Page 16 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2022 BEACON | FROM Page 14 or even enter some government buildings without showing an ID. “I fi led this amendment to protect the integrity of every U.S. citizen’s vote in Massachusetts while providing the opportunity to get a free picture ID for those who don’t have one,” said sponsor Rep. Paul Frost (R-Auburn) “A free ID avoids the issues and barriers of a so-called poll tax, while making sure each voter is who they say they are when voting.” Opponents of the amendment said it would disenfranchise thousands of voters including people who do not have a current address because they are in a homeless shelter or domestic violence facility. Other opponents said there have been no widespread reports of voter fraud in Massachusetts. (A “Yes” vote is for requiring a voter ID to vote. A “No” vote is against requiring it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Jeff Turco Yes RAISE PENALTIES FOR VOTER FRAUD (H 4359) House 32-126, rejected an amendment to a current law that imposes up to a $10,000 fi ne and/or up to a 5-year prison sentence on anyone who knowingly engages in any type of voting fraud including illegally registering to vote; illegally voting or attempting to vote; voting more than once; and aiding and abetting a person who is illegally voting. The amendment would raise the fi ne to up to $20,000. “Maintaining the integrity of our elections is of paramount importance and is not a partisan issue,” said House Minority Leader Rep. Brad Jones (R-North Reading), the sponsor of the amendment. “Expanding the existing fi - nancial penalties for those individuals who knowingly attempt to engage in voting fraud will provide a strong deterrent to help prevent this type of illegal activity.” “We’re in agreement,” said Rep. Dan Ryan (D-Charlestown), the House chair of the Elections Laws Committee. “Of course we all want safe and secure elections. That’s why we are here … there are safeguards already in place, in Massachusetts General Law, to prevent such fraud and abuse of our electoral system. And study after study has also shown that election fraud is not as prevalent as some might think it is, or as folks purport it to be. So therefore $10,000 seems like an appropriate deterrent to election fraud. So I ask for a ‘No’ vote on the amendment, as what is in place is currently working.” (A “Yes” vote is for raising the fi ne to up to $20,000. A “No” vote is against raising it.) Rep. Jessica Giannino No Rep. Jeff Turco Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL ALLOW PHARMACISTS TO GIVE INSULIN IN AN EMERGENCY (S 691) – Shipped off to a study committee was a bill that would permit pharmacists to issue insulin to patients in emergency situations, which is described as an event in which authorization for the dispensing of insulin may not be readily obtained from a doctor or other practitioner. The pharmacist would be limited to providing the insulin every six months per individual. “In Massachusetts, it is unconscionable to think any person living with diabetes could lose their life because they are rationing insulin or unable to access this lifesaving medication,” said sponsor Your Hometown News Delivered! EVERETT ADVOCATE MALDEN ADVOCATE REVERE ADVOCATE SAUGUS ADVOCATE MALDEN ADV REVERE ADV SAUGUS ADV One year subscription to The Advocate of your choice: $150 per paper in-town per year or $200 per paper out-of-town per year. Name_________________________________________ Address_______________________________________ City_______________ State_______ Zip ____________ CC# _______________________________ Exp. _____ Sec. code____ Advocate (City):___________________ Clip & Mail Coupon with Credit Card, Check or Money Order to: Advocate Newspapers Inc. PO Box 490407, Everett, MA 02149 Sen. Anne Gobi (D-Spencer). “I look forward to refi ling this legislation. Data shows that diabetes is on the rise in our communities. The time to take action is now.” Gobi also noted that many states currently have similar laws. PROHIBIT REVOCATION OF PROFESSIONAL LICENSES (H 5195) – The House and Senate gave fi nal approval to and sent to Gov. Baker legislation that would repeal current state laws which create professional licensure consequences for anyone who defaults on their student loan. Under existing law, a borrower’s state-issued professional or occupational certifi cate, registration or license can be suspended, revoked or cancelled if the borrower is in default on an education loan. “This draconian approach prevents an individual from access to the profession for which he or she has trained and has the perverse result of furthering hindering their ability to earn a living and making it more diffi cult to make loan payments, said cosponsor Rep. Kate Lipper-Garabedian (D-Melrose). “And as families work to recover from the fi nancial fallout of the pandemic, the last thing the state should do is deny them access to their professional pursuits because of student loan defaults.” “Student loan debt disproportionately aff ects young, low-income individuals who are making the kinds of investments in their future that we should be encouraging,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Revoking professional licenses that they obtained with a student loan does nothing to solve the problem of loan defaults, and it actively makes the problem worse by preventing new professionals from having the means to pay off their loans.” “Nearly one million Massachusetts residents are struggling because of student loans. As the federal moratorium approaches its end, we must recognize COVID-19’s continuous impact on employment and borrowers’ fi nancial situations,” said Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton), Senate Chair of the Judiciary Committee. “The bill will ensure that borrowers, who are heavily burdened by student loans, can still continue their career and work towards repayments of their educational loans.” QUOTABLE QUOTES “As energy costs go up this winter, we want to make sure families know that help is out there to put food on the table and keep the lights on in their homes. We’re grateful to Project Bread and our regional food banks and pantries for partnering with us to educate residents on how they can access the fi nancial assistance and support they need.” ---Governor-elect Maura Healey on collaborating with Project Bread and the state’s regional food banks and pantries on a campaign to educate residents about assistance available to help pay their monthly energy bills this winter. “Governor-elect Healey and I are thrilled with the engagement we’re seeing from people across the state who want to contribute to our administration and help us move Massachusetts forward. We are carefully reviewing every application and idea submitted to us, and we strongly encourage people to keep them coming. We also continue to do outreach to local, state and federal offi cials, business groups, advocacy organizations and other key stakeholders to make sure we are reaching the best talent.” ---Lieutenant Governor-elect and Transition Chair Kim Driscoll on the hundreds of people applying for jobs in the new administration. (Those who are interested in joining the Healey-Driscoll administration should apply at www. HealeyDriscollTransition.com Those who would like to submit their ideas for the new administration can also do so there). “Urban communities suff er disproportionately from toxic, polluted air. Holyoke and Worcester are two of the cities most burdened by negative health impacts like asthma because of this type of pollution. Durham School Services must own up to its role in this problem, stop violating anti-idling laws, and commit to reducing pollution from its buses.” --- Heather Govern, director of the Conservations Law Foundation’s (CLF) Clean Air and Water program, on the lawsuit that CLF has fi led again Durham School Services for polluting environmental justice neighborhoods in Holyoke and Worcester with harmful tailpipe emissions in violation of the Clean Air Act. “These awards will help equip Massachusetts sheriff s with the resources they need to treat substance abuse among inmates. Our ability to address the opioid crisis relies on the availability of services to those struggling with addiction, and we see high need among those who are incarcerated.” --- Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito on the administration’s awarding $243,000 in federal funding that will be distributed to Massachusetts sheriffs, allowing them to deliver substance use treatment to incarcerated individuals across the state as part of continuing efforts to address the harm of substance use disorder while ensuring safety in cities and towns. 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 November 21-25, the House met for a total of 28 minutes and the Senate met for a total of 58 minutes. Mon. Nov. 21 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. Senate 11:02 a.m. to 11:53 a.m. Tues. Nov. 22 No House session No Senate session Wed. Nov. 23 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:08 a.m. Senate 11:02 a.m. to 11:09 a.m. Thurs. Nov. 24 No House session No Senate session Fri. Nov. 25 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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