Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, April 12, 2019 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. Hey, Beacon Hill Roll Call Readers: Keep your eyes on the 2019 Legislature and the rough and tumble political scene in the Bay State with something that you will read every weekday morning. It’s MASSTERLIST! AND IT’S FREE! More than 17,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, start their morning with a FREE COPY of MASSterList! MASSterList is a daily ensemble of news and commentary about the Legislature, Politics, Media and Judiciary of Massachusetts drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced editor Jay Fitzgerald. Jay introduces each article in his own clever and never-boring, inimitable way. Go to: www.massterlist.com/ subscribe Type in your e-mail address and in 15 seconds you will be signed up for a subscription. INTEREST GROUPS RATE YOUR LEGISLATORS: This week, Beacon Hill Roll Call looks at the ratings senators and representatives received from three interest groups who measured legislators’ support or opposition to the group’s legislative agenda in the 2017 and/or 2018 session. This week’s report features the grades received from The Massachusetts Public Interest Group, the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund and Citizens for Limited Taxation. CITIZENS FOR LIMITED TAXATION (CLT) CLT, founded in 1974, describes itself as the group that “defended state taxpayers against a proposed state graduated income tax, which it defeated on the 1976 statewide ballot, and again in 1994. CLT also limited property and auto excise taxes with Proposition 2½ in 1980, repealed the surtax and created a state tax cap in 1986 and rolled back the “temporary” income tax hike on the 2000 ballot. For decades CLT has provided its annual ‘Rating of Legislators’ to provide taxpayers with easy access to the performance of their respective state representative and senator regarding tax policy.” “For 45 years CLT has been the bulwark for taxpayers against unlimited taxation in a state that has an insatiable spending problem,” said Chip Ford, executive director. “Since its founding, CLT has saved Massachusetts taxpayers billions of their hard-earned dollars.” Key to scorecard: CLT used ten House votes and five Senate votes when calculating the 2017 ratings of the state’s legislators. Issues include the legislative pay hike, reducing the sales tax and income tax to 5 percent, imposing a graduated income tax, increasing the senior property tax deduction to $2,000 and requiring a social security number in order to get public housing. More details on the scorecard at http://cltg.org/cltg/clt2018/2017_ Ratings.htm. Here is the percentage of time local representatives and senators voted with CLT: Rep. RoseLee Vincent 0 percent Rep. Donald Wong 100 percent Sen. Brendan Crighton Not yet elected MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC INTEREST RESEARCH GROUP (MASSPIRG) MASSPIRG, founded in 1972, describes itself as a consumer group that “stands up to powerful interests whenever they threaten our health and safety, our financial security or our right to fully participate in our democratic society. Since 1972, we’ve stood up for consumers, countering the influence of big banks, insurers, chemical manufacturers and other powerful special interests.” “In our role as watchdog and advocate for the public interest, we monitor the voting records of Massachusetts’ state lawmakers each legislative session,” said Executive Director Janet Domenitz. “We appreciate the hard work of the entire Legislature, and particularly those that scored 100 perSOUNDS | from page 19 dents to develop storytelling skills, learn animation software and capture the action of movies. Children, ages 8 and up. Registration required. Arbor Day Program, Tuesday, April 30 at 3:30 p.m. Join Ms. Joyce J& S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. MULCH SALE! Discount Spring Special PICK-UP or DELIVERY AVAILABLE 617-389-1490 Premium Hemlock or Pitch Black BELOW WHOLESALE COSTS LANDSCAPERS WELCOME $43 yd. $38 yd. cent.” “While a number of our legislative priorities passed into law, many more did not. Disappointingly, a number of popular bills were never brought up for a vote – despite being approved by a committee and being cosponsored by a significant number of lawmakers. We hope that the 2019-2020 session brings more transparency, and more wins, for the public interest,” she concluded. Key to rating: MASSPIRG’s scorecard graded state lawmakers on a variety of votes and cosponsorships of bills including ones that would protect consumers, improve voter access to the ballot, invest in public transportation, promote government transparency, increase renewable energy, protect bees and reduce solid waste Members of the Senate are scored out of twelve points (eleven votes and one bill co-sponsorship). Members of the House are scored out of nine points (seven votes and two bill co-sponsorships.) More details on the scorecard are at https://masspirg.org/sites/ pirg/files/reports/MAP%20Legislative%20Scorecard%20Final%20 2017-18%20session.pdf. Here is the percentage of time local representatives and senators voted with MASSPIRG: Rep. RoseLee Vincent 89 percent Rep. Donald Wong 56 percent Sen. Brendan Crighton 100 percent PLANNED PARENTHOOD ADVOCACY FUND The Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund, founded in 1984, is the advocacy and political arm of Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts which was founded in 1928. It describes itself as “advocates for state policies that dismantle barriers to sexual and reproductive health care, including safe, legal abortion, improve access to comprehensive sex education and protect reproductive rights of all people.” “As the leading advocate for reproductive rights in Massachusetts, the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund is working towards a state in which every person has the rights, freedoms, and opportunities to control their lives and determine the course of their own futures—no matter what,” said Tricia Wajda, Vice President of External Affairs for the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund. By championing bold policies that break down entrenched barriers to health care, improve access to sex education, and defend reproductive rights against political attacks, The Advocacy Fund is helping build healthier and more equitable communities.” Key to rating: The scorecard assigns each Massachusetts state representative and senator a rating of: “Champion,” “Ally,” “Mixed,” “Opponent” or “NEI” (not enough information) based on each legislator’s lifetime voting record, cosponsorship history, public statements and other factors. Here are the definitions: Champion: A legislator who has demonstrated leadership on the Advocacy Fund’s legislative agenda and works in partnership with the fund to advance its shared goal to improve access to sexual and reproductive health care and protect the health and rights of Massachusetts residents. Ally: A legislator who consistently supports the fund’s legislative and policy agenda including protecting access to safe, legal abortion. Mixed: A legislator who may oppose access to safe, legal abortion - but who supports preventive health measures – such as family planning and sex education – and is willing to work with the Advocacy Fund in support of these issues. In other instances, a “mixed” legislator may support abortion access, but has taken action against sexual and reproductive health care access either with a vote or public statement. Opponent: A legislator who vocally opposes access to safe, legal abortion and/or access to sexual and reproductive health care more broadly. A legislator who supports some health issues included in the Advocacy Agenda may still be considered an Advocacy Fund opponent. Not Enough Information (NEI): A legislator who has not participated in the Advocacy Fund’s endorsement process or has not taken a public stance on to celebrate trees -- story and craft -- ages 4 and up. Homework helpers at the library The Saugus Public Library is again offering tutoring and homework help twice a week to the town’s elementary school students. Members of the Junior National Honor Society from the Belmonte Middle School will work with students In the library’s Community Room on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, from 3 to 5 p.m. Under the program which has received rave reviews in town, the elementary school students get help while the Belmonte students get credits for community service. The library again will be partnering with the Belmonte Middle School to offer free, drop-in homework help in the Community Room to Saugus elementary school students to help foster strong academic and study skills outside of school hours. No registration is required, but students must be signed in/out by a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must remain on library grounds while student is receiving homework assistance pursuant to our unaccompanied minors policy. This program is open to students in grades K-5. The subjects students can get help with include: math, science, grammar, reading, social studies, geography and more. Hey parents, the fund’s priority issues. More details on the scorecard are at: https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-advocacy-fund-massachusetts-inc/elections/legislativescorecard. Here is how local representatives and senators were rated by the Planned Parenthood Advocacy Fund: Rep. RoseLee Vincent Ally Rep. Donald Wong Mixed Sen. Brendan Crighton Champion 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 filed. 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 April 1-5, the House and Senate each met for a total of one hour and 16 minutes while the Senate met for a total of one hour and 26 minutes. MON., APRIL 1 House 11:02 a.m. to 11:05 a.m. Senate 11:03 a.m. to 11:10 a.m. TUES. APRIL 2 No House session No Senate session WED. APRIL 3 No House session No Senate session THURS. APRIL 4 House 11:00 a.m. to 12.13 p.m. Senate 11:09 a.m. to 12:18 p.m. FRI. APRIL 5 No House session No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com here’s some help if you child needs it. Let’s hear it! Got an idea, passing thought or gripe you would like to share with The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in your feedback. It’s been more than three years since I began work at The Saugus Advocate. I’m always interested in hearing readers’ suggestions for possible stories or good candidates for The Advocate Asks interview of the week. Feel free to email me at mvoge@comcast.net. Do you have some interesting views on an issue that you want express to the community? Submit your idea. If I like it, we can meet for a 15 to 20 minute interview at a local coffee shop. And, I’ll buy the coffee.
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