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Page 14 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2020 Beacon Hill Roll Call By Bob Katzen LISTEN TO BOB’S SHOW: Beacon Hill Roll Call’s publisher, Bob Katzen, hosts “The Bob Katzen Baby Boomer and Gen X Fun and Nostalgia Show” every Sunday night from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jump into Bob’s DeLorean time machine and tune in for a trip back to the simpler and happier days of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. My guest on Sunday, October 11 for the first hour will be Stephen Talbot who played Beaver Cleaver’s friend Gilbert Bates on “Leave it to Beaver.” Stephen has had a very successful career as an award-winning documentary producer and writer including 16 years at the PBS/ WGBH series Frontline from 1992-2008. He lived in Boston during that stint. There are many ways you can listen to the show from anywhere in the world: • If you have a smart speaker, simply say, “Play WMEX on RADIO.COM” • Download the free RADIO.COM app on your phone or tablet • Listen online at: www.radio. com/1510wmex/listen • Tune into 1510 AM if you still have an AM radio THE HOUSE AND SENATE: There were no roll calls in the House or Senate last week. This week Beacon Hill Roll Call reports on how local legislators voted on some of the bills that were approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Charlie Baker in the 2020 session. Of the more than 6,000 bills that have been filed for consideration, only 178 have been approved and signed by the governor. And only 28 of those were bills that affect the entire state while the vast majority were either sick leave banks, local land-taking measures or other localrelated measures applying to just one city or town. Of those 28 bills, 13 were related directly to the COVID-19 virus and 15 were on other matters. Sick leave banks allow public employees to voluntarily donate sick, personal or vacation days to a sick leave bank for use by a fellow worker so he or she can get paid while on medical leave. Land takings are local land measures that usually only affect one city or town. Here are six of the statewide bills signed into law: BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL (H 4896) House 158-0, Senate 35-0, approved a law designed to boost participation rates in school breakfast programs in highpoverty schools. The measure would require that breakfast be offered only after the school day begins, through a variety of ways including breakfast in the classroom, grab-and-go and second-chance breakfast. Currently, only 150,000 of the 300,000 students eligible for breakfast actually take part in it. Supporters said that most school breakfasts are currently offered in the cafeteria before the bell and the participation rate is less than 40 percent of eligible students because bus schedules and family obligations often result in the student not being able to arrive at school in time for breakfast. Participation is also low because of the stigma attached to the program. They said many students assume that everyone who arrives at school early for breakfast is from a poor family. The participation rate rises to up to 90 percent of eligible students participating in the lunch program later in the day. “Pre-pandemic, this bill made a lot of sense,” said Rep. Andy Vargas (D-Haverhill), co-sponsor of the bill. “In many ways, Breakfast After the Bell makes even more sense now. There are more families and students and need. School districts are being asked to limit cafeteria use to prevent the virus from spreading. Districts are short on revenue. Breakfast After the Bell speaks to all of these concerns and I look forward to its implementation and outcomes for educational equity.” “Ensuring breakfast access to all children who need it in our public schools was a priority pre-COVID-19 and is now more important than ever,” said the measure’s co-sponsor Rep. Aaron Vega (DHolyoke). “Many districts have already implemented Breakfast After the Bell, including Holyoke, and are seeing the positive impact on school attendance, classroom engagement and a reduction in nurse visits.” “Studies show that something as simple as eating a healthy breakfast significantly improves student performance throughout the school day,” said House Education Committee Chair Rep. Alice Peisch (D-Wellesley). “This bill will bolster participation in school breakfast programs across the commonwealth by allowing students to access this critical meal after the day begins, breaking down barriers associated with traditional breakfast programs such as lack of early transportation to school and associated social stigma.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes PROTECT DISABLED PERSONS – NICKY’S BILL (S 2367) House 154-0, Senate 40-0, approved a law that established a registry that identifies individuals who have been found to have committed abuse against persons with disabilities. The measure was filed by Sen. Mike Moore (D-Millbury) at the request of a constituent who is the mother of Nicky, an intellectually disabled and non-verbal individual. Nicky had been inappropriately restrained and struck multiple times by her caretaker. Under current law, unless the offender is criminally convicted, no system exists to identify caretakers and prevent them from finding employment with another provider licensed by the state. “Enacting this registry will help disrupt a cycle of abuse of individuals with disabilities and put in place common-sense protections that families in the commonwealth deserve,” said Sen. Moore. “There are clear benefits to screening prospective employees who intend to work within the licensed caretaker field.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Rep. RoseLee Vincent Yes Rep. Donald Wong Yes Sen. Brendan Crighton Yes $1 BILLION-PLUS INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY BOND (H 4932) House 155-4, Senate 39-0, approved a $1 billion-plus information technology bond titled “An Act Financing the General Governmental Infrastructure of the Commonwealth.” The state borrows the funds to finance the projects in the package. “We are pleased to have worked closely with the Legislature to sign this bill into law and continue investing in information technology improvements, public safety upgrades and food security across the commonwealth,” said Gov. Baker. “We are continuing to support critical capital investments that modernize our technology infrastructure and allow us to deliver effective and reliable government services for the people of Massachusetts during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic.” “The Legislature is using a new tactic, which is to borrow money in hopes the public doesn’t catch on,” said Paul Craney, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance. “If this package was funded through tax hikes, there would have been a more robust debate for how to pay for it. Many of the election year pet project earmarks would have been left out. Unfortunately, lawmakers know the public doesn’t pay attention to state debt, so they were able to add more debt to the most indebted state in the country.” Hundreds of provisions in the bill include massive state projects including $165 million for state telecommunications and data-security-related equipment; $140 million for the purchase and implementation of information technology, telecommunications and data-security-related items for various state agencies; $1.25 million for information technology upgrades for the House of Representatives; $40 million to replace State Police cruisers; and $20 million for policy BEACON | SEE PAGE 15

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