By Bob Katzen

The Revenue Committee held a hearing on legislation that would extend the state tax treatment currently applied to Social Security income to public retirement income earned abroad. Under current law, Social Security benefits are exempt from state taxation, but foreign public pensions are not.

Co-sponsors Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa (D-Northampton) and Sen. Jo Comerford (D-Northampton) said they filed this bill to correct an inequity affecting a small but distinct group of retirees. “Some individuals spent a portion of their careers working abroad, during which time they contributed to a foreign public retirement system rather than U.S. Social Security,” said the pair. “Upon retiring in Massachusetts, they receive no Social Security credit for those years and must rely on their foreign pension to fill that gap. Taxing this income at the state level diminishes what retirees need to live with dignity and peace.”

SAFETY IN SCHOOLS (H 5157) – The Education Committee held a hearing on a proposal that supporters said would provide support for school districts that want to develop more holistic safety practices that do not rely on school-based policing and clarify the parameters for appropriate use of police powers in schools. The bill would create grants for school safety models like Oakland’s “peacekeeper” program; clarify boundaries on what conduct should be addressed by school resource officers; promote de-escalation and anti-bias techniques; and establish data-driven accountability measures.

Rep. Lindsay Sabadosa said she filed the bill because every student deserves to feel safe and supported in their school. She said that too often, students of color bear the brunt of school policing, facing disciplinary interventions that their peers do not. She noted the bill creates accountability, clarifies the role of law enforcement in schools and sets up a mechanism to invest in proven alternatives that ensure that all students will be treated with dignity.

THE “ENOUGH” FUND (S 3022) – The Committee on Community Development and Small Businesses held a hearing on legislation that would establish the ENOUGH Fund, a statewide initiative to support comprehensive, community driven strategies that reduce poverty in distressed neighborhoods. The program aligns housing, education, health, workforce and social services to improve long term outcomes for children and families. The fund would be administered by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities and could receive state and private funds.

“The Harlem Children’s Zone [in New York City] is a striking example of community, government and philanthropy working in unison to radically improve thousands of people’s lives for the better and it was inspiring to visit and learn about this seminal project with my Chelsea colleagues,” said sponsor Sen. Sal DiDomenico (D-Everett). “I am proud and excited to bring this innovative framework here to help combat poverty in my district and all over the commonwealth. The reason an initiative like this works is because they include holistic and community-driven programs that address the root causes of poverty and offer wrap-around high-quality services across every aspect of life from education to health care to childcare to community building and so much more.”