Providing accurate and timely information about what matters in Franklin, MA since 2007. * Working in collaboration with Franklin TV and Radio (wfpr.fm) since October 2019 *
Another month, another major blizzard! MassDOT snowplows with names like Flake Maye, Clearopathra, and Sleet Caroline have been out in force making roads safe to travel, as have hundreds of hardworking municipal employees and plow operators in our communities. I hope you and your families, friends, neighbors, and loved ones are safe and warm as we dig out together.
It may be chilly outside, but in the Massachusetts Senate, things are heating up! We passed a slate of consumer protection measures and authorized more than $3 billion to boost public higher education. As Senate Chair of the Municipalities Committee, working in collaboration with my House colleague, we reported favorably a major bill filed by Governor Healey and Lieutenant Governor Driscoll to empower towns and cities. And early as it may seem, preparations for the May budget debates are already under way.
Longtime Rausch Report readers know I'm a huge supporter of civics education, and this month I joined Rhode Island electeds and education experts for a panel discussion about the success of Massachusetts Civics Project Trust Fund, funding for which I have championed for several years. Also, as we do every year, I hosted Brandeis University legislative advocacy students in the State House, where they delved into the details of bills ranging from immigration policy to reproductive health with the lawmakers and staff who filed them.
Read on in this month's Rausch Report to learn more about legislation passed by the Senate, our district's Black Excellence on the Hill honoree, plans for Women's History Month, upcoming events in the district, and more.
For real-time updates, please follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Bluesky. If you are a constituent and need assistance, please don't hesitate to call me and my team at (617) 722-1555, email me at becca.rausch@masenate.gov, or attend upcoming office hours. We are here to help.
Yours in service,
Senator Becca Rausch
NEARING THE GOVERNOR'S DESK
Building Resilient Infrastructure to Generate Higher-Ed Transformation (BRIGHT) Act. I voted YES alongside my colleagues to pass the BRIGHT Act, a $3.28 billion bond bill to invest in our public higher education institutions and address the significant backlog of deferred maintenance on campuses. To help our students achieve success, they must have access to modern infrastructure and facilities, including modernized laboratories. These funding authorizations will also support workforce development and vocational technical training. The House passed a different version of the bill, so the differences between the two iterations must now be reconciled before the legislation goes to Governor Healey for her consideration.
PASSED BY THE SENATE
I voted YES along with my colleagues to pass the following bills, which are now before the House for their consideration:
Strengthening Fair Housing Protections. This bill will promote fairness in housing access by mandating anti-discrimination training for all real estate agents and strengthening state enforcement of fair housing law. Under the bill, applicants for a real estate license would attend at least four hours of classroom instruction on the Fair Housing Law. A real estate broker who violates that law twice in two years would have their license suspended for 180 days instead of 90, and information on complaints and license revocations would be published.
Car Purchase Consumer Protection. This bill strengthens the state's Lemon Law, allowing motor vehicle buyers to void a sale if the vehicle fails inspection within seven days of delivery of the car, rather than the date of purchase. The bill also increases the maximum mileage for used vehicle warranties and protects consumers from fraud by doubling the surety bond required of used car dealers.
Small Business Unit Pricing Threshold. Grocery and big box stores are required to display products' unit pricing – often the "price per ounce" found in orange next to the total price. Small businesses such as bodegas are not required to have these labels if they generate less than $5 million in in-store sales each year. Recognizing the growing popularity of high-value lottery tickets and gift cards, which generate very little actual income for our small businesses, this bill excludes the sales of lottery tickets and gift cards from counting toward the annual sales volume of these small neighborhood stores.
Growing the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Workforce. This legislation modernizes the pathway to becoming a CPA by removing outdated and costly requirements and updating the standards for certification to feature a balanced mix of a college degree and on-the-job work experience.
