News from Beacon Hill

Rep. Stanley Cosigns METCO Conference Committee Letter

Rep. Stanley joined Rep. Kaufman and his colleagues by signing onto a letter requesting that the Budget Conference Committee fund the METCO program (line-item 7010-0012) at $20,142,582 as included in the final House budget.   METCO has proven to be one of our most successful tools at closing the achievement gap. METCO has had a proven track record of transforming the lives of students by providing access to a quality education for urban students, harnessing the existing capacity of exceptional school districts, and fostering more diverse classrooms in suburban communities.  The METCO Program has provided an opportunity for students to attend schools that have high expectations and are well-resourced; 94% of METCO students graduate high school in four years compared to the state average of 86.1%.

Rep. Stanley meets with Lincoln Officials on K-8 School

Rep. Stanley attended a meeting with Lincoln officials on Wednesday, May 20th to discuss their goals for a renovation of the Lincoln K-8 School as well as their submitted Statement of Interest (SOI) with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA).  Attendees included Becky McFall, Superintendent, Lincoln Public Schools, Buck Creel, Administrator for Business and Finance, Lincoln Public Schools, Peter Braun, Board of Selectmen, Peyton Marshall, Chair, Finance Committee, Amy Beard, Chair, Capital Planning Committee, Jennfifer Glass, Lincoln School Committee Chair and Steven Perlmutter, Chair, School Building Advisory Committee.

After the May 20th meeting, Rep. Stanley met with MSBA officials including Executive Director Jack McCarthy on Tuesday, June 9th to discuss Lincoln's next steps. He is now coordinating a site-visit with MSBA officials at the Lincoln K-8 school.    

State Officials Initiate Taxpayer Protection Analysis of Boston 2024 Bid

Governor Baker, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Senate President Stan Rosenberg announced that The Brattle Group, a global consulting firm based in Cambridge, has been selected to complete an independent analysis of the potential impacts of the 2024 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games being hosted in Boston. The Brattle Group's review will analyze and evaluate aspects of financing, infrastructure, economic impacts and Commonwealth and taxpayer responsibilities relative to Boston 2024's bid preparation.

The Brattle Group's analysis, to be completed by mid-August, will target a review of the following areas: financial evaluation; economic impacts; funding mechanisms; insurance requirements and protection of taxpayers; infrastructure investments; and responsibilities of the Commonwealth.  The Brattle Group will be assisted by financial reporting and accounting experts from Floyd Advisory LLC.  Four proposals were submitted and reviewed by a selection committee consisting of representatives of the administration, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House. The contract for a review is capped at $250,000 with support from the Office of the Governor and the Executive Office of Housing and Economic Development.

Governor Baker, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack and Interim MBTA General Manager Frank DePaola announced an $82.7 million MBTA Winter Resiliency Plan for investments this summer and over the next five years in snow removal equipment, infrastructure upgrades and operations during harsh weather to improve service reliability. Governor Baker also stressed the need for legislative action on An Act for a Reliable, Sustainable MBTA to secure long term improvements at the T.

The new resiliency plan was developed based on recommendations by an American Public Transportation Association (APTA) peer review of the MBTA's winter operations in April, while a special panel appointed by the Governor reviewed and made recommendations to fix the MBTA's deeper structural, financial and operational problems.

Governor Baker re-appointed Major General L. Scott Rice as Adjutant General of the Massachusetts National Guard. Major General Rice has served as Adjutant General since April 2012.  Prior to being appointed Adjutant General, Major General Rice served as the commander of Massachusetts Air National Guard and as the Air National Guard assistant to the commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe.

Major General Rice oversees the administration and operation of approximately 9,000 Soldiers, Airmen and civilians of the Massachusetts National Guard. He ensures the Guard will continue to be a well-trained, equipped and mission-ready force to respond to a state emergency declared by the Governor, or be responsive to a national security mission. Since 9/11 the Massachusetts National Guard has deployed more than 20,000 soldiers and airmen overseas helping keep our nation strong.

Governor Baker appointed Thomas Shack as Comptroller of the Commonwealth, an independent overseer of the Commonwealth's financial transactions, accountability and service delivery across the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.  The Comptroller is appointed by and serves coterminous with and independent of the Governor. The Office of the Comptroller is served by an Advisory Board chaired by Secretary of Administration and Finance Kristen Lepore and consisting of the Treasurer, Auditor, Attorney General, Trial Court Administrator and two gubernatorial appointees with experience in accounting, management or public finance who serve three-year terms.

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) has made low-interest Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) available for Massachusetts small businesses and private non-profits impacted by this winter's historic and unprecedented snowfall and freezing temperatures.  Up to $2 million in low-interest loans for working capital needs are available to qualifying entities impacted by winter weather conditions between January 26, 2015 and February 22, 2015 in Barnstable, Bristol, Essex, Middlesex, Norfolk, Plymouth, Suffolk and Worcester counties, at rates of 4.00% for small businesses and 2.625% for non-profit organizations with terms up to 30 years.

Eligible organizations or businesses are encouraged to visit the SBA's secure Electronic Loan Application (ELA) website, https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela, to apply, or to download an application from http://www.sba.gov/. Completed applications should be submitted no later than February 15, 2016 to: U.S. Small Business Administration, Processing and Disbursement Center, 14925 Kingsport Road, Fort Worth, TX 76155.  Further information and assistance is available from the SBA's Customer Service Center at 800-659-2955, 800-877-8339 for the deaf and hard-of-hearing or by email at disastercustomerservice@sba.gov.

Six listening sessions across Massachusetts will help Gov. Baker create a state mandated comprehensive economic plan. The sessions will take place on June 25 at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, Quincy College's Presidents Place Conference Center, North Shore Community College in Lynn, Cape Cod Community College in West Barnstable, the Federal Building at Kearney Square in Lowell, and the UMass Center at Tower Square in Springfield. 

MA Health Connector

Visit the Massachusetts Health Connector website which helps MA residents find the right health insurance - with expert advice and affordable plans from top carriers.  With up-to-date information, expert advice, free quotes, and affordable health plans from top carriers, Health Connector helps Massachusetts residents find the right health insurance and avoid tax penalties. Click here to learn more. 

The March of Domes plans to launch a smoking cessation campaign in 2015 and is seeking support from the MA legislature.  One out of 10 women smoke during pregnancy in the United States. The group would like the lawmakers to help them boost awareness of smoking-related birth problems, which can be linked to 23 to 34 percent of all Sudden Infant Death Syndrome cases. In 2013, the Commonwealth spent 4.4 percent of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention-recommended $90 million on anti-tobacco programs, ranking behind 34 other states and Washington, DC. According to the March of Dimes, approximately 5 to 8 percent of all pre-term births are related to smoking, and 13 to 19 percent of low birth-weight babies can be attributed to smoking during pregnancy.

Government Center Station Closure

Government Center Station is closed for two years while crews work to reconstruct the station into a fully accessible, safer, modern, more comfortable facility.  During the Station's closure, both Blue and Green Line trains will pass through Government Center Station but will not stop there.  For more information, click here. 

"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.

Check out the Massachusetts Business One-Stop

Are you doing business in Massachusetts or just getting started? Our one-stop business portal has the information and tools to help you succeed.  Click here to learn more.

Resources to help you find a job

Finding a job can be difficult, so Massachusetts offers a number of programs and services to help job seekers find work.  Massachusetts One-Stop Career Centers connect workers and employers through job fairs and workshops, while the office of Labor and Workforce Development offers detailed job hunting information, including tips on writing a resume and cover letter, interviewing and networking, as well as career planning advice. The state also offers a variety of training opportunities for job seekers to obtain the education and skills needed for good paying jobs and careers. Additionally, special Section 30 Training Benefits programs exist for the unemployed. Please click here to learn more.

Mobile ticketing for Commuter Rail available

Commuter Rail customers: Buy your single-ride, 10-ride tickets, and monthly passes via the MBTA's new mobile app for smartphones.   Single and 10-ride tickets are now available for the Fitchburg, Haverhill, Lowell, and Newburyport/Rockport Lines. Purchase your monthly pass from your smartphone.  No waiting required.  Please click here to learn more.

Health Care Cost Containment Website

The mission of the Center of Health Information and Analysis (CHIA) is to improve health care quality and contain health care costs by critically examining the Massachusetts health care system and providing objective information, developing and recommending policies, and implementing strategies that benefit the people of MA. Click here to visit CHIA's website which outlines information on the law, notice of upcoming events and a single portal for connecting with other health care related state agencies, authorities and commissions. 

File for unemployment insurance benefits online or by phone

Connect & Serve's user-friendly design has many features to increase the visibility of opportunities across the state, including a quick search function highlighting impact areas, an easy zip-code radius search, and a monthly service projects calendar. All volunteer opportunities are promoted through a statewide collaboration with volunteer connector agencies to build awareness to a wider audience in all regions of the state.

SAVE Partners with Veterans' Services to Support Veterans & Their Families

The fundamental principle of the Statewide Advocacy for Veterans' Empowerment (SAVE) program is to advocate for veterans who are not able to obtain the benefits they have earned due to institutional or personal barriers. The program's primary mission is prevention of suicide and mental health distress through the identification of issues facing veterans when they return from service and proactively providing them with access to benefits and services that may address these issues and result in positive transitions back to civilian life. SAVE acts as a liaison between veterans and their families and the various agencies within the federal and state governments.  To learn more, please click here.

Mass 2-1-1, in Partnership with United Way, Partners with Department of Veterans Services

MassDOT RMV urges eligible drivers to renew their licenses online

 
Drivers Encouraged to "Donate Life"

Massachusetts drivers can register as organ donors on their driver's license or online through the Donate Life New England registry. About 99 percent of all Massachusetts residents who designate themselves as organ and tissue donors do so through the Registry of Motor Vehicles at RMV branches and on its website. 

Job Opportunities with the Commonwealth of MA

There are a number of job listings posted on the Commonwealth of Massachusetts home page. For more information, click here.