Beacon Hill Roll Call
Beacon Hill Roll Call records local senators and representatives’ votes on recent roll calls on overriding Gov. Charlie Baker’s vetoes of items in the $41.88 billion fiscal 2019 state budget.
* $100,000 for macular degeneration prevention and treatment (H 4800) — House 127-23, Senate 32-5, overrode Gov. Charlie Baker’s veto reduction of $100,000 (from $200,000 to $100,000) in funding for the prevention and treatment of macular degeneration at Schepens Eye Research Institute and $50,000 (from $100,000 to $50,000) in funding for education and support of patients diagnosed with phenylketonuria (PKU) and their families at the New England Connection for PKU and Allied Disorders.
Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that affects more than 10 million Americans and is the leading cause of blindness for people aged 55 and older. The cause of macular degeneration is not conclusively known.
PKU is a rare, inherited condition that affects about one in every 14,000 babies born in the United States. PKU prevents a victim’s body from metabolizing phenylalanine — one of the amino acids that are joined together to form proteins. “When the infant or adult is untreated or poorly treated, phenylalanine rises to high levels in the blood and can damage the brain by causing mental retardation, seizures, learning disabilities and emotional problems,” according to the New England Connection for PKU and Allied Disorders website.
Supporters of spending the funds said the funding is important to these groups and that it may lead to a cure and a way to prevent these diseases.
In his veto message, Baker said he struck language which earmarks funding for programs not recommended.
(A “Yes” vote is for the funding. A “No” vote is against it.)
Yes: Rep. James Arciero, Rep. Cory Atkins, Rep. Jennifer Benson, Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, Rep. Colleen Garry, Rep. Thomas Golden, Rep. Kenneth Gordon, Rep. Sheila Harrington, Rep. Stephan Hay, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Rady Mom, Rep. David Nangle, Rep. Harold Naughton, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, Sen. Michael Barrett, Sen. James Eldridge, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Sen. Anne Gobi, Sen. Barbara L’Italien, Sen. Dean Tran.
No: Rep. Marc Lombardo, Rep. James Lyons, Sen. Bruce Tarr.
* $500,000 for Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine (H 4800) — House 126-24, Senate 29-8, overrode Gov. Baker’s $500,000 veto reduction (from $5.5 million to $5 million) in funding for the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton. Some of the funds would be used to support bioterrorism prevention by studying diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans.
Supporters noted that the school conducts groundbreaking research that benefits animals and people and also has hospitals that treat an estimated 28,000 animals annually ranging from cats and dogs to pet rabbits, parrots, iguanas and fish.
In his veto message, Baker said that he reduced the funding to an amount projected to be necessary. Some opponents questioned whether the state should be providing millions of dollars to a private university.
(A “Yes” vote is for spending the $500,000. A “No” vote is against it.)
Yes: Rep. James Arciero, Rep. Cory Atkins, Rep. Jennifer Benson, Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, Rep. Colleen Garry, Rep. Thomas Golden, Rep. Kenneth Gordon, Rep. Sheila Harrington, Rep. Stephan Hay, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Rady Mom, Rep. David Nangle, Rep. Harold Naughton, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, Sen. Michael Barrett, Sen. James Eldridge, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Sen. Anne Gobi, Sen. Barbara L’Italien.
No: Rep. Marc Lombardo, Rep. James Lyons, Sen. Bruce Tarr, Sen. Dean Tran
* $150,000 for children’s oral health (H 4800) — House 123-26, Senate 35-1, overrode Gov. Baker’s $150,000 million veto reduction (from $300,000 to $150,000) in funding for the Forsyth Institute’s Center for Children’s Oral Health to expand the Forsyth Kids program focused on children and adolescents and to study the emerging association between oral health status and academic performance.
Supporters of spending the $150,000 said that tooth decay is the most common childhood disease in the U.S. and noted that dental disease can lead to long-term health problems, pain, lack of focus in school, eating and speaking problems and low self-esteem.
In his veto message, Baker said that he reduced the funding to an amount projected to be necessary.
Yes: Rep. James Arciero, Rep. Cory Atkins, Rep. Jennifer Benson, Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, Rep. Colleen Garry, Rep. Thomas Golden, Rep. Kenneth Gordon, Rep. Sheila Harrington, Rep. Stephan Hay, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Rady Mom, Rep. David Nangle, Rep. Harold Naughton, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, Sen. Michael Barrett, Sen. James Eldridge, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Sen. Anne Gobi, Sen. Barbara L’Italien, Sen. Bruce Tarr, Sen. Dean Tran.
No: Rep. Marc Lombardo, Rep. James Lyons.
* $250,000 for stroke programs (H 4800) — House 149-0, Senate 31-5 overrode Gov. Baker’s $250,000 veto reduction (from $500,000 to $250,000) for stroke treatment and prevention programs including a $100,000 reduction in funding to educate the public on the signs and symptoms of stroke with a focus on communities that have the highest incidence of stroke.
Supporters of spending the $250,000 said these programs can help prevent strokes and save lives.
In his veto message, Baker said that he reduced the funding to an amount projected to be necessary.
Yes: Rep. James Arciero, Rep. Cory Atkins, Rep. Jennifer Benson, Rep. Kimberly Ferguson, Rep. Colleen Garry, Rep. Thomas Golden, Rep. Kenneth Gordon, Rep. Sheila Harrington, Rep. Stephan Hay, Rep. Natalie Higgins, Rep. Rady Mom, Rep. Marc Lombardo, Rep. James Lyons, Rep. David Nangle, Rep. Harold Naughton, Rep. Jonathan Zlotnik, Sen. Michael Barrett, Sen. James Eldridge, Sen. Cindy Friedman, Sen. Anne Gobi, Sen. Barbara L’Italien, Sen. Dean Tran.
No: Sen. Bruce Tarr
Also up on Beacon Hill
* MBTA buses would honor Rosa Parks every February — The House approved a Senate-approved bill that would require all MBTA buses to annually honor Rosa Parks on their LED display or on a decal in the front left window during Black History Month of February. In 1955 in Montgomery, Alabama, Parks refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat to a white passenger. Her refusal led to the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the integration of public transportation in Montgomery and the modern civil rights movement. She was jailed for refusing to give up her seat and lost her job for participating in the boycott. Additional approval is necessary in each branch prior to the measure going to Gov. Baker.
* Alzheimer’s (H 4817) — Gov. Baker signed into law a bill requiring the Executive Office of Health and Human Services to conduct an assessment of all state programs that address Alzheimer’s disease and to create and maintain an integrated state plan to address and assist in the treatment of Alzheimer’s. The ceremonial signing took place during an event at the Alzheimer’s Association in Waltham.
Other provisions require that all protective service caseworkers receive training on recognizing signs and symptoms of Alzheimer’s; require that all doctors, physician’s assistants and nurses who serve adult populations complete a one-time course of training on diagnosis, treatment and care of people with Alzheimer’s; require hospitals to create and implement an operational plan for the recognition of patients with Alzheimer’s and dementia and treatment for those patients; and require physicians to report an initial diagnosis of Alzheimer’s to a member of a patient’s family (or a personal representative) and provide the family with information about understanding the diagnosis, creating care plans, and accessing medical and non-medical treatment options.
* Opioids (H 4866) — Gov. Baker signed a bill aimed at combatting the opioid problem in the Bay State by addressing opioid addiction, prevention and treatment.
The measure establishes a statewide standing order for Narcan, expanding access to this opioid overdose-reversing drug without an individual prescription; establishes a statewide program to provide remote consultations with primary care practices, nurse practitioners and other healthcare providers for persons over the age of 17 experiencing chronic pain; establishes a community-based behavioral health promotion and prevention trust fund to promote positive mental, emotional and behavioral health among children and young adults and to prevent substance use disorders among children and young adults; and establishes a center for police training in crisis intervention to serve as a clearinghouse for best practices in police response to people with mental illness and substance use disorders.
Other provisions require most prescriptions for controlled substances be provided electronically; permit a patient to partially fill a prescription for a schedule II substance and return to the original dispensing pharmacy for the remaining amount of the prescription and prohibit the use of drug coupons for opiate drugs.
* Refresher course on Open Meeting Law — Attorney General Maura Healey announced that her office will hold five in-person and two online free training sessions on the Open Meeting Law in September and October. Healey’s office said the training sessions are part of a broad effort by the AG’s Office to assist government officials and members of the public to understand and comply with law.
All local and state public bodies are required to follow the open meeting law, which requires that most meetings be open to the public and sets the rules for communication between board members and public notice of meetings.
For a list of all the dates and locations, go to: https://www.mass.gov/service-details/open-meeting-law-trainings
Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com
