THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2023 Page 19 BEACON | FROM Page 16 ized groups of people, including identity-based bigotry,” said the sponsor of S 1116 Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham). “That hatred can manifest as dangerous doxing, publishing someone’s personally identifying information without their consent and with malicious intent. [The bill] establishing a right to freedom from doxing, would explicitly declare doxing to be unlawful and provide recourse for doxing through either a private cause of action or civil suit fi led by the attorney general.” “My commitment to the well-being and safety of the commonwealth is one of my top priorities,” said Rep. Tram Nguyen (D-Andover), the sponsor of H 1707. “In an era where technology connects us, it’s important to provide protections against doxing so that no one lives in fear of harassment, stalking, or harm. This bill will advance our shared responsibility to establish a safer and more respectful digital community for all.” “I believe that everyone has a fundamental right to privacy online, which is why I fi led legislation to protect individuals against incidents of doxing,” said Sen. Barry Finegold (D-Andover), the sponsor of S 971. “Ensuring privacy for all residents within the commonwealth, especially those most vulnerable to this malicious action, continues to be one of my legislative priorities.” BAN PHISHING AND TRACKING (H 1573) – The Judiciary Committee hearing also included legislation that would outlaw the practice of phishing, which involves using fraudulent e-mail solicitations in an attempt to obtain an individual’s personal information, including computer passwords, bank account and credit card numbers. The bill would establish the punishment for phishing as a fi ne of up to $5,000 and/or up to a 2.5 year jail sentence. “Phishing scams are evolving daily, morphing into more complex schemes intended to defraud a wide range of targets, from individual residents of the commonwealth to large financial service institutions,” said sponsor Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading). “As these phishing attempts become more sophisticated, it is imperative that we continue to modernize our laws to combat and prevent these types of scams to protect the public.” The committee’s agenda also included a bill fi led by Jones that would prohibit the use of motor vehicle tracking devices without the consent of the vehicle’s owner. The provisions of this bill would not apply to systems installed by the manufacturer of a motor vehicle, car rental businesses or insurance companies with the vehicle owner’s consent. “Motor vehicle tracking devices provide a useful tool for law enforcement, parents and legal guardians of children who are minors, and business owners tracking company vehicles, and those uses would continue to be allowed under this bill,” said Jones. “The real purpose of this bill is to promote public safety by preventing individuals from using these devices to engage in predatory activities such as stalking.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “Through the creation of readiness plans on college campuses, we are ensuring that more people will have safe and eff ective options for reproductive health care. Schools can and should use this toolkit to evaluate and improve their capacity to provide sexual and reproductive health services. Every student in Massachusetts deserves thoughtful and comprehensive support when making decisions about their own health.” ---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announcing the launch of the Medication Abortion Toolkit for Public Colleges and Universities. The toolkit is designed to assist Massachusetts’ public colleges and universities in preparing medication abortion readiness plans to provide, or make referrals for, medication abortion on college campuses in accordance with new Massachusetts law. “Work authorization is key to helping new arrivals get jobs that will help them support their families, move out of emergency shelter into more stable housing options, and fi ll critical workforce needs across our economy. We’re proud that the fi rst week of this clinic has proven to be such a success, with more than 1,000 people served.” ---Gov. Maura Healey announcing that her administration assisted some 1,200 work-eligible migrants staying in emergency family shelters with obtaining work authorizations in the fi rst week of its Work Authorization Legal Clinic in partnership with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. “Quick Temp repeatedly denied their employees a prevailing wage and other benefi ts guaranteed to them by law. As we approach the holiday season, these issues of wage theft become even more pressing to resolve. My office will continue to hold accountable those who violate our wage and hour laws and do so in partnership with our unions and trades.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell announcing a series of citations against Quick Temp., Inc., totaling $1,392,665, in restitution and civil fi nes for violations including failure to pay a prevailing wage, failure to pay minimum wage, failure to pay overtime, non-payment of wages and failure to accrue earned sick leave. “Gov. Healey and Statehouse politicians need to realize they cannot tax their way out of their spending problem. These high tax policies do nothing but make Massachusetts an unaff ordable place to live, retire and do business in.” ---Paul Craney, spokesman for the Mass Fiscal Alliance commenting on the Tax Foundation’s new report that ranks Massachusetts as in fi fth in the most state and local tax collections per capita in each state as of fiscal year fi scal year 2021, the most recent year for which full state-by-state data are available. 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 November 2024, the House and Senate both met for a total of 30 minutes each. Mon. Nov. 20 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. Senate 11:05 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Tues. Nov. 21 No House session No Senate session Wed. Mon. 22 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:07 a.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 11:25 a.m. Thurs. Nov. 23 No House session No Senate session Fri. Nov. 24 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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