Page 18 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2023 BEACON | FROM Page 16 ule would be. The House voted [for] two conference committee reports and a series of budget veto overrides. I only missed the one day of formal session, but the House took up quite a few votes that day.” REPRESENTATIVES’2023 ROLL CALL ATTENDANCE RECORDS THROUGH DECEMBER 1, 2023 The percentage listed next to the representatives’ name is the percentage of roll call votes on which the representative voted. The number in parentheses represents the number of roll calls that he or she missed. Rep. Jessica Giannino 100 percent (0) Rep. Jeff Turco 100 percent (0) ALSO, UP ON BEACON HILL BAN HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE THAT TARGETS THE HOMELESS (H 3963) – The State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would prohibit the state, the MBTA and cities and towns from constructing “hostile architecture” that supporters of the ban say targets the homeless and tries to push them out of certain areas. The bill defi nes hostile architecture as “any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level.” According to Robert Rosenberger, an associate professor of philosophy at Georgia Institute of Technology, who has studied and written extensively on the subject, hostile architecture includes armrests that divide benches so that the bench is not long enough to sleep on, sprinklers that are turned on at night and certain trash cans. “Garbage cans … serve several functions for people living unhoused,” said Rosenberger. “Some people use garbage cans as a source of recyclable materials [which] can often be exchanged for a small sum of money. Garbage cans are also sometimes approached as a source of discarded food.” He notes that many newer garbage cans are built so that people cannot reach inside them to obtain recycled bottles or cans or leftover food. Supporters say that family homelessness in Greater Boston has doubled over the last decade, shelters are overcrowded and waiting lists for aff ordable housing are in the tens of thousands. They note that policies that sterilize the homelessness crisis in public spaces are not only inhumane, but they also only serve to mask the problem. “Housing ought to be a human right and combating homelessness will require a comprehensive approach that includes housing production, tenant protections and bigger investments in aff ordability and services,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Connolly (DCambridge). “What will not work is designing public spaces that are hostile to unhoused people. This only sends the issue deeper into the shadows.” BAN SOME ARTIFICIAL TURFS (H 3948) – Another measure heard by the State Administration and Regulatory Oversight Committee would ban municipalities and the state from installing or subsidizing new artifi cial turf fi elds that contain zinc, plastic, perfl uoroalkyl and polyfl uoroalkyl substances (PFAS), or other toxins. It would not aff ect current turf fi elds which would be grandfathered in under the bill, but it would assure that no new public artifi cial turf construction would take place. “Based on the growing body of evidence that shows that these turf fi elds pose a danger for athletes from heat stress, severe abrasions and toxic chemical exposure, and cause substantial environmental harm to the local environment,” said sponsor Rep. Carmine Gentile (D-Sudbury). “These concerns have led the U.S. Men and Women’s soccer teams to stop playing on turf, and have compelled towns and cities, including Boston, to issue moratoriums on new turf construction.” GUN LEGISLATION – The Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee held a hearing on several bills dealing with guns including these three: GHOST GUNS (S 1496) – Would make ghost guns illegal in Massachusetts. Sponsor Sen. Cindy Creem (D-Newton) explains that ghost guns are unfi nished firearms that allow individuals to easily build their own guns from unregulated kits. “Once constructed, these fi rearms are unserialized and untraceable,” she said. “To address this loophole, this bill would make it illegal to manufacture, sell or purchase any fi rearm without a valid serial number, which would include the unfinished frames and receivers. In addition, this bill would make it illegal to manufacture, or 3D print, fi rearms without a license. “I fi led this legislation, because although Massachusetts has some of the strongest gun laws in the country, these laws are being undermined by the proliferation and availability of these untraceable ghost guns,” continued Creem. “We cannot sit idly by as people continue to exploit this loophole to skirt our state’s fi rearms regulations and contribute to gun violence across the commonwealth.” CANNOT CONFISCATE LEGAL GUNS (S 1513) - Would prohibit police, other law enforcement offi cers and other government officials from confiscating any lawfully owned firearm, rifle, shotgun, machinegun or ammunition. A civil fi ne of between $500 and $5,000 or up to a 2.5year prison sentence would be imposed for each confiscated weapon. The legislation does not prohibit the confi scation of a fi rearm from any person who has been placed under arrest, is the subject of a protection order or has had their fi rearm identifi - cation card or license to carry revoked or suspended. “I fi led this legislation to provide lawful Massachusetts gun owners an extra guarantee of their Second Amendment rights,” said sponsor Sen. Ryan Fattman (R-Sutton). “This bill would make it unlawful for police or other government offi cials acting on behalf of the commonwealth to seize legally owned weapons in the event that a state of emergency is declared in the commonwealth.” RAISE THE AGE FOR GUN POSSESSION (H 2369) – Would raise the minimum age for acquiring a Firearm Identifi cation Card (FID) from 18 years old (or 14-17 years of age with parental consent) to 21 years old. FID permits the purchase, possession and transportation of non-large-capacity rifl es, shotguns and ammunition. “So much of gun violence can be attributed to accidents that occur with minors,” said sponsor Rep. David Linsky (D-Natick). “My hope is that everyone who has an FID card is responsible enough to own a fi rearm, and that starts with being of the appropriate age and maturity.” 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 27-December 2, the House met for a total of 13 hours and 58 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 12 hours and 41 minutes. Mon. Nov. 27 House 11:01 a.m. to 2:59 p.m. Senate 11:08 a.m. to 3:40 p.m. Tues. Nov. 28 No House session No Senate session Wed. Mon. 29 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:14 a.m. Senate 11:12 a.m. to 11:22 a.m. Thurs. Nov. 30 House 11:00 a.m. to 6:02 p.m. Senate 11:10 a.m. to 6:18 p.m. Fri. Dec. 1 House 11:02 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Senate 1:21 p.m. to 2:12 p.m. Sat. Dec. 2 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. No Senate session QUOTABLE QUOTES “I promise all the constituents of this district that I will work hard to ensure that your interests are represented on Beacon Hill. I will work continuously to make a positive diff erence for our district and our commonwealth. I will always stand with the taxpayers, help small businesses and ensure that our state government is accountable.” ---Sen. Peter Durant (R-Spencer) upon being sworn into the Senate to fi ll the seat vacated by Former Sen. Anne Gobi. “Using creativity as a foundation, our cultural districts have proven themselves as drivers of economic activity within communities. With this investment, we’re not only supporting the creative and cultural sector, but the communities that host cultural districts as they continue to leverage their unique character to attract visitors and support economic growth.” ---Michael Bobbitt, Executive Director of the Mass Cultural Council, announcing $810,000 in grants funding 54 state-designated cultural districts to encourage the development and success of the cultural districts and foster local cultural preservation. “I am proud of my team’s dedication in securing a settlement with Rent-A-Center, which sadly utilized egregious tactics to target and exploit low-income communities for profi t. My offi ce will continue to protect all consumers from harmful and exploitive practices by those who do business in our state.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campell announcing the state will receive $8.75 million from a settlement with Rent-A-Center to resolve allegations that the company engaged in a pattern of unfair and deceptive business practices against consumers in violation of state consumer protection laws. “Nourishing and healthy food is grown right here in Massachusetts, but not all of our residents have access to these local farms. This funding will help bridge that gap by investing in our Buy Local organizations, farmers and environmental justice communities. Everyone, regardless of race or income, deserves access to fresh, local products.” --- Energy and Environmental Aff airs Secretary Rebecca Tepper announcing $800,000 in grants to support the eff orts of ten regional Buy Local organizations that work to help generate consumer awareness and demand for locally grown food products. 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. For Advertising with Results, call The Advocate Newspaperscall The Advocate Newspapers at 781-286-8500 or Info@advocatenews.net
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