Click on link below to read August 2nd, 2022 The Somerville Medford News Weekly Print Edition Online August 2nd, 2022 The Somerville Medford News Weekly Print Edition Online (1)

By Bob Katzen

“There is a food truck outside where the food is free for the senators and staff. The Senate will be in a recess.”
—Sen. Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont) while presiding over the Senate Sunday afternoon, announcing that a Roxy’s Grilled Cheese truck is on Bowdoin Street just outside the Statehouse.
Continue reading THIS WEEK’S QUOTABLE QUOTES ON BEACON HILL →

By Bob Katzen

The House approved and sent to the Senate a bill creating a special commission to study the creation of an underground railroad, civil rights and black heritage museum in Springfield. Continue reading UNDERGROUND RAILROAD MUSEUM →

By Bob Katzen

The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Baker a measure that would regulate poaching—the illegal hunting that harms or kills wildlife including fish, birds, mammals and endangered or threatened species. Other provisions elevate the fines and penalties for poaching; align Massachusetts poaching regulations with other states; and bring Massachusetts into the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact, which helps states to work together to prevent illegal hunting across state lines. Continue reading POACHING →

By Bob Katzen

On July 22, Gov. Baker signed into law legislation establishing the third Saturday in July as Negro Election Day. The third Saturday in July this year was July 16 which had already passed by the time Baker signed the bill. So the day passed without it officially being Negro Election Day. The Legislature approved and sent the bill to the governor on July 14, just two days ahead of the 16th.
Continue reading NEGRO ELECTION DAY (S 2703) →

By Bob Katzen

The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Baker a bill that would require research labs to make every effort to offer healthy animals up for adoption by registered non-profit animal rescue organizations rather than euthanizing them when the research is done.
Continue reading ADOPT ANIMALS USED IN RESEARCH – “THE BEAGLE BILL” (S 2992) →

By Bob Katzen

Governor Baker signed into law a bill that would make Massachusetts the 18th state in the nation to prohibit any person or entity including educational institutions, workplaces and public spaces from implementing any policy that would explicitly target someone who wears their natural hairstyle. The measure defines natural hairstyle as hair texture, hair type and protective hairstyles including braids, locks, twists and other formations.
Continue reading PROHIBIT DISCRIMINATION AGAINST A PERSON WITH A NATURAL HAIRSTYLE →

By Bob Katzen

The House 153-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to the governor an $11.3 billion transportation and infrastructure package that includes $1.375 billion for Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority (MBTA) modernization and $1.27 billion for non-federally aided roads and bridges.
Continue reading $11.3 BILLION TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE PACKAGE →

By Bob Katzen

The House 153-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Baker 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.
Continue reading BENEFITS FOR MILITARY FAMILIES →

By Bob Katzen

The House 153-0, Senate 40-0, approved and sent to the governor a bill that would make major changes to the oversight and governance structure of the state’s veterans’ homes in Holyoke and Chelsea. The proposal follows the deaths of 77 veteran residents in 2020 as a result of a COVID-19 outbreak at the Holyoke facility. A key provision would elevate the Department of Veterans Services to a cabinet-level executive office with direct reporting to the governor and the ability to hire and fire superintendents.
Continue reading SOLDIERS’ HOMES OVERSIGHT BILL →

By Bob Katzen

The House 153-0, Senate 39-0, approved and sent to Gov. Baker a bill that would accelerate improvements to local and regional public health systems across the state to address disparities in public health services by requiring the Department of Public Health to enshrine a set of standards for foundational public health services. The measure creates minimum public health standards for every city and town; incentivizes municipalities to share services; creates a uniform data collection and dedicates state funding to support local boards of health and health departments. Continue reading PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEMS →

By Bob Katzen

The House 151-2, Senate 36-4, approved and sent to Gov. Baker a bill that would legalize sports betting on professional and college sports for Massachusetts residents over 21 years old. Betting on Massachusetts colleges and universities would not be allowed unless the school is playing in a tournament like March Madness. The betting would be regulated by the Gaming Commission, the same commission that regulates the state’s casino gambling.
Continue reading SPORTS WAGERING →

By Bob Katzen

The House 137-16, Senate 40-0, approved and Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill designed to further protect reproductive health care and those who perform abortions in the Bay State. The measure specifically declares that both reproductive health care and gender-affirming care are rights secured by the constitution or laws of Massachusetts and would shield providers of reproductive and gender-affirming care and their patients from out-of-state legal action. The measure would ensure that patients over 24 weeks of pregnancy are able to receive an abortion in Massachusetts because of a grave fetal diagnosis that indicates the fetus is incompatible with sustained life outside of the uterus without extraordinary medical interventions and requires that those decisions are made between the patient and their treating physician. Continue reading REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE →