Page 14 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, AUGUST 14, 2020 Rep. RoseLee Vincent Hey Beacon Hill Roll Call readers: I’m very excited to extend this special invitation to you to join me and listen every Sunday night “live” from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. to my new, light, fun, call-in talk show for Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Put aside all your troubles and enjoy a trip back to the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s for two hours of pure fun and nostalgia. There are many ways you can listen to the show from anywhere in the world: If you have a smart speaker, simply say, “Play WMEX on RADIO.COM” Download the free RADIO.COM app on your phone or tablet Listen online at: www.radio. com/1510wmex/listen Tune into 1510 AM if you still have an AM radio THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from recent late-night sessions during the week of July 27-31. $1 BILLION-PLUS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BOND (H 4932) House 155-4, Senate 39-0, approved and Gov. Charlie Baker signed into law a $1 billion-plus information technology bond titled “An Act Financing the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth.” The state would borrow the funds to fi nance the projects in the bill. The original version of the package was fi led by Baker more than a year ago on April 11, 2019. “We are pleased to have worked closely with the Legislature to sign this bill into law and continue investing in information technology improvements, public safety upgrades and food security across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Baker. “We are continuing to support critical capital investments that modernize our technology infrastructure and allow us to deliver eff ective and reliable government services for the people of Massachusetts during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.” “The Legislature is using a new tactic, which is to borrow money in hopes the public doesn’t catch on,” said Paul Craney, Executive Director SCHOOL | FROM Page 1 Public Schools in the fall semester, while announcing that he was suspending all City of Revere– sponsored and City of Revere– led events and programming. The Revere Teachers Association also voted to begin the school year with remote instruction as part of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “If this package was funded through tax hikes, there would have been a more robust debate for how to pay for it. Many of the election year pet project earmarks would have been left out. Unfortunately, lawmakers know the public doesn’t pay attention to state debt so they were able to add more debt to the most indebted state in the country.” Hundreds of provisions in the bill include massive state projects including $165 million for state telecommunications and data-security-related equipment; $140 million for the purchase and implementation of information technology, telecommunications and data-security-related items for various state agencies; $1.25 million for information technology upgrades for the House of Representatives; $40 million to replace State Police cruisers; and $20 million for policy body cameras. The package also includes hundreds of local projects successfully sought by individual legislators for their districts including $500,000 for New Bedford’s Buttonwood Park Zoological Society’s infrastructure improvements for the animal ambassador and nature connection education center projects; $61,200 to update the town hall conference room’s streaming technology for the local cable services in Stoughton; $15,000 for Medfi eld for the implementation of an electronic payroll program; and $1 million for Everett for electronic learning devices for all Everett students and virtual professional development, training and remote learning support for their teachers. (A «Yes» vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Sen. Joseph Boncore Ye s Ye s Ye s ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT (H 4879, S 2842) House 156-3, Senate 40-0 approved diff erent versions of an economic development package. One of the major diff erences is that only the House version legalizes sports betting. The packages include $20 million for fi nancial and capital assistance of a phased reopening. Drawing on lessons from the spring term, Revere Public Schools has redoubled its eff orts to ensure that remote learning is more structured and eff ectively tailored to the needs of each student. While all teaching will be virtual, the remote learning model of Revere Public Schools grants to restaurants impacted by the 2019 novel coronavirus; $10 million for grants to promote marketing and advertising for in-state cultural and tourist activities during the reopening process; $40 million to redevelop blighted buildings; $50 million for local economic development projects; $10 million for climate-resilient aff ordable housing developments; and $15 million for community college high-demand workforce grants. Other provisions authorize an additional 2800 megawatts of off - shore wind development; extend the state and local permits held by a real estate developer unable to proceed with the project due to pandemic disruptions for one year; allow farmer brewers and farmer distillers to sell, and provide samples of their alcoholic beverages at agricultural events and farmers markets; mandate equitable opportunities in state contracts by expanding an affi rmative marketing program that elevates hiring fi rms owned by women and people of color; loosen regulations for hair braiders; and exclude forgiven Paycheck Protection Program loans from Massachusetts taxable income for the purposes of personal income taxes. “Since this crisis started, more than a million people have applied for unemployment assistance and our economy was put into a coma to stop the coronavirus,” said Senator Eric Lesser (D-Longmeadow), Senate chair of the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. “Half of low-income workers at our small businesses have lost their jobs and the challenges we have faced have been even more pronounced in our Gateway Cities and for our immigrant communities. This legislation gives us the opportunity to rebuild our economy from the bottom up, and from the middle out. It includes vital investments in small businesses, our tourism and cultural sectors, infrastructure, manufacturing, technology, education, and housing development. We need bold solutions that meet this moment and chart a path for a brighter, more inclusive future that works to benefi t the entire commonwealth.” Rep. Angelo Scaccia (D-Boston) said he voted against the bill because he opposes the section that would legalize sports betting. “As a 40-year college and high school football offi cial, I do not want to see college athletes, most of whom are still teenagers, pressured by big money interests.» said Scaccia. A House-Senate conference committee will work out a compromise version of the bill. (A “Yes” vote is for the package. A “No” vote is against it.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Ye s states that the fall term’s remote reopening will see “increased rigor and accountability.” Students will attend a mix of live teaching sessions, during which they will receive direct feedback and instruction from educators, and independent work sessions, to be accessed and completed at times that Sen. Joseph Boncore Ye s Ye s HEALTH CARE (H 4888) House 158-0, approved a bill that sponsors say will increase access to health care, protect patients and enhance quality care. Key provisions would require health insurers to cover telehealth visits for primary care and chronic disease management at the same rate as in-person visits for one year. Behavioral telehealth services, over both phone and video, would be covered at the same rate as in-person care permanently. The Senate has approved a diff erent version of the legislation and a HouseSenate conference committee will work out a compromise. The measure also includes protections against “surprise billing,” the much-criticized practice of charging unsuspecting patients who received health care services outside of their insurance plan’s network for costs that insurers refuse to pay. Another provision would allow registered nurse practitioners, nurse anesthetists and psychiatric nurse mental health specialists who meet specifi c education and training standards to practice independently. Amy Rosenthal, Executive Director of Health Care For All, said she is encouraged by the House passage of the bill which takes some important steps to address issues and gaps in health care access for residents during the COVID-19 pandemic and the future. “Telehealth has proven to be a crucial tool for consumers to be connected to care during the confi nement and economic reopening stages,” said Rosenthal. “The House bill takes strides to extend the state emergency order that allows the implementation of telehealth for the delivery of health care services, including for oral health and behavioral health, for at least the next twelve months. This piece of legislation also tackles surprise medical billing by temporarily prohibiting out-of-network billing practices for one year for emergency and inpatient services.” Rosenthal said she is disappointed that the Legislature did not adopt a critical provision to ensure access to medications for certain chronic conditions and potential COVID-19 vaccines and treatments. Although no senators voted against the bill, some small businesses and health insurance companies have expressed some concerns that it goes too far. “We believe requiring plans to pay telehealth at an inperson rate for two years is too long, and we recommend a shorter time frame for the sunset of payment parity such as 90 days after rescission of the governor’s executive order mandating telehealth,” said the leaders of are convenient for students and their families. The remote learning model also includes strategies to address students’ social and emotional needs. More details of the enhanced remote programming will be forthcoming as the September 16 start date draws near. Anthony D’Ambrosio also Retailers Association of Massachusetts, Massachusetts Association of Health Plans and the state chapter of the National Federal of Independent Business. They suggested that a transition period tied to the end of the COVID-19 pandemic would allow for payers and providers to negotiate appropriate reimbursement for certain health care services that may not represent a comprehensive in-person consultation between a member and a provider. They also argued that currently contracted rates between providers and insurers for telehealth services cannot be circumvented by statute. (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Bob DeLeo Rep. RoseLee Vincent Y e s Y e s CLIMATE BILL (H 4912) House 142-17, approved a climate change bill that addresses a 2050 emissions reduction roadmap, solar energy net metering, grid modernization and workforce development. A key section makes the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal net zero by 2050 including a 50 percent decrease by 2030, and a 75 percent reduction by 2040. The Senate has approved a different version of the bill and a conference committee will try to hammer out a compromise version of the measure. “The science is clear: to avoid the devastation of climate change, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced to net zero by 2050,” said Rep. Joan Meschino (D-Hull). “This goal will only be met by a comprehensive planning process, which locks in key milestones now to get us there in 30 years. I fi led the 2050 Roadmap Bill to help us achieve that objective.” “We must never forget that our children and other young people are already experiencing the disastrous eff ects of climate change, and that they aren’t tomorrow’s leaders, but leaders today in a broken world that is already negatively aff ecting their quality of life,” said Sen. Jack Lewis (DFramingham). “These young leaders know that we as a species have made our planet sick, and that Band-Aids and well wishes in place of bold climate action will only guarantee our planet’s terminal diagnosis.” Ben Hellerstein, State Director for Environment Massachusetts said the House bill doesn’t go far enough and missed its chance to put Massachusetts on track to 100 percent renewable energy when it passed this ultimately fl awed bill. “A climate scientist recently said that we’re risking a planet-wide ‘fi ve-alarm fi re’ with global warming. Now’s the time to BEACON | SEE Page 15 emphasized that Revere Public Schools must take special care and invest additional resources to ensure that it meets the needs of children with learning disabilities. He stated, “These are among our most vulnerable and most easily alienated students in these diffi cult times; we must make special eff orts for them.”
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