Rep. Stanley to Fight for Local Aid

Rep. Stanley helped the House pass legislation that provides immediate funds for reforms to the electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system and the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA).  The bill now moves to the Senate.  The bill updates EBT oversight measures included in the FY '14 budget and advances continuous efforts by the House to address and prevent EBT abuse. The legislation also allocates supplementary funds for existing appropriations and projects.

Since 2011 the House has enacted numerous welfare reforms including prohibiting certain purchases using EBT cards and criminalizing the use of an EBT card in any manner not authorized by law. The new legislation requires a photo ID on EBT cards for each eligible household member over the age of 18 and establishes a timeframe for implementation; establishes a Bureau of Program Integrity within the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to monitor and correct deficiencies in the programs administered by the office; requires the EOHHS to create a computerized integrated eligibility system to monitor eligibility before funds are dispersed; establishes a state verification and eligibility task force made up of the State Auditor, Attorney General, Inspector General, Treasurer, and Secretary of Administration and Finance. The task force will coordinate efforts with the Bureau of Program Integrity; allows for the sharing of tax return information with agencies that provide benefit programs; requires the development of a system in which DTA will work with law enforcement agencies to use fingerprinting comparisons in instances of trafficking and fraud; prohibits out-of-state EBT card use, except in states contiguous to Massachusetts; requires businesses to apply online to accept EBT cards at point of sale; and requires the DTA to submit its annual report the House and Senate Committees on Ways and Means on or before November 1st of each year.

In addition to the welfare reform measures, the bill authorizes $56 million for road-clearing bills, $10 million for the summer jobs program and $13.5 million to cover the costs of state and municipal elections. This legislation also provides funds for victims of the marathon bombing to help modify their homes or move into more accessible housing.

House, Senate Pass Comprehensive FY14 Budget

Rep. Stanley helped enact a $34.06 billion state budget for fiscal year 2014 (FY14). The spending plan makes important investments to rebuild the Commonwealth's essential services and programs, including local aid, education, housing, public safety, and health and human services, and supports the ongoing recovery of the local economy.  The budget reflects the priorities of the Commonwealth and the needs of cities, towns and residents, while also maintaining the highest level of fiscal responsibility and accountability, leaving the state's rainy day fund at $1.46 billion. The budget now goes to the Governor for his approval.

The budget represents the Legislature's continuing commitment to cities and towns, boosting investments in Unrestricted General Government Aid (UGGA), Chapter 70, and the Special Education Circuit Breaker.  For the first time since FY10 UGGA funding will increase to $920 million, an increase of more than $21 million, due largely in part to gaming licensing revenues.

This year's spending bill underscores Massachusetts' ongoing commitment to strengthening its educational systems through both new and updated provisions. The budget increases key areas of local education funding including $4.31 billion for Chapter 70, full funding for educating high-needs special education students and $51.5 million for Regional School Transportation. The budget also allocates a $15 million investment in early education that will take approximately 2,000 children off the waitlist for income-eligible child care.

Legislature Passes Fiscal Year 2013 Supplemental Budget; Gov. Signs

The Legislature recently enacted a $133.4 million supplemental state budget, providing funding for vital state programs and implementing reforms to the electronic benefit transfer (EBT) system administered by the Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA).  On July 11, Gov. Patrick signed a $125 million supplemental budget bill that includes funding for summer jobs for at-risk youth in communities across the Commonwealth, additional funding to pay for last winter's snow and ice removal costs and funding to reimburse cities and town for costs associated with the June 25th Senate special election, among other items.

Key items in this bill include $10 million for summer jobs for at-risk youth; $55.7 million for snow and ice removal costs from the winter of 2012/2013; $18.2 million to fund Committee for Public Service Counsel (CPCS) caseload costs; $13.6 million for state and municipal costs related to the U.S. Senate special election in June; and $8 million to reimburse municipalities for Charter School enrollment

The Governor is supporting sections in the bill associated with photo identification requirements on EBT cards, but is returning those sections with an amendment to require the Department of Transitional Assistance, in conjunction with the Offices of the Inspector General and Auditor, to conduct a review of this measure's effectiveness and report back to the Legislature in three years. The Governor will also be seeking $2.5 million in a FY14 supplemental budget recommendation to fund implementation of the photo ID requirement, as no dedicated source of funding for the measure was included in this bill. 

The Governor is also proposing to amend the ambulance provider reimbursement section of the bill to include guidelines on reasonable charges for emergency ambulance services. In addition, the Governor vetoed $7.3 million in non-essential spending included in the bill.

MyLegislature Website Features Improvements

Updates to the public website will allow users to personalize their experience when navigating bills, committees, hearing information and connecting with legislators. Through "MyLegislature" users can create a user-id and password to access their secure MyLegislature account. Users can identify specific bills, hearings, committees and legislators that they are interested in following and their personalized homepage will display each selection. Any hearings scheduled for their selected committees will automatically be included in their MyLegislature hearing list. In addition, users can further personalize MyLegislature by identifying any accessibility needs.  The updated website also includes an easy-to-use format to connect with legislators. The public website can be found at www.malegislature.gov.

Governor Patrick Announces First-in-the-Nation Academy Designed To Improve Access to Jobs in Manufacturing Sector

Governor Patrick announced the creation of the Advanced Manufacturing Regional Partnership Academy (the Academy), a first-in-the-nation program designed to meet the manufacturing industry's future workforce needs. The Academy will provide hands-on learning opportunities, and tool and peer-education to regional leaders, helping eliminate one of the industry's chief concerns of finding well-trained employees to fill available jobs in manufacturing.

The announcement of the Academy was part of an Advanced Manufacturing Summit at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, the first event of its kind to bring together government officials and industry and business leaders to discuss a resurgent sector of the state's economy that expects to hire 100,000 people over the next decade. Nearly 500 industry professionals attended the summit.

The creation of the Academy builds on the record investments in workforce training and education made by the Patrick Administration in recent years, including more than $10 million in Workforce Training Fund Grants awarded to 117 manufacturers since July 2011. Additionally, the Administration has fostered relationships throughout the regions to strengthen and expand connections between manufacturing companies and community colleges, career and technical high schools, career centers and workforce boards. For example, in partnership with Putnam Vocational Technical Academy, Westfield Vocational Technical High School and Springfield Technical Community College, the Precision Manufacturing Training Program has supported the training of 89 workers in Hampden County, including 31 veterans and 44 residents from Gateway Cities.

Governor Patrick Announces Nominations to the District Court, Boston Municipal Court and Parole Board

Governor Patrick submitted four nominations for the advice and consent of the Governor's Council: Gerald A. Lemire as Associate Justice of the Uxbridge District Court; Jennifer A. Stark as Associate Justice of the Marlborough District Court; Shelbey D. Wright as Associate Justice of the Boston Municipal Court, Roxbury Division; and Charlene M. Bonner as a member of the Parole Board.

Lemire currently serves as the Clerk-Magistrate of the Uxbridge District Court. Prior to his appointment to this position by Governor Patrick in 2009, Lemire maintained a general litigation practice in Uxbridge, representing individuals and small businesses in civil and criminal matters.  Stark has been serving in leadership positions in the Massachusetts Attorney General's Office since 2007, first as the Chief of the Policy and Government Division and since November 2012 as the Chief of the Business and Labor Bureau.  Wright began her legal career in 1992 as a litigation associate at Bingham, Dana & Gould in Boston. She was active in the firm's pro bono program, prosecuting cases through the Plymouth District Attorney's Office and handling asylum, evictions and habeas matters.  Bonner is a member of the Parole Board, first appointed by Governor Patrick in 2011 to fill an unexpired term. She is a certified forensic psychologist, with many years of experience as a court psychologist and as a private consultant to attorneys representing clients with mental illness.

New Broadband Network for Cape & Islands

A new OpenCape fiber-optic broadband network will offer the Cape and Islands a 300-mile open-access fiber-optic network connecting over 70 important community facilities, including community colleges, high schools, libraries, public safety facilities and other municipal buildings.  Broadband expansion is a critical component of Governor Patrick's strategy to invest in education, innovation and infrastructure in order to drive growth and economic opportunity in every corner of the Commonwealth.

President Humala of Peru visits Massachusetts

President of Peru Ollanta Humala recently visited Massachusetts and reaffirmed his Administration's commitment to expand opportunities for collaboration with emerging markets around the world that will help build a stronger Commonwealth for future generations. During the visit, Massachusetts and Peru signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that will formalize cooperation between the two entities on key issues including education, science and technology development and culture. 

The MOU calls for expanded graduate and post-graduate programming, along with culture and language exchanges and collaboration between institutions of higher learning in Massachusetts and Peru. In science and technology, the memorandum expands cooperation and initiatives in the life sciences and biotechnology, digital technology, and clean energy and technology. The memorandum also prioritizes the organization of joint cultural activities, and the exchange of best practices for conservation and preventive care, including sharing relevant information regarding technology, academic cooperation and scientific research.

Peru is one of a number of emerging economies in South America, and the Patrick Administration has identified the continent as an important, growing force in the global economy. Peru's economy has been growing 6 - 9 percent per year over the last three years, and has been growing by an average of 6.4 percent annually since 2002. In 2012, Massachusetts exported $31 million worth of goods and services to Peru, making it the state's 52nd largest export partner, and Massachusetts imported $77.8 million worth of goods and services from Peru in 2012, making the country Massachusetts' 40th largest import partner.

MA is One of Six States in Early Ed Policy Academy

The National Governors Association (NGA) announced that Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, Nevada and Pennsylvania are participating in a policy academy aimed at improving learning outcomes for students from early childhood through third grade.  The program's goal is to develop and carry out

state-specific plans and the NGA will provide guidance, technical assistance, and consultants to the six states.  The academy is funded by the Alliance for Early Success, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, The Heising-Simons Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

Commission Sets Guidelines Limiting Mandatory Nurse Overtime

The Health Policy Commission approved guidelines limiting the practice of mandatory overtime for nurses at hospitals, a result of last year's omnibus health care reform law. Receiving unanimous approval, the new guidelines prohibit mandatory overtime except in the case of a "catastrophic event," an emergency declaration by government authorities or an emergency within the hospital affecting patient safety. The commission will monitor the program by reviewing reports on mandatory overtime submitted to the Department of Public Health.

AG Coakley Signs onto Push for Car Emissions Limit

AG Coakley united with a coalition from 15 other states and cities on to lobby the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to adopt a rule reducing air pollution from passenger cars and trucks.  The rule, proposed by the EPA in March, would reduce motor vehicle emissions of smog-producing pollution by an estimated 80 percent and soot pollution by 70 percent starting in 2017. The letter urges the EPA to finalize the rule before the end of the year. The new emission standards for tailpipes on passenger vehicles would be phased in, under the rule, between 2017 and 2025.  Attorney generals from Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia support the initiative, as well as the Corporation Counsels of Chicago and New York City.  

Two Confirmed To Probate and Family Court

The Governor's Council confirmed two of Gov. Patrick's judicial nominees to the Probate and Family Court in Bristol and Norfolk Counties. Attorney Peter Smola, an attorney specializing in workers' compensation, civil litigation, domestic and estate litigation, won confirmation 7-1 to become an associate justice on the Probate and Family Court in Bristol County.  Susan Jacobs, a partner at a law firm who concentrates on domestic relations law, was unanimously confirmed as an associate justice to the Probate and Family Court in Norfolk County.

UI Online, a new web-based unemployment insurance system

The Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development (EOLWD) and the Department of Unemployment Assistance (DUA) announced the launch of a new web-based unemployment insurance (UI) system known as UI Online effective July 1. UI Online will provide easier access to services for employers and jobseekers streamline the claims process and strengthen the state's ability to prevent, detect and rectify UI fraud. With UI Online, services currently offered by telephone or via an in-person visit will now also be available on the web.  To learn more, click here.

Bartlett Named State Public Health Commissioner

Health and Human Services Secretary John Polanowicz announced that Cheryl Bartlett, who has worked as acting commissioner of the Department of Public Health since May, has been appointed to the post on a permanent basis.  The appointment comes after Bartlett helped coordinate the health response to the marathon bombings and shepherded through new medical marijuana regulations. Bartlett will take the post with 18 months remaining in the Patrick administration. 

Find a reading program at the library, get new book suggestions for readers of all ages, and spend time relaxing with a good book on your next vacation. Click here to learn more. 

First-Time Homebuyer Tips

Spring is a popular time to think about purchasing a home, and as a first-time homebuyer in Massachusetts, you may have questions about the process. Luckily, there are state and federal programs to help you through it, including assistance with down payments - being a low- to moderate-income household does not necessarily mean you can't own the home of your dreams - seminars and more. Click here to learn three great tips on buying a home.

Mass.gov Offers Open Government Website

File for unemployment insurance benefits online or by phone