This Week’s QUOTABLE QUOTES on Beacon Hill

By Bob Katzen

“We unleashed an industry that now promotes betting on anything and everything imaginable and unimaginable all over the world, 24 hours a day, every single day. I want to publicly apologize to those who’ve lost the opportunity to sit and watch a game just for the enjoyment of the game. I want to apologize to those who find themselves in the dark spaces of betting addiction and to those working through recovery and to their families and friends. I want to apologize to those who have lost loved ones to suicide because of gambling issues.” Continue reading This Week’s QUOTABLE QUOTES on Beacon Hill

SUICIDE AWARENESS AND REMEMBRANCE DAY (H 3388)

By Bob Katzen

The House and Senate approved and sent to Gov. Maura Healey a bill that would establish September 22nd as Military Service Members and Veterans Suicide Awareness and Remembrance Day. The day would acknowledge that suicide is an epidemic among service members and veterans and would foster awareness and call for suicide prevention measures and support.
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AUTHORS AND CREATORS CAN CHALLENGE A SCHOOL BOARD’S DECISION (S 2696)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 37-0, approved an amendment to the section of the bill that gives students, parents and guardians the legal right to challenge a school board’s decisions to remove materials from a school library. The amendment extends that right to the authors and creators and also creates a right for residents, authors and creators to go to court to challenge the removal.
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BANNING SCHOOL LIBRARY BOOKS AND MATERIALS (S 2696)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 35-3, approved and sent to the House a bill that supporters said would require that school library materials be age-appropriate, serve an educational purpose and be chosen based on a teacher or employee’s professional training—leaving aside personal, political or doctrinal views which could affect their decision to place the book on the shelf.
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PROTECT ALL PUBLIC TRANSIT WORKERS FROM ASSAULT AND BATTERY (S 2697)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 38-0, approved legislation that would expand the current law which punishes anyone who commits assault and battery against a public employee. The bill ensures that all transit workers are covered, including those who are not directly employed by the state, such as workers employed by Keolis, the state’s contracted commuter rail operator. The bill would also add “assault and battery by means of a bodily substance including saliva, blood or urine” to the current law.

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DIGITAL AND PRINT MATERIALS IN LIBRARIES (S 2710)

By Bob Katzen

The Senate 37-0, approved and sent to the House a bill that would establish a commission to study the challenges public libraries face with digital resources, including costs, access, privacy and licensing differences between digital and print materials. The commission would be required to submit a report with recommendations to improve digital resource sustainability, protect patron data and ensure equitable access across the state.
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