Building for the Future

I was honored and humbled to have had the opportunity to attend and speak at last week’s Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School ground breaking ceremony. The school, which is a merger of the Essex Agricultural High School and the North Shore Technical High School, will feature a new state-of-the-art school building that is expected to be completed for the start of the 2014 school year.

Due to the schools’ popularity, there is an extensive wait-list and unfortunately there are many prospective students turned away. With the construction of the new school building, more students from across the Commonwealth will have the opportunity to study at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical High School.

The collaboration between state, local, and school officials has been exemplary, and without dedication and cooperation, the dream of a modern, unified school would never have come to fruition. I was joined by my colleague in the Senate, Senator Fred Berry, and Representative Theodore Speliotis at the ceremony. Also in attendance were Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray; Treasurer Steve Grossman; Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, John McCarthy; former Executive Director of the Massachusetts School Building Authority, Katherine Craven; and many local officials.

Posted below is a video of me speaking at Wednesday’s ceremony taken by the North Shore Chamber of Commerce. Please click here to read an article in last week’s Gloucester Daily Times.

The Advancement of the GOP Jobs Package

I’m pleased, given the uncertainty of the economic recovery, that our jobs package is being given serious consideration by the Legislature. The House and Senate Republican Caucuses have put forward a series of thoughtful proposals targeting five key areas impacting Massachusetts businesses, including energy, education, health care, regulations and taxes, and have already seen some components of our jobs package begin to advance favorably through the legislative process, including proposals to:

• Require public utilities to engage in competitive bidding for long-term renewable contracts to protect the financial interests of Massachusetts’ ratepayers (included in Senate energy cost containment bill);

• Strengthen collaboration between vocational schools, community colleges and workforce investment boards to maximize their common goals of producing a highly-trained and well-rounded workforce to meet the needs of the Commonwealth’s employers (included in House Fiscal Year 2013 Budget);

• Enhance veterans’ ability to secure state-issued licensure and certification in a variety of professional trades by counting service members’ military education, training and experience towards the qualifications required for licensure and certification (included in Senate VALOR Act);

• Extend for 90 days the professional trade license of active duty members whose license expires while on duty (included in Senate VALOR Act); and

• Provide expedited consideration for veterans’ spouses who apply for state licensure or certification (included in Senate VALOR Act).

In the remaining months of the current legislative session, I intend to work closely with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure that not only these proposals, but also many of the other ideas we have promulgated to stimulate the economy and facilitate job growth, reach the Governor’s desk.

Posted below are a series of letters that I submitted to the different joint committees that held public hearings at the State House this week on the five different omnibus jobs bills.

GOP Jobs Bill Letters of Support

On the Air with WBZ-TV

Yesterday evening I was interviewed by reporter Jim Armstrong of WBZ-TV Channel 4 to discuss the scheduled reinstatement of Onyango Obama’s drivers license even though he is an illegal immigrant who was charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. To watch Jim’s report, please play the posted video below.

Strengthening the Community Preservation Act

The Senate is preparing to debate and pass its version of the Fiscal Year 2013 state budget, and I believe this budget presents a prime opportunity to make important changes to the Community Preservation Act.

Thus, I have written to Senate Committee on Ways and means Chairman Stephen Brewer with a request to include these changes in the committee’s budget proposal. Twelve of my colleagues have joined me in signing the letter containing this request, including three Republicans and nine Democrats. In the letter to Senator Brewer, we ask that the Senate Ways and Means budget proposal include the same CPA changes adopted by the House of Representatives during its budget deliberations last month.

It’s important for the Senate to engage in the process of reforming and reinvigorating the Community Preservation Act to spur economic growth and protect our precious natural resources and assets. With this letter, my colleagues and I are expressing our desire to retain these same important reforms in the Senate’s budget to help advance preservation efforts and promote economic growth at the municipal level.

Established by the Legislature in 2000, the CPA was designed to preserve open space, housing and the rehabilitation of historic properties. Cities and towns that participate in the program can impose a property tax surcharge of up to 3 percent to pay for these efforts, with the state providing additional matching funds collected through fees assessed on deeds. Although the original goal of the CPA was for the state to provide 100 percent matching funds to municipalities, the state currently matches only 22 cents of every dollar spent locally.

The adoption of the reform language would:

• expand the scope of the program by allowing communities to access CPA funding for the rehabilitation of existing athletic fields, parks and playgrounds;

• increase state matching funds by up to $25 million, using surplus revenue from the Fiscal Year 2012 budget;

• provide municipalities with greater flexibility to fund their participation in the CPA program through revenue sources outside of the existing property tax surcharge, such as hotel excise taxes, linkage fee and inclusionary zoning payments, the sale of municipal property, parking fines, and gifts received from private sources for community preservation purposes; and

• give communities the option to establish a CPA property tax exemption for small businesses on the first $100,000 of property value, allowing employers to invest more money in their business and create jobs.

Posted below is a copy of the letter that was sent to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means Chairman, Senator Stephen Brewer.

Bet 2012.05.02 Cpa Request Ltr to Swm

GOP Jobs Package Has Scheduled Public Hearings Starting Tomorrow

In February, the Massachusetts House and Senate Republican Caucuses announced a comprehensive jobs creation package that aims to reduce the cost of doing business in the Commonwealth. The package, which is five omnibus bills, targets five key areas: business regulations, education, energy, healthcare, and taxes.

Beginning tomorrow, 4 of the 5 omnibus bills will receive public hearings this week. Residents and business owners are welcome to attend these hearings to listen and/or provide testimony to each of the committees scheduled to hear the bills. You may also submit written testimony to the chairs of the committee as well.

Posted below is a press packet that summarizes the jobs creation package.

The schedule of the hearings is as follows:

Tuesday, May 8th

10:00am: House Bill 4038, An Act Relative to Cost-Effective Energy Policies and Electricity Cost Reduction – Joint Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities, and Energy (located in A-1)

10:30am: House Bill 4035, An Act Relative to Improving Employment Opportunities Through Access to Education – Joint Committee on Higher Education (located in A-2)

Wednesday, May 9th

1:00 pm: House Bill 4037, An Act Providing Regulatory Reform to Promote Job Growth – Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight (located in B-1)

Thursday, May 10th

10:00am: House Bill 4036, An Act Incentivizing Job Creation and Reducing the Burdens on Small Businesses – Joint Committee on Revenue (located in B-2)

Final Jobs Package Media Handout

Championing benefits for Massachusetts veterans and their families

I joined with my colleagues in the Senate Republican Caucus to secure the passage of a series of initiatives designed to assist the Commonwealth’s veterans, active duty service personnel and their families during yesterday's Senate debate on the VALOR Act (Veterans’ Access, Livelihood, Opportunity and Resources). The Senate adopted the bill unanimously on a vote of 38-0.

Every Massachusetts resident owes a huge debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who proudly serve our great nation to preserve the many freedoms we all enjoy but too often take for granted. With Memorial Day fast approaching, I cannot think of a better way to show our appreciation than to do everything we can to enhance the educational and employment opportunities available to our veterans and to ensure that the Commonwealth provides for their families’ needs.

Caucus-sponsored amendments approved by the Senate include proposals to:

• Extend the benefits offered through the Massachusetts Military Family Relief Fund to the families of all active duty members who have served since September 11th whose deaths were directly related to their military service (the original language contained in the VALOR Act applied only to the family members of soldiers killed in action);

• Revise state tax laws to allow veterans with a disability rating of 10 percent or more to retain a $400 property tax exemption, even if they return to active service (current law prohibits veterans from receiving this exemption while they are enlisted, but allows them to defer their taxes until they return from their deployment);

• Enhance veterans’ ability to secure state-issued licensure and certification in a variety of professional trades by counting service members’ military education, training and experience towards the qualifications required for licensure and certification;

• Extend for 90 days the professional trade license of active duty members whose license expires while on duty;

• Provide expedited consideration for veterans’ spouses who apply for state licensure or certification; and

• Allow full-time active duty military personnel to receive and attach to their motor vehicle or motorcycle license plate a distinctive emblem issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles designating their branch of service.

Military families have to endure many personal sacrifices and hardships when their loved ones are deployed for months or years at a time. The provisions adopted by the Senate will offer some measure of support for these families while honoring all of those who serve.

The VALOR Act now heads to the House of Representatives for further action.

Gloucester’s Pride Stride

Each spring citizens of Gloucester come together in unity to support local organizations in a fundraising walk known as the “Pride Stride”. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the event, which is led by a tremendous team who organizes and conducts this effort. I have been honored to work with them to provide a water and refreshment stop for the hundreds of walkers who participate in the Pride Stride.

We provided refreshments from a great spot on the Boulevard, and were proud to be a part of this tradition. I want to thank Anthony and Joanne Marks, and Barbara Blankenship for assisting me at the water stop this year.

Thanks to everyone who contributed to a terrific Pride Stride 2012!

Below are a few pictures taken by Anthony Marks of activities at our water stop. You can learn more about the Pride Stride by clicking here.