRosemarie Ciampi 617-957-9222 als to tell us what to do,” said O’Brien. “It was an amazing event from start to fi nish,” said Councillor-atLarge Marc Silvestri. “From parking, to entrances and exits, security, it was unbelievable.” City Council President Pro Denise Matarazzo 617-953-3023 617-294-1041 Tempore Joanne McKenna said she received just one call about noise, from an elderly resident who lives near the track. “Congratulations. It’s great to have this back in the city. You’re doing a fantastic job,” she told O’Brien. Police Chief David Callahan also praised the event. “We were included in the traffi c plan. It was very professional, one of the best I’ve seen in 30 years. There were certifi cate (S 975) Prohibiting any non-electric cars from being a self-driving car also known as autonomous vehicles (H 3298) 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 1923, the House met for a total of 55 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 42 minutes. Mon. June 19 No House session No Senate session Tues. June 20 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:16 a.m. Senate 11:05 a.m. to 11:12 a.m Wed. June 21 No House session No Senate session Thurs. June 22 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:41 a.m. Senate 11:09 a.m. to 11:44 a.m. Fri. June 23 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. no arrests, no trouble whatsoever. It was an excellent plan,” he said. Councillor-at-Large Steven Morabito did ask O’Brien about their original plans, which included an indoor concert venue. Morabito said an indoor venue was desirable for residents during the winter months and for local businesses. He asked O’Brien if an indoor concert space is still part of the plan. O’Brien said HYM still wants to create a more permanent indoor venue. They are now working on the 25 percent of the property that is to be dedicated to open space. “The outdoor concert was an attempt to bring people to the site,” said O’Brien. “Now, we can work to make this better. Our next show is in September.”
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