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| Joint Committee on Transportation Hears Testimony |
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I came to Beacon Hill to get things done, not just to talk about getting things done. This month especially, I am proud that many of the initiatives I filed are showing measurable progress. A bill to assist
the Burlington and Bedford business community by creating a regional identity was passed by the full House, as was Bedford's request for eight new liquor licenses. Those bills were sent to the Senate and, if approved there, will be on the governor's desk shortly.
At the same time, our bills to ban
abusive waivers in employment contracts and another bill that will fund training for unemployed mid-career workers were both approved by the Joint Committee on Labor and Workforce Development. I am tremendously proud to have carried the banner for a group of Burlington kids and their mentor, Joyce Deliyiannis, who are seeking to name May the Month of Kindness. That bill was approved by the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight.
In September, I was called to the White House to discuss another of my bills, which would provide Paid Family and Medical Leave to workers who need relief. That bill is scheduled for a hearing October 27, 2015. The President has shown support and plans to send a top administration official to the State House to testify. With his support I am hopeful the bill will be taken up by the full House early next year.
Shakeups at MassDOT and the MBTA have made it a little more difficult to schedule a time for a public forum on transportation issues in Burlington, but we should have a November date to announce in the next week or two. We will be discussing MassDOT's plans to re-engineer the intersection between Route 128 and Route 3, to ease the gridlock that envelops highway and sends cars into our town streets to avoid the traffic. We will keep you informed.
As always, it is my honor and pleasure to serve as your State Rep, and should you have any ideas, questions or concerns, please contact me.
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Beacon Hill Comes to Burlington: Kids Attend Hearing on Bill They Inspired
A group of 150 fourth and fifth-graders from Francis Wyman Elementary School became part of history this month, as the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight held a hearing on Rep. Gordon's bill to name May the Month of Kindness in the Commonwealth.
The bill was inspired by a group of children from the school, and when it came time for the legislature to take testimony on the matter, Chairman Peter Kocot (D-Northampton) agreed to come to Burlington so that all of the children who inspired and supported the bill would get a chance to participate.
More than 30 children offered testimony in the form of good deeds they could perform themselves.
Flowerjoy Burley testified she could do a chore for someone without them knowing it. Eric Sekyaya testified he would share his snack with someone who does not have one. An ambitious Shamika Jones offered to wash someone's car.
"It was a fantastic morning," said Rep. Gordon. "The children had many good questions, and when the hearing got going they participated. My favorite part was when I asked anyone who wanted to describe a good deed for the committee to line up at the microphone and most of the room stood up. We had a stampede!"
When the testimony concluded, Rep. Kocot said he was so impressed with the children's statements that he wanted to pass the bill at once. While bills usually take several weeks or months to receive a favorable vote of committee, the Chairman moved that it be approved by acclamation, and with Rep. Gordon offering a second of the motion, it was passed.
The bill will now move to the full House floor and then be sent to the Senate. If both bodies vote favorably, it will be sent to the governor for signature.
For more pictures and the Burlington Union's report of the event, click here:
 . For video and the BCAT coverage of the event, click here
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From Boston to Washington; Rep. Gordon Advocates for Constituents
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With Dep. Labor Secretary Chris Lu
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Rep. Gordon joined legislators from eight other states for discussions at the White House and U.S. Department of Labor concerning legislation to assist working families by providing paid family and medical leave to workers. The eight State Reps and Senators were chosen because they filed bills on the topic that are consistent with the President's goals.
"The President has taken a keen interest in this Massachusetts bill, not only because he likes the topic, but because he believes it has a good chance of passing," said Rep. Gordon, who joined colleagues from Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Indiana, Alaska and Montana. "They have committed to coming back to Massachusetts and to work with our employers to find a fair way to implement this bill."
The bill would allow workers who require significant time away from the job to care for a newborn, a sick or injured child or a parent or grandparent to replace a portion of their income for a limited period of time. The bill provides a formula that ensures that the wage replacement will be available for workers who need it the most. Gordon is also working with insurance companies to provide coverage for the plan. If coverage is available, the increase in premium added to a workers' comp plan would be minimal.
 "Many high tech employers are already offering some form of paid family leave," said Gordon. "They find it necessary to compete for the best workers. This bill would make it easier for those employers to provide the benefit, while making it available to most workers in the state."
The bill is scheduled for an Oct. 27 hearing. For coverage of the event in the Bedford Citizen, click here: 
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Bill to give new name to U.S. Route 3
Passes House, Heads for Senate
If the Bedford and Burlington business community and Rep. Gordon get their way, the highway that connects our district with New Hampshire will soon be getting a new name.
At the request of the Middlesex 3 Coalition, which involves
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Accepting award from Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce (from l, Jim Murphy, Sonia Rollins, Ken and Rick Parker).
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municipal and business leaders from Burlington, Bedford, Lexington, Billerica, Lowell, Chelmsford, Tewksbury, Tyngsboro and Westford, Gordon championed a bill that will name U.S. Route 3 from Burlington to the New Hampshire border the "Middlesex 3 Highway." The name change will help the Route 3 North corridor
acquire a regional identity to attract high-tech, bio-tech and other related businesses. The regional approach will give local towns the ability to attract employers to a known area, which is the approach successfully taken by towns in the Silicon Valley area of California, and the Research Triangle in North Carolina.
"We are not competing with Boston or Cambridge for high tech employers," said Rep. Gordon. "We are competing with California and North Carolina. We are competing with Europe, Asia and Canada. Once we become known as the "Middlesex 3" within the business community, we will be in a better position to attract these important companies."
Rep. Gordon announced the successful House vote a few just an hour after results were tallied, at the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce. Keynote speaker Jay Ash, Gov. Baker's Secretary of Economic Development, explained why the partnership between the Republican governor and Democratically controlled legislature works so well. "We have partners in government who truly care about solving our problems, making Massachusetts a better place," he said. "Nobody pays attending to party affiliation here. Rep. Gordon and Sen. Donnelly are working hard for their areas, and we work well with them." For video of the event and a report on the highway bill, click here:
"This plan to designate the Middlesex 3 Highway is not only responsible for attracting the high-tech economic drivers to the region, but with them comes the businesses that bring necessary amenities," said Rep. Gordon. This is why we have seen the tremendous growth in restaurants, banks, retail stores and service outlets. People say that government does not create jobs. But it is undeniable that government can create the conditions that will help businesses bring jobs to the area, and we are doing just that.
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 Gordon Contributes With Four Committee Assignments
If you're looking for Rep. Gordon these days, it's a good bet he's attending hearings scheduled for one of the four committees where he serves.
The work of the Transportation Committee has been well publicized. The group has met several times to consider the governor's proposed improvements to the MBTA and commuter rail, and has received the first report of the new Financial Control Board.
"The challenge of putting the MBTA and commuter rail back on track is considerable, but every time I attend a committee hearing, I remind the administration to pay attention to the traffic and the roads in Burlington and Bedford," said Rep. Gordon. "It's easy to focus on the most visible problems in the Boston-Cambridge-Somerville corridor, but we can't forget the highways."
As vice-chair of the Joint Committee on Election Laws, Rep. Gordon has been involved in the work of election finance issues as well as accessibility to the polls. He has been joined by Sen. Ken Donnelly (D-Arlington),the assistant majority whip in the Senate who replaced the late Thomas Kennedy and whose district includes Burlington.
"The work of this committee is crucial to the integrity of our democracy," said Rep. Gordon. "I am excited about the challenges we face and that as vice-chair I have an opportunity to meaningfully contribute."
Whether bringing the Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight with him to Burlington's Francis Wyman Elementary School or attending the hearings in Boston, Rep. Gordon has been a central figure in that group's work. "I was not expecting to be assigned to this committee, but I'm glad I was," he said. "We are currently working on a bill that will create greater access to public records. At the same time, we will be taking up a bill dealing with a gas pipeline. These are important issues that affect our lives."
Rep. Gordon also serves on the House Committee on Global Warming. With the help of Bedford resident Rick Rosen, a retired climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ("NOAA"), Gordon has helped bring members of the board of the Blue Hills Observatory to Beacon Hill to speak with legislators and staff and later this month will bring a group consisting of legislators and staff to the American Meteorological Society in Boston.
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Senior Citizen Chair to Come With Gordon to Burlington
COA Visit
Gordon will bring Rep. Denise Garlick (D-Needham), the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Senior Affairs, to Burlington for his upcoming monthly office hours at the Council on Aging November 19, 2015, at 11 a.m. He expects to be joined by a member of Congressman Seth Moulton's staff.
The panel will explain state benefits available to senior citizens. The representative from the congressman's staff will be available to answer questions on issues such as social security and medicare.
"After we explain the outline of state benefits, I want to know what concerns the seniors of Burlington the most," said Rep. Garlick. "Is it housing, health care, financial fraud? These are the issues I want to talk about."
Rep Gordon has been visiting the Burlington and Bedford COA on a monthly basis since taking office, unless the date conflicts with his State House duties. He also schedules regular office hours in the community, with availability at True North Coffee in Burlington, Prince Street Cafe in Bedford and at the Wilmington Town Library.
In the coming month, he will be at True North Coffee, 204 Cambridge Street in Burlington, from 9 to 10 a.m. on Nov. 14, and from 10:30 to 11:30 that morning he will set up at Prince Street Cafe, 200 The Great Road in Bedford. If you would like an appointment to discuss a matter personal to you, you can set it up there or contact me at kenneth.gordon@mahouse.gov.
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Lost and Found
Ken is helping Treasurer Deb Goldberg identify residents of the district who have unclaimed money held by the treasurer. More than a million dollars is sitting with the Commonwealth, waiting to be claimed.
We urge you to visit
www.findmassmoney.com to see if there is lucre awaiting your claim. It is easy, and certainly worth the effort.
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Upcoming Events
Nov. 2, 1 p.m. Bedford COA.
Nov. 8, 4 p.m., Flavors of Bedford, Bedford Chamber of Commerce, Doubletree Hotel.
Nov. 11, Veterans Day Observances, Burlington, 9 a.m., Bedford, noon.
Nov 19, 11 a.m., Combined Burlington and Bedford COA with Rep. Denise Garlick, House Chair, Joint Committee on Senior Affairs.
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