MA General Election is 11/8

 

MA Secretary of State William Galvin's Elections Division website offers comprehensive information on this year's state and federal elections. The last day to register to vote in the State Election is Wednesday, October 19th. The general election will take place on Tuesday, November 8th.  Learn more.

Learn more about 2016 Ballot Questions

 

Four ballot measures will appear on the Massachusetts ballot on November 8, 2016: charter schools, marijuana, farm animal cruelty, and a second slot parlor.  Learn more. 

Vote Early in Waltham!

 

All registered voters will be able to vote before Election Day for the first time ever in Massachusetts!  Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 24 and runs until Friday, Nov. 4.  You can vote early by going to Waltham City Hall City Hall Mondays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 29 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Additionally, you can vote early at Prospect Hill Park on Tuesdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call 781-314-3120 for more information.  

Rep. Stanley Achieves Perfect Score in ELM Action Fund Environmental Legislative Scorecard

 

The Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund (ELM Action Fund) announced that Rep. Stanley achieved a perfect score of 100 in the organization's 2015-2016 Legislative Scorecard on the environment. It rates true legislative action, not merely votes. And it challenges AIM's recent scorecard criticizing legislators on energy policy as lost in the 19th century and failing to represent the long term interests of their own members.

 

Beyond votes, the ELM Action Fund awarded additional points to lawmakers who led by sponsoring important legislation or authored "Dear Colleague" letters, and deducted points from legislators who filed anti-environment legislation.  The ELM Action Fund also challenges lawmakers for the practice of "voice votes" on controversial issues which are not recorded roll call votes. This practice prevents voters from truly gauging which representatives and senators are truly on their side.

 

Supplemental Budget Increases Home Care Services for Elders by $3.78 Million

 

Rep. Stanley announced that a supplemental budget passed by the legislature included $3.78 million for home care services for elders and increased the increases the amount of the money that comes from the federal Community First (CF) Trust Fund.  Earlier this summer, Rep. Stanley worked tirelessly to lobby House leadership to support preventing elderly waiting lists for state home care by amending the supplemental budget to include available CF Trust Fund dollars in the basic home care account.

 

In his letter to House leaders which was signed by 14 of his colleagues, Rep. Stanley requested support for an amendment adding $3 million in federal CF Trust Funds to the home care purchased services account to prevent any waiting lists in the home care account.  He also supported language that reduces the percentage of state funds needed in this line item from 98.5% to 95.7% and increases the federal percentage from 1.5% in the FY17 conference committee report to 4.3%.  In this scenario, federal funding is used to raise the basic home care account to avoid waiting lists at no new cost to the state.

 

Rep. Stanley Opposes Personal Care Attendant Overtime Cap

 

In a letter to Governor Baker, Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the legislature expressed their opposition to the Executive Office of Health and Human Services' proposal to change the reimbursement of services provided by Personal Care Attendants (PCAs) by restricting PCAs to providing no more than 40 hours of care a week per client.  Rep. Stanley is concerned that this change has the potential to impose serious and unintended consequences on the vulnerable individuals in the Commonwealth who rely on these services.

 

PCAs provide vital care to approximately 26,000 Massachusetts residents. Often times these attendants have long-term professional and personal relationships with these clients. Limiting the hours that a PCA can assist a client, most of whom are elderly and/or persons with disabilities, could restrict the ability of PCAs to continue providing the necessary level of care.

 

Rep. Stanley Cosponsors BORN Regulations Letter

 

Rep. Stanley and his colleagues sent a letter to Governor Baker raising concerns about the proposed Board of Registration in Nursing (BORN) regulations that would negatively alter nursing practice in Massachusetts. The proposed changes could affect vulnerable populations who may be unable to self-advocate for a variety of reasons; including individuals with cognitive or intellectual disabilities and individuals who are elderly and frail. The proposed regulations would have a negative impact on patient care and the letter urges that the Administration readdress the current draft of these regulations.

 

As written, the BORN-proposed changes could lead to an expansion of the delegation of nursing activities including core nurse functions such as medication administration. These changes could lead to a lack of clarity around fundamental health and safety issues potentially allowing: unlicensed individuals to administer medications to fragile patients who just undergone complex procedures; unlicensed individuals to administer intravenous, intramuscular or subcutaneous medication; and unlicensed individuals to administer multiple medications to an individual with co-occurring medical conditions.

 

Waltham's Tim King Appointed to MassDOT Board of Directors

 

Governor Baker announced the appointment of Timothy King of Waltham to the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT).  King currently serves as a Detective Sergeant for the Waltham Police Department and President of the Massachusetts Police Association. Mr. King assumes the Board seat most recently held by Russell Gittlen who was International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) New England Area Director and Assistant Business Manager for Local 447.

Timothy King is a Detective Sergeant for the Waltham Police Department, joining the department as a patrolman in 1992, and currently serving as President of the Massachusetts Police Association. He has also served as Attorney/General Counsel for the Massachusetts Coalition of Police since 2007 and was previously a Corrections Officer for the Massachusetts Department of Corrections. King is a graduate of Waltham High School, earned a Baccalaureate Degree from Western New England College, Juris Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Law and is a member of the Massachusetts Bar. He has served on the Curriculum Advisory Board of Middlesex Community College, the Massachusetts Police Training Committee Board, and the Massachusetts Coalition of Police Executive Board. He was a member of the Massachusetts Transportation Working Group and Vice President of the Greater Boston Labor Council.

 

Legislature Approves Rape Kit Preservation Bill

 

Lawmakers approved House Bill 4364 to ensure that rape and sexual assault evidence will be maintained for at least 15 years, to correspond to the statute of limitations for rape. Currently, sexual assault or rape evidence kits must be retained for at least six months unless the victim has filed formal criminal charges related to the assault. After six months, the department or agency in possession of the evidence can dispose of it unless the victim asks that it be preserved.  The legislation is now on Gov. Baker's desk.

Learn about MassTaxConnect

 

The Commonwealth's new, state-of-the-art electronic tax system will include 10 additional tax types as of December 5, 2016. MassTaxConnect will replace WebFile for Income, which will be shut down permanently on November 6. Taxpayers who file returns through commercial tax preparation software will continue to do so and won't notice a difference. Bill payments can be made and audits or penalties may be disputed through MassTaxConnect beginning December 5, 2016. Learn more. 

 

Gov. Baker Re-Opens Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Process

 

Gov. Baker announced that the Supreme Judicial Court Nominating Commission (SJC-NC) will begin recruiting and screening applicants for the two upcoming vacancies on the Commonwealth's highest court expected next year with the retirements of Justice Margot Botsford in March and Justice Geraldine Hines later in the year.

 

The 12-member SJC-NC was created earlier this year to consider applicants for an unprecedented number of vacancies on the Commonwealth's highest court. In June, Governor Baker nominated three Superior Court Justices to the SJC based on the first round of recommendations from the SJC-NC. Associate Justices Frank Gaziano, David Lowy and Kimberly Budd were all unanimously confirmed by the Governor's Council and sworn in for the SJC's sitting last month.

 

The SJC-NC seeks applicants who possess the temperament, ability and integrity to freely, impartially and independently interpret the laws and administer justice, and to work collaboratively with their colleagues in crafting opinions and administering the judicial branch of government. It also hopes to recruit applicants who represent not only the geographically diverse parts of the Commonwealth, but also the diversity of our citizens. Applications are available on the JNC's website and will be open until November 21st. 

State Administration Highlights Progress on Regulatory Reform Initiative to Improve Lives for Shelter Animals, Increase Space

 

State officials joined the Animal Rescue League of Boston (ARL) to highlight significant changes in state regulations including improving the lives of shelter animals and increasing space and flexibility for animal shelters. Consistent with national recommendations, the changes reduced quarantine periods for unvaccinated dogs and cats possibly exposed to rabies from six months to four months, allowing The Animal Rescue League and other animal shelters across the state to save and find homes for more animals in need.

 

Like many animal shelters in the Commonwealth, The Animal Rescue League of Boston, has limited quarantine space, and physical capacity limits require difficult decisions to be made about the euthanizing of animals suspected to have rabies. Earlier this year, the National Association of State Public Health Veterinarians issued new recommendations in the 2016 Compendium of Animal Rabies Prevention advising reducing quarantine periods to four months due to evidence animals in isolation for an extended period of six months can become stressed and depressed, even with regular human socialization.

 

Governor Baker's Workforce Skills Cabinet Opens $12 Million Workforce Development Grant Round, and Announces $1.45 Million in Advanced Manufacturing Training Awards

 

Massachusetts' Workforce Skills Cabinet announced two grant programs aimed to improve economic and job training opportunities for residents. The first grant program will support the opening of a $12 million workforce skills capital grant round, to provide workforce training equipment to high schools, community colleges, and community-based nonprofits. The administration also awarded $1.45 million in Advanced Manufacturing Training Program workforce development grants, to eight regional workforce development teams from across the state.

 

The Workforce Skills Capital grant program seeks to increase the capacity and quality of vocational training and education by providing funds to eligible schools and institutions for the purchase and installation of vocational-technical equipment. The $12 million grant round will provide matching funds to allow educational and nonprofit institutions to invest in new vocational technical training equipment. The grants will allow high schools, community colleges and nonprofit organizations to meet employer hiring demands by modernizing and expanding vocational technical program capacity, creating new training programs that respond to industry needs, and increasing the availability of training equipment to mid-career learners.

 

The $1.45 million in advanced manufacturing training grants that the administration awarded will equip unemployed and underemployed individuals with the skills to enter the advanced manufacturing field. Training programming emphasizes outreach to veterans, demographic groups that experience chronically higher rates of unemployment, and groups that are historically underrepresented in the manufacturing sector.

 

The Advanced Manufacturing Training Program provides training to unemployed and underemployed individuals, including veterans, minorities and women and that support the workforce needs of the Commonwealth's globally competitive advanced manufacturing cluster. In Fiscal Year 2015, the training grants provided workforce training to 335 individuals. The Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development administers the training grant program, on behalf of the Governor's Workforce Skills Cabinet.

 

Governor Baker, MBTA Launch RIDE Pilot Program with Uber, Lyft

 

Governor  Baker joined Massachusetts Department of Transportation Secretary and CEO Stephanie Pollack, MBTA managers, disability advocates, and executives with Uber and Lyft to launch a first-of-its-kind innovative pilot program with ride-share companies to save costs and deliver customers of the MBTA's, THE RIDE, options for on-demand service through their smartphones.

 

The On-Demand Paratransit Pilot Program will allow the MBTA to learn and understand the opportunities and challenges of incorporating on-demand paratransit options into public transit, and follows a program launched in January with multiple Boston-area taxi providers to subsidize trips for RIDE users via cab. Customers unable to use a smartphone or without access to one can book rides by using a phone-in option from Lyft or obtain a smart phone from Uber on a limited basis.

 

The pilot is also part of the MBTA's efforts to deliver more efficient and cost-effective service. Current RIDE service comes at a variable cost of $31 to the MBTA, a $3.15 set fare for customers and a minimum of one day advance notice required. Ride-share pilot participants will have on-demand service available via their smartphone app or the phone-in option and pay the first $2.00 of the trip. The MBTA will pick up the next $13.00 of the trip, with the customer picking up any remaining trip costs.

The group #BringBackRecessWaltham is sponsoring a talk by author Angela Hansom on The Decline of Play Outdoors and the Rise of Sensory Issues. The event will be held at the Watertown Public Library in the Watertown Savings Bank Meeting Room on October 20th at 7pm. The event is open to the public with a requested donation of $5 to cover the cost of the speaker. Learn more. 

Waltham Symphony Orchestra Concerts

For information on the WSO 2016 Concert Season, click here.