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Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – Friday, April 19, 2019 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records local representatives’ votes on roll calls from the week of April 8-12. There were no roll calls in the 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. REMOVE CAP ON WELFARE BENEFITS FOR KIDS (H 3594) House 155-1, overrode Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto of a bill that repeals the current law that denies an additional $100 in welfare benefits to children conceived while—or soon after—the family began receiving welfare benefits or, if they had received family welfare benefits in the past. The law was adopted in 1995 as part of a welfare reform package that was aimed at discouraging families already receiving public support from having more children. The veto now goes to the Senate which will likely override it at which point the cap will be officially repealed. In his veto letter, Baker said that “eliminating this cap should be accompanied by other reforms to the welfare system designed to align the eligibility determination with federal standards and support recipients as they return to work.” “[We should] allow an applicant seeking benefits to disregard the value of a single car, so as to protect the family’s access to transportation, including for job-seeking, without disqualifying them from receiving benefits,” said Baker. “My budget proposal [also] ensures that homeless families would no longer see a benefit reduction for accessing temporary shelter.” Baker also noted that his proposal would require that adult Supplemental Security Income (SSI) be counted in the eligibility calculation for welfare applicants. “This … would treat SSI the same as other sources of benefit income— like veterans or retirement, survivors’ benefits and disability insurance benefits—that are already counted in determining eligibility and benefit level under welfare,” concluded the governor. Supporters of the repeal said that there are some 8,700 children who currently fall under the cap in the Bay State. These families are barred from 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. receiving an additional $100 a month to help support that child. They said there are no facts to back up the charge that families are having more children in order to get the additional $100. “Proud that today the House voted 155-1 to override Gov. Baker’s veto to #LiftTheCap for the second time,” said the bill’s sponsor Rep. Marjorie Decker (D-Cambridge), Chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery on her Facebook page. “Our message to the 8,700 MA kids living in poverty is clear: you are worthy of the support your siblings receive.” “I believe the governor is correct that we need to put reforms in this ever-growing account,” said Rep. Colleen Garry (D-Dracut), the only member who did not vote to override the veto. “We need to remember the middle-class people we represent. At some point, enough is enough. I personally have friends who would have loved to have more children, but they knew they could not afford the cost of raising additional children. There needs to be responsibility and accountability amongst individuals in the commonwealth.” (A “Yes” vote is for lifting the cap. A “No” vote is against lifting it.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Rep. Donald Wong Yes Yes RULES FOR HOUSE BUDGET DEBATE (H 3799) House 127-30, approved a set of Democratic leadershipsponsored rules to be followed when the House considers the $42.7 billion fiscal 2020 state budget beginning on Monday, April 22. Provisions include requiring all amendments to be filed online by Friday, April 12 and any proposed tax hikes or reductions to be considered early in the process. The rules also prohibit any members from offering amendments related to gambling or sports betting. Several Republican attempts to amend the rules failed on voice votes without a roll call. An amendment to give representatives until April 16 instead of April 12 to file was defeated, as was an amendment making it harder to ship off budget amendments to a study committee instead of voting on the amendment itself. Supporters said these rules are fair and responsible and will help make the budget debate go smoothly. They noted the House has adopted many reforms over the years to make the process more transparent. Opponents said the rules include several provisions that are anti-democratic and weaken the input of individual members. They noted legislators should have more time to file budget amendments and review complicated consolidated amendments which are often voted on before members can finish reviewing them. (A “Yes” vote is for the rules. A “No” vote is against the rules.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Rep. Donald Wong No Yes ALLOW AMENDMENTS ON GAMBLING AND SPORT BETTING (H 3799) House 31-126, rejected a Republican proposal to alBEACON | SEE PAGE 21 1. What TV sitcom’s family lived at 704 Hauser Street, Queens? 2. On April 19, 1836, “Hymn” by Ralph Waldo Emerson was sung at the completion of a monument in what town? (Hint: “the shot heard round the world.”) 3. What is Peter Carl Fabergé known for? 4. In 1637 on which Massachusetts town common did the nation’s first muster occur? 5. In 1904 the Olympics discontinued what sport, which has later been reinstated? 6. In what board game would you find “Free Parking”? 7. Who won a Grammy Award for Best Female Vocal for “Last Dance”? 8. Which baseball team first won five pennants in a row? 9. On April 21, 1918, Manfred Von Richthofen died. What was his nickname? 10. Who authored ″Paul Revere’s Rideˮ and ″The Song of Hiawathaˮ? 11. What famous U.S. race debuted rearview mirrors on cars? 12. What U.S. state has the motto “Friendship”? 13. In April 2008 what religious leader appeared before 47,000 people in Washington, D.C.? 14. On April 22, 1899, a land rush began in what U.S. state? 15. What is the difference between a tortoise and a turtle? 16. On April 22, 1972, what was first honored with a holiday? 17. In 1989 what female was made an “Honorary Harlem Globetrotter”? 18. In what two cities are the “Cradle of Liberty” and the Liberty Bell located? 19. On April 23, 1564, what English actor/ playwright/poet was born at Stratford-onAvon? 20. Pysanka is a wax-resist Easter egg decorating custom of what country? Answers below, please no cheating! FROM PAGE 12 1. “All in the Family” 2. Concord, Mass. 3. Creating jeweled eggs, mostly for Russian Tsars 4. Salem’s (commemorated by the Army National Guard on the 1st Saturday in April) 5. Golf 6. Monopoly 7. Donna Summer 8. The New York Yankees 9. The Red Baron 10. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow 11. The Indianapolis 500 12. Texas 13. Pope Benedict XVI 14. Oklahoma 15. A tortoise is terrestrial 16. Planet Earth 17. Whoopi Goldberg 18. Boston (Faneuil Hall) and Philadelphia 19. William Shakespeare 20. Ukraine

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