Page 8 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JULY 15, 2022 BENEFITS FOR MILITARY Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen If you have any questions about this week’s report, e-mail us at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com or call us at (617) 720-1562. Beacon Hill Roll Call Volume 47 - Report No. 27 July 4-8, 2022 Copyright © 2022 Beacon Hill Roll Call. All Rights Reserved. By Bob Katzen GET A FREE SUBSCRIPTION TO MASSTERLIST — Join more than 22,000 people, from movers and shakers to political junkies and interested citizens, who start their weekday morning with MASSterList—the popular newsletter that chronicles news and informed analysis about what’s going on up on Beacon Hill, in Massachusetts politics, policy, media and infl uence. The stories are drawn from major news organizations as well as specialized publications selected by widely acclaimed and highly experienced writers Keith Regan and Matt Murphy who introduce each article in their own clever and inimitable way. MASSterlist will be e-mailed to you FREE every Monday through Friday morning and will give you a leg up on what’s happening in the blood sport of Bay State politics. For more information and to get your free subscription, go to: https:// lp.constantcontactpages.com/ su/aPTLucK THE HOUSE AND SENATE: Beacon Hill Roll Call records representatives’ and senators’ votes on roll calls from the week of July 4-8, 2022. FAMILIES (H 4978) House 154-0, approved legislation that would support military families who relocate to the Bay State by providing career stability for the spouses of service members and education for their children. The Senate has already approved a different version of the bill and the House version now goes back to the Senate for consideration. Provisions include making it easier for military personnel and their spouses who move to the Bay State to get a Massachusetts professional license, if their job requires one, so that they can continue their civilian careers and provide for their families without interruption; requiring the Commissioner of Education to issue a military spouse a valid certifi cate for teaching if he or she holds a valid teaching license from another state; allowing children of military members to register and enroll in a school district at the same time it is open to the general population by waiving the proof of residency requirement until the student actually begins school; creating a purple-star campus designation for certain schools that are military-kid friendly and show a major commitment to students and families connected to the nation’s military; and requiring that a child or spouse of an active-duty service member in Massachusetts continue to pay the in-state less expensive tuition rate at state universities even if the service member is assigned to move out of the state. “Anyone who has worn the uniform or has a family member who has worn the uniform knows that the sacrifi ce of military service goes far beyond the individual service member,” said Sen. John Velis (D-Holyoke) Senate chair of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Aff airs. “[This bill] is a recognition of that sacrifi ce and the • • • Rocco Longo, Owner challenges these families face. The bill will benefi t so many military families coming to our state and will help bring massive federal investments to our commonwealth.” “This comprehensive legislation is the result of countless hours of listening and learning from our veterans and advocates across the commonwealth,” said Rep. Paul McMurtry (D-Dedham), House chair of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Aff airs. “It not only meets our veteran community’s most immediate needs, it also addresses the many challenges our veterans and their families face.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. Jessica Giannino Rep. Donald Wong Yes Yes $56 MILLION FOR FAMILIES OF VICTIMS OF HOLYOKE SOLDIERS’ HOME (H 4932) Senate 39-0, approved $56 million in funding for the families of the victims of the COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. The Senate has already approved the measure and only fi nal approval is needed in each branch before the measure goes to the governor for his signature. “No amount of money will ever make up for the devastating loss and heartbreak that these families have been through,” said Sen. John Velis (D-Holyoke). “What happened at the Home was unacceptable and will forever leave a scar on the commonwealth especially our Western Mass communities. No dollar fi gure will ever bring these families their loved ones back. That anguish and grief will always be there, but this settlement does ensure that the families no longer need to suff er the painful and long process of continued litigation.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE (S 2973) Senate 40-0, approved and sent to the House a bill designed to expand access to high-quality, aff ordable early education and care. Provisions include increasing over time from the current $65,626 to $164,065 the maximum income allowed to qualify for subsidy eligibility for a family of four; requiring the Department of Early Education and Care to evaluate and eliminate barriers to subsidy access for families on an annual basis; strengthening the recruitment of early educators; establishing early educator scholarship and loan forgiveness programs to provide greater access to higher education and professional development opportunities; allowing subsidized providers to off er free or discounted seats for the children of their own staff ; and creating a commission to study and recommend to the Legislature ways that employers could provide more support to their workers to help meet their early education and child care needs. “There are numerous benefi ts from expanding access to high-quality, affordable early education and childcare,” said Sen. Jason Lewis (D-Winchester), Senate Chair of the Committee on Education. “It enhances the cognitive and social emotional development of young children; it enables parents to work and improves families’ economic well-being; and it helps employers that are struggling with a workforce shortage. This legislation makes major strides in improving affordability and accessibility of care for families, stabilizing early education providers which will improve program quality and expand capacity and supporting the early educator workforce, many of whom are women of color.” “This issue has been a top priority of mine for many years, and I am thrilled to pass this transformative piece of legislation alongside my Senate colleagues,” said Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett), a member of the Special Legislative Early Education and Care Economic Review Commission. “As a father of two children, I know that affordable and quality early education and care is indispensable for families and their economic security. This bill will increase childcare access and help thousands of families obtain care at lower costs. Just as importantly, these investments will provide support to childcare providers and ensure people working in this field can earn a living wage, acquire higher education and support their own families.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes ALSO UP ON BEACON HILL $250 OR $500 TAX REBATE TO SOME TAXPAYERS — The House and Senate leadership unveiled legislation that would use some of the state’s estimated $3.6 billion surplus to give one-time tax rebates to an estimated 2 million eligible people. The package is estimated to cost $500 million. A $250 rebate would go, by September 30, to individual taxpayers and a $500 rebate to married taxpayers. Eligibility will be determined by annual BHRC | SEE PAGE 9 OUR OFFICE HAS MOVED TO 519 BROADWAY, EVERETT SABATINO INSURANCE AGENCY 519 BROADWAY EVERETT, MA 02149 PHONE: (617) 387-7466 FAX: (617) 381-9186 Visit us online at: WWW.SABATINO-INS.COM
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