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State Rep. Thomas M. Stanley
State House, Room 167
Boston, MA 02133
(617) 722-2230
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State House
Rep. Garballey addresses Rep. Stanley and other members of the MBTA Caucus
Gray's Beach
New Year's Hike
Downtown Crossing
Boston
Conservation Land
Skipping Stones
Flax Pond
Old Town Hall, Lincoln
Lincoln, MA
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 Rep. Stanley encourages commuter rail riders to offer feedback on proposed commuter rail schedules In response to the MBTA/DOT's release of new commuter rail schedules for both the north and south sides, Rep. Stanley is encouraging his constituents to weigh in and offer comments on the changes to both the MBTA/MassDOT and state legislative delegation. A six-week public engagement and outreach process will offer riders and stakeholders the opportunity to give feedback to the MBTA and MassDOT. Final schedules will be released in April and go into effect on May 23rd. Riders can participate in this engagement process: 1. Via the online and written survey tool which will be available from January 7th to February 12th. The tool will provide our ridership a fast and easy way to weigh in on the proposed schedule. Written surveys will also be available at Back Bay Station, North Station and South Station through February 12th. 2. By attending any of our eight public meetings in Lynn (January 25th), Malden (January 27th), Concord (January 28th), Worcester (February 1st), Mansfield (February 3rd), Natick (February 3rd), Norwood (February 8th) and Woburn (February 8th). Click here to view the proposed Fitchburg line schedule. Click here to view the Fitchburg Line Schedule and Comparison.Click here to access the commuter rail survey tool and complete public meeting schedule.
Rep. Stanley attended MBTA Caucus Meeting about fare increases and transportation projects
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| | Co-chair Sean Garballey of the MBTA caucus |
On Wednesday, January 6th, Rep. Stanley joined Senator Jamie Eldridge, Senator Linda Dorcena Forry, Representative Sean Garballey and other legislators at a State House meeting about the MBTA's fare increases and transportation projects. At the meeting, the MBTA Caucus presented to a united group of legislators devoted to preserving the affordability and accessibility to our public transportation system.
Massachusetts Health Connector Open Enrollment through 1/31
Now is the time individuals and families can apply and enroll in health and dental coverage and see if you qualify for free or lower cost coverage like MassHealth, ConnectorCare plans or a tax credit. Apply for or renew health and dental coverage during open enrollment through Jan. 31, 2016. Click here to learn more.
House votes to repeal law that suspended driver's licenses for drug crimes
Rep. Stanley and his House colleagues voted unanimously to repeal a 1989 law that penalized those convicted of drug crimes by suspending their driver's license regardless of whether or not the crime had anything to do with driving. The Senate recently passed similar legislation. The legislation was initially passed to discourage drug use but bill proponents claim that suspending licenses restricts the ability of prior drug users to get their life back on track.
Officials Urge President Obama to Fund Protections for Northeast Fishing Industry In a letter sent to President Barack Obama, Governor Baker and the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation petitioned funding for the Fishing Safety Training Grants Program and Fishing Safety Research Grant Program as part of the president's Fiscal Year 2017 budget. In the letter, Governor Baker and the delegation make the case for $6 million in matching federal funds to support the safety and survival of commercial fisherman, who perform the deadliest job in the country based on the rate of on-the-job fatalities. In 2015, new rules under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2010 (CGGA) took effect and require commercial fishing vessels operating beyond three nautical miles to be outfitted with an updated safety and survival training program. Prior to this change, similar regulations only applied to vessels operating outside of 13 nautical miles. To date, Congress has not funded the two grant programs set aside to help absorb ancillary costs to fishing families associated with this change. Authorization of $3 million for both the training and research grant programs has been extended through Fiscal Year 2017, but funds have yet to be appropriated. If approved, non-federal grant applicants such as the Fishing Partnerships Support Services are prepared to provide matching funds for New England with the goal of training one hundred percent of Massachusetts fishermen within 10 years.
Massachusetts Part B Income Tax Rate Set to Lower to 5.10%, Effective 1/1/16
The final economic trigger was met in order to lower the state's income tax from 5.15% to 5.10%. The income tax cut for all Massachusetts residents will become effective January 1, 2016. The Fiscal Year 2016 Budget accounted for $74 million associated with the tax cut to 5.10% and $152 million in the Fiscal Year 2017. The current year's revenue estimate already reflects the revenue impact from this rate decline.
A ballot initiative passed in 2000 called for the state's income tax to be reduced to 5% over time. Legislation was passed in 2002 that tied reducing the tax rate by 0.05 percentage points each tax year (until the Part B income tax rate is 5%), to certain economic triggers. First, the inflation adjusted growth in baseline tax revenues for the preceding fiscal year has to exceed 2.5 percentage points. The second trigger, completed on the 15th of each month between September and December, certifies that the inflation-adjusted growth in baseline tax revenues over the previous three months of the current calendar year compared to the same periods of the prior calendar year is greater than zero. Once the statutory triggers are met the rate is lowered by .05 percent until it reaches 5.0 percent. The charitable deduction will be restored the year after the tax rate is lowered to 5.0 percent. The last time all growth thresholds were met was in 2014.
Linda Sable Nominated to Massachusetts Juvenile Court Governor Baker nominated attorney Linda Sable to the Massachusetts Juvenile Court, whose jurisdiction includes civil and criminal matters including delinquencies, youthful offender cases, care and protections, and children requiring assistance. The mission of the Juvenile Court is to protect children from abuse and neglect, promote opportunities for children to reside in a safe, stable, permanent family, strengthen families, rehabilitate juveniles, and protect the public from delinquent and criminal behavior. The Juvenile Court has a commitment to deciding all cases fairly and impartially with dedication, integrity and professionalism. Forty-one judges serve the Juvenile Court in over 40 locations throughout the Commonwealth. Linda G. Sable of Cohasset, MA, was raised in Livingston, NJ, and graduated cum laude from UMass Amherst before obtaining her JD from Vermont Law School in 1987. Sable began her legal career in 1988 as a Plymouth County Assistant District Attorney trying cases in District, Superior and Juvenile Courts. In 1990, she began serving as an Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Bureau, before becoming a partner at her own firm, Sable & Wright, in Plymouth, specializing in criminal and civil litigation in the District, Superior and Probate Courts and represented juvenile clientele in delinquency hearings through the Juvenile Justice Program for the Plymouth County Bar Advocates. Following a five year hiatus from private practice to work for one year as in-house counsel and then four years as a Senior Manager for IBM in Cambridge, Sable returned to her own practice in 2002 in Hull, where she maintains a caseload of civil and criminal litigation with a focus on family law, school law, and care and protection cases in the Juvenile Court. She also serves as the Plymouth County Resource Attorney for CPCS, providing trainings and trial practice advice to counsel who accept Children and Family Law cases.
Massachusetts Launches Comprehensive Digital Health Initiative
Governor Baker, Boston Mayor Walsh, Speaker DeLeo and executives from the Massachusetts Competitive Partnership (MACP) joined leaders from across state government, healthcare, and the technology sector at Boston Children's Hospital to announce a comprehensive public-private partnership designed to accelerate the competitiveness of the Commonwealth's digital healthcare industry.
Digital health, or eHealth, is a rapidly growing sector at the intersection of healthcare and information technology, and according to a report by Goldman Sachs represents an approximately $32B market opportunity over the next decade. The sector spans a variety of technologies including electronic health records, consumer wearable devices, care systems, payment management, Big Data analytics and telemedicine among others, and has close connections to the state's technology and life sciences sectors. Massachusetts is well-positioned for success in digital health as host to world-class healthcare and academic institutions, strong startup culture, significant venture capital investment, a dominant life sciences sector and roughly 250 existing digital health companies.
The initiative will bring public, private, academic, and healthcare leaders together to build a stronger and more connected statewide digital health ecosystem. To support digital health startups, the City of Boston, Massachusetts eHealth Institute at MassTech (MeHI), and MACP announced the establishment of a digital health innovation hub. The initiative will provide space, programming and strong industry network for digital health startups and will serve as a Boston "hub" for the industry. Programming through the hub will be managed and operated by MassChallenge.
Gov. Baker Proposes eCitations for Drivers
At a hearing before the Joint Committee on Transportation at the State House, officials explained the benefits of moving toward electronic motor vehicle citations. The eCitation system is part of Gov. Baker's municipal reform bill (H 3910) and members of his Administration say that an electronic citation system run through the Commonwealth's Criminal Justice Information Services will offer improved customer service, public safety and municipal finance benefits.
Under the bill, police officers would enter information into their cruiser's computer which would then be available electronically to the police department, the Merit Rating Board and other agencies. The police office can then print a copy of the eCitation for the driver, who has the option to pay the online fine immediately.
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NEWS FROM LINCOLN & LEXINGTON
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 Publish your events in The Stanley Report! We want to hear from you! The Stanley Report is a great way to spread the word about an upcoming event. Please forward any community, civic or nonprofit upcoming events that you would like included in next month's Stanley Report. If interested, please email Mark Phillips, Rep. Stanley's legislative assistant, with information about your event.
Waltham and Lincoln Awarded SAFE and Senior SAFE funding
The Waltham Fire Department awarded $7,237 in Student Awareness of Fire Education (SAFE) grants and $3,315 in Senior SAFE grants. The Lincoln Fire Department awarded $4,237 and $2,716 respectively. The SAFE program was created 20 years ago and since then, annual child fire deaths have been reduced by 72%. The Senior SAFE program is aimed at education seniors on fire prevention, general home safety and how to be better prepared in the event of a fire.
Kids Cooking Green Hosts Events
Kids Cooking Green is the educational arm of the Lexington, MA Farmers' Market. Classes are designed for kids as young as Pre-K through 8th grade, and there are some classes for adults. Kids Cooking Green also provides programming through its Fund for City Schools, which brings classes to communities that could otherwise not afford it. Click here to learn more.
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 State Representative: 2001 - Present City Council: 1998 - 2004, 2006 - 2015 Council President: 2003 State Committees: Joint Committee on Municipalities and Regional Government Joint Committee on Ways and Means House Committee on Post Audit and Oversight Education: Suffolk University (MPA), Bentley University (BS - Management), Mass Bay Community College (AS - Business Administration) Board Member: Waltham Partnership for Youth, Waltham Family School Advisory Board, Waltham Safe and Healthy Schools YRBS Steering Committee, Waltham Community Day Center (Honorary), Reach Beyond Domestic Violence Advisory Board, Safe Schools Healthy Students Initiative, Waltham Community Day Center (Active Honorary), Enough Abuse Campaign Member: Lions Club, Sons of Italy, Democratic City Committee, Fitzgerald School PTO, Fernald Reuse Committee, Hardy Pond Association, Friends of Waltham Library Awards: Work, Community, Independence - Human Service Advocate of the Year, 2008 COFAR - award recipient for support of people with mental disabilities, 2003 MassBay Community College Distinguished Alumni Award WATCH CDC - Housing Advocate Award, 2007 Minuteman Senior Services - Certificate of Appreciation, 2006 Boston Bar Assoc., Greater Boston Legal Services and MetroWest Legal Services - Pillar of Justice Award, 2003 Shining Star Award, Edinburg Center Personal: Married to the former Kimberly A. Bayliss Children: Ryan, age 21, Parker, age 12 |
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