Happy Holiday Season to you all!
Several of you have sent thank you notes for reminders of community events that you might like to attend. Debbie Cleveland's www.framingham.com is a good site to check for events ---- and to post your group's community events.
Some upcoming dates:
* Friday, Dec. 6th and Saturday Dec. 7th: Framingham Garden Club Green Sale (Cushing Hospital Grounds)
* Friday Dec. 6th at 7PM: Downtown Solutions Lighting (Town Hall).
* Saturday, Dec. 7th at 6:45PM: Air Force Holiday Concert at Town Hall (free but tickets required)
* Tuesday, Dec 10 and Wednesday Dec. 11th from 7PM to 10PM: Rotary Club Auctions -- Watch live on ATT Broadband and RCN local channels.
* Tuesday, Dec 10: Planning Board: Saxonville PUD traffic Hearing (Public Hearing Room -Town Hall)
* Wednesday, Dec 11th at 6:30PM: Citizens' Schools Supper and Food Drive at Walsh Middle School. Please bring non-perishable items.
* Monday, Dec 16th at 12:30PM: Downtown Common Ribbon Cutting
* Monday, Dec 16th at 7PM: Open Space Plan Public Hearing (Public Hearing Room - Town Hall)
This newsletter includes summaries of some of the bills that I filed for the next session of the Legislature. Please let us know if you have questions or would like to see the full text. In total there were more than 5800 bills filed for 2003-2004 consideration, 1300 fewer than for the 2001-2002 session. Each bill will be automatically admitted and scheduled for hearing in the February - May period 2003. Many bills will be consolidated; others will be considered within the budget decisions; most bills will be sent to "study". Complicated bills -- such as newly proposed omnibus zoning law changes-- may take several years to pass. Unfortunately, the Legislature’s website has not yet posted all proposed legislation, although you can view last sessions legislation at: http://www.state.ma.us/legis/
I filed legislation on:
Education
Health Care
Employment and Training
Seniors and Taxation
MetroWest region
And other issues
EDUCATION
An Act Relative to Taxpayer Equity in the Calculation and Distribution of State Aid to Education
· Provides for “Adjustment Aid” to communities where state aid is below the “target or “fair share”
· Closes the funding gap over 5 years
· Adjusts property valuation for median incomes of residents (responding to problems of retirement or other lower income communities)
· Uses FY2003 aid as “base” for the future.
[This bill incorporates the work of the Foundation Budget Review Commission and advances the emerging consensus in the house, senate and administration on more equitable Chapter 70 aid. For those communities whose aid levels have been far below average, such as ours, the bill provides a clear “catch up plan”]
An Act to Amend Commonwealth Charter School Funding to Stabilize State Aid
· Charter Schools funded as a separate line item in the state budget
· Local School District aid NOT reduced to pay for charter schools
· Tuition rates for charter schools set at or below foundation budget, adjusted for demographic and elementary, middle or high school cost differences
An Act to Establish Full-Day Kindergarten
· Provides for the full-day kindergarten programs for all children with state funding
An Act to Establish a Moratorium on Approvals and Expansions of Commonwealth Charter Schools
· Bars the Board of Education from granting new commonwealth charters, authorizing the opening of new schools or expanding enrollment in current schools for three years, starting Jan 1, 2003.
· Establishes a commission to investigate alternative funding formulas and sources and impact on local school districts and feasibility of funding as a separate line item.
An Act to Defer Further Change in Bilingual Education Pending Commission Review
· Defers the effective date of the ballot initiative for 3 years and
· Establishes a commission to develop implementation plans, costs and regulations to ensure effective acquisition of skills in English and academic content
An Act Providing Incentives for Dual-language Immersion Programs in the Public Schools.
· Provides incentive grants for school districts that offer dual-language immersion programs, subject to appropriation. (Refile of H. 3068)
An Act to Maintain Two-Way Bilingual Education Programs
· Provides that dual language programs can continue to be offered
An Act Relative to Raffles and Bazaars Conducted by Public School Raffles:
· Exempts public schools from sales and lottery taxes on their raffle proceeds.
An Act Exempting School Buses from Tolls
· Allows school buses to use turnpike and port authority roads, tunnels and bridges without paying toll charges
HEALTH CARE
An Act to Amend the Prescription Drug Insurance Program
· Provides for the commonwealth’s prescription drug insurance program to open enrollment for a person whose HMO insurer no longer contracts with that person’s physicians and supporting hospital. This provision would allow an individual to elect Medicare and retain some prescription drug coverage.
An Act to Restore MassHealth Basic
· Retains health coverage for 60,000 long-term unemployed residents and maintains federal 50% matching funds.
An Act to Provide Insurance Parity for Alcohol and other Substance Abuse Treatment Program
· Requires insurers to provide treatment for substance abuse in the same manner as other physical and mental prevention and treatment services.
An Act to Allow Hospitals and Community Health Care Clinics to Establish Pharmacies for the Retail Sale of Prescription Medications. (Refile of H. 2522)
· Promotes local price competition and convenience for residents to obtain prescription medications.
The Fair Drug Pricing Act
· Provides for bulk purchasing and other changes in prescription medication programs; Bill filed in support of Mass Senior Action.
An Act to Establish an Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease) Registry:
· Establishes a registry of ALS patients in order to provide a data base for research into incidence and causes of the disease.
EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING
An Act to Promote Workforce Retraining
· Instructs the Department of Employment and Training to encourage workers declared “at risk” or formally laid off to improve their skills through a tuition waiver/voucher for a course at a community, state college or state university.
SENIORS AND TAXATION
An Act to Provide a Limited Exemption from the State Income Tax for Individuals Caring for the Elderly [Refile H. 545]
An Act to Provide Tax Credits to Corporations that Offer Certain Employee Benefits
· Recognizes corporations that support day care for elderly relatives of employees [Refile H. 546]
An Act to Provide Retirement Equity for Certain Widows of State Police Officers
· Corrects retirement benefit inequities for widows of State police officers
METROWEST REGION
An Act implementing the Greater Callahan Open Space and Greenway Plan Located in the towns of Framingham, Sudbury, and Southborough and the city of Marlborough. {Refile of H. 3152}
· Provides for purchase or acquisition of development rights in the Greater Callahan State Park Region, with funds available under the already approved Environmental Bond Bill.
An Act to mitigate noise pollution in the MetroWest region
· Establishes a program for sound barriers in Framingham, and other communities bordering the Massachusetts Turnpike between Rtes 128 and 495, with funds from the already approved Transportation Bond Bill. [Prepared as part of the MetroWest Caucus bills]
An Act to Promote Regional Transit Authorities
· Allows MetroWest area communities to participate in regional transit authorities, with corresponding reductions in MBTA assessments for monies allocated to the regional group(s). [Prepared as part of the MetroWest Caucus bills]
An Act providing for a Study of Health Care Services and Environmental Conditions at M.C.I. Framingham (Refile of H. 3095)
· Provides for a review by the Departments of Public Health and the Division of Occupational Health of health related services and conditions at MCI Framingham, establishes legislative participation in the review, requires the publication of a report on recommended corrective action and requires the Department of Corrections to request funds to implement recommendations.
An Act Establishing Juneteenth Independence Day:
· Establishes June nineteenth as a holiday, with provision for a proclamation by the governor. Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the abolition of slavery.
ZONING
An Act increasing the number of days to appeal the decisions of a zoning variance permitting body in a municipality from Twenty (20) to Thirty (30), if accepted by a local legislative body.
