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Reporting on issues and legislators for the 1st and 2nd Essex districts
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Funds for Community Needs Pass First Budget Hurdles
The Massachusetts budget process continues, and the Legislative Watch Team is following funding amendments requested by legislators representing towns in the 1st and 2nd Essex districts. The House and Senate have both approved their budget proposals, which include funds for items such as local infrastructure and public safety. The proposals now move into conference committee where they will be reconciled before being submitted to the governor for final approval.
Here are the totals secured into the Senate and House budget proposals, with links to the list of local amendments each legislator filed.
- Senator Bruce Tarr: $500,000 of $1,185,000 requested. View details.
- Senator Diana DiZoglio: $740,000 of $756,000 requested. View details.
- Representative Lenny Mirra: $80,000 of $460,000 requested. View details.
- Representative James Kelcourse suggested that constituents obtain information for his amendments from the Massachusetts legislative website, using this link.
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A Heads Up on Some Important Legislation
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Women’s and LGBTQ Rights
The Roe Act (S.1209, H.3320). These important bills update Massachusetts abortion laws by removing unnecessary restrictions, such as a 24-hour waiting period, and ensuring coverage regardless of a resident’s income or legal status. In addition, they allow for abortion after 24 weeks in cases of fatal fetal abnormalities and eliminate the requirement for teens to obtain parental or judicial permission to access abortion. For more information ...
Rep. Kelcourse is a co-sponsor, and we need to ensure he actively supports this legislation, which has been under attack from the state GOP.
Family Planning Funds (H.3638). This law, signed by Governor Charlie Baker in March, allocates up to $8 million in state funding for family planning clinics that may lose federal funds under recent rules that target abortion service providers. Reps. Kelcourse and Mirra and Sens. DiZoglio and Tarr all voted in favor. To learn more ...
Conversion Therapy Ban (H.140). A bill banning conversion therapy for minors was signed into law by Gov. Baker in April 2019. Reps. Mirra and Kelcourse and Sen. DiZoglio (a co-sponsor) voted in favor of the ban. Sen. Tarr voted "present" after proposing an amendment—which was defeated—asking the Supreme Judicial Court to rule on the constitutionality of the ban before the final vote.
A conservative group has indicated that it will challenge this law in court.
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New Tax May Reach 2022 Ballot
The Fair Share Amendment (S.16, H.86), received the approval of 75% of the legislators at a constitutional convention held in the House chambers on Wednesday, June 12. It was approved by a vote of 147 to 48. The Amendment, which will be placed on the ballot in 2022 if it passes another constitutional convention next session, would impose an additional 4% tax on all individual income over $1 million.
Earlier this year, the Amendment received 81% of the vote (156–37) during a procedural vote. This new vote brings the Amendment one step closer to the ballot box.
Regional Transportation Funding Falls Short
When districts first began opening regional schools, one of the incentives was full state reimbursement for bus transportation costs, which can be a significant expense due to the large geographic area covered by each school. It has been decades since this mandate was fully funded, and the current reimbursement is closer to 70–75%, meaning most schools are underfunded by hundreds of thousands of dollars or even more. Plus, the new education funding formula may leave many suburban districts, like the 2nd Essex, behind. Read about Chapter 70 funding.
A group called Support MA Regional Schools is fighting to change that and urges Rep. Mirra (Pentucket, Triton, and Masconomet districts), and Rep. Kelcourse (Triton), along with Sens. Tarr and DiZoglio, to fight for this long-overdue funding. To learn more ...
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