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Page 22 BEACON | FROM Page 20 posting a job position. The measure also would require employers with 100 or more employees to fi le annual employment data reports, including information on employee demographics and salaries, with the state. In addition, the bill directs the Executive Offi ce of Labor and Workforce Development to track compensation data and fi le an annual report on data showing the state’s progress toward equal pay for equal work. The House has already approved a diff erent version of the proposal. The Senate version now goes to the House for consideration. Supporters said that in the Greater Boston area in 2021, women on average were paid 70 cents for every dollar earned by a man. They noted this gap widens among communities of color. “Many workers, especially women and people of color, underestimate their own value in the job market,” said Sen. Pat Jehlen (DSomerville). “The 2016 Equal Pay Act made real progress on breaking down barriers by banning employers asking applicants for salary history. This helped women and people of color who were changing jobs because their past low pay didn’t follow them their whole lives. However, it didn’t help applicants learn how much a job could pay or how to assess their work’s value to be able to get past the new barrier of their salary expectations. This bill will give workers a better chance to be paid fairly by giving them straight forward information and help them have reasonable expectations.” “In the commonwealth of Massachusetts, we take pride in our worldclass academic institutions, competitive talent pool and vast opportunities for economic success,” said Sen. Paul Feeney (D-Foxborough). “Yet when we take a closer look at the earnings of commonwealth residents, it is clear we continue to fall short of closing long-standing racial and gender wage gaps that dramatically suppress the earnings of women and people of color. By requiring disclosure of salary ranges for an open job posting, publishing aggregate demographic data to track wage inequities by race and gender across industries, and protecting an employee’s right to ask for salary range information in the workplace, we have the opportunity to recruit and retain skilled workers while closing the wage gap and ultimately boosting our commonwealth’s competitive edge.” “While I agree with the overarching concept of salary range transparency postings for larger businesses, I voted no on this bill because it would place an undue burden on small business,” said Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton), the lone opponent of the measure. “Subjecting small businesses, who employ even as few as 25 individuals, to the salary range posting portion of the bill with violation fi nes for failing to properly disclose said information is unnecessary. Most small businesses are not equipped with the technical tools to develop the most accurate salary ranges for their job postings. With its existing laws, Massachusetts already makes it diffi cult to run a business free of excessive government mandates and penalties.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill. A “No” vote is against it.) Sen. Lydia Edwards Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL REGULATE TICKETS TO CONCERTS AND OTHER EVENTS (S 2442) – The Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure Committee held a hearing on legislation that would require that the total price of tickets for live entertainment events, including fees, be displayed to consumers in a clear and conspicuous manner at the beginning of the purchasing process. The measure would also prohibit price increases during the purchasing process. “Far too often, surprise fees pop up at the end of the ticket purchasing process that consumers throughout Massachusetts had no idea about,” said sponsor Sen. John Velis (D-Westfield). “Whether it’s tickets to a Taylor Swift concert or a Patriots game, people shouldn’t have to struggle through the process of finding tickets and then learn that they can’t even afford them anymore. At the most fundamental level, this legislation enables folks to know their budget when they go in to buy tickets and know the amount that they’re ultimately going to be asked to spend.” HEARING AIDS (H 3554) – The Financial Services Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would require all health care plans to provide coverage for hearing aids. “I have heard from constituents about the high cost of hearing aids, and as a caregiver myself, I witnessed the vital need for seniors to be able to hear in order to communicate and advocate for themselves,” said sponsor Rep. Kristin Kassner (DHamilton). “It’s stunning to me that these important medical devices are not covered by insurance. This bill seeks to rectify that.” ESTABLISH STUDENTS ENTREPRENEURIAL AND ECONOMIC INVESTMENT FUND (H 415) – The Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies held a hearing on a measure that would create a Student Entrepreneurial and Economic Investment Fund to provide an opportunity for interested students to gain experience in entrepreneurialism and early-stage business development while fostering an economic environment that will attract students to the commonwealth and forge a relationship between the public higher education system and the Massachusetts business community. “Under Massachusetts’ current exam-driven public education system, attention to entrepreneurship and personal improvement beyond the classroom is often forgotten,” said sponsor House MinorTHE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2023 quately addressed. ity Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “This legislation will provide valuable opportunities for students, encourage them to develop relationships with the public higher education system and the Massachusetts business community, and contribute to the present and future economic growth of the commonwealth.” SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMS (H 1169) – The Health Care Financing Committee held a hearing on a bill that would expand smoking cessation benefits for MassHealth recipients by providing coverage for additional cessation services including individual, group and phone counseling by a physician, dentist, behavioral health counselor, mental health counselor, certifi ed tobacco use cessation counselor or other qualifi ed clinicians. MassHealth the state’s Medicaid program that provides health care for low-income and disabled persons. “[The bill] would increase the number of certifi ed practitioners available to provide evidencebased counseling for those seeking assistance quitting tobacco,” said sponsor Rep. Christine Barber (DSomerville). “Not only will this legislation help smokers identify their resources for quitting, but it could inspire someone who would not otherwise have taken on the diffi - cult task of ending their addiction to do so.” BAN STATE FUNDS FOR PLANNED PARENTHOOD (H 1224) – Another measure heard by the Health Care Financing Committee would prohibit any state funds from being made available to Planned Parenthood Federation of America, or to any of its affi liates. “Planned Parenthood is a wellfunded organization that is often very politically active and very partisan,” said Rep. Jospeh McKenna (RWebster). “I believe that this alone is enough to keep it from receiving state funding. I further feel that those who believe that abortion, the taking of human baby’s life, is morally reprehensible should not have their tax dollars go to a private organization who has this as its core mission.” LIMIT TRAIN IDLING (H 3268) – The Transportation Committee held a hearing on legislation that would prohibit a locomotive train engine from idling longer than 30 minutes. The measure would also require the Department of Environmental Protection to investigate idling violations and conduct emissions tests to determine whether a train’s emissions exceed carbon regulations, in which case the violator would be fi ned up to $5,000 per incident. Supporters said that trains will often park and idle for up to 24 hours, creating a nuisance for those living in nearby neighborhoods and harming the environment as well. They noted there are existing laws dealing with idling motor vehicles, including school buses, but the issue of trains idling in communities across the state has not been ade“This isn’t solely a regional concern; it aff ects communities spanning from Cape Cod to the Berkshires,” said sponsor Rep. John Barrett (D-North Adams). “[The bill] will prevent unnecessary emissions and improve the quality of life for those who live close to idling trains.” POLICE AND FIREFIGHTER DEATH BENEFITS (H 2641) – The Public Service Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would change the current law which pays the family of a deceased police offi cer, fi refi ghter or corrections offi cer the maximum pay for the position the person holds even if that person had not reached the maximum pay level. The bill would increase the pension given to the family of the deceased by giving them the next grade-step above his or her position after their death. “I believe this bill is important so those who have perished while protecting their communities can continue to support their families and loved ones after their passing,” said sponsor Rep. Angelo Puppolo (DSpringfi eld). “Providing these benefi ts relieves some of the burden from those left behind by someone who perished while actively fulfi lling their roles and duties.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “The ability to work, play and enjoy our outdoor spaces is a matter of environmental justice. This program is another example of the HealeyDriscoll Administration’s eff orts to ensure our outdoor recreational areas are fairly and evenly distributed among all Massachusetts communities. From a new splash pad to cool off in the summer to an accessible town green for all people to gather, these grants will go a long way to bringing communities together outdoors.” --- Executive Offi ce of Energy and Environmental Aff airs Secretary Rebecca Tepper announcing more than $6.6 million in grant funding to make parkland and trail improvements and preserve and protect land in Massachusetts. “Teen driver crashes aff ect everybody on the road. Parents and caregivers play a critical role in making sure young drivers learn in a safe environment.” --- Mark Schieldrop, spokesman for AAA Northeast revealing the number of fatalities in teen driver crashes in Massachusetts reached 49 -- its highest point in over a decade. “The cost of housing is the biggest challenge facing the people of Massachusetts. We said from day one of our administration that we were going to prioritize building more housing to make it more aff ordable across the state. The Affordable Homes Act delivers on this promise by unlocking $4 billion to support the production, preservation and rehabilitation of more than 65,000 homes statewide. It’s the largest housing investment in Massachusetts history. Together, we’re going to make our state a place where people can aff ord to move to and stay to build their future.” ---Gov. Maura Healey unveiling a $4 billion plan to jumpstart the production of homes and make housing more aff ordable across the Bay State. “We appreciate the work the state has done to welcome new arrivals and recognize the obstacles it faces in trying to address this massive humanitarian crisis. But it’s now time for the state to approve more funding for shelters and for Congress to get its act together and pass immigration reform that allows immigrants to work.” --- Elizabeth Sweet, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy (MIRA) Coalition responding to the announcement by Gov. Healey that shelters are nearing capacity. “As a former mayor, I understand how important these grants are to ensuring safer streets in our neighborhoods. Every community seeks to enhance the safety of their roadways, but each faces unique needs. This program provides cities and towns the fl exibility to identify and invest in the traffi c safety issues that are most pressing in their own communities.” ---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announcing $5.4 million in grants to 186 Massachusetts towns and cities to support traffi c safety enforcement and outreach programming. 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. During the week of October 1620, the House met for a total of seven hours while the Senate met for a total of one hour and 37 minutes. Mon. Oct. 16 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:06 a.m. Senate 11:26 a.m. to 11:34 a.m. Tues. Oct. 17 No House session No Senate session Wed. Oct. 18 House 11:00 a.m. to 5:48 p.m. No Senate session Thurs. Oct. 19 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:07.a.m. Senate l:00 p.m. to 2:29 p.m. Fri. Oct. 20 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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