Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE - Friday, July 19, 2019 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senator’s votes on roll calls from recent sessions. There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. SUBSCRIBE TO MASSTERLIST - IT’S FREE! Join more than 17,000 other people from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens who start their morning with a copy of MASSterList! MASSterList is a daily ensemble of news and commentary about the Legislature, Politics, Media and Judiciary of Massachusetts drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced editor Jay Fitzgerald. Jay introduces each article in his own clever and never-boring, inimitable way. Go to: www.massterlist. com/subscribe Type in your e-mail address and in 15 seconds you will be signed up for a free subscription. With no strings attached. $300,000 FOR FAMILIES OF SUBSTANCE ABUSED NEWBORNS (S 3) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment that would provide $300,000 to the Health Policy Commission for a childNOISE | from page 7 ment issued by the town’s Board of Health, which permits the plant on Route 107 to operate, according to Hailer. Additionally, Wheelabrator faces $299-a-day penalties for violating Board of Health regulations, he said. “Holding them accountable” On Hailer’s advice, the Board of Health will work with him on the final language of a draft of the “show cause” letter that will be mailed out to Wheelabrator, advising them of the “show cause” hearing set for Monday, Aug. 5 at 6:15 p.m. in the Community Room of the Saugus Public Library. “I’m disappointed Wheelabrator was noticed, but not here tonight,” Hailer said. The attorney said he urged company officials to show up for the Aug. 5 meeting to explain their position in the wake of violations of “numerous state and local bylaws.” Hailer said he considers the state violations “really an event of air pollution.” hood grant program to support and care for families with substance-exposed newborns that suffer from Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS). This syndrome is a group of problems a baby experiences when withdrawing from exposure to narcotics. Sen. Vinny deMacedo (RPlymouth), the sponsor of the amendment, said that newborns that are born with NAS, experience the same withdrawal symptoms that adults with the same dependency would experience [including] GI upset, muscle rigidity and sensory hypersensitivity, and can suffer from long term consequences such as behavioral problems, vision impairments and motor skill delays. “This amendment and the funding it included will be instrumental in targeting communities and assisting families that are in need of support and whose children are in need of treatment,” explained deMacedo. “Not only will this program offer intervention and support, it will be a crucial step in collecting quantitative data on the long term needs of these children experiencing NAS and will allow future children to receive better, more targeted treatment and prevention in the future.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes $5 MILLION FOR SUBSTANCE ABUSE (S 3) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment to implement $5 In an interview after the meeting, Heffernan told The Saugus Advocate that he wasn’t surprised Wheelabrator officials didn’t appear. With the Board of Health threatening lawsuits against Wheelabrator, the company has been absent from most of the board’s meetings over the past year. “This is the first step to let them know we’re holding them accountable,” Heffernan said. “The fines could be substantial and we could rescind or modify their site assignment. We’re basically asking them to appear and explain what exactly happened, why it happened and what they plan to do so it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “We have our path forward and I hope Wheelabrator is amenable to appearing and addressing the town.” Heffernan said he was on vacation during the time he was deluged by “countless emails” and “countless phone calls.” Wheelabrator Technologies, Inc. responds million in programs recommended by the Harm Reduction Commission created by the Legislature in 2018. Provisions include $1.5 million to increase the availability of sterile and safe injection equipment and syringe disposal services; $150,000 for a pilot program to provide access to fentanyl testing strips or other drug checking equipment; and $300,000 to increase the availability of nasal naloxone (brand name Narcan) rescue kits prior to discharge from a facility after treatment for an opioid overdose. Naloxone rescue kits include naloxone and other items used for the emergency treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose. “For close to two decades, the opioid epidemic has consumed communities across the commonwealth,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), the sponsor of the amendment. “We need to focus on what we can do to save lives and harm reduction is an evidence-based approach used to keep people using opioids alive and safe until they progress into clinical treatment … Harm reduction itself should not be seen as a way to end opioid use, but rather as a valuable survival plan, one that has started to gain consensus across the political spectrum as the right thing to do to save lives.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes Michelle Nadeau, Wheelabrator’s Director of Communications and Community Engagement, issued the following response yesterday to the Board of Health’s vote in response to noise complaints: “We have not yet received a letter from the Board of Health so we are not able to comment on its specifics. Wheelabrator operates in compliance with all permits as well as all federal, state, and local environmental and public health regulations, which are among the most stringent of any industry. During repairs earlier this month, the waste-toenergy facility vented steam that was audible to some of our neighbors. We apologize to those neighbors who were inconvenienced by the sound.” Wheelabrator issued press statements Wheelabrator did issue statements to local media last month, explaining that it had to shut down its incinerator on Route 107 in Saugus to make $484,875 FOR GRANTS TO COUNCILS ON AGING (S 3) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment increasing funding for Councils on Aging by $484,875 (from $16,740,125 to $17,225,000.) Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham), the amendment’s sponsor said the money will fund innovation grants to municipal Councils on Aging and will benefit seniors statewide. “Our collective moral compass is set, at least in part, by whether and how we respect our elders,” said Rausch. “Not only do our elders want to age in their chosen communities, but also … this approach to aging builds community, reduces costs, enriches lives and improves health outcomes by notably reducing isolation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Joseph Boncore Yes 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 repairs to solve noise problems which have bothered residents in Saugus and Revere over a two-week period. “The facility is in the process of making unavoidable repairs to a steam turbine. During the repair process, steam that would normally power the turbine to create clean, renewable energy for local homes and businesses was instead being vented safely into the air,” Wheelabrator Director of Communications & Community Engagement Michelle Nadeau said in a written statement last month. “Although the steam was vented through a silencer to reduce sound to the required standard, the venting was still noticeable in some neighborhoods located in close proximity to our facility,” Nadeau said. Board of Selectmen Chair Debra Panetta and Precinct 5 Town Meeting Member Pamela J. Goodwin were the only two residents among less than a dozen people in the audience who addressed the Board of Health during the public feedback period. Wed. July 10 House 10:59 a.m. to 1:51 p.m. Senate 11:11 a.m. to 11:56 a.m. Thurs. July 11 House 11:01 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Fri. July 12 House 11:00 a.m. to 1:51 p.m. Senate 2:13 p.m. to 2:19 p.m. Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com NYRA | from page 10 room rate for Saratoga enthusiasts now through September 30. To book, simply visit encorebostonharbor.com and use promo code EBHRACES. About the New York Racing Association NYRA holds the exclusive franchise to conduct Thoroughbred racing at Aqueduct Racetrack, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course. NYRA tracks are the cornerstone of New York State’s Thoroughbred industry, which is responsible for 19,000 jobs and more than $3 billion in annual economic impact to the state. Over the course of 219 days of live racing in 2018, NYRA generated more than $2.1 billion in all-sources wagering handle with paid attendance exceeding 1.7 million for the fifth consecutive year. For more information about Saratoga Race Course, visit www.NYRA.com. regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been filed. 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 July 8-12, the House met for a total of 10 hours and 35 minutes while the Senate met for a total of one hours and 27 minutes. Mon. July 8 House 11:02 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Senate 11:08 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. Tues. July 9 House 11:02 a.m. to 12:12 p.m. Senate 11:05 a.m. to 11:10 a.m.
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