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Page 18 THE SAUGUS ADVOCATE – FriDAy, DECEmbEr 12, 2025 BEACON | FROM PAGE 17 ery day to keep our trains and buses moving on time and ensure the safety of all passengers,” said Gov. Healey. “They should never be subject to any form of assault simply for doing their jobs. This bill ensures that they have the protections they deserve and will enhance safety for all users of our public transportation system.” “All transit workers deserve to come to work feeling safe and protected,” said Interim MBTA General Manager Phillip Eng. “These employees work tirelessly to serve the public, keeping them moving safe and reliably. Transit workers work 365 days a year to ensure that we have a robust transit system that is safe, supporting riders that depend on mass transportation and allowing everyone the option to choose transit. Know that our labor workforce is dedicated, is a part of the communities they serve and deserves a workplace grounded in respect and security.” “This is a significant victory for everyone who rides or operates public transit,” said Jim Evers, President of the Boston Carmen’s Union Local 589. “Our MBTA bus and train operators deserve to be safe on the job and commuters deserve to know that public transportation is safe. This law will ensure that those who assault public transit workers will be held accountable and that our valued transportation employees are protected. Our transit workers keep Massachusetts moving every day and deserve our utmost respect.” “Every region of our economy depends on the people who keep the busses and trains humming, and this new law takes a strong step forward in protecting workers who show up every day to do just that,” said Senate President Karen Spilka (D-Ashland). “Our historic investments in transit would mean nothing if not for the people who greet customers, run our transit systems and ensure the public is safe.” BAN HOSTILE ARCHITECTURE THAT TARGETS THE HOMELESS (H 3307) – The House gave initial approval to legislation that would prohibit the state, the MBTA and cities and towns from constructing “hostile architecture” that supporters of the ban say targets the homeless and tries to push them out of certain areas. The bill defines hostile architecture as “any building or structure that is designed or intended to prevent unhoused individuals from sitting or lying on the building or structure at street level.” “Public space should be for people to use and enjoy, and constructing public spaces that are hostile to people experiencing homelessness doesn’t actually address the causes of homelessness,” said sponsor Rep. Mike Connolly (D-Cambridge). “Instead of pushing homelessness further into the shadows, we need a comprehensive solution to homelessness that includes a right to housing.” Supporters say that family homelessness in Greater Boston has doubled over the last decade, shelters are overcrowded and waiting lists for affordable housing are in the tens of thousands. They note that policies that sterilize the homelessness crisis in public spaces are not only inhumane, but they also only serve to mask the problem. According to Robert Rosenberger, an associate professor of philosophy at Georgia Institute of Technology, who has studied and written extensively on the subject, hostile architecture includes armrests that divide benches so that the bench is not long enough to sleep on, sprinklers that are turned on at night and certain trash cans. “Garbage cans … serve several functions for people living unhoused,” said Rosenberger. “Some people use garbage cans as a source of recyclable materials [which] can often be exchanged for a small sum of money. Garbage cans are also sometimes approached as a source of discarded food.” He notes that many newer garbage cans are built so that people cannot reach inside them to obtain recycled bottles or cans or leftover food.” STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS FOR VICTIMS OF ASBESTOS-RELATED DISEASES (H 4676) – The House gave initial approval to a measure that would exempt situations when a person contracts a latent disease from asbestos-related or other toxic material exposure arising from property improvements, from the current statute of limitations, which limits the time period during which the person can file a lawsuit. Under current law, actions are subject to a 3-year limitation and a 6-year statute of repose. That means that tort actions arising from improvements to real property must be brought within 3 years from when the cause of actions accrues, but, in any event, not more than 6 years after the improvement has been completed. “This bill will move us in line with a majority of states that have protection in place for such victims of latent diseases,” said sponsor Rep. Jeff Roy (D-Franklin). “It will remove the statute of repose on tort claims arising from latent diseases, while also applying retroactively to allow any person who has been affected prior to enactment to bring an action to recover damages. The state’s Supreme Judicial Court has encouraged us to do so by stating the following in its opinion: ‘The plaintiffs point out that a number of other state legislatures have effectively exempted asbestos-related illnesses from their respective statutes of repose concerning improvements to real property. We encourage our Legislature to consider doing the same should it determine that such an exception is consonant with the commonwealth’s public policy.’” GIVE VETERANS AN EXTRA 5 POINTS ON TEACHER LICENSING EXAMS (H 570) – The Education Committee held a hearing on a proposal that would give veterans an extra 5 points on the education licensing exam which must be taken by anyone applying for a teacher’s license. “[The bill] recognizes the leadership, discipline and real-world experience veterans bring to our classrooms and helps remove barriers as they transition into civilian careers, all while strengthening our pipeline of qualified teachers,” said sponsor Rep. Michael Finn (D- West Springfield.) PROVIDE FUNDS TO TEACHERS WHO PURCHASE SCHOOL SUPPLIES ONLINE (H 675/S 448) – Another bill heard by the Education Committee would create a School Supplies for Teachers Program to provide financial and technical assistance to eligible teachers who purchase school supplies online, for their students or themselves, and pay out of their own pocket. Supplyateacher.org, a national nonprofit that provides teachers with a semester’s worth of essential school supplies, says that 93 percent of teachers nationwide spend their own money on classroom supplies. According to their website, the group gives each teacher two large boxes filled with enough core school supplies to last for at least one semester. They note that pencils, pencil pouches, folders, notebooks, sharpeners, erasers, rulers and pens are included in every box and that additional items are included based on grade level, such as crayons and markers for younger grades, and highlighters and colored pencils for older students. Supporters of the bill say it is outrageous that teachers, many of whom are underpaid, are forced to buy supplies that the schools should be supplying. Sen. Mike Rush (D-West Roxbury), the Senate sponsor of the bill and House sponsor Rep. Ed Philips (D-Sharon) did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking them why they sponsored the bill. ESTABLISH MINIMUM PAY FOR SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS (H 580) – The Education Committee’s hearing also included legislation that would require public schools to pay substitute teachers 85 percent of what schools pay a beginning teacher who holds a bachelor’s degree; or the state’s current $15 per hour minimum wage – whichever is greater. The salary of the substitute teacher would be calculated by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, using the latest data available. The bill would not apply to substitute teachers represented in a bargaining unit in the school district which employes them. Supporters say that schools need quality substitute teachers to operate. They argue that substitute teachers are underpaid despite serving an important purpose in elementary and secondary school across the state. The sponsor of the measure is Rep. Bill Galvin (D-Canton), who was first elected to the House in 1990 and is now serving his 36th year in the House. He did not respond to repeated requests by Beacon Hill Roll Call asking him why he filed the bill and why he wants the Legislature to approve it. QUOTABLE QUOTES “For so many residents, life and finances get in the way of completing a credential. This pilot brings residents guidance and support to return to college, grow their skills and complete the degree they once started.” ---Secretary of Education Dr. Patrick Tutwiler announcing a new pilot program to re-engage some 766,000 students who previously began, but did not complete, degrees and certificates at the state’s public colleges and universities. The program includes direct student outreach and coaching provided by ReUp Education at six institutions: Bunker Hill Community College, Cape Cod Community College, Greenfield Community College, MassBay Community College, Fitchburg State University and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. “As co-chair of the state’s STEM Advisory Council, I’m particularly thrilled to see this recognition go to a science teacher. Dr. Goodhue’s partnerships with local organizations and her ability to show students the science in their everyday surroundings are a great example of the work happening in Massachusetts schools.” ---Lt. Gov. Kim Driscoll announcing that Tara Goodhue, the science department head at Lowell High School, is the 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year. “This year, we have watched the federal government launch deliberate and unprecedented attacks on trusted charitable organizations and programs that provide essential services to our most vulnerable residents. As we enter this holiday season, I want to remind residents that your generosity is more important than ever – and so is your vigilance. I advise everyone to review my office’s guidance on charitable giving, so that your generosity reaches those who need it most and strengthens the communities that rely on it.” ---Attorney General Andrea Campbell urging people to find guidance on charitable giving by going to https://www.mass. gov/info-details/giving-wisely-to-charity. “By bidding in the auction or making a donation, you’re driving with purpose -- helping ensure continued, critical funding for the highly trained teams who rescue whales and sea turtles,” ---Massachusetts Environmental Trust (MET) Program BEACON | SEE PAGE 19

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