State Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, D-Revere

Saugus —


State Rep. Kathi-Anne Reinstein, D-Revere, joined the Massachusetts Legislature in passing a number of important bills and pieces of legislation during a productive session at the State House. Lawmakers focused on stimulating the economy, producing jobs and congressional redistricting among other key areas.

“The enactment of several new laws and passage of some long stalled pieces of legislation made this session a great success,” Reinstein said. “Through the leadership of Speaker DeLeo and diligence of my colleagues, many pressing issues facing Massachusetts have been addressed. Legislation promoting job creation, economic development, human rights and public safety will serve to protect our citizens while solidifying a prosperous future for the Commonwealth.”

Below is a look at some of the important legislation passed during the session:

Expanded gambling — Authorizes three resort style casinos and one slot parlor in Massachusetts. The casinos are expected to generate hundreds of millions of dollars in fresh revenue for the commonwealth while creating a projected 15,000 jobs.

Repeat offender — Legislation will improve public safety by removing dangerous criminals from the streets. Habitual offenders now have to serve 2/3 of their sentence, rather than half, before becoming eligible for parole.

Evergreen bill — Protects employees during periods of uncertainty. Evergreen clauses ensure that employer contracts will remain valid beyond the agreement’s terms until a new agreement is reached.

Human trafficking — The bill ensures people involved in the organization of forced labor and sexual servitude would face tough criminal penalties. The bill also establishes important protections for victims and children to help them access necessary services.

Submitted by Reinstein’s office


Read more: House completes session - Saugus, MA - Saugus Advertiser http://www.wickedlocal.com/saugus/news/x435682527/House-completes-session#ixzz1hxVAAoQl

Senator Patricia D. Jehlen

At least one Member of the Senate Ways and Means Committee Senator Pat Jehlen sees the big picture and regretted that the Committee "lacked the aspiration" to see that our government could have solved the problem of the budget gap another way:
One of the few voices of dissent came from the Senate's liberal wing. Patricia D. Jehlen, a Somerville Democrat, lamented that the budget had no tax increases to offset the cuts that hit the most vulnerable. "I hope in the future we will have higher aspirations for the role of state government in solving problems,'' said Jehlen, who nevertheless voted for the budget when it was released by the committee. [Boston Globe]
Of course, Senator Jehlen is very familiar with a possible solution because she is a cosponsor of one solution being promoted by a very big and coalition of community based groups, state wide advocacy groups and organized labor in the Coalition for Our Communities and ONE Massachusetts haven't even slowed down their activities.

Here are some notes from a community forum held in Senator Ken Donnelly's district:

Harris Gruman, who is working for the coalition seeking to support the Act to Invest in Our Communities stated that the Greatest Generation invested in America, but that investment has been eroded over the last 20 years. An example he gave was the cuts to the Community Development Block Grant program. He stated, "We cannot cut our way out of this economic situation." According to Gruman, the Invest in Our Communities Act is historic legislation in that it raises revenue while protecting the vulnerable, for example by seeking to raise capitol gains taxes to 8.95% from 5.3% while exempting seniors with incomes of $40,000.00 or less from the proposed tax increase.

Now those of us who are advocating for new taxes in this anti-government, anti-tax era are not afraid of being out of step - we are in fact leading a movement to restore the public's confidence in government. We see government as a way we can work together to do things that we can't do alone - educate our children, keep our neighborhoods clean and safe, repair our roads and bridges, keep our water and air clean and on and on.
Seneca
If people think we are crazy we can only quote the ancient Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist Seneca - Aliquando et insanire iucundum est - "It is sometimes even pleasant act like a madman."

We are pretty confident that we can build the public support for tax reform - and we recommend the ONE Mass budget and tax policy trainings offered by ONE Mass and inspired and supported by the Demos Public Works project.
We understand the legislative process is like a labyrinth - follow it all the way around and it takes you to where you want to be and then you will experience that feeling of joy --

The little squirt of dopamine hitting the brain when you get it right-and win!

Reorganizing State Agencies Act of 2009 and the Municipal Relief Act in 2010.

Two major reforms that the Legislature passed in my first term have been theThe Reorganization of state agencies legislation restructured certain state agencies to make them more cost effective and responsive by consolidating programs and program staff within agencies whose mission and expertise will ensure the most coordinated, efficient operation of the programs. The Municipal Relief Act allowed cities and towns to enter mutual aid agreements in an effort to share services and costs, and also develop electronic billing systems to save billing costs. The bill also extended pension fund funding deadlines, and gave cities and towns the option to lease public buildings for a longer term than the current 30 year limit. While making state government operations more efficient, we also gave the cities and towns tools to save money. The next step is coming to an agreement that benefits all parties involved when it comes to reforming municipal health insurance.

Bills 2011 on Health care needing support

· Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Rates (DSH) (Amendment #751; Rep. Torrisi) - This amendment would maintain the supplemental DSH add-on rate for hospitals providing a disproportionate share of care for low-income Medicaid and Medicare patients.



· Fairness for DSH Facilities (Amendment #449; Rep. Kane) - This amendment would ensure fair private insurance rates - at least the statewide average rate - for DSH health systems.



· CommCare Bridge Program Funding (Amendment #750; Rep. Toomey) - This amendment restores funding for this program providing healthcare access to many of our patients. This program is a critical source of payment for many facilities where 1199SEIU members work



· 1199SEIU Quality Nursing Home Care Initiative (Amendment #464; Rep. Sanchez ) - This amendment would provide supplemental funding for nursing homes that engage in cooperative efforts with employees through which workers have a voice in improving care delivery.



· PCA program funding - We should thank our Representatives for including full funding for the PCA program in the budget and encourage them to make sure it is in the final version of the state budget.



2.) After your call, please dial 617-284-1152 to let the 1199SEIU political action team know whether your State Representative was supportive of your request.


Reminder: May 11 is Advocacy Day!