Beacon Hill News

DiZoglio Addresses Boxford Republicans, Comes Away with Question 1 Backing

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Boxford Republicans last Wednesday voted to endorse a ballot initiative which would allow the state auditor to audit the legislature. The Boxford Republican Town Committee voted unanimously to endorse the question after state Auditor Diana DiZoglio visited several area Republican committees to speak on the initiative. Voters will decide Tuesday whether to approve Question 1, which would give the state auditor the explicit authority to audit the legislature. DiZoglio, a Methuen native, was fondly called one of their “favorite Democrats” by multiple attendees. “We are putting on the ballot, to all of you, language that simply includes the words ‘including the General Court,’” she said.

Beacon Hill News

State Awards Haverhill-Area Projects $773,595; Affordable Housing, Cogswell Art Get Boosts

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Plans to build 34 units of affordable housing, off Hilldale Avenue in Haverhill, and movement to complete the rehabilitation of the former George S. Cogswell School into art space, were among four Haverhill beneficiaries of state Community One Stop for Growth grants. State Rep. Andy X. Vargas said Friday Economic Development Secretary Yvonne Hao, and Housing and Livable Communities Secretary Edward Augustus released the grants. Haverhill Housing Authority was awarded $83,595 in Site Readiness money for pre-development activities to support its $28 million housing plan on land it owns at 230 Hilldale Ave. Creative Haverhill, overseeing the creation of the Cogswell ArtsSpace will receive $470,000 in Underutilized Properties funding. Other recipients were Community Action, which was awarded $100,000 in Urban Agenda funding for MakeIT Haverhill to host immigrant-focused job and career fairs, and Merrimack Valley Planning Commission, granted $120,000 in Community Planning funding to support cities and towns in the Merrimack Valley with their zoning and accessory dwelling unit regulations.

Beacon Hill News

State Representatives Advance Haverhill Petitions for Police, Firefighter Age Waivers

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The Massachusetts House of Representatives last Thursday advanced petitions to waive age requirements for several Haverhill residents seeking to take Civil Service examinations to hold police and firefighter posts. Representatives last week moved to third readings Haverhill home rule requests on behalf of Gustavo Romero, Brian Dacey, Dante Perella and Jason Restituyo. They seek waivers of the maximum age requirement to take the civil service examination. Similarly, legislators advance petitions on behalf of Christina Rodriguez and Michael E. Jarvis Jr. to take the civil service examination for the position of firefighter.

Beacon Hill News

State Awards Lawrence General Hospital $10K Grant to Help Reduce Waste, Extend Product Life

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Lawrence General Hospital was recently awarded a $10,000 grant to support its efforts to lessen waste and extend the life of products. The hospital, which will soon expand into Haverhill and Methuen, was among about two dozen recipients in sharing $140,000 in microgrants from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. State money from the Reduce, Reuse, Repair Micro-Grant Program is given to projects providing, what are described as, “innovative and impactful ways to curb waste and keep products in use through donation, rescue, reuse and repair.” Lawrence General Hospital was among approximately 74% of the projects serving environmental justice communities. “Reducing the amount of waste we produce—by reusing, repairing, rescuing and donating what we already have—has the biggest direct impact on our ability to meet our waste reduction goals,” said MassDEP Commissioner Bonnie Heiple. “Funding these projects ensures we have the infrastructure to tackle waste reduction right here in Massachusetts.”

The money is aimed at covering costs associated with developing and implementing reuse and repair projects that lead to waste reduction, including equipment, tracking software and training.

Beacon Hill News

Healey Comment Suggests Saving Haverhill Campus of Holy Family Hospital Still Possible

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WHAV staff contributed to this report by Alison Kuznitz. Gov. Maura T. Healey hinted Thursday that Holy Family Hospital’s Haverhill campus might still be saved. With potential deals, such as Lawrence General Hospital’s potential bid for Holy Family Hospital, still up in the air, the governor’s new mention of six campuses for five Steward Hospitals suggests a potential path for keeping Holy Family Hospital. As only WHAV reported last Saturday, Sen. Barry R. Finegold s said he didn’t know the contents of Lawrence General Hospital’s final bid, but noted, “I believe the Haverhill Campus of Holy Family is integral to the health care needs of the Merrimack Valley and should he included in LGH bid.”

Healey pleaded Thursday for the company’s lenders to strike a deal to allow the facilities to be sold, acknowledging financial stakes for taxpayers amid repeated delays. The governor confirmed Massachusetts has been sending financial aid to the hospitals to keep them afloat through August, but she wouldn’t say whether the latest snag in U.S. Bankruptcy Court may end up costing Massachusetts more money.

Beacon Hill News

Negotiators, Including Finegold, Seek to Hash Out Economic Development Bill Differences

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Lawmakers negotiating a major economic development bill have just over a week to strike a compromise on a bond bill reauthorizing the state’s longstanding life sciences initiative. The Senate favors a smaller borrowing and tax incentive package for the life sciences sector compared to the House and Gov. Maura T. Healey, and the differences need to be settled during closed-door negotiations. Conference committee members Reps. Aaron Michlewitz, Jerald Parisella and David Muradian, and Sens. Barry R. Finegold, senate chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies; Mike Rodrigues; and Peter Durant met for the first time Monday.

Beacon Hill News

Senate $2.86B Economic Development Bill Promises Local Benefits, Policies

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Both of Haverhill’s state senators are touting local benefits and advantages—including city and town infrastructure, small business and culture—contained in the Senate’s proposed $2.86 billion economic development bill passed Thursday. Senate President Karen E. Spilka, praising Sen. Barry R. Finegold, Senate chair of the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies and others, said the bill builds on “the diverse and thriving economic ecosystem that enables people to stay in our state to build careers and families.”

“Massachusetts is home to great talent, industry and education, but we must act now to remain competitive in a changing global and national economy,” said Finegold. “This economic development bill bolsters our state’s competitiveness by strengthening sectors we already excel in and creating pathways to secure the lead in emerging fields.”

The bill, which still must be reconciled with a House version and signed by the governor, authorizes $400 million for MassWorks public infrastructure projects. Haverhill, for example, has used this money in the past to complete the Rep. Brian S. Dempsey Boardwalk. Sen. Pavel M. Payano said the bill includes his proposal to allocate $10 million toward social enterprise capital grant programs to pay for job skills training and paid employment opportunities to low-income individuals, prioritizing those from socially and economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Beacon Hill News

United Way of Massachusetts Bay Honors Payano and Vargas at State House Ceremony

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(Additional photograph below.)

United Way of Massachusetts Bay honored Sen. Pavel M. Payano and Rep. Andy X. Vargas, both representing Haverhill, as inaugural “Legislative Champions” last month. Payano and Vargas were presented awards for their “demonstrated strong leadership and commitment to education, food security and economic justice, including transformative policy solutions such as Baby Bonds and matched savings programs,” read a statement from United Way. “This award not only highlights our shared commitment to creating thriving and equitable communities but also reflects the collective voice of our residents who support our efforts toward empowering economic mobility and enhancing early education. Being chosen by the people we serve adds a special significance to this recognition. It motivates us to continue working together to build pathways that uplift every resident, ensuring that progress and prosperity are accessible to all.