Beacon Hill News

Brothers in Arms Men’s Support Circle Wins $40,000 State Restorative Justice Grant

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Lawrence-based Brothers in Arms Men’s Support Circle was one of 13 community organizations sharing last week in $380,000 in state grants to support restorative justice programming. Brothers in Arms Men’s Support Circle was awarded about $40,000 from the Commonwealth Restorative Justice Community Grant Program. “Restorative Justice practices can help those who have experienced harm and those who have caused it on their journeys toward healing and accountability. This grant program allows us to invest in community-based service providers as they deliver programming tailored to the needs of the communities they serve,” said Gov. Maura Healey. The Lawrence group is described as “volunteer-based” designed to “provide local men with mindful tools, awareness and peer support that help (participants) become the fathers, husbands, brothers, neighbors, friends and leaders our communities need.”

Grants were awarded through a competitive application process.

Beacon Hill News

Merrimack Valley Area Gains Jobs While State Sees Overall Seasonal Drop in October

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The Merrimack Valley area, including Haverhill, Methuen and Lawrence, gained the highest percentage of jobs last month, while there was a slight overall drop statewide. The revised job report shows a statewide seasonally adjusted preliminary jobs estimate decrease of 800 jobs in October, but an over-the-year gain of 77,100 jobs. Of the 15 areas for which employment estimates are published, 13 areas gained jobs compared to the previous month. The largest percentage increases occurred in the Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury statistical area at 1.6%; Lawrence-Methuen-Salem, 1.1%, and Peabody-Salem-Beverly, 1%. From October 2022 to October 2023, 14 areas gained jobs.

Beacon Hill News

DiZoglio Effort to Force Audit of Legislature Advances with Report of Collecting 100,000 Signatures

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Chris Lisinski, State House News Service. State Auditor Diana DiZoglio and her hodgepodge of political allies took a major step toward asking voters for the authority to probe the legislature, announcing they gathered enough signatures to remain on track for a 2024 ballot question. The ballot question campaign backed by the Methuen Democrat said this week it collected signatures from more than 100,000 registered voters, significantly more than the 74,574 certified signatures required to be filed with local election officials by the end of the day Wednesday. “Our campaign resonates with the people of Massachusetts because they want our leaders to fix the numerous, simultaneous crises our Commonwealth is facing—whether that’s in housing, healthcare, transportation, mental health, addiction or others,” DiZoglio said in a statement circulated by the ballot question campaign. “Beacon Hill cannot continue its closed-door, opaque operations with so much at stake.

Beacon Hill News

Democratic Party Insiders Back DiZoglio’s Quest to Audit Legislature

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Party insiders are bucking Beacon Hill’s Democratic leadership in backing Auditor Diana DiZoglio’s quest to audit the legislature, including any court action required to achieve the goal. The Democratic State Committee on a unanimous voice vote accepted a resolution last Wednesday night backing the Methuen Democrat’s efforts to hold the legislature accountable. The resolution states the party “endorses the state auditor’s initiatives, including any necessary legal action against any impediments to their audit efforts.”

For months, House Speaker Ron Mariano and Senate President Karen E. Spilka have resisted DiZoglio’s audit attempts, arguing she lacks the authority under state law—and that the information she’s seeking is available for public review or is already audited by other entities. The diverse committee is composed of 400 Democrats from throughout the state, and about half participated in the hybrid meeting held at First Parish Dorchester, a MassDems spokesman said. Under party rules, members are not required to disclose conflicts of interests ahead of voting because resolutions are non-binding, the spokesman said.

Beacon Hill News

Sens. Finegold and Payano Praise Addition of $15 Million for Storm-Damage Aid in Budget

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State Sens. Barry R. Finegold and Pavel Payano Tuesday night thanked their colleagues for advancing a supplemental budget that includes $15 million in aid for local communities still reeling from this summer’s storm damage. Senators voted 36-3 to approve the amount as part of a roughly $2.8 billion supplemental budget bill that comes in the final hours of this season’s formal session. Holding up approval was debate over putting $250 million more into the state’s strained emergency shelter system. Payano said, “This year, we saw heavy rainfalls and flooding have a disastrous impact on communities across the state.

Beacon Hill News

Nurses, Health Care Lobbyists Press Legislators on Joining Nurse Licensure Compact

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Nurses and health care lobbyists encouraged lawmakers Tuesday to allow Massachusetts to join a 20-year-old interstate compact, pitching it as a strategy to tackle the state’s nursing shortage, boost access to telehealth and streamline providers’ ability to care for patients across state lines. The state’s potential entry to the compact is addressed this session in proposals from Sen. Barry R. Finegold, among others. Nicole Livanos, director of state affairs for the National Council of State Boards of Nursing, said it would save time and money for nurses who must currently hold multiple licenses if they are looking to practice in Massachusetts and other states. “In order to get a multistate license, you have to meet 11 uniform license requirements, so we know that those represent some of the highest licensure requirements across the country, including a criminal background check, passing the NCLEX (exam), graduating from an approved program, and having no active discipline,” Livanos told the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. Through the compact, Livanos said Massachusetts nursing students would gain flexibility over where they choose to live and practice after earning their degrees here.

Beacon Hill News

Rep. Vargas Bill Would Give Rideshare and Delivery Drivers Employee Status

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Rideshare and delivery drivers, currently classified as independent contractors, would be entitled to full employment benefits if a bill filed in the House by Haverhill Rep. Andy X. Vargas wins passage. Vargas testified Monday in support of his bill which would benefit drivers for such companies as Uber, Lyft, Instacart and others by requiring employers to provide benefits and protection. Vargas said he worked as driver while in college and often earned less than minimum wage. “Classifying drivers as independent contractors shifts nearly all the risk and liability onto drivers and allows companies to skirt the basic protections other employers must comply with. Our local businesses in Haverhill pay into unemployment insurance, workers comp and provide a minimum wage and overtime.

Beacon Hill News

Vargas Testifies in Favor of His Online Privacy Bill that Would Limit Data Collection

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Rep. Andy X. Vargas last week testified in support of his privacy bill that would limit collection of consumer data online. Vargas testified before the Joint Committee on Advanced Information Technology, the Internet, and Cybersecurity in support of his bill, An Act to establish the Massachusetts data privacy protection act. “Our online activity is under constant surveillance. Not only is our personal information collected and stored without our consent, it is sold as a commodity without regard for the consequences this may have for the individual. This is our personal information, including but not limited to our age, gender, race and location.