Senator Rausch Tapped as Senate Chair of Environment and Local Gov. Committees

State Senator Becca Rausch has been tapped by Senate President Karen Spilka to lead not one but two policy committees that likely will see significant legislation move through their subject areas this term, including proposals directly from Governor Healey. 

Senator Rausch Tapped as Senate Chair
of Environment and Local Gov. Committees

Senator Rausch was reappointed as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, her third consecutive term at the helm, which should receive an anticipated environmental bond bill from the Governor once filed. Senator Rausch also returns as Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government, which she led during her first term and the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, thrusting the committee's work into the spotlight in order to ensure local governments could continue to function. Governor Healey has already refiled her Municipal Empowerment Act, proposing changes to local procurement rules, local taxation options, hybrid access to public meetings, and more. 

"I am deeply honored and proud to chair not one but two legislative committees for the Massachusetts Senate this term, and truly grateful to Senate President Karen Spilka for her confidence in my leadership and policy-shaping skills and experience," said Senator Becca Rausch. "The Environmental Committee's work on plastic reduction, water, wetlands, air, trees, pesticides, environmental justice, and more is critical to achieving our climate action goals, and increasingly important as the federal administration slashes the EPA's budget and turns its back on environmental protection. Likewise, the work of the Municipalities Committee impacts every town and city in the entire Commonwealth and provides a significant opportunity to empower our local government partners, improve efficiency, and enhance access to public bodies and resources. These positions carry responsibility to help mold legislation and policy that directly impact our families, businesses, and communities, and I look forward to the important work ahead." 

Rausch is one of only four Senators to chair two joint committees this session. She will also serve as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on the Census, her second consecutive term in that position, and as a member of five additional Joint Committees: Children, Families and Persons with Disabilities; Election Laws; Revenue; State Administration and Regulatory Oversight; and Tourism, Arts and Cultural Development. 

Tri-County RVTHS celebrated at State House for Small Voc School Football Championship (Part 2)

Tri-County Athletics shared 

"Thank you to our MA Representatives Roy, Scanlon, Philips, Arena-DeRosa, and Soter, along with Senators Feeney and Rausch who all visited with us.  

Your commitment to vocational education and athletics is helping us prepare the Commonwealth’s workforce of tomorrow! #savethetrades"

 

"Thank you to our MA Representatives Roy, Scanlon, Philips, Arena-DeRosa, and Soter, along with Senators Feeney and Rausch who all visited with us"

Shared from -> https://x.com/TriRvths/status/1885338128572915910

Part 1 was shared -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2025/01/tri-county-rvths-celebrated-at-state.html

Ladybugs return to State House

via State Rep Jeff Roy's newsletter:

In 1974, something was bugging the second graders at Kennedy Elementary School in Franklin. They were puzzled that among all the symbols in the Commonwealth, there was no state insect. Since ladybugs are considered good luck and protect plants from pests without being harmful to gardens, the children and their teacher considered the insect worthy of becoming the Bay State’s official state bug.

These second graders swarmed the State House while wearing homemade ladybug costumes and visited lawmakers to make their case. After some heroic efforts by these pioneering students and their teacher, involving a petition, testimony before a legislative committee, and letters to legislators, the ladybug became the official state insect in 1974.

On Friday, October 4, 2024, the same ladybugs, returned to the State House for a 50th Anniversary celebration and tour. They took a tour of the building with Rep. Roy and then were greeted by Governor Maura Healey.  For more photos from the visit-> 

https://www.facebook.com/jeffreyroy/posts/pfbid0TPNWPecrXkhuQGmdzYnWKqsYq5q3UouWdjgZYZ8vM9bZSYQ4gcVcVfhZcaNDx9okl

You can view the WHDH Channel 7 report -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDXhbkeQ5T8

Ladybugs return to State House

Ladybugs to be honored at State House on 50th anniversary of bill signing

In 1974, something was bugging the second graders at Kennedy Elementary School in Franklin. They were puzzled that among all the symbols in the Commonwealth, there was no state insect. Since ladybugs are considered good luck and protect plants from pests without being harmful to gardens, the children and their teacher considered the insect worthy of becoming the Bay

State’s official state bug.

50th anniversary of bill signing

These second graders swarmed the State House while wearing homemade ladybug costumes and visited lawmakers to make their case. After some heroic efforts by these pioneering students and their teacher, involving a petition, testimony before a legislative committee, and letters to legislators, the ladybug became the official state insect in 1974.

On Friday, October 4, 2024, the same ladybugs, along with family and friends, will return to the State House for a 50th Anniversary celebration and tour. Organized by State Representative Jeffrey N. Roy (D-Franklin), the Ladybugs will also meet and have their picture taken with Governor Maura Healey. They will be also joined by the family of their teacher, the late Palma Johnson during the State House visit.

 

homemade ladybug costumes

“Although five decades have passed since H.5155, An Act designating the Ladybug as the official bug of the Commonwealth, was signed into law, the passage of time has not diminished the importance of their achievement and timeless inspirational story,” said Representative Roy, “Their efforts and dedication in 1974 showed how anyone with a good idea can affect change. It was the ultimate civics lesson for these students and we will celebrate their accomplishment on Friday.”

One of the students in the class took that civics lesson to heart. Twenty years after the bill signing, Jim Vallee was elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives where he served Franklin for 19 years. He is expected to attend the anniversary event on Friday.

ladybug became the official state insect in 1974

Their historic accomplishment by the Franklin students is now part of the State House lore and is featured on its website (https://www.sec.state.ma.us/divisions/cis/ciskid/kidlbs/lbsidx.htm) and celebrated in a booklet distributed in the building. 

The accomplishment was also featured several years ago on an episode of WCVB’s Chronicle (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weoanYKnVKM).

Consider taking part in the next Citizen Legislative Seminar on Oct 29-30, 2024

"Have you ever wanted to be a State Senator – even for a day? 

You’re in luck! The Citizens’ Legislative Seminar is a chance to learn from Senators and participate in a simulated hearing and Senate session. 

Interested and able to attend on Oct. 29 & 30? 

Contact me! becca.rausch[at]masenate.gov"
#mapoli

Shared from -> https://www.instagram.com/p/C_sw48YuouE/

I was fortunate to participate in the April sessions. While I had developed a good understanding of the legislative process during my many years reporting and talking with our State Senators and Representatives, the 2-day experience in the State House is well worth it. 

As I write this, I realize that I did not formally do a recap of the two days to share here. I think the budget discussion took priority for my time. I'll add it to my "To Do" list and get something published before this new session starts in October. 

If you are interested in finding out more about what the sessions cover, let me know and I can arrange to answer your questions.

Consider taking part in the next Citizen Legislative Seminar on Oct 29-30, 2024

Washington Post has a "Deep Read" on Norfolk and the State prison shelter situation

"Here was the town where Kevin Roche grew up: empty sidewalks, a coffee shop, a pharmacy, two pizza parlors, two ambulances, two roundabouts and no grocery store. A small, quiet town, people in Norfolk said. Pleasant. Safe. Nothing much to do, and that meant nothing much changed from one morning to the next or the next, until this morning, when Kevin woke up and knew that the town would be different by the time the day was over.

He got in his car and drove toward Main Street just before 7 a.m. Main Street ran from one end of Norfolk to the other, four miles in all, and it led to the auto repair shop where Kevin, 60, had worked since he was 12 years old, first for his father, and now alongside his own son. He passed the line of houses he saw every morning, which were the same, except for the ones that had new signs in the yard. “NORFOLK PRISON-SHELTER,” they read. “NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE.”

At the east end of Main Street, razor wire was being removed from a chain-link fence around Bay State Correctional Center, an unused low-security state prison half a mile from Kevin’s shop. At the foot of the fence, rows of thick coil lay in the grass. Security guards stood at the front gates. Cribs and diaper kits sat on the floor of the prison gym. Clean, white sheets lay on the beds."

Continue reading via a gift subscription to this article -> https://wapo.st/3B5zO23

Washington Post has a "Deep Read" on Norfolk and the State prison shelter situation

Episode 42 starts with eclipse highlights and legislative seminar before discussing headlines (audio)

FM #1176 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 1176 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist. We met to record in the Franklin TV & Public Radio studio on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.  

We continued making sense of climate on an almost extemporaneous discussion similar to what we recently had. Starting with highlights from Ted’s experience of the eclipse, and with my highlights from the Citizen Legislative Seminar where I spent 2 days in State House.

• NY Attorney General sues meat producer https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/feb/29/new-york-jbs-climate-lawsuit

• Meat a contributor https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/04/us-banks-sabotaging-own-net-zero-plans-by-livestock-financing-report-claims 

• 80/20 rule strikes again https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/apr/04/just-57-companies-linked-to-80-of-greenhouse-gas-emissions-since-2016 

• How to spot five of the fossil fuel industry’s biggest disinformation tactics https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/apr/14/climate-disinformation-explainer?CMP=share_btn_url 

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 43 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted.

Audio link ->   https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-1176-making-sense-of-climate-42-04-16-24

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** See the page that collects all the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit www.franklin.news/ or  www.Franklinmatters.org/ 

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

Episode 42 starts with eclipse highlights and legislative seminar before discussing headlines (audio)

Boston Globe: "state to partner with feds to help migrants obtain work permits"

"The state is partnering with the federal government to help migrants apply for work authorization documents, directing resources toward an avenue state officials consider key to alleviating the strain on the state’s overwhelmed emergency shelter system.

State and federal Homeland Security will co-host a clinic the week of Nov. 13 in Middlesex County, north of Boston. The state will organize appointments and provide transportation for migrants from shelter sites across the state to the clinic site.

The announcement comes as the clock ticks down to Wednesday, Nov. 1, when Governor Maura Healey said she will begin limiting how many families it will place in its emergency shelter system.

“We are glad that the Biden-Harris Administration is hosting this clinic with us, which will help process work authorizations as efficiently as possible,” Healey said in a statement. “This clinic will be critical for building on the work that our administration has already been leading to connect more migrants with work opportunities.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/30/metro/mass-migrants-work-permits-clinic/

Boston Globe: "state to partner with feds to help migrants obtain work permits"

"The site operates as 'a nonpartisan, open source, and nonprofit project;”

"ONE OF THE most well-worn complaints among political watchers in Massachusetts is that the government can be, well, hard to watch. The state Legislature is one of the least transparent lawmaking bodies in the country – exempt from public records laws, with decisions often made in closed committee sessions with little revelation about who voted for or against a given piece of legislation.

Being generally outraged about local government on Twitter, Facebook, or other social media sites may be cathartic, but is perhaps not the most efficient way to push for change. Now a team of volunteers is taking a swing at making online engagement with the Legislature feel a bit more civil, structured, and achievable for individuals and organizations.

The website MAPLE (the Massachusetts Platform for Legislative Engagement) launched this month, focused on encouraging and facilitating public testimony on legislation. The Legislature does collect and post some public testimony already, but the MAPLE group is trying to improve what they see as an imperfect system. A motivating question for the co-creators was whether the online spaces where the public gathers to express views online could “be designed better to allow us to channel our energy for productive improvements for the communities that we touch?”

Continue reading the article online at Commonwealth Magazine ->

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/the-download/a-digital-push-for-more-legislative-participation-2/

Check out the MAPLE site yourself here ->  https://www.mapletestimony.org/

 

"The site operates as 'a nonpartisan, open source, and nonprofit project;” 

Interfaith Teen Climate group joins Mass Youth Climate Coalition at State House

Our interfaith climate group from Franklin travelled to Boston for a march and rally on February 7th. We also met with Rep Jeff Roy's chief of staff to speak about several bills that need support in the legislature this session. 

Check out:

https://www.wwlp.com/news/state-politics/high-school-students-advocate-for-climate-justice-at-state-house/

All are welcome to our next meeting on Sunday, March 5th at 7 PM at St John’s Episcopal Church, 237 Pleasant Street in Franklin.

Interfaith Teen Climate group joins Mass Youth Climate Coalition at State House

CommonWealth Magainze: "in informal sessions, ... a single lawmaker can put off action on a bill"

"THE LEADERS of the House and Senate met for the first time in three months with Gov. Charlie Baker on Monday to discuss a handful of issues left over from the legislative session, but it appears little progress was made in finding a way forward.

The three leaders emerged from their meeting in the governor’s office and reported little progress on economic development legislation that passed both branches but stalled at the end of the formal legislative session on August 1 amid concerns about whether the state could afford the bill’s $4 billion price tag and also return $3 billion to taxpayers under a tax cap law triggered for the first time since 1987.

The economic development bill contained $500 million in one-time cash rebates for residents, $500 million in permanent tax credits, as well as funding for climate change efforts, water and sewer infrastructure, and a host of other initiatives.

House Speaker Ron Mariano indicated in August that he might lead an effort to reshape the tax cap law, but subsequently backed off that stance and now says he is supportive of “what’s written in the law.”

Continue reading the article online

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/house-senate-leaders-report-little-progress-on-economic-development-legislation/

 

House Speaker Ronald Mariano and Senate President Karen Spilka answer questions from the press after a Monday afternoon meeting with the governor and other officials. [Sam Doran/SHNS]

"commitments and authorizations under state law that are not fully kept by the Commonwealth"

"THE STATE HAS a $1.2 billion shortfall in aid promised to cities, towns, and school districts, Auditor Suzanne Bump concluded in a report released Thursday. 

The report looked at several major categories of state aid and identified $711.4 million in unfunded mandates related to school aid; $448.3 million related to school transportation; and $103.3 million in government aid, mainly related to the Community Preservation Act. 

“The state should be accountable to fulfill its funding obligations to cities and towns,” Bump said in an interview. “These are mandates that have long been on the books, and it just seems it’s easier to focus on the new and forget about the old.” 

State law prohibits unfunded mandates, requiring the Legislature to fund anything it requires cities and towns to do. But practically, lawmakers have often ignored those obligations. For example, they regularly appropriate only a portion of mandated expenses for school transportation.  

“Insufficient state appropriations or allocations have left programs underfunded, and some programs have seen financial obligations completely ignored despite a commitment under law,” the report says. "

Continue reading the CommonWealth Magazine article online ->

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/auditor-identifies-1-2-billion-in-unfunded-mandates/

Read your copy of the report online ->  https://www.mass.gov/report/fulfilling-the-promise-of-local-aid-by-strengthening-state-local-partnerships

or download the PDF version -> https://www.mass.gov/doc/report-fulfilling-the-promise-of-local-aid-by-strengthening-state-local-partnerships/download

State Auditor Suzanne Bump

"Half of all the refund money will go to the top 10 percent of households by income."

"THE STATE is preparing to pay out $1.4 billion in “illusory” funds under the tax cap law, giving wealthy taxpayers a huge windfall, according to a report from the left-leaning Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center.

Officials at the center say they are not accusing state officials of doing anything wrong or making a math error. Instead, they are saying a set of unusual circumstances are combining to inflate the amount of taxes collected in excess of the tax cap, and doing so in a way that shortchanges the state and allows wealthy taxpayers to gain an even bigger benefit than they normally would.

“The affluent win in every way,” said Phineas Baxandall, senior policy analyst and advocacy director at the Budget and Policy Center.

The broad outlines of the situation have been raised before, but the Budget and Policy Center report is the first time the dollar impact has been spelled out. The report calls on state leaders to address the situation, but they have shown little interest so far in intervening to change the tax cap law."

Continue reading the article online 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/report-calls-big-chunk-of-tax-cap-funds-illusory/

Reading between the lines, if the Governor wasn't so hasty in trying to the funds returned by check and used the tax rebate process, the 'illusion' might work itself out.  

The State House News Service, shared via Franklin Observer, tries to focus on the issue as party based:

Q1 State Tax Take Surpasses Record FY `22 Pace, but No Tax Relief in Sight

The golden dome of the State House. (Photo by Andy Metzger)

"local government 'is the least appreciated' level of government, 'but probably should be the most valued.'”

"A new report from the Rappaport Institute at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government highlights the strong partnership between the Baker-Polito administration and the state’s cities and towns, how it came to be, and the positive results it has achieved.

“We set out a few months ago to try to understand what was happening on the ground, what was so different about the way that this administration was working with cities and towns that we kept hearing about,” said Danielle Cerny, a visiting fellow at the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston and the author of the 50-page policy brief, during an unveiling event at Harvard on Sept. 28. “What were the pieces? Did it really work? Could we bottle it, particularly as we start to prepare for transitions here and elsewhere. How could we try to capture this?” 

Continue reading the article at MMA -> 

https://www.mma.org/report-explores-successful-state-local-partnership-under-baker-polito/

Direct link to full report ->

https://www.hks.harvard.edu/sites/default/files/Taubman/RIGB/Empowering%20Cities%20and%20Towns%20Paper%20web%20version%20-%2009-2022.pdf

Rappaport Institute at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government

"a victim of the focus [being] on other quote-unquote more important bills"

"In the churn of its final 23-hour formal session, the Massachusetts Senate embraced a series of changes members said would protect those victimized by crime. They passed a bill that banned first responders from taking pictures of victims. After midnight, they spent 90 minutes debating, and then passed, language expanding the list of crimes for which someone could be held before trial.

“Think about the victims that are asking us to act,” Senator Marc R. Pacheco said from the floor.

Survivors of “revenge porn” question whether the Senate thought of them, too.

Despite 48 states outlawing it and the House voting unanimously to do the same, the Senate adjourned its final formal session this week without taking a vote on a measure that would make the sharing of nonconsensual pornography illegal in Massachusetts."

Continue reading the Boston Globe article (subscription may be required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/08/05/metro/bill-outlaw-revenge-porn-stalled-state-senate-enraging-survivors-keeping-mass-an-outlier/

The Senate chamber of the Massachusetts State House. CARLIN STIEHL FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE

Franklin Unified Basketball Team visited the State House on Thursday

Via Lisa Berger: 

"FHS unified basketball/team mass at the State House!!! What a great day and honor!! Thank you Representative Jeff Roy!"

Via State Representative Jeff Roy:

"It was a treat having the beloved Franklin Unified Basketball Team in the State House yesterday to be honored by the House and Senate for sportsmanship and bringing home the gold medal. The visit included stops in my office, the House and Senate Chambers, and the Gov’s office."

 Via Senator Becca Rausch:

"You all are all stars, @FranklinHS Unified Basketball! It was an honor to welcome these gold medalists and young leaders into the Senate chamber today. Congrats again on your huge victory, and thank you for representing MA at the @specialolyUSA . We are so proud! @TOFranklinMA"

FHS Unified team visited the State House for tour

FHS Unified team visited the House Chambers

Additional photos can be found in the first two tweets

Shared from Twitter - https://twitter.com/lburger81/status/1552750772395311104

and   https://twitter.com/jeffroy/status/1552963510379872257

and   https://twitter.com/BeccaRauschMA/status/1552762598503899143

Conference Committee reaches agreement on climate bill

Statement of State Rep. Jeff Roy and State Senator Mike Barrett 

State Rep. Jeff Roy and State Senator Mike Barrett, chairs for their respective branches of a conference committee appointed to resolve differences between House and Senate versions of a new climate bill, announced today that a compromise has been reached. 

An Act Driving Clean Energy and Offshore Wind preserves the central ideas of bills that each branch had passed separately.  The compromise is expected to be filed tonight and to come before each legislative branch for final approval as soon as tomorrow, after which it will go to the Governor for his consideration. 

The chairs issued the following joint statement: 

“Massachusetts needs to open up huge new sources of green electric power if it’s to stay on course for reducing emissions. Today’s compromise aims to ramp up clean power, especially offshore wind but also solar, storage and networked geothermal, and run it through cars, trucks, buses, and buildings, the biggest sources of emissions in the state.  

“We thank President Biden for issuing a call to action to the entire country today,” the two continued. “Massachusetts legislators hear him, and we’re going all out.”

 

Deepwater Wind's turbines off Block Island, R.I., as seen in 2019.RODRIQUE NGOWI/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Beacon Hill Updates: MA House passes economic development bill; agreement in principle reached by conf cmte on State budget

"The Massachusetts House Thursday night passed a massive, wide-ranging economic development bill that infuses $4.2 billion into the state economy in the form of tax relief, investments in health care and environmental programs, and support to businesses, as well as a slew of policy changes and earmarks for local projects and programing.

The bill would be paid for by a combination of $2.8 billion in federal American Rescue Plan dollars and expected state surplus money, and $1.4 billion in money the state borrows through bonds.

Much of the spending is meant to target “communities that were hardest hit by the pandemic,” Representative Aaron Michlewitz, a North End Democrat who is the House’s budget leader, said while presenting the bill Wednesday morning. “This is a well-rounded spending package that will help support major sectors of our economy and help us be more competitive with other states.”

Continue reading the article in the Boston Globe (subscription may be required) ->  https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/14/metro/mass-house-set-pass-wide-ranging-economic-development-bill-that-offers-tax-relief-health-care-investments-earmarks/ 

"TWO WEEKS INTO the fiscal year, legislative budget writers have reached an agreement on the fiscal 2023 state budget. 

Ways and Means chairs Rep. Aaron Michlewitz and Sen. Michael Rodrigues issued a joint statement Thursday evening saying House-Senate negotiators have “reached an agreement in principle” resolving the differences between the House and Senate versions of the budget. 

“Staff are currently working to complete the work necessary to finalize the agreement,” Rodrigues and Michlewitz said. “We anticipate a Conference Committee Report being filed in the coming days to ensure that the House and Senate can consider the report on Monday in formal session.” 

Continue reading the article in CommonWealth Magazine -> https://commonwealthmagazine.org/state-government/negotiators-reach-agreement-in-principle-on-state-budget/

Note - the headline on a similar article Thursday initially read "Beacon Hell", a typo caught by an eagle eyed reader and corrected online before the Twitter post went out. Unfortunately all the email subscribers got the 'wrong' version'. Spell check won't catch those mistakes. I need to be more vigilant.

Beacon Hill Updates: MA House passes economic development bill; agreement in principle reached by conf cmte on State budget