Senator Rausch State House Briefing: Part 1, Chapter 9

Greetings from Beacon Hill! Did you know the Senate has a shared leadership model? It's true. I'm proud and honored to serve as the Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government. This Committee reviews legislation pertaining to local and regional economic development, planning, zoning, charter changes, and a host of other matters often called "home rule petitions." That's short-hand for a change that a particular town or city wants to make to its governance structure or other element of its operations for which it needs the Legislature's approval. (My favorite kind of home rule petition is the kind that creates gender-neutral language in local governance, like shifting from Board of Selectmen to Select Board. Words matter.) The Committee also reviews bills about animal safety and care. This session, 220 bills were assigned to the Municipalities Committee, and more will continue to roll in throughout the session as my colleagues continue to file home rule petitions for their communities. Between April and November 2019, we held 11 separate hearings where legislators, advocates, and members of the public presented testimony regarding the bills before us. We also received testimony via letters, emails, and telephone calls, and reached out to state agencies and other organizations to add their expertise to our deliberations. Taking all of this information into account, the Committee took favorable action on many bills. Many of those bills have already become law, including the law permitting Norfolk County to borrow the funds needed to make repairs at the Norfolk County Agricultural School. Those home rule petitions to recognize, in charters, that people other than men serve in local government too? I've loved approving issuing favorable reports on more than half a dozen of them so far this session. Many of those bills have already become law, making the charters of those towns more inclusive and accurate descriptors of their governing bodies. I was also particularly excited to pass a home rule petition to allow Easthampton to implement ranked choice voting in its local elections, which became law back in September. The city will use ranked choice voting in its next election! We also favorably reported bills that have not yet become law, including bills addressing climate change through zoning and building codes, a bill permitting solar drying of laundry, bills to protect public shade trees and encourage recycling, a bill to set aside handicapped parking spaces, and bills to allow New Bedford to lease a performing arts center and Athol to build a public library. Under the House and Senate Joint Rules, every Committee must act on every bill assigned to it by the first Wednesday in February. This means that across the State House, over 30 committees are working overtime to make final recommendations on literally thousands of bills by next week! Wondering how the legislative process in Massachusetts really works? Stay tuned for the next episode of Low Budget Beacon Hill, due for release shortly! As always, please follow along on Twitter and Facebook, and don't hesitate to call our office at 617-722-1555 or stop by Room 218 in the State House. Yours in service, The newsletter was shortened for publication here. To review the full contents, follow this link  View this email in your browser https://mailchi.mp/3dc560373ee9/senator-rausch-state-house-briefing-2019-year-in-review-12152966?e=0c2c9810fe

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - Jan 31 to THU - Feb 6

Friday, January 31

9:00am

 Library- Baby-Wearing Dance Party!- Ages 0-12mo

10:00am

 Knitting Group

Saturday, February 1

9:30am

 St. Mary's Women's Faith Formation Group

10:00am

 Franklin Historical Museum (Always free)

10:30am

 Library- Baby Sensory!- Ages 0-2

Sunday, February 2

1:00pm

 Franklin Historical Museum (always free)

Monday, February 3

10:30am

 Library-Move Along- Ages 0-5

3:30pm

 Library- D&D for Kids- Ages 7-13

Tuesday, February 4

9:30am

 Library- Cool Cruisers- 8mo-18mo

10:30am

 Library-Get Ready for Kindergarten- 3-5yrs

4:00pm

 Dean Leadership Institute: Brian Beneduce

4:00pm

 Library-Toe-Tapping Tuesdays-Ages 2-4!

6:00pm

 Library - Adults - Drop-In ESL Conversation Class

6:30pm

 Franklin Garden Club: Craft Night

6:30pm

 Franklin School Committee: Legislative Forum

7:00pm

 Friends of the Franklin Library Book Group

Wednesday, February 5

10:30am

 Library- Terrific Toddlers- Ages 18mo-3yrs

3:30pm

 Library- Creation Station!- Ages 4+

6:00pm

 Artist Amigos! For Teens

7:00pm

 Franklin Art Assoc - Monthly Meeting

7:00pm

 Friends of the Franklin Library

Thursday, February 6

8:30am

 Franklin Downtown Partnership General Meeting

9:30am

 Library- Tummy Time- Ages 0-12mo (pre-walkers)

10:30am

 Library-Story Xplorers- Ages 0-5

4:00pm

 Library- Bookworm Bounce Storytime!- Ages 0-5

5:45pm

 FAA Booster Mtg

6:00pm

 Library-Volunteens-Teens (13+)

6:30pm

 Provincetown and the Pilgrims

7:00pm

 Frankin Music Boosters Meeting

For the interactive version, please visit

https://www.franklinmatters.org/p/blog-page.html

For the Town of Franklin Public Meeting Calendar

https://www.franklinma.gov/calendar

Submit an event for the Community Calendar, please use this link

https://www.franklinculture.org/things-do/links/submit-event

Upcoming Events in Franklin, MA: FRI - Jan 31 to THU - Feb 6

FM #197 - Frank Falvey - Handicap access on the Town Common

FM #197

This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 197 in the series, that we are now developing in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm).

Frank Falvey, creator of two music programs for Franklin TV / Franklin Radio sat with me recently at the Franklin studio.

Frank initiated the creation of the two new handicap parking spots at the Town Common. We sat to discuss how this came to be. Our conversation then stayed within the handicap and access realm to cover parking passes and the accessibility issues at the downtown Franklin/Dean MBTA station.

Listen to our conversation, approximately 35 minutes


https://www.hipcast.com/podcast/HyVQ5HLX




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Links and answers to some of the questions or topics raised during our conversation:

- MA disability placard info can be found online at the MA.gov page https://www.mass.gov/how-to/renew-your-temporary-disability-placard
note: permanent cards are auto renewed, temporary are not

- American Disabilities Act (ADA) was first published in 1990 and updated recently https://www.ada.gov/2010_regs.htm

- The MBTA meeting was held in December 2019. The meeting was held Tuesday, Dec 17 - I was recording the FinComm meeting that night and missed it. Jeff Roy shared the presentation doc which I then posted to the FM web page later that week
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2019/12/franklin-line-meeting-powerpoint.html

- GATRA - Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Authority http://www.gatra.org/ (you can get there from the "Explore Franklin" link on the Town of Franklin home page)


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This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but I can't do it alone. I 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 this, please let me know

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

For additional information, please visit 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"

One of the new handicapped parking spots on the Town Common, this one at the corner of High St and Main St

FHS wrestling tops KP, indoor track teams split vs. KP, Brogan sets school record in 1 MIle

Via HockomockSports.com, we share the results of FHS winter sports action on Thursday

Wrestling = King Philip, 30 @ Franklin, 45 – Final
Despite having to forfeit three weight classes and starting the match down 12-0, Franklin rolled to a win that clinches the outright league dual meet title. It is the third Kelley-Rex title in the last four years for the Panthers. Drew DiFillipo started the comeback at 120 with a 10-2 win that cut the KP lead to 12-4. Devin Bramson got the hosts within two with a first round pin at 126 pounds and then a forfeit at 132 put the Panthers ahead 16-12. Jackson Kelley wasted little time putting the Warriors in front with a first round pin, but Alex Fracassa put Franklin ahead for good with a 10-2 win at 145. 

Following a KP forfeit at 152, Dom Sackley added six more points with a first round pin. At 170, Liam Cogavin jumped ahead 7-2 after two periods, but Cole Ricci battled back in the third with a takedown cutting the lead to three and then forcing Cogavin to hold on for the win and three points. Dylan Nawn put Franklin ahead 41-18 with a second round pin at 182, but Shawn Conniff answered back with a first round pin at 195. It was Conniff’s 130th career win and his 100th career pin. He is now two wins shy of the program record. Matt Walker closed out the meet with a 13-2 win at 220 before another forfeit at 285.

For a Photo Gallery from this meet:
https://hockomocksports.smugmug.com/2019-2020/Winter-2019-2020/Franklin-King-Philip-Wrestling-1-30-20/

Boys Indoor Track = Franklin, 63 vs. King Philip, 36 – Final
– Senior Jacob Cummings and junior Shane Bissanti each took home a pair of individual wins and the Panthers won three more events, plus both relays, to earn a win over King Philip. Cummings won both the long jump (19-09.25) and the 300M (37.98) while Bissanti crossed first in the 55M hurdles (9.44) and won the high jump (5-04.00). Alec Hanley (1:27.53) and Camden Harrington (1:27.95) went 1-2 in the 600M while Griffin Sieczkiewicz (10:47.01) and Joseph Zercie (10:49.74) did the same in the 2 Mile race. KP’s Mike Griffin and Franklin’s Tyler Brogan put on another show in the 1 Mile Race with Griffin (4:18.22) edging out Brogan (school-record 4:18.95), with KP’s Michael Norberg (4:24.56) taking third, the three clocking in the best three times among Hock runners on the night.

Girls Indoor Track = Franklin, 42 vs. King Philip, 58 – Final
– Franklin swept a pair of events but King Philip showed off its depth, taking wins in both relays and six other events to get the win. Junior Sofia DelVecchio won the 55M dash (7.66), junior Allison Beltramini took first in the 300M (45.03), juniors Isabelle Crocker (3:18.29) and Charlotte Majer (3:19.87) went first and second in the 1000M, sophomore Maya Evans won the 2 Mile (12:32.69), junior Milan Simmons (9.42) and senior Victoria Priestley (9.53) went 1-2 in the 55M hurdles, and seniors Sarah Vigevani (30-01.00) and Bailee Ziolkowski (29-10.00) took the top two spots in the shot put. Franklin swept the long jump with sophomore Jillian Fenerty (14-11.00) taking first and sophomore Ava Fraulo (14-10.50) and junior Katelyn Guidi (14-03.00) following as well as the 600M race, won by senior Samantha Powderly (1:45.84) and Sydney Hawkins (1:48.31) and Riley Fitzpatrick (1:50.06) rounding out the top three.

For other results around the Hockomock League
https://hockomocksports.com/thursdays-schedule-scoreboard-01-30-20/

Franklin vs. King Philip wrestlers in action (HockomockSports.com photo)

MassBudget: Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity

Read our latest report

Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity: Finding a Way Forward for the Children and Families of Massachusetts While effective public policy removes obstacles along the road to opportunity, good jobs play a central role in paving that road. Economic policies, since the 1970s, have allowed wages to stagnate for most workers. Important work support programs, and other essential benefits that allow children and families to thrive, are also at risk. In the updated Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity report, we highlight data that documents how opportunity is not equitable across the Commonwealth.   http://massbudget.org/reports/pdf/Obstacles%20on%20the%20Road%20to%20Opportunity%201.2.2020.pdf This report includes data about Massachusetts and local communities, such as: In Springfield, nearly 71 percent of children are from families making less than $52,000 a year; Statewide, 23 percent of renters pay half of their incomes or more on rent each month; About 90,000 children live in high-poverty neighborhoods, in which 30% or more of the residents have incomes below $25,750; Approximately 1.1 million people benefited from the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC), including about 580,000 children; and, Incomes for most have been flat. However, even when adjusted for inflation, incomes for the top 1 percent have more than quadrupled, from about $430,000 between 1978-1980 to over $1.8 million in 2013-2015. MassBudget thanks the Mass. Association for Community Action (MASSCAP  https://www.masscap.org/) for their support of this research on poverty, and their work in calling on national, state and local stakeholders to act to eliminate opportunity gaps for families and children across the country.  Interested in learning more of the key takeaways and data about your community? Read the data-packed full Obstacles on the Road to Opportunity report here http://massbudget.org/reports/pdf/Obstacles%20on%20the%20Road%20to%20Opportunity%201.2.2020.pdf The Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center (MassBudget) produces policy research, analysis, and data-driven recommendations focused on improving the lives of low- and middle-income children and adults, strengthening our state's economy, and enhancing the quality of life in Massachusetts. MASSACHUSETTS BUDGET AND POLICY CENTER 1 STATE STREET, SUITE 1250 BOSTON, MA 02109

Sent by nwagman@massbudget.org in collaboration with Try email marketing for free today!

"accidentally reports every student absent"

"The parents and guardians of students attending John F. Kennedy Memorial School received quite the surprise on Thursday morning - a message reporting their child as being absent.

Just after 10 a.m., an error caused by the district’s automated absentee notification system notified each family affiliated with the Pond Street elementary school that their child was not present, according to Superintendent of Schools Sara Ahern.

“We use an automated system to send out messages to parents/guardians when we are not contacted by them to notify us when a student will be absent for the day,” said Ahern. “A mistake was made and the message was sent to all Kennedy Elementary School families at approximately 10:09 a.m.”

She said the error was “caught right away and a clarifying message was sent promptly at approximately 10:14 a.m.”

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/news/20200130/franklin-elementary-school-accidentally-reports-every-student-absent

A message went out to the Kennedy Elementary community regarding student absences. It was sent in error and has caused some alarm in the community. We are working to correct it.

— Franklin Public Schools, MA (@FranklinPSNews) January 30, 2020

https://twitter.com/FranklinPSNews

"Oh, there’s actually something real happening here"

From the Milford Daily News, articles of interest for Franklin:

"Road salt normally helps keep the public safe. But in this small hamlet near the Canadian border, residents say it’s contaminating their wells and eating their appliances from the inside out. Worse, they believe the state misled them about the cause to avoid culpability.

Researchers from Virginia Tech, who helped uncover drinking water contamination in Flint, Michigan, think Fishers Landing’s problems were caused by runoff from a nearby salt storage shed run by the New York State Department of Transportation.

They also say the problem could be far more widespread than a single shed in a single town, with their analysis showing nearly half a million people across the state could face similar risks.

And while New York uses more road salt than any other state, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont use similar amounts of salt per mile of roadway, meaning residents there could be at risk, too."

Continue reading the article online (subscription may be required)
https://www.milforddailynews.com/zz/news/20200130/road-salt-blamed-for-new-england-wells-contamination

As Franklin gets all its water from ground aquifers, we need to be careful with our water quality. One of our 2020 "Watch List" items covers water quality
https://www.franklinmatters.org/2020/01/franklin-issue-on-2020-watch-list-new.html

Massachusetts Senate Approves Next Generation Climate Policy

The Massachusetts State Senate on Thursday advanced three bills that boldly tackle the contributing factors of climate change, chart one of the most aggressive courses of action against global warming in the country, and pave the way for a clean energy future for all of its residents.

An Act Setting Next Generation Climate Policy and two companion bills — one dealing with electrifying fleets and another updating energy efficiency standards for appliances — passed overwhelmingly and with bi-partisan support.

"I am proud of the Senate for acting quickly on this legislation which takes a historic step in our fight to reduce harmful emissions that hurt our planet and our residents," said Senate President Karen E. Spilka (D-Ashland). "I commend Senator Barrett for his diligence in crafting a thorough legislative package that takes concrete steps to combat climate change by providing a plan to create a greener, healthier and more sustainable future. I would like to thank Senator Barrett and Senator Michael Rodrigues for their contributions to this next generation climate leadership."

"The Next Generation Climate package that the Senate passed today will allow the Commonwealth to reduce our carbon footprint and boldly confront the impacts of climate change," said Senator Michael J. Rodrigues, Chair of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means (D-Westport). "These bills will help us achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 and transform our energy delivery system to benefit our climate and future generations. I applaud Senate President Spilka and Senator Barrett for their leadership on this issue, and I thank my colleagues in the Senate for their collaboration in confronting perhaps the most important issue of our time."

"We've written the strongest climate statute in the nation," said Senator Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), Senate Chair of the Utilities and Energy Committee and the bill's chief author. "The bills started out strong. Then they got better as debate went on. More protection for low and moderate income families. Special sensitivity to the climate challenges facing small towns and rural areas. Retraining for people who may need to change jobs as we green the economy. In the fight against climate change, this lifts Massachusetts to the next level. My thanks to President Spilka and Chairman Rodrigues for conducting a model of the lawmaking process."

Key provisions of the climate policy package include:

Setting a statewide greenhouse gas limit for the year 2050 of "net zero" emissions. To achieve this, An Act Setting Next-Generation Climate Policy requires the state to hit near-term limits in 2025, 2030, and every five years thereafter; set sub-limits for transportation, buildings, solid waste, natural gas distribution, and other major sectors; and make implementation plans that are "clear, comprehensive, and specific."

Establishing the Massachusetts Climate Policy Commission. The commission would be a new, independent public watchdog to oversee government's handling of the unfolding crisis of climate change. Commissioners will be charged with offering a nonpartisan, science-based view of the problem as it plays out in Massachusetts with its attendant natural, economic, and demographic impacts and risks.

"We want this commission to be an independent guardian of the future, notably the future of younger generations, insulated from political pressure and consisting of the most authoritative and credible Massachusetts voices we can find," stated Senator Barrett. "Job one for the Commission is to tell us if we're on track in bringing down emissions. Job two is to advise us on what to do next. The commission will give us objective information about the performance of both government and the private sector and will pay special attention to the impact on low-income and other disadvantaged communities. If the commission works as intended, it will be a new voice, standing apart from politics as usual and committed to shedding light on a very hard problem."

• Reflecting the price of carbon. Under the bill, the Administration would be free to choose among various market based forms of pricing carbon—including a revenue-neutral fee or a regional "cap and trade" system similar to the Transportation Climate Initiative (TCI)—but he or she would have to do so by Jan. 1, 2022, for transportation; Jan. 1, 2025, for commercial, industrial and institutional buildings; and Jan. 1, 2030, for residential buildings. Any mechanism would be implemented so as to minimize the impact on low-income households, disadvantaged communities, and vulnerable manufacturing sectors.

• Providing legislative direction to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU), the state's primary energy oversight agency, for the first time. Compensating for a decades-long omission, the bill assigns the DPU a mission statement. It requires the agency to balance six priorities: reliability of supply, affordability, public safety, physical and cyber security, equity, and, significantly, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

• Jumpstarting efforts to supply low-cost solar electricity to low-income communities. To reverse the failure of state programs to incentivize solar energy projects in low-income neighborhoods, as well as spur job creation, the bill requires the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to set aside future solar allocations for such neighborhoods.

• Letting cities and towns adopt a "net zero" stretch energy code. The bill allows the state to support communities that choose on their own to move away from fossil fuels as the source of heating for new buildings. The state's contribution is to promulgate a "net zero" energy code, so that localities have the option available if they want to use it. The bill shifts responsibility for the code's development from the Board of Building Regulations and Standards to the DOER.

"When it comes to bringing down emissions, buildings are the toughest nut to crack," Barrett says. "We need to move on multiple fronts."

• Nudging natural gas utilities to adapt. The bill authorizes utilities to test technology and pipelines that generate and transport "renewable thermal energy," an emissions-free way to heat buildings that draws on the relative warmth of temperatures below ground.

• Strengthening executive branch oversight of MassSave. The bill directs the Secretary of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to set emissions reduction goals, in advance, for each three-year plan the utilities formulate for MassSave. It requires the DPU, at the conclusion of each three-year plan, to certify how much the plan actually contributed to meeting the Commonwealth's greenhouse gas emission limits.

• Tightening the alignment between MassSave and emissions limits. The bill requires electric utilities to include an explicit value for emissions reductions whenever they calculate the cost-effectiveness of a MassSave offering.

• Setting a deadline for converting MTBA buses to all-electric power. An Act to Accelerate the Transition of Cars, Trucks, and Buses to Carbon Free Power directs the MBTA to limit bus purchases and leases to zero-emissions vehicles beginning in 2030, and to aim for an all-zero-emissions fleet by 2040, to reduce transportation-related emissions in city neighborhoods.

• Offsetting the Trump Administration's efforts to slow progress on efficient appliances. An Act Relative to Energy Savings Efficiency updates Massachusetts appliance standards to improve energy and water efficiency standards for common household and commercial appliances, helping to conserve energy and save consumers and businesses money.

Other provisions include:

• Assembling the state's first-ever database of energy use in large buildings.
• Adding two building efficiency experts and an expert in advanced building technology to the membership of the Board of Building Regulations and Standards, which will retain responsibility for the base energy building code.
• Authorizing the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) to fund energy innovation pilots, and to take actions addressing health effects associated with the distribution and consumption of fossil fuels such as natural gas.
• Directing the DPU to consider the impact on emissions when it reviews electric and natural gas rates, prices, charges, and contracts.
• Directing state government to limit purchases and leases of vehicles to zero emissions vehicles only, beginning in 2024, if affordable replacements are available.
• Conducting a study of the opportunities to electrify vehicles owned or leased by municipalities, regional school districts, and regional transit authorities, taking into account costs and possible sources of financial help from state and federal government.
• Providing permanent statutory authorization for the "MOR-EV" program, the Commonwealth's system of financial incentives for purchasers of zero emission vehicles.

During debate on the Senate floor, the bill was strengthened through amendments that, among others, requires regional equity in carbon pricing and ensures equity is a component of The Department of Public Utilities mission statement.

The bills now go to the House of Representatives for consideration.


Links to the specific legislation referenced

• An Act setting next-generation climate policy https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2477
• An Act to Accelerate the Transition of Cars, Trucks and Buses to Carbon-Free Power https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2476
• An Act Relative to Energy Savings Efficiency https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/S2478

Massachusetts Senate Approves Next Generation Climate Policy