The Stanley Report
A monthly update from Beacon Hill
Tom Stanley - Representing the 9th Middlesex District of Massachusetts
May 2016, Lincoln and Lexington, In This Issue:
State Rep. Thomas M. Stanley
State House, Room 167
Boston, MA 02133
(617) 722-2230
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YMCA Advocacy Day 
at the State House



Rep. Stanley at the Elder Economic Security Commission Report Briefing at the State House



Rep. Stanley discussing economic development with Housing and Economic Development Sec.Jay Ash.



Rep. Stanley speaking at the MassDOT Five Year CIP public meetings at the State House. 


Rep. Stanley with Chairman McGee at the MASS DOT Meeting.



Peter Cameron of Marcus Partners moderated the 128 Business Council's Annual Meeting.



Rep. Stanley with retired 
Patriot Matt Light.



Housing and Economic Development Secretary Jay Ash speaking at  the 128 Business Council's 2016 Annual Member Meeting.



CityPoint Association Annual Meeting



 Daffodils



Spring has sprung



Pansies



Flower Garden



Wreath



Tulips



Almost Open



Tulip Time



Fenway
NEWS FROM BEACON HILL
Rep. Stanley highlights need for traffic mitigation on Route 128 at MassDOT meeting
 
MassDOT held one of fifteen planned public meetings at the State House to take public comment and answer questions about MassDOT's capital investments across all modes including highway, MBTA, aeronautics, RMV and more.  Rep. Stanley spoke in favor of much needed traffic improvements along Rte. 128 to protect our neighborhoods from traffic.
 
Rep. Stanley helps secure $350K for invasive aquatic species removal
 
Working with Reps. Kay Khan, Ruth Balser, John Lawn, Denise Provost, Jim Cantwell, Paul Donato, Christine Barber and Sean Garballey, Rep. Stanley helped secure $350,000 for the invasive aquatic species removal in the Charles River and other watersheds with an amendment to the fiscal year 2017 budget.  Rep. Khan filed the amendment which the House approved.
 
Lincoln Priorities Included in House FY17 Budget
 
Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in the House to pass its FY17 budget which aims to provide opportunities for all residents through investments in multiple areas including local aid, enhanced support for early education and care (EEC), and programs to help those battling addiction and homelessness.  Lincoln priorities included in the budget are $967,767 in Ch.70 Education Aid, $654,570 in Unrestricted General Government Aid and $100,000 to help mitigate the costs of educating children of retired-military families living at Hanscom Airforce Base .
 
The spending bill, approximately $39.5 billion, highlights the House's ongoing commitment to balancing fiscal prudence with targeted social service investments, a practice that has resulted in Massachusetts retaining its AA+ bond rating, the highest in the state's history. The budget includes no new taxes or fees and reduces the Commonwealth's reliance on one-time revenue sources. For the second year in a row, it does not withdraw any funds from the stabilization fund. The budget will now go to the Senate.
 
For additional information about the budget passed by the House, please visit Rep. Stanley's website.

Rep. Stanley and House Pass Veterans Housing, Employment Bill
 
Rep. Stanley and his colleagues in the House unanimously voted in favor of the Housing, Operations, Military Service and Enrichment Act, or the HOME Act, which helps veterans with housing and employment opportunities.  The legislation gives veterans preference for public housing in MA and marks veterans a protected class for hiring purposes.  The bill would establish the Office of State Veterans' Homes and Housing within the Department of Veterans Services and includes assistance for widows of military members through real estate tax abatements. The bill now moves to the Senate. 

MA Firms Awarded Job Creation Incentives
 
The state announced $20 million in tax incentive awards, to 28 life sciences companies.  The awards, which will create 1,325 new jobs in the Commonwealth in 2016, were approved by the Board of Directors of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC). The tax incentive awards will support life sciences job growth in fourteen Massachusetts cities and towns; half of the awardees are located or are expanding outside of Greater Boston.
 
The Life Sciences Tax Incentive Program was established in 2008 as part of Massachusetts' 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences Initiative. The program authorizes tax incentives each year for growing companies engaged in life sciences research and development, commercialization and manufacturing. The primary goal of the program is to incentivize life sciences companies of all sizes to create new, long-term jobs in Massachusetts.
 
The Life Sciences Act provides for 10 different incentives, which address the significant capital expenditures associated with the life sciences R&D cycle and the high costs of translating research into commercially viable products. This is the seventh year that incentives have been provided under the program.
 
State to Provide $2 Million to Test for Lead in Drinking Water at Public Schools
 
Governor Charlie Baker and State Treasurer Deb Goldberg announced $2 million from the Massachusetts Clean Water Trust (MCWT) to fund cooperative efforts to assist Massachusetts public schools test for lead in drinking water. The funds, to be used by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), will provide technical assistance to ensure that public school districts can sample the taps and water fountains in their schools, and to identify any results that show lead contamination over the federal action level.
 
The funding from the MCWT, which will allow the assistance program to launch this spring, will pay for sampling to confirm that drinking water levels are below action levels in public school water fountains and fixtures used for food preparation, and will be utilized for the training of school personnel to assist in designing sampling plans.
 
Rep. Stanley Cosigns Elks National Youth Week Resolution
 
Rep. Stanley joined his colleagues in signing a House Resolution that recognizes the week of May 1-7 as Elks National Youth Week across the Commonwealth.  The Elks Lodge of Massachusetts will celebrate National Youth Week the first week in May to honor their junior citizens for their achievements and contributions to their communities, state and nation.
 
State Awards $2 Million for Regional Competitive Workforce Partnerships
 
Gov. Baker and Secretary of Labor and Workforce Development Ronald L. Walker II announced that the Baker-Polito Administration awarded more than $2 million in grants from the Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund (WCTF) to support 14 regional partnerships between businesses, educational institutions, community-based organizations, and workforce development groups, helping prepare more than 370 unemployed and/or underemployed Massachusetts residents with additional skills and job training for in-demand occupations.
 
Workforce Competitiveness Trust Fund grants were last distributed in 2013, and Governor Baker's Fiscal Year 2017 budget proposal would for the first time, award WCTF grants in two consecutive years. The governor's budget proposal includes $4 million for WCTF, with $2 million allocated to WCTF grants and $2 million dedicated to a new Economic Opportunity Fund - housed within the WCTF - to award organizations who assist residents facing chronically higher unemployment rates than the statewide average.
 
Gov. Baker to File Legislation Seeking Water Protection 
 
The Baker Administration filed An Act to Enable the Commonwealth's Administration of the Massachusetts Pollutant Discharge Elimination System  which supports the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) efforts to join 46 other states in administering the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) for federal water quality protection and announced a budget commitment of $4.7 million annually for staff, programming and up-to-date monitoring and analysis of water quality data.
 
Under the federal Clean Water Act, the EPA administers numerous water quality programs across the United States, including efforts like NPDES which regulates public and private discharges of wastewater and stormwater. As states have the option of applying to the EPA for authorization to administer the program at the state level, subject to federal oversight, the legislation to be filed by the Baker-Polito Administration will make changes to the Commonwealth's Clean Waters Act, which is needed for MassDEP to make an application to the EPA.
 
Gov. Announces New Opportunities for Veteran-Owned Businesses
 
Governor Baker announced a new Massachusetts Veteran Certification program and outreach process to reduce federal certification wait times, increase the participation of veteran and service-disabled veteran business owners in the Commonwealth's supplier diversity program for goods and services' contracts, and foster growth, competition and economic development opportunities for veteran-owned firms.
 
The announcement follows the Administration's supplier diversity enhancements and expansion opportunities for veteran, LGBT, disability, diverse and small business entities announced in November, which included expanding the service-disabled veteran-owned business category of the Supplier Diversity Program to include all veterans, under an existing benchmark of 3%. While the administration will continue to employ cross-certification of veteran and service-disabled veteran businesses from partners like VetBiz and the U.S. Business Leadership Network, the state certification will significantly reduce the length of wait times veteran-owned businesses have experienced through the VetBiz process.
 
Massachusetts, MITRE Launch the Massachusetts Innovation Bridge
 
The Massachusetts Innovation Bridge, a partnership between the Commonwealth and The MITRE Corporation, a public interest nonprofit that operates research and development centers sponsored by the federal government, recently launched in MA. The Innovation Bridge will help federal agencies solve the nation's most difficult challenges by tapping into the world-leading innovation and high-tech ecosystem in Massachusetts, while creating new business opportunities in the Commonwealth.
 
Through the Innovation Bridge, federal agencies will create new relationships with innovative academic institutions, thought leaders, established companies, and with companies that previously did not work with the federal government. Together, they will discover innovative ideas, products, and services to enhance federal agency missions. The new collaborative workspace will also give Massachusetts companies, higher education institutions, and nonprofits access to new federal business opportunities.
 
The partnership with MITRE will also strengthen the Commonwealth's military installations, by building on the existing connections between the innovation economy and state military assets such as Hanscom Air Force Base, Natick Soldier Systems Center, and Joint Base Cape Cod.
 
2016 Tax Amnesty Program
 
The Massachusetts Department of Revenue's 2016 Tax Amnesty Program runs April 1st through May 31st. Click here for more information or call or call 617-887-6655.
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.   

Meals on Wheels program
 
Through Minuteman Senior Services, the Meals on Wheels (MOW) program delivers lunch to homebound seniors who are unable to provide their own meals, and who meet certain guidelines. Special dietary considerations are available for those with chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. This daily check in by a volunteer driver may be the only social contact an elder has and helps reduce the isolation often experienced by disabled seniors. Drivers are trained to identify and report observations or emergencies that might indicate a medical problem or the need for more intervention.  Learn more

Learn about Loving Spoonfuls
 
Lovin' Spoonfuls collects fresh food from dozens of food retail locations including Whole Foods Markets, Trader Joe's, and Hannaford Supermarkets, as well as multiple local farms, wholesalers, and bakeries. This food goes directly to local food assistance entities including Pine Street Inn, Boston Rescue Mission, Haley House, and Community Servings, among many others. Founded in 2010, it has rescued more than 3,500,000 pounds of fresh food in the Greater Boston area.  Learn more. 

Boston Brain Tumor Ride
 
The Boston Brain Tumor Ride is an event to raise awareness and much-needed resources to fund critical brain tumor-specific programs to improve the lives of all those affected by brain tumors. This year's ride starts and ends at 200 West Street in Waltham on Sunday, May 15, 2016, and is expected to draw over 700 riders, 64+ volunteers, and 100+ spectators.  Hosted by the National Brain Tumor Society, the Boston Brain Tumor Ride offers individuals and teams a chance to honor and remember loved ones, connect with others interested in the brain tumor cause, and helps to educate the local community on the diverse needs of the brain tumor community. Learn more

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.
ABOUT REP. STANLEY
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, Enough Abuse Campaign, Waltham Drug Task Force
 
AwardsWork, 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 22, Parker, age 13