This Week’s QUOTABLE QUOTES On Beacon Hill

By Bob Katzen

“Ensuring every veteran receives the proper status and respect they deserve is a top priority of the Executive Office of Veterans Services. The injustices faced by LGBTQ+ service members are a stain on our history that we are committed to erasing. Massachusetts is leading the way when it comes to supporting our veterans and this initiative is a crucial step to healing past wounds and fostering a more inclusive military community.” Continue reading This Week’s QUOTABLE QUOTES On Beacon Hill

DELIVERING CARS TO DEALERSHIPS (H 3472)

By Bob Katzen

The House gave initial approval to a bill that would prohibit any car carriers delivering cars to a dealership from parking on a public street or highway. A car carrier operator who violates this law would be subject to a $250 fine and potential license suspension. The carrier company is also subject to forfeiting its carrying permit.
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REQUIRE SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE INFO ON STUDENT IDS (H 1999)

By Bob Katzen

The House approved and sent to the Senate legislation that would require all public schools with grades 6 to 12, and all public and private colleges to include on their student identification cards the telephone and text number for the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. The bill includes a provision that allows any schools and colleges which have a supply of old ID cards without the 988 line to continue to distribute those IDS until the supply is gone.
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APPEAL MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT (S 2834)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 6-34, rejected an amendment that would require the Department of Housing and Community Development to develop and promulgate regulations allowing a city or town affected by the zoning provisions of the MBTA Communities Act to appeal for relief from those provisions. Any appeal would have to be based on at least one of the following criteria: the community’s inability to meet the drinking water supply or wastewater requirements necessary to support the housing units authorized by the law’s zoning provisions; the inability of municipal transportation infrastructure to safely accommodate the increased population attributable to this housing development; any adverse environmental impacts attributable to the development of housing units under this act; and any adverse impacts on historic properties. Continue reading APPEAL MBTA COMMUNITIES ACT (S 2834)

$1 BILLION CLEAN ENERGY AND CLIMATE ACTION FUND (S 2829)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 1-38, rejected an amendment that would create a $1 billion Clean Energy and Climate Action Fund to be administered by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center, which would distribute funds to efficient retrofits and upgrades that fit into the state’s commitment to reducing emissions from the built environment.
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$3.4 BILLION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PACKAGE (H 4789)

By Bob Katzen

The House 155-2, approved and sent to the Senate a $3.4 billion economic development package that supporters said includes an array of investments and policy initiatives that aim to bolster support for workers and businesses, particularly in the life sciences, clean energy technology and manufacturing industries, while retaining a larger focus on making Massachusetts more affordable and competitive.
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BAN HOME EQUITY THEFT (H 4791)

By Bob Katzen

The House 154-0, approved and sent to the Senate a measure that would prohibit cities and towns that foreclose on properties on which the owner owes back property taxes, from keeping all of the profits when the city or town sells the property at auction. Current Massachusetts law allows this practice. The bill would allow the city or town to keep only the amount owed in back taxes and send the remainder to the owner.
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$540 MILLON FISCAL 2024 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET (H 4790)

By Bob Katzen

The House 153-1, approved and sent to the Senate a $540 million fiscal 2024 supplemental budget to close out the books for fiscal year 2024. Provisions include millions of dollars in funding for 18 collective bargaining agreements; $26.5 million for cities and towns to prepare for and celebrate in 2026 the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution; $5.5 million for tax abatements for veterans, widows, blind persons and the elderly; and $29.6 million for Income-Eligible Child Care; $2.1 million for Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Services.
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