Beacon Hill News

Area Mayors Back Sen. DiZoglio’s Call for the Legislature to Go Back to Work, Approve Aid and Tax Relief

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State Sen. Diana DiZoglio won the backing Tuesday of Merrimack Valley mayors and other officials who want the legislature to go back to work and approve bills that would send millions of dollars to area communities and give residents tax relief. DiZoglio is not seeking reelection and, instead, is running for state auditor. She was joined at Lawrence City Hall by Lawrence Mayor Brian A. De Peña, Lowell Mayor Sokhary Chau, Methuen Mayor Neil Perry, Haverhill Mayor James J. Fiorentini, Amesbury Mayor Kassandra Gove, Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon, state Rep. Marcos A. Devers and Lawrence Director of Health and Human Services Martha Velez. “Working families can’t afford to wait for economic relief,” said DiZoglio. “Today I was joined by mayors from across the Merrimack Valley and North Shore as we stood in solidarity to call on the legislature to come back into session and provide struggling families with the relief they need and deserve.”

Last month, DiZoglio secured amendments to a proposed economic development bill that would provide $5 million for a Methuen Youth and Community Center; Methuen downtown revitalization; downtown facades, an MBTA station feasibility study and community planning and outreach for the Royal Crest property for North Andover; and other projects in Merrimac, Amesbury, Newburyport and Salisbury.

Election Central

Analysis: For and Against, High-Profile Women Take Sides in Sen. DiZoglio’s Bid for State Auditor

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There’s no evidence women will be voting as a bloc for state auditor during the Democratic primary in three weeks. The race hasn’t caught much public attention and this WHAV analysis attempts to shed light on a particular dynamic. Sen. Diana DiZoglio over the past decade has campaigned as a firebrand for state representative, senator and, now, state auditor—and her demeanor has both worked for and against her among current and former elected women. Slights from former Sen. Kathleen O’Connor-Ives, existing state Auditor Suzanne M. Bump and, as of this month, Sen. President Karen E. Spilka who have endorsed Gov. Deval Patrick’s former Assistant Transportation Secretary Chris Dempsey. They have been largely balanced though by DiZoglio’s similar backing from high-profile women and women’s groups.

Beacon Hill News

Baker Signs Cannabis Reform, Limiting Fees Cities Charge; Law a Victory for Stem that Sued Haverhill

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A court battle between Haverhill and a downtown cannabis shop may be moot now that Gov. Charlie Baker has signed legislation that requires communities to renegotiate “impact fees” in host agreements. Besides forcing renegotiation of host community agreements, the bill creates a Social Equity Trust Fund which would pay for loans and grants aimed at supporting people of color and others “disproportionately harmed by the War on Drugs” and move closer to social pot consumption sites. The bill was previously approved by both houses of the state legislature. It was supported by such local legislators as Sen. Diana DiZoglio and Reps. Linda Dean Campbell, Lenny Mirra, Andy X. Vargas and Christina A. Minicucci.

Election Central

Senate Signs Off on Haverhill Petition to Elect Council and School Committee Mostly by Ward

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The Massachusetts Senate Thursday approved Haverhill’s home rule petition, requiring candidates for City Council and School Committee a year from now to run mostly by neighborhood. The bill, sponsored in the state Senate by Sen. Diana DiZoglio, was previously passed by the House after being presented by Rep. Andy X. Vargas in that branch of the legislature. Legislation calls for the City Council to expand to 11 members with seven city councilors elected by ward with four others elected at-large. The school Committee will have seven ward members, three citywide representatives and the mayor as tiebreaker. It also reduces School Committee terms from four to two years.

Beacon Hill News

Haverhill Commuter Rail Line to Play Role During Month-Long Orange Line Subway Closing

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The Haverhill commuter rail line will play a role in helping to offset impacts of the MBTA’s decision yesterday to close down the entire Orange Line subway for a month. The rail line, which picks up and drops off passengers at Oak Grove, Malden Center and North Station, is being suggested as an option. On the south side, the Needham and Providence Line trains will also stop at Forest Hills, Ruggles, Back Bay and South Station. Gov. Charlie Baker and his top deputies said Wednesday they believe the “unprecedented” step will allow crews to complete as much overdue maintenance work as they would in five years of weekend- and evening-only closures. “None of this stuff that’s happened is acceptable, and that’s part of the reason why we’re going the distance we’re going to here,” Baker said, addressing a sea of reporters and cameras near the maintenance yard at Wellington Station.

Haverhill

Gov. Baker Signs ‘School Meals for All’ Law, Championed Locally by Rep. Vargas After Fed Inaction

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Gov. Charlie Baker put his signature last Thursday on a one-year extension of School Meals for All, championed by Rep. Andy X. Vargas and Sen. Sal DiDomenico. Project Bread and the Feed Kids Coalition hailed the new law that ensures 400,000 students will continue to have access to school meals despite federal inaction. Massachusetts is the fifth state to guarantee access to free meals this coming school year. “This is a moment in time when all our eyes have been opened to the vast disparities faced by the children of Massachusetts when accessing the resources needed to be healthy and learn. While the road to equity is long and complex, this extension of School Meals for All is a straightforward and significant step in ensuring students are ready to learn next year,” says Project Bread CEO Erin McAleer.

Homepage Featured

Gov. Baker Agrees with Soldiers’ Home Bill Pushed by Rep. Campbell, but Seeks Delay

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A little more work is required before a bill, championed by Rep. Linda Dean Campbell, takes effect to improve oversight of the state’s soldiers’ homes. Stressing his support for the goals of the underlying measure, Gov. Charlie Baker on Saturday returned to lawmakers a bill reshaping oversight and management at state-run soldiers’ homes with an amendment giving the executive branch a bit more time to implement the reforms.

“These amendments permit critical planning and implementation work to begin immediately while allowing the next administration to make its appointments for these newly constituted offices and the Veterans’ Homes Council,” Baker said. Campbell and Sen. Mike Rush, both veterans, prevailed last Thursday in their calls for “a clear chain of command” to oversee state veterans’ homes. Campbell expressed her unhappiness with the bill that emerged from the House last February by voting “present” rather than yes or no. A House and Senate conference committee sided with Campbell and Rush on the bill which is intended to prevent another tragedy like the COVID-19 outbreak that took dozens of veterans’ lives in 2020 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home.

Haverhill

Rep. Campbell’s Committee Prevails on Soldiers’ Home Reforms After COVID-19 Deaths; Bill Goes to Baker

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Rep. Linda Dean Campbell and Sen. Mike Rush, both veterans, prevailed Thursday in their calls for “a clear chain of command” to oversee state veterans’ homes. Campbell, as WHAV reported first last February, was unhappy with a weakened version of their bill which was intended to prevent another tragedy like the COVID-19 outbreak that took dozens of veterans’ lives in 2020 at the Holyoke Soldiers’ Home. A House and Senate conference committee this week sided with Campbell and Rush. “Our legislative investigation dug deep into both the immediate and underlying causes of this tragedy and concluded it was a perfect storm that had been brewing for years—COVID just broke the dam,” said Campbell. “Accountability and authority must permeate governance reform at our Soldiers’ Homes.