Page 20 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 3, 2022 BHRC | FROM PAGE 19 ADDITIONAL $750,000 FOR GOOD SAMARITANS (S 4) Senate 38-0, approved an amendment providing an additional $750,000 to fund “Hey Sam”—an anonymous peerto-peer mental health texting program staffed by young people. The service, available to people up to 24 years old, gives youths the opportunity to reach peers if they are suicidal, lonely, depressed, overwhelmed, struggling or need any kind of support an domeone with whom they can talk. Amendment sponsor Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham) noted the Samaritans continue to save lives and combat the commonwealth’s youth mental health crisis. She noted the Samaritans successfully deescalated 90 percent of imminent risk conversations, avoiding the need for emergency intervention. “For 47 years, the Samaritans, has provided lifesaving suicide prevention and mental health services in Massachusetts,” said Rausch. “Each year, they respond to tens of thousands of calls and texts from individuals experiencing mental illness and low levels of mental health.” (A Yes” vote is for the $750,000.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes DON’T ASK, DON’T TELL (S 4) Senate 40-0, approved an amendment requiring that LGBTQ service members who were forced out of the military with anything other than an honorable discharge under the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’” policy that barred openly gay, lesbian or bisexual persons from military service from 1994 to 2011, be eligible for state benefi ts from the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services. “’Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ represents a truly dark point in the history of our nation and the tragic truth is that so many of our LGBTQ veterans are still feeling the eff ects of the policy to this day,” said Sen. John Velis (D-Westfi eld), Senate chair of the Legislature’s Veterans Committee and a current Major in the U.S. Army Reserve, the sponsor of the amendment. “For far too long, thousands of courageous individuals have been told that they are not worthy of the same benefi ts that their comrades and counterparts earned, all because of who they are and who they love. These veterans served and fought alongside us, they bled the same color and this amendment will ensure that they receive the benefits and services they have earned in service to our nation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes NEW AMERICANS (S 4) Senate 39-0, approved an amendment increasing by $500,000 (from $1,033,019 to $1,533,019) funding for the “Citizenship for New Americans Program” to assist eligible low-income legal permanent residents of the Bay State to become citizens of the United States. They said that this program leads to high rates of success on the naturalization exam. Supporters said the program would provide instruction in English and civics and assistance to help immigrants fill out the 22-page application. They noted that these programs enjoy high rates of success on the naturalization exam. They argued that one in six Massachusetts residents is foreign born, and more than 200,000 people in Massachusetts are currently eligible for citizenship. Amendment sponsor Sen. Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) said this funding will enable these programs to meet continued high demand for these services. “I am proud to represent a district with many vibrant immigrant communities throughout it,” Eldridge said. “Recently, I have been assisting Neighborhood Support Teams in the town of Harvard and the city of Marlborough resettle Afghan evacuees who aided in our country’s fi ght against the Taliban. I look forward to the day that these people who risked their lives for our nation become citizens.” (A Yes” vote is for the additional $500,000). Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL CREATING WOMEN’S RIGHTS HISTORY TRAIL PROGRAM (S 2802) — The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Baker a bill that would require the state to develop and implement a Women’s Rights History Trail Program. The measure includes requiring the state to designate properties and sites that are historically and thematically associated with the struggle for women’s rights and women’s suff rage. Another provision provides that the state promotes education and awareness of the struggle for women’s rights in the state. A 13-member Women’s Rights History Trail Task Force would be formed to research, solicit public input and make recommendations for sites, properties and attractions to be included in the trail. “Women have played a pivotal role in shaping the policies of our commonwealth, and this bill will ensure that those contributions are known and celebrated,” said Senate sponsor Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Salem). The history of Massachusetts’ women is our history, and we must continue to make that history known.” “The many women from our commonwealth who contributed to the fabric of our nation, who held an integral role in shaping and advancing American democracy, and who courageously led the Women’s Suffrage movement, are central fi gures in our commonwealth’s narrative,” said House sponsor Rep. Hannah Kane (R-Shrewsbury). “With so many notable women and historic sites connected to these women here in our commonwealth, we have a unique opportunity to celebrate and tell their stories by encouraging and promoting tourism and dispersing the economic gains by crafting an inclusive, geographically and historically diverse trail that is promoted broadly.” CLEARING NAME OF “NONWITCH” ELIZABETH JOHNSON — The Senate approved an amendment clearing the name of Elizabeth Johnson who in 1693 was the last person convicted of witchcraft, at the height of the Salem Witch Trials. Johnson was sentenced to death by hanging but was never executed. The state approved legislation in the 1900s that cleared the names of those who were executed and had not been exonerated, but that excluded Johnson. She never had children so there has never been a group of descendants pushing for exoneration. Sen. Diana DiZoglio (D-Methuen) fi led the bill on behalf of middle school civics class students in North Andover. Johnson lived in the part of Andover that is North Andover today. “This legislation would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of [their teacher] Carrie LaPierre and her students,” said DiZoglio. “They are to be celebrated for stepping up to the plate and having the courage to be a voice for someone who hasn’t had a voice for so long. We will never be able to change what happened to victims like Elizabeth but at the very least, can set the record straight. If we do not right the wrongs of the past, history is destined to repeat itself. I am so proud that these students stood up and spoke out for justice—setting an example for us all.” “My students have worked extremely hard over the past two years to draw attention to the long-overlooked issue of justice for this wrongly convicted woman,” said LaPierre. “Passing this legislation will be incredibly impactful on their understanding of how important it is to stand up for people who cannot advocate for themselves and how strong of a voice they actually have.” “With the passage of this amendment, justice can fi nally and fully be delivered to all the victims of the Salem Witch Trials,” said Salem Sen. Joan Lovely. “For 300 years, Elizabeth Johnson was without a voice, her story lost to the passages of time. Thanks to the tireless efforts of civics students at North Andover Middle School, her life and wrongful conviction have been brought to light.” “The Last Witch,” a documentary featuring Johnson’s story, is currently in production. SEXUAL ASSAULT UNDER FALSE MEDICAL REPRESENTATION (H 1661) — The House gave initial approval to a bill that makes it a criminal off ense when a medical or healthcare professional induces a patient to engage in sexual intercourse or touching by falsely representing that the act is necessary for a legitimate medical purpose. The measure adds sections to the existing rape and indecent assault and battery statutes to criminalize behavior by medical professionals where there has been a fraudulent representation of the necessity and propriety of conduct and adds these crimes to the law on the statute of limitations for other sexual assaults. Supporters said that under existing law the off ender cannot be criminally punished. “I filed this bill alongside Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan to protect susceptible patients and prohibit this unacceptable conduct,” said sponsor Rep. Kate Hogan (D-Stow). “The lack of a legal remedy in this area is particularly egregious given that a patient or client may be in an especially vulnerable state. A person in need of treatment, and without medical knowledge, will out of necessity rely on the recommendations made by a professional who is entrusted with caring for them and treating them.” LAUNCH OF MASSACHUSETTS DATA HUB — The Baker administration announced the launch of the Massachusetts Data Hub, a new data search tool that allows users to search state resources and data by topic and keyword and to browse featured data published by state government. “The Massachusetts Data Hub brings additional organization and transparency to the commonwealth’s vast and varied data landscape,” said Gov. Baker. “This tool’s launch represents an important step in making state data more readily available and easy to access.” “It is critical that state data is available to municipal leaders so that they can make better informed decisions in tackling the many challenges their communities and constituents face,” said Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito. “The Massachusetts Data Hub will work toward these goals by making state government more inclusive and providing more intuitive access to agency data.” 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 latenight 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 May 2327, the House met for a total of seven hours and four minutes and the Senate met for a total of 28 hours and four minutes. Mon. May 23 House 11:04 a.m. to 11:11 a.m. Senate 11:03 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Tues. May 24 No House session Senate 10:16 a.m. to 7:55 p.m. Wed. May 25 House 11:00 a.m. to 11:33 a.m. Senate 10:25 a.m. to 7:56 p.m. Thurs. May 26 House 11:01 a.m. to 5:25 p.m. Senate 10:11 a.m. to 6:23 p.m. Fri. May 27 No House session
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